The Palestine Chronology

Israeli forces arrested 18 Israeli settlers while evacuating temporary homes at an Israeli-deemed illegal settlement east of the Ofra settlement. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities issued 2 demolition orders for 2 buildings in Shu‘fat refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolished 2 Palestinian-owned homes in Silwan; at least 1 Palestinian was injured trying to protect his home. In Gaza, Israel reduced the fishing zone from 15 nautical miles to 6 in response to the rocket fired from Gaza on 4/29. Israeli authorities said that the rocket was launched by Islamic Jihad. Off the coast of Gaza City, a Palestinian fisherman was injured when he was hit by a rubber-coated bullet fired by Israeli naval forces. Israeli naval forces also removed and destroyed all fishing nets placed outside of the 6-nautical-mile fishing zone. In Israel, 2 Israelis were sentenced to 1 year in prison for assaults made on 4 Palestinian citizens of Israel in 2017 to deter them from dating Jewish women. (AJ, HA, HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/30; HA, HA 5/1)

The EU called on Israel not to deport Human Rights Watch director for Israel and Palestine Omar Shakir, who was denied a petition at the Jerusalem district court to halt his pending deportation on 4/16. (HA 4/30)

The EU asked the PA to accept the reduced tax revenue Israel is offering until a solution to the PA’s financial crisis is found. The EU stressed that the request “does not constitute a legal or political endorsement of Israeli deductions.” (HA 4/30; HA 5/1)

The U.S. government is working to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization, said the White House. According to New York Times reporting, U.S. president Donald Trump was urged by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to make the designation while on an official visit to Washington on 4/9. (AJ, NYT 4/30)

In a joint statement by U.S. democrats in the House of Representatives, concern was expressed for the Israeli-planned demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and Susiya. The U.S. members of Congress signing the statement were Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), David Price (D-NC), John Yarmuth (D-KY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX). (Schakowsky’s Office 4/30; WAFA 5/2)

Member of the House of Representatives Betty McCollum (D-MN) reintroduced her bill H.R.2407 “Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act.” The bill, if passed, would amend the Foreign Assistance Act, cutting assistance to foreign countries that uses “military detention, interrogation, abuse, or ill-treatment of children in violation of international humanitarian law,” and authorize $19 million annually to NGOs monitoring human rights abuses associated with Israel’s military detention of children. (Congress 4/30; McCollum’s Office, MDW 1/5)

The outgoing French ambassador to the U.S. Gérard Araud, who on 4/19 called Israel an apartheid state, will not be meeting Israeli officials when he visits Israel in early May, as Israel has barred its officials from meeting Araud. Additionally, Israel summoned France’s ambassador to Israel Hélène Le Gal to the Israeli foreign ministry for a reprimand for Araud’s statements. (HA 4/30)

The United Kingdom announced that it was contributing $11.7 million to help build a water desalination plant in Gaza. (WAFA 4/30)

The EU contributed $4.1 million to the PA’s private sector reconstruction agricultural program to help farmers in Gaza. In a separate announcement, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that the EU was contributing with an additional $24.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. (MNA, WAFA, WAFA 4/30; MNA 5/1)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/lIsrael: Al-Fajr reports the Merkovitch Committee, formed to investigate issue of unlicensed construction in the occupied territories, recommends that, of 5,400 unlicensed Arab homes currently scheduled for demolition, 2,600 be given legal status, 300 be destroyed immediately, and 2,500 be scheduled for demolition at a later date [FJ 2/6]. Israeli military authorities order al-Najah University closed for 1 day to prevent possible campus protests [FJ 2/13].

Arab World: Starving residents of Beirut's Burj al-Barajinah refugee camp ask religious leaders for dispensation to eat human flesh [IN 2/7].

Other Countries: Arab-American groups charge 1/27 arrests of Palestinians in Los Angeles are beginning of U.S. plan to round up and deport Arabs [WP 2/7]. Amnesty International spokesman reports Arab prisoners held in S. Lebanon's SLArun al-Khiyam Detention Camp were tortured with electrical shockwaves [FJ 2/13].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Two Israeli soldiers are injured by stones thrown at them while they patrolled Balatta refugee camp [FJ 2/13].

Arab World: Israeli navy stops Maria R., freighter enroute from Cyprus to Lebanon, arrests 8 Egyptian crewmen, 50 unarmed Palestinians [LM 2/10; WP 2/8]. SLA and Israeli forces engage in heavy fighting with Hizballah forces in Israel's "security zone" in S. Lebanon. At least 8 Hizballah, 1 SLA fighters are killed [IN 2/7].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Nearly 150 demonstrate against "repressive Israeli practices in the occupied territories," particularly administrative detention and deportation, in protest called by Committee to Confront the Iron Fist. (Action follows 1/31 deportation of 3 Palestinians to Jordan) [FJ 2/7].