The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Nablus, and Hebron; and patrol near Jenin, Nablus, Salfit, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 13 Palestinians and assault 1 during late-night raids in Silwan, Bayt Hanina, Ras al-Amud, Issawiyya, Hizma, and the Old City. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Gaza City and open fire on Palestinian agricultural areas near al-Bureij refugee camp, causing no damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA 11/20; PCHR 11/23)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 3d and final consecutive day, allowing passage in both directions. (MNA 11/20)

IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian youth at a bus stop outside the Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron, allegedly after he attempts to stab a settler. They leave the injured youth lying on the ground without receiving treatment before arresting him and taking him to a hospital in Israel. In a video released later, the youth can be heard pleading for water and explaining that he was attempting to commit suicide. Israeli forces demolish 8 homes and 6 retaining walls in Steih Dyouk village near Jericho. They also arrest a Palestinian living outside Yatta near Hebron before demolishing his home. The IDF arrests 7 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Salfit, and patrols near Jenin and Hebron. Israeli settlers uproot 27 olive trees on Palestinian land outside Burin village near Nablus. Meanwhile, PASF troops conduct a raid in Yatta overnight, sparking a brief firefight with the wanted Palestinians and their affiliates; 1 Palestinian is killed and another is seriously injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a building in Silwan and a 2-story apartment building in Ras al-Amud, and arrest 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in Qalandia refugee camp. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/13; PCHR 9/14; PCHR 9/21; EI 9/22)

The Egyptian authorities partially open the Rafah border crossing for a 3d day in a row, allowing Muslim worshippers to return from their pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. (OCHA 9/29)

The UN’s World Tourism Organization announces that the Palestinian bid for membership has been postponed until the body’s next meeting in 2019. The PA reportedly decided to suspend its bid following heavy U.S. pressure, according to a senior Israeli official. (HA, TOI 9/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces impose a curfew on Kafr Haris near Salfit, arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in the village, then escort approximately 1,000 Israeli settlers to perform religious rites at a site nearby. IDF troops arrest 9 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids near Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, and Bethlehem, and patrol near Jenin and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids in Issawiyya, al-‘Izzariya, and Ras al-Amud. (MNA 8/21; PCHR 8/24)

Mohammed Tahsin al-Bazam, a Palestinian man, is killed in the Swedish town of Limmared. The Swedish police (8/21) will report that “several people wearing masks entered the apartment through a balcony and shot the man inside. They disappeared after the shooting as quickly as they arrived.” Palestinians in Gaza, including the local Fatah branch, accuse Israel’s spy agency, the Mossad, of assassinating the man. (HA 8/22; HA 8/23)

Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya and Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, a number of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning, sparking a nonviolent confrontation with Muslim worshippers. Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids in Jabal Mukabir, al-Tur, Ras alAmud, Shu‘fat r.c., and the Old City. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Qarawat Bani Hassan village nr. Salfit in the evening, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. They arrest 11 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during further raids nr. Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus, and patrol nr. Ramallah, Hebron, and Qalqilya during the day. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/5; JP, MNA 2/6; PCHR 2/9)

Israel’s High Court of Justice delays by 1 mo. the demolition of 9 buildings in the Ofra settlement nr. Ramallah. The demolition was set to go forward by 2/8, but the court relented, arguing that a demolition this mo. would put undue burden on the residents, and promising to evacuate them peacefully in exchange for the delay. Meanwhile, thousands of settlers gather in Ofra to protest the planned demolition. (TOI 2/5)

IDF troops shoot and kill 2 Palestinians in c. Hebron after they allegedly attempt to stab Israeli soldiers. Palestinian witnesses say the 2 men posed no threat to the soldiers. In the wake of the attack, IDF troops clash with stonethrowing Palestinian protesters in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem and in several areas in and around Hebron; 2 Palestinians are arrested and 3 are lightly injured. They arrest at least 16 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Salfit, Bethlehem, Jenin, and Ramallah; seize several Palestinian cars, install a new checkpoint, and patrol in the Hebron district throughout the day. They also shut down an area of Hebron’s Old City, denying maintenance workers access to dilapidated buildings. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and moderately injure a Palestinian nr. the Old City after he stabs and injures 2 of them. They raid his family home in Ras al-Amud later in the day, arresting his 2 brothers. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya and the Old City. A Palestinian demolishes her own grocery shop in al-Thawri to avoid paying for Israeli demolition crews. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, seriously injuring 1 fisherman and damaging his boat. (EI, HA, MNA, YA 9/19; PCHR 9/22)

Amid an upswing in tension across the West Bank, Israeli soldiers shoot and seriously injure a Palestinian after he allegedly stabs and moderately injures an Israeli officer outside the Efrat settlement nr. Bethlehem. IDF troops on a patrol nr. Jenin clash with and violently disperse stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 4 Palestinians are arrested. They arrest 3 more Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Nablus; and patrol throughout the day nr. Nablus, Hebron, and Salfit. Israeli forces shut down the entrance to Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron to allow for maintenance work on an IDF watchtower in the area (the work will continue through 9/22). Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities return the body of the Jordanian killed on 9/16 to his family via the Allenby border crossing. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians during raids in Ras al-Amud, Issawiyya, and Silwan. (MNA, YA 9/18; PCHR 9/22)

Israeli PM Netanyahu authorizes the extension of his ban on mbrs. of the Knesset (MKs) visiting Haram al-Sharif ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, which he implemented during the habba, the surge of Palestinian resistance, random attacks, and protests that began in Jerusalem in 9/2015. (TOI 9/18)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing overnight and allow 474 Palestinian pilgrims to return home from their trip to Saudi Arabia. (MNA 9/18)

An Israeli settler on a motorcycle runs over and seriously injures an elderly Palestinian outside Duma village nr. Nablus; he dies later in the day. It is unclear if the collision is an accident or an intentional ramming attack. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah overnight, arresting 1 Palestinian and sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 4 Palestinians are injured. IDF troops arrest 4 more Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches in Jenin and around Bethlehem. Israeli forces uproot around 500 olive trees outside a village nr. Salfit. Overnight, unidentified suspects throw Molotov cocktails at a structure in an Israeli settlement nr. Nablus, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police escort around 100 Jewish settlers and 13 Israeli archaeologists on a tour of Haram al-Sharif, and bar Palestinian maintenance workers from entering the sanctuary. They arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Ras al-Amud, the Old City, and Silwan. In Gaza, 8 Palestinians are injured when a tunnel collapses in e. Gaza City. In Israel, dozens of Palestinian protesters gather outside the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashqelon in solidarity with hunger-striking prisoner Bilal Kayed. A counter-protest by right-wing Israeli activists sparks minor clashes; 13 Palestinians and Israelis are arrested, and there are no serious injuries. (JP, MNA, WAFA 8/10; PCHR 8/11; PCHR 8/18)

The Israeli police announce a NIS 1 b. (approx. $260 m.) plan to increase their presence in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem by adding 1,200 officers and 5 new outposts in Ras al-Amud, Jabal Mukabir, Silwan, Issawiyya, and Sur al-Bahir. The outposts will be headquartered in buildings that already offer civic services, such as national insurance and post, reportedly to stop them from becoming sources of tension, as police outposts in East Jerusalem have been in the past. (HA, JP 8/10)

In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians, confiscating some personal property, and violently dispersing stone-throwers nr. Tulkarm (there are no injuries). They also patrol during the day nr. Hebron, Salfit, and Jenin. Israeli forces demolish a 4-km water pipeline under construction nr. Tubas overnight and 2 homes in the Jordan Valley during the day. A Palestinian demolishes 2 of his own animal shelters nr. Nablus to avoid paying for an Israeli demolition crew. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces issue an arrest summons to a Palestinian and arrest a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) leader during raids in Silwan, and order the closure of a Palestinian education organization, the Sa’ed Institution for Educational Consultations, in the Old City, claiming that it supports terrorism against Israelis. A Palestinian demolishes his own home in Ras al-Amud to avoid paying NIS 60,000 (approx. $16,000) for an Israeli demolition crew. (MNA, WAFA 8/8; PCHR 8/11; +972 8/13)

Israel’s army radio reports that the Israeli govt., in response to a Palestinian petition to the Supreme Court, has stated that it no longer opposes the Israel Electric Corporation’s (IEC) punitive cuts of electricity to areas of the West Bank. The IEC punitively cut power to major West Bank cities intermittently over the summer in response to unpaid Palestinian debts (see JPS 45 [4]). (TOI 8/8)

IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian waiting in line at the Qalandia checkpoint. They say that she acted “suspiciously” by “quickly approaching the security guards.” Late at night, they arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in and around Nablus, Tulkarm, and Hebron; and patrol during the day nr. Salfit and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 52 Palestinians during overnight raids in Ras al-Amud and Silwan. The Israeli police dub the raids as “the 700,” referring to the number of officers involved. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinians nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. Off the coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage. They then arrest 2 fishermen and confiscate their boat. (EI, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/26; MNA 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

Nr. Bethlehem, unidentified assailants stab and injure an Israeli settler outside the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. The IDF then seals nearby Nahalin village and sets up mobile checkpoints, allowing only humanitarian cases to pass in or out. Earlier, Israeli forces confront a Palestinian youth outside the Old City of Jerusalem for “moving in a suspicious way,” then arrest her when she draws a knife and allegedly attempts to stab them. Later, IDF troops arrest another Palestinian youth outside a settlement nr. Hebron when she is found with a knife on her person. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 2/9; PCHR 2/11)

In Gaza, a Hamas fighter is killed in a tunnel collapse nr. Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure 2 Palestinians in a village nr. Bethlehem; conduct late-night raids and house searches in Jenin, Bethlehem, 1 village and Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, as well as Hebron and nearby al-Fawar r.c., arresting 8 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrol in 3 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron, as well as Salfit. Israeli forces demolish 11 Palestinian residential and agricultural structures nr. Nablus. The Israeli authorities reopen a road nr. Hebron, which has been closed since 11/2015 when tension began to escalate in the area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians on late-night raids in Qalandia r.c., Abu Dis, Sur al-Bahir, Issawiyya, the Old City, and Ras al-Amud. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/9; HA, MNA 2/10; PCHR 2/11)

Outside the Beit El settlement nr. Ramallah, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian driver at a checkpoint after he shoots and injures 3 Israeli soldiers (1 seriously). The Palestinian, later identified as a police officer, opened fire when an Israeli soldier approached his driver’s side window to perform a security check. After the incident, the IDF imposes a partial closure on the Ramallah area, setting up mobile checkpoints, shutting down many roads, and barring nonresidents from entering the city (more restrictions will be implemented by 2/1). Later, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian driver nr. Ramallah as he allegedly attempts to ram them (none of whom are injured); violently disperse Palestinian youths throwing stones and protesting the closure of a nearby checkpoint (1 Palestinian is arrested and there are no serious injuries). Meanwhile, IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in 1 village nr. Ramallah, Nablus and 1 nearby village, Hebron and 1 village nearby, and Tulkarm, arresting 11 Palestinians, assaulting 1, and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrol in al-Fawar r.c. and 3 villages nr. Hebron, as well as 1 village nr. Salfit. Israeli forces confiscate construction materials and equipment from a site nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers shoot at and damage a Palestinian home nr. Salfit late at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a home in Sur al-Bahir late at night; assault a Palestinian in Ras al-Amud, moderately injuring him; arrest 5 Palestinians on raids and at checkpoints in alThawri, Wadi al-Juz, Silwan, Shaykh Jarrah, and in the Old City. Also, a 2d Palestinian youth turns himself in to the Israeli police in connection with the 1/30 stabbing outside the Old City. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 1/31; PCHR 2/4)

The Israeli govt. approves a plan to create a new area at the Western Wall for genderdesegregated prayer, responding to years of complaints from Jewish feminists and other non-Orthodox Israelis about the discriminatory nature of the existing prayer spaces. (HA, NYT 1/31)

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian woman at a checkpoint in the Jordan Valley after she allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli soldier. In Hebron, Israeli forces raid the Dream Radio station, destroying equipment, damaging offices, and issuing an order to shut the station down for 6 mos., claiming “incitement to violence.” This is the 3d Hebron radio station shut down by the IDF in the last mo., with others being closed on 11/3 and 11/21. IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, 1 nr. Ramallah, and at a checkpoint nr. Nablus; 7 Palestinians are injured. The IDF conducts raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, 5 nr. Hebron, and 1 nr. Jenin, arresting 6 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 2; patrols in 5 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Salfit. Off Gaza’s coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian on a raid in Ras al-Amud. In Israel, thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel gather in Umm al-Fahm to protest the Israeli govt.’s 11/16 outlawing of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 11/28; MNA, WAFA 11/29; PCHR 12/3)

After a mass joint funeral in Hebron for the Palestinians whose bodies the IDF returned on 10/30, dozens of stone-throwers briefly clash with IDF troops in c. Hebron; 4 Palestinians are injured. In the latest small-scale violence, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jenin after he allegedly attacks an Israeli soldier. The Israeli authorities then close a nearby checkpoint, blocking Palestinians from traveling between Israel and the West Bank (they will reopen it on 11/1). The Israeli crackdown on the violence continues throughout the oPt as well, with IDF troops clashing with and violently dispersing Palestinian protesters nr. Ramallah and Jenin, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c. (7 Palestinians are injured). They also patrol nr. Ramallah, Salfit, and Nablus; conduct late-night raids and house searches across Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 11 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1. Israeli soldiers assault and seriously injure a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jerusalem. Israeli settlers block Palestinian farmers from working in their olive fields nr. Nablus, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian at a checkpoint in Ras al-Amud and 8 on raids in Sur al-Bahir. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/31; JP 11/ 1; PCHR 11/5)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts a house search and raid in Jericho, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrols in Nablus, al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Jenin. Israeli settlers park a group of mobile homes on Palestinian land nr. Nablus, establishing a new settlement outpost. Elsewhere, Palestinians in a village nr. Ramallah say that the Israeli authorities have informed them that they are planning on opening a major road e. of the city, having kept it closed since 2001 (Israeli forces will open the road on 5/25). Israeli authorities also inform farmers nr. Salfit that they plan to demolish 20 olive trees in the area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces and settlers surround and attempt to evacuate a Palestinian-rented home in the Old City, but the tenants’ lawyer secures a stay on a 3/15 eviction order until 5/2015; small clashes break out. Separately, Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids in Issawiyya and Ras al-Amud, arresting 7 Palestinians. (HA, MNA, WAFA 3/16; PCHR 3/19; EI 3/25)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that if he is chosen to serve a 3d consecutive term as PM, there will be no Palestinian state, responding to the confusion on 3/8 when his office refuted a Likud Party statement that said he was disavowing his 2009 Bar Ilan speech, in which he 1st came out in favor of the 2-state solution. (AFP, HA, MNA, TOI, YA 3/16)

Palestinian amb. to Iraq Ahmad Aqil says that the Iraqi Higher Judicial Council has issued a res. applying equal status as Iraqi citizens to Palestinian refugees in Iraq—except for full Iraqi nationality. While it is consistent with existing law protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees that passed under Saddam Hussein, those laws were not thoroughly enforced after his overthrow and around 22,000 Palestinians left Iraq. (MNA 3/16)

Iranian FM Zarif and U.S. Secy. of State Kerry, along with other reps. of Iran and the U.S., meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, for a week of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Zarif travels to Brussels to meet with envoys from several EU mbr. states as well as EU foreign policy chief Mogherini. (AFP, JP, TOI 3/16)

In Gaza, a Palestinian is killed when he triggers an unexploded piece of Israeli ordnance nr. Rafah. The man’s brother is critically injured. Twice off the coast nr. al-Sudaniyya and Gaza City, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage but no injuries. IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians nr. Gaza City attempting to cross the border into Israel to find work. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse dozens of Palestinian protesters at a checkpoint nr. Ramallah; 3 Palestinians are injured with live ammunition, tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Hebron and 1 village nr. Ramallah, arresting 3 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 6; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Tulkarm and Hebron. They also arrest 1 Palestinian outside a settlement nr. Salfit and 2 at checkpoints in Hebron. Israeli settlers destroy 180 olive saplings nr. Hebron and bar Palestinian farmers from tending their lands nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids in Ras al-Amud and al-Tur, sparking minor clashes with Palestinian youth throwing Molotov cocktails. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/28; HA, MNA, YA 3/1; PCHR 3/5)

Egypt’s Court of Urgent Matters designates Hamas as a terrorist organization, banning it from Egypt, after having declared the group’s armed wing, IQB, as such on 1/31. Hamas criticizes the decision, with 1 official saying it “serves the Israeli occupation.” (AJ, AP, BBC, MNA, TOI, YA 2/28; MNA 3/1)

Iranian FM Zarif criticizes Israeli PM Netanyahu’s 3/3 address to the U.S. Congress as an attempt to undermine the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. (AP, REU, YA 2/28)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops on the e. border fence twice open fire on Palestinian agricultural lands, causing no injuries. Late at night, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast nr. alSudaniyya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, PA security forces enter the H2 area of c. Hebron and arrest 2 Palestinians. IDF troops deliver demolition orders to several homes, tents, and other residential structures in 2 bedouin communities s. of Hebron. The IDF conducts house searches in Jalazun r.c., as well as nr. Hebron and Bethlehem; patrols nr. Salfit, Hebron, Tulkarm, Jenin, and in al-‘Arub r.c. An IDF raid in ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus sparks clashes with stone-throwing residents; 1 Palestinian is injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces enter Shu‘fat r.c. and clashes break out with residents, causing no injuries; conduct house searches in Ras al-Amud and Jabal Mukabir. An unknown assailant throws a firebomb at a bus nr. the Old City, causing some damage. (IMEMC, JP, MNA 12/2; MNA 12/3; PCHR 12/4)

Israeli PM Netanyahu fires Fin. Min. Lapid and Justice Minister Livni from his cabinet. Netanyahu criticizes the 2 ministers for disloyalty, citing their opposition to his “nation-state” bill, and tells the press that he will soon call for the 19th Knesset to be dissolved. Meanwhile, reps. of the 4 nonZionist parties in the Knesset, Balad, Hadash, Ra’am, and Ta’al, meet to discuss running as a joint list in the upcoming elections. (AFP, FP, HA, JP 12/2; AFP, REU, YA 12/3)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry holds talks with European FMs at a NATO meeting in Brussels. They discuss France’s draft UNSC res., which sets a timetable on IsraeliPalestinian peace negotiations. (AFP, REU 12/2; AFP, HA 12/3)

The UNGA passes a res. introduced by Egypt, which calls on Israel to give up its nuclear weapons and put its nuclear facilities under international oversight. (YA 12/2; EI 12/4)

The French parliament passes a symbolic res. that facilitates recognition of Palestinian statehood. The res. “invites the French govt. to use the recognition of the State of Palestine as an instrument to gain a definitive res. of the conflict,” and sets a 2-year deadline for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. (AFP, IMEMC, MEMO, REU, RT 12/2; WAFA 12/3)