Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian in the Old City of East Jerusalem after he allegedly stabs and injures an Israeli police officer and an Israeli civilian. A Palestinian youth is struck and injured by an Israeli bullet during the incident. Elsewhere in the city, Israeli forces demolish a building under construction in Bayt Hanina, arrest 3 Palestinian children on their way home from school nr. the Old City, and arrest 15 more Palestinians during late-night raids in al-Tur, Issawiyya, and Silwan. In the West Bank, an IDF convoy of more than 20 vehicles raids Birzeit University’s campus nr. Ramallah, leaving “a great deal of havoc” in their wake, according to a university statement. Several buildings are damaged and many of their contents are destroyed. Separately, after reports of shots fired on an Israeli settler nr. Ramallah, IDF troops conduct raids in Nabi Salih, shut down the village’s entrance, and assault a group of Palestinian youths at a nearby gas station, causing no serious injuries. IDF troops arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus. (HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 12/14; EI, MNA, PCHR 12/15; PCHR 12/22)
With U.S. attendance in doubt and Israel pledging not to participate, Palestinian amb. to France Salman al-Herfi says that the French govt. has postponed its planned 12/21 peace conference meant to launch a new round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks until at least 1/2017. The French say that the postponement will allow them to “make better preparations,” and that, if Israel continues to refuse to attend, the conference will still go forward as planned, according to al-Herfi. (HA, JP, MNA, VOP, YA 12/14)
The residents of the Amona settlement outpost vote to reject the deal reached by Israeli PM Netanyahu and Edu. Min. Bennett on 12/12, fearing that it will get bogged down in the courts because of Palestinian ownership claims on most of the proposed relocation land: “We were willing to accept the destruction of our private homes, and a move from place to place, if only a Jewish community would remain on the hill. But the proposed arrangement does not provide any guarantee or commitment that we will indeed receive an alternative home.” (AS, HA, JP, TOI, YA 12/15)