The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers damaged Palestinian property in the old vegetable market in the old city of Hebron, which has been closed to Palestinians by Israel since 2000. Israeli settlers also slashed tires of 25 Palestinian-owned vehicles and wrote racist graffiti on nearby walls in Salfit. Israeli forces forced Palestinian vendors in Huwwara to close their shops. Israeli forces also raided the home of a former Palestinian prisoner in Zeita, informing him that they will temporarily seize 2 floors of his home for a military outpost. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tubas, Ramallah, ad-Doha, Zeita, and Deir Sammit. In East Jerusalem, 119 Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. 1 Palestinians was arrested in Isawiya. In Israel, 1 Israeli man who was shot during an attack in Tel Aviv on 3/9 succumbed to his wounds. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/20; HA 3/21; PCHR 3/23; UNOCHA 3/31)

The Knesset repealed part of the 2005 Disengagement Law, allowing Israelis to enter the Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim settlements that were evacuated in 2005 and potentially buy or be allocated land to repopulate the settlements. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel called the law inconsistent with Israeli commitments made in Sharm El Sheikh on 3/19 and stated that the bill contradicts commitments made by Ariel Sharon to George Bush when the law first passed. PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the bill “goes against all decisions of the international community.” (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, MDW, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 3/21; HA, PCN 3/22; HA, WAFA 3/23; WAFA 3/24)

The UN independent commission of inquiry began 5 days of public hearings in relation to its investigation into human rights violations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. This round of hearings, held in Geneva, will commence on 3/24. (AJ 3/24)

The IDF arrests 7 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel fr. Gaza (5 nr. Kissufim crossing, 2 in central Gaza) to seek work; raids a photo exhibit sponsored by Hamas in Yassid nr. Nablus. A Palestinian stabs, lightly injures an IDF soldier outside Ganim settlement, steals his gun. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket toward Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF arrests 4 suspects. Senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Shaykh Khadir says that Islamic Jihad should reconsider its truce in light of the IDF’s alleged assassination of an AMB mbr. in Balata r.c. on 4/14, the upswing in arrest raids targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs. since the 2/25 Tel Aviv bombing. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadassah in Hebron attack Palestinian students outside a girls’ elementary school, injuring 10 (including 3 requiring hospitalization). (IMEMC 4/23; VOI 4/23 in WNC 4/26; HA 4/24; OCHA 4/27; PCHR 4/28)