The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 5 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. They also shoot and injure a Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel nr. Bethlehem. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola inaugurates its 1st bottling plant in Gaza, kicking off full operations at the $20m. facility (partial operations began in 4/2016). The plant employs 120 Palestinians from Gaza, and the company plans to employ up to 270 within 3 yrs. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in the Old City, Abu Dis, al-Ram, and Sur al-Bahir. (MNA, TOI 11/30; PCHR 12/8)

In his address to Fatah’s 7th General Conference, PA pres. Abbas proposes the creation of a temporary unity govt. with Hamas and invites Hamas to negotiations on overcoming obstacles that have hindered previous reconciliation attempts. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, YA 11/30; WAFA 12/1)

IDF troops shoot and critically injure a Palestinian in Hawara village nr. Nablus after he allegedly attempts to stab a soldier with a screwdriver. Late at night in the West Bank, Israeli forces use concrete to seal the entrance to the Hebron-area home of a Palestinian accused of assisting in the killing of 4 Israelis in Tel Aviv on 6/8. They also confiscate a tractor from Ras al-Amud village in the n. Jordan Valley and reopen the entrance to Aqraba village nr. Nablus, which was closed on 9/20 as collective punishment for reported stonethrowing in the area. The IDF arrests 14 Palestinian during late-night raids nr. Jenin, Bethlehem, and Hebron; and patrols nr. Hebron and Nablus during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a car wash in Bayt Hanina overnight. They also conduct raids in Abu Dis, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. Around 100 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Khan Yunis. (MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/9; PCHR 11/10; PCHR 11/17)

A Palestinian from Jalazun r.c. succumbs to a head injury he sustained in clashes with the IDF in the camp in 1992. (IMEMC 11/9)

An errant mortar shell fired from Syria lands in an uninhabited area of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds later in the day, firing artillery at Syrian army targets. There are no reported injuries. (JP, TOI 10/9)

Israeli soldiers shoot and kill a Palestinian outside the Ofra settlement nr. Ramallah after he allegedly attempts to stab 1 of them. No Israelis are injured. After the attack, IDF troops set up a checkpoint outside the nearby Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, sparking clashes with stonethrowing residents of the area; 1 Israeli soldier is injured. Elsewhere, armed Palestinian gunmen shoot and injure an Israeli soldier nr. Tulkarm. The circumstances of the shooting are unclear. The IDF seals off 2 roads leading to Marah Rabah village nr. Bethlehem with cement barriers. Israeli forces demolish 2 storage warehouses and a butcher shop nr. Nablus. IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during late-night raids in Bethlehem and nr. Hebron; and patrol nr. Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Abu Dis in the morning and ban 3 mosques from broadcasting the morning call to prayer. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/3; MNA 11/4; PCHR 11/10)

A Palestinian succumbs to injuries he sustained during clashes with the IDF in Nablus in 2002. (MNA 11/4)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian agricultural lands nr. Khuza‘a and Khan Yunis, and Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Bayt Lahiya. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on 2 Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing 1 moderate injury and no serious damage. Then they confiscate both boats and arrest 6 fishermen. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian in c. Hebron after she is found to be carrying 2 knives. They also drive a Palestinian farmer and his family off their olive grove outside nearby Bayt Umar village. The IDF conducts raids in Nablus late at night, arresting 4 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes (there are no serious injuries); arrests 11 Palestinians and issues 1 arrest summons during further raids in and around Bethlehem and Hebron; and patrols in Hebron and nr. Qalqilya during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli Nature and Parks Authority forces demolish 6 graves in Bab al-Rahma Cemetery nr. the Old City. They claim the graves were built on “confiscated land” belonging to the authority. Israeli forces conduct raids in Abu Dis, sparking clashes with students at Al-Quds University; there are no serious injuries. They arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in Sur al-Bahir, Issawiyya, and the Old City. (JP, MNA, WAFA 11/1; PCHR 11/3)

IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians gathering at Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the killing of a resident of the camp; at least 10 Palestinians are injured (1 critically). The IDF also conducts late-night raids nr. Nablus, Hebron, and Jenin, arresting 5 Palestinians, demolishing a door and threatening demolitions; and patrols nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. Meanwhile, a Palestinian armed with a knife allegedly assaults an Israeli border police officer outside a settlement nr. Jerusalem, causing minor injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmland nr. Gaza City, causing no damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest a Palestinian nr. the Old City who was allegedly planning a stabbing attack. Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in Silwan and Abu Dis; and impose a temporary closure on Bayt Surik village n. of the city, sparking minor clashes with stonethrowing residents; 2 Palestinians are injured. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/15; PCHR 10/20)

The IDF imposes a general closure over the West Bank and Gaza, barring all passage through border crossings, except humanitarian cases, for the Jewish Sukkot holiday. The closure is set to extend through 10/17. (MNA, TOI 10/15)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for passage in both directions for the 1st of 2 planned days. (JP, MNA 10/15)

Israeli PM Netanyahu accuses B’Tselem and Americans for Peace Now of joining the “chorus of slander” against Israel because they participated in the UNSC meeting on Israeli settlements on 10/14. Netanyahu also says he is working to deny B’Tselem its right to a national service volunteer. The group only is allotted 1 such volunteer, and the post is currently unfilled. (HA 10/16)

Israeli forces injure more than 50 Palestinians in clashes at Al-Quds University in Abu Dis, East Jerusalem. It’s unclear how the clashes began. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 8 Palestinians during raids and house searches nr. Jenin, Salfit, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and in Nablus; and patrol in and around Hebron during the day. (MNA 10/8; PCHR 10/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish part of a classroom in a bedouin community nr. Jerusalem, and 6 residences and 9 sheep barns in the n. Jordan Valley. IDF troops arrest 10 Palestinians, including 1 Palestinian Legislative Council mbr., during raids and house searches nr. Jenin, Tulkarm, and in and around Hebron; and patrol nr. Salfit and Hebron during the day. Palestinian youths throw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli settler’s vehicle late at night nr. Ramallah, injuring 1 settler. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 3 residential buildings in al-Tur and Bayt Safafa. Israeli forces continue targeting Shu‘fat r.c., raiding the camp for the 5th day this week and arresting 6 residents. They arrest 6 more Palestinians during raids in Abu Dis, Qalandia r.c., Jabal Mukabir, and Issawiyya. (MNA, WAFA 9/27; MNA 9/28; PCHR 9/29)

The Israeli police deploy heavily across East Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, issuing a temporary security alert and installing road blocks. (MNA 9/27)

A Palestinian prisoner in Israel’s Ramon Prison dies of a stroke. He was severely beaten by Israeli guards in 2003, and his health has deteriorated ever since. Hours after his death, a group of Palestinian prisoners declares a 3-day hunger strike in solidarity with their deceased comrade. Israeli prison guards raid their cells, assaulting several of their leaders. (MNA, WAFA 9/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli border guards assault a Palestinian worker attempting to cross into Israel nr. Qalqilya. They cause moderate injuries and leave him with the broken leg he sustained after falling from the separation wall. Israeli forces demolish around 35 saplings in a nature reserve nr. Hebron. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians gathering nr. Salfit to protest recent settlement expansion in the area; 1 Palestinian is arrested when he stands in front of a bulldozer. They also arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem and Jenin, and nr. Hebron and Nablus; and patrol nr. Hebron and Nablus. Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home under construction nr. Nablus, causing moderate damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids in Jabal Mukabir, Issawiyya, and Abu Dis. (MNA, WAFA 9/25; PCHR 9/29)

In a meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu in New York, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says that, if elected, he will “accept the long-standing Congressional mandate to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel,” according to a Trump campaign press release. Netanyahu later meets with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, and she pledges to oppose “any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . . . including the UN,” according to a press release from her campaign. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 9/25; HA 9/26)

For the 2d time this week, IDF troops fire artillery shells and machine gun rounds at Hamas and PIJ military sites in Gaza nr. Bayt Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, and Bayt Hanun, causing minor damage to the sites and at least 3 neighboring homes. The IDF reports that the shelling was in response to gunfire emanating from Gaza earlier in the morning. (MNA, WAFA 9/6; PCHR 9/8)

The Israeli authorities return the body of a Palestinian to his family in East Jerusalem, having punitively withheld it since Israeli forces killed him on 2/19. His family is forced to pay a security deposit of NIS 20,000 (approx. $5,000), bury the body at al-Mujahidin Cemetery in c. Jerusalem, and limit the attendance at his funeral at 25 people. Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian demolishes the walls of his own home in the Old City to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during raids in Issawiyya, Qalandia r.c., and Abu Dis. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian nr. Jenin in unclear circumstances. Meanwhile, the IDF arrests 9 Palestinians and issues 3 arrest summons during raids nr. Tulkarm, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin; and patrols nr. Qalqilya, Hebron, and Nablus. Israeli undercover forces arrest 4 Palestinian customs officers who are conducting a surveillance operation outside Nur Shams r.c. overnight. The officers attempted to detain the Israelis without knowing they were undercover troops. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/6; WAFA 9/7; PCHR 9/8)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian cases passing in both directions. (MNA 9/6; OCHA 9/8)

IDF troops conduct raids in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem overnight, arresting 1 Palestinian and sparking clashes with stonethrowing residents; 7 Palestinians are injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF arrests a Palestinian in c. Hebron after she allegedly threatens to stab an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint, arrests 3 more Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches nr. Jenin and Tulkarm, and patrols during the day nr. Hebron, and in Tulkarm and al-Bireh. Israeli forces demolish 2 businesses nr. Nablus, 5 homes nr. Hebron, and 3 nr. Jericho overnight. They also uproot around 50 olive trees nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in Abu Dis. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/9; MEE 8/10; PCHR 8/11; +972 8/13)

Israeli forces demolish 12 Palestinian homes in Qalandia r.c., sparking clashes with Palestinian protesters; there are no serious injuries. Israeli raids in Abu Dis and al-Am‘ari r.c. spark further clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians (3 Palestinians are injured). Late at night, they demolish 4 more Palestinian structures in Issawiyya and 1 under construction in Silwan, and arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Ras al-Amud. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians during raids in Zabbuba village nr. Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents (there are no serious injuries). They arrest 4 more Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, and patrol nr. Hebron, Salfit, and Qalqilya. The IDF reopens a road nr. Bethlehem, having closed it in the wake of a shooting attack in the area on 7/21. Israeli forces begin constructing permanent cement rooms at the entrance to al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron; the press reports that the rooms will be used as a security inspection area. Meanwhile, the IDF maintains the general closure of Hebron and its surrounding district that it put in place on 7/1. (MNA 7/25; JP, MNA, WAFA 7/26; HA 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

UNRWA releases a statement expressing concern for the humanitarian effects of the IDF’s weeks-long crackdown on Hebron and the surrounding area. (MNA 7/25)

In response to a petition from Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, Israel’s High Court of Justice orders the police to explain why they are withholding the bodies of Palestinians killed while allegedly carrying out attacks on Israelis. The police are given 3 weeks to respond. (TOI 7/26)

IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian nr. Ramallah after he and other youths throw stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli settlers in the area, lightly injuring 3 settlers (4 of the other Palestinian youths are injured). Some witnesses say there was no stone throwing and that the youths were just walking home. The PA describes the killing as “extrajudicial.” Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the Qalqilya-area home of a Palestinian who was killed on 3/8 after he attacked a group of Israelis and U.S. tourists (see JPS 45 [4]). They also deliver stop-work orders to several Palestinian homes under construction nr. Bethlehem. IDF troops arrest 16 Palestinians and destroy part of a home during late-night raids and house searches in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Nablus, Bethlehem, Tubas, and Tulkarm. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in Sur al-Bahir, Issawiyya, and Abu Dis. (BBC, HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 6/21; PCHR 6/23)

The PA cabinet decides to hold municipal elections on 10/8, though it is unclear whether this round of elections will include both Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas boycotted the last round of municipal elections in 2012, so no ballots were cast in Gaza (see JPS 42 [2]). (MNA 6/21)

IDF troops arrest 18 Palestinians and issue an arrest summons to a 19th during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Salfit, Hebron, and Bethlehem. Meanwhile, Israeli forces confiscate a number of water pipes from Khirbat alHadidiya village in the Jordan Valley. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya and Abu Dis. (WAFA 5/24; PCHR 5/27)

In a meeting with French PM Valls in Ramallah, PA PM Rami Hamdallah rejects Israeli PM Netanyahu’s 5/23 call for direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Elsewhere, a U.S. official says that the Obama admin. is skeptical of Netanyahu’s push for bilateral talks, saying “we of course support meaningful negotiations, [but] we do not believe in negotiations just for the sake of negotiations.” (AFP, HA, JP, JTA, MNA, TOI 5/24)

For the 2d day in a row, Israeli forces conduct major raids across East Jerusalem overnight, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinian in Abu Dis and al-‘Izzariya; 16 Palestinians are injured and 1 is arrested. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler driver rams a Palestinian youth in Hebron, causing moderate injuries. IDF troops conduct 8 patrols nr. Hebron. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel illegally nr. Bayt Hanun. Hamas redeploys its forces to improve security along the border with Egypt. A Hamas official describes the move as a confidence-building measure requested by the Egyptian govt. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/21; PCHR 4/28)

Peace Now reports that the Israeli govt. has declared 115 dunams (28 acres) nr. Salfit as “state land.” Israel reportedly plans to build a new industrial zone in the area. (PCN 4/21; MNA 4/22)

For the 2d day in a row, the IEC cuts off power to a major West Bank city, this time affecting parts of Hebron from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. It is the 3d time the IEC has implemented its plan to intermittently and punitively disrupt power supplies to areas of the West Bank in response to unpaid debts. (HA, JP, MNA 4/5)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Rafah, causing no injuries. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nearby. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a slaughterhouse, a balcony, and a water well in a village nr. Bethlehem and force a number of Palestinian shops to close in a village nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians who allegedly threw stones at them. IDF troops also conduct latenight raids and house searches in Nablus and nr. Hebron arresting 9 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 2; take measurements and photographs of a home nr. Hebron, threatening punitive demolition; and patrol nr. Qalqilya, Jenin, and Hebron. Israeli settlers enter a village nr. Nablus late at night, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is injured. Meanwhile, Palestinian youths throw Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces on a patrol nr. Ramallah; there are no serious injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid al-Quds University in Abu Dis, destroying and confiscating property, and issue an arrest summons for a Palestinian journalist during a raid in al-Thawri. Israeli police arrest 2 right-wing Jewish activists attempting to sneak into Haram al-Sharif disguised as Muslims. (MNA, WAFA 4/5; MNA 4/6; PCHR 4/7)

The day after Israeli PM Netanyahu invited him to Jerusalem for a face-to-face meeting, PA pres. Abbas says that he is prepared to work with Israel to stop and monitor “mutual incitement,” calling for the reinstatement of the joint Palestinian-Israeli-U.S. comm. for monitoring incitement, which was established as part of the Wye River Memorandum in 1998 and met regularly until 9/2000. (JP 4/5; TOI 4/6)

For the 2d time in a week, the IEC cuts power to a major West Bank city, this time affecting large areas of Bethlehem between 2:00 and 6:00 P.M. The cuts are part of a broader punitive effort to disrupt power supplies to the West Bank in response to the PA and JDECO alleged failure to pay their bills. (HA, MNA, TOI 4/4; EI 4/7)

In Gaza, Hamas says 1 of its fighters died today during an unspecified military exercise. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes and a livestock building in a village nr. Nablus, as well as a home and a store late at night in villages nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct late-night raids in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, Salfit, Jenin, and Bethlehem, arresting 8 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 3, and confiscating a vehicle; patrol during the day nr. Qalqilya and Hebron. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles on the road between Nablus and Ramallah, causing damage to 1 car. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a home in Jabal Mukabir overnight, injure 1 Palestinian youth amid clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians in Issawiyya, and arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya, Jabal Mukabir, Abu Dis, and Hizma. (HA, MNA, WAFA 4/4; MNA 4/5; PCHR 4/7)

COGAT suspends cement imports to the Gaza Strip for private use “until further notice,” accusing Hamas of diverting construction materials for its own purposes. Imports for large international projects will continue (HA, JP, TOI 4/4; MNA 4/5)

Israeli PM Netanyahu invites PA pres. Abbas to meet with him in Jerusalem, responding to Abbas’s recent claim that he would accept such an invite. Netanyahu adds, “I’m clearing my schedule this week. Any day he can come, I’ll be here.” Later Netanyahu’s Twitter account sends this message: “I heard [Pres.] Abbas say that if I invite him to meet, he’ll come. So I’m inviting him. I’ve cleared my schedule”; the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Dept. account responds: “Negotiate what exactly?” (JP, YA 4/4)

IDF troops shoot and kill 2 Palestinians outside a settlement nr. Hebron after they allegedly open fire on a group of Israeli soldiers at a bus stop, injuring 1. The IDF then raids the 2 Hebron-area homes of the alleged attackers, damaging doors and interrogating their families; and closes a road leading to a village nearby (it will be reopened on 4/12). IDF troops also shoot and kill a Palestinian driver nr. the same settlement after he allegedly rams and injures 2 Israeli soldiers. Another IDF soldier is injured by friendly fire. Elsewhere in the oPt, a Hamas mbr. dies in a tunnel collapse e. of Gaza City. An armed group fires a rocket from Gaza into s. Israel, which lands in an open area along the border, causing no injuries or damage. IDF troops arrest 16 Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches in and around Tulkarm, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah; patrol during the day nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. Israeli forces deliver a stop-work order to a construction site nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians allegedly planning a stabbing attack in Abu Dis and 2 Palestinians in late-night raids in Jabal Mukabir. In Israel, the Israeli authorities order the closure of a construction site in Haifa for 21 days for harboring Palestinian workers who entered Israel illegally. (HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 3/14; HA, JP, WAFA 3/15; PCHR 3/17)

Citing senior Israeli officials, Haaretz reports that the Israeli govt. and the PA have been holding secret negotiations over the past mo. with the goal of gradually restoring PA security control over cities in the West Bank and ensuring continued security coordination. In response, 2 mbrs. of Netanyahu’s cabinet— Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Immigration Absorption Minister Zeev Elkin—say they had not been informed of the talks and that they oppose them. (HA, TOI 3/14)

Israel’s Knesset passes the 2d and 3d readings of an amendment designed to deter Israelis who transport, employ, or otherwise accommodate Palestinians who work in Israel illegally. The measure, advanced by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, passes by a vote of 44–16. (TOI 3/14)

Unknown Gazans fire a number of rockets into Israel, and at least 3 land nr. Sderot, causing no injuries or damage. Israel Air Force jets launch retaliatory air strikes on 4 Hamas sites in n. Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian child, injuring 4, and causing substantial damage (a 2d Palestinian child will succumb to her injuries on 3/12). Meanwhile, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian outside the Old City after he allegedly stabs and injures an Israeli, and arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in the Old City. In the West Bank, unidentified assailants throw a firebomb at an Israeli settler’s vehicle nr. Hebron, causing damage, and open fire on Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint nr. Ramallah, injuring 2. After the 2d attack, the IDF closes several roads and conducts raids in a nearby village. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, separation wall, and settlements in 5 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, and outside Ofer Prison), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, along Gaza’s border, and in 1 neighborhood in East Jerusalem (Abu Dis); 5 Palestinians are injured. They also conduct raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Bethlehem, arresting 1 Palestinian and issuing an arrest summons to another; patrol nr. Qalqilya, Ramallah and Salfit, and Hebron. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 3/11; HA, MNA, NYT, YA 3/12; PCHR 3/17; EI 3/18)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops shoot and moderately injure a Palestinian nr. al-Maghazi. In the West Bank, Israeli police arrest a Palestinian at a checkpoint e. of Jerusalem on suspicion that she was planning a stabbing attack. IDF troops conduct raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, damaging property and sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths in both; there are no serious injuries. They conduct further raids and house searches in and around Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Ramallah, arresting 10 Palestinians. Israeli forces demolish an animal barn nr. Hebron and erect concrete barriers nr. the Gush Etzion junction s. of Bethlehem, where 10 Palestinians have been killed in alleged attacks since 10/2015. Late at night, they carry out the punitive demolition of the Hebron home of the Palestinian driver who was killed on 11/4/2015 after allegedly ramming 2 Israeli soldiers. In East Jerusalem, an Islamic Waqf guard intervenes to stop a Jewish Israeli tour guide from performing prayers at Haram al-Sharif. Israeli police then escort the guide out of the sanctuary. Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians during raids in Abu Dis.

(MNA, WAFA 3/7, 3/8; PCHR 3/10) Citing senior U.S. officials, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Obama admin. is working on a final push toward a 2-state solution before Pres. Barack Obama leaves office in 1/2017, which might include U.S. support for a new United Nations Security Council (UNSC) res. Obama has not, however, made a final decision on the matter. Meanwhile, Israeli PM Netanyahu cancels his trip to the U.S. to attend the annual American Israel Public Affairs Comm. (AIPAC) conference later this mo. Initial press reports speculate that Netanyahu’s cancellation is a response to the Obama admin.’s neglect to schedule a meeting for him with Obama. (NYT, REU, WSJ, YA 3/7; HA, JP, NYT, TOI 3/8)

IDF activity centers on Qalandia r.c. nr. Ramallah. After Palestinians throw stones and a firebomb at an IDF vehicle in the camp (the IDF says 2 soldiers drove into the camp by accident), the Israeli army implements its Hannibal Directive, an order authorizing overwhelming force to stop a soldier from being taken captive. The ensuing major IDF operation sparks clashes and a brief firefight with armed Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is killed and at least 12 are injured; a 2d Palestinian will succumb to his injuries on 3/15 (at least 10 Israeli soldiers are injured). Earlier, IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in Qalqilya and 2 villages nr. Jenin, arresting 5 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes (there are no injuries); patrols in 5 villages nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities return to his family the body of a Palestinian killed in a confrontation with Israeli forces in 12/2015. It is the 2d body they have returned to East Jerusalem since the wave of violence began in 10/2015. Israeli forces conduct a raid in Abu Dis, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces arrest 9 Palestinian fishermen and confiscate 2 boats nr. Gaza City. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian gravel worker nr. Bayt Hanun. (JP, MNA, WAFA 2/29; EI, HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, YA 3/1; MNA 3/15)

Over the complaints of the Joint List, the Knesset’s Law, Constitution, and Justice Comm. approves, with 7 of 15 mbrs. in favor, the “Suspension Bill,” which would allow a member of Knesset (MK) to be suspended by a 3/4ths vote from his or her colleagues. Joint List chair Ayman Odeh says he may resign from the Knesset if the bill is passed into law. The bill goes to a 1st reading in the full plenum, where it will pass on 3/28. Israeli atty.-gen. Avichai Mandelblit tentatively approves the bill as well, though he expresses reservations about its potential to facilitate discrimination. (JP, MNA 2/29; HA, YA 3/1)

Nr. Bethlehem, unidentified assailants stab and injure an Israeli settler outside the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. The IDF then seals nearby Nahalin village and sets up mobile checkpoints, allowing only humanitarian cases to pass in or out. Earlier, Israeli forces confront a Palestinian youth outside the Old City of Jerusalem for “moving in a suspicious way,” then arrest her when she draws a knife and allegedly attempts to stab them. Later, IDF troops arrest another Palestinian youth outside a settlement nr. Hebron when she is found with a knife on her person. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 2/9; PCHR 2/11)

In Gaza, a Hamas fighter is killed in a tunnel collapse nr. Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure 2 Palestinians in a village nr. Bethlehem; conduct late-night raids and house searches in Jenin, Bethlehem, 1 village and Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, as well as Hebron and nearby al-Fawar r.c., arresting 8 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrol in 3 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron, as well as Salfit. Israeli forces demolish 11 Palestinian residential and agricultural structures nr. Nablus. The Israeli authorities reopen a road nr. Hebron, which has been closed since 11/2015 when tension began to escalate in the area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians on late-night raids in Qalandia r.c., Abu Dis, Sur al-Bahir, Issawiyya, the Old City, and Ras al-Amud. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/9; HA, MNA 2/10; PCHR 2/11)

The IDF maintains, for a 2d day, the closure of Qabatiya where the 3 Palestinians suspected of perpetrating the 2/3 shooting in the Old City were from. In the village, an Israeli armored vehicle rams and seriously injures a Palestinian youth, and 3 other Palestinians are injured in intermittent clashes. (HA, MNA, WAFA 2/4; PCHR 2/11)

In Ramla, Israel, 2 Palestinian youths are detained after allegedly stabbing and lightly injuring an Israeli security guard at a bus station. In Silwan, unidentified assailants throw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli bus, causing substantial damage and no injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinian youths gathering in Jabal Mukabir, East Jerusalem, to call for the return of the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces (there are no serious injuries).Israeli forces also demolish a building in al-‘Izzariya; conduct a raid in Abu Dis, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (there are no serious injuries); arrest 3 Palestinians on further raids in Silwan, Qalandia r.c., and Biddu. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 5 homes and 4 other Palestinian structures in the Jordan Valley, as well as 3 agricultural structures in a village nr. Ramallah overnight. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting and throwing stones nr. Qalqilya; 1 Palestinian is injured. The IDF conducts raids and house searches in 1 village each nr. Salfit, Nablus, and 3 villages nr. Ramallah, arresting 6 Palestinians and issuing 1 family a notice to vacate their home; patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 7 nr. Hebron. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 2/4; MNA 2/5; PCHR 2/11)

Palestinian hunger striker al-Qiq rejects an Israeli High Court of Justice decision to suspend his administrative detention until his health improves. Al-Qiq argued that the ruling upheld his administrative detention in a different form. (MNA 2/4)

Israeli PM Netanyahu files an ethics complaint against 3 MKs from the Joint List for their 2/2 visit to the East Jerusalem families of Palestinians who have allegedly committed serious crimes or attacks in recent mos. (HA, JP, YA 2/4; JP, TOI 2/5)

Across the oPt, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against the Israeli occupation in 5 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, outside Beit El settlement, and nr. Ofer Prison), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and 3 areas along Gaza’s border; 14 Palestinians and 1 Israeli activist are injured. Israeli forces confiscate construction equipment Palestinians were using to build a new road in the n. Jordan Valley. Meanwhile, IDF troops conduct late-night raids in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, issuing arrest summons to 4 Palestinians; patrol during the day in 1 village nr. Salfit and 4 each nr. Hebron and Ramallah. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers nr. Gaza City, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, around 300 Israeli troops conduct an overnight raid on the Islamic studies dept. and student union at al-Quds University in Abu Dis, confiscating equipment and docs. (MNA, PNN 1/29; MNA, WAFA 1/30; PCHR 2/4)

French FM Laurent Fabius announces that France will begin preparing for an international peace conference in an effort to “preserve and achieve the 2-state solution.” He also says,“If this attempt to achieve a negotiated solution reaches a dead end, we will take responsibility and recognize the Palestinian state.” (HA, JP, NYT, YA 1/29; MNA 1/30)

In the Jerusalem area, 2 Palestinians are killed in separate incidents. First, an Israeli settlement security guard shoots and kills a 13-year-old Palestinian outside the Anatot settlement after she allegedly attempts to stab him, and the IDF returns the youth’s body to her family. Another Palestinian youth is killed in Abu Dis when a pipe bomb he carries goes off accidentally. Some in the Israeli press claim that the youth was intending to throw the bomb at a nearby Israeli police base. Meanwhile, Israeli forces conduct raids and house searches in 3 areas nr. Hebron and Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, arresting 5 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 4; patrol in 5 villages nr. Ramallah. They also patrol in Silwan, East Jerusalem, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths (1 Palestinian is injured and another is assaulted and arrested). In Gaza, a Hamas fighter dies in a tunnel collapse nr. Khan Yunis. Separately, unknown persons fire a rocket toward Israel; it lands short of the border, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 1/23; JP 1/24; PCHR 1/28)

In Otniel settlement nr. Hebron, a Palestinian stabs and kills an Israeli settler, then flees the scene. The IDF then sets up mobile checkpoints and roadblocks in the area; conducts house searches and raids in a nearby village. IDF troops conduct further late-night raids and house searches in Hebron and 3 villages nearby, as well as 1 village each nr. Ramallah, Salfit, and Tulkarm, arresting 20 Palestinians and confiscating 2 vehicles; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Jericho and Ramallah, 1 nr. Tulkarm, and 5 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron. Israeli forces demolish a livestock structure nr. Qalqilya late at night; when the Palestinian owner protests, they shoot and injure him and his brother, then arrest his other brother. They also demolish a garage and damage a quarry in villages nr. Ramallah, displacing 2 Palestinians who were living in the former. Off Gaza’s s. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries or damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault 2 Palestinians and arrest 5 others on raids in Abu Dis and the Old City. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 1/17; MNA, YA 1/18; PCHR 1/21)

Israel’s High Court of Justice rejects a petition to block the Israeli govt.’s demolition of Umm al-Hiran, a bedouin village in the Negev, exhausting the residents’ legal options. (JP 1/18)