The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops make an incursion 500 m into Gaza nr. Wadi al-Silqa village to level 9 d. of agricultural land. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Am‘ari r.c., Jenin.

In Jerusalem, Israeli security forces seal entrances of Jerusalem’s Old City to Palestinians, deploy 200 security officers inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound (locking the doors of the mosque and corralling Palestinian worshipers), escort 500 Jewish settlers to pray at the site for Purim; when some 20 masked Palestinians inside the compound stone tourists below the wall, Israeli riot police fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at the Palestinians in the compound, injuring 6; Israeli police escort settlers away around noon, but small clashes continue in alleyways around the mosque, leaving 10s more Palestinians and 4 Israeli police lightly injured and at least 7 Palestinians under arrest.

Israel’s Jerusalem district court orders Palestinian resident of Jerusalem Mansur Abu Gharbiyya expelled for 2 yrs. for “participating in public activities” (not further specified). (NYT, WT 3/1; OCHA, PCHR 3/4)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya shoot, wound, detain 1 unarmed Palestinian man attempting to sneak into Israel to find work; they return him to Gaza in an ambulance through the Erez crossing later in the day. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. (OCHA, PCHR 3/4)

IDF troops on the Gaza border n. of Bayt Lahiya fire on Palestinians scavenging bricks, iron bars from demolished buildings nearby, forcing them to flee; no injuries are reported. Late at night, the IDF moves 200 m in to s. Gaza nr. the destroyed Dahaniyya airport site, exchanging fire with armed Palestinians, severely wounding 1. In the West Bank, low-level clashes between Palestinian protesters and the IDF continue in Hebron for a 4th day, with no serious injuries reported. (NYT 2/26; OCHA, PCHR 3/4)

The IDF makes a brief incursion 700 m into the al-Fukhari area of s. Gaza to level 60 d. of agricultural land. In the West Bank, low-level clashes between Palestinian protesters and the IDF continue in Hebron for a 3d day, with no serious injuries reported. The IDF demolishes 6 wells w. of Jenin that provide water to 47 greenhouses and 456 d. of agricultural land; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Ramallah. (NYT 2/26; OCHA, PCHR 3/4)

Palestinians protesting Netanyahu’s 2/21 decision to add sites in Bethlehem and Hebron to Israel’s national heritage roster clash with IDF troop in Hebron; no serious injuries are reported. IDF troops conduct late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Fara‘a r.c. s. of Tubas and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah. In Gaza, the IDF makes a day-long incursion to level land along the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya to clear lines of sight. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus uproot 45 Palestinian olive trees in nearby Burin village; the IDF imposes a curfew on the village while the settlers work. Palestinians report (PCHR 2/24) that in the previous wk. Israel’s Jerusalem planning comm. convened to discuss a plan to build 549 settlement housing units on 153 d. of Bayt Safafa land s. of Jerusalem as part of a 4-stage settlement expansion plan, though no decisions were taken; the plan (several parts of which were approved before Netanyahu declared a temporary settlement freeze in 11/09) is aimed at reinforcing the separation of Jerusalem from the s. West Bank. (NYT, WT 2/23; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinians scavenging material from destroyed buildings 400 m fr. the border, forcing them to flee; no injuries are reported. Shortly after, the same IDF unit shells the area where the Palestinians had been scavenging as well as a Palestinian home in Bayt Lahiya, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Rima nr. Ramallah during the day; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Some 50 Jewish settlers break into the ancient Na’aran synagogue in Palestinian-controlled area A in Jericho to hold religious services, declaring their hopes of “renewing Jewish settlement in Jericho”; the IDF removes the settlers, arresting at least 35. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops enter Kafr Haris village n. of Salfit to perform Jewish prayers at monuments in the village. (HA 2/22; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu adds 2 key West Bank Jewish shrines, the Tomb of the Patriarchs (known as alIbrahimi Mosque to Palestinians) in the center of Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb just inside Bethlehem, to Israel’s national heritage sites, allocating $1 m. for their maintenance and repair as part of a $100 m. project to refurbish and link 150 national heritage sites, creating a “historical biblical trail [to] educate the next generation about Jewish and Zionist history.” The PA condemns the action. (IFM 2/21; PCHR, WT 2/22; NYT 2/23; JPI 3/4)

In Gaza, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border e. of al-Qarara exchange cross-border fire with armed Palestinians, causing no reported injuries; Israeli naval vessels then shell the area, injuring 3 armed Palestinians, damaging a mosque. IDF troops in observation towers on the Gaza border e. of Jabaliya fire on Palestinian farmers working land 400 m fr. the border (outside Israel’s no-go zone), forcing them to leave. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. Late in the evening, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire at Palestinian homes in Bayt Hanun for 40 mins., causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF opens fire on a Palestinian vehicle driving nr. Husan village w. of Bethlehem, wounding 3 Palestinians (ages 17–21), claiming they fired on an IDF patrol; fires tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinians attempting to reach their agricultural land inside a closed military zone nr. Hebron, injuring an 8-yr.-old Palestinian boy; raids and seals (until 2/28) 2 Palestinian organizations in Sur Bahir nr. Jerusalem; imposes a late-night curfew on, conducts house searches in al-Zubaydat village nr. Jericho. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron throw stones and bottles at Palestinian houses in nearby Wadi Husayn, injuring a 7-yr.-old Palestinian boy. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement n. of Ramallah seize 10 d. of Palestinian agricultural land to expand their settlement. (PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists (including Palestinian Authority [PA] PM Salam Fayyad, PA communications advisor Sabri Saydam, Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Nabil Shaath, PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Taysir Khalid, Palestinian National Initiative party head Mustafa Barghouti, and the mayor of Geneva), some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in a nonviolent march to the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian and international activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in protests against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinians staging a nonviolent march to land located between Dayr Nizam and al-Nabi Salih recently confiscated for the expansion of Halamish settlement (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); conducts late-night patrols in Rumana village w. of Jenin. Hamas accuses Fatah of links to the 1/20/10 assassination of Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades founder Mahmud al-Mabhuh, saying that 2 Palestinian suspects in custody in Dubai in connection with the assassination, Anwar Shhaybar and Ahmad Hassanayn, were former Fatah security officers and current employees of a senior Fatah official. Fatah denies the accusation. (NYT 2/20; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

The IDF makes a day-long incursion into c. Gaza to level land inside the no-go zone e. of al-Maghazi and al-Musaddar, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes (displacing 13 residents), leveling 17 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of agricultural land, exchanging gunfire with armed Palestinians throughout the day (no injuries reported). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Sira village w. of Ramallah in the evening, firing rubber-coated steel bullets at stonethrowing youths who confront them, causing no injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Ramallah. (OCHA 2/18; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinians scavenging building materials fr. destroyed buildings n. of Bayt Lahiya, forcing them to flee but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a livestock pen nr. Kiryat Arba settlement after the settlers filed a petition with the IDF asking for it to be removed; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in alAm‘ari refugee camp (r.c.) nr. al-Bireh and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. (PCHR 2/18, 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

As the quarter opens, Israel’s siege of Gaza continues, with Israel barring all exports, all but limited humanitarian imports, and most cross-border transit by individuals (with very limited exceptions for extreme medical cases, VIPs, and international NGO workers). The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) enforces a 300-meter-deep no-go zone along the full length of the Gaza border and limits the Palestinian fishing zone off Gaza to 500–1,000 m off the immediate Bayt Lahiya and Rafah coasts, and 3 nautical miles elsewhere. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Tubas. (PCHR 2/18)

Israeli naval vessels fire on, surround 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to sail to Ashdod port, confiscating the boats, arresting 3 fishermen, and returning 1 to Gaza through the Erez crossing. IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire on an unarmed Palestinian teenager who strays into the 300 m. buffer zone e. of Gaza Valley village, moderately wounding him. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Bethlehem, Nablus. Hamas police in Gaza detain BBC reporter Paul Martin for 15 days of questioning on suspicion of unspecified security offenses. Martin was testifying on behalf of Muhammad Abu Muayliq, a fmr. member of the Abu Rish Brigades (a Fatah offshoot) on trial in a Hamas military court for collaboration with Israel, and was arrested in the courtroom during the trial when Abu Muayliq allegedly implicated him in “violating Palestinian law and security in Gaza.” (NYT 2/16; OCHA, PCHR 2/18)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Jabaliya fire on Palestinian farmers nr. the border fence, forcing them to flee (no injuries reported). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. (OCHA, PCHR 2/18)

Early in the morning, IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Gaza City open fire and direct artillery strikes on armed Palestinians operating nr. Juhur al-Dik village, killing 1 armed Palestinian and hitting a Palestinian home and lightly injuring 3 girls (ages 5–12), then making a brief incursion 400 m into the area. Around the same time, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya make a brief incursion to arrest 6 Palestinians collecting scrap material fr. destroyed homes and a brick factory nr. the border (they are released after 12 hrs. of questioning). Several hrs. later, the IDF makes an air strike on Gaza killing Islamic Jihad mbr. Faris Jabir, who Israel claims was part of a squad preparing an attack on the Qarni border crossing. (Palestinians notably do not claim his death as an assassination.) In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes 6 wells and 5 agricultural storehouses nr. the separation wall northwest of Hebron, confiscating electrical generators and irrigation equipment. Two yrs. after Israel’s High Court ruled that a section of the separation wall in Bil‘in must be rerouted, the IDF begins work to move the barrier; residents welcome the change but stress that it falls far short of their demands that the wall be removed altogether. (NYT, WT 2/12; NYT 2/13; OCHA, PCHR 2/18)

In the West Bank, the IDF and Israeli tax authorities reenter Shu‘fat r.c. (see 2/7–8), confiscating 10s of cars, arresting at least another 30 individuals (the UN puts the total number arrested at 92), and firing live warning shots at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding a 14-yr.-old boy. The IDF also makes an incursion into Zayta al-Sha‘rawiyya village northwest of Tulkarm to arrest 3 14-yr.-old Palestinian boys as they leave school for lunch. Some 50 Jewish settlers fr. Brakha attempt to drive 2 Palestinian shepherds off adjacent Palestinian land in Iraq Burin village; after stone-throwing villagers come to the shepherds’ defense and drive off the settlers, settlement security guards return to the scene and open fire on the Palestinians, wounding 1. Late in the evening, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border for unknown reasons open fire on an open area of the Bayt Lahiya beach, causing no damage or injuries. Almost simultaneously, the IDF carries out air strikes, and a drone fires a missile at the Dahaniyya airport site in s. Gaza, causing no reported injuries; Israel says the air strikes are in response to Palestinian rocket fire over the past several days (see 2/2, 2/3, 2/7), though no rocket fire was reported today. Soon after, Israeli naval vessels fire on a Palestinian boat off the n. Gaza coast, forcing it to return to shore. (OCHA, PCHR 2/11; MNA 2/22)

Israeli Interior M Eli Yishai grants retroactive approval to a 7-story settleroccupied building in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem that Israel’s High Court ruled illegal in 7/09. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Hanun fire across the border to disperse a peaceful Palestinian demonstration against Israel’s self-declared no-go zone inside the Gaza border (no injuries reported). In the West Bank, IDF troops covered by helicopters escort Israeli tax authorities into Shu‘fat r.c. (sealed on 2/7), raiding 10s of homes and shops and several medical centers, arresting 60 Palestinians, and allowing tax authorities to confiscate furniture. Troops fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, injuring 2 Palestinian journalists. The IDF evacuates late at night. The IDF also sets up a checkpoint at the entrance of Khirbat Jabara s. of Tulkarm in the morning, sealing the village and leveling land around the new checkpoint; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., and nr. Hebron. (WT 2/10; PCHR 2/11; MNA 2/22)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishermen off the n. Gaza coast, halting and seizing 2 boats, holding 4 fishermen for several hrs. of questioning before releasing them. In the West Bank, IDF troops surround and seal Shu‘fat r.c. nr. East Jerusalem in the evening, imposing a curfew. The IDF also makes a rare daytime incursion into Ithna village nr. Hebron, searching the home of a wanted Palestinian, without making any arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jericho and in al-Bireh (including searching the home of al-Bireh’s mayor, arresting his wife). (YA 2/7; WT 2/8; OCHA, PCHR 2/11)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, the IDF carries out 6 air strikes on smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border and abandoned buildings at the destroyed Dahaniyya airport site, causing no reported injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the s. Gaza coast, then deploy small Zodiac boats to chase some fishermen, destroying or confiscating their nets. A smuggling tunnel collapses on the Rafah border killing 1 Palestinian civilian, injuring 3. The UN reports that since 1/27, another 2 Palestinians have been killed in tunnel incidents (1 in a collapse, 1 by electrocution). In the West Bank, the IDF enters Khirbat Jabara village s. of Tulkarm in the morning, sealing the village, checking IDs, and stopping 10s of vehicles; troops withdraw in the evening, without making any arrests; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Bil‘in (targeting individuals involved in demonstrations against the separation wall) and Nablus. The UN reports that since 1/27, the IDF has removed 24 obstacles to Palestinian travel in Hebron district (21 earthen mounds, 2 road blocks, 1 locked gate), noticeably improving Palestinian movement along Route 60 (550 manned and unmanned barriers are still in place across the West Bank). (HA, NYT, WP, YA 2/3; OCHA, PCHR 2/4)

PA PM Fayyad gives a major address at Israel’s annual Herzliya policy conference. Fayyad’s 30-min. speech aims to explain the Palestinian historical narrative and stresses the need for a “political horizon” for Palestinian statehood. Israeli DM Barak addresses the same panel, focusing his comments on regional security threats. Both stress the importance of a 2-state solution, with Barak stating that Israel risks becoming “an apartheid state par excellence” if it does not accept Palestinian statehood. (WP 2/3; Ma’ariv 2/5)

Israeli authorities find 2 explosive devices washed up on Israeli beaches; no injuries are reported. Islamic Jihad says that, in cooperation with the AMB and PRCs, it released a total of 8 devices in Gaza’s waters in retaliation for Israel’s alleged assassination of Hamas cmdr. Mabhuh. The IDF says 2 explosions off the coast on 1/29 may be related. IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire into the Erez industrial zone to drive away Palestinians searching the rubble for scrap metal. Later in the afternoon, IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Gaza City fire on residential areas inside the Strip for no apparent reason, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem and nr. Jenin. (NYT, WP, WT 2/3; OCHA, PCHR 2/4)