The Palestine Chronology

In the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants set fire to the cars of senior Hamas and Fatah officials in Jabaliya r.c. and Nussayrat r.c., respectively. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Jenin and Hebron; patrols nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, Jericho, Ramallah, and Jenin. Israeli forces accelerate their efforts at leveling land outside Dayr Istya nr. Salfit, clearing the area for a major settlement expansion. They also begin expanding a settlement nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian woman nr. the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 2/15; PCHR 2/19)

In Gaza, Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair calls for international donors to fulfil their pledges and deliver the funds necessary for the reconstruction of the Strip. He also calls on Israel to make a “radical change of approach” and to lift restrictions on Gaza. While in Gaza, Blair meets with PA unity govt. ministers and UN officials. (AP, REU, TOI 2/15; MNA 2/18; HA 2/19)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops nr. the border fence e. of Gaza City open fire on dozens of Palestinians protesting the delay in reconstruction efforts following OPE, causing no injuries. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Bayt Hanun. Off the coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, the IAF conducts mock air raids over the Strip. In the West Bank, IDF troops disperse a group of Palestinians ceremonially planting olive trees in Silwad nr. Ramallah, arresting a senior PA official. During the ensuing clashes, an Israeli settler attacks 2 Palestinian journalists covering the ceremony. The IDF also declares a swath of desert land e. of Jerusalem a closed military zone. IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Ramallah; patrol nr. Hebron, Ramallah, Salfit, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers chop down 70 olive trees nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler and his lawyer attempt to evict a Palestinian family from their home in the Old City, which is the last Palestinian-owned home in this area. Meanwhile, 5 Palestinians from al-Tur are indicted on charges relating to a series of attacks on Israeli forces in the last 6 mos. of 2014, which the Shin Bet believes to be a neighborhood-wide conspiracy. Separately, Israeli forces fire tear gas canisters at Palestinian youth in Ras al-Amud; conduct house searches and raids in Jabal Mukabir. (MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 2/9; PCHR 2/12)

The Palestinian National Comm. against Israeli Punitive Measures announces a boycott of products manufactured by 6 major Israeli companies—Tnuva, Jafora-Tabori, Osem, Prigat, Strauss, and Elite. Comm. chair and Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Mahmoud al-Aloul says that merchants will have 2 weeks to remove the products from their shelves, then they will be subject to random checks from special inspectors. However, the boycott is not legally binding. (HA, JP, WAFA 2/9; MNA, YA 2/10; HA 3/9)

Haaretz reports that the Israeli govt. has marked around 3,740 dunams of the West Bank as state land, with the goal of expanding 4 existing settlements—Keddumim, Vered Yericho, Neve Tzuf, and Emmanuel. (HA, WAFA 2/9; YA 2/10)

In the Gaza Strip, the Gaza power plant resumes operation of 1 of its 4 turbines, having received new shipments of fuel after shutting down completely on 12/28. However, scheduled power outages stay at up to 18 hours per day. Off the coast nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. Also, the IDF begins pulling troops stationed nr. Gaza, as announced 12/28. In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian is injured during a clash in Hebron between stone-throwing Palestinians and private Israeli settlement security guards. IDF troops rebuild mounds of earth outside a village nr. Salfit, closing the main entrance. The village’s residents cleared the mounds on 12/31 during demonstrations marking Fatah’s 50th anniversary. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli court bars 5 Palestinian women (arrested on 1/1) from entering Haram al-Sharif for 21 days. Israeli forces detain another Palestinian woman as she exits the sanctuary. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/4; OCHA 1/15)

A senior Israeli FM official says that Israel is not planning any new settlement construction in response to the Palestinians’ accession to the ICC. Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu and DM Ya’alon agree to use NIS 70 m. (around $17.8 m.) from the Defense Ministry’s budget to strengthen infrastructure in the Beit El settlement and relocate an IDF base to make room for 300 new residences. Then-Fin. Min. Lapid blocked their prior attempt on 11/25. Separately, the Israeli High Court of Justice freezes construction on the separation wall in the Battir Valley of the West Bank, responding to complaints from the Palestinian residents and UNESCO’s 6/20 decision to place Battir’s terraces on its list of World Heritage sites. (JP, HA, MNA, TOI 1/4)

Egyptian authorities prepare for the demolitions and evictions required to expand the buffer zone along the Gaza border to 1 km. The 2,044 families that live in the 1,200 homes set to be demolished will receive 1,500 Egyptian pounds (approximately $209) to pay for 3 mos. of housing, and 700–1,200 Egyptian pounds per sq. m of their house that is demolished. (JP, MNA 1/4)

Jordan suspends talks with Israel regarding the 9/2014 memorandum of understanding set to govern their $15 b. joint gas deal with U.S. company Noble Energy. Israel’s Antitrust Authority revoked its approval of the Delek Group-Noble Energy alignment on 12/23. (JP, JTA, TOI 1/4)