The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Jalbun and Huwwara, opening fire at homes; no injuries are reported. Israeli forces demolish 7 agricultural structures in Barta’a and 2 agricultural structures in Qabalan. Israeli forces also deliver a stop-work notice for a Swiss-funded sports field in Qalandia and seize a vehicle and equipment. Elsewhere, Israeli forces set up 2 iron gates on roads leading to Huwwara. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid al-Qibli Mosque at the Haram al-Sharif compound, forcibly removing worshippers. Israeli forces also erect iron barriers at the King Faisal, al-Ghawanmeh, and al-Hadid gates to the compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 69 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people and injuring 155. In Beit Kama, a Palestinian citizen of Israel stabs and kills an Israeli soldier before he is shot and killed. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a home in Naqoura. Israeli forces also bomb Tayr Harfa, Kunin, and Hamul. Hezbollah attacks Israeli soldiers in al-Abad. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 9 anti-ship missiles and 2 drones at different sites, saying Houthis fired 4 anti-ship missiles at vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 3/15)

More than 31,341 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,134 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 425 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,475 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 142 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 13,900 meals over northern Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/14; UNOCHA 3/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints the current chairperson of the Palestine Investment Fund and former deputy prime minister and minister of national economy, Mohammed Mustafa, as the new PA prime minister. Abbas says in a statement that he asked Mustafa to create a plan to re-unify the administration of Gaza and the West Bank, lead reforms in the PA government, security services, and economy, and fight corruption. The U.S. National Security Council welcomes the appointment of Mustafa. UK foreign secretary David Cameron also welcomes the appointment. According to Axios, State Department and White House officials have met with Mustafa and heard his plans for post-war Gaza and rehabilitating the PA economy. The PA condemns Israel for setting up barriers and gates around the Haram al-Sharif compound ahead of Friday prayers. The PA also calls on the ICC to summon Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for incitement to kill Palestinians, citing his statement in support of the killing of a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem on 3/12. Abbas speaks with Jordanian king Abdullah II, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 3/15)

Reuters reports that Hamas has submitted a 2-stage ceasefire proposal where the first stage would see Israeli women, children, elderly, and ill captives, including female soldiers, exchanged for 700-1,000 Palestinian prisoners. During the first stage a date for a permanent ceasefire and a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be set. The remaining captives would be released in another prisoner exchange. The Israeli prime minister’s office calls Hamas’s terms “unrealistic” but says the war and security cabinets will discuss the proposal on 3/15. Hamas also calls on Palestinians to break the siege of the al-Aqsa Mosque. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 3/14; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/15)

Representatives from several clans in Gaza tell international organizations and Israel that they will not participate in Israel’s plan to circumvent Hamas in the distribution of aid. (HA 3/14)

National Security Minister Ben-Gvir bans the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation from broadcasting in Israel and Jerusalem. (WAFA 3/14)

The U.S. sanctions 3 Israeli settlers, Neriya Ben Pazi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit, and the 2 settlement outposts Moshe’s Farms and Zvi’s Farms. Sharvit and Bar Yosef are responsible for the 2 outposts and are also sanctioned by the UK. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 3/14)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signs a letter assuring the Biden administration that Israel will use U.S. weapons in accordance with international law and will allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AX 3/15)

The U.S. circulates a draft resolution at the UN Security Council, supporting efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire. It is unclear when the draft will be put to a vote. (REU 3/14; AP 3/15)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calls for new elections in Israel, calling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 1 of 4 major obstacles for peace, along with “radical right-wing Israelis in government and society,” Hamas, and PA president Abbas. Schumer also says that if Netanyahu remains in power then the U.S. should “play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course.” House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he may introduce a standalone bill for aid to Israel, saying Schumer’s comment “made the situation even more urgent.” The House has already passed 2 Israel funding bills, which Schumer has rejected as Senate Democrats want to tie Israel funding to Ukraine funding. The Likud Party condemns Schumer’s remarks, saying “the Israeli public supports a total victory over Hamas, rejects any international dictates to establish a Palestinian terrorist state, and opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza” and that Israel is “not a banana republic.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

Leader of the Houthi movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi says Houthi forces will attack Israeli-linked ships in the Indian Ocean that are circumventing the blockade of the Red Sea by going south of the African continent. Al-Houthi also says that 34 members of the Houthi movement have been killed since the U.S.-led anti-Houthi coalition began attacking its forces. (AJ, REU 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

The Toronto Star and Reuters report that Canada has stopped shipments of non-lethal military equipment, such as night vision goggles, to Israel due to concerns over human rights violations. (AJ 3/14)

The European Parliament pass a resolution denouncing the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the risk of imminent starvation.” EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic says that neither the EU, nor to his knowledge any other UNRWA donor, has been presented with any evidence against UNRWA employees by Israel. (AJ, REU 3/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole 3 residential tents in al-‘Awja and a tractor in Shaab al-Butum. Israeli settlers also uprooted around 100 olive, almond, and grape trees and destroyed 15 beehives in al-Khader. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Haris, causing damage. Israeli residents at Meirav village near Jalbun prevented Palestinians from harvesting olives, during 1 of the 2 times a year they are allowed to harvest on the Israeli side of the separation wall on their privately-owned land; Israeli forces refused to remove the protesters leaving the Palestinians without access. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid in Yatma. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 people during a raid in Dahariya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians awaiting the prisoner exchange at Ofer Prison, injuring 2, including a child, with live ammunition and a journalist with a baton round; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided Palestinian homes in Sur Baher, Silwan, Isawiya, and al-Tur, warning families not to celebrate the release of their relatives in the prisoner exchange. In Gaza, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian farmer and wounded another in Maghazi refugee camp. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinians near the Indonesian Hospital and al-Quds Hospital, injuring 7. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked the Damascus International Airport, putting it out of commission. (AJ 11/25; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/26)

The Gaza Media Office did not update the casualty numbers, leaving the comprehensive death toll as of 11/23 at around 14,800 Palestinians, including 6,000 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 231 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 56 children. More than 2,980 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.7 million Palestinians, more than 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 200 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Several trucks entered northern Gaza distributing aid at a hospital and UNRWA shelters. (AJ 11/25; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/26)

39 Palestinian prisoners, all boys, were released during the third prisoner exchange. 17 Hamas-held captives were released to Israel via the Rafah crossing, including 14 Israelis and 3 Thai nationals. 1 of the released captives holds U.S. citizenship, while another holds Russian citizenship. Israel said 1 of the released captives, an 84-year-old woman, was hospitalized in serious condition. She was later said to be improving. A relative of 3 children released from captivity said they were treated “more or less okay.” Hamas said it was seeking to extend the temporary ceasefire and called on U.S. president Joe Biden to end the Israeli war on Gaza. Biden said that the U.S. sought to extend the ceasefire, adding that the war ends when Hamas “no longer [is] in control of any portion of Gaza.” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Red Cross visitations for the remaining captives held in Gaza was part of the ceasefire agreement and that the U.S. expects visitations to start on 11/27. (AJ 11/25; AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/26; HA 11/27)

Hamas said 4 senior military officers had been killed before the ceasefire, including Northern Gaza Brigade commander Ahmed al-Ghandour. (AJ 11/25; HA, NYT 11/26)

UN World Food Programme director Cindy McCain warned that Gaza was “on the brink of famine.” (AJ 11/27; WAFA 11/28)

The Israeli military said it had stolen $1.33 million worth of cash in Israeli shekels, Iraqi dinars, Jordanian dinars, and U.S. dollars from homes in Gaza. (AJ 11/25)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israeli soldiers in Gaza, saying Israel has 3 goals: “to eliminate Hamas, to bring back all our hostages, and to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to the State of Israel again.” (AJ 11/25; HA, NYT 11/26)

German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, saying “[w]e stand in solidarity with Israel. It is not only with Israel as a victim of terror. Our solidarity is also with the Israel that defends itself, that fights against an existential threat.” Steinmeier later said that Germany will donate $7.5 million to rebuild an art gallery destroyed on 10/7 in Kibbutz Be’eri. (HA 11/26; HA 11/27)

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz of the National Unity party said that if the government votes to distribute coalition funds instead of adding to the war effort his party will vote against the budget and consider its next steps. (HA 11/26)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said that he hopes an upcoming meeting of officials from Mediterranean countries scheduled for next week will convince European nations that a permanent ceasefire is needed, not only pauses. (AJ, HA 11/26)

U.S. senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said U.S. lawmakers would vote on a $14 billion military aid package to Israel next week. Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) had all suggested that U.S. military aid to Israel could be conditional on Israel following international law. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also said the Biden administration was considering conditioning the U.S. aid. Sullivan later said it was not something the White House would do. (AJ 11/25; HA 11/28)

The Biden administration had reportedly asked the U.S. Senate on 10/20 to lift nearly all restrictions on Israeli access to U.S. weapons. (AJ 11/26)

Human Rights Watch said that the explosion that killed and injured upwards of 500 Palestinians at al-Ahli Hospital resulted from “a rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups” but added further investigation was needed to determine the perpetrator. Other investigations have pointed to Israel as the likely perpetrator. Human Rights Watch also said it could not corroborate the death toll, saying it appeared “out of proportion with the damage visible at the site.” (HA 11/26)

Russia condemned the Israeli attack on Damascus International Airport. (AJ, HA 11/27)

Pirates from Somalia attempted to hijack the Israeli-owned Central Park oil tanker off the coast of Yemen. It was initially reported that the Yemeni Houthi government was behind the attempt. The pirates were arrested by U.S. forces. (AJ 11/25; HA, HA, NYT 11/26; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP 11/27)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort toured Solomon’s pools near Bethlehem and an archeological site near Qarawat Bani Hassan. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Jalbun, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces closed Route 60 near Huwwara for 3 hours, claiming stones were thrown at settler vehicles. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israel closed the compound to young Palestinians during the incursion and Israeli forces prevented some Waqf employees from entering. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/4; AJ, HA, PCHR 10/5)

Israeli police arrested 5 Israelis for spitting on Christians and churches in the Old City of Jerusalem. 4 of the 5 were arrested shortly after a spitting incident at a church and the other was arrested for an incident earlier in the week. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 10/4; HA 10/7)

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 84 Palestinians had fled their homes in the Masafer Yatta area since July due to Israeli restrictions on their movement after the 2022 Supreme Court decision to allow Israel to forcefully transfer Palestinians living in the “firing zone.” (HA 10/4)

Haaretz reported that Israeli minister at the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich has been excluding the military advocate general official Eli Levertov from discussions on settlement expansion reportedly over Levertov’s objections to decisions made by Smotrich on settlements. (HA 10/4)

Jordan sent a letter to the Israeli embassy in the country complaining of Israeli settler tours at the Haram al-Sharif compound and settler attacks on Christians in Jerusalem. (WAFA 10/4)

Haaretz also reported that Qatar is considering providing additional aid to Gaza and that Israel is considering increasing the quota for Gazans to work in Israel. (HA 10/2; HA 10/4)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken overrode a Republican block on the dispersal of $75 million in food assistance to Palestinians hours before a clause would have seen the funds dispersed elsewhere. The State Department did not publish the outcome, which was instead announced by UNRWA-USA. (HA 10/4)

National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz met with U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House for a briefing on the Saudi-Israeli normalization deal negotiations. It was reported that the White House is seeking to have Gantz’s party and other opposition parties replace the Religious Zionist Party and the Jewish Power Party if Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir oppose concessions to Palestinians as part of the normalization deal. (HA 10/5; ALM 10/6)

20 U.S. senators wrote a letter to U.S. president Joe Biden urging his administration to preserve the option of a two-state solution in a potential Saudi-Israeli normalization deal. The senators said Israel should commit to not annexing any of the West Bank; halt settlement expansion; dismantle illegal settlements, including those retroactively legalized; allow natural growth in Palestinian towns and cities; and allow Palestinians to travel within the West Bank without interference. The senators were led by Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Peter Welsh (D-VT). (HA 10/4; WAFA 10/5)

In the West Bank, masked gunmen fired 12 shots at Hebron deputy mayor Asmaa Hatem Nasser al-Shurbati’s car parked in front of her house and later fired shots at her husband’s clinic in Hebron, causing damage. Israeli settlers set up tents and sheep pens on Palestinian land in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian during a raid in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, 2 were arrested. Israeli forces also raided Jalbun, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issued 23 stop-work orders for homes in Qarawat Bani Hassan. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesters near the Gaza fence east of Gaza City, injuring 4 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. (AP, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/20; PCHR, PCHR 9/21; UNOCHA 9/26)

Israeli settlers from the Im Tirtzu organization harassed and threatened a delegation of foreign diplomats touring Palestinian communities experiencing settler violence with members of B’Tselem near Ramallah. 1 settler were arrested by PA forces in Taibeh in Area B and transferred to Israel after PA forces fired warning shots at the settlers when they entered Taibeh. 1 of the settlers waived a gun at the PA forces when they arrived. EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrel spoke to Israel foreign minister Eli Cohen about the incident. A diplomat told Haaretz that the delegation had informed Israel about the tour beforehand but when they contacted the Israeli army to request assistance they did not show up. (HA, WAFA 9/21)

1 Palestinian prisoner held in administrative detention suspended his 49-day long hunger strike after an Israeli military court said it would not extend his detention beyond 12/2. (QDS, WAFA 9/20)

U.S. president Joe Biden met Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting in New York. According to a White House statement, Biden cautioned Netanyahu about further advancing his judicial overhaul without gaining a broad consensus and invited Netanyahu to the White House later in 2023. Israeli officials said the Biden-Netanyahu conversation mostly concerned the Israeli-Saudi normalization deal. U.S. national security council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk and presidential envoy on energy security Amos Hochstein, who have been leading the U.S. negotiations with Saudi Arabia on normalization, also attended the meeting. It was the first time Biden and Netanyahu met since Netanyahu took office in December 2022. According to an Israeli official, Netanyahu told Biden that there can be a Palestinian component to the deal but the Palestinians cannot have veto power. Netanyahu also met with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, telling him that the UN should condemn Iran and Palestinian ‘terror.’ (AJ, AX, AX, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, NYT, PCN, REU 8/20; HA, HA 9/21; HA, HA 9/22)

Israeli government ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with 11 members of the Likud Party, sent Prime Minister Netanyahu a letter demanding that Israeli-Saudi normalization not be tied to improvements for the Palestinian people. (HA 9/21; HA 9/22)

Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman told Fox News in an interview that normalization with Israel is moving closer every day. Bin Salman said “[f]or us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part,” later saying “[w]e hope that it [the normalization talks] will reach a place that will ease the life of Palestinians and get Israel as a player in the Middle East.” Lastly, bin Salman said that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, then Saudi Arabia will “have to get one.” One of the Saudi demands for normalization is that the U.S. aids the country in creating a nuclear program. (AJ, AX, HA 9/20; AJ, ALM, MEE, REU 9/21; HA, MEE 9/22)

UN envoy for the Middle East Tor Wennesland issued a report warning that the economic crisis in the West Bank and Gaza could threaten regional stability. The report called for investment in health, education, social support, employment opportunities for youth and women, and infrastructure. The report was issued ahead of a donor conference for Palestine which will take place on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting. (HA 9/20)

Norway contributed $2.9 million to the World Food Programme in support of vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza. (WAFA 9/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian property in Silwad. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinian herders in Khirbat Makhul. Israeli forces seized 1 tractor and 1 bulldozer in Jalbun. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Jabel Mukaber, Shu’fat refugee camp, and al-Tur. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/19; PCHR 2/23; UNOCHA 3/4)

Residents of Shu‘fat refugee camp, Isawiya, Jabel Mukaber, and ‘Anata went on strike to protest the Israeli “policy of harassment and aggression adopted by the Israeli authorities, including the police.” Residents of the four East Jerusalem neighborhoods said they would barricade entrances and boycott Israeli agencies and the Jerusalem municipality. (HA, WAFA 2/18; MEE, WAFA 2/19; MEE 2/20)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will lead a taskforce against incitement to terrorism on social media. Ben-Gvir was convicted of incitement in 2008. (HA 2/19)

In Syria, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes in Damascus, killing 4 civilians and 1 soldier, injuring 15 others, and causing damage to apartment buildings. Russia condemned the attack. (HA, MEE 2/18; AJ, AP, BBC, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 2/19; HA, TOI 2/22)

The UAE informed the UN Security Council that it will not call a vote on a draft resolution to demand that Israel ceases its settlement activity. The decision not to call the vote was reportedly the result of intense lobbying by the U.S. targeting the UAE and the PA. Instead the Security Council members are set to vote on a statement condemning Israeli settlement activity. Part of the deal made by the U.S. involved the PA not pursuing action against Israel in international organizations until August while Israel would not expand more settlements and legalize more settlement outposts beyond the 9 settlement outposts that Israel said it would legalize on 2/12. It was also reported that the U.S. had offered the PA meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House, movement on reopening the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, and aid. (AX 2/18; AX, HA, REU 2/19; AJ, AP, HA, REU 2/20)

Leading Democrat and former presidential candidate senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) said during an interview “I think we’ve got to put some strings attached to that [U.S. aid to Israel] and say ‘You cannot run a racist government,’ You cannot turn your back on a two-state solution. You cannot demean the Palestinian people there. You just can’t do it and then come to America and ask for money.” Senator Sanders also said he may introduce legislation to condition U.S. aid to Israel. (HA, MDW 2/20)

Islamic Jihad gunmen fatally shoot a Jewish settler rabbi driving in Gaza. The IDF sends tanks into Dayr al-Balah in search of a wanted AMB mbr., fatally shoots 1 Palestinian during the raid; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Dayr al-Balah, 8 in nearby Wadi al-Silqa; blows up 1 Palestinian building in Nablus that the IDF claims was used as a bomb-making lab; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Jalbun, Tulkarm, al-Yamun. Israeli police find a package bomb in a mall in Netanya, in n. Israel. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 7/12/02. (AP 12/20; NYT, WP 12/21; WT 12/22; LAW, PCHR 12/25)

U.S. Pres. George W. Bush meets with Quartet reps. (EU, Russia, UN, U.S.) at the White House. The Quartet reaffirms its call for creation of a Palestinian state by 2005, completes “99.5%” of the revisions to the draft road map but the U.S. overrules calls by other mbrs. to finalize and endorse the road map. (CNN, MM 12/20; NYT, WP 12/21; AYM 12/22, 12/24 in WNC 12/31; MM 12/23; JP 12/29)