The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized electricity poles between Qusra and Jalud. Israeli forces demolished 1 house under construction and 1 shack in an-Nuway’imah near Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting near the Gaza fence east of Gaza City, injuring 11 with live ammunition, 1 minor with a tear-gas canister, and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also conducted airstrikes by drones and helicopters, striking 3 sites near the Rafah and Karni crossings and causing damage. (AP, HA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/26; PCHR 9/27)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Saudi non-resident ambassador to Palestine and consul general in Jerusalem Nayef al-Sudairi, receiving his credentials. Ambassador al-Sudairi also met with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki, saying at a press conference that “the Arab Peace Initiative is the main point in any upcoming agreement” to normalize relations with Israel. Al-Sudairi also said Saudi Arabia “is working to establish a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEE, QDS, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/26; GDN, HA, NYT 9/27)

UN envoy for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland met with Hamas officials in Gaza. (HA, HA 9/28)

Palestinian Americans and Arab American civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, stating that the government is endorsing discrimination against Palestinian Americans by admitting Israel into its Visa Waiver Program. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee national executive director Abed Ayoub said the organization will hold the government “accountable for any actions that create separate classes of U.S. citizens.” The other plaintiffs were 3 Palestinian Americans and the organization Democracy for the Arab World Now. The plaintiffs argued that the U.S.-Israeli memorandum, which was kept secret, for the creation of the trial period “differentiate treatment to U.S. citizens who are ‘residents’ of the occupied West Bank, no including East Jerusalem; U.S. citizens who are residents of the occupied Gaza Strip; U.S. citizens who are registered on the [Palestinian Population Registry] but not residents in either the West Bank or Gaza Strip; and U.S. citizens who are not of Palestinian nationality.” Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen announced that Israel had been admitted to the program on 9/25 2 days before the U.S. made an official announcement on 9/27. (AJ, REU 9/25; HA, MDW 9/26; HA, MDW 9/27)

The Israeli Justice Ministry’s police misconduct unit indicted an Israeli soldier for shooting a 16-year-old Palestinian girl in the back with a baton round while she was in her yard in Sheikh Jarrah in 2021. The unnamed soldier was charged with shooting with a firearm, severe injury under aggravated circumstances, and common assault. (HA 9/26)

Israeli tourism minister Haim Katz visited Saudi Arabia in the first public visit to the country by an Israeli minister. Katz was attending a conference of the UN World Tourism Organization. Israeli communications minister Shlomo Karhi and MK David Bitan are scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on 10/2 for a Universal Postal Union conference in Riyadh. (AJ, ALM, HA, MEE 9/26; NYT 9/27; ALM 10/2)

Japan contributed $20 million to a project improving drinking water in Jenin. (WAFA 9/26)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Huwwara; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian and arrested 1 other near Salem. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Nabi Salih, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in ‘Usarin, injuring 1 with live ammunition, 5 with baton rounds, and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beit Umar, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 3 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 1 minor with a baton round and 10 others with tear gas. 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Bayt Rima and Bayt Dajan. In East Jerusalem, Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan led a tour for foreign diplomats at the Western Wall. The Romanian, Italian, Slovenian, and Moldovan ambassadors to Israel canceled their participation in the tour after the EU voiced concerns. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of Beit Lahiya and al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9; MEMO 12/10; PCHR 12/15; UNOCHA 12/22)

Leaders at the Arab-China Summit in Riyadh called for a just and lasting solution, based on the 2-state solution, to the Israeli occupation of Palestine in their final communique of the summit. In a speech at the summit PA president Mahmoud Abbas called for the international community to not work with any Israeli government that refused to work within the framework of international law. Chinese president Xi Jinping said in a speech that he supports Palestine’s effort to gain full membership at the UN. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9; MEMO 12/10)

Palestinian member of the Knesset and leader of the Hadash party Ayman Odeh met with UN secretary-general António Guterres in New York, briefing Guterres on his concerns about the government Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present within a couple of weeks. Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called the meeting “cowardly and shameful.” Israeli media reported that the meeting was made in coordination with the PA rather than with the Israeli foreign ministry. (ALM, HA 12/9; MEMO 12/12)

Egypt’s foreign ministry issued a statement warning Israel against continuing its attacks on Palestinians, noting that more than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in 2022. The ministry warned that the situation will continue to deteriorate if Israel continues its current practices. (HA 12/9)