The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols Kafr Haris village nr. Salfit and imposes a curfew, disrupting all daily activities in the village; conducts late-night raids, house searches in Qalandia r.c. s. of Ramallah, ‘Aqabat r.c. s. of Jericho, Hebron, Qalqilya, and nr. Nablus, arresting 7 Palestinians (including 2 teenagers). (PCHR 11/12, 11/19)

To mark the Muslim holiday ‘Id al-Adha, Israeli officials allow the import of 3,000 cattle to Gaza. (WJW 11/12; JPI 11/19)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Hebron, in Jericho and Tubas, and nr. Ramallah, arresting 11 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 11/12)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities paste demolition orders on the walls of 15 Palestinian homes in the ‘Ayn al-Luza, alBustan (in Silwan), and Yemen quarters of the Old City. Although residents of the houses are given 20 days to appeal the demolitions, the notices are back-dated 18 days. Elsewhere in Silwan, Israeli forces demolish 1 Palestinian home and deliver a demolition order to the Old Town Women Society, which provides aid to at least 70 Palestinian families. (OCHA, PCHR 11/12; PCHR 11/19)

In the West Bank, the IDF raids a house in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem and another in Jericho, arresting 2 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 10/29)

New Israeli-Palestinian clashes erupt in East Jerusalem after Israel’s Islamic Movement and extremist Jewish groups call on their followers to rally in defense of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Temple Mount respectively. Israeli security forces deploy across the city to contain and prevent clashes, entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound twice during the day with the stated aim of removing Palestinian demonstrators hiding among the approximately 200 worshippers at the site (temporarily locking worshippers inside the Dome of the Rock and the Southern Mosque), beating many Palestinians, firing tear gas and sound bombs, and arresting 10s of Palestinians (including PLC mbr. ‘Abd al-Qadir, who is ordered on 10/26 to stay out of Jerusalem for 21 days; see 10/4); as many as 25 Palestinians (including around 4 children, 7 women) and 5 journalists are injured. In a possibly related incident, Israeli security forces at Qalandia checkpoint arrest a Palestinian woman for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier; the IDF later raids her family’s house in Saffa nr. Ramallah. (NYT, WP, WT 10/26; OCHA, PCHR, WJW 10/29; PCHR 11/5)

An Israeli military court sentences 2 IDF soldiers to 20 days in a military prison, expels them fr. their unit, and prohibits them fr. serving as combat soldiers for having demonstrated in support of West Bank settlements during their swearing-in ceremony. (WJW 10/29)

In the West Bank, the IDF prevents Palestinian farmers and international activists fr. reaching agricultural lands nr. Bayt Umar n. of Hebron to cultivate olives, beating 1 Spanish and 1 Israeli activist, and forcing the farmers to leave the area. The IDF also conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c., nr Tulkarm and Jericho, arresting 4 Palestinians and summoning a number of others for questioning (violently beating the father of 1 suspect when he takes too long to open the door). Palestinian sources report that in the previous wk., at least 50 Jewish settlers fr. Ma’ale Levona attacked Palestinian farmers fr. Sinjil nr. Ramallah headed to their olive fields and were removed fr. the area by the IDF; Jewish settlers fr. the unauthorized settlement outpost of Adei Ad nr. Ramallah cut down 55 Palestinian olive trees in protest at the arrest of 2 other settlers for stealing Palestinian olives. (OCHA 10/22; PCHR 10/29; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 10/09)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in Jericho and Tulkarm town and r.c., making no arrests; patrols and opens fire in Qabatya but makes no arrests and causes no injuries. Jewish settlers block the main entrance to Ras Karkar nr. Ramallah, throw stones, empty bottles at Palestinians, and violently beat a Palestinian. (PCHR 9/17)

A Palestinian wounded by the IDF on 8/26 dies in an Israeli hospital. (OCHA, PCHR 9/17)

The IDF shoots and wounds a Palestinian who strays nr. the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Hanun; makes a brief incursion into Bayt Hanun, firing on residential and surrounding agricultural areas but causing no further injuries; makes an incursion into al-Maghazi r.c., leveling areas of land and firing indiscriminately but causing no injuries. (PCHR 9/10; OCHA, PCHR 9/17)

In the West Bank, the IDF dismantles an unauthorized settlement outpost nr. Hebron. In retaliation, Jewish settlers fr. Susia attack a group of Palestinians fr. a nearby village, injuring 15. The IDF also conducts late-night raids, house searches in al-Bireh, nr. Hebron, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, and in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho, arresting 9 Palestinians. (OCHA 9/11; OCHA, PCHR 9/17)

A Palestinian who fell ill at an IDF crossing on 9/4 while waiting to enter East Jerusalem for prayers on the 2d Friday of Ramadan dies of a heart attack; the UN cites IDF checkpoint restrictions and conditions as a factor contributing to his death. (OCHA 9/11)

The IDF shoots, seriously wounds a Palestinian at a checkpoint in Hebron after he allegedly attempts to attack a soldier with a knife; conducts late-night raids, house searches in Qalqilya and nr. Jenin, Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron, Salfit, and Ramallah, arresting 15 Palestinians. Following a latenight explosion nr. the Bayt Ijza gate into Jerusalem, Israeli border police close all 3 gates in the separation wall controlling access to Palestinian agricultural land in the Jerusalem governorate, preventing Palestinian farmers fr. reaching their grape crops. (PCHR 8/27; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 8/09; OCHA, PCHR 9/3)

On the sidelines of meetings with British PM Gordon Brown in London, Netanyahu meets with U.S. special envoy George Mitchell to discuss peace issues; the two report having “made good progress” (no elaboration) and say they will meet again in the coming weeks. (Christian Science Monitor, NYT, WJW, WP 8/27)

In retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire on 8/24, the IDF carries out an early morning air strike on smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, collapsing a tunnel, killing 2 Palestinians and injuring at least 6 others; 1 person is reported missing. (OCHA 8/25; NYT 8/26; PCHR 8/27; OCHA Humanitarian Report 8/09; JPI 9/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF storms the Bayt Jala offices of Bethlehem 2000 Radio, confiscating $150,000 worth of equipment; conducts raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, and Jericho, in Hebron and al- ‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, arresting 5 Palestinians (including 2 teenagers); patrols and opens fire in Qabatya village nr. Jenin, causing no reported injuries. (PCHR 8/27)

Palestinian Authority (PA) PM Salam Fayyad publicizes a 65-page plan to unilaterally build a de facto Palestinian state comprising both the West Bank and Gaza by 2011. (NYT, WP, WT 8/26; WJW 8/27; JPI 9/4)(See Doc. B4 in JPS 153)

To mark captured IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit’s upcoming 23d birthday on 8/28, 100s of Israeli activists demonstrate outside Israeli security prisons where Palestinians are detained to prevent prisoners’ families fr. visiting them; Israeli police arrest 4 demonstrators. Israel consequently suspends family visits for West Bank prisoners in the Hadarim and Shikma prisons allegedly to reduce the likelihood of clashes. (OCHA 8/25; JPI 9/4)

Israel says it has taken significant steps to improve West Bank movement and access, including reducing manned IDF checkpoints and improving wait times at checkpoints, especially around Nablus, also noting that Israeli tour buses are now routinely bringing Israeli Palestinians to Nablus to shop. Palestinians and the UN confirm that restrictions on movement have been eased considerably in Jericho, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah; but the UN notes that there are still 68 manned and 545 unmanned barriers to Palestinian travel across the West Bank. Today, in the West Bank, the IDF conducts separate synchronized late-night house searches in villages s. and e. of Tulkarm and w. of Jenin, making no arrests; carries out late-night arrest raids in Balata r.c. and nr. Hebron, Salfit, Tulkarm. (WT 7/8; OCHA, PCHR 7/9)

No Israeli-Palestinian violence is reported. To mark the 3d anniversary of Shalit’s capture, Israeli protesters block the crossings into Gaza, and Israel’s transportation union urges haulers to observe a 1-day boycott on the import of goods to Gaza. Israel agrees to limit military incursions into 4 major Palestinian cities (Bethlehem, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Ramallah), allowing the PASF to operate there 24 hrs./day, instead of requiring them to remain in barracks fr. midnight to 5:00 a.m. as it had done before. Israel also agrees to remove some West Bank roadblocks and barriers to travel (there are currently more than 600), but no immediate steps are taken on this. (NYT, WJW, WP, WT 6/26; OCHA, PCHR 7/2)

Overnight, in East Jerusalem, an Israeli gunman fires on 3 Israeli Palestinians at a bus stop in an apparent hate crime, killing 1 Israeli Palestinian, seriously wounding the 2d, and missing the 3d before being arrested. In Gaza, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border for no apparent reason fire 4 flechette rounds at a Bedouin village, injuring 2 teenagers. In the West Bank, the IDF announces that effective immediately the Atara and al-Tayba checkpoints will no longer be staffed, easing Palestinian movement btwn. the n. West Bank and Ramallah, and btwn. Ramallah and Jericho, respectively; patrols in Ramallah in the morning, halting Palestinians to check their IDs. The UN notes that in the previous wk., the PASF for the 1st time arrested more Palestinians in the West Bank than the IDF, detaining 122 Palestinians compared to around 80 arrested by the IDF. (OCHA, PCHR, WJW 6/4)

Israeli naval vessels fire on and chase 30 Palestinian fishing boats (69 fishermen) off the n. Gaza coast to force them back to shore, seizing 3 boats, demanding that the 8 crew mbrs. of 1 boat strip naked and jump into the water, then detaining them and taking them to the Ashdod port. In the West Bank, the IDF lifts the closure on Khirbat Safa imposed on 4/2 and withdraws fr. the area, but reenters the vicinity later in the day after Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn fire toward the village, causing no injuries; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths nr. Jericho, wounding 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., al-Fara‘a r.c., Nablus, Tulkarm, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. Israeli security forces demolish a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (OCHA 4/8; PCHR 4/9)

The IDF opens a main checkpoint at Bayt Ibia nr. Nablus for the 1st time in 8 yrs., as a 1st step toward permanently relocating it (see 3/30 below). Unidentified gunmen fatally shoot 2 Israeli border policemen driving nr. Massu’a settlement in the Jordan Valley n. of Jericho, marking the 1st Israeli death in the West Bank since 4/25/08; Israel blames Palestinians, and individuals identifying themselves as mbrs. of the Imad Mughniyah Group, after the Hizballah military cmdr. assassinated in Damascus by unknown assailants in 2/08, later (3/16) claim responsibility. Jewish settler groups in the n. West Bank say Israel’s reckless removal of Palestinian checkpoints is to blame for the policemen’s deaths; the Israeli government denies any connection. The IDF conducts rare daytime arrest raids, house searches in Jalazun r.c.; patrols in Bayt Rima nr. Ramallah in the afternoon, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 4; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm, and nr. Jenin, Ramallah. Palestinians in Umm Lasfa village southeast of Hebron report that in the past few days, the IDF has leveled 500 d. of village land to build 2 km of a new settler bypass road to Carmiel settlement; once completed, the IDF is expected to confiscate 1,000 d. of Palestinian land and displace 13 Palestinian families. (IFM 3/15; AFP, HA, NYT, WP 3/16; OCHA 3/17, 3/18; PCHR, WJW 3/19)

Overnight, the IDF makes an air strike on Islamic Jihad mbrs. operating nr. the Gaza border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c. who fire 2 rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) at the Kissufim IDF base inside Israel (causing no injuries), killing 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding 1. Palestinians fire several rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a synagogue in Netivot, but causing no injuries. In the afternoon and late evening, the IDF makes at least 9 air strikes on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into Bil‘in village during the day, firing toward stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no reported injuries; conducts evening arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem; conducts similar late-night operations in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho and nr. Jenin. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian construction worker in a bulldozer rams and flips a police car, pushing it into an empty bus, injuring 2 police officers, before police and bystanders shoot him dead; Israel considers it a terrorist attack, though the man apparently acted on his own. Jewish settlers fr. Matityahu settlement nr. Ramallah burn a Palestinian home. (NYT, WP 3/6; OCHA 3/10, 3/11; PCHR 3/12)