The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 9 vehicles parked outside the Shiloh settlement belonging to Palestinians working in the settlement; a video of the incident shows the settlers throwing stones at the parked vehicles. Israeli forces seized 5 residential tents in Khirbet Humsa. 14 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Sur Bahir, Ramallah, Qaddura refugee camp, Silwad, Nablus, Barta‘a, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished residential sheds in Silwan, displacing 1 Palestinian family. 1 Palestinian was arrested in al-Tur. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled farmland east of Gaza City. (AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/16; WAFA 2/17; PCHR 2/18)

After 2 days of protest, the Hamas-appointed chairman of the Higher Sharia Council Hassan Jojo said the council would redraft a law banning unmarried women in Gaza from traveling outside of the strip without approval from a male guardian. The law was initially passed on 2/14. (HA, REU 2/16)

The U.S. Biden administration said it would return to dealing with King Salman of Saudi Arabia rather than his son and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The announcement came during a press conference by White House spokesperson Jen Psaki, who also said that the Biden administration would start pressuring Saudi Arabia on human rights issues unlike the Trump administration approach. (REU 2/16; HA 2/17)

The IDF assassinates senior Hamas mbr. Adli Hamdan (Bakr Hamdan), firing missiles at his car in Khan Yunis, injuring 2 passengers. Another 5 Palestinians are killed in separate incidents, including a PA intelligence officer fatally shot by the IDF in Ramallah. A 6th Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. In Hebron, the IDF raids, occupies a Palestinian bakery, shooting, wounding, detaining 1 Palestinian. The IDF also conducts arrest sweeps in the Bethlehem area, Tulkarm; occupies a Palestinian home in al-Khadir as an observation post. (LAW, NYT, WP 1/25; PCHR 1/30)

     The U.S. invites Sharon to come to Washington to meet with Bush on 2/7. White House also issues a statement regarding Israel's confinement of Arafat to his office in Ramallah, saying, "The president understands the reason that Israel has taken the action that it takes, and it is up to Chairman Arafat to demonstrate the leadership to combat terrorism." Bush meets with senior national security advisers to reassess U.S. Middle East policy. Some senior admin. officials (including VP Dick Cheney, Defense Secy. Donald Rumsfeld) are reportedly leaning toward sanctioning or severing ties with Arafat, the PA/PLO. (MM, WJW 1/24; AP, CNN, JP [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/25; al-Quds 1/26, DUS 1/27 in WNC 1/28; MM 1/28)

The IDF attempts to assassinate senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad Sidir by firing missiles at his car in Hebron; Sidir is injured, 2 Palestinian children are killed, 6 others are injured. (1 of the dead, 5 of the injured are bystanders.) A 3d Palestinian is killed in al-Bireh by an IDF tank shell. The IDF also shells, destroys a PSF headquarters in n. Gaza; enters Rafah to bulldoze 3 Palestinian homes; uproots 200 olive trees in Sinjil. Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in Gaza, lightly injuring 1 Jewish settler. Jewish settlers in Hebron severely beat 2 Palestinian girls. Palestinians, Israeli peace activists stage a nonviolent protest at an IDF roadblock in Qalandia. (HP, LAW, MM 12/10; AP, MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/11; WT 12/12; AYM 12/12 in WNC 12/13; HA, LAW 12/13)

Arafat, Sharon meet separately with Zinni, urge him not to cut his trip short. Powell says that Zinni will indeed stay, that he never really intended to leave but just wanted to pressure the sides to act. (AP, MM, NYT, WT 12/11) (see 12/9)

In Washington, Bush hosts the White House's 1st menorah-lighting and Hanukkah party. Speaking privately with American Jewish leaders, Bush reportedly assails Arafat and the State Dept., identifies with Sharon, says that winning the war on terror means getting rid of groups like Hamas, Hizballah. (MM 12/12; MM, WJW 12/13; NYT 12/14; AYM 12/14 in WNC 12/17; WP 12/15; JT [Internet] 12/19; JP 2/1)

In Brussels, EU FMs call on Arafat to dismantle the "terrorist networks" of Hamas and Islamic Jihad; to declare, in Arabic, the end to the "armed intifada." Also call on Israel to halt assassinations, settlement expansion, attacks on the Palestinian infrastructure. (AFP 12/10; NYT, WT 12/11; IRNA, MA, SA 12/11 in WNC 12/12; AFP, MM, WT 12/12; Le Monde 12/12 in WNC 12/13; DUS 12/12 in WNC 12/14; MEI 12/21)