The Palestine Chronology

Marking the 40th anniversary of Land Day, Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI) conduct a general strike throughout the Galilee and Negev, and hold a protest in the bedouin village Umm al-Hiran, which the Israeli govt. is planning to raze. IDF troops violently disperse demonstrations commemorating Land Day in Ramallah, Jenin, and along Gaza’s border nr. the Erez border crossing; there are no serious injuries. They also shoot tear gas canisters at Palestinian mourners marching in a funeral procession in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem; conduct a late-night house search in al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah, arresting 2 Palestinians; and patrol during the day in 4 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli forces carry out a partial punitive demolition of the interior walls of the Hebron home of a Palestinian killed on 12/7/2015 in a confrontation with Israeli troops. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth at Haram al-Sharif after he raises a Palestinian flag at the sanctuary. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/30; JP, MNA, PCHR, WAFA 3/31; PCHR 4/7)

The head of Gaza’s fishermen’s union says that the Israeli authorities recently agreed to expand the unilaterally defined fishing zone allotted for Gazans by 3 mi. in some places, starting in 4/2016. An IDF spokesperson does not comment on the report. (MNA 3/30)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis open fire on Palestinians nr. the border fence gathering to commemorate Land Day, injuring 2. In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians gather in several villages and cities for Land Day; IDF troops violently disperse protests in villages nr. Nablus and Ramallah, causing a number of Palestinians to suffer tear gas inhalation. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 nr. Jenin, and Tulkarm, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrols in 5 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Jericho, and al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices to 7 Palestinian-owned agricultural structures and water wells in a village nr. Nablus and to 7 residential structures in a village nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians marching through the Old City to commemorate Land Day, injuring 1 and arresting 2. They also arrest 3 Palestinians at Haram al-Sharif, 3 in the Old City, and 1 during a house search in Silwan. Meanwhile, Palestinian citizens of Israel gather in Jerusalem, Dayr Hanna in the Galilee, and Rahat in the Negev to commemorate Land Day, but the Arab High Follow-Up Comm. does not call for a general strike as it did in 2014. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 3/30; YA 3/31; PCHR 4/2)

The Jerusalem Municipality announces that it has approved tenders to build 142 new residences in the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem. Also, the Interior Ministry’s District Planning and Building Comm. approves a plan to construct over 2,200 new residences for Palestinians in Jabal Mukabir, East Jerusalem, and to retroactively approve hundreds that have already been built in the neighborhood. (WAFA 3/30; TOI 3/31; HA 4/1)

The PA Ministry of Civil Affairs announces that it will be providing 1 year of financial support to the approximately 15,000 Palestinian families in Gaza whose homes were destroyed during OPE. The project will be funded by international donors, primarily Arab League mbrs., and will grant families between NIS 1,000 and 1,500 per mo. ($250 to $378). (MNA, WAFA 3/30)

A bipartisan group of 4 U.S. senators sends a letter to Pres. Obama stating their opposition to the admin.’s reported reassessment of its policies regarding Israel and the possible end of U.S. support of Israel in international institutions, such as the UN. (TOI 3/31)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. (PCHR 7/18)

Palestinian citizens of Israel observe a general strike called for by the High Follow-Up Cmte. and carry out demonstrations to protest the govt.’s proposals for the Negev which will force tens of thousands of Bedouin from their homes. Protests a few thousand-strong against the planned demolition of villages take place in Beersheba as well as nr. Sakhnin in the Galilee. There are also solidarity demonstrations in the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus. (HA, JP, YA 7/15)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry departs Washington for Amman for talks with Jordanian and Arab League officials about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. There is no plan for a visit to Israel or the West Bank on this trip, his 6th to the region since assuming office on 2/1. (AP, REU 7/15)

In Cairo, U.S. Dep. Secy. of State William Burns warns the Egyptian military that the country will find it hard to emerge from its crisis if the crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters continues. (AP, NYT 7/15)

Land Day, commemorating deaths of 6 Israeli Arabs in 1976 demonstrations against land confiscation, observed throughout Palestinian areas of Israel and in o.t. Israel's 800,000 Palestinian citizens observe general strike; observances dedicated to victims of Hebron massacre, 6 Fateh Hawks killed 3/28. Curfew imposed on Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Hebron, and 9 r.c.s. including Jabaliya. Largest demonstration held in Rahat in the Negev, where 22-yr.-old Bedouin killed by police 2/27. (MM 3/30, 3/31; NYT 3/31)

Jordan's King Hussein receives PLO envoy Hakam Bal'awi, bearing message fr. PLO Chmn. Arafat on coordinating policy on Jerusalem. (MM 3/31)

Jordanian delegate to multilateral talks on water sharing Munther Haddadin rejects Israeli proposals for "new Jordan River," saying "It is purely a unilateral project proposed by a group of academics financed by a German company. Jordan has nothing to do with it." (MM 3/31)(see 3/28)

IAF planes and IDF helicopters attack Hizballah targets in Iqlim al-Tuffah, Lebanon. (MM 3/30)

Military Action:

Lebanese Army halts demonstration after police stoned, tires burned in Bir el-Abd district of Beirut.

Casualties:

2 policemen, 5 demonstrators injured, 20 arrested, in Bir el-Abd.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Arab leaders meet in Shefar Am, decide to hold regional Land Day gatherings in Galilee, Triangle and Negev and 2 marches but no general strike; Foreign Press Association sends telegram to Begin and Arens asking for clarification of Israeli newspaper report that military censors regularly tap, garble and interrupt FPA telephone and telex lines; bomb explodes outside Bethlehem police HQ several arrests; Bethlehem office and home of al-Sha'ab newspaper correspondent searched; IDF roadblocks prevent students from getting to Birzeit; 80 schoolchildren in Jenin suffer unexplained illness.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: President Gemayel reportedly tells Habib he will not compromise Lebanon's sovereignty by allowing Israeli troops to patrol and giving Haddad responsibility for security in South; Habib returns to Jerusalem; Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in Moscow for talks with Soviet officials.

Arab Governments: Saudi Foreign Minister in Amman for talks with King Hussein.