The Palestine Chronology

Israeli forces punitively demolish a Palestinian home in Kafr ‘Aqab, n. of Jerusalem, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents of the area; 1 Palestinian is killed and several are injured. The owner of the home was killed on 10/9 after participating in the drive-by shooting of a crowd of Israelis. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops conduct arrest raids in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus late at night, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Israeli soldier and 1 Palestinian are injured. They also arrest 2 Palestinians during raids nr. Nablus and Salfit, assault and seriously injure a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Nablus, and patrol during the day nr. Hebron and Salfit. An Israeli settler driver attempts to ram 2 Palestinian youths nr. Hebron, causing no injuries. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish the bedouin village al-‘Araqib in the Negev for the 107th time since 2010. (IMEMC, MNA 12/22; PCHR 12/29)

Following high-level contacts between the Israeli and Egyptian govts. and massive Israeli pressure against the draft UNSC res. Egypt circulated on 12/21, 2 Western diplomats say that the vote set for today has been postponed indefinitely. Later, 4 mbrs. of the UNSC—New Zealand, Venezuela, Malaysia, and Senegal—give Egypt an ultimatum. They tell Cairo that, if it does not call a vote by 12/23, they reserved the right to table the draft themselves. (EI, HA, JP, NBC, REU, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/22; HA, JP, MNA 12/23)

France’s FM Jean-Marc Ayrault announces that the peace conference initially set for 12/21 is now scheduled for 1/15/2017, adding that the summit will present conclusions to Israeli PM Netanyahu and PA pres. Abbas in a mediated meeting in the hopes of relaunching peace negotiations. (MNA, TOI 12/23)

After the residents of the illegal Amona settlement outpost formally pledge to evacuate their homes peacefully, Israel’s High Court of Justice agrees to the govt.’s request for a 45-day postponement of its order for the outpost to be evacuated and demolished by 12/25. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 12/22; MNA 12/24)

Two Palestinians die in a tunnel accident late at night nr. Gaza City. Hamas claims the 2 men were mbrs. of its group. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian car washes n. of Jerusalem. IDF troops arrest 12 Palestinians and issue 4 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and Tulkarm, and patrol nr. Hebron and Nablus during the day. In and around East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Hizma village and Qalandia r.c. Late at night, they conduct raids in Shu‘fat r.c., sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing residents; there are no serious injuries. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in a bedouin village nr. Beersheba. An Israeli driver rams a Palestinian worker from Tulkarm while he is walking along a street in Tel Aviv, causing moderate injuries. (MNA, WAFA, YA 12/7; MNA, PCHR 12/8; PCHR 12/15)

A Jerusalem Municipality planning comm. approves the construction of 770 settler residences in the Gilo settlement in East Jerusalem. City officials say that the plans, initially approved in 2013, were “undergoing routine processes of allocation regarding roads and public spaces.” (MNA 12/9)

Israel’s Knesset passes a 1st reading of the new draft of the so-called regulations bill, which passed a preliminary reading on 12/5 and would retroactively authorize illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 12/7; MNA 12/8)

A senior Israeli official says that Israeli PM Netanyahu has rejected French pres. François Hollande’s invitation to a mediated meeting with PA pres. Abbas after the next French-organized peace summit, which is set for 12/21. Later, Netanyahu calls Hollande personally to discuss the invitation. He tells the French pres. that he would be happy to meet with Abbas, but only if the conference is canceled. (HA, JP, YA 12/7)

In the West Bank, international solidarity activists establish a protest village in the n. Jordan Valley, called “al-Yasser,” in response to Israel’s demolition of Palestinian properties in the area. The IDF dismantles the village hours later, dispersing the activists. IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids nr. Nablus and Bethlehem, and patrol nr. Hebron throughout the day. Israeli forces raid a coal manufacturing facility nr. Jenin, seizing trucks and equipment. Palestinian youths open fire on Palestinian Authority security forces (PASF) troops nr. the al-Fara‘a r.c. during a protest against the PA’s recent detention of residents of the camp; there are no serious injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 2 armed Palestinians who snuck through the border fence into Israel (HA, WAFA 11/17; MNA 11/18; PCHR 11/24)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 4th of 5 planned days. (MNA 11/17; OCHA 12/2)

An Israeli settler driver crashes his vehicle into a Palestinian couple and their horse-drawn cart nr. Qalqilya, moderately injuring both of them (the man will succumb to his injuries on 10/26). It’s unclear if the crash was an intentional ramming attack or not. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF shuts down the entrances to Husan village nr. Bethlehem after unidentified assailants open fire on Israeli settlers’ vehicles in the area. IDF troops arrest 7 Palestinians during patrols nr. Tulkarm, Nablus, and Bethlehem, as well as in and around Ramallah and Hebron; and patrol nr. Salfit and Hebron during the day. The raids in Ramallah spark clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths, but there are no serious injuries. In the evening, PASF troops violently suppress a demonstration in al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah in protest of PA pres. Abbas’s recent decision to expel a Fatah official from the party. Further PASF clashes break out in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus and in Jenin; 2 Palestinians are injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians during raids in Shu‘fat r.c. and the Old City. Along Israel’s border with Egypt, an Israeli youth is wounded by gunfire from Egypt while performing maintenance work on the border fence. An Egyptian police officer is later found responsible, having mistaken the youth for a smuggler. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/25; MNA, TOI 10/26; HA, PCHR 10/27)

Israeli soldiers shoot and kill a Palestinian at the Qalandia checkpoint n. of Jerusalem after he allegedly stabs an Israeli border guard, causing moderate injuries. The IDF then violently disperses around 200 Palestinians gathering to throw stones in protest of the killing. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, settlements, and separation wall in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c. and Shuja‘iya; at least 6 Palestinians are injured and 2 are arrested. They also patrol during the day nr. Qalqilya, Salfit, and Hebron. (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 9/30; MNA 10/1; PCHR 10/6)

PA pres. Abbas attends the funeral of former Israeli pres. Peres and shakes hands with Israeli PM Netanyahu. Responding to criticism from Hamas and many other Palestinians, a senior Hamas official says that Abbas’s attendance disproves Israeli claims of Palestinian dedication to violence and that it sent a “strong message of Palestinian peace” to the world. MK and Joint List chair Ayman Odeh refuses to attend, along with the rest of the Joint List, citing Peres’s treatment of the Palestinians. The Joint List and PA reportedly agree to refrain from publicly criticizing one another over their different views on this matter. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, YA 9/30; HA 10/1)

In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Qusra village nr. Nablus, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 4 Palestinians are injured. Israeli forces reseal the entrance to a junction nr. Hebron 1 day after reopening it. An Israeli military bus driver rams and injures 2 Palestinian youths nr. Hebron, according to Palestinian witnesses of the incident. Late at night, 2 Israeli soldiers mistakenly drive into Tulkarm using the GPS navigation app Waze. Residents throw stones at the 2 soldiers, lightly injuring both. The IDF and PASF coordinate their exit from the city. IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians for throwing stones and paint cans at an Israeli settler bus in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. (MNA, YA 9/12; MNA 9/13; PCHR 9/22)

In a joint press conference with Luxembourg’s PM Xavier Bettel, Israeli PM Netanyahu says that the proposed meeting between himself and PA pres. Abbas, which was 1st planned for Cairo and then Moscow in recent weeks, may now happen in Luxembourg: “[Bettel] has invited me to Luxembourg, and he said the Palestinians might also come there; therefore, it’s either Moscow or Luxembourg.” (JP 9/12)

Along Gaza’s border, unidentified Palestinian fighters open fire on IDF troops stationed nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries or damage. In response, the IDF launches air strikes on at least 2 Hamas military sites in n. Gaza, injuring 3 Hamas fighters. IDF troops also open fire on Palestinian homes nr. al-Maghazi r.c., causing no damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City and then nr. Rafah, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops attempt to remove a Palestinian flag from a public space in a village nr. Nablus, sparking clashes with stonethrowing residents throughout the day; 2 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 2 Palestinian youths allegedly planning to carry out stabbing attacks in c. Hebron. Both boys were found to be carrying knives. Israeli forces destroy personal property and threaten to arrest a Palestinian infant during a raid on the Hebron-area home of a Palestinian who was killed on 11/1/2015 after attempting to stab an Israeli soldier. They also impose strict closures on 3 villages nr. Nablus after reports of stone-throwing in the area (the closures will be enforced through 9/10). The IDF arrests 3 Palestinians during raids and house searches nr. Salfit, Nablus, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, sparking clashes in Balata r.c. (1 Palestinian is injured); and patrols nr. Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, Salfit, and Qalqilya during the day. Meanwhile, unknown assailants throw Molotov cocktails at the Nablus-area home of a Palestinian woman running for office in the 10/8 municipal elections, causing minor damage. She is affiliated with Fatah. In East Jerusalem, around 60 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Shu‘fat. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/4; MNA 9/5; PCHR 9/8; MNA 9/10)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian cases passing in both directions for the 2d of 2 planned days. (OCHA 9/8)

The PA and Israel sign an agreement to improve postal service in the oPt. The deal gives Palestinians more control over the transfer of mail in and out of the West Bank. (JP, MNA, TOI 9/4)

An errant mortar round fired from Syria lands in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF returns artillery fire on Syrian govt. positions along the border, causing an unknown amount of damage. (HA, MNA, TOI 9/4)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth allegedly carrying a knife and planning a stabbing attack in Shu‘fat r.c., and arrest another Palestinian on a late-night raid in Ras al-Amud. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during raids nr. Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin; and patrol in 2 villages nr. Nablus, and 3 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. Around 12,000 Palestinians attend a funeral for the Palestinian killed by PASF troops in Nablus on 8/23. After the funeral, hundreds of mourners break off from the procession, chant anti-Palestinian Authority (PA) slogans, and clash with PASF troops (there are no serious injuries). Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. (JP, MNA, TOI 8/28; PCHR 9/1)

Palestinian officials announce the beginning of preliminary discussions about a possible summit meeting in Moscow between PM Netanyahu and Pres. Abbas, to be mediated by Russian pres. Putin. Separately, a senior PLO official says that the Palestinians recently rejected a U.S. offer for a trilateral peace summit with Israel, and that the Palestinians instead insisted on 2 central preconditions for any meetings: release of the 4th tranche of prisoners that were set to go free in connection with the last round of talks in 3–4/2014 and a settlement freeze. (HA, JP, TOI 8/28)

As the Palestinian school year begins, the PA Education Ministry accuses Israel of withholding the delivery of around 300,000 textbooks to schools in Gaza. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) says the books must be examined and approved before being released. (HA 8/28)

Palestinian Authority security forces (PASF) conduct raids in Nablus, sparking a firefight with wanted men; 2 PASF mbrs. are killed and 2 are injured. Late at night, the PASF returns to Nablus to arrest the men responsible for the killings earlier in the day. They shoot and kill 2 of the wanted men in the ensuing clashes. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops patrol nr. Hebron. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City in 2 separate incidents, causing no damage or injuries. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish several residential buildings, arbors, and a car wash in bedouin villages nr. Beersheba. (MNA 8/18; JP, TOI 8/19; PCHR 8/25)

Tensions in the Hebron district remain high as the IDF maintains restrictions on Palestinian movement in Hebron and the surrounding district and conducts patrols in the region throughout the day. IDF troops conduct raids in Yatta overnight, sparking clashes with stoneand bottle-throwing residents (2 Palestinians are injured). Movement in Yatta has been restricted since 6/8. The IDF conducts further raids and house searches in and around Hebron, as well as nr. Qalqilya and Bethlehem, issuing arrest summons to 4 Palestinians and arresting 2. Unidentified Palestinians open fire on an Israeli settler driving nr. Bethlehem, causing damage and no injuries. A Palestinian suffers minor burns when a flare left by Israeli forces ignites in Jenin. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Rafah. In Israel, Israeli forces conduct raids in al-Araqib in the Negev, arresting 2 Palestinians. (MNA 7/21; MNA 7/22; MNA 7/23)

PA pres. Abbas meets with French pres. Hollande in Paris to discuss the French peace initiative in light of recent events. Hollande says that France is determined to build on the 6/3 summit. Meanwhile, in an interview with the Times of Israel, the dir. gen. of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Dore Gold, says that Israel will probably not attend a follow-up summit in Paris, if invited, because it would “undermine the whole peace process,” reiterating Israel’s opposition to the French efforts. (TOI 7/21; AFP, MNA, TOI 7/22)

The IDF continues its closure of Hebron and the surrounding district, patrolling the area throughout the day. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 15 of the 100 international and Palestinian activists cleaning an abandoned Palestinian factory in Hebron to prepare it for use as a cinema. The IDF then declares the area a closed military zone. They also violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, separation wall, and settlements in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c. and Gaza City; 5 Palestinians are injured. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians and issue 3 arrest summons during raids and house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, and Tulkarm. Israeli settlers throw rocks at Palestinian cars nr. Qalqilya, causing damage to 1. (MNA 7/15; JP, MNA 7/16; PCHR 7/21)

Hamas announces that it intends to participate in the planned municipal elections that the PA has set for 10/8. It is still unclear if the PA will organize ballots in Gaza as well as the West Bank. Hamas’s announcement is considered a surprise (the party did not participate in the 2012 elections). (MNA 7/16; JP 7/17; HA 8/7)

The IDF maintains restrictions on Palestinian movement in Hebron and the surrounding district that it put in place on 7/1. They also maintain the closure of Sa‘ir village nr. Hebron, nr. the site of the settler shooting on 7/9; conduct raids and bulldoze land in and around the village; and temporarily close nearby al-‘Arub r.c. IDF troops conduct further late-night raids and house searches in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, and Tulkarm, arresting 11 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 2, and confiscating 1 vehicle. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians in Issawiyya for alleged stone-throwing, and confiscate a large number of antiquities from a shop in the Old City. In n. Gaza, a mbr. of PIJ’s military wing dies in a tunnel collapse. (HA, MNA, TOI 7/10; PCHR 7/14)

The Israeli cabinet approves an immediate transfer of NIS 6 m. (approx. $1.6 m.) for education and infrastructure in Kiryat Arba, the settlement where a Palestinian stabbed a settler youth to death on 6/30. (JP, TOI 7/10; MNA 7/11)

Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry visits Israel to meet with PM Netanyahu and discuss the state of the peace process. Shoukry calls for Israeli-Palestinian confidence-building measures, pushes for the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, and seeks backing for Egyptian pres. al-Sisi’s recent peace-building efforts. Netanyahu expresses his willingness to participate in a 3-way summit with PA pres. Abbas in Cairo. (HA, MNA, NYT, REU, TOI, YA 7/10; HA, TOI 7/11)

To facilitate travel to and from Gaza for Ramadan, the Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing to traffic from both directions for the first of 4 planned days this week. Elsewhere along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr. Khan Yunis and Dayr al-Balah, and arrest a Palestinian armed with a knife attempting to cross the border into Israel. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches in Hebron and nr. Jenin and Tulkarm. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 6/1; PCHR 6/2; OCHA, PCHR 6/9)

A PA spokesperson criticizes Israeli PM Netanyahu’s 5/30 pledge of support for the Arab Peace Initiative, saying “the Israeli statements regarding the 2-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative must be accompanied by actions on the ground and recognition [of] an independent Palestinian state.” (HA, JP, TOI 6/1)

An explosive device detonates on a bus in s. Jerusalem, injuring at least 20 Israelis (2 seriously). A Palestinian injured in the blast will succumb to his wounds on 4/20. Israeli officials treat it as a terrorist attack, and the Israeli police and security services begin investigations. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinian youths after they allegedly assault an Israeli youth in the Old City; arrest 7 Palestinian youths and confiscate some property during raids in Shu‘fat r.c., Qalandia r.c., Ras al-Amud, and the Old City; and shoot tear gas canisters at Palestinian schoolchildren in Ras al-Amud, causing no serious injuries. Israeli forces also raid and search a newspaper company’s offices. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot tear gas canisters at a school nr. Hebron, causing minor injuries; conduct raids and house searches nr. Bethlehem, Ramallah, Qalqilya, and in and around Hebron, arresting 10 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 4, and confiscating some property; patrol nr. Ramallah and Jericho. Along Gaza’s border, Egyptian forces flood and partially destroy a smuggling tunnel leading into the n. Sinai Peninsula. A military court in Gaza sentences 5 Palestinians to death on charges related to collaborating with Israel. A Palestinian woman is injured when she accidentally detonates a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance in Gaza City. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/18; JP, MNA, TOI 4/19; HA, MNA 4/20; PCHR 4/21)

The IDF lifts a gag order on the news that it discovered a tunnel leading from s. Gaza into Israel earlier this week (they will demolish it on 4/19). Hamas’s military wing says “this tunnel is just a drop in the ocean of what the resistance has prepared for the defense of its people and the liberation of holy places, land, and prisoners.” (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 4/18; JP 4/19)

Citing Palestinian complaints and reservations, Jordan’s PM Abdullah Ensour says that Jordan has decided to halt the process of installing cameras at Haram al-Sharif following mos. of stalled negotiations with Israeli officials. (JP, MNA, TOI, YA 4/18; HA 4/19, 4/27)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Khan Yunis. Early in the morning in the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 3 Palestinian homes under construction in a village nr. Bethlehem and a playground in a village nr. Nablus. They also reopen a road e. of Hebron that they closed on 3/14, following a formal request from the PA. IDF troops patrol in a village nr. Ramallah, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinians; 2 Palestinians are arrested and there are no serious injuries. They conduct further raids and house searches nr. Nablus, Jericho, and in Tulkarm, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrol nr. Qalqilya, Jericho, Ramallah, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Municipality prepares to demolish a Palestinian home in Wadi al-Juz, but Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office intervenes, canceling the demolition to avoid increasing tensions in the city ahead of Passover. Meanwhile, the extreme messianic group Temple Institute says that it conducted a secret Jewish wedding at Haram al-Sharif, violating the ban on Jewish religious ceremonies at the sanctuary. (MNA, WAFA 4/12; MNA, TOI, YA 4/13; PCHR 4/14)

COGAT announces that the Israeli govt. has given approval, in principle, to a Palestinian request to build a power plant nr. Jenin. (YA, 4/12; MNA, YA 4/13)

A U.S. State Dept. spokesperson says that the U.S. opposes a UNSC res. censuring Israel’s settlements, such as the one the Palestinian leadership is currently circulating. He adds, “I can firmly shut the door,” ending all speculation about U.S. support for the effort. (USSD 4/12; JP 4/13)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian agricultural land nr. Rafah and Palestinian farmers working nr. Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem overnight, Israeli forces demolish a playground and uproot a number of trees in Silwan, and arrest 3 Palestinians during latenight raids in al-Tur and Bayt Hanina. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a home, a farm, a water network, and some trees outside a village nr. Bethlehem, as well as 2 homes, a large barn, and a playground in n. Bethlehem. IDF troops conduct a raid on the Hebron home of the Palestinian activist who captured the video of the Israeli soldier shooting and killing an incapacitated Palestinian on 3/24. The IDF conducts further raids and house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin, as well as in Jenin itself, arresting 11 Palestinians; patrols nr. Hebron, Ramallah, and Jenin. Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) troops conduct a raid in c. Nablus, sparking armed clashes with Palestinian youths; 13 Palestinians are injured (5 of whom are PASF). (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/29; WAFA 3/30; PCHR 3/31) 

Politico publishes a 2/17 letter signed by 11 mbrs. of the U.S. Congress, including Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), addressed to Secy. of State John Kerry and calling for investigations into the “disturbing number of reports of possible gross violations of human rights by security forces in Israel and Egypt.” The letter highlights “what may be extrajudicial killings” by Israeli forces in Israel and the oPt. (POL 3/29; HA, JP, MNA, TOI 3/30)

Israel’s Knesset passes a 1st reading of 2 bills that would create economic incentives for settlement growth. The 1st would reduce bureaucratic restrictions on home purchases in settlements, preventing settlers from paying taxes to both the govt. and the Civil Admin. The 2d would entitle settlers to tax breaks as long as they are eligible for a grant promoting capital investment. (HA 3/29)

A violent outburst in Hebron punctuates a period of relative calm in the West Bank. IDF troops shoot and kill 2 Palestinians in Hebron’s Old City after they allegedly stab and moderately injure an Israeli soldier. A video of the incident later shows that an IDF soldier killed 1 of the alleged assailants after he had been detained and disarmed. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities keep the Erez border crossing closed for the 2d of 3 planned days, and maintain the closure of the West Bank, as decided on 3/22. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Ramallah, Jenin, and Bethlehem, arresting 2 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to another 2; patrol nr. Tulkarm and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, over 50 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif while 4 Palestinians are detained outside the sanctuary. Palestinian men under 50 are still banned from entering. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 3/24; HA, TOI 3/25; HA 3/27; HA 3/29; PCHR 3/31; VN 4/28)

Jordan’s FM Nasser Judeh meets with PA pres. Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to discuss the ongoing Jordanian-Israeli negotiations on new surveillance infrastructure at Haram al-Sharif. Judeh relays a message to Abbas that Jordan plans to go ahead with the 10/24/2015 agreement to do so. (JP, TOI 3/24)

The UN Human Rights Council approves a res., 32–0, with 15 abstentions, condemning Israel’s settlements and calling for the creation of a “blacklist” of all Israeli and international firms operating directly or indirectly in Gaza, the West Bank, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 3/24; HA 3/25)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the Jabal Mukabir home of an imprisoned Palestinian accused of attacking Israeli soldiers on 10/10/2015, and also demolish a half-built home in Ras al-Amud. Also in Ras al-Amud, a Palestinian family demolishes their own home on Israeli orders. Later, the Israeli authorities return 2 bodies of Palestinians killed in confrontations with Israeli forces since the beginning of the habba (“surge” or “revolt” in English) in the oPt in 10/2015. One family rejects the body of their relative when they discover it is frozen, allegedly in violation of the deal they made with the Israelis (they had agreed to limit the size of the funeral and deposited a NIS 20,000 [around $5,250] guarantee). Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian woman at Haram al-Sharif after she confronts Jewish Israeli MK Shuli Mualem-Rafaeli. In the West Bank, IDF troops raid a number of quarries nr. Qalqilya, confiscating millions of dollars’ worth of equipment. They also raid a number of chicken farms and erect a mobile checkpoint outside a village nr. Ramallah, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is injured. The IDF violently disperses stone-throwing Palestinians in a village nr. Tulkarm, causing no serious injuries; raids a village council’s office in a village nr. Bethlehem, destroying property and breaking its main doors; conducts further raids and house searches nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 4 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 2, and confiscating property; and patrols nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, and Hebron. Israeli forces begin razing 650 dunams (around 160 acres) of Islamic Waqf–owned land nr. Jericho, and confiscate heavy equipment from a factory nr. Bethlehem. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr. Bayt Lahiya and Dayr al-Balah. (MNA, WAFA 3/21; MNA 3/22; PCHR 3/24)

A PA official who monitors settlement growth in the West Bank reveals that Israeli officials recently informed Palestinians in villages nr. Nablus of their intention to confiscate 1,200 dunams (around 300 acres) of nearby land. The IDF’s Coordinator of Govt. Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT) disputes this figure, saying that only 612 dunams will be seized and incorporated into the nearby settlement of Eli. (MNA, WAFA 3/21; EI 3/30)

At the annual AIPAC conference in Washington, leading presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump present their foreign policy ideas and pro-Israel credentials. All the remaining candidates, except Sen. Bernie Sanders, are set to address the conferees (AIPAC rejected Sanders’s offer to give a speech via satellite after he declined to attend). (HA, JP, YA 3/21; JP 3/22)

Uncoordinated stabbing and alleged stabbing attacks continue in the West Bank and Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of 3 Palestinians. Two Palestinians open fire on an Israeli bus in Ramot, causing no damage. Israeli police then chase the shooters into the Old City, where they shoot and kill the 2 men after they allegedly attempt to ram their car into a Jewish Israeli pedestrian, causing no serious injuries. A 3d Palestinian is critically injured in the crossfire. The IDF maintains, for a 2d day, the closure of 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Salfit. On the outskirts of the village nr. Salfit, Israeli soldiers open fire on 2 Palestinian youths as they approach an IDF checkpoint, killing 1 and critically injuring the other. An IDF spokesperson says that one of the youths was armed with a knife and intended to attack the soldiers. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/9; PCHR 3/10)

Elsewhere in the oPt, Hamas announces that 1 of its fighters died earlier in the day during unspecified training exercises. IDF troops raid a village nr. Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; there are no serious injuries. They conduct further raids in and around Nablus, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, and Hebron, arresting 18 Palestinians. An Israeli settler stabs and injures a Palestinian nr. Nablus. Late at night, Israeli settlers spray price-tag graffiti on the walls of a Palestinian home in a village nr. Bethlehem. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/9; MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/10; PCHR 3/17)

In response to the string of attacks on 3/8 and after conferring with senior security officials, Israeli PM Netanyahu announces that Israel will complete the construction of the separation wall in the s. Hebron Hills. He also states that his govt. proposes new legislation to deter and punish Palestinians who enter Israel illegally, close Palestinian media outlets responsible for alleged incitement, and deny work permits to the families of Palestinians who commit serious crimes against Israelis. Israeli police immediately arrest 10s of Palestinians in raids across Israel, targeting those who entered the country without proper permits. (HA, JP, TOI 3/9)

The Israeli authorities inform 5 Palestinian food companies that their goods will no longer be permitted to pass through the Beitunia crossing for sale in Jerusalem. Israel last barred West Bank food products from entering East Jerusalem for a brief period in 2010. (TOI 3/13)

In Cairo, French FM Jean-Marc Ayrault says that France will not recognize the State of Palestine if the planned French peace initiative fails, effectively retracting his predecessor’s 1/29 pledge. “There is never anything automatic,” he says, adding that “France will present its initiative to its partners. It will be the first step, there is no prerequisite.” (TOI 3/9; JTA 3/10)

In Gaza, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl dies of kidney failure. Her father says she was on the list of infirm Palestinians waiting to travel to Egypt or Israel for treatment, and that a Palestinian in Jenin offered to donate a kidney to her, but the Palestinian Authority (PA) delayed and blocked the transfer. He specifically blames the minister of health, saying he “killed her when he refused their request to transfer the girl to a hospital in Israel to get a transplant.” Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. al-Bureij r.c. overnight. IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches in Tulkarm and 1 nearby village, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 each nr. Jenin and Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians and confiscating NIS 15,000 (around $3,935). In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces level 5 acres of land nr. Issawiyya, uprooting a number of cypress and olive trees and demolishing several agricultural buildings in the process. In the morning, Israeli forces escort 133 right-wing Jewish activists as they tour Haram al-Sharif. Palestinian youths reportedly block some of them from performing prayers at the sanctuary, and a small fight breaks out between an Israeli police officer and 1 of the guards at al-Aqsa Mosque. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/17; JP, PCHR 2/18; PCHR 2/25)

In Israel, a suspected Palestinian stabs and injures a Jewish Israeli in Rahat nr. Beersheba, then flees the scene. Later in Ashqelon, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Sudanese national after he allegedly stabs and injures an Israeli soldier. Meanwhile in the West Bank, IDF troops confiscate the work permits of a number of Palestinians trying to cross into Israel nr. Jenin (a PLO spokesperson says 10 permits have been revoked so far, and that the Israelis decided to do so hours after lifting the closure of nearby Qabatiya on 2/6). IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in 1 village and Tulkarm r.c. nr. Tulkarm, 1 village each nr. Nablus and Jenin, and 2 nr. Salfit, as well as Aida r.c. and 1 village nr. Bethlehem, arresting 13 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrol in 4 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. (MNA, WAFA, YA 2/7; PCHR 2/11)

 On the 75th day of his hunger strike, Palestinian prisoner al-Qiq rejects an Israeli military court offer to be released on 5/1, demanding an immediate end to his administrative detention and treatment in a Palestinian medical facility upon release. (MNA 2/7; SAM 2/8)

Hamas and Fatah officials meet in Doha to start a new round of mediated talks on Palestinian national reconciliation. They discuss the possible formation of a new unity PA govt., elections, and the civil servants Hamas has hired in Gaza since 2007, who have not been paid a full salary since the current PA consensus govt. was sworn in on 6/2/2014. (XIN 2/6; AnA, JP, MEMO, TOI 2/7)