The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian man was shot to death after allegedly running toward a checkpoint with a knife near Tulkarm. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum during their weekly anti-settlement protest, causing several tear-gas related injuries; 1 Spanish activist was arrested. Elsewhere, Israeli forces closed the Ramallah-Nablus road for hours to allow Israeli settlers to use the road for a marathon. Israeli settlers prevented Palestinians from harvesting olives near Burqa. 2 Palestinians were arrested in Jenin during late-night raids, 1 other Palestinian was summoned for interrogation. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces stormed a wedding party in Sur Bahir, resulting in clashes with some of the attendees. In Gaza, 97 Palestinians were injured during the 79th weekly Great March of Return protest, including 35 from live ammunition, 42 from rubber bullets, and others from tear-gas related injuries. (HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/18; PCHR 10/24)

In Lebanon, for the 2d day in a row, thousands of protesters demonstrated against the Lebanese government’s plans to raise a new tax for WhatsApp calls and the country’s economic crisis. (AJ, AJ 10/18)

Egypt partially reopens the Rafah crossing for Palestinian travel. Smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border remain closed; Palestinians report that costs of construction materials in Gaza have spiked 20%–30% since 8/5 because of tunnel closures. Israeli bans on fuel imports also continue, forcing Gaza’s power plant to shut down 2 turbines for lack of fuel, causing rolling blackouts across the Strip to increase fr. 12 hrs./day to 16 hrs./day. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Kafr Qaddum, al-Ma‘sara, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 1 Palestinian is moderately injured by a rubber-coated steel bullet (Kafr Qaddum) and several demonstrators are beaten by IDF soldiers in al-Ma‘sara. (PCHR 8/16; OCHA 8/18)

For the 2d day in a row, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jericho, nearby ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. and Fasayil village, and 3 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; and in Jenin in the afternoon. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Kafr Qaddum, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters. A Palestinian in Bil‘in is moderately injured by a rubber-coated steel bullet; 3 Palestinians (including a child) are hit by tear gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum; and 3 internationals and 1 Palestinian are arrested. In addition, tear gas canisters and percussion grenades spark a brush fire in Kafr Qaddum, destroying 20 Palestinian olive trees. (TOI 6/6; PCHR 7/12; OCHA 7/13)