The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire artillery shells at Gaza City’s municipal waste treatment facility, causing no injuries but forcing employees to flee, disrupting service. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and nr. Nablus. Israeli minister without portfolio Benny Begin attends the groundbreaking ceremony for a new settlement project to expand Bet Hagay settlement nr. Hebron, adding 10 new units; Begin stresses that government approval for the project was issued weeks before Netanyahu declared his 11/25 settlement freeze. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba accompanied by IDF forces enter al-Buqa‘a village e. of Hebron to plant 200 trees as an initial step toward confiscating the land; when some 40 Palestinian residents attempt to block the settlers, the IDF imposes a closure and intervenes to drive them away and guard the settlers (beating and arresting 1 Palestinian teenager, injuring 4 other Palestinians. (OCHA, PCHR 2/4)

The IDF reports that 2 explosive devices apparently targeting Israeli naval vessels exploded off the Israeli coast, causing no damage or injuries; no group takes responsibility. In the West Bank, the IDF makes an afternoon incursion into Bayt Umar village, searching 4 houses, but making no arrests; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stonethrowing Palestinians and nonviolent international activists taking part in protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); seals the entrances to Ni‘lin village so international activists cannot take part in weekly demonstrations against the separation wall there, then beats and fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinian protesters (several are injured); for a 2d time (see 1/22) fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians holding a nonviolent protest march fr. the outskirts of Ramallah to their agricultural lands that are now within a closed military zone surrounding Halamish settlement (10s suffer tear gas inhalation). Jewish settlers acting on a 1/25 municipal court ruling occupy the 2d floor of a Palestinian home in Aqabat al-Saraya in Jerusalem. (NYT 2/3; OCHA, PCHR 2/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes a late-night incursion into Qalqilya, patrolling streets and randomly checking IDs, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids and house searches in al-‘Arub r.c., Bil‘in, al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron, Nablus and nearby ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c., as well as nr. Jenin, Jericho. Jewish settlers rally at the evacuated Homesh settlement site northwest of Nablus, throw stones at passing Palestinian vehicles, beat 1 local Palestinian farmer. The UN reports that since 1/20, the PASF has arrested 6 aides to Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Council speaker ‘Aziz Dwayk. (PCHR 1/28; OCHA, PCHR 2/4)

Israeli naval vessels off the n. Gaza coast fire on Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on raid al-Twana village (see 1/14), clashing with Palestinian villagers; the IDF intervenes to protect the settlers, violently beating 1 Palestinian. (OCHA 1/27; PCHR 1/28)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes latenight incursions into Jenin city and nearby Jalbun village, patrolling streets, but making no arrests. An Israeli municipal court in Jerusalem rules that Jewish settlers may take possession of the top floor of a Palestinian home in Aqabat al-Saraya in the Old City of Jerusalem. (OCHA 1/27; PCHR 1/28; OCHA 2/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized late-night house searches in and around Tubas, making no arrests; conducts similar late-night searches without making arrests in Bethlehem; conducts late-night arrest raids nr. Jenin. An Israeli municipal court in Jerusalem orders the IDF to pay more than $117,000 in compensation to Jewish settlers from the illegal settlement outpost of Yad Ya’ir nr. Ramallah, which the IDF removed in 9/08; the judge rules that the IDF contravened a last-minute High Court order to delay demolition; the IDF says it will appeal. (HA 1/25; OCHA 1/27; PCHR 1/28)

Israeli naval vessels off the n. Gaza coast fire on Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Ni‘lin. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha s. of Nablus attempt to raid nearby Iraq Burin village but are fended off by Palestinian residents; IDF troops intervene, firing rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians to disperse them (injuring 1 Palestinian). Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah uproot 15 nearby Palestinian olive trees. (OCHA 1/27; PCHR 1/28)

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Adam settlement just n. of Jerusalem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and nr. Jenin. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops enter Awarta village nr. Nablus in the evening to hold religious services at an ancient Jewish gravesite, also smashing and vandalizing several Palestinian tombstones in a Palestinian cemetery. The UN reports that in the previous wk., 7 Palestinians were injured in tunnel collapses on the Rafah border. (OCHA 1/20; PCHR 1/21; WP 1/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF stages synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. and Balata r.c. nr. Nablus; conducts similar late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. A 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy is seriously injured when he accidentally triggers IDF unexploded ordnance (UXO) s. of Hebron. Jewish settlers in Shaykh Jarrah in East Jerusalem beat a Palestinian teenager; Israeli police observe but do not intervene. (OCHA 1/20; PCHR 1/21)

In Gaza, Hamas officials confirm that 1 Hamas mbr. was killed and 3 injured in an explosion in n. Gaza caused by mishandled explosives. In the West Bank, the IDF raids an elementary school in Bayt Za‘ta and several homes in al-‘Arub r.c., both n. of Hebron, questioning children regarding stone-throwing at IDF jeeps operating in the area, arresting 2 children (ages 14 and 17) in al-‘Arub r.c.; makes an incursion into al-Bireh in the evening, surrounding a mosque and checking the IDs of worshipers, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bil‘in and Ni‘lin (arresting Palestinian organizers of the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall) and nr. Hebron, Tubas. Jewish settlers fr. Gil’ad attack Palestinian farmers working their nearby land. (NYT 1/12; OCHA 1/13; PCHR 1/14)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar fr. s. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Ramallah, arresting only 1 Palestinian nr. Hebron. Some 30 Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn attack Palestinian farmers working their nearby fields. (HA, YA 1/9; OCHA 1/13; PCHR 1/14)

Egyptian border police clash with 100s of Palestinians protesting Egypt’s refusal to allow a humanitarian aid convoy through the Rafah crossing into Gaza without Israel’s permission and Egyptian plans to build an underground steel wall to deter smuggling tunnels, leaving 1 Egyptian soldier fatally shot, 10s of Palestinians injured. In Gaza, a PRC mbr. injured in the 1/5 Israeli air strike on al-Qarara dies. The UN reports that since 12/23, 1 Palestinian has been killed in a smuggling tunnel collapse on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a late-night incursion into Zabbuba village nr. Jenin, patrolling streets but making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches n. of Jerusalem. Jewish settlers fr. Gilad nr. Qalqilya attack Palestinian farmers working their nearby land. (OCHA 1/6, 1/13; PCHR 1/14)