The Palestine Chronology

In retaliation for Israel’s assassination of an AOI mbr. on 11/3, the PRCs fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF makes 2 air strikes destroying a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border (causing no injuries) and hitting a Hamas target in Khan Yunis (lightly injuring 1 Palestinian in a home nearby). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, 1 nr. Jenin; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem and neighboring Dahaysha r.c. and nr. Hebron. (AFP, YA 11/6; OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

As the quarter opens, Israel’s siege of Gaza continues, with Israel barring all exports, most imports except limited humanitarian and consumer goods and small amounts of construction materials for UN-supervised projects, and most crossborder transit by individuals (with very limited exceptions for extreme medical cases, VIPs, and international NGO workers). The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) enforces a 300-meter-deep no-go zone inside the full length of the Gaza border and limits the Palestinian fishing zone off Gaza to 500–1,000 m off the immediate Bayt Lahiya and Rafah coasts, and 3 nautical miles elsewhere. In the West Bank, the IDF raids Palestinian municipal inspector offices in al-Gazzazin in Hebron’s old city, sealing the office and evicting the staff (unarmed police who maintain public order); fires tear gas to disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march to the separation wall outside Bayt Jala nr. Bethlehem, arresting 8 demonstrators. In Gaza, batonwielding, Hamas-affiliated police beat and evict Palestinians fr. at least 25 homes in s. Rafah before bulldozing the houses, saying they were built illegally on government land; 31 families (190 individuals) are rendered homeless. (WT 5/17; NYT 5/19; OCHA, PCHR 5/20)

Proximity talks begin with 1 day of Mitchell shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, securing Israeli and Palestinian pledges to refrain from actions that hinder peace as talks move forward and starting discussion on more substantive issues. Late in the day, he returns to Washington, praising the positive atmosphere of the first day of talks. From Washington, the U.S. warns that “if either takes significant actions during the proximity talks that we judge would seriously undermine trust, we will respond to hold them accountable and ensure that negotations continue.” (CSM, IFM 5/9; HA, NYT, WP 5/10)

The IDF carries out 2 air strikes on 2 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border in retaliation for rocket fire on 5/8, causing no injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya fire on Palestinian farmers working their land 500 m fr. the border fence, forcing them to leave but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts a late-night raid on a Palestinian home nr. Bethlehem, demanding that 1 resident turn himself in for interrogation. At least 1 Jewish settler fr. Gil’ad nr. Qalqilya sets fire to 3 d. of nearby Palestinian crop land. (IDF 5/10; OCHA, PCHR 5/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn incursion into al-‘Ubaydiyya village e. of Bethlehem, patrolling in the streets and randomly checking Palestinian IDs, making no arrests; levels 3 d. of Palestinian olive trees n. of Hebron, citing security reasons; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Fara‘a r.c., and nr. Hebron, Tulkarm. The UN reports that since 1/6, 2 Palestinians have been killed in tunnel collapses on the Rafah border. (OCHA 1/13; PCHR 1/14; OCHA 1/20; PCHR 1/21)