The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Jalud, setting fire to vehicles and throwing stones at homes. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians and stole olive harvest in Khirbet Yanun. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided a store in al-Zawiya, vandalizing it and steal items. Israeli settlers also threatened Palestinians in the al-Ka’abneh community near Jericho with death if they did not flee their village; the settlers threw stones at Palestinians, vandalized a vehicle and stole another. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers with military escort also attacked Palestinians in Qarawat Bani Hassan, stealing cash and vandalizing property. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian shepherds in the Masafer Yatta area and vandalized 50 olive trees in Qusra. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 child during a riad in Sa’ir. East Jerusalem, Israeli forces sealed off the family homes in Sur Baher of 2 Palestinians who were killed after they shot and killed 3 Israelis in West Jerusalem on 11/30 in preparation for punitive demolitions. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed at least 180 Palestinians and injured more than 589 after the ceasefire expired at 7 a.m, including a family of 5 fleeing northern Gaza to the south on Salah al-Din Street and in bombardments on Rafah, al-Maghazi refugee camp. Israeli forces also bombed an ambulance outside of al-Shifa hospital, killing 2 paramedics. Elsewhere, Israeli forces attacked al-Awda Hostpial, causing damage and dropped leaflets in al-Qarara, Khuza’a, Abasan, and Bani Suheila, telling Palestinians to flee to Rafah. Rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel, injuring 5 soldiers in Nirim. In Lebanon, Israeli forces shelled Hula, killing 2 civilians and 1 member of Hezbollah. Rockets were fired from Lebanon at Israel. In Yemen, Israeli forces reportedly attacked a missile warehouse in Saana. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/1; AJ, UNOCHA 12/2)

More than 15,180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 37,000 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 242 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 63 children. More than 3,200 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent said Israeli forces prevented aid trucks from entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said 67 Palestinian journalists had been killed by Israel since 10/7. UNRWA reported a Hepatitis A outbreak at 1 of its shelters. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/1; AJ 12/2)

Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. said they were working on reinstating the ceasefire which expired at 7 a.m. Israel confirmed that 4 captives held by Hamas had died. The U.S. parroted Israel’s explanation for the not extending the ceasefire, saying that Hamas did not produce a list of captives for exchange. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce that Israel will not negotiate another ceasefire until all captives are released from Gaza. Hamas said it was Israel who undermined extending the ceasefire by rejecting 3 separate options presented to them by mediators, but that Israel had already decided to resume its attacks. The PA said it held the U.S. responsible for the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Israel said that Hamas still holds 137 captives, including 4 from before 10/7. During the temporary ceasefire 240 Palestinians, 107 children and 133 adults, including 65 18-year-olds and 68 women, were exchanged for 105 captives held by Hamas. 75% of the Palestinians were not convicted of a crime, most were arrested within the past year with 37 since 10/7. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/1; HA 12/3)

Israel published a map of Gaza dividing it into hundreds of small parcels, saying it will notify Palestinian civilians to leave the parcels when Israel intends to attack them. (AJ, UNOCHA 12/1)

Addameer said conditions in Israeli prisons had deteriorated significantly since 10/7, noting that 6 Palestinians had died and that prisoners are denied medical care, electricity, family and lawyer visits, and sufficient food and water. The UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territories expressed concern over the “massive rise in the number of Palestinians arrested and detained, the number of reports of ill-treatment and humiliations suffered by those in custody, and the reported failure to adhere to basic due process.” (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA 12/1)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel “must return to and crush Gaza with all our might.” (AJ 12/1)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken claimed that Israel had taken steps to minimize civilian causalities by telling Palestinians in Gaza where they can go to safe zones. Blinken also spoke with Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer calling on Israel to allow the same amount of aid into Gaza as during the ceasefire period. (HA 12/1; AX 12/2)

Reuters said Israel had informed Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia that it intends to create a buffer zone in Gaza. The 4 countries reportedly opposed Israel’s plans. Reuters also reported that the U.S. has told Israel that it will impose visa bans on violent Israeli settlers in the coming weeks.  (AJ, HA, REU 12/1; AJ, REU 12/2; HA 12/3)

1 person self-immolated outside of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. Authorities said a Palestinian flag was recovered at the scene. The individual was said to be in critical condition. The Israeli consul general in Atlanta Anat Sultan-Dadon called the self-immolation an act of hate towards Israel. (AJ, HA, NYT 12/1; AJ 12/2)

The UN said Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings would be replaced after Israel refused to renew her visa. UN secretary-general spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “[w]e need to make sure that there’s agreement and everybody is ok with the people we send,” calling Israeli slander against Hastings “unacceptable.”  (AJ, HA 12/1)

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez spoke with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, saying Israel had a right to defend itself but said they civilian death toll in Gaza was unbearable. (AJ 12/1)

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. had provided Israel with BLU-09 bunker busting bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each. The Journal said the U.S. had provided Israel with 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells since 10/7. (AJ 12/1; AJ 12/2)

The United Auto Workers union in the U.S., representing 400,000 people, called for the U.S. to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/1)

The New York Times reported that staff at the World Food Programme were angered at Executive Director Cindy McCain’s timid response to the situation in Gaza and that she had compromised the neutrality of the organization by sharing a stage on 11/18 with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak as a prize named after her late husband John McCain was awarded to the “People of Israel.” (NYT 12/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided Tulkarm refugee camp, killing 6 Palestinians and injuring 3 in a drone strike, uprooted streets, and put 2 hospitals under siege. Israeli forces also shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in ‘Azzun and Burin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian in Beitunia. Israeli forces also notified a Palestinian landowner that it will seize 2.5 dunams (.62 acres) of his land in Beit Dajan to construct a settler road. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolished 6 residential structures and 1 agricultural structure in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area, displacing 20 people. 38 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Tubas. In Gaza, Israeli forces attacked Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and the Indonesian and Kamal Adwan hospitals, killing at least 80 people. The number of fatalities was likely much higher given the lack of communication with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. 3 premature babies died at the Kamal Adwan Hospital due to the incubators failing as a result of a lack of fuel. The administration at the Indonesian Hospital said it had been ordered by Israel to evacuate the hospital. 14 ambulances arrived at al-Shifa Hospital to start evacuating the 250 remaining patients. The Red Crescent said 3 paramedics and a companion of a wounded Palestinian were detained by Israeli forces, with 1 of the paramedics being arrested, and that Israel obstructed the evacuation efforts. 190 patients were evacuated from the hospital over a 20-hour period. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed. Rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 5 people in Beit Yahoun, including the son of Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad. In Syria, Israeli forces fired 2 missiles at Damascus, causing damage. In the Red Sea, Israel said it intercepted a cruise missile fired from Yemen. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/22; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 11/23; HA 11/24)

The Gaza Media Office reported that 14,532 Palestinian have been killed, including 6,000 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 217 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 53 children. More than 2,885 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.7 million Palestinians, more than 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 111 Palestinians were buried in a mass grave in Khan Yunis. The bodies were initially seized by Israel at al-Shifa Hospital and in Beit Hanun and handed over to Palestinian authorities prior to arriving in Khan Yunis in a shipping container. About 250 people fled northern Gaza to the south. Around 18,000 gallons of fuel and 80 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. 433 foreign nationals and 17 wounded people were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/22; NYT 11/23)

UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza the “worst ever,” adding “I do not say that lightly. I started off in my twenties dealing with the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields.” (HA 11/22)

Israel and Hamas agreed to the terms of a 4-day ceasefire that would see 50 women and children held in Gaza released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children being released from Israeli prisons. The start of the ceasefire would be announced within 24 hours, awaiting the Israeli High Court of Justice’s consideration of Israeli public appeals against the deal. The ceasefire could be extended for one additional day for every 10 additional captives released from Gaza. There are about 240 captives held by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel agreed to stop military movement and allow people to travel from the north of Gaza to the south on Salah al-Din road, but said it would not allow movement to the north. 300 trucks carrying aid, including fuel, would be allowed into Gaza every day. Furthermore, Hamas said Israel had agreed to stop drone flights over southern Gaza during the period of the ceasefire and not fly over northern Gaza for 6 hours a day and that Israel could not attack or arrest anyone during the 4-day period. Israel published a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners, including 123 children, that it deemed eligible for release. Most of the prisoners on the list were arrested in the past 2 years for minor offenses. Islamic Jihad said the Israeli soldiers it is holding captive will not be released until all its members are released from Israeli prisons. PA president Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the agreement and thanked Qatar and Egypt for their mediation efforts. The Israeli cabinet approved deal in the early hours of the day after a 6-hour meeting. 3 ministers from the Otzma Yehudit party voted against it while 35 ministers voted in favor. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume its attacks on Gaza after the ceasefire.  (HA, NYT, NYT 11/21; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/22)

Hamas deputy political leader Khalil al-Hayya and Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan met with Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, discussing the ceasefire. It was reported that Hezbollah would enter the ceasefire if Israel did not attack Lebanon during the 4-day period. (HA 11/22)

The PA cabinet held an emergency session on the situation in Gaza and the PA’s financial situation given the Israeli decision to withhold more funds from the PA tax revenue and the PA’s refusal to accept the reduced sums. The cabinet decided to allow each ministry to find ways to reduce their expenses and indicated that civil servants will not be paid their salaries or will receive reduced salaries due to the financial crisis. President Abbas discussed the situation in Gaza and the West Bank with Finnish president Sauli Niinistö. (WAFA, WAFA 11/22)

A delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, including the PA, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Nigeria met with UK foreign secretary David Cameron in London, discussing the situation in Gaza. (WAFA 11/22)

Mossad director David Barnea arrived in Doha to discuss the final details of the prisoner exchange with Qatari officials. (AX, HA 11/22)

Israel claimed to have found a 525-foot-long tunnels underneath al-Shifa Hospital, saying it was used by Hamas. Videos of the tunnels released by Israel showed the tunnels were completely empty, aside from an air-conditioning unit. Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak said earlier this week that Israel constructed tunnels under al-Shifa in the 1980s. Prime Minister Netanyahu said he had instructed the Mossad to attack Hamas leaders outside of the occupied territories. (AJ, NYT 11/22; HA 11/23)

U.S. president Joe Biden released a statement welcoming the temporary ceasefire, thanking the leaders of Qatar and Egypt. Biden told President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that the U.S. opposes forced deportation of Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt and the redrawing of the Gaza borders. Biden also spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, emphasizing the “importance of maintaining calm along the Lebanese border as well as in the West Bank,” according to the U.S. readout of their conversation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. It was reported that the U.S. was using the ceasefire to push Israel to set up safe areas in Gaza and allow more aid and fuel into Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/22)

Politico reported that the Biden administration was worried that an unintended consequence of the ceasefire would be journalists being able to “illuminate the devastation” in Gaza since they would have more access. (AJ 11/22)

Palestinians who met Pope Francis at the Vatican said he described the situation in Gaza as genocide. A Vatican spokesperson later said that he was not aware that the pope used the word. Pope Francis also met with Israeli relatives of people held captive in Gaza by Hamas. (AJ, HA, WAFA 11/22)

The Yemeni naval commander spoke to the crew members of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader the navy had captured on 11/19, assuring them that they would be treated as guests. (HA 11/22)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 11/9 in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian herders and stole some of their sheep in Tuqu’. Israeli settlers also raided Kisan, stealing solar panels and a generator. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area, demolishing a residential structure and vandalizing solar panels, water tanks, and 70 olive tree saplings. Israeli settlers also attacked 2 Palestinians and 2 foreign journalists during a raid in Manizil and al-Rakiz in the Masafer Yatta, causing bruises. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid near al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured a Palestinian during a raid in Arrabah. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a 4-story building under construction in al-Za’im. Nearly 50 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Deir al-Ghusun, Ramallah, Deir Ibzi, Bethlehem, and Qaryut. In Gaza, Israeli forces sealed off the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya; Israeli shelling of the hospital killed 12 people. 100 patients were later evacuated from the hospital. The Israeli seige of al-Shifa Hospital continued for the fifth day. Israeli forces also attacked a Doctors Without Borders clinic in Gaza City, destroying 4 of its vehicles that were clearly marked with the organization’s logo. Israeli airstrikes targeted Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 20, Rafah killing 15, and Khan Yunis killing a family of 5. The number of fatalities was likely much higher since the Gaza Ministry of Health was unable to communicate with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said it attacked 250 sites in Gaza. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed. In Tayibe, Israeli police arrested a 14-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel for allegedly posting support for Hamas on social media. In Lebanon, Israel attacked several areas, including the home of Amal party official Kabalan Kabalan; no injuries were reported. Israel said Hezbollah launched 25 rockets and 3 drones at Israel, hitting military sites; no injuries were reported. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, CNN, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/20; AJ, HA, HA 11/21)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving the casualty numbers at around 13,000 Palestinians killed, including 5,500 children and 3,500 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 208 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 52 children. More than 2,885 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 71 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units had been destroyed and 220,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. Some 25,000 people fled northern Gaza to the south. The UN said that since shelters are completely full newly arrived displaced people were sleeping on the streets. 51 aid trucks entered Gaza, including trucks carrying material to build 2 field hospitals run by the UAE and Jordan. 2 trucks carrying 17,000 gallons of fuel entered Gaza. 180 doctors and nurses entered Gaza. 571 foreign nationals and 67 injured Palestinians were evacuated from Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Jordanian crown prince Hussein arrived in Egypt to oversee the establishment of the Jordanian field hospital, which will be set up in Khan Yunis. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 50 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 45 Palestinians and 1 Lebanese. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/20; HA, UNOCHA 11/21)

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak told CNN that the tunnels system Israel is claiming that Hamas uses under al-Shifa Hospital was built by Israel “five or four decades ago …. to enable more space for the operation of the hospital within the very limited size of the compound.” (CNN 11/20)

A witness said that the Palestinian man who died at the Ketziot Prison in the Naqab on 11/18, Thaer Samih Abu Assab, was beaten to death by Israeli forces after they raided his cell and assaulted 10 prisoners. (AJ 11/20)

Israeli forces reportedly arrested Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha on 11/18 while he was fleeing from northern Gaza to Rafah to get to the U.S. where his son has citizenship. (HA 11/21)

Israel indicted 2 Israelis on charges of terrorism for throwing Molotov cocktails at a court, a post office, banks, and Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah. (HA 11/20)

The Israeli military said there have been several incidents of friendly fire in Gaza, saying Israeli soldiers had been killed as a result. There were more than 10,000 Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Israel’s military also said it had transferred 300 Palestinians from Gaza to Israel. (AP, HA 11/20)

Foreign ministers from the PA, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Indonesia and a representative from the OIC met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing, calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/20)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Mirjana Spoljaric in Qatar, who demanded that Hamas release all captives immediately and that the ICRC be allowed to visit the captives. The Hamas information ministry called on Egypt to open the Rafah crossing permanently, saying it fears epidemics and famine will hit Gaza due to the lack of food and basic medical services. A Hamas military spokesperson said the Qassam Brigades had destroyed 60 military vehicles in the past 3 days and that Israeli forces had killed their own soldiers after thinking they were captured by Hamas militants. (AJ, AP, HA 11/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Latvian president Edgars Rinkević in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA 11/20)

Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel demanded that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) build an aid program for Israelis evacuated from the area around Gaza and near the Blue Line, during a meeting with UNHCR representative in Israel Matthias Larota. The Knesset Ethics Committee banned Likud MK Nissim Vaturi from speaking at the next 10 Knesset sessions after he accused 2 Palestinian, MKs Aida Touma-Sliman and Iman Khatib-Yassin, of supporting Hamas. (HA 11/20)

Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa. South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel weeks ago and referred the situation in Gaza to the ICC on 10/7. The South African parliament is also scheduled to vote on 11/21 to close the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a ceasefire is implemented. (AJ, HA 11/20; AJ, HA 11/21)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he will not allow the issue of Israeli nuclear weapons to be dropped from the international agenda and said the “shame of the Holocaust has literally taken European leaders hostage,” referring to their support for Israel. (HA 11/20)

White House senior adviser for energy and investment Amos Hochstein met with Israeli officials, discussing the situation at the Blue Line and the development of the Gaza Marine gas field off the coast of Gaza, which he said would benefit the Palestinian economy. Hochstein arrived in Israel after meetings with Lebanese officials. (AJ, AX, HA, REU 11/20)

Amnesty International said Israel had committed war crimes by attacking a church in Gaza City on 10/19 and a residential building in Nuseirat refugee camp on 10/20, which killed 46 civilians, including 20 children. Amnesty said it had visited the sites, interviewed witnesses and survivors, and analyzed satellite imagery to reach its conclusion. (HA, WAFA 11/20)

13 U.S. senators urged President Joe Biden to work with Israel to increase aid to Gaza, including by reopening the Karem Abu Salem (Karem Shalom) crossing and to protect Palestinian civilians. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called for a ceasefire, the second U.S. senator to do so after Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). 41 members of the House have called for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA 11/20)

Qatar said the revenue from the Asia Cup 2023 soccer tournament held in the country will go to Palestinian relief efforts. The Australian soccer team, which is playing against the Palestinian soccer team in a World Cup qualifying game in Kuwait on 11/21, said its players and soccer association will donate a 5-figure sum to Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 11/20)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Jenin on 10/29. Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian vehicles during a raid in Husan. Israeli forces attacked Tulkarm refugee camp killing 5 Palestinians, including 3 in a drone strike, and injuring 18. Israel also damaged water, electricity, and sewage lines, uprooted streets, and bulldozed a monument to Yasir Arafat. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian who allegedly tried to stab a soldier near Beit Einun. Elsewhere, Israeli forces punitively demolished the family home in ‘Urif of a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces after he allegedly killed 4 settlers near the Eli settlement on 6/20. 28 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 90 Palestinians in Khan Yunis and Gaza City, including at least 13 people in an airstrike on Khan Yunis. The number of fatalities was likely much higher since the Gaza Ministry of Health was unable to communicate with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. Israel said it had taken control of al-Shati refugee camp. Israel forces fired shots at al-Shifa Hospital. At the end of the day, Israel told the Gaza Ministry of Health that it will enter the hospital. Israel has bombed the vicinity of the hospital for days. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed and 4 seriously wounded in northern Gaza. Rockets were fired from Gaza, injuring 3 near Tel Aviv. In South Lebanon, Israel said it attacked Hezbollah sites in the Yiftah area. At the Red Sea, Israel said it intercepted a missile fired toward Eliat. The Houthi-led government in Yemen took responsibility. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ, HA 11/15)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza. However, it did say that at least 11,451 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and 27,490 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 187 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,700 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 51 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. The Gaza Ministry of Health said 40 patients at al-Shifa Hospital have died in recent days. Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya said 179 people had been buried in mass graves in the hospital compound, including 7 babies and 29 intensive care patients. The WHO said 22 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza were no longer operational. 15 medical workers and 91 truckloads of aid entered Gaza. An estimated 18,000 Palestinians fled from northern Gaza to the south. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ 11/15)

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, “because of Hamas’s use of hospitals for military purposes, [the hospitals] will lose special protection in the international court.” Israel has presented animations, pictures of purported tunnels, and a video from al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital that it said was proof of Hamas’s presence at hospitals, all of which did not show any evidence to back Israel’s claim. In the video from al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital, Israel showed a piece of paper hanging on the wall that it claimed was a list of Hamas militants’ names. However, the list was merely a calendar with the names of the days of the week written in Arabic. The U.S. said it had intelligence that suggested a Hamas and Islamic Jihad presence at hospitals in Gaza, including al-Shifa. A U.S. national security council spokesperson said “[w]e do not support striking a hospital from the air and we don’t want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people trying to get medical care they deserve are caught in crossfire.” Hamas called for the UN to inspect all hospitals in Gaza to debunk the Israeli and U.S. claims. Doctors at al-Shifa also rejected the claim that Palestinian militants were operating in the hospital. Human Rights Watch said Israel had not presented evidence “that would justify stripping hospitals of their special protections under international humanitarian law,” adding “international humanitarian law only allows attacking hospitals if room is made for safe evacuation.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ, REU 11/15)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the prison facility where Israel is holding members of Hamas who were captured during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, saying prisoners were “handcuffed in a dark cell, iron beds, toilets in a hole in the floor and the [Israeli] national anthem constantly playing in the background.” Ben-Gvir said he will promote the death penalty for the Palestinian militants. (HA 11/14)

A New York Times investigation into an attack on al-Shifa Hospital on 11/10 said it was likely an Israeli attack that killed 7 people at the hospital and not an errant missile fired from Gaza as Israel had claimed. (AJ, NYT 11/14)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he welcomed “the initiative of members of Knesset Ram Ben-Barak and Danny Danon on the voluntary immigration of Gaza Arabs to countries around the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region.” Smotrich was referencing an op-ed written by Ben-Barak and Danon that was published in the Wall Street Journal on 11/13. The PA and Hamas condemned Smotrich comments. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 11/14)

U.S. president Joe Biden discussed efforts for a prisoner exchange with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Shin Bet director Ronan Bar met with Egyptian officials in Egypt, discussing a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. Nearly 100 members of the U.S. Congress watched a screening of a 43-minute video of the Hamas Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on 10/7. The screening was facilitated by the Israeli embassy. (HA 11/14)

Belize said it had withdrawn its accreditation for the Israeli ambassador-designate in the country, suspended activities at its consulate in Tel Aviv and the Israeli consulate in Belize, and withdrawn its request for accreditation for its consul to Israel, citing Israeli violations of international humanitarian law. (AJ 11/14)

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said “I have been clear the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules. All innocent life is equal in worth …. I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint …. The world is witnessing this, the killing of women and children, of babies. This has to stop.” (HA, REU 11/14; AJ, AJ 11/15)

Reuters reported that Israel had approved the delivery of 6,340 gallons of diesel to Gaza. Haaretz later reported that the fuel was only for trucks used by the UN, not for hospitals. (AJ, AX, REU 11/14; HA 11/15)

Bloomberg News reported that in late October the U.S. quietly approved an Israeli request to send it laser-guided missiles, 155mm shells, night-vision devices, bunker-buster munitions, and new army vehicles. (AJ 11/15)

The Washington Post published an op-ed by King Abdullah II of Jordan, who said Israel has undermined the peace process for 2 decades by expanding settlements and allowing Israeli settlers to attack Palestinians. He called for a “concerted international effort to develop a regional architecture of peace, security and prosperity, built on a Palestinian-Israeli peace based on the two-state solution,” saying that Israeli violence will not grant it victory. (AJ 11/14)

German chancellor Olaf Schulz said Israel is a democracy that abides by international law and said it has “the right and duty to defend itself.” (AJ, HA 11/14)

Spanish minister for social rights Ione Belarra said 60 ministers from Europe and Latin America had signed a petition calling for the ICC to investigate Israeli leaders for genocide. (AJ 11/14)

More than 500 political appointees and staff members from 40 U.S. government agencies sent a letter to President Biden protesting his support for Israel’s war on Gaza. (NYT 11/14)

Tens of thousands of pro-Israel demonstrators rallied at the Mall in Washington D.C. Among the speakers was Christians United for Israel founder John Hagee, who in the past has blamed Jewish people for the Holocaust. The American Jewish anti-occupation organization IfNotNow called the rally “a pro-war, pro-Nakba rally.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/14; AJ, AJ 11/15)

Israeli DM Ehud Barak decides to close a gap in the separation fence between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim settlement, putting Ma’ale Adumim outside the Separation Wall and preventing Palestinians from reaching area E1. (HA 1/21)

IDF troops on the Gaza border open fire on Palestinians close to the border fence in 2 incidents nr. the Erez crossing (wounding 1) and Jabalya (no injuries). Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast nr. al-Waha, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes agricultural sheds, tin-made homes, and a water well s. of Hebron; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jenin and 2 nearby villages, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and nr. Nablus at night. (MNA 1/21; PCHR 1/23)

Palestinian protesters in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus set fire to tires and demonstrate against the PA’s detention of Fatahaffiliated gunmen who gave themselves up on 1/17. Requests by Palestinian Council (PC) deputies to visit the detainees have been ignored. (MNA 1/21)

Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad announces that Hamas and Fatah will form a tripartite comm. with Egypt to implement national reconciliation. Meanwhile, an Egyptian security official confirms that an Egyptian delegation will soon visit the Gaza Strip to push forward the reconciliation efforts. (MNA 1/21)

The EU announces that Denmark and Holland agree to jointly contribute around €7.2 m. to the payment of 12/2012 salaries and pensions for more than 80,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (WAFA 1/21)

Israeli leaders defend the 11/21 Gaza cease-fire in the face of strong criticism from politicians like Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid and Kadima’s Shaul Mofaz, who believe that the operation had not successfully restored ‘‘deterrence.’’ DM Barak asserts that ‘‘it is still not time to enter Gaza in a very wide operation and conquer it.’’ Barak also reveals that Israel dropped 1,000 times as many explosives on the Gaza Strip as landed on its soil. FM Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) states that Israel will ‘‘eventually need to overthrow the Hamas regime.’’ (INN, JP, REU, YA 11/22)

In Gaza, Palestinian factions organize a major rally in Gaza City to celebrate the cease-fire and call for national reconciliation. On a rare visit to Gaza since the Hamas takeover in 2007, Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Nabil Shaath tells the crowds that Israel failed to isolate them from the West Bank. PM Ismail Haniyeh tells the rally that the ‘‘resistance fighters changed the rules of the game’’ but that the fighters should ‘‘guard’’ the truce ‘‘as long as Israel respects it.’’ (AP, MNA 11/22)

Meanwhile, the toll of Operation Pillar of Defense continues to climb: an Israeli soldier dies from injuries sustained by a Palestinian rocket attack during the operation, becoming the 2d soldier and 6th Israeli to die in the fighting. In the Gaza Strip, rescue workers pull the bodies of 2 more Palestinians from the rubble of the Dalou family home (bombed on 11/18), raising the Palestinian toll to 160. Though the ceasefire generally continues to hold, the IDF opens fire on Palestinians who protest at the border fence nr. Khan Yunis, injuring 1 man. (AP, MNA 11/22; PCHR 11/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli authorities transfer 30 Palestinian prisoners to administrative detention, apparently because of their involvement in solidarity events for Gaza. (MNA 11/22)

The IDF patrols in 1 village each nr. Jenin and Tulkarm in the afternoon; conducts house searches and arrests in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning and in Qalqilya, al-Bireh, Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, 3 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Jenin, 1 village nr. Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Tulkarm, Nur Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm, 1 village nr. Ramallah, and Bethlehem, 4 nearby villages, and Dahaysha r.c. and al-Azza r.c. (both nr. Bethlehem) at night. Those detained overnight include at least 5 mbrs. of the Palestinian parliament affiliated with Hamas. Right-wing Jewish extremists chop down 300 olive trees belonging to Palestinians nr. Hebron, leaving graffiti nearby reading ‘‘price tag’’ and ‘‘regards from Beersheba and Tel Aviv.’’ (MNA 11/22; MNA, ToI 11/23; PCHR 11/29)

The European Parliament passes a resolution expressing support for ‘‘Palestine’s bid to become a UN nonmember observer.’’ (EJP 11/22)

The Lebanese army disables a rocket aimed at Israel and say 2 others were fired but fell short of the border. No group claims responsibility. (REU 11/22)

Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense against Gaza enters its 3d day, leaving another 11 Palestinians dead and bringing the Palestinian death toll since 11/14 to 30, around 1/3 civilians. Intense levels of Israeli air strikes continue, with 40 attacks before dawn and at least 200 overall during the day; reports estimate some 500 targets struck by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the operation began. The IDF bombs Gaza’s Ministry of Interior building and the offices of Hamas’s acting PM Ismail Haniyeh. Palestinian armed groups fire a total of 190 rockets into Israel, including a rocket that lands in an open area nr. Gush Etzion settlement bloc s. of Jerusalem, causing no damage or injuries. The Israeli cabinet approves Israeli DM Ehud Barak’s requests to mobilize 75,000 reservists. Israel’s FM Avigdor Lieberman states that the 2 goals of the operation are to restore deterrence and destroy long-range missiles. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Palestinians hold demonstrations to protest the attack on Gaza, including a rally of hundreds of Hamas activists in Ramallah. IDF forces injure dozens of Palestinians in the solidarity protests, seriously wounding 1 man in Kafr Qaddum village nr. Qalqilya with a tear-gas canister to the head. (AP, HA, Guardian, JP, MNA 11/16)

Internationally, there is a mixture of support for Israel’s actions and caution regarding escalation. The U.S. Senate unanimously passes a resolution expressing support for Israel’s ‘‘right to act in self-defense.’’ UK foreign secretary William Hague warns Israel against staging a ground incursion into Gaza. Egyptian PM Hesham Kandil visits the Gaza Strip, during which time Israel temporarily stops its attacks. Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi condemns Israel’s operation and pledges Egyptian support for the Palestinians. Meanwhile, UN high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay condemns Israel’s aerial bombardment of Gaza as well as Palestinian rocket fire. (HA, Guardian, JP, MNA, REU 11/16)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon, and 1 village nr. Ramallah, 2 villages nr. Salfit, and 1 village nr. Jericho at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Tulkarm in the afternoon, and in Hebron and 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. Israeli soldiers violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals taking part in weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the Israeli occupation and land confiscations held in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, al-Nabi Salih, Budrus), 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). There are no serious injuries, except in Bil‘in, where 2 Palestinians are wounded by a tear-gas canister and rubber-coated steel bullet respectively, and in Kafr Qaddum, where 1 Palestinian is wounded by a tear-gas canister. (PCHR 11/22)

Egyptian security forces say that unidentified militants fire 3 rockets into Israel from the Sinai Peninsula nr. Rafah. No damage or injuries are reported. (MNA 11/16)

In Amman, Jordanian protests over rising fuel prices continue for a 4th day. Protesters clash with security forces, and a rally of several thousand passes off largely peacefully; chants include demands for the departure of King Abdallah II. (WP 11/16)

PA pres. Mahmud Abbas confirms that the bid for non-member observer state at the UN will be presented on 11/29. (BBC 11/12)

The EU, the Netherlands, and Sweden donate $24 mi. to the PA to help pay 10/2011 salaries and pensions. (MNA 11/12)

Hamas and Islamic Jihad declare a cease-fire in Gaza, after reported mediation by Egyptian intelligence officials. Despite the cease-fire, Palestinian fighters fire 6 rockets from Gaza into Israel, causing no injuries—but this marks a huge reduction from the estimated 100 projectiles the previous day. The attacks are claimed by the PFLP, the DFLP, and the PRCs. Israel does not acknowledge the statement by the Palestinian factions. The IDF makes air strikes on 3 targets in Gaza, causing no injuries. (JP, REU 11/12; Daily Star [Beirut], REU 11/13)

The Israeli newspaper Ha’Aretz reports that Israeli DM Barak has approved a plan to expand the Itamar settlement to 5 times its size by adding 538 homes. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities demolish a home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of the Mount of Olives, making 8 people homeless. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Jenin at night. (HA 11/12; AIC 11/13; PCHR 11/14)

The IDF fires tank shells into Syria and hits a Syrian military mobile artillery unit, in response to a Syrian mortar shell that struck the occupied Golan Heights earlier in the day. (REU 11/12)

PA PM Fayyad and Israeli Fin. Min. Yuval Steinitz sign an economic agreement, to go into effect on 1/1/2013, that will regulate taxes and bilateral trade with the aim of reducing illegal trade and tax evasion and building the PA’s tax revenue base. It is the first major IsraeliPalestinian economic agreement since the 1994 Paris Protocol, which sets out in detail the economic relationship between Israel and the PA. (JP, UPI 8/1; JPI 8/17)

Overnight (similar to 7/30), IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire into agricultural areas along the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis sporadically for hours, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin late at night. Jewish settlers fr. Halmish settlement nr. Ramallah uproot and burn 30 Palestinian olive trees on Palestinian land nr. al-Nabi Salih. OCHA reports that Israeli authorities demolished an extension to a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (PCHR 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

With the Tal Law exempting the ultraOrthodox from military service set to expire at midnight, Israeli DM Barak orders the IDF to start drafting ultraOrthodox Jewish men and gives IDF officials 1 mo. to draft official guidelines to implement the order. (NYT, WP, WT 8/1)

Israeli pres. Peres’s office releases the text of a letter that it says is from Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi, formally responding to a Ramadan greeting Peres sent on 7/15/12. The text, welcomed by Israel, pledges to work to promote Middle East peace and get bilateral Israeli-Egyptian relations back on track, particularly regarding border security. Morsi aides deny that any letter was sent, but Peres’s office releases copies that show Morsi’s name typed (not signed) and an accompanying letter from the Egyptian amb. on embassy letterhead, indicating that the letter had been cleared with Morsi’s office. Official bilateral relations do not suffer, and public optimism on future relations increased. Most analysts believe (e.g., NYT, WP 8/1) that the incident simply reflects Morsi’s attempt to speak to 2 audiences, Israel and the international community, and his constituency in Egypt, hostile or at best ambivalent concerning the peace treaty with Israel. (NYT, WP 8/1)

U.S. secy. of state Clinton meets with Israeli leaders (including PM Netanyahu, Pres. Peres, DM Barak, FM Avigdor Lieberman) and Quartet special envoy Tony Blair in Jerusalem and with PA PM Salam Fayyad in Ramallah. Though the main purpose of her visit is to discuss Iran, Syria, and other regional changes brought by the Arab Spring, she tells the Israeli and Palestinian sides that they must resume peace talks soon and avoid all unilateral actions. She emphasizes that while the international community is ready to offer ample support for a return to negotiations, the hard work must be done by the parties themselves. (WP 7/17)

Israel allows 40 Palestinian prisoners held in its Ramon prison to receive visits from family members from Gaza, marking the 1st time Israel has allowed family visits for Gazan prisoners since Hamas seized control of the Strip in 6/2007. Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts evening arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; and conducts late-night patrols in al-Nabi Salih. (TOI 7/16; WP 7/17; PCHR 7/19; OCHA 7/20)

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) opens its 7th annual conference in Washington. At least 5,600 participants attend. Organizers note that CUFI now has 1.1 m. members, 754,000 Facebook fans, and 96 college chapters. The conference theme is ‘‘Defend America; Vote Israel.’’ CUFI founder James Hagee focuses on the importance of Christian Zionism and supporting Israel as part of ‘‘living out God’s mandate.’’ Other speakers include Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), fmr. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations head Malcolm Hoenlein, and Zionist Organization of America pres. Morton Klein. The speakers focus on Iran, U.S.-Israel security cooperation, and halting Palestinian incitement. (WJW 7/19)

Israeli naval vessels halt and seize 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, detaining 4 fishermen. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and in 1 village nr. Jericho, and late-night house searches nr. Bethlehem, summoning 1 Palestinian for interrogation. (PCHR 5/31, 6/7; OCHA 6/8)

At a conference sponsored by Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Israeli DM Ehud Barak says Israel should consider imposing final borders on the Palestinians, becoming the senior-most official to propose unilateral actions in light of the stalled peace process. Others (unnamed) reportedly (NYT 5/31)

urged against drastic unilateral steps, recommending that ‘‘unilateral steps could be phased in over many years and be designed ... to give Israel a stronger hand in final status’’—effectively what the Israel has been doing as unstated policy for decades. Speaking at the same conference, Gen. Shlomo Brom (Ret.), who heads INSS’s program on the Palestinian conflict, called the unilateral route ‘‘the only remaining course of action,’’ and former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, also an INSS staff member, told the conference that unilateralism was ‘‘the best of all evils,’’ urging Israel to take action in its own selfinterest, ‘‘without conditioning it on the agreement of the Palestinians.’’ (NYT 5/31)

At the INSS conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli DM Ehud Barak also states that Israel and the U.S. have different assessments of the Iranian nuclear timetable, stating, ‘‘Our clock is ticking faster.’’ He says Israel believes that Iran is rapidly approaching a ‘‘zone of immunity’’—the point at which its nuclear facilities would be so decentralized and well fortified that they would be beyond reach of a military strike. Speaking at the same forum, Israeli PM Netanyahu says that the only safe route is for Iran to stop all enrichment, to send all its uranium abroad, and to dismantle its nuclear facilities at Fordo, all of which must be verified by the IAEA. Meanwhile, former Mossad chief Meir Dagan argues that ‘‘if we bomb ... we will give them the legitimacy to attain nuclear military capability.’’ Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi (Ret.), former IDF chief of staff, recommended that more time be given for diplomacy and sanctions to work. (WP, WT 5/31)

Washington Times runs a special report on how Israel’s expanding relationship with China is raising international concerns. The report states that Israel has recently been expanding trade relations and military ties with China, seeing it as a large, emerging market for its military goods and an influential player who could pressure Iran. (WT 5/30; see QU in JPS 165 for details)

Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages in Ramallah in the morning; in 1 village each nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the afternoon; and in Jericho and 1 village nr. Jenin late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin, Nablus, Salfit, Tulkarm, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Tekoa settlement nr. Bethlehem vandalize Palestinian homes in nearby Taqqua’ village; IDF troops observe but do not intervene. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that in the previous week: (1) Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem’s al-Tur neighborhood (marking the 1st residence demolished in East Jerusalem for 2 mos.) and ordered a Palestinian family to demolish an addition to their home; (2) the IDF removed a major roadblock on the main north–south road to Hebron, significantly reducing travel times between Hebron and 4 villages to the east; and (3) 2 Palestinians died and 4 (including a teenager) were injured in 4 smuggling tunnel accidents on the Rafah border. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

At the close of 2 days of talks in Tehran with Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, IAEA head Yukiya Amano announces that Iran has agreed in principle to provide the IAEA with access to Iran’s nuclear scientists and facilities, but it has not yet signed a formal statement to this effect. P5+1 nations (the 5 permanent UNSC members plus Germany) call the deal ‘‘a step in the right direction,’’ but say they will judge Iran by its actions. Israeli DM Ehud Barak comments: ‘‘It looks like the Iranians are trying to reach a technical agreement that will create a deception of progress in talks in order to reduce the pressure ahead of talks tomorrow in Baghdad and postpone harshening of sanctions.’’ (WP 5/23)

IDF troops make 2 brief incursion into Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya in the north and Khan Yunis in the south. IDF soldiers on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers who stray too near the border fence, forcing them to leave. IDF soldiers on the s. Gaza border open fire on Palestinian agricultural areas e. of Abasan, causing no reported damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the evening; and in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, including rearresting a PA General Intelligence officer released in the 2011 prisoner swap that freed captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

News hits the media that the new U.S. amb. to Israel Dan Shapiro recently told a meeting of the Israeli Bar Association that the U.S. is ready and willing to use military force against Iran if diplomacy and sanctions fail, stating that the military option is ‘‘not just available, but it’s ready. The necessary planning has been done.’’ A tape of Shapiro’s address was leaked to the AP, with an anonymous Israeli official stating: ‘‘Quite clearly he didn’t mean this to be public. ... For the Iranians to understand that he really means it, they have to hear it publicly and clearly.’’ (AP, ITV 5/17; NYT, WT 5/18; see Quarterly Update [QU] in JPS 165 for details on Iran.)

At a private fundraising event in Florida that is secretly taped and leaked to the media on 9/18/12, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney states that ‘‘the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace’’ and are ‘‘committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel.’’ He also opposes creation of an independent Palestinian state, assuming that it would become a client state of Iran. In terms of a U.S. mediating role in the peace process, he states: ‘‘The idea of pushing on the Israelis—to give something up, to get the Palestinians to act, is the worst idea in the world.’’ In response to the leak, which was seen (e.g., NYT 9/19)

as likely to damage Romney’s ability to act as a peace broker if elected, Romney publicly states on 9/18 that he stands by his longtime support for the U.S. official position advocating a negotiated 2-state solution. (Mother Jones 9/18; NYT 9/19)

Israeli DM Ehud Barak meets with U.S. secy. of defense Leon Panetta in Washington to request an additional $680 m./yr. in aid over 3 yrs. to help purchase 3–4 new Iron Dome antimissile batteries and another $168 m. for 3 other missile programs jointly developed with the U.S. (This is on top of an increase of $99.9 m. in funding for FY 2013 already requested by the Obama admin.) With the appeal coinciding with Israel cutting its defense budget by 5% per year for 2013 and 2014, critics complain (e.g., WP 5/17) that the U.S. is effectively helping balance Israel’s budget before balancing its own. (WP 5/17)

At the annual Likud party convention in Tel Aviv, Israeli PM Netanyahu expresses support for holding early elections in 9/2012, stating that waiting until scheduled elections in 10/2013 could “damage the state,” but he does not official call for early elections, as many had expected. Polls show that Netanyahu would likely win by a large margin and gain the leeway to form a more supportive and stable ruling coalition, leading some analysts to speculate (see NYT, WP 5/7) that a strong 9/2012 victory might embolden Netanyahu to stage an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran before U.S. presidential elections in 11/2012. The polls also indicate that the big losers in an early election would be DM Ehud Barak’s Independence party (likely to lose its 1 Knesset seat and control of the Defense Min. portfolio) and the opposition party Kadima (likely to lose half of its 28 seats).NYT, WP 5/7; NYT 5/9)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into the border area e. of al-Maghazi r.c. in c. Gaza, arresting 2 Palestinians who were attempting to cross into Israel to search for jobs. Israeli naval vessels twice fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the s. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts daytime patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Qalqilya; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tubas; and conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Umar, Qalqilya, Tulkarm and 1 nearby village. (PCHR 5/10; OCHA 5/11)

Israeli naval commandos raid a Liberian ship off the Gaza coast, suspecting of carrying weapons for “antiIsraeli militants,” but releases it after finding no arms. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF stages a morning raid into Kafr Ra’i village nr. Jenin, photographing and ordering residents to abandon a protest tent they recently set up to show solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners. The IDF also conducts morning patrols in Jericho and 1 nearby village, 2 villages nr. Jenin (in 1 instance firing tear gas and stun grenades at stonethrowing youths who confront them), and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah; afternoon patrols in Qalqilya and 3 villages nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Ramallah; late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; and late-night patrols in Jericho (firing tear gas and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them) and 1 nearby village. (JP 4/22; WP 4/23; PCHR 4/26; OCHA 4/27)

Israeli PM Netanyahu appoints a small ministerial panel (himself, DM Barak, Vice PM Moshe Ya’alon, and Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Begin) intended to legalize 3 unauthorized settlement outposts (Bruchin, Rachelim, and Sansanna) located on what Israel has classified as “state land” in the West Bank. Netanyahu previously pledged to bring the issue of the 3 outposts (which received initial approval from previous governments in the 1980s and 1990s but were never given final approval or permits for construction) “to the government for approval.” Netanyahu says the panel will deal only with these 3 outposts and has no relation to a separate committee, headed by Judge Edmund Levy, that was created earlier in 2012 to “examine the legal issues” of all the unauthorized outposts. However, the wording of the panel’s written mandate is potentially broader, stating its role is to “resolve the issues” of “settlements that are now unauthorized outposts and which were constructed years ago on state land with state funds or with initial agreements from state bodies.” By this definition, two-thirds of the 105 unauthorized outposts could be retroactively legalized. (JPI 5/4)

The state-operated Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company terminates its 2005 contract to ship gas to Israel, stating that Israel has not paid its bill in 4 mos. and that the decision to suspend shipments immediately “has nothing to do with anything outside o the commercial relations.” Israel denies this, calling the move politically motivated. (NYT, WP 4/23; JPI 5/4)

In Washington, Pres. Obama tours the Holocaust Memorial with Jewish-American Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel, stating in an address afterward that: “Too often the world has failed to prevent the killing of innocents . . . , and we are haunted by the atrocities that we did not stop and the lives we did not save.” Weisel follows with comments highly critical of Obama, asking: “How is it that [Syrian pres.] Asad is still in power. How is it that the Holocaust’s No. 1 denier, [Iranian pres. Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, is still a president?” (WT 4/24)

Israeli and Palestinian officials confirm that discussions are underway for a high-level meeting between Israeli PM Netanyahu and PA PM Salam al-Fayyad after Passover ends on 4/13. Fayyad plans to hand Netanyahu a letter from Abbas, which in its current draft includes Palestinian conditions for a return to negotiations (including Israel halting settlement expansion and accepting 1967 lines the basis for talks) and an enumeration of Israeli actions that the Palestinians find counterproductive to peace. (NYT 4/5)

Israeli security forces evict Jewish settler families fr. a house in Hebron that they occupied ca. 4/2/12. Meanwhile, Netanyahu calls on Israel’s atty. gen. to “find a solution” for the unauthorized outpost of Ulpana (which he terms a neighborhood of Beit El settlement) in Hebron that an Israeli court ordered demolished by 5/1/12. He also says that he plans to convene a meeting with DM Barak to seek the permits retroactively to legalize 3 other unauthorized settlement outposts (Bruchin, Rachelim, and Sansanna). Separately, Israel’s Housing Min. issues bids for construction of 800 new settlement housing units in Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem. (NYT, PCHR, WT 4/5; OCHA 4/13)

Israel allows a small shipment of diesel fuel for Gaza’s power plant allowing 1 turbine to restart for the 1st time since 3/25/12, but rolling blackouts remain up to 16 hrs./day across the Strip. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire into the abandoned Erez industrial zone late at night, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning and another late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Kafr Qaddum (arresting 20) and nr. Tulkarm. (PCHR 4/5; PCHR 4/12)

Cross-border fighting in Gaza enters its 3d day. Palestinians fire 10s of rockets and mortars into Israel, damaging an empty school but causing no injuries. Israel carries out at least 7 air strikes on 7 targets (1 in Abassan, 3 in Gaza City, 3 in Jabaliya), killing 2 Palestinian civilians and wounding 33 Palestinians (2 armed Palestinians and 31 civilians, including 12 children and 5 women). Egypt unsuccessfully attempts to mediate a cease-fire. Israeli DM Ehud Barak acknowledges that Hamas has not taken part in the fighting, but notes that Hamas has not tried to rein in Islamic Jihad or the PRCs. As the fighting continues Islamic Jihad publicly accuses Hamas of failing to protect Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jenin (firing tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no injuries); patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin (again firing tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and 1 nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon; and conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah and latenight arrest raids and house searches nr. Jenin. Meanwhile, residents of the illegal settlement outpost of Migron (49 families; some 300 settlers), who were informed by Israel’s High Court in 2011 that they must vacate and dismantle the outpost (on private Palestinian land nr. Ramallah) by 3/31/12, sign a deal with the government to move the outpost to a plot of state land 2 miles away, near Psagot settlement, where they will be allowed to build permanent homes, effectively creating a new Jewish settlement in Jerusalem’s environs. The government then requests that the High Court delay the evacuation until the new homes on the new site are completed (target date 2015). (JP, YA 3/11; JP, WP, WT 3/12; PCHR 3/15; OCHA 3/16; JPI 3/23)

The State Dept. says Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams will hold a 2d round of talks in Amman on 1/9. Israeli DM Ehud Barak says that “it is clear that [the position paper handed to Israel by the PA on 1/3] is unacceptable in its present state. . . . Long negotiations await us.” (NYT 1/6, 1/10)

OCHA reports that Jewish settlers vandalized more than 10,000 Palestinian olive trees in 2011. The IDF demolished 622 structures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during 2011 (compared to 431 in 2010), displacing 1,094 Palestinians (compared to 594 in 2010). (OCHA 1/5)

Israel temporarily bans 12 Jewish extremists fr. the West Bank for periods of 3–9 mos. as part of Netanyahu’s crackdown against price-tag attacks. The IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 each nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, and Salfit in the evening; and in al-Bireh, Jericho, 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, and 1 nr. Ramallah late at night. The IDF also demolishes 3 Palestinian homes nr. Jericho; demolishes 2 Palestinian stonecutters’ workshop (confiscating stones worth more than $25,500) and a scrap metal shop in Azariyya; enters Hebron during the day to arrest 1 Palestinian. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian is killed, 1 is injured in a tunnel collapse on the Rafah border. Gaza’s Central Drug Store receives a 2d shipment (see 12/18/11) of medicines and medical supplies fr. the West Bank that should cover needs for 5 wks. (WP 1/6; PCHR 1/12; OCHA 1/13)

Quartet officials open 2 days of meetings in Israel and Ramallah aimed at reviving peace talks. Palestinian advocacy groups note “a growing disconnect between the Quartet talks and the situation on the ground.” (NYT 12/14)

Jewish settlers take over several abandoned churches in a closed military zone nr. the Jordanian border to protest Jordan’s efforts to intervene with the Israeli government over its 12/12 closure of a footbridge used by nonMuslims to reach the Haram al-Sharif/ Temple Mount; IDF troops remove them and arrest 17. Other settlers block a main West Bank road and stone passing Palestinian vehicles. Later, about 50 Jewish settlers with inside information of IDF plans to remove the Mitzpe Yitzhar settlement outpost nr. Nablus that evening attempt to prevent the evacuation by breaking into an IDF base in the West Bank, setting fires, vandalizing vehicles, clashing with troops, and stoning a senior officer; troops detain 2. PM Netanyahu vows to “act aggressively against those harming Israeli soldiers and their commanders”; DM Ehud Barak condemns both incidents as “home-grown terror.” Late at night, Jewish settler youths enter Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb, but they do so without the usual coordination with and escort of the IDF and deface a mosque. Meanwhile, IDF troops make a brief incursion into c. Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of Bureij r.c., firing on surrounding areas to keep Palestinians away, wounding a farmer working his field nearby. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinian and international activists staging a nonviolent protest march to the border nr. Bayt Hanun to protests Israel’s imposition of a no-go zone, causing no injuries; also fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction material in the demolished Erez industrial zone, wounding a 14-yr.-old boy. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a latenight raid on the home of Change and Reform PC mbr. Ayman Daraghmeh, arresting him (making him the 24th Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. now in detention); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Salfit. (NYT, WP, WT 12/14; PCHR 12/15; OCHA 12/16; JPI 12/23)

The PA Tourism Min. launches a campaign in Bethlehem coinciding with Christmas called “Palestine Celebrating Hope.” Tourism M Kholoud Daibes says the intention is to convey to the estimated 50,000 foreigners visiting Bethlehem for Christmas “that we have hope of having our own independent state, and we need international support for that.” The initiative includes special tours of the separation wall around Bethlehem and free postcards of the Church of the Nativity, which tourists can mail at the Manger Square post office with Palestinian stamps. (WT 12/14)

Obama Middle East adviser Dennis Ross and acting U.S. special envoy to the Middle East peace process David Hale arrive in the region for 2 days of mtgs. with Israeli and Palestinian officials regarding the Palestinian statehood bid and a possible Quartet plan to revive negotiations. As they meet first with Israeli pres. Benjamin Netanyahu and DM Barak, U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton phones Abbas, urging him to “work hard with us to avoid a negative scenario in New York at the end of the month.” (AFP, Bloomberg, NYT 9/6; WP 9/7)

\Overnight, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In retaliation, the IDF carries out an air strike on a suspected weapons depot in Gaza, causing no reported injuries. Later in the day, the IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza nr. Khan Yunis, exchanging fire with PRC mbrs., causing no initial injuries; when the PRCs. fire mortars toward soldiers, the IDF replies with gunfire fr. a helicopter, killing 1 PRC mbr. and wounding 3 bystanders. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm. (IFM 9/6; NYT 9/7; PCHR 9/8; OCHA 9/9)

Abbas tells a group of 20 left-leaning Israeli intellectuals that the Palestinians want above all to resume negotiations, stating that “no matter what happens at the [UN], we have to return to negotiations,” but also that even if there is a last-minute deal to resume talks, the UN bid will proceed. He confirms that in recent months he met 3 times secretly with Israeli pres. Shimon Peres in Amman, London, and Rome to discuss reviving talks. He also reveals that he met secretly on 8/27/11 with Israeli DM Ehud Barak, who asked him to drop the statehood bid. (NYT 9/6; WJW 9/8; OCHA 9/9)

The IDF carries out an air strike on a house in Nussayrat r.c. in c. Gaza, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian woman. 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 conducts morning house searches in Sirris village nr. Jenin, summoning several Palestinians for interrogation; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah (arresting Hamas-affiliate PC mbr. Muhammad Abu Tair). The IDF razes 3 buildings in Migron outpost, ordered removed by Israel’s High Court; settlers scuffle with the IDF, which arrests 6. Soon after, Jewish settlers set fire to a mosque in a nearby Palestinian village and spray graffiti saying “Migron.” In other apparent reprisals, Jewish settlers fr. Beitar Ilit nr. Bethlehem pump wastewater on agricultural lands in nearby Husan and Nahalin villages, damaging 100s of trees and crops; Jewish settlers vandalize a Palestinian home in Hebron; Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement set up a roadblock on the Nablus–Ramallah road and stone passing vehicles, seriously damaging 1 car and injuring 1 Palestinian; Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim settlement stone Palestinian vehicles on the Qalqilya– Nablus road, causing light damage but no injuries. In addition, Jewish settlers accompanied by IDF soldiers and border police uproot 88 trees on confiscated Palestinian land in al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem. (NYT, WP 9/6; PCHR 9/8)

Israel and Hamas (assisted by Egyptian mediators) agree to restore their cease-fire, ending 4 days of cross-border violence. Hamas says it has secured the agreement of the smaller Palestinian factions and will enforce a moratorium on rocket and mortar fire. A PRC spokesman says, however, that the PRCs will not abide by the cease-fire. Before the new cease-fire goes into effect, unidentified Palestinians fire as many as 27 rockets (including 5 Grads) and 2 mortars into Israel, damaging an empty school but causing no injuries. The IDF carries out 6 air strikes and 2 artillery strikes on the rocket launch site, empty Hamas training sites, and a police station, injuring 12 Palestinians (3 militants and 9 bystanders, including 5 children). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem. (JP, PCHR, YA 8/21; NYT, WP, WT, YA 8/22; WP 8/23; PCHR 8/25; OCHA 8/26)

An Israeli military delegation arrives in Egypt to discuss the preliminary findings of its investigation of the deaths of the 3 Egyptian soldiers, securing a new Gaza cease-fire (agreed later in the day), and repairing bilateral relations. U.S. asst. secy. of state for Near Eastern affairs Jeffrey Feltman and UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry are also in Cairo to help mediate. Around this time, Israeli DM Ehud Barak sends the message to Egypt’s transitional military council that they may skirt provisions of the 1979 peace treaty and send as many troops, armored vehicles, and helicopters into the Sinai as necessary to restore order and guarantee border security. In Cairo, 100s of Egyptian protesters keep up a demonstration outside the Israeli emb., calling for the amb. to be expelled and the emb. removed. (NYT 8/22; WP 8/23; NYT 8/27)

The IDF continues heavy air strikes (including 1 missile dropped fr. a war plane and 13 missiles fired fr. helicopters and drones) and artillery attacks (more than a dozen) hitting at least 19 targets across Gaza, killing another 11 Palestinians (5 civilians and 6 militants), wounding 20 (19 civilians and 1 militant), and damaging a commercial building and several homes. Israeli DM Barak stresses that the assaults are in response to the bus attack on 4/7 and not the start of a major offensive. Palestinians fire another 24 mortars and 6 rockets, causing damage in 2 incidents but no injuries. Various factions claim responsibility for firing, including the AMB, DFLP, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the PRCs. Israel’s new Iron Dome system intercepts 3 of the rockets. In addition, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fired warning shots at Palestinian farmers nr. the border fence, forcing them to flee. Israeli naval vessels fired toward the Gaza City beach and at Palestinian fishermen off the coast w. of Nussayrat r.c., causing no injuries. With the past 24 hrs. marking the worst flare-up in crossborder violence since OCL, UN Secy.-Gen. Ban calls on both sides to observe a ceasefire immediately. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jericho and 2 villages nr. Ramallah (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries); conducts morning arrest raids, house searches nr. Jericho. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no serious injuries; 5 Palestinians are arrested. (IsRN, JP, MNA 4/8; JP, MNA, NYT, WP 4/9; IFM 4/10; PCHR 4/14; OCHA 4/15)

Israeli officials announce that PM Benjamin Netanyahu, in consultation with DM Ehud Barak and Israel’s atty. gen. Yehuda Weinstein, have asked Israel’s High Court to respond to 15 petitions filed by Peace Now demanding the immediate removal of Israel’s unauthorized settlement outposts by ordering the dismantling of outposts built on privately owned Palestinian land before the end of 2011 (with the exception of a house owned by a fallen IDF officer) but authorizing the legalization of those built on state land. This would mean that 6 outposts would be removed, of which 5 are inhabited (47 homes), while more than 100 others would be legalized. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 3 structures at the Havat Gilad unauthorized settlement outpost; Jewish settlers stone Israeli border police overseeing the demolition, who respond with tear gas and rubber bullets, leaving 15 persons lightly injured and 17 settlers under arrest. Afterward, Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus exact their “price-tag doctrine” attack in nearby Hawara village, fire-bombing a house, injuring 2 children, and damaging other property. Separately, Jewish settlers fr. Halmish nr. Ramallah block a road leading to Nabi Salih and stone passing Palestinian vehicles; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Later, Jewish settlers fr. Gilad occupy a plot of Palestinian land nr. Qalqilya, setting up tents and mobile homes, but are evacuated by the IDF later in the day. The IDF also patrols in 4 villages nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Qalqilya; enters Kafr Laqif village nr. Qalqilya and fires stun grenades, claiming local youths stoned passing Jewish settler vehicles; no injuries are reported. In Gaza, the IDF shells the abandoned Dahaniyya airport site in s. Gaza, wounding 1 Hamas mbr. and destroying a nearby vacant home. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. settlement sites, killing 1 Palestinian. IDF troops on the c. Gaza border shell open areas e. of Jabaliya, forcing farmers in the area to leave their plots but causing no injuries. Hamas authorities arrest 4 of 20 Palestinians responding to an online call by Palestinian student groups to rally in Gaza City for national unity. (MNA 2/28; HA 3/1; JP, WT 3/2; PCHR 3/3; OCHA 3/4; AFP 3/7; JTA 3/8; UNIS 3/22)

Israeli DM Ehud Barak comes to the U.S. with a backchannel proposal for Israel to extend its temporary settlement freeze (set to expire on 9/26) for a short period in exchange for rewards and guarantees from the U.S. He shuttles between New York and Washington discussing the proposal with various senior U.S. officials. Separately, Israel’s chief negotiator Yitzhak Molcho, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat arrive in the U.S. for their own meetings with U.S. officials regarding the upcoming expiration of the settlement freeze and the consequences for peace talks. (NYT 9/21; WT 9/22; JPI 10/1)

Israel for the 1st time since 6/07 allows 20 used cars to be imported to Gaza. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, randomly checking Palestinian IDs, but making no arrests; late-night patrols in a village nr. Tulkarm, making no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Gilad settlement nr. Qalqilya begin working a Palestinian olive grove near the settlement, telling local Palestinians who challenge them that they purchased the land; they leave when the Palestinian owner arrives. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities stage a predawn raid on several houses in Silwan village, arresting 4 Palestinians. In addition, Jewish settlers seize a Palestinian house in the suburb of Bayt Safafa (home to 20 people), sparking fights between settlers and the Palestinian owners. Israeli police and municipal officials intervene, arresting 2 Palestinians, and issuing an order to demolish the house (not immediately implemented). (JP 9/20; NYT 9/21; PCHR 9/23; OCHA 9/24)

In an effort to show positive movement on the peace process in advance of Netanyahu’s 7/6 meeting with Obama, Israel releases its new guidelines for the entry of goods to Gaza in keeping with its 6/20 cabinet decision, issuing 2 lists of (1) prohibited goods, which include all weapons and munitions, and (2) restricted “dual use” items with military or terrorist applications (including many common chemicals and fertilizers, optical equipment, knives). Israel also itemizes 19 permitted construction goods allowed for import only for PA or internationally supervised projects. Israeli DM Barak personally briefs Abbas, Fayyad on Israel’s steps to ease the Gaza blockade and improve security and economic coordination in the West Bank. (NYT, WT 7/6; WJW 7/8; OCHA 7/9)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials 700 m fr. the border, seriously wounding a 13-yr.-old boy. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast, seriously wounding a 14-yr.-old boy and damaging the boat. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and neighboring Dayr al-Ghusun in the morning and Bidya village in the afternoon, making no arrests; enters Kafr Lakif village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon, raiding a metal workshop and arresting 2 Palestinians; fires rubber-coated bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinians holding a nonviolent demonstration against settlement expansion in Bayt Jala (injuring 4, including 1 journalist); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya, Salfit. Israeli tax authorities search Palestinian shops in East Jerusalem’s al-Misrara market, seizing the truck of one shop, releasing it later in the day after the owner pays $13,000 in back taxes. (PCHR 7/7; OCHA 7/9)

In the West Bank, the IDF stages synchronized late-night house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., making no arrests; conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches n. of Jerusalem. The UN reports that in the previous wk., 1 alleged Hamas mbr. was killed and another wounded mishandling explosives in Gaza; 1 Palestinian was electrocuted and injured in a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. (OCHA, PCHR 12/23; PCHR 12/30)

After 2 days of intensive talks and a meeting that stretches overnight, Netanyahu is unable to secure cabinet approval for a German deal endorsed by Hamas to release some 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the release of captured IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit. DM Barak tells the press that freeing Shalit is still a “top priority” but “not at any price.” (WP 12/22; WT 12/23; JPI 1/1)

The IDF makes air strikes on smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border, killing 2 Palestinians and trapping at least 11 others (who are freed and hospitalized). IDF tanks on the s. Gaza border nr. the Dahaniyya airport site fire on and injure a Popular Resistance Comm. mbr. monitoring IDF movements along the border. Meanwhile, Israeli DM Barak authorizes the export of palm fronds fr. Gaza for use in Jewish Sukkoth celebrations because Egyptian suppliers are overcharging (JP 9/30; PCHR 10/1; OCHA 10/2; JPI, OCHA 10/8)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, and in Tulkarm, arresting 8 Palestinians (including 1 teenager) and summoning 1 mbr. of the Bil‘in Public Committee Against the Wall and Settlement for interrogation; issues demolition orders for 6 Palestinian homes in Azun that allegedly provided cover for stone-throwing Palestinian youths. Unidentified Palestinians shoot at a Jewish settler vehicle outside Kida settlement n. of Jerusalem, wounding the driver, who is airlifted to a hospital in Jerusalem; stone Israeli vehicles traveling nr. Bethlehem, damaging at least 1 car. (PCHR 10/1; JPI 10/8)

In Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli security forces arrest at least 50 Palestinians in search and arrest operations targeting those who participated in riots on 9/27. (OCHA 10/2)

Israel allows limited diesel and gasoline for personal vehicles into Gaza for the 1st time since 11/2/08. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night searches of homes and shops in Barta‘a village w. of Jenin, arresting at least 200 nonresident Palestinian laborers who are staying in the village because it affords shorter commutes to jobs inside Israel; stages late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin and in Balata r.c., al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas. The IDF also removes 3 mobile homes fr. a new unauthorized settlement outpost named Inbalim nr. Ma’ale Mikhmas settlement nr. Hebron; settlers scuffle with Israeli border police at the site, injuring 2. An Israeli court rules that the Jewish settlers that occupied the Farhan-Hijazi properties in Shaykh Jarrah on 7/26 must halt construction on the site until the court reaches a final verdict on ownership; settlers ignore the ruling and keep building. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers storm and occupy another Palestinian home in Shaykh Jarrah (the Abu Diyab property), throwing stones at neighboring Palestinian homes fr. the roof before eventually leaving. (OCHA, PCHR 7/30; OCHA 8/18)

U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates begins a 2-day visit to Israel to meet with PM Netanyahu, DM Barak, other Israeli officials regarding bilateral defense concerns, highest among them Iran. In the afternoon, Gates goes to Amman to meet with King Abdallah of Jordan. (NYT 7/26; WP 7/27; WP, WT 7/28)

As Israel continues widespread air and naval bombardment of Gaza for a 3d day, Israeli DM Barak declares “all-out war” on Hamas. The IDF declares a 2-mi. buffer zone around the Strip a closed military zone and continues amassing tanks and troops there, indicating further preparations for a ground invasion. Israeli military officials speaking anonymously say they have expanded the IDF’s target list to include Hamas’s support network and symbols of Hamas power, stating that “there are many aspects of Hamas, and we are trying to hit the whole spectrum, because everything is connected and everything supports terrorists against Israel” and that “anything affiliated with Hamas is a legitimate target.”

Israeli actions: The IDF reports hitting 100 sites today, including more Islamic University buildings (including the engineering dept., library); homes and offices of Hamas leaders; PA government buildings (including the Interior Min., Finance Min., Foreign Min., Labor Min., Construction and Housing Min., and a PA presidential guest house); Bani Suhayla’s municipal building; the alZawiyya Mosque in Jabaliya r.c. and Omar Bin al-Khattab Mosque in al-Bureij r.c.; more civil and naval police stations; more tunnels along the Rafah border; the headquarters of Hamas’s al-Aqsa TV; Gaza’s port (for a 2d day); and 1 Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades training site. Target areas include Abasan, Bani Suhayla, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (city center, al-Rimal, al-Sabra, Shaykh Ajlin, Tal al-Hawa), Jabaliya town and r.c., Khan Yunis, Nussayrat r.c., al-Qarara, Rafah, Shati’ r.c., Tal al-Za‘atar. Just before strikes on Rafah, Israeli Military Intelligence makes 10,000 automated calls to Rafah residents warning of pending air strikes, breaks into Palestinian radio broadcasts to urge residents across Gaza to move to city centers. Palestinian medical officials report at least 364 Palestinians dead, 1,500 wounded since 12/27.

Palestinian actions: Palestinians fire 66 rockets, 14 mortars into Israel (twice as many as in the previous 24 hrs.), killing 3 Israeli civilians (1 each in Nahal Oz, Ashdod, Ashqelon; 1 of them an Israeli Palestinian) and wounding 5 (3 of them Israeli Palestinians), with 2 rockets hitting 23 mi. north in Gan Yavne/Ashdod. A Palestinian mortar hits an IDF base in Netivot, s. and e. of the Nahal Oz crossing, killing 1 IDF soldier (a Druze), seriously wounding 1, lightly injuring 4. The Israeli toll stands at 4–5 dead, about 20 injured. Reports circulate (e.g., NYT 12/30) of Hamas gunmen executing at least 5 accused collaborators with Israel inside hospitals; the 5 had been jailed for collaboration and transferred to hospitals after being wounded in IDF air strikes on jails.

Humanitarian notes: Israel allows 40 truckloads of humanitarian aid into Gaza; Egypt allows 23 truckloads of emergency goods in, some wounded out through Rafah. International aid groups (including Amnesty International, the UN) say aid transfers are insufficient, warn that the death toll is rising in part because of lack of medicines and medical supplies, food, and fuel.

Of note: One Israeli air strike heavily damages the UN Special Coordinator’s Office (UNSCO) headquarters in Gaza City, prompting the UN to issue a formal complaint. Egyptian TV reports that captured IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit has been wounded in an Israeli air strike in recent days; Hamas does not comment. (BBC, CNN, HA, Houston Chronicle, IFM, REU, White House press briefing, YA 12/29; BBC, IDF, Independent, NYT, WP, WT 12/30; IDF, UNOSAT 12/31; JP, PCHR, WJW 1/1; ITV 1/2; IDF 1/3; NYT, WP 1/4; WT, UNOSAT 1/5; IFM 1/8; Committee to Protect Journalists 1/9)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinians demonstrating against OCL in Issawiyya, Shu‘fat r.c., al-Tur neighborhood in East Jerusalem, causing no serious injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in East Tura village nr. Jenin, Hebron. (PCHR 1/1)