4 / 15150 Results
  • June 10, 2021

    In the West Bank, Israeli undercover forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including 2 PA security officers, and injured 2 others, including 1 PA officer near the PA intelligence headquarters in...

    Read more
  • April 23, 2021

    In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 13 olive trees in Hares. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Nablus and Jenin. Israeli forces violently...

    Read more
  • March 23, 2021

    In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 25 olive seedlings, stealing 22 of them in Tell. Israeli forces sealed off 8 villages near Ramallah, leading to clashes with Palestinians in 1 of the...

    Read more
  • February 28, 2021

    In the West Bank, large groups of Israeli settlers chanted racist slogans at Palestinians in Hebron and Israeli forces closed off large portions of the city for its Palestinian residents. Israeli...

    Read more

In the West Bank, Israeli undercover forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including 2 PA security officers, and injured 2 others, including 1 PA officer near the PA intelligence headquarters in Jenin. Israel said that its anti-terror unit was in Jenin to arrest 2 Islamic Jihad members when they shot the 4 Palestinians; the PA presidency condemned the killing of the 3 Palestinians and the PA prime minister called the Israeli actions an act of state terrorism. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters during a raid in al-Fawar refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. 8 Palestinians were arrested, including 4 during late-night raids and around Bethlehem, Jaba‘, Silwad, and Izzariya; 4 were arrested at checkpoints near Jenin and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting a visit to the Old City by Itamar Ben-Gvir from the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party at the Damascus Gate plaza, using stun grenades; 30 Palestinians were arrested. Ben-Gvir was banned by Israeli police from marching through the Old City on 6/9. Palestinians also protested against evictions of Palestinians from Batn al-Hawa, outside of an Israeli court holding a hearing on the matter (see below); 3 were arrested. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 shed and razed land in Issawiyya. 1 was arrested during a house raid in Batn al-Hawa. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, BBC, HA, HA, JP, JP, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/10; MEMO 6/11; PCHR 6/17)

An Israeli court delayed a hearing on an eviction case against 2 Palestinian families in Batn al-Hawa. The hearing was postponed to 8/7. (AJ 6/10)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz approved the construction of an elevator at al-Ibrahimi Mosque, which is also a shine for Jewish people, allowing Israeli settlers with walking disabilities to enter the mosque. The approval violates the 1997 Hebron protocol signed by the PA and Israel. (ALM 6/23)

A video from 3/24/2019 surfaced showing Israeli prison guards at the Ketzion Prison in the Negev abusing 55 shackled Palestinian prisoners. The video shows that the prisoners were piled on top of each other and beaten with batons and kicked by the prison guards, even as they lie still on the concrete ground. (HA, MEE, WAFA 6/10; HA 6/11)

Former Mossad director Yossi Cohen implied in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 that Israel was behind attacks on Iran’s nuclear facility Natanz and on Iranian scientists. (AP, TOI 6/11)

In an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the sale of U.S. F-35s to the UAE was “crucial” to a normalization deal between the UAE and Israel. (HA, TOI 6/10)

China donated $1 million to the PA for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. (WAFA 6/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 13 olive trees in Hares. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Nablus and Jenin. Israeli forces violently dispersed the weekly anti-settlement protest in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet and others were injured by tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Tulkarm, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed protesters in Qalqilya, arresting 1. 4 Palestinians were arrested at checkpoints near Bethlehem, Qalandia, and Hizma. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters, injuring 50 using rubber-coated bullets, beatings, and tear gas near the Haram al-Sharif compound, Silwan, Issawiyya, Wadi al-Juz, and Shaykh Jarrah; 4 were arrested. In Gaza, several dozen rockets were fired at Israel and Israel fired missiles and shells at Gaza east of al-Bureij refugee camp; causing damage; 2 groups, the Nidal al-Amoudi Division and the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, claimed responsibility for the rockets fired at Israel, saying they were in response to the violence by Israeli right-wing activists in Jerusalem on 4/22. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/23; AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 4/24; HA 4/25; PCHR 4/29)

Israeli public security affairs minister Amir Ohana condemned attacks against Jewish-Israelis in Jerusalem on 4/22, despite the fact that large crowds of right-wing Israeli activists and Israeli settlers had attacked Palestinians throughout Jerusalem, leading to more than 100 injuries. The attacks were planned by the Lehava group, which has links to right-wing Israeli lawmakers in the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party. The U.S. embassy in Israel said that the U.S. is “deeply concerned about the incidents of violence” and called on “all responsible voices” to promote calm. Jordan condemned the violence, saying that Israel as “the occupying power” in East Jerusalem must protect the Palestinian residents against the violence. The UAE also later called on Israel to protect Palestinians from “acts of violence committed by right-wing extremist groups in the occupied East Jerusalem.” (HA 4/23; WAFA 4/24; WAFA, WAFA 4/25; AP, WAFA 4/26)

Saudi Arabia announced an indefinite ban on Lebanese agricultural products after finding 5.3 million pills of the amphetamine Captagon hidden in a shipment of pomegranates. (AJ 4/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 25 olive seedlings, stealing 22 of them in Tell. Israeli forces sealed off 8 villages near Ramallah, leading to clashes with Palestinians in 1 of the villages, Dayr Abu Mash‘al, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed an anti-settlement protest in Beita, injuring 1 Palestinian with a rubber-coated bullet to his head, and others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 2 Palestinians were arrested, including 1 during a late-night raid in Anata, and 1 at a checkpoint in Halhul. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 1 house in Shu‘fat refugee camp. Israeli police physically assaulted and arrested 3 Palestinians in Silwan after stopping their car. 2 others were arrested during late-night raids in Issawiyya and al-Tur. In Gaza, rockets launched from Gaza landed in an open area near Beersheba, where Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting during his election day campaign; no injuries or damage were reported. Israel subsequently attacked Gaza with fighter jets and helicopters, firing 5 missiles at sites near Gaza City and at 1 site in Dayr al-Balah, causing severe damage. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/23; AJ, WAFA, WAFA 3/24; PCHR 3/25)

Israel closed all crossings for the Israeli elections. (WAFA 3/21)

A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that a single Fatah list would get 43% of the votes for the parliamentary elections while Hamas would win 30%; 18% were undecided. However, within the population of Fatah supports, some 10% would vote for a party headed by Mohammad Dahlan and 7% for a party head by Nasser al-Kidwa. (AP, HA, PCPSR 3/23)

Israelis voted in the general elections for the 4th time in 2 years. This time, there was not an obvious coalition to formed either, as many right-wing parties had promised not to support a government with Benjamin Netanyahu as its prime minister. Netanyahu, who had convinced the Palestinian-Israeli party Ra’am (United Arab List) to break with the Joint Arab List, also relied on religious Zionist parties, to the right of his Likud party, to be able to form a government. Those parties, including a significant majority of Likud, were vocally opposed to being in a governing coalition with Palestinian-Israelis. Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas said after the election that he was not wedded to either the right wing or left wing at that point. Meretz (Vigor) and Labor both had a better election than anticipated and went over the electoral threshold. So did the terrorist-supporting Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), made up by followers of Meir Kahane. The Joint Arab List ended up with 6 mandates, down from 15, partially a result of lower Palestinian-Israeli voter turnout and because Ra’am received 4 mandates that previously would have gone to the Joint Arab List. (REU 3/22; AJ, AP, AP, GDN, HA, HA, HA 3/24; ALM, HA, HA, REU 3/25; AJ 3/26)

The Middle East Quartet members met for the 1st time since 2018 to discuss “meaningful negotiations” between Israelis and Palestinians. PA president Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the statement made by the Quartet. (AP, REU 3/23; HA, WAFA 3/24; WAFA 3/26)

The Dutch foreign ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to the country for clarification as to why PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki had his VIP travel card confiscated after meeting with ICC personnel in the Hague. The Dutch foreign ministry said that “the ICC must be able to carry out its work without interference.” (HA, MEMO, REU, WAFA 3/23)

In the West Bank, large groups of Israeli settlers chanted racist slogans at Palestinians in Hebron and Israeli forces closed off large portions of the city for its Palestinian residents. Israeli forces assaulted and arrested 1 Palestinian minor in Jayyous. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian minor with stones in the French Hill neighborhood, causing severe injuries to his face. Some 230 Israeli settlers also stormed the Haram al-Sharif compound; the PA and Jordan condemned Israel for allowing the settlers access. Israeli forces raided Silwan leading to clashes with Palestinians; tear-gas related injuries were reported. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Tur and Issawiyya. In Israel, Israelis attacked a transport van and its Palestinian driver in West Jerusalem after yelling that the driver was “Arab,” when the Palestinian driver tried to escape the mob he inadvertently killed 1 Israeli man with his vehicle; Israeli police initially arrested the Palestinian man but released him 36 hours and started rounding up 12 Israelis who had attacked the Palestinian man; the Palestinian man’s lawyer said in court that the attack was “a lynching.” (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/28; JP 3/1; HA, PCHR 3/4)

All checkpoints to Gaza and the West Bank were closed by Israel for the Purim holiday. Closures ended at midnight. (HA 2/25)

The Israeli cabinet approved starting to vaccinate Palestinians from the West Bank holding Israeli work permits and Palestinians working in Israeli settlements. Vaccination centers will be set up at West Bank crossings. The decision came days after the PA said that Israel and the PA had agreed that Israel would vaccinate Palestinian workers. (AP, HA, NYT, REU, TOI, TOI 2/28)

8 of 9 judges on the Israeli supreme court voted to overturn the Israeli central elections committee’s decision to disqualify the Palestinian-Israeli Labor party candidate Ibtisam Mara’ana from running in the Israeli elections. The Israeli central elections committee disqualified Mara’ana from running upon request by the racist far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party on 2/17. (HA 2/28)

Israel designated the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity organization a terrorist organization for its ties to the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine. (JP 2/28)

The Syrian army said Israel fired rockets at southern Damascus from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; there were no reports of casualties or damage. (AP, HA 2/28; AJ, JP 3/1)

Iran rejected an invitation to discuss reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) at an informal meeting with the U.S. and European stakeholders, saying that European and American parties have made actions and statements in the recent past that do not make the timing right for Iran. Iran later said that the U.S. should lift the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration before the parties can begin to engage on reviving the JCPOA. (AJ 2/28; REU 3/1)

Some 450 lawmakers in European countries and in the EU parliament signed a letter to EU High Representative Josep Borrell and European foreign ministers urging them to pressure Israel to stop the “de facto annexation” of the West Bank. (HA 2/28; WAFA 3/1)