The Palestine Chronology

The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning, 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Ramallah in the evening; raids, searches, and photographs shops in the Jenin industrial zone; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, in Nablus, and nr. Jenin and Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim settlement nr. Qalqilya escorted by IDF troops bulldoze Palestinian land in nearby Kafr Qaddum, plant trees to claim the area. Jewish settlers fr. Talmon settlement nr. Ramallah raid the nearby village of al-Janyeh, vandalize 1 car and spray racist and threatening graffiti on homes and cars. (PCHR 2/9; OCHA 2/10)

Hamas officials report that the last Hamas official in Damascus, Imad al-Alami, has departed Syria and returned with his family to Gaza via Egypt for the 1st time since Israel deported him fr. Gaza to s. Lebanon in 1991. Hamas describes the closure of the Damascus headquarters as temporary but indefinite. (MNA 2/5; NYT, WP 2/6)

The Israeli cabinet unanimously approves a $2.3 b. project to build a “Red-Med” railway line linking Tel Aviv and Eilat to create an Asian-European cargo corridor bypassing the Suez Canal. Israeli official say China has expressed interest in the project. (JPI 2/17)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into Gaza e. of Gaza City to level land nr. the border fence. The UN reports that 9 Palestinians were killed and 16 injured in tunnel collapses in the previous wk. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers evicted fr. Inbalim on 7/27 set up 3 new mobile homes in Givat Egoz outpost nr. Talmon settlement, also nr. Ramallah. An Israeli court reverses its 7/27 temporary injunction on construction at the Farhan-Hijazi properties in Shaykh Jarrah, ruling that Jewish settlers may keep building and living on the site until the next court session to discuss the case on 9/23/09. Meanwhile, Israeli police raid 2 other Palestinian homes in Shaykh Jarrah (the Ghawi and Hanun properties) where ownership is contested by Jewish groups, ordering residents to vacate the homes by 8/10/09 or face expulsion; settlers attempt to occupy the Hanun home but are fended off by the family; both families immediately file an appeal to the Israeli High Court. Timed with Mitchell’s visit (see 7/26), Jewish settlers, as a protest message to Obama, set up 11 new unauthorized settlement outposts, symbolizing the 11 settlements established by Zionists in the Negev in 1946 in defiance of British prohibition. The settlers hold a press conference inaugurating the new outposts in Neria settlement, established in 1991 to protest a visit by Secy. of State James Baker who was then pressuring Israel to halt settlement construction. (NYT 7/29; OCHA, PCHR 7/30; OCHA 8/18)

U.S. NSA Jones and his chief Middle East adviser Dennis Ross begin a 3-day trip to Israel, with talks focused on Iran. (WP 7/27; NYT 7/29)

In the West Bank, the IDF issues 2 military orders confiscating 140 d. of Palestinian land in Bardala village in the Jordan Valley (reportedly for “settlement activities”) and 22 d. nr. Yatta outside Hebron (to build a wall near Miskadot Yehuda settlement); sends troops into Ramallah, where they occupy a previously abandoned observation post, withdrawing later in the afternoon; makes a rare daytime incursion into Dahaysha r.c. to arrest a Palestinian teenager; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Jenin. Jewish settlers attack 2 Palestinian homes in Hebron, claiming that Palestinians threw stones fr. the area; the IDF, accompanied by settlers, evacuates and searches the homes. Some 20 masked, armed Jewish settlers fr. Talmon and Harsha settlements nr. Ramallah attack a Palestinian home and car, causing heavy damage. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar stone Palestinian cars driving nr. the settlement, causing no reported injuries. Later in the day, the same settlers close the Nablus–Ramallah road to Palestinian traffic. (OCHA 9/24; PCHR 9/25) 

Overnight, the IDF makes several air strikes on Gaza, killing 5 Hamas mbrs. before withdrawing ground troops fr. Gaza in the morning, stating that it is suspending Operation Hot Winter during U.S. Secy. of State Condoleezza Rice’s upcoming 3/4–5 visit. The toll for the 5-day operation is at least 110 Palestinians (half of them civilians, including at least 24 children; Hamas says it lost 37 mbrs.; Islamic Jihad and the PRCs say they lost 15) and 3 Israelis dead (1 civilian inside Israel, 2 IDF soldiers in Gaza), and nearly 400 Palestinians injured (most of them civilians). In addition, 21 Palestinian homes were destroyed (leaving 147 Gazans homeless) and 88 heavily damaged (affecting 616 Gazans), 90 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of agricultural land was bulldozed, and 80 Palestinians were detained for questioning (at least 5 were remanded to Israel). Palestinians fired more than 200 rockets (allegedly including 21 Grads). The IDF, however, makes more air strikes during the day, killing another 3 Palestinians (at least 2 of them civilians, including a child), destroying the Palestinian Council (PC) headquarters in Gaza City. Palestinians fire 18 rockets (allegedly including 1 Grad) into Israel, causing damage but no injuries; 1 rocket lands inside Gaza, hitting a home, wounding 2 Palestinians. In the West Bank, 1,000s of Palestinians demonstrate against Operation Hot Winter; a Jewish settler fr. Talmon B settlement nr. Ramallah fires on demonstrators in nearby al-Mazra‘a, killing a Palestinian teenager; IDF soldiers fire on another protest nr. Hebron, wounding 2 Palestinians. The IDF also exchanges fire with Palestinian gunmen nr. Bethlehem, wounding 3; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. (BBC, NYT, PCHR, REU, WP 3/3; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/4; PCHR 3/6; OCHA 4/18)