The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces delivered demolition orders for 4 water collection wells in Khelet al-Dabe‘a, near Yatta. 10 Palestinians were arrested, including 8 during late-night raids in al-‘Aruj, Hindaza, ‘Askar refugee camp, Nablus, Dura, al-Dawha, Yatta, and Ramallah; 1 was arrested during a raid in ‘Anata, and 1 at a checkpoint near Nablus. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Sur Baher. 5 Palestinians were arrested during a late-night raid in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/4; PCHR 10/7)

Israel effectively prevented Palestinians without Internet access from objecting to construction plans in the E1 area, as Israel’s civil administration told the Palestinians they could attend the meeting only hours before it started, rendering them unable to reach the meeting in person in the Beit El settlement. (HA 10/4)

Adalah sent a letter to the Israeli government, calling a decision to include the Shin Bet and the Israeli military to combat violence in Palestinian towns in Israel racist and illegal. Adalah said it would create 2 separate law enforcement systems in Israel: 1 for Palestinians and 1 for Jewish Israelis. (WAFA 10/4)

1 of the Palestinians who escaped Gilboa prison on 9/6 and was later captured by Israel, Mohammad Arda, embarked on a hunger strike to protest his solitary confinement. (WAFA 10/4)

Media outlets reported that, in a secret effort to locate Israeli soldier Ron Arad, who went missing in 1986, Israel had abducted an Iranian general in Syria and took him to an unnamed country in Africa, where he was interrogated before he was released. (MEMO, TOI 10/5)

The energy ministers of Lebanon and Egypt said that Egypt is finalizing arrangements to ship gas to Lebanon in an effort to help the country as it faces a severe energy crisis. Egypt will supply Lebanon with gas through a pipeline that runs through Syria and Jordan. (HA 10/5; REU 10/7)

Pres. Clinton phones Pres. Asad to discuss the next round of Syrian-Israeli talks, which is to begin on 1/19. (WT 1/14)

In Ramallah, Arafat receives U.S. Middle East peace coordinator Aaron Miller, who is in the territories to set the agenda for Arafat's mtg. with Clinton on 1/20. (al-Quds 1/14 in WNC 1/19)

Israel releases 2 Hizballah mbrs. held in detention inside Israel, frees 25 Lebanese detained in al-Khiyam jail in s. Lebanon, apparently in exchange for information on IDF airman Ron Arad, whose plane crashed in Lebanon in 1986. (RL 1/13 in WNC 1/18; NYT 1/14; WJW 1/20; JP 1/21)

In Jordan, King Abdallah accepts Royal Court chief `Abd al-Karim Kabariti's resignation, appoints Fayiz Tarawnah to replace him. The king keeps as PM his rival `Abd al-Rauf Rawabida, who has recently been accused of corruption by 2 parliament mbrs.; approves plans for a cabinet reshuffle. (MM 1/14, JT 1/14 in WNC 1/18; JT 1/16 in WNC 1/19; MM 1/17, 1/27; MEI 1/28)

Israeli police, IDF troops forcibly remove a group of settlers that tried to claim a West Bank hilltop nr. Havat Maon. (WJW 1/20; JP 1/21)