The Palestine Chronology

A Palestinian child succumbs to injuries sustained on 8/8/2014 during Israel’s summer 2014 assault on Gaza. Four members of the boy’s family were killed that day when an Israeli air strike targeted his family home. Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians march through Gaza City in protest of U.S. pres. Trump’s reported decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. IDF troops violently disperse dozens of Palestinians protesting along the border near Khan Yunis (there are no serious injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF temporarily closes the entrance to nearby Ya‘bad village after reports of shots fired at an Israeli settler bus near Jenin. IDF troops clash with stonethrowing Palestinians in al-‘Arub refugee camp near Hebron; there are no serious injuries. They also arrest 27 Palestinians during late-night raids near Nablus, Jenin, and Bethlehem; and patrol near Hebron and Bethlehem. In the Negev, Israeli forces demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village al-Araqib for the 122d time since 2010. (MNA, WAFA 12/6; PCHR 12/7; PCHR 12/14)

In a speech broadcast from the White House, U.S. pres. Trump announces that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that his administration will begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “I have judged this to be in the best interest in the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” he says. PA pres. Abbas says that the U.S. can no longer serve as mediator between the Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli PM Netanyahu welcomes the announcement, celebrating the “historic day.” (AP, BBC, EI, HA, MNA, YA 12/6; HA, WAFA 12/7)

Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian youth outside the Old City of Jerusalem after he allegedly stabs and injures 2 of them. Israeli forces then raid the alleged attacker’s home in Jabal Mukabir, sparking minor clashes with residents of the area; 5 Palestinians are arrested. Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in Silwan. In the West Bank, hundreds of Palestinians gather in Ramallah to protest the PASF’s violent assault on protesters on 3/12, and to call for PA pres. Abbas to end security coordination with Israel and resign. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 13 Palestinians during raids nr. Jenin, Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Hebron and Ramallah. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. (HA, IMEMC, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/13; EI 3/14; PCHR 3/16)

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announces that it will not be participating in the municipal elections set for 5/13 in protest of the PA’s repression of demonstrations against security coordination on 3/12. Meanwhile, a PA spokesperson announces that Ramallah’s chief of police Abd al-Latif al-Qaddumi has resigned, but denies that his resignation is coming as a result of the 3/12 protests against PA security coordination with Israel, which were held outside a court in Ramallah and violently dispersed by PA security forces. PM Hamdallah announces that he has appointed a fact-finding comm. to look into the events at the 3/12 protests. (MNA 3/13; JP 3/14)

Jason Greenblatt, U.S. pres. Trump’s special representative for international negotiations, meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Jerusalem for 5 hours. According to a joint statement, they discussed settlements “in the hope of working out an approach that is consistent with the goal of advancing peace and security.” Later, Greenblatt meets with senior Palestinian officials in Ramallah, who tell him they are interested in the Trump admin. presenting its own plan for a peace deal. Greenblatt is set to remain in Israel and the oPt all week for more meetings, including with PA pres. Abbas on 3/14. (ALM, HA, JP 3/13; HA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 3/14)

In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations in solidarity with hunger-striking prisoner Bilal Kayed and against Israel’s occupation, settlement, 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.; 6 Palestinians are injured. They also conduct raids in Bayt ‘Amr nr. Hebron, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 7 Palestinians are injured. Elsewhere, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during raids in Hebron and nr. Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Hebron throughout the day. (MNA 8/5; MNA 8/6; PCHR 8/11)

IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian woman nr. Hebron after she allegedly rams her car into a group of Israelis, lightly injuring 2. It is unclear whether the ramming was intentional or accidental. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, settlements, and separation wall, as well as protests over the recent water shortage, in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem; 1 Palestinian is injured. IDF troops conduct late-night raids in Tulkarm, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 2 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 5 Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches nr. Hebron and Jenin; and patrol during the day nr. Hebron and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities bar all Palestinian men younger than 45 from Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 6/24; PCHR 6/30)

Thousands of Palestinians gather at demonstrations across Gaza and the West Bank in commemoration of Nakba Day. Reps. of several political factions use the Gaza City rally to call for national reconciliation. In the West Bank, the IDF violently suppresses a protest in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, causing no major injuries. PASF troops prevent dozens of Palestinian demonstrators from reaching an Israeli checkpoint nr. Ramallah. Separately, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian attempting to cross into Jerusalem for work, and conduct raids and house searches in and around Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, and Nablus, arresting 16 Palestinians and damaging some property. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces detain 10 Palestinian fishermen working nr. Gaza City, confiscating 2 of their boats, and open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage. (MNA 5/15; MNA, WAFA 5/16; PCHR 5/19)

Stabbing and other small-scale attacks continue in Israel and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians attack a group of Jewish Israelis on an Israeli bus in Jabal Mukabir, killing 2 and injuring at least 10 (a 3d Israeli will succumb to injuries sustained in the attack on 10/27). Israeli police shoot the 2 Palestinians, killing 1 and seriously injuring the other. In West Jerusalem, a Palestinian driver rams an Israeli pedestrian, then gets out of his car and stabs 5 other Israelis (1 Israeli will succumb to his injuries later in the day). Israeli police shoot and critically injure the Palestinian before arresting him (the Palestinian succumbs to his injuries later in the day). In Israel, Israeli police shoot and seriously injure a Palestinian after he stabs and moderately injures an Israeli in Ra’anana, n. of Tel Aviv. Later, a Palestinian stabs and injures 4 Israelis in the same city. Several Jewish Israelis assault and detain him as he attempts to flee, including 1 Israeli driver who rams the man with his vehicle. An Israeli man attacks a Palestinian citizen of Israel in Netanya, lightly injuring him. In Kiryat Ata nr. Haifa, a Jewish Israeli stabs and moderately injures another Jewish Israeli, mistakenly identifying him as a Palestinian. Following the morning’s attacks, Israel’s security cabinet meets and decides not to return the bodies of Palestinians shot and killed by Israeli forces after carrying out attacks on Israeli citizens. Instead of returning the bodies to their families, they will bury them secretly. The cabinet also decides to revoke the residency status of Palestinian attackers, bar any homes punitively demolished from being rebuilt, and allow the police to “impose a closure on, or to surround, centers of friction and incitement in Jerusalem, in accordance with security considerations”. (HA, JP, NYT, TOI 10/13; EI, HA, MNA, NYT 10/14; HA 10/27)

For the 5th day in a row, IDF troops open fire on hundreds of Palestinians protesting along Gaza’s border fence e. of al-Bureij r.c. and nr. the Erez border crossing, injuring 51. They also disperse and drive back around 30 Palestinians who cross the s. border. The Israeli authorities close the Erez crossing shortly after the clashes. Later, Palestinians open fire on Israeli forces patrolling along the border fence e. of Khan Yunis, causing no damage. Off the coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 10/13; HA 10/14; PCHR 10/15; PCHR 10/22)

Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting and throwing stones throughout the region, killing 1 Palestinian in Bethlehem and injuring at least 33. Israeli forces raid the Jenin home of the Palestinian who allegedly stabbed and injured an Israeli soldier in Afula on 10/8, preparing for a possible punitive demolition. The IDF also conducts raids and house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus, and Tulkarm, arresting 13 Palestinians. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian drivers nr. Nablus and nr. Hebron, injuring 1 Palestinian in the former and sparking minor clashes in the latter. Israeli settlers also assault and moderately injure a Palestinian youth outside a settlement e. of Jerusalem; assault 4 Palestinian farmers working nr. Ramallah. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/13; PCHR 10/15; PCHR 10/22)

In Israel, many schools, public institutions, and businesses in predominantly Palestinian cities go on strike, and around 20,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel and solidarity activists march through Sakhnin protesting the recent Israeli restrictions at Haram al-Sharif and violations in the oPt. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/13; EI, HA 10/14; PCHR 10/15; PCHR 10/22)

Three errant mortar shells launched from Syria land in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF fires artillery shells at 2 Syrian army targets nr. the border, causing damage. (HA, JP, TOI 10/13)

Violence escalates in the West Bank as settlers and Israeli forces continue retaliating against Palestinians in the wake of the 10/1 killing of 2 settlers. Israeli settlers protest on a main road outside Nablus, and the IDF disperses the ensuing clashes with stonethrowing Palestinian youths. Meanwhile, settlers set fire to dozens of olive trees and Palestinian agricultural land nr. Nablus, and throw stones at drivers nr. Salfit, injuring 3 Palestinian medics. Late at night, IDF troops conduct raids in and around Nablus searching for the perpetrators of the killing; they arrest 10 Palestinians and deliver a demolition notice to the home of a suspect. Clashes erupt with stone-throwers, and the IDF injures 11 youths with live ammunition. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations against the Israeli occupation and recent access restrictions at Haram al-Sharif in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, Jalazun r.c., and Budrus), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and 2 areas nr. Hebron; 6 Palestinians are injured, including 1 journalist. Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians in connection with clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli settlers the day before in a village outside Bethlehem. IDF troops clash with Palestinian stonethrowers during patrols in and around Hebron, and outside Nablus Palestinian youths throw stones at 2 Israeli settlers, causing light injuries. Violence also continues in East Jerusalem, with the Israeli authorities continuing to enforce the restrictions on access at Haram al-Sharif that were announced on 9/27 for the Jewish holiday Sukkoth. Israeli forces temporarily seal the entrances to Issawiyya and shoot stun grenades at residents who approach their mobile checkpoints, sparking intermittent clashes; 1 Palestinian is seriously injured. Palestinian youths throw stones at Israeli border police in the Old City, causing minor injuries. On Gaza’s s. border, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel for work. Israeli forces level land nr. Khan Yunis during a limited incursion along the border fence. (MNA, TOI 10/2; MNA 10/3; PCHR 10/8)

Amid escalating tensions in East Jerusalem, Palestinians march through the Old City in protest of the Israeli restrictions at Haram al-Sharif that have been in place since 8/24. Meanwhile, Palestinian youths set fire to an Israeli settler’s car in al-Tur, causing substantial damage and sparking minor clashes with Israeli forces in the area. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at Friday demonstrations against the Israeli occupation and recent restrictions on access at Haram al-Sharif nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih) and in Kafr Qaddum; 7 Palestinians are injured. Later, IDF troops shoot and injure 3 Palestinians in clashes in Silwad. Meanwhile, the IDF patrols in al-‘Arub r.c. and nr. Hebron and Jericho; conducts late-night raids in Bethlehem, issuing an arrest summons to 1 Palestinian. (HA, MNA 8/28; MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 8/29; PCHR 9/3)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troopsstationed along the n. border open fire on a group of stonethrowing Palestinians, injuring 4. A Palestinian is injured in an explosion nr. the French Cultural Center in Gaza City. (A small armed group takes responsibility for the attack on 12/18.) In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation, as well as the recent death of a senior PA official on 12/10 nr. Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, and 1 village nearby (Bayt Umar), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). Two Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Bil‘in and 7 are shot with rubbercoated metal bullets elsewhere. Meanwhile, a Palestinian man throws vinegar at a family of 5 Israeli settlers nr. Bethlehem, lightly injuring all of them. (The Israeli press 1st reported the story as an acid attack.) Another Israeli settler hits the Palestinian man with his car and shoots him in the leg, moderately injuring him. Shin Bet officers arrive soon after to detain the Palestinian man. The IDF then conducts a raid of his home. Separately, Palestinians throw stones at IDF troops on a patrol of Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, sparking clashes in which 3 Palestinians are injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF also patrols in the n. Jordan Valley, where they assault a Palestinian farmer and lightly injure him. IDF troops fire tear gas at dozens of Palestinians throwing stones at the soldiers; 1 Palestinian youth and 1 Israeli officer are injured. Israeli soldiers also conduct a raid s. of Bethlehem; patrol in Tulkarm. Following a march marking Hamas’s 27th anniversary, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli police increase their patrols and deploy additional officers around Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WP, YA 12/12; MNA, TOI 12/13; IMEMC 12/14; AFP, PCHR 12/18; EI 12/22)

The Israel Prison Service threatens to move the 70 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike since 12/9 to criminal sections of their prisons, which would decrease their quality of life, if they continue their strike. (MNA 12/12)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry phones Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and PA Pres. Abbas separately to discuss the French and Palestinian draft UNSC res. Kerry pressures Abbas not to end security coordination with Israel in response to the 12/10 death of senior PA official Ziad Abu Ein. Following the call, senior PLO and Fatah officials postpone their meeting to discuss a response until 12/14. (JP, MNA 12/13)

The Portuguese parliament adopts a recommendation calling on the govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood “in coordination with the EU.” (AFP, TOI 12/12; HA, IMEMC, WAFA 12/13)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 2 rockets into s. Israel. The 1st lands without causing damage or injuries, and the 2d is intercepted by an Iron Dome missile defense battery. Later in the day, IDF troops target 5 Islamic Jihad and Hamas sites across the Gaza Strip, injuring 6. Off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries or damage, and arrest 2 fishermen. Meanwhile, 5 mbrs. of Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades and 1 firefighter die in an explosion in a tunnel nr. Gaza City. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jenin and 1 nearby village, Qalandia r.c. nr. Jerusalem, Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Hebron and 3 nearby villages, 2 villages nr. Nablus, 1 village nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm and Nur Shams r.c. and 1 village nearby and Salfit at night. (HA, JP, MNA, ToI 6/19; PCHR 6/26)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that he expects the Palestinian unity govt. to dissolve, and that authorities are moving closer to finding the missing Israeli settler teenagers. Hamas senior official Salah Bardawil says, at a solidarity rally in Gaza, that Hamas is “capable of igniting a 3d intifada,” while Hamas spokesperson Abu Zuhri condemns continued security coordination between the PA and Israel. Meanwhile, PA Pres. Abbas issues a statement denouncing Israel’s West Bank operation as “the most severe punitive reprisals.” (JP, MNA, ToI, WAFA 6/19)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian demonstrators with live ammunition nr. Jabaliya r.c., close to the border fence, wounding 16, some of whom were also struck by tear gas canisters. The Israeli military claims that hundreds of protesters throw stones at soldiers during the incident. Later, Palestinians fire 2 rockets into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops clash with Palestinians outside the entrance to Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, shooting and wounding 6 protesters with live ammunition. The IDF conducts house searches in Bethlehem and 1 village nr. Hebron and Ramallah at night; patrols in Hebron and 1 nearby village in the afternoon, and in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Hebron and Salfit at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements and occupation in 2 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in and Ni‘lin), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries, except in Kafr Qaddum (2 struck by bullets). (HA, MNA 2/14; PCHR 2/20)

Pres. Obama holds a summit with Jordan’s King Abdallah in Palm Springs, California, where the 2 discuss the ongoing IsraeliPalestinian negotiations, Syria, and other regional issues. Obama pledges $1 billion in loan guarantees for Amman, and renews a 5-year aid package. In Jordan, a protest takes place to call for Abdallah to revoke the peace treaty with Israel, with around 1,200 demonstrators affiliated with the local Muslim Brotherhood participating. (AFP, AP, REU 2/14)

The spokesperson for the Syrian opposition, Louay al-Safi, says that the second round of peace talks in Switzerland have reached a dead end, after a day of separate meetings between UN-Arab League joint special envoy Brahimi and the 2 sides. Meanwhile, sources at the OPCW say that Syria has relinquished only 11% of its chemical weapons, and is likely to miss the deadline for the stockpile’s destruction. (AP, REU 2/14)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working close to the border fence nr. Khan Yunis r.c., causing no injuries. Separately, IDF troops open fire on stone-throwing Palestinians nr. Jabaliya r.c., wounding 1. In the West Bank, a Palestinian man dies from wounds inflicted when Israeli soldiers shot him in the head on 3/1 with a rubber-coated metal bullet during clashes at the entrance to Qalandia r.c. nr. Ramallah. Following his funeral, there are clashes at Qalandia checkpoint between stone-throwing Palestinian youth and Israeli soldiers who fire live ammunition and tear gas, with 1 Palestinian injured from a bullet to the leg. Separately, in al-‘Izzariya and Abu Dis neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, IDF troops shoot and injure 2 Palestinians with live ammunition during protests against the death of a Palestinian delayed at a checkpoint en route to hospital the previous day. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in Dura and surrounding area nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in Hebron and al-‘Arub and 5 nearby villages, and in 2 villages nr. Ramallah at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 2 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum) and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries except in Bil‘in, with 2 injured by rubber-coated metal bullets, and in Kafr Qaddum with 2 injured by gas canisters. (MNA 11/29; PCHR 12/5)

A senior but unnamed official within Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells the media that Israel has been invited to join the UNHRC’s Western European and Others Group. The development was made possible by Israel ending its boycott of the UNHRC in 10/2013, as well as agreeing to participation in its Universal Periodic Human Rights Review process. On 11/6, ambassadors of the U.K., Australia, Canada, Germany, France, and the U.S. sent a letter to the UN institutions in Geneva to urge the inclusion of Israel in the regional group. (HA, ToI 11/29)

In a White House statement, the Obama administration confirms it is keeping oilrelated sanctions targeting Iran in place despite the recently-signed deal. Meanwhile, Tehran’s envoy to the IAEA tells the agency’s board in Geneva that the implementation of the deal will start by early 1/2014. Separately, Iranian pres. Ruhani says that his country will not decommission its nuclear plants. (AP, FT, REU 11/29)

The executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague rejects a request from Syria to convert facilities used to produce chemical weapons to other activities. (NYT 11/29)

Egyptian security forces violently disperse demonstrations in various parts of Cairo with tear gas and water cannons, as supporters of ousted pres. Morsi express their opposition to a new law restricting protests. There are also similar clashes in Giza, Alexandria, and Suez. According to Interior Ministry figures, 10 are wounded and 183 arrested. (AP 11/29)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF opens fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts night patrols in 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries, except in Bil‘in (3 wounded by live ammunition) and Kafr Qaddum (2 struck by tear gas canisters). (PCHR 8/29)

In the Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians march in protest of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks; the demonstration was organized by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. (AFP 8/23)

The IDF conducts an air strike against a base of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) s. of Beirut, in response to the rocket launch the previous day—despite that attack being claimed by and attributed to another group entirely. A Lebanese security source claims that the site is also used by Islamist militants. The air raid causes no casualties or serious damage. Lebanese pres. Michel Suleiman condemns the Israeli strike and orders his diplomats to file a complaint about the attack with the UNSC. Israeli DM Moshe Ya’alon says that the Israeli govt. holds their Lebanese counterparts responsible for the rocket fire emanating from its territory. Outside of 2 Sunni mosques, twin bombs kill at least 42 people in Tripoli; no one claims responsibility for the attack. (AFP, AP, DS, HA, JP, REU, WP 8/23)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon repeats his desire for both Syrian govt. and rebel forces to permit an inspectors team to investigate the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack. Meanwhile, the British govt. adds its voice to those ascribing responsibility for the attack to govt. forces. Moscow publishes a statement calling for an independent investigation and saying that FM Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry had spoken about the situation and that both parties had a “mutual interest” in calling for a UN investigation. In an interview on CNN, U.S. pres. Barack Obama plays down the possibility of a rapid military intervention by the U.S. in Syria, saying how important a legal mandate from the UN and international coalition of support would be. (Guardian, REU 22/8)

Protests take place across Egypt by Muslim Brotherhood supporters and other opponents of the coup, though rallies were small and scattered. One person is killed by security forces in the Nile Delta town of Tanta, with official Health Ministry reports saying 54 people are wounded in Cairo and 2 Delta provinces. Meanwhile, speaking on CNN, U.S. pres. Barack Obama says that cutting off aid to Egypt “may not reverse what the interim govt. does.” (AP, REU 8/23)

The IDF assassinates Hamas commander Ahmad Jabari and his bodyguard and separately kills 7 other Palestinians in a number of air strikes on military and civilian targets across the Gaza Strip, leaving around 90 wounded. The dead include 2 children and an elderly man. Code-named Operation Pillar of Cloud in Hebrew (a Torah reference) and renamed Operation Pillar of Defense for foreign audiences, the Israeli military attacks are described as the ‘‘beginning’’ of an effort to increase deterrence and remove Hamas’s rocketlaunching capabilities. The IQB warns that Israel has ‘‘opened the gates of hell’’ with Jabari’s assassination, and fires dozens of rockets and mortars into Israel. They are joined by the DFLP, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, and PRCs, all of whom claim responsibility for rocket and mortar fire. In total, over 90 projectiles hit Israel from the Gaza Strip, causing 4 injuries. The Iron Dome rocket-defense system intercepts 30 rockets. Overnight, the IDF undertakes air strikes on around 100 sites across the Gaza Strip. U.S. pres. Obama calls Israel PM Netanyahu to express his support for Israel’s military operation and the country’s right to selfdefense. Obama also calls Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi to stress the importance of de-escalation and to pledge to stay in close touch. Egypt strongly condemns Israel’s military assault, and UN secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon calls for a cease-fire. The UNSC holds an emergency meeting but takes no action. (Guardian, REU 11/14; JP, MNA 11/15)

Unidentified assailants fire 4 rockets from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula into Israel, landing nr. an agricultural community and causing no injuries. (HA 11/14)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jericho in the morning, in 1 village nr. Salfit in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Balata r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron at night. Palestinians across the West Bank demonstrate to mark the day before the 24th anniversary of the PLO’s declaration of independence, blocking roads nr. Bethlehem, Jericho, and Ramallah, and clashing with soldiers at checkpoints in Atara (nr. Ramallah) and Bethlehem. (AFP, PCHR 11/14)

Israeli DM Barak says that almost all the villages nr. the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are now controlled by the Syrian opposition. (AP 11/14)

On a 2d day of violent protests in Jordan against price hikes and in general opposition to King Abdullah’s regime, unidentified gunmen attack 2 police stations, and ensuing clashes leave 1 protester dead—the 1st fatality in Jordanian demonstrations in 2012. (AP 11/15)

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)

IDF troops make a day-long incursion into c. Gaza to level land along the border fence e. of al-Bureij r.c. to clear lines of sight, firing on nearby residential areas to keep Palestinians indoors; no injuries are reported. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF uses live fire, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians and Israeli activists staging a nonviolent march in Dayr Qaddis nr. Ramallah to protest local settlement expansion and construction of the separation wall; 2 Palestinians are wounded with live ammunition, and 1 Israeli activist is arrested. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Matityahu settlement nr. Ramallah set fire to 10s of Palestinian olive trees in Bil‘in; the IDF prevents Palestinian firefighters fr. reaching the site quickly and directs live fire, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who challenge them (no serious injuries are reported). Israel’s Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court rules that a Palestinian family (the Farhans) cannot be evicted from their home in Shaykh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, where they have lived since 1948. (HA 6/15; JTA, PCHR, YA 6/16; PCHR 6/23; OCHA 6/24)

In retaliation for rocket fire on 1/31, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests 3 Palestinian children (ages 13–16) for straying nr. the separation wall in Bil‘in; makes a late-night raid on a Palestinian home in al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem looking for a 12- yr.-old boy who threw stones at troops earlier in the day, assaulting a boy in the house and knocking him unconscious (he is taken by ambulance to a hospital for evaluation), roughly searching rooms, and allegedly stealing gold; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. (AFP, YA 2/2; PCHR 2/3, 2/10; OCHA 2/11)

In Ramallah, the PA, which had banned anti-Mubarak protests in the West Bank, organizes 100s of Fatah mbrs. into proMubarak demonstrations, with the PAcontrolled media denouncing Egyptian opposition figure El-Baradei as a war criminal and CIA agent, calling him responsible for the war on Iraq. Later in the day, some 150 Palestinians in Ramallah organize a counterdemonstration in solidarity with the Egyptian people but are beaten and dispersed by PA riot police, who arrest 2 journalists and a human rights worker monitoring the rally. To date, the PFLP is the only Palestinian faction to come out in support of the Egyptian demonstrators. (JP 2/2; Human Rights Watch press release, NYT, WP, WT 2/3; NYT 2/4; WP 2/7) 

Yemen’s pres. Saleh pledges he will not run again when his term ends in 2013 or appoint his son to succeed him. In the past 10 days, he has also promised to lift the state of emergency imposed since 1992, raised the salaries of soldiers and civil servants, pledged to hire more college graduates, cut income taxes, imposed price controls, extended welfare payments to an additional 500,000 Yemenis, waived college tuition fees for students for the current year, and promised to reopen voter registration to enable some 1.5 m. Yemenis to register to vote. Today, Obama issues a statement welcoming Saleh’s reform steps. The opposition remains dubious, with many saying Saleh must step down immediately. Hereafter, protests shrink in size (from the 1,000s to the 100s) but increase in frequency, becoming near daily events in Sana’a and Aden through the end of the quarter. (NYT, WP 2/3; NYT 2/4)

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)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires stun grenades, tear gas and beats several Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in a nonviolent march to the separation wall outside al-Walajah village nr. Bethlehem, injuring 11 demonstrators and arresting 4 (3 Palestinians, 1 international; all are released on bail by evening); conducts synchronized late-night house searches in 2 villages northwest of Ramallah, making no arrests. Jewish settlers in Shaykh Jarrah in East Jerusalem beat 2 Palestinian children (ages 8 and 12); Israeli security forces observe but do not intervene. In a separate incident, a Jewish settler in East Jerusalem beats 2 Palestinian women, fleeing when other Palestinians intervene. Jewish settlers burn tires on the Nablus–Ramallah road to deter Palestinian traffic. (OCHA, PCHR 5/13)

IDF troops make an incursion into the no-go zone e. of Gaza City and are immediately fired upon by armed Palestinians, sparking an exchange in which 1 armed Palestinian is killed. In the West Bank, the IDF raids, searches a Palestinian home in al-Walajah village nr. Bethlehem at midday, arresting 3 Palestinians; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in and against settlement expansion in Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih (10s suffer tear gas inhalation at both locations); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, international activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, protesting the separation wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation). Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim nr. Nablus set fire to 2 Palestinian cars in nearby Jinsafut village. (OCHA, PCHR 4/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in a nonviolent march in ‘Ayn al-Bayda nr. Hebron to protest the separation wall and settlement activities, arresting 6 Palestinians (including a journalist) and 5 internationals (all released on bail by 4/12); conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in Aida, al-Azza, and Dahaysha refugee camps nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo nr. Ramallah attack, damage a Palestinian car driving nearby, causing no injuries. (OCHA, PCHR 4/15)

The UN reports that the IDF has tightened its open-fire rules in the West Bank, no longer allowing soldiers to fire in the air or at stone-throwing Palestinians; allowing fire only when Molotov cocktails are thrown at civilian cars or when soldiers have requested and received permission from commanders. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of al-Maghazi r.c. fire on Palestinians staging a peaceful march to the border fence to protest Israel’s imposition of a no-go zone, wounding 1 Palestinian; 3 Palestinians are wounded in a similar incident at the border fence e. of Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march to the separation wall outside Budrus village nr. Ramallah, injuring 3 Palestinians; conducts an evening arrest raid into Dayr Istya village nr. Salfit; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Azza r.c. and Dahaysha r.c., both nr. Bethlehem. (WP 3/31; OCHA, PCHR 4/1; WJW 4/8; JPI 4/16)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night house searches in Bil‘in, arresting 2 Palestinians involved in the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall, including artist Ibrahim Bernat (who makes portraits from rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenade canisters fired by IDF troops against demonstrators), confiscating his portrait collection. A Jewish settler fr. Gush Etzion nr. Bethlehem fires on 5 Palestinian farmers working land in Safa village nr. Hebron that settlers have previously tried to seize; no injuries are reported; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo stone Palestinian vehicles driving on the Ramallah– Nablus road nr. the settlement, causing no injuries; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (OCHA, PCHR 12/23)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians taking part in weekly protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation) and against Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (injuring 3 Palestinians); fires stun grenades and tear gas at Palestinian and international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in al-Ma‘sara s. of Bethlehem (injuring 3 Palestinians, including a 9-yr.-old boy); conducts late-night arrest raids on several coffee shops nr. Qalqilya, detaining 3 PA security officers and 3 teenagers (including a 14-yr.- old boy). In Hebron, Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on in Hebron beat 4 Palestinian youths tending sheep nearby, chasing them off the land; Jewish settlers fr. Carmiel attack and vandalize a Palestinian home nearby, attempting to drive the Palestinian family off the land. (OCHA, PCHR 11/25)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas, skunk at stone-throwing Palestinians protesting the separation wall in Bil‘in; fires stun grenades at Palestinian and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in al-Ma‘sara, severely beating 3 international activists and a Palestinian journalist covering the event; conducts synchronized late-night house searches in and n. of Tulkarm, making no arrests; stages other late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Salfit. Jewish settlers set up tents on a plot of Palestinian land in Kafr Qaddum village nr. Qalqilya establishing a new unauthorized outpost; settlers tried to occupy the site previously, but the Palestinian owner, who recently died, had won a court ruling evicting them. Jewish settlers fr. Harsina and Kiryat Arba settlements occupy a plot of Palestinian land nr. Hebron, erect a tent, and plant trees in an effort to establish a new unauthorized outpost. Jewish settlers fr. Karme Tzur nr. Hebron bulldoze large tracks of Palestinian agricultural land and uproot trees nearby to expand the settlement. (OCHA, PCHR 8/6)

Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. the Gaza border fence, sparking an exchange of gunfire with the IDF that leaves 2 armed Palestinians dead. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in a car with Palestinian license plates into Qabatya nr. Jenin to arrest a Palestinian; enters Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron to chase several stone-throwing youths, raiding 2 homes and a store, occupying rooftops, and firing on residential areas, wounding 1 Palestinian, arresting 2; fires live ammunition, rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (injuring 9); fires live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in a demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); uproots 70 olive seedlings on a Palestinian plot nr. Efrat settlement nr. Bethlehem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas, nr. Bethlehem and Jenin. (OCHA 2/24, 2/25; PCHR 2/26)

After nearly 2 wks. of consultations with top 2/10/08 election vote-getters Tzipi Livni (Kadima) and Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud), Israeli pres. Shimon Peres taps Netanyahu to form a government. Netanyahu quickly opens coalition talks with various parties. (IFM 2/20; NYT, WP 2/21; WP 2/23; NYT 2/24)

Palestinians fire 2 rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with 10 air strikes on tunnels on the Rafah border, also destroying an evacuated house and a farm, killing many animals. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, wounding 1 Palestinian. UNRWA halts aid transfers to Gaza, accusing Hamas of confiscating UN stocks for a 2d time, commandeering 10 truckloads of rice, flour. UN Secy. Gen. Ban Ki-moon warns Hamas that the suspension will remain in place until the stolen goods are returned and UNRWA is given credible assurances that thefts would not be repeated. Some Fatah-affiliated charities in Gaza also accuse Hamas of confiscating their supplies. Israel allows 82 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza today. In the West Bank, the IDF fires live ammunition, tear gas to disperse Palestinians holding a nonviolent demonstration against OCL in Hebron, wounding 1 Palestinian; fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian and international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Jayyus (injuring 3 Palestinians); fires tear gas at a similar demonstration in al-Ma‘sara s. of Bethlehem (injuring 5 Palestinians); conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Bil‘in and nr. Jenin, Nablus; makes a late-night incursion into Dayr Abu Da’if nr. Jenin, rousts 3 shop owners fr. their homes and has them open their stores, photographing and confiscating some goods. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai in Hebron vandalize nearby Palestinian houses. Separately, the IDF tells Palestinians in the Ramat Yishai vicinity that they may not receive visitors to their homes without IDF permission. (MM, NYT, WP, YA 2/7; WP, WT 2/8; PCHR 2/12)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late night arrest raids in and around Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, and in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas (firing live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 6); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (injuring 2 Palestinians, 1 international). Israel imposes new restrictions requiring Palestinian medical personnel fr. the West Bank who work in Jerusalem to enter Jerusalem only through the Qalandia checkpoint, the most crowded checkpoint, causing them significant delays. Heavy rains cause the collapse of 10 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, trapping and injuring at least 7 Palestinians. Egypt allows the entry of a delegation of Islamic Jihad officials fr. Gaza who are heading to Damascus for a wk. of internal discussions on Egypt’s proposed national unity plan ahead of national unity talks in Cairo on 11/9. Inside Israel, Hebrew University student Ali Baher, an Israeli Palestinian, is detained by campus security, questioned for 3 hrs., charged with “inappropriate conduct” for refusing on political grounds to shake hands with Pres. Shimon Peres, who randomly approached Baher while he was touring the campus library meeting with students; the university evicts Baher from campus housing and orders a disciplinary hearing (date not set) to decide whether he should be suspended. (MNA 11/2; OCHA 11/5; PCHR, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel press release 11/6)

Concerned by the escalating settler violence directed at Israeli security forces, the Israeli cabinet at its weekly meeting votes to suspend all direct and indirect government funding to unauthorized settlement outposts (especially citing infrastructure such as roads, garbage collection, and school buses) in the 1st de facto admission that public funds are used to advance illegal settlement. Olmert also proposes increasing arrests and administrative detention of Jewish settlers who break the law. The Jerusalem District Juvenile Court remands and indicts 3 Jewish settler girls (ages 12, 15, 17) for reckless endangerment, aggravated assault of security forces, and obstruction of a police officer for attacks against Israeli border police in Givat Harsina on 10/30. IDF district cmdr. Noam Tivon cancels plans to give a speech at a yeshiva in Efrat settlement nr. Bethlehem after Jewish settlers fr. Hebron threaten to hold a massive demonstration to block his visit, calling him an “expulsion criminal” for previously ordering the removal settlers fr. the unauthorized Federman Farm outpost. (YA 11/2; NYT, WP 11/3; WT 11/4; MM 11/4, 11/7)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, “skunk” spray at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 1 Palestinian, 1 German, 2 Americans); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (wounding 9); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Nablus, in Bethlehem, nr. Hebron. (OCHA 8/20; PCHR 8/21)

Israel’s siege of Gaza, imposed after Hamas’s takeover of the Strip in 6/07, remains tight. In Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conduct late-night arrest raids, house searches in Shuka nr. Rafah, arresting 3 Palestinians, wounding 1 with live ammunition, bulldozing 8 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of greenhouses and a poultry farm (killing 50,000 chickens). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Qaryut nr. Nablus, detaining 4 Palestinians (including 3 teenagers) for questioning; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin and Hebron (partially bulldozing a Palestinian home in Bayt Umar); 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 n. of Jerusalem nr. Ramallah (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); and beats demonstrators at a similar protest al-Ma‘sara nr. Bethlehem (lightly injuring 3). Nr. Nablus, 10s of armed Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar vandalize Palestinian homes in nearby Asira al-Qibliyya. In Gaza City, unknown assailants detonate a bomb outside a Catholic school in Gaza City, causing damage but no injuries. (OCHA 5/21; PCHR 5/22)

U.S. pres. George W. Bush ends a 4-day visit to Israel to mark Israel’s 60th anniversary (see Quarterly Update in JPS 148). (NYT, WP, WT 5/17; NYT 5/19)