The Palestine Chronology

Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border fence to continue the Great March of Return. A small group of protesters detonate an explosive along the border fence, ripping a hole in the barrier that allows approximately 20 of them to cross into Israel; 3 are killed when Israeli soldiers open fire on the group. Throughout the day, IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations near Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Jabaliya refugee camp; 4 more Palestinians are killed at approximately 150 are injured. The killings bring the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 177. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers throw stones at a Palestinian vehicle south of Nablus, killing 1 occupant and injuring the other. IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians during raids near Bethlehem and Tulkarm; and patrol near Hebron, Nablus, and Qalqilya. They also violently disperse Palestinians gathering in Ras Karkar near Ramallah and Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya to protest the Israeli occupation; 7 Palestinian are injured. Israeli forces seal off all entrances to Hadida, the northern Jordan Valley village where they demolished several structures yesterday. Israeli border security guards arrest a Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel near Qalqilya armed with a knife. In central Israel, an incendiary balloon is found on the side of the street in Rishon Lezion, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, NYT, TOI, TOI, WAFA 10/12; EI, HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/13; PCHR 10/18)

A Palestinian prisoner dies in Israel’s Ayalon Prison. It’s unclear exactly what circumstances led to his death. He was arrested in 2015 and sentenced to 7 years in prison. He is reportedly the 4th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israeli custody since the beginning of the year. (MNA, WAFA 10/12)

After another Friday of mass protests and violence along Gaza’s border fence, Israeli defense minister Avigdor Lieberman orders a halt of all Qatari-funded fuel transfers into Gaza. Lieberman previously barred fuel transfers for a few weeks in 8/2018 after a similar surge of resistance activities in Gaza. (HA, TOI 10/12; MNA, TOI, TOI, YA 10/14)

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says that Hamas is still working to reach “understandings” with Israel on a possible long-term cease-fire agreement. “We are working with a number of parties, including Egypt, Qatar and the UN, to reach understandings in order to break the blockade,” he says. “It is possible to reach the kind of understandings that would lead to quiet in exchange for the lifting of the blockade,” he adds, before alluding to the Egyptian goal of incorporating a new intra-Palestinian reconciliation agreement into the process. “The quiet does not have to come at a political price or at the expense of the intra-Palestinian reconciliation.” (YA 10/12)

The Tel Aviv District Court rejects an appeal from Lara Alqasem, the U.S. student who was denied entry to Israel on 10/2, determining that her ongoing support for BDS is grounds for denial. Her lawyers may still petition Israel’s High Court of Justice. (HA, TOI 10/12)

Along Gaza’s border, 10 Palestinians cut through the border fence near Rafah and set fire to an IDF post. They then return to Gaza. Israeli tanks shell a Hamas observation post in the area, causing no major damage or injuries. Late at night, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducts air strikes on Gaza City’s port and an allegedly Hamas-built tunnel east of the city; 2 boats are damaged and there are no major injuries. Meanwhile, IDF troops open fire on the Great March of Return tent camp near Khan Yunis, injuring 1 Palestinian. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp and Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, unidentified armed assailants open fire on an Israeli vehicle near Ramallah, causing no major damage or injuries. IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Nablus and near Hebron and patrol in and around Qalqilya and Hebron. The raid in Nablus sparks minor clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is injured. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 5/22; PCHR 5/24)

PA FM Riyad al-Maliki submits a formal request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an investigation into Israeli settlement policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which he calls “grave crime[s].” In response, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says that her office’s preliminary examination of alleged war crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), which began on 1/16/15, has seen “important progress.” (JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 5/22)

Along Gaza’s border, 4 Palestinians enter Israel in the evening and attempt to torch heavy engineering equipment used to construct Israel’s underground border barrier. When IDF troops approach the men, they return to Gaza. The IAF then conducts late-night air strikes on 3 Hamas sites near Rafah; there are no reported injuries. Earlier in the day, IDF troops stationed along the border open fire on Palestinian farmers working near al-Maghazi refugee camp, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in Bethlehem and near Hebron, and patrol near Tulkarm and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during late-night raids in Shu‘fat refugee camp. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/25; PCHR 3/29)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 2d of 3 planned days, allowing passage in both directions. (TOI, WAFA 3/23)

A PA official says that the Palestinian authorities recently filed official requests for membership in 8 international treaties and conventions, including the International Convention against Apartheid in Sports. “Becoming members of these international conventions and treaties strengthens the Palestinian issue on the international level and demonstrates our commitment to upholding international standards in our state institutions,” the official says. The move comes 3 months after PA president Abbas pledged to join new international treaties and conventions in response to U.S. president Trump’s 12/6/17 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. (C2, JP, TOI 3/24)

Before dawn, Hamas mbrs. detonate explosives at 17 points along the 7-mi.-long Rafah border wall, allowing 10,000s of Palestinians to stream into Egypt to buy food, fuel, medicine, cement, livestock, and other goods that have been banned by Israel since 6/07; Gazans who have been stranded in Egypt reenter Gaza. (For details on the border breach, see the Quarterly Update.) Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak authorizes border police to stand down, saying Egypt will not be party to starving the Palestinians, but makes it clear that Egypt expects Gazans to return home quickly. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fatally shoot a Palestinian farmer working his land northwest of Bayt Lahiya. The IDF also levels land inside Gaza northeast of Bayt Hanun, uprooting 350 d. of olive and citrus groves. A Palestinian is injured when 2 rockets to be fired into Israel explode at the launch site. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, searches in and around Hebron (including surrounding and searching a medical clinic, interrogating staff and patients, arresting 2 staff mbrs.), in Balata r.c., and nr. Jenin, Salfit; raids a hospital in Bethlehem, confiscating 3 computers and a diagnostic machine that tests for osteoporosis; returns 200 olive trees to a farmer in Qaryut nr. Nablus who had 300 trees stolen by Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement in 6/07. A Palestinian civilian dies of injuries received during IDF operations in Nablus on 1/3. (HA, Independent, JAZ, NYT 1/23; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/24; WP 1/28; OCHA 1/30; PCHR 1/31)

IDF troops on the Gaza border, shoot, wound, detain, and transport to Israel a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays nr. the border barrier nr. Jabaliya. The IDF makes an incursion into Abu Safiyya nr. Bayt Hanun, searching homes, arresting 12 Palestinians. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting a home, injuring 1 Israeli. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, injuring 14 (including 9 children). Meanwhile, armed clashes erupt in Khan Yunis when ESF officers attempt to arrest a wanted Fatah mbr., leaving 17 Palestinians injured. Hamas closes 4 private medical clinics in Gaza that were adhering to a Fatah work slowdown. In Nablus, suspected Fatah mbrs. kidnap, beat, release a Hamas mbr. (WT 8/29; IFM 8/29; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30)

In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on a group of armed Islamic Jihad mbrs. nr. the n. Gaza border fence, killing 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs.; makes an air strike on 2 Hamas mbrs. nr. the border barrier e. of Gaza City, killing 1 Hamas mbr., wounding 1; makes an air strike on an Islamic Jihad training site nr. Rafah, wounding 1 Islamic Jihad mbr.; fires a tank shell at 2 Palestinian children (ages 9, 12) nr. a site previously used to launch rockets, killing them (the IDF claims that militants often use children to retrieve rocket launchers, so they were a viable target). Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage but no injuries. In Bayt Hanun, a Palestinian is injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. Hamas takes over management of the Rafah Labor Association, formerly headed by Fatah. (OCHA,WP 8/22; PCHR 8/23)

Sharon suffers a massive stroke. Sharon, who was expected to win a 3d term in the 3/06 elections at the head of his new Kadima party, is not expected to return to politics, throwing the elections into question. Political powers are transferred to Vice PM Ehud Olmert, Sharon’s close ally. (BBC, JTA 1/4; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 1/5; DS 1/6; CSM 1/9)

The IDF seals the West Bank, Gaza for the 4-day Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha; conducts predawn mock air raids over Gaza, breaking the sound barrier; raids a house in East Jerusalem, breaks up a mtg. being held by Change and Reform candidate Ahmad Attoun; bulldozes a Palestinian home nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 9), in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm. In continued retaliation for the 1/2 killings (see 1/3), Islamic Jihad, the AMB fire 8 rockets fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon, Sederot, and the IDF base at the Erez crossing, causing no damage or injuries. IDF soldiers, Israeli police scuffle with Jewish settlers when serving them with notices that they must evacuate by 1/15 Palestinian-owned buildings they have occupied in the Hebron central market; 4 policemen are injured. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebron, bar Palestinians fr. using a road linking the settlement to the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs; the IDF observes but does not intervene. About 40 armed AMB mbrs. occupy 4 PA government buildings in Gaza, fire on a police station to protest the 1/3 arrest of AMB leader Hams; other AMB mbrs. set burning barricades on the road to the Rafah crossing (barring all but medical cases fr. reaching the border), detonate an explosive device under the Rafah border wall (causing only minor damage). AMB mbrs. later steal 2 bulldozers, tear down a 15-ft stretch of the concrete Gaza border wall; as many as 1,000 Palestinians, some armed, overrun the Egyptian border guards, who fire in the air, call in reinforcements, declare the area a closed military zone, arrest around 100 Palestinians and injure 3; during the skirmish, some Palestinians set fire to an Egyptian armored vehicle, throw hand grenades and fire at the Egyptian contingent, leaving 2 Egyptian border guards dead and around 30 injured; Egypt closes the Rafah border until further notice. The PA says it will release Hams on 1/5 in response to the protests. PA police in Gaza City, fatally shoot a Hamas mbr. hanging campaign posters. Meanwhile, 5 armed Palestinians raid a Gaza house, attempt to kidnap the parents of Rachel Corrie, an American college student who was killed by the IDF in Gaza in 2003; the gunmen back off when the owners of the home explain who the Corries are. (IMEMC, JAZ, YA 1/4; AP, HA, IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/5; HA, NYT 1/9; al-Ahram Weekly 1/10; PCHR 1/19; PLO Negotiation Affairs Dept. press release 1/23)

The IDF deploys troops on roads btwn. Nur al-Shams r.c. and Tulkarm, fires on residential areas; during the operation, an IDF jeep hits a Palestinian car, killing 1 Palestinian, injuring 1. The IDF also conducts house searches, patrols streets in Kafr Qaddum; sets up numerous checkpoints, conducts arrest raids in and around Hebron. Hamas mbrs. blast more openings in the Gaza border wall to facilitate crossing into Egypt, overwhelming the 750 Egyptian border guards. Palestinians across the West Bank demonstrate in front of UN offices, calling on the UN to intervene to halt Israel’s construction of the separation wall. (IMEMC, WP 9/16; PCHR 9/22)