The Palestine Chronology

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian youth during clashes in Qatanna n. of the city. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian driver after he allegedly rams his car into a group of Israeli security forces at a junction nr. Nablus, injuring 4. They also violently clash with Palestinian protesters at Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm (the IDF maintains a shooting range close to the university and blocked administrators from building a wall to deter violent protests at the range last mo.), w. of Qalqilya, and outside a settlement nr. Ramallah, injuring 16 Palestinians. The IDF assaults 1 Palestinian and arrest 19 others during raids and house searches in Jenin r.c.; 4 villages, Qaddura r.c., and Qalandia r.c. nr. Ramallah; and 7 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers assault Palestinians picking olives outside Burin village nr. Nablus, causing no major injuries; the settlers then set fire to some of the olive trees. Palestinians throw rocks at an Israeli settler’s car driving nr. Ramallah, causing moderate injuries. Palestinian gunmen later open fire on an Israeli settler’s car driving nr. Ramallah, causing damage. They also arrest 6 Palestinians on late-night raids in al-Thawri and Issawiyya. In Israel, Palestinian journalist and administrative detainee al-Qiq begins an open-ended hunger strike after being tortured in Israeli detention. He was captured by Israeli forces during a raid at his home on 11/21. In West Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian accused of planning a stabbing attack nr. the Central Bus Station. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces stationed e. of Khan Yunis open fire on Palestinian agricultural land, causing no damage or injuries. Off the coast nr. Jabaliya late at night, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 11/24; MNA 11/25; PCHR 11/26; HA 12/12; MNA 1/10; SAM 1/28)

U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss means of quelling the ongoing violence in the oPt among other issues. Kerry reportedly rejects Netanyahu’s request for the U.S. to recognize construction within Israel’s settlement blocs in exchange for Israel undertaking measures to improve the humanitarian situation in the oPt. (AA, HA, MNA 11/24; TOI 11/25; HA 11/27)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces shoot and kill a Palestinian youth late at night after he allegedly attempts to stab several officers at a checkpoint. Later, they raid the youth’s home in al-Tur, assaulting residents with pepper spray. On the Gaza border, IDF troops stationed e. of Khan Yunis open fire on agricultural lands and farmers nr. the border fence, critically injuring 1 Palestinian youth in the area. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, Jalazun r.c., and outside Ofer Prison), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 11 Palestinians are injured, including 2 seriously and 2 journalists. Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian farmer nr. Jenin; detain and assault several Palestinian farmers nr. Nablus, injuring 1 seriously. The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Jenin. (MNA 4/24; HA, MNA, REU, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/25; PCHR 4/29)

IAF jets conduct strikes on multiple targets, allegedly Hizballah long-range missile storage sites, in and around a Syrian military base nr. the Syria-Lebanon border, causing damage. (HA, JP, YA 4/25)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli jets conduct a series of mock raids. IDF troops along the s. border open fire on agricultural lands, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian-owned barn in Hebron and several shops in a village nr. Bethlehem. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron. An Israeli settler kills 16 sheep owned by Palestinians in Aqraba village, s. of Nablus, by spraying pesticides in sheep-grazing areas. In East Jerusalem, right-wing Jewish activists enter Haram al-Sharif with an escort of Israeli security forces. (MNA, WAFA 1/5; AP, MNA 1/6)

In Gaza City, reps. of Islamic Jihad and Hamas discuss the PA’s accession to the ICC, the failed UNSC res., and the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza. Later, Hamas condemns the possible resubmission of the failed res., with spokesperson Abu Zuhri saying, “such a step would be political foolishness.” Meanwhile, the U.S. State Dept., the EU Delegation to the Palestinian Legislative Council, and Israeli pres. Rivlin all criticize the Israeli govt.’s 1/1 decision to freeze the transfer of tax revenues in response to the PA’s accession to the ICC. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/5)

In the West Bank,Israeli soldiers open fire on a Palestinian man nr. a checkpoint s. of Nablus late at night, critically injuring him.Israeli forces demolish around 25 structures owned by Palestinian bedouin in a village nr. Tubas and deliver stop-work notices to 3 Palestinian-owned buildings in a village nr. Hebron. The IDF conducts a raid in Ramallah, arresting a suspect in the stabbing of 2 Israeli border police guards on 12/26. Palestinian residents of Turmus ‘Ayya nr. Ramallah discover that Israeli settlers uprooted around 5,000 olive trees planted nearby in the past week. In East Jerusalem, Palestinians throw 3 Molotov cocktails at an Israeli settler’s home in Ras al-Amud, causing damage, and Israeli police arrive to search for the perpetrators. Israeli security forces accompany a group of right-wing Jewish activists on a tour of Haram al-Sharif, then arrest 5 Palestinian women who verbally confront the activists. (MNA, WAFA 1/1; HA, MNA, TOI, YA 1/2; OCHA 1/15)

PA Pres. Abbas files a request with the Dutch embassy, asking the ICC to open investigations into suspected war crimes committed in the oPt since 6/2013. In response to the PA’s accession to the ICC, the Israeli cabinet decides to freeze the transfer of NIS 500 m. (around $127.6 m.) in tax revenues to the PA, half of the revenues collected on behalf of the PA in 12/2014, as well as future transfers. (HA, MDW 1/1; AP 1/2; HA 1/3; WAFA 1/4; AFP 1/22)