The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers physically assaulted 3 Palestinians, with 1 Palestinian suffering a fractured arm, near al-Tha‘ala in the Masafer Yatta area; Israeli forces that intervened gave 1 of the Israeli settlers the club back to him that he used to attack the Palestinians after separating the 2 sides. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian minor with a rubber-coated bullet in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 Palestinian minors during a late-night raid in al-Bireh. 6 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Sa‘ir and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested during house raids in Silwan. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; HA 11/8; PCHR 11/11; GDN 11/28)

Israel’s Central Command extended defense minister Benny Gantz’s order to declare 6 Palestinian rights organizations “terror groups,” from 10/22, to the West Bank. The extension to the West Bank, where the 6 Palestinian rights organizations operate, means that the Israeli military will be able to arrest their employees, raid their offices, and confiscate their equipment. (HA 11/7; MEMO 11/8)

According to statistics from the Israeli ministry of defense, 8 Palestinians have been killed in 2021 during protests in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers using the Ruger rifle, which Israel uses as a crowd-dispersal tool. In comparison, 1 Palestinian was killed by Israeli soldiers using the Ruger rifle in 2020 and a total of 12 were killed by soldiers using the rifle between 2016 and 2021, according to the Israeli  data. The statistic was released as part of a parliamentary question by Gaby Lasky of Meretz (Vigor), who argued that Israeli forces should stop using the weapon at Palestinian demonstrations. (HA 11/7)

In Iraq, unknown perpetrators tried to assassinate Iraq’s prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at his residence in Baghdad. Prime Minister al-Kadhimi was unharmed, but 6 members of his security force were injured. (AJ, ALM, AP, MEE, MEE, MEMO, REU, WAFA 11/7; MEMO, REU 11/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces delivered a stop-work notice for renovations at a cemetery near Yatta. Israeli forces also seized 1 bulldozer in Bardala. 4 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 at checkpoints in Jericho and Bethlehem, and 1 during a house raid in Hizma. In East Jerusalem, for the 6th night in a row, Palestinians protested the Israeli-imposed restrictions on the Old City during the month of Ramadan; Israeli police violently dispersed the protest with water cannons and stun grenades and 3 Palestinians were arrested. In Israel, Palestinian-Israelis protested the sale of a building in Jaffa to a Jewish religious organization, saying their community is being settled by Jewish-Israelis; 3 members of the Jewish organization were reportedly assaulted and clashes with police ensued. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Abasan and al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (AP 4/18; HA, HA, TOI, TOI 4/19; HA 4/20; PCHR 4/22)

Gaza saw the highest COVID-19 death toll in a 24-hour period as 23 Palestinians died in Gaza of the virus. 761 people have died of COVID-19 in Gaza since the start of the pandemic. This occurred as Israel reopened society after vaccinating the majority of people within the Green Line while refusing to provide vaccinations to the people in its occupied territory. (HA, WAFA 4/18)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke, via video link, at the annual J Street conference, where he said that the PA is “ready to resume negotiations with our Israeli counterpart on the basis of international legitimacy, resolutions and signed agreements and under the auspices of the International Quartet.” He also said that moving away from a 2-state solution would lead to apartheid. President Abbas also commended the Biden administration for resuming aid and restoring bilateral relations. (HA 4/18)

Israel and Greece signed a defense procurement deal worth $1.65 billion. According to the deal, the Greek air force will get a training center operated by Elbit Systems, and Elbit will maintain the Greek air force fleet for 20 years. The deal was signed in Cyprus after a meeting between the foreign ministers of Israel, Greece, Cyprus, and the UAE. (AJ, HA, REU 4/18)

The Financial Times reported that Iranian and Saudi Arabian officials met in Baghdad on 4/9 to see if the 2 countries could move toward repairing relations. It was reported that no agreement was reached. (AJ, HA, REU 4/18; REU 4/19; AP 4/21)