The Palestine Chronology

Weekly Palestinian protests against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion this week coincide with Land Day, the annual event to protest Israel’s discriminatory land policies. Israel seals the Erez crossing for 2 days (3/30–31), citing security concerns. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold their weekly nonviolent demonstrations in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, Nabi Salih, and Ni’lin (with protests in Bil’in and Ni’lin also calling for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas). IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at these protesters, injuring 11 Palestinians (including a child) and 1 international (4 Palestinians are wounded by live fire in Nabi Salih; the rest are hit by tear-gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum). Palestinians hold at least 5 other Land Day rallies in the West Bank (outside Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, outside Ofer Prison and at 2 points along the separation wall nr. Ramallah, and at the Qalandia crossing n. of Jerusalem). IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (Ofer and Qalandia only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at these protesters, injuring 19 (including 2 children; at least 7 are hit by live fire and 1 is seriously injured by a tear-gas canister to the head). In Gaza, Hamas authorities allow 1,000s of Palestinians to conduct a nonviolent demonstration nearly a mile from the Erez crossing, deploying police to prevent the protesters from marching to the border. Nonetheless, IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on the demonstration, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding 37 (1 seriously; including 16 children). A major protest planned for East Jerusalem does not materialize. Inside Israel, some 2,000 Israeli Palestinians demonstrate in the Galilee, with no violence reported. (NYT, WP 3/31; OCHA, PCHR 4/5)

Nonviolent Land Day protests are also held in Jordan and Lebanon. In Lebanon, 100s of Palestinians and Lebanese gather at Beaufort castle, 9 miles fr. the Israeli border, where Lebanese military forces deploy to prevent them fr. marching to the border. In Jordan, some 20,000 Palestinians march toward the West Bank border but stop 4 miles. No violence is reported in either case. (NYT, WP 3/31)

The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jericho in the morning; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin (firing stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho and nearby `Ayn al-Sultan r.c., 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 nr. Ramallah. (PCHR 4/5)

Fatah PA pres. Abbas and Hamas leader Mishal end 2 days of talks in Qatar on forming by Fatah-Hamas consensus a transitional government of independent technocrats with a limited mandate to take the Palestinians to new presidential and parliamentary elections and to lead reconstruction of Gaza, as agreed under the 5/2011 national unity deal. To overcome international concerns about Hamas’s participation and differences between Fatah and Hamas regarding who should serve as PM (Hamas strongly opposed current PA PM Salam al-Fayyad), the sides agree that Abbas would lead the transitional government, serving as both pres. and PM. They stress that the new government “will be a technical one more than a political one” and that diplomacy will rest with the PLO. A meeting of all Palestinian factions is set for 2/18 to endorse the plan. Israeli PM Netanyahu immediately denounces Abbas for “joining forces with the enemies of peace.” The EU and U.S. say they look forward to continuing their support of the PA, provided the new government is committed to the Quartet principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and adherence to existing peace agreements. (NYT, WP 2/6; AP, NYT, WP 2/7; see also MNA 2/5)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, Israeli warplanes make late-night air strikes on open areas nr. the Gaza border n. of Bayt Hanun, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Salfit; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm and nr. Jenin and Nablus. Just outside East Jerusalem nr. al-Tur, Israeli border police and an undercover unit bulldoze 20 d. of Palestinian land, demolishing 2 walls, 3 natural caves, and a water network supplying several Palestinian homes. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron escorted by IDF troops begin planting trees on 150 d. of nearby Palestinian agricultural land that the IDF previously declared a closed military zone. (PCHR 2/9; OCHA 2/10)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into demolished Dahaniyya airport site in s. Gaza, arresting 2 Palestinians (including 1 Fatah mbr.). The IDF conducts morning patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Tulkarm, and 1 nr. Jericho; conducts afternoon patrols in Tulkarm and 1 nearby village, plus 1 village nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night patrols in al-Bireh, Jericho, 1 village nr. Qalqilya, and 1 nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night house searches nr. Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police seal for 30 days a Palestinian charity and a kindergarten with alleged ties to Hamas. (PCHR 2/2; OCHA 2/3)

Hamas leader Mishal arrives in Amman with Qatar’s crown prince Shaykh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and senior Hamas delegation (including his deputy, Musa Abu Marzuq, and 4 other senior officials) to meet with King Abdallah. Mishal says Hamas is eager to establish “unique relations” with Jordan, would “respect the limits and ceilings of any relationship determined by the two sides,” and would seek to maintain the security and stability of Jordan, but he does not say whether Hamas has asked to reopen a Hamas office in Jordan. Most analysts believe (e.g., NYT 1/30) that Hamas will not centralize in 1 new location but will diversify. Cambridge expert Khaled Hroub says, “with newly emerging governments in the post-Arab Spring era, many of them Islamist, Hamas wants to be hosted and embraced and have offices in these countries.” He also argues that this marks a “paradigm shift” in Hamas led by Mishal to embrace the Arab Spring’s promotion of nonviolence, which would make it easier for new governments to embrace and support Hamas. (NYT, WP 1/30)

In a State of the Union address devoted to domestic affairs, Pres. Obama pointedly calls on Syrian pres. Asad to realize “that the forces of change cannot be reversed and that human dignity cannot be denied” and urges the international community to “isolate” his regime. He also stresses that the U.S. will not take any options (i.e., a military strike) off the table in dealing with Iran and emphasizes “our ironclad commitment—and I mean ironclad—to Israel’s security.” (NYT, WP, WT 1/25; WJW 2/2)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. the Erez crossing fire warning shots and tear gas at a group of Palestinians and international activists staging a nonviolent march to the crossing to protest Israel’s imposition of a no-go zone; no serious injuries are reported. With a sharp increase in the number of Gazans seeking to exit to Egypt through the Rafah border, the Gaza Interior Min. reimposes requirements (lifted on 12/18/11) that Gazans register with the ministry before traveling. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 8 Palestinian homes in Anata village nr. East Jerusalem, displacing 52 Palestinians, including 29 children; escorts 100s of Jewish settlers to pray at Joseph’s tomb in Balata village nr. Nablus; patrols in 1 village nr. Salfit in the morning, briefly detaining several Palestinian for questioning; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and Nablus. (JP 1/24; PCHR 1/26; OCHA 1/27)

After a long delay, Hamas authorities in Gaza allow the Central Elections Commission to open a voter registration office in Gaza to prepare for eventual elections in implementation of the 5/2010 national unity deal. (WP 1/25)

Jordan says King Abdallah will receive Hamas leader Mishal on 1/29, when he makes his 1st official visit to Jordan in 13 yrs. Officials say that the kingdom will continue to bar Hamas for undertaking political activities on its soil. Analysts view this as: (1) Jordan trying to take a more active diplomatic role and say reopening diplomatic ties with Hamas could be a step toward trying to broker reconciliation btwn. Hamas and Fatah (WP 1/25); and (2) the king engaging with Islamists, who have gained strength regionally during the Arab Spring, to quiet Jordan’s own Islamist opposition. (WP, WT 1/25)

Police in Azerbaijan arrest several people allegedly linked to an Iranian-backed Hizballah cell for plotting an attack against Israeli amb. to Azerbaijan Michael Lotem and on a Jewish school in Baku. (JPI 2/3; NHR 2/21)

A Lebanese court sentences fmr. brig. gen. Fayiz Karam to 2 yrs. in jail (including time served) for giving classified information to Israel. Karam, jailed in mid-2009, will be released in 6 mos. (NYT 1/25)

Israeli troops on the n. Gaza border twice fire at suspicious movement in open areas e. of Bayt Hanun, causing no reported injuries. 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 patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning and in Tulkarm town and r.c. in the evening, in both cases firing at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no reported injuries. OCHA reports that in the previous wk., the IDF demolished 10 tents and 5 animal pens in the Bedouin village of Fasayil al-Wusta and 2 animal pens in the neighboring Bedouin village of Fasayil al-Fauqa, both in the Jordan Valley. (PCHR 12/22; OCHA 12/23)

Fatah and Hamas announce that, in keeping with their 5/2011 reconciliation deal, they have agreed on formation of a new Central Elections Commission to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections. They fail to reach an agreement on formation of a caretaker government to take the Palestinians to elections, postponing further discussion until late 1/2012. (JPI 12/30)

After a UNSC briefing on the Middle East, 14 UNSC mbrs. criticize the U.S. (without naming it directly) for blocking any criticism of Israel’s recent approvals for new settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and of the increasing settler violence, as well as for threatening to veto any UNSC res. supporting Palestinian statehood. British UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, speaking on behalf of the European UNSC mbrs. (Britain, France, Germany, and Portugal), calls recent Israeli settlement and settler actions “devastating” to the 2-state solution, saying “Israel’s security and the realization of the Palestinians’ right to statehood are not opposing goals. On the contrary, they are mutually reinforcing objectives. But they will not be achieved while settlement building and settler violence continues.” Grant also calls on Israel and the Palestinians to send their comprehensive proposals on territory and security to the Quartet as soon as possible. (The Palestinians have already submitted theirs to the Quartet, so this is seen as an added rebuke to Israel, which has not done so.) (HA 12/21, NYT 12/22)

Israel approves formal plans to build an entirely new 2,610-unit Jewish settlement, Givat Hamatos, in southern East Jerusalem with the aim of completely dividing Jerusalem from Bethlehem. The IDF conducts synchronized afternoon patrols in the same 2 villages northeast of Jenin they patrolled on 10/13, synchronized late-night patrols in 6 villages btwn. Jenin and Tulkarm, and separate late-night patrols in Jenin (shooting in the air to intimidate residents). The weekly demonstrations by Palestinians and international activists in Bil‘in express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, calling for the release of Fatah’s Barghouti and the PFLP’s Sa‘adat. In Ni‘lin and al-Nabi Salih, Palestinians and international activists rally in support of the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN. In all 4 cases, IDF soldiers beat and fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, but no significant injuries are reported. Jewish settlers fr. Gil’ad settlement nr. Qalqilya escorted by IDF troops stop a Palestinian family fr. harvesting olives on their land, saying they had exceeded the time allocated by the IDF for the harvesting. (NYT 10/15; PCHR, WJW 10/20; OCHA 10/21; PCHR 10/27; WJW 11/6)

The IDF patrols in Qalqilya and a village nr. Salfit during the day; patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, and Salfit late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Salfit, firing rubbercoated steel bullets, and tear gas at stonethrowing Palestinians who confront them, injuring 1. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities begin archeological excavation work at al-Sultan Pool, a registered Islamic holy site nr. the Old City’s walls. (PCHR 6/16; OCHA 6/24)

The Fatah Central Comm. expels fmr. Fatah security chief in Gaza Muhammad Dahlan for criminal, financial, and other misdealings and “undermining Pres. Abbas.” (REU 6/12; NYT 6/14)

Hamas officials in Gaza say that since 5/30, Egypt has returned a high number of travelers to Gaza and imposed new limitations on the number of Palestinians allowed to enter and exit via the Rafah crossing, keeping the number to between 350 and 400/day entering Egypt (up only slightly from the average 300/day in recent mos.) and effectively undoing Egypt’s “permanent opening”. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids into Dayr al-Ghusun village to arrest Hamas-affiliate PC mbr. ‘Abd al-Rahman Zidan, into Balata r.c. to arrest Fatah PC mbr. Yasir al-Badrasawi, and into Nablus to arrest local Hamas leader Ghassan Thougan; conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. More than 40,000 Israeli Jews march through East Jerusalem to mark Jerusalem Day, celebrating Israel’s seizure of the Arab part of the city during the 1967 war. (AFP 6/1; JP, REU 6/1; NYT, PCHR, WP 6/2; PCHR 6/9; OCHA 6/10)

In an op-ed in the New York Times, PA pres. Mahmud Abbas publicly announces plans to put a resolution to the UNGA in 9/2011 calling for recognition of a Palestinian state on 1967 borders and admission of Palestine as a full member of the UN. (NYT 5/17)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols, arrest raids, and house searches in 3 villages nr. Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Jewish settlers raid a school and beat students in their classrooms. (PCHR 5/19; OCHA 5/20)

At the close of 2 days of extensive talks in Cairo, Fatah and Hamas agree on a mechanism to implement their unity deal. No details are released. (MENA, WP 5/18)

On the anniversary of the Nakba, 1,000s of Palestinians fr. the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria stage marches (mostly nonviolent, though some stone throwing) toward the Israeli border. In Lebanon, though troops, riot police, and UNIFIL soldiers deploy to prevent marchers fr. reaching the border, a large group succeeds in reaching the border fence nr. Hizballah-controlled Maroun al-Ras village, where they throw stones at IDF troops. IDF troops open fire into Lebanon, leaving 10 Palestinians dead and at least 112 wounded. Palestinians refugees marching fr. Syria knock down the border fence into the Golan Heights, enter the Druze village of Majdal Shams, and rally in the village square, erecting Palestinian flags. IDF troops open fire to drive them back across the border, killing 4 Palestinians and wounding around 200. On the border with Jordan, Jordanian troops fired tear gas and scuffle with some 800 Palestinians, preventing them fr. reaching the border, leaving 14 demonstrators and 3 police officers lightly injured. In Egypt, govt. forces reinforce their border, preventing some 250 Palestinians fr. marching to the Rafah crossing. In Cairo, riot police fire tear gas, disperse protesters converging on the Israeli embassy, injuring around 120. On the Gaza border, IDF troops fire live ammunition and artillery at Gazans marching toward the border, wounding at least 125. In the West Bank, IDF troops fire tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse around 1,000 stone-throwing Palestinians marching toward the Qalandia crossing (injuring 10s) and violently beat scores of Palestinians marching fr. Palestinian-controlled area A toward Israeli security-controlled area B in Hebron (injuring 10s). A large peaceful rally commemorating the Nakba is held in Ramallah. Numerous smaller and protests clashes are also reported in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; rights groups say some 185 Palestinians have been injured in these clashes over the past 3 days, 153 of them in Jerusalem. Netanyahu accuses the demonstrators of “incitement” and challenging “the very existence of Israel.” Other Israeli officials accuse Iran and Syria of instigating the Palestinians, noting that Syrian security did nothing to prevent Palestinians fr. approaching the border. (DS, IFM, IsRN, JAZ, JP, MA, YA 5/15; Christian Science Monitor, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/16)

Unrelated to the “March to Palestine,” IDF troops fired across the border into Gaza, killing a Palestinian who allegedly was planting an explosive device. Inside Israel, an Israeli Palestinian drives his truck into several cars, a bus, and pedestrians in Tel Aviv, killing 1 Israeli and injuring 17 in what Israeli police say was a deliberate terrorist attack; the driver, who is arrested, strongly denies deliberately harming anyone, saying he lost control of his vehicle when a tire blew. The IDF also patrols in 2 village nr. Qalqilya (arresting 1 Palestinian teenager for throwing stones) and 2 nr. Tulkarm; sends undercover units into Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm late at night, surrounding and raiding a house and arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around al-‘Arub r.c. and Hebron, and nr. Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron throw 4 Molotov cocktails at a nearby Palestinian home, causing minor damage. Israel resumes transferring VAT taxes to the PA (see 5/1), having received PA assurances that none of the money would be accessible to Hamas under the new Fatah-Hamas unity deal, but warning that it would reconsider suspending transfers if Hamas was allowed to join a PA govt. (NYT 5/16; PCHR 5/19; OCHA 5/20)

At quarter’s end, fierce fighting is ongoing in Libya and NATO intervention continues. Rebel-held areas increasingly report shortages of food and medical supplies. No reliable figures on casualties are available since independent media access and communications are extremely difficult. Deaths are thought to be well into the 1,000s and perhaps as high as 10,000. (WP 5/16; REU 6/9)

Paraguay recognizes Palestine as independent state on the 1967 borders. (JP 2/5)

In Gaza, 1,000s of Hamas supporters protest against the PA in light of the Palestine Papers revelations about negotiation concessions, particularly on the right of return. In the West Bank, around 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron and smaller groups in other cities attend Fatah-organized rallies in support of Abbas and against al-Jazeera. Also in the West Bank, a group of 100 armed Jewish settlers hiking nr. Khirbat Safa nr. Hebron is confronted by stone-throwing Palestinian youths, prompting 1 Jewish settler to open fire, killing 1 Palestinian teenager and wounding a 2d, marking the 2d such shooting in 2 days. Jewish settlers fr. Yonatan outpost in the East Jerusalem environs attack nearby Palestinian houses; accompanying IDF soldiers fire tear gas and stun grenades to keep Palestinians at a distance, sparking a fire that lightly damages 1 home. Meanwhile in the West Bank, the IDF patrols in villages nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm; enters Jayyus village nr. Qalqilya, searching 1 home but making no arrests. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some areas) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 2 Palestinians. PA General Intelligence units detain leading Hizb al-Tahrir mbr. Mus‘ab Abu Arqub after Friday prayers in Dura nr. Hebron. (WP 1/29, MNA 1/30; PCHR 2/3; OCHA 2/4)

Across Egypt, 100,000s of protesters heed the call to observe a “Friday of rage” in Egypt, launching massive demonstrations after midday prayers. Protesters burn the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) headquarters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Police stations and NDP offices are torched in several of Cairo’s middleclass neighborhoods and poorer quarters, as well as in Alexandria, Suez, Port Said, Damietta, Damanhour, and other areas of Upper Egypt and Sinai; prisoners in several jails are freed. With regular police already largely having withdrawn fr. the street, not wanting to confront protesters, Mubarak sends out security and plain-clothes police who violently clash with demonstrators and target journalists, killing as many as 300 and injuring as many as 2,000. Protesters in Cairo and Alexandria overwhelm the security police by dusk, forcing Mubarak to withdraw them to regroup and send the army and tanks into the cities to impose a curfew; but when protesters ignore the curfew, the army does not act. Later, Mubarak appears on state TV and, in effort to appease critics and quell protests, pledges to speed up his program of political and economic reforms, announcing that he has dissolved his cabinet, appointed a new PM to form a new government, and named military intelligence chief Gen. Omar Suleiman as his 1st ever VP, but protesters vow to remain in the streets until he steps down. The U.S. issues its first warnings that it will review its $1.56 b. in annual aid to Egypt depending on how events unfold in the coming days, pressing its contacts within the Egyptian army to avoid violence. Abbas, however, phones Mubarak to assure him of the PA’s support for Egypt’s security and stability. (IHS Global Insight, Middle East Research and Information Project, NYT, WP 1/29; MNA 1/30)

In Jordan, where criticism of the king is banned, 1,000s of demonstrators inspired by events in Egypt and Tunisia turn out after Friday prayers in Amman and cities across the kingdom to demand the resignation of PM Samir al-Rifa‘i and his cabinet, dissolution of the parliament, and a new round of free and fair elections. (The last parliamentary elections held in 11/2010 were widely criticized as fraudulent.) (NYT 1/29; NYT, WP 1/30; WP 2/1; NYT 2/2)

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 1 Palestinian home and an addition to a 2d home in East Jerusalem, displacing 15 Palestinians (including 8 children), with 1 family fined $3,000 for unlicensed construction; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Nablus and neighboring ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’, and Hizma village northeast of Jerusalem (arresting 3 12-yr.-old Palestinians and a 14-yr.-old), and nr. Jenin. The UN reports that in the previous wk., the IDF vacated 3 checkpoints around Qalqilya (including completely dismantling 1: Izbat Jalud) and increased the operating hours of 4 main checkpoints around Nablus (Asira al-Shamaliyya, Bayt Iba, Hawara, Shavei Shomron) to 24 hrs./ day 7 days/wk., significantly easing Palestinian travel btwn. Qalqilya and Nablus. The UN also reports that since the 5/31 and 6/4 Fatah-Hamas clashes in Qalqilya, Hamas police have arrested 73 Fatah-affiliated Palestinians on charges of “seeking to undermine internal security in Gaza.” Meanwhile, the PASF has arrested at least 74 Palestinians in the West Bank, making this the 2d wk. that the PASF has arrested more Palestinians than the IDF. (OCHA, PCHR 6/11)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell begins a 2-day visit to Israel and Ramallah (his 4th trip to the region) to follow up with Israeli and PA leaders regarding Obama’s 6/4 speech. (IFM 6/9; NYT, WT 6/10; NYT, WJW, WT 9/11) 

Israel announces it will lift restrictions on the import of foodstuffs to Gaza, “provided that the source of the shipments is approved by the Israeli authority” (not further clarified). IDF troops enter s. Gaza nr. Abasan to bulldoze land along the border fence. Israeli warplanes repeatedly break the sound barrier over Gaza City. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, damaging several and forcing them to return to shore, but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops demand that a Palestinian move his car, parked nr. the Beit Shalom outpost site evacuated last quarter; when the man refuses, troops scuffle with him, prompting Palestinians nearby to come to his aid; the situation escalates, with IDF troops beating 6 Palestinians and storming and damaging a nearby Palestinian grocery. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. The Israeli High Court approves the confiscation of 30 d. of land in Shu‘fat r.c. northeast of Jerusalem for construction expansion of an existing IDF checkpoint and extension of the separation wall to create a new permanent crossing point into Jerusalem; 30 Palestinian shops are expected to be demolished and at least 45,000 Palestinians are expected to lose direct access to Jerusalem. The local council of Har Adar settlement in East Jerusalem issues instructions that Palestinian “laborers are strictly forbidden to move around the community on foot, between the construction sites,” and must be accompanied at all times by their employer or the employer’s representative, stating “this instruction is meant to protect the community’s residents”; the IDF says it will enforce the order, which the Association for Civil Rights in Israel denounces as “a racist instruction based on a general fear of Arabs.” Alleging corruption by Fatah-affiliated employees, Hamas authorities in Gaza take control of the PA Referrals Abroad Dept. which assesses medical cases for specialized treatment in hospitals in the West Bank, Egypt, and Jordan. In response, the PA Health Min. in Ramallah and the Egyptian government say they will no longer finance the transportation or treatment of medical patients referred by the office and Israel says it will not grant travel permits for referrals to exit Gaza. (Yedi’ot Aharonot 3/22; WP 3/23; OCHA 3/24, 3/25; PCHR 3/26)

In the West Bank, the IDF sets up checkpoints, conducts random ID checks in Hebron; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Hebron, Jenin. The IDF forcibly evicts 70 Palestinians (including 20 children) from a Palestinian apartment building in East Jerusalem, then demolishes it, sparking unarmed clashes btwn. local residents and police (no serious injuries are reported). Fatah-Hamas tensions over the 7/25 bombings and ongoing Hamas crackdown spread to the West Bank, where PA security forces arrest more than 50 Hamas-affiliated activists and academics in Nablus (including acting mayor Hafiz Shahin; the Hamas-affiliated elected mayor and dep. mayor are in Israeli custody). Sources in Gaza, say Hamas-affiliated police have detained around 200 Fatah supporters since 7/25. Today, Gaza’s acting Hamas government bans the entry to Gaza of 3 daily newspapers seen as critical of its authority: al-Ayyam, al-Hayat, al-Quds. (NYT 7/29; OCHA, PCHR 7/30)

Just before U.S. secy. of state Condoleezza Rice arrives in Israel for 6/15–16 mtgs. to encourage Israeli-Palestinian negotiations (see Quarterly Update), the Israeli Housing Min. announces approval for construction of 1,300 new settlement housing units in Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya and nr. Salfit; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 2); fires tear gas, percussion grenades at a similar protest al-Ma‘sara (injuring 5). Jewish settlers enter Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb without prior coordination with the IDF; the IDF evacuates and arrests them. The IDF also sends tanks into Gaza e. of al-Maghazi r.c. to level land along the border fence. In Gaza’s al-Bureij r.c., Hamas-affiliated police attempt to arrest 2 wanted Fatah mbrs., but are attacked, forced to retreat by neighbors and Fatah supporters; no serious injuries are reported. (WT 6/15; MM 6/16; OCHA 6/18; PCHR 6/19)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of al-Bureij r.c. fire on Hamas mbrs. along the border fence, killing 1 Hamas mbr., then fire on Palestinians who attempt to evacuate his body, wounding 2 civilians; fatally shoot an unarmed Palestinian who strays nr. the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun. The IDF also sends tanks, armored vehicles, bulldozers into the Erez industrial zone and into Gaza nr. the Kerem Shalom crossing to level land. In the West Bank, the IDF raids, searches a school in Hebron, making no arrests; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Arub r.c. and nr. Hebron, Tulkarm. Israel’s Internal Security Min. bans the East Jerusalem–based National Commission Against Social Problems fr. holding its annual mtg. on the grounds that it is affiliated with the PA, which is barred fr. conducting official business in the city. Jewish settlers fr. Efrat and El Azara set fire to a 700-yr.-old mosque in nearby al-Khadir. Jewish settlers place 2 mobile homes on Palestinian land in Bil‘in that the Israeli High Court ruled on 9/4/07 should be returned to the village, attack local Palestinians who attempt to stage a sit-in to block them; Israeli police remove the settlers. In Gaza, Fatah-Hamas clashes continue overnight, leaving at least another 3 Palestinians dead and 30 injured. In Nablus, unidentified gunmen fire on the car of a Hamas-affiliated municipal official, wounding his wife. (REU 1/1; NYT, OCHA, WT 1/2; PCHR 1/3)

The U.S. and EU end their boycott on aid to and diplomatic contacts with Abbas’s PA, pledging to work with and support the emergency government. In Gaza, Hamas mbrs. on the Gaza side of the Erez crossing exchange fire with IDF soldiers on the Israeli side, trapping in the crossfire some 400 Palestinians hoping to leave Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 11. Israel has allowed around 200 Fatah mbrs. to flee Gaza for the West Bank via Erez. Egypt reports that 344 Fatah security mbrs. have fled Gaza for Egypt; all will be repatriated to the West Bank. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Hebron, Jenin; demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (AFP, MENA 6/18 in WNC 6/19; NYT, WP, WT 6/19; PCHR 6/21)

Clashes at Nahr al-Barid r.c. btwn. the Lebanese army, FI continue, with the army resuming shelling of the camp; at least 3 soldiers are reported killed. In ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c., 2 Jund al-Sham mbrs. are killed, 3 are injured when explosives they are handling detonate prematurely. (DS 6/19 in WNC 6/20; NYT, WP, WT 6/19)

Despite 6/10 cease-fire appeals, serious Fatah-Hamas fighting continues across Gaza, leaving at least 15 Palestinians dead (all believed to be mbrs. of the 2 factions). After Egyptian mediators broker another cease-fire during the day that collapses within hrs., Abbas, Haniyeh issue separate calls for a halt to the fighting. Among the most serious incidents: In Shati‘ r.c., suspected Fatah mbrs. fire an RPG at the home of PM Haniyeh in a predawn attack, causing damage but no injuries (Haniyeh is not home at the time, though his family is). Later in the day, suspected Hamas mbrs. fire a mortar at Pres. Abbas’s Gaza City residence, causing no injuries. In the afternoon, Hamas’s IQB makes a series of major coordinated attacks on Fatah installations across Gaza, dealing Fatah a significant blow in what is seen (see Guardian 6/13) as its 1st attempt to seize power in Gaza. Fatah security forces complain that they have not received orders from cmdrs. on how to respond. Other incidents include a separate attack on Haniyeh’s Gaza City office and the local PC headquarters while the PC is in session, forcing PC mbrs. to flee but causing no injuries; a major ESF raid on the home of senior AMB cmdr. Jamal Abu al-Jidayn, killing him, 4 bodyguards; an ESF raid on Fatah’s main office in Bayt Hanun, confiscating equipment and documents; gun battles in and around Bayt Hanun hospital that leave 4 Fatah mbrs., 1 ESF mbr. dead; a driveby shooting of the Youth and Sports Min. offices in Gaza City. Fatah-Hamas fighting also spreads to the West Bank, where AMB gunmen attack a Change and Reform office in Ramallah, causing no injures; unidentified assailants fire on the Nablus municipal building while a municipal council mtg. is in session (causing no injuries), set fire to the Nablus mayor’s car parked outside his home. On the Israeli-Palestinian front, Palestinians fire 7 rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel, 4 of which land inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes outside East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c., Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarm. (WP 6/11; BBC, NYT, WP, WT 6/12; Guardian, OCHA 6/13; PCHR 6/14)

As fighting in Nahr al-Barid r.c. continues, a FI mortar hits a Lebanese Red Cross vehicle, killing 2 Red Cross workers, seriously wounding 1. (WP, WT 6/12)

The IDF expands military operations in Gaza, making at least 7 air strikes on Hamas, ESF, and PA General Intelligence targets in Gaza, targeting 4 suspected arms caches and 3 other sites (including PA Interior Min. offices in Rafah), injuring 16 Palestinians, damaging at least 25 Palestinian homes; sending tanks and bulldozers into the Strip to level agricultural land e. of Bayt Hanun; directing heavy machine gun fire at a rocket launching site in n. Gaza; conducting arrest raids in Khuza’a nr. Khan Yunis. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Khan Yunis to conduct arrest raids and house searches. Palestinians fire 9 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly wounding 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Bethlehem, and in Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian vehicles in East Jerusalem. A Hamas mbr. is fatally shot by suspected Fatah mbrs. in Khan Yunis. (OCHA, WP 5/23; PCHR 5/24; OCHA 5/30)

Heavy clashes btwn. the Lebanese army, FI at Nahr al-Barid r.c. continue for a 3d day. In Tripoli, a lone FI suicide bomber, still hiding from the police crackdown on 5/20, detonates a device when police close in on his location, killing only himself. Later in the afternoon, the Lebanese army halts its shelling of Nahr al-Barid r.c. in response to a shaky, undeclared cease-fire by FI, prompting some 10,000 Palestinians to flee. Palestinians in ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. and Rashidiyya r.c. demonstrate against the army’s heavy shelling of Nahr al-Barid. (Independent, REU 5/22; DS, LBC, MENA, al-Sharq al-Awsat, al-Safir 5/22 in WNC 5/23; NYT, WP, WT 5/23)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on Palestinian agricultural areas e. of Khan Yunis, sparking a fire that destroys a wheat field; discover, disarm a roadside bomb nr. the former Kissufim crossing e. of Khan Yunis. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on Nablus, firing on residential areas and exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen who confront them, shooting and wounding a pregnant Palestinian woman inside her home, causing her to lose her baby; 2 armed Palestinians, 1 IDF soldier are also wounded. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem (targeting the AMB) and in Balata r.c., Tulkarm; issues stop-work orders for 10 Palestinian homes, a mosque in villages nr. Negohot settlement w. of Hebron that would constrain eventual expansion of the settlement. Israel’s Jerusalem Construction and Planning Comm. approves plans to build 3 new ultra-Orthodox settlements on the outskirts of occupied East Jerusalem to create territorial unity btwn. Jerusalem and Gush Etzion s. of Bethlehem and btwn. Jerusalem and Beit El n. of Ramallah; the plans call for 20,000 housing units in the new settlements, plus 500 new units for settlers in Abu Dis. Abbas deploys 3,000 PA security forces under his control in Gaza City and n. Gaza as part of a new, high-profile “law and order” campaign meant to undermine Hamas. In Bureij r.c, unidentified gunmen fatally shoot a Fatah mbr. in a drive-by attack on a Fatah base. Unidentified assailants ambush, kidnap a PA colonel driving in Nussayrat r.c.; no group claims responsibility. (PLONAD 5/10; MM, NYT 5/11; OCHA 5/16; PCHR 5/17)

The IDF demolishes a home for Palestinian special needs children in Wadi al-Juz, East Jerusalem, displacing 7 children, 2 caregivers; demolishes a Palestinian home in Issawiyya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., nr. Hebron, and in Balata r.c., Bethlehem, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Harish settlement nr. Tulkarm set fire to 170 d. of Palestinian-owned olive, citrus trees. In Rafah, 50 Fatah mbrs. break into, vandalize, set fire to the empty al-Salafiyya al-Bayan Center. (OCHA 5/9; PCHR 5/10; OCHA 5/16)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Bayt Lahiya, forcing them to return to shore. The IDF sends bulldozers into Gaza n. of Bayt Lahiya to level land along the border fence to improve lines of sight. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis nr. East Jerusalem; conducts patrols, fires on residential areas of Jenin town and r.c., Tubas. (OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

With approval of the PC, PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas (Fatah) swears in the first Palestinian national unity government headed by PM Ismail Haniyeh (Change and Reform), in keeping with agreements reached by Fatah and Hamas in Mecca on 2/8 aimed at halting intra-Palestinian violence. (NYT, WP, WT 3/18; WP 3/19) 

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to port. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence e. of al-Qarara and shell open areas nr. Shuka, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols Far‘un nr. Tulkarm, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, causing no injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; raids the offices of Afaq TV in Nablus, reportedly using Palestinians as human shields; issues military orders confiscating 17 d. in Qalqilya and neighboring Azun for “military purposes.” In Jerusalem, a Palestinian taxi driver fr. al-Tur in East Jerusalem dies in Israeli police custody after being stopped at a checkpoint, being arrested and having his taxi confiscated for driving a Palestinian woman from Jordan who did not have the proper visas, being severely beaten by police; news of the death sparks demonstrations in al-Tur, where Israeli police fire tear gas, percussion grenades at protesters, causing no injuries. PA Education Min. Nasir Sha‘ir rescinds the ministry’s 3/5 ban on a book of Palestinian folklore after a massive public outcry, including a demonstration today in Ramallah, stating that the ban was illegal and imposed without his approval; some 1,500 copies of the book, Speak Bird, Speak Again, have been destroyed since the ban was ordered on 3/5. In Gaza, mbrs. of the Popular Resistance Comms. (PRCs) stage a peaceful sit-in in front of the Egyptian legation to protest restrictions on Gazans traveling to Egypt. Some 300 newly trained Fatah security members demonstrate outside the central Gaza governorate offices demanding positions in the PA security forces. In the West Bank, ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in Nablus (no injuries) and Tubas (2 wounded). Fatah-affiliated PA security force mbrs. demanding payment of back salaries fire on the PA security headquarters in Jenin, force employees to leave the building, declare it closed. Elsewhere in the West Bank, suspected Fatah gunmen fire on the car of a Change and Reform PC minister, wounding a bodyguard. (WT 3/11; OCHA 3/14; PCHR 3/15)

The AMB fires 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Dahaysha r.c. in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest a wanted Palestinian teenager; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Tulkarm, and in and around Hebron, Nablus. Israel’s mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski suspends for review construction work at the Haram alSharif/Temple Mount, though Palestinians hold small protests, throw stones at the IDF during the day in and around East Jerusalem, Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron and Ginat Shomron nr. Qalqilya prevent Palestinians from working their land nearby. Under IDF escort, Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah uproot 50 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Dayr Nizam. In Gaza City, 200 family mbrs. of Palestinians held in Israeli jails demonstrate outside the PC headquarters, demanding that the PA do more to free their relatives. In Khan Yunis, unidentified assailants kidnap, quickly release unharmed fmr. PA atty. gen. Khalid al-Qidra. A Fatah mbr. injured during 1/29 ESF-Fatah clashes in Jabaliya r.c. dies. (MM 2/12; MM, NYT, WT 2/13; OCHA 2/14; PCHR 2/15)

The IDF makes an air strike destroying a vacant Palestinian home nr. Gaza’s Qarni crossing that allegedly hid a tunnel, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin to ambush and capture a wanted Palestinian, shooting and wounding him, 2 bystanders; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Azariyya, 2 in Bayt Hanina (also outside Jerusalem), 1 in East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. After overnight talks in Gaza City, Fatah, Hamas announce a renewed cease-fire that general holds throughout the day, though mbrs. of the factions trade fire in Gaza City and 1 Hamas mbr. is fatally shot by a Force 17 mbr. in Khan Yunis (in fallout fr. violence there on 1/29). A Fatah mbr. wounded in intra-Palestinian clashes in Khan Yunis in recent days dies. (MM, NYT, REU 1/30; MM, NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 1/31; PCHR 2/1; AIC 2/13)

For the 2d day, IDF troops stationed in the Erez industrial zone fire at Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border fence, wounding 1. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis, Azariyya, Nablus, and Qabatya, in and around Hebron, and nr. Jenin, Tulkarm. Israel’s Local Committee at the Jerusalem Municipality submits plans to build 1,000 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa. Plans reportedly are also being drafted to expand the Jewish settlements of Ramat Rachel, Mei Naftuah, New Arnona, Gilo, and Givat Hamatos. In Ramallah, unidentified assailants attempt to kidnap the acting mayor of al-Bireh; unknown gunmen fire on the offices of fmr. PA Finance M Salam Fayyad, causing no injuries; suspected Fatah mbrs. fire on 13 shops and offices run by Hamas mbrs., set fire to 1. In Gaza, 10,000s of Fatah supporters hold the largest Fatah rally since 1994 marking the 42d anniversary of the movement; speeches by Fatah leaders focus on rallying support for Fatah and against Hamas. (MM, YA 1/8; MM 1/9; OCHA 1/10; PCHR 1/11; OCHA 1/17)

The IDF allows EU monitors to open the Rafah crossing; makes an air strike destroying a storage shed nr. the Rafah border after warning residents to evacuate the area. In the West Bank, the IDF bars all Palestinians fr. entering East Jerusalem until 9/24 for the Rosh Hashanah holidays; patrols in al-Fara‘a r.c., Tamun, Tubas, Yamun nr. Jenin (firing percussion grenades, live ammunition on residential areas); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Jenin town and r.c. Fatah supporters rally in Gaza’s Jabaliya r.c. to protest Hamas’s refusal to recognize Israel. ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in Bayt Lahiya, wounding 4 Palestinian bystanders. Unidentified Palestinian gunmen shoot, wound a Force 17 officer nr. Rafah Crossing. (NYT 9/23; OCHA 9/27; PCHR 9/28)

The IDF sends troops into Gaza to level 20 d. of land along the s. border nr. alQarara; sends undercover units into Bala’a and Thinnaba nr. Tulkarm to arrest 5 wanted Palestinians; conducts additional arrest raids in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron; patrols in al-Fara‘a r.c., firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 1; raids a girls’ high school in ‘Anata, East Jerusalem, firing tear gas to disperse students and parents attending graduation ceremonies. Jewish settlers fr. the unauthorized outpost of Brakha Bet nr. Nablus break into a Palestinian quarry in nearby Hawara, set fire to several trailers, including 1 in which they know a Palestinian guard is inside; they beat the guard when he escapes the fire; settlers attacked the same quarry on 4/22. Fatah, Hamas mbrs. clash in n. Gaza, leaving 4 mbrs. fr. each side wounded; no reason for the violence is reported. (MM 5/12; HA, IMEMC 5/13; HA 5/14; PCHR 5/18)

IDF undercover units raid Bethlehem, open fire on a car, assassinating wanted AMB mbrs. Daniel Abu Hammami and Ahmad Muslih, wounding a 3d. The IDF also closes Kerem Shalom crossing for the day; raids al-Amal Hospital in Nablus, searching wards for wanted Palestinians; raids a PA police station in Azariyya in East Jerusalem, detaining 2 officers; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm. In Gaza City, armed Fatah mbrs. protest outside the PA Health Min. offices in Gaza City, demanding assistance for relatives in need of medical treatment abroad, and begin to riot when they are told that budget constraints have forced the government to slash funding for medical transports abroad; when PA police are unable to quell the demonstration, the Health M calls in Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbrs. to support the police, sparking an exchange of gunfire with the Fatah mbrs., leaving 3 Fatah mbrs. wounded. In Nablus, AMB gunmen (mbrs. of the PA security forces) fire on the historic Nablus municipal building, forcing employees to evacuate, demanding that the Hamas mayor close his offices, that the PA pay their salaries. To calm tensions, Abbas orders the PA security forces to cancel plans for a massive pro-Fatah rally in Ramallah against Mishal’s 4/21 statements. (IMEMC, PNN, YA 4/23; MM, WP, WT 4/24; OCHA 4/26; PCHR 4/27)

The IDF bars CEC officials fr. transporting election boxes through a Tulkarm checkpoint to 21 al-Sha‘rawiyya polling stations; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin. The Shin Bet summons PNN correspondent Mais Abu Ghazaleh for questioning, releases her with an “offer” to “consider cooperating with them to inform them on her future work with PNN.” Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into the Negev, causing no damage or injuries. Israel’s Jerusalem Municipality fines Fatah, Hamas, the PFLP $100,000 each for hanging campaign posters in East Jerusalem. Fatah gunmen in Nablus fatally shoot Fatah election official Yusif Hassuna after he tells them to stop shooting at campaign posters for Ghassan Shaka‘a (opposed by some Fatah mbrs.) on his house; 1,000 Palestinians later march to Nablus’s main police station to protest the killing, the police’s failure to end lawlessness. Some 40 Islamic Jihad mbrs. march in Tulkarm, demanding the release of prisoners fr. Palestinian jails, calling for an election boycott, firing on a PA police station (causing no injuries); PA police disperse the crowd. (AP, HA, IMEMC, PCHR, YA 1/24; PCHR 1/26; PNN press release 1/28)