The Palestine Chronology

Israeli and Palestinian officials issue opposing statements on the content of Israel’s principles on borders presented in the Jordanian-sponsored exploratory talks last quarter. Israeli officials say the principles “effectively means a withdrawal from 90% of the West Bank,” similar to proposals made by Israel at the 2008 Annapolis conference. Palestinian officials counter that Israel never presented maps or discussed percentages, stating “If they wanted to say 90% they should have said 90%.” (WT 2/24)

Jerusalem Post reports that Naftali Bennett, former head of PM Netanyahu’s office and a former head of the YESHA settlers council who has recently launched a new group called One State Israel, has started circulating his proposed solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict to Israel’s political and military elites, who reportedly give it “high praise.” His “Israel Stability Initiative,” which he describes as “a practical plan for managing the . . . conflict,” calls for: (1) Israel unilaterally extending sovereignty over West Bank area C (60% of the West Bank); (2) granting citizenship to the 50,000 (by his estimate; as of 8/2011, OCHA put the figure at 150,000) Palestinians in Area C; (3) full PA “autonomy” in and freedom of movement among West Bank areas A and B; (4) no right of return for Palestinian refugees and no access for Palestinian refugees to areas under PA control; (5) a “full Israeli security umbrella” covering all of the West Bank; (6) the permanent separation of Gaza from the West Bank; and (7) heavy Israeli investment in economic projects in the West Bank that reinforce separation, such as joint industrial zones and separate road networks. (JP 2/23; YA 2/24; Foreign Policy online 5/1; see also OCHA, “Displacement and Insecurity in Area C of the West Bank,” 8/2011)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In retaliation, Israeli warplanes and IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on open areas e. of Khan Yunis, causing no reported injuries. Late at night, after unidentified Palestinians fire another 2 Qassam rockets into Israel (causing no damage or injuries), Israeli warplanes make 3 air strikes on a group of armed Palestinians operating nr. Gaza City and on a Hamas training base in n. Gaza, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops nr. Hebron uproot 690 trees and bulldoze 22 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of agricultural land, a well and water tank, and 800 meters (m) of fence surrounding the fields, located in Surif village; and demolish a mosque, a school, and 19 shelters in Khirbat Janba bedouin community; conducts daytime patrols in Qalqilya, Tulkarm, 4 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Jenin (accidentally damaging 1 home and a water network when an IDF vehicle gets stuck); conducts afternoon and evening patrols in Qalqilya and 1 nearby village, Tulkarm and 3 nearby villages, and 1 village nr. Salfit; conducts late night patrols nr. Qalqilya. In Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest 7 Palestinians for jeering a group of Jews touring the Temple Mount/alAqsa Mosque compound. (JP 2/23; JP, WT, YA 2/24; PCHR 3/1; OCHA 3/2)

PA pres. and Fatah head Abbas holds separate meetings in Cairo with Hamas leader Mishal and Hamas’s acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh (marking their 1st meeting since 2007). Afterward, Fatah officials stated (Jerusalem Post 2/26) that Abbas has agreed to Mishal’s request to suspend talks on implementation of the 5/2011 Fatah-Hamas unity deal until Hamas resolves its internal disputes. (REU 2/23; JP 2/26)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight e. of Abasan, Khuza, and al-Fukhari villages. (PCHR 8/27)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, sound bombs, tear gas, skunk (a foul-smelling liquid) at Palestinians and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer fr. tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs, tear gas and violently beats a number of Palestinian and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in al-Ma‘sara (injuring 2, including 1 teenager); fires rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs, tear gas at Palestinian activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in a demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer fr. tear gas inhalation); implements additional security restrictions on the movements of Palestinians in the old city of Hebron, which prevents a number of them fr. entering the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/ Tomb of the Patriarchs for Friday prayers; conducts late-night raids, house searches in Surif village nr. Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians. (OCHA 8/25; PCHR 8/27)

An AMB gunman fires on, damages an IDF jeep in Tulkarm, is killed by return fire. The IDF fires on stone-throwing Palestinians outside Surif; conduct late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and nr. Nablus, Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh cut down another 200 olive trees in Salim (see 10/20). (HA 10/21; HA, NYT, WP 10/22; PCHR 10/27)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah (also firing on residential areas). IDF undercover units conduct arrest raids in Surif nr. Hebron. Palestinians report that in the previous wk., the IDF had issued military orders confiscating 60 d. northwest of Nablus for creation of a buffer zone around Shavei Shomron settlement, cutting off another 100 d. from Palestinian access, and declaring the whole area a closed military zone. (PCHR 10/13, 10/20)

Israel announces plans to build new roads in Gaza parallel to the existing settler bypass roads to ease congestion during the evacuation of settlements in 7/05. The IDF sends troops into Balata r.c. who fatally shoot wanted AMB mbr. Ibrahim Isnayri, who allegedly has Hizballah connections, in disputed circumstances (the IDF says troops tried to arrest him, but he opened fire and they responded; Palestinian observers say the IDF fired without warning, Isnayri never fired); the AMB says he was assassinated and it will take revenge, may stop adhering to the cease-fire; Abbas declares it a “serious violation” of the truce. The IDF also raids an elementary school in Budrus nr Ramallah, checks employee IDs, leaves without making arrests; raids, fires on homes in Surif nr. Hebron, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 6; raids fields along a settler bypass road nr. Tulkarm, arrests 8 farmers, interrogates and then releases them; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Aza r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Shufa nr. Tulkarm; demolishes a Palestinian home in Kafr ‘Aqab nr. Qalandia for lack of a permit; issues demolition orders for 92 Palestinian homes in Silwan in East Jerusalem for lack of permits. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai attack, beat a Palestinian man, 6 children in Hebron; in a separate incident beat a 12-yr.-old Palestinian girl heading home fr. school, throw stones and bottles at 10s of Palestinian homes in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Tapuach settlement spread poisoned feed on large areas of Palestinian grazing land outside Nablus (see 3/22). A Jewish settler shoots, wounds a Palestinian driving nr. Hebron. (AP, REU, XIN 4/14; IMEMC, MM, NYT 4/15; OCHA, PR 4/20; PCHR 4/21; MEI 4/29)

Overnight, the IDF makes a major raid into Jenin, sending in 30 military vehicles and helicopters, fires on residential areas, raids and searches Palestinian homes, detaining at least 9 Islamic Jihad mbrs. The IDF also shoots, wounds a Palestinian shepherd grazing his flock nr. the separation wall in Bayt ‘Awwa nr. Hebron; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dahariyya, Fahma nr. Jenin (arresting 3 PA security officers), Jama‘in and Kafr Qalil nr. Nablus (firing on residential areas, wounding 2 Palestinians inside their home), Surif, Za’atra nr. Hebron. In Gaza City, Fatah-affiliated lawyer Majid al-Jafari is moderately injured when an explosive charge planted underneath his parked car explodes; Jafari received death threats after recently announcing his independent candidacy for the local bar association; no group claims responsibility. (OCHA 3/30; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/6; al-Quds 4/23 in WNC 4/26)

The IDF, PA security officers hold a ceremony to jointly unlock the gate (set up after the outbreak of the al-Aqsa intifada, locked since 2001) on the Anabta–Tulkarm road, finalizing the transfer of security control over Tulkarm; the IDF sets up a checkpoint 30 m. down the road to check Palestinian IDs; all other checkpoints into and out of the city, all villages surrounding Tulkarm remain under Israeli control. The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan; uproots 300 olive trees in Surif nr. Hebron for construction of the separation wall; issues a military order confiscating a plot of land (exact size not specified) in Nahalin w. of Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall, citing the 1950 Absentee Property Law (see Quarterly Update in JPS 135). Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on spread poisoned food pellets on 30 d. of Palestinians grazing land. The IDF says that the PA security forces have sealed 18 smuggler’s tunnels to date. (HA 3/22; HA, OCHA, PR 3/23; PCHR 3/24)

An Israeli border policeman fires on a group of Palestinians attempting to circumvent a checkpoint btwn. Jerusalem and Bethlehem, seriously injuring 1. The IDF fires on a group of Palestinian children returning home fr. school who apparently stray too close to a separation wall construction site, wounding 3; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Saida, Nur al-Shams r.c. (targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs.), Tulkarm r.c.; bulldozes 22 d. of land in Surif nr. Hebron for construction of the separation wall. Palestinians fire a rocket toward Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. Unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF patrol searching for stolen cars in al-Amari r.c. nr. Ramallah, wounding 2 soldiers seriously, 2 lightly; the IDF seals al-Amari, conducts house searches. A PA court sentences 5 Palestinians to jail terms of 3–5 yrs. for collaborating with Israel. (HA, VOP 3/20; VOI 3/21; OCHA 3/23; PCHR 3/24)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, searches in and around Hebron, targeting 6 Islamic charities, a development organization, and local Palestinian Prisoners’ Society offices, detaining 65 heads and board members of the institutions as well as local Islamic leaders and imams; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Dura, Ithna, Salfit, Surif, Tulkarm; issues military orders confiscating 89 d. of land in al-Jib, 72 d. in Biddu, and 100s of d. fr. Bayt Duqqu and Bayt Ijza for construction of the separation wall northwest of Jerusalem. A Hamas mbr. infiltrates Ganei Tal settlement nr. Khan Yunis, fires at settlement guards (causing no injuries), is killed by return fire. Hamas fires 3 mortars, 3 Qassam rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. A 6-yr.-old Palestinian boy in Hebron is hit by an IDF jeep; soldiers take him to a hospital in Kiryat Arba settlement, but he is pronounced dead. (IMEMC 1/6; VOP 1/6 in WNC 1/11; OCHA, PR 1/12; PCHR 1/13)

The IDF blocks a main road to Gaza City that runs nr. Netzarim settlement, fires a tank shell at a taxi that tries to circumvent the roadblock, killing the Palestinian driver; confiscates 600 d. fr. the villages of Surif and Jaba n. of Hebron for separation wall construction; demolishes a Palestinian home, raids 2 charitable societies in Hebron. The Fatah Hawks, Islamic Jihad gunmen attack an IDF patrol at Gaza’s Kissufim crossing, wounding 4 IDF soldiers, 1 Israeli civilian. Palestinians also fire a mortar at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. The AMB executes a Palestinian collaborator in Ramallah. (HA 12/15; NYT, PCHR 12/16; VOP 12/16 in WNC 12/18; PCHR 12/23)

In continuing operations in n. Gaza, the IDF kills 5 Palestinians (including at least 2 civilians, one of them a 15-yr.-old girl) in shelling and gunfire in Jabaliya. In retaliation, Palestinians fire an antitank missile at an IDF patrol in n. Gaza, wounding 2 troops; fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. Elsewhere in Gaza, the IDF fires warning shots at a group of Palestinians in Khan Yunis, killing a 4-yr.- old Palestinian; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah. In the West Bank, 2 wanted Palestinians and 1 IDF soldier are killed, a 3d wanted Palestinian and 4 bystanders are injured in an exchange of fire during an IDF arrest raid on Ramallah; the IDF says the soldier was killed by friendly fire. The IDF bulldozes a grove of 120 olive trees nr. Tulkarm, large areas of agricultural land in Surif for construction of the separation wall; imposes a curfew on Palestinians in Hebron to allow Jewish settlers to hold Sukkoth parades, during which settlers throw bottles, stones at Palestinian homes; conducts arrest raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Tulkarm. A 70-yr.-old Palestinian dies fr. injuries she received in Nablus on 7/22/04. (MM, NYT, WP 10/4; AFP, IDF Radio, VOI, YA 10/4 in WNC 10/6; HA, NYT, PRCS, WP 10/5; PCHR 10/7; JPI 10/15)

The IDF seals Jenin, Tulkarm; divides Tulkarm into 3 separate areas; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids nr. Ramallah and in al-Khadir, Nablus, Salfit, Surif, Yatta. Palestinians fire 3 mortars at Jewish settlements in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. Masked gunmen thought to be AMB mbrs. ambush senior PA security official Brig. Gen. Muhammad Batrawi, the Arafat-appointed financial comptroller of the security forces in Gaza, hold him in Nussayrat r.c. for 3 hrs., release him unharmed. In Khan Yunis, 20 armed AMB mbrs. occupy the local Labor Min. office for 2 hrs., demanding jobs for the unemployed. A Palestinian prisoner dies in Israeli custody. (VOP, XIN 9/16 in WNC 9/18; NYT, WP, WT 9/17; QA, VOI, YA 9/17 in WNC 9/21; PR 9/22; PCHR 9/23)

In Rafat, the IDF opens fire on several Palestinians removing belongings fr. a home that the IDF earlier warned would be demolished, seriously wounding 1 Palestinian, firing on an ambulance that attempts to reach him, allowing him to bleed to death. The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; demolishes a Palestinian home in alQarara; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Araqa and Qabatya villages nr. Jenin, Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, Balata r.c., Surif nr. Hebron, Tulkarm. Israel announces plans for another 533 new housing units in the Adam, Emmanuel, Har Adar, Har Gilo settlements in the West Bank. The PA announces that security forces have recently arrested 6 suspected collaborators in Gaza. ( JP, MM 8/23; DS, NYT, WP, WT 8/24; VOP 8/24 in WNC 8/26; PR 8/25; PCHR 8/26)

The IDF assassinates Islamic Jihad military cmdr. Muhammad Judah, firing missiles at his car as he drives through Jabaliya r.c., also killing his 2 passengers, Islamic Jihad mbr. Amin Daduh and his brother Ayman Daduh (not a mbr. of the group), wounding 11 bystanders (including 3 children). The IDF also fires on Palestinian schoolchildren nr. Nablus, seriously injuring an 11-yr.-old boy; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts house searches, fires on residential areas, damages vehicles in Surif nr. Hebron. In Gaza City, 20 Palestinian gunmen raid the PA Land Authority offices, demanding that property be transferred to their names. In Khan Yunis, 40 AMB mbrs. raid the Palestinian Broadcasting Company offices in what they say is a protest against economic conditions, demand jobs in the PA. (AFP, NYT, WP, WT 2/28; LBC, PSCT, VOP 2/28 in WNC 3/2; NYT, PR 3/3; PCHR 3/4)

Israeli border police manning a West Bank crossing intercept a car carrying a 1,300 lbs. fertilizer-gasoline bomb, with a cell phone rigged as a detonator; 2 Palestinians escape. No group claims responsibility, but the IDF suspects Islamic Jihad. The IDF conducts arrest raids in Balata r.c., Nablus, Surif; raids a clinic in Bayt Lahia, halts an ambulance, detains and beats 1 paramedic; fires on residential areas of Rafah, on Palestinians waiting to cross a Dayr al-Balah + n. Khan Yunis checkpoint. Late in the evening, Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket in Gaza, luring a Merkava tank to the scene, then detonating a large roadside bomb under the tank, killing 2 IDF soldiers, wounding 2 (marking the 2d fatal roadside bombing of a tank; see 3/14/02); the popular resistance comms. (PRCs) take responsibility. Nr. Bayt Lahia, a Palestinian gunman ambushes an IDF patrol, killing 1 IDF soldier, wounding 1 before being shot dead. The IDF issues evacuation orders to 4 Palestinian families in Ras al-Amud, Silwan. (AP, MM 9/5; NYT, WP, WT 9/6; NYT 9/7; LAW, PCHR 9/11)

In response to the 2 Gaza attacks, Ben-Eliezer formally calls off implementation of Gaza First agmt. (WP 9/6)