The Palestine Chronology

Israel announces plans to build 238 new settlement housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramot settlements in East Jerusalem. The PA and U.S. denounce the move as contrary to peace. Also in East Jerusalem, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and water with a colored dye at Palestinians holding a sit-in in the al-Bustan area of Silwan after Friday prayers to protest Israel’s plans (announced in 3/2010) to demolish homes and businesses in the area to create the City of David, an archeological park to accommodate settlers; local Jewish settlers join in, stoning Palestinians and vandalizing Palestinian homes; 15 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts synchronized daytime patrols in 2 villages and 1 open area nr. Jenin, making no arrests. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some locations) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam. IDF soldiers fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation; 2 Israeli and 3 Palestinian activists are arrested (the Israelis are quickly released). Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus fire on and chase off Palestinian farmers harvesting olives nr. the settlement, causing no reported injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Zohar settlement e. of Qalqilya set fire to Palestinian olive groves and prevent Palestinian fire engines fr. reaching the area, allowing 100 d. to burn. (NYT, WP 10/16; PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

The West Bank and Gaza remain effectively severed from each other following Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 6/07, with Hamas controlling Gaza and Fatah the West Bank (see Quarterly Update in JPS 145). Tight Israeli restrictions on Gaza’s borders dating from 8/07 remain in place, including reduced fuel imports, a near-total ban on exports, and limited imports of basic goods. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) roadblocks in the West Bank divide the territory into 3 cantons, and Palestinian access to the Jordan Valley is limited. In Gaza, 30,000 Palestinians attend a Hamas-organized rally in Gaza City to protest ongoing Israeli archaeological excavations nr. al-Aqsa Mosque. Some 1,500 Palestinians attend a similar Hamas rally in al-Maghazi refugee camp (r.c.), also denouncing the upcoming U.S.-sponsored Annapolis peace summit, tentatively set for 11/26–27. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, and in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus, Salfit; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in nr. Ramallah (injuring 5). Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus set fire to 50 nearby Palestinian olive trees. Hamas releases almost all of the approximately 450 Fatah mbrs. detained during demonstrations in Gaza City on 11/12. (NYT 11/16; OCHA 11/21; PCHR 11/22)

As a gesture to Abbas, Israel frees 57 Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank (mostly Fatah mbrs. but also mbrs. of the DFLP, PFLP, and PA security forces) to mark Ramadan; the release of 29 prisoners fr. Gaza to “encourage the moderates” there is delayed until 10/2 after Israeli pres. Shimon Peres initially refuses to sign the releases, citing captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit’s continued detention in Gaza, finally signing them late in the evening. Meanwhile, the IDF on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fires at a crowd on the Palestinians side gathered to welcome home the prisoners, wounding a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Hebron, nr. Ramallah; removes Jewish settlers fr. 2 unauthorized settlement outposts occupied on 9/30 as well as fr. 2 new sites occupied today nr. Elon Moreh settlement nr. Nablus and Keddumim settlement nr. Qalqilya. In Gaza, some 300 PFLP mbrs. stage a solidarity sit-in outside the home of a UNRWA staff mbr. who was temporarily kidnapped, beaten by unknown assailants earlier in the day. (NYT 10/2; OCHA 10/3; PCHR 10/4)

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device in a Tel Aviv deli, killing 9 Israelis, wounding 59. Abbas condemns the attack, the deadliest since an 8/31/04 bombing killed 16 Israelis in Beersheba and since the 2/05 cease-fire was declared, whereas a Hamas spokesman in Gaza calls the bombing “a natural result of the continued Israeli crimes against our people”; the U.S. says that “the burden of responsibility for preventing terrorist attacks such as this one rests with the Palestinian Authority.” The IDF continues to shell the n. Gaza no-go zone (killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 2) and the s. Gaza coast from land and sea; makes an air strike on a building in Gaza City allegedly used as a factory to make rockets, causing no injuries; reopens the Sufa and Qarni crossings (closed on 4/13 and 4/15); sends troops into Nablus, where they fire on Palestinian stone throwers and on residential areas, wounding at least 16 Palestinians and damaging a clearly marked AP press vehicle; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. (arresting the father of the 4/17 suicide bomber), in Tulkarm town and r.c., and nr. Hebron, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh fire on Palestinian shepherds, steal some sheep nr. Nablus. (HA, NYT, YA 4/17; MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/18; HA, MM 4/19; PCHR 4/20; OCHA 4/23)

Early in the morning, Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Bayt Hanun into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; IDF artillery responds, shelling a road and an open field n. Gaza where Palestinians have launched rockets, causing no injuries. Despite the exchange, the IDF partially reopens the Erez and Qarni crossings. In the afternoon, an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber retaliating for the 10/24 Saadi assassination detonates a bomb in an open-air market in Hadera, killing 5 Israelis, wounding 6 seriously, 14 moderately. Palestinians also fire another rocket at the Negev (no damage or injuries), a mortar at an IDF post on the s. Gaza border (no damage or injuries). Israel immediately cancels a planned mtg. btwn. Israeli, PA cabinet mbrs.; Sharon says he will not meet with Abbas until he takes “serious action” against militants. Late in the evening, the Israeli cabinet approves Operation Starting All Over Again—a “broad and nonstop” offensive (including assassinations) against “terrorism” in the West Bank and Gaza that will continue until “terrorism” ends; says there are no plans for a ground offensive into Gaza at present, but restrictions on Palestinian movement across the West Bank will be tightened, diplomatic offensives will be raised to pressure Syria over its hosting of Islamic Jihad in Damascus. Meanwhile, right-wing Jewish settler youths occupy abandoned buildings nr. Elon Moreh, Keddumim settlements and site on Worshippers Way in Hebron, declaring new unauthorized outposts. (HA, WP, YA 10/26; HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT, YA 10/27; HA 10/28; IMEMC 10/31; PCHR 11/10)

The IDF fatally shoots 1 Palestinian biking too closed to Gush Katif settlement. Nr. Shaykh Ajlin in Gaza, the IDF conducts an "intensive operation" to halt arms smuggling after seeing suspicious barrels in the sea; the DMin. later says the barrels contained refrigerators. Late in the evening, the IDF fires 2 shells at bedouin encampment in Shaykh Ajlin, killing 4 Palestinians, injuring 8, prevents ambulances fr. reaching the wounded for 40 mins. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Jenin r.c., killing 1 Palestinian inside his home. In the compound of the Beit El municipal court, 5 Israeli border policemen seriously beat 2 Palestinians, stopping only when they realize the prisoners families, lawyers, IDF soldiers have arrived; 1 Palestinian requires hospitalization. Jewish settlers establish 4 new settlement outposts (1 nr. Elon Moreh, 2 nr. Har Bracha, 1 nr. Itamar). Late in the evening, Palestinians fire 5 mortars at an IDF post, a Jewish settlement in Gaza, causing no damage. (AP, MM, PCHR 8/28; HA, NYT, PM, WP, WT 8/29; BBC, MM 8/30; Peace Now press release 9/2; MEI 9/13)

Citing the alleged arms smuggling operation today and the mortar fire on 8/27, Ben-Eliezer indefinitely postpones a mtg. with Yahya set for today to discuss the stalled Gaza First proposal; says the PA must first assert security control in the Strip before the IDF would redeploy. (AP, MM 8/28; MM, NYT, WP 8/29)

A Hamas gunman infiltrates Elon Moreh settlement, kills 4 Jewish settlers. 1 Israeli injured in the 3/27 Netanya attack dies. The IDF closes main roads across Gaza, cutting the Strip into 3 sections. The PSF arrests senior Hamas, Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah. Arafat issues an urgent appeal for an unconditional cease-fire. Sharon convenes his cabinet to discuss the escalating Palestinian attacks. U.S. Secy. of State Colin Powell phones Sharon to urge against exiling Arafat. The cabinet agrees to "totally isolate" Arafat, calls up 20,000 IDF reserves in preparation for a major assault. (HA 3/28; XIN 3/28 in WNC 3/29; MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 3/29; NYT 3/30; WT 4/1; MEI 4/5; WP 5/6)

The Arab summit unanimously adopts the Saudi initiative, pledges $480 m. aid to the Palestinians, urges against a U.S. attack on Iraq. (CNN 3/28; al-Quds, XIN 3/28 in WNC 3/29; HA, NYT, WP, WT 3/29; al-Majallah 3/30 in WNC 4/1; HA 4/4; MEI, MM 4/5)