The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers harass and intimidate Palestinians in Hebron. Israeli settlers also bring livestock to graze on Palestinian crops in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set up mobile homes near Tuqu’. Israeli forces shoot and injure 11 Palestinians during raids in Qatanna, Sabastia, Anabta, Zeita, and Tulkarm. Israeli forces also seize printing equipment and a vehicle from a printing shop in Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Maghazi, Beit Lahiya, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing more than 150 people, including 70 in a residential building in Jabalia refugee camp, 43 in 2 homes in Khan Yunis, 27 in 2 homes in Dayr al-Balah, and 4 in an UNRWA school sheltering internally displaced people. Israeli snipers also shoot a Palestinian outside of al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis. Doctors Without Borders says it will evacuate staff and patients from al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah after Israel orders the evacuation of the area in which the hospital is located, noting that Israel has attacked the area around the hospital for several days. Israel claims it forces have assassinated the commander of the al-Qassam Brigades Nuseirat battalion Ismail Sirah and his deputy Ahmed Wahba. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a home in Kawthariyat al-Siyad 25 miles north of the Blue Line and several places south of Tyre. Hezbollah attacks a group of Israeli soldiers in Avivim and fires 62 missiles at the Meron air base. In the Red Sea, the U.S. says it shot down a drone launched from Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/6; AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA 1/7)

More than 22,750 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 57,910 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 319 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 81 children. More than 3,949 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 173 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,020 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 116 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (AJ, WAFA 1/6; UNOCHA 1/7)

The Gaza media office says Israel has exhumed 1,100 graves in the Tuffah cemetery, stealing 150 bodies. (AJ 1/6)

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari says Israel has dismantled the Hamas “military framework” in northern Gaza and killed 8,000 militants in the area. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevi and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar tour Khan Yunis. (AJ, HA 1/6; AJ 1/7)

The PA says Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley are quickly increasing while the world focuses on Gaza. The PA calls on the U.S. to urge Israel to end the settlement expansion. (AJ, WAFA 1/6)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres submits a report to the UN Security Council warning that “widespread famine looms” in Gaza. Guterres says in the report that Israel must restore water and electricity services in Gaza. (AJ, HA 1/7)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken visits Greece and Turkey, meeting with Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Crete and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul. Blinken later arrives in Jordan ahead of a meeting with King Abdullah II. Blinken also speaks with the Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf telling him that the U.S. rejects the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/6)

U.S. senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jeff Merkey (D-OR) visit the Rafah crossing. Van Hollen tells reporters that the Israeli authorities are stymying the flow of aid by arbitrarily rejecting supplies from entering Gaza, calling the aid screening process “unnecessarily cumbersome.” A congressional delegation visits Qatar, meeting with prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and discussing the situation in Gaza. (AJ, AP 1/6; AJ 1/7)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell meets with Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, discussing Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. (AJ 1/6)

100 lawyers from Chile file a complaint with the ICC accusing Israel of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, blaming Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AJ 1/6)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces earlier this week in al-Eizariya. Israeli settlers set up 5 caravans near Tuqu’. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and assaulted a Palestinian man near Sabastia. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling north of Ramallah. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians during raids in Abu Dis and Nuba, including 1 in a missile strike on a building in Abu Dis. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinian during raids in ‘Usarin, Hebron, and Abu Dis. Elsewhere, Israeli forces vandalized several vehicles in Bayt Jala and uprooted 70 olive trees in Haris. 46 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Birzeit, Bil’in, Nuba, Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, and Tubas. In Gaza, Israel cut internet and phone communications for the third time since 10/7. Israeli forces killed 243 Palestinians and injured 635 others. Israel bombed Maghazi refugee camp and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing 71 Palestinians and injuring dozens of others. 1 Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza, bringing the total death toll to 28 since the ground invasion started. Rockets were fired at Israel; no damage was reported. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 4 Lebanese, including 3 children and an elderly woman, traveling in a car between Ainata and Aitaroun. 4 medics were also injured in Israeli attacks in Southern Lebanon. Hezbollah responded by attacking Kiryat Shmona, killing 1 Israeli. 1 Israeli soldier succumbed to injuries he sustained last week when his tank overturned. (AJ, HA 11/4; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/5; AJ, AP, AP 11/6)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 9,770 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,008 children and 2,500 women, and 24,173 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,260 people were buried in rubble, including 1,270 children. 144 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 43 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. Over 1.5 million Palestinians, more than half the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The number is likely much higher given the lack of recent data. Egypt said the evacuation of injured Palestinians and foreign passport holders has been suspended since 11/4 due to the Israeli attack on an ambulance on 11/3. (AJ, HA 11/4; AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/5; NYT 11/6)

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces had divided Gaza into “a south Gaza and a north Gaza.” The Israeli military called on Palestinians in northern Gaza to travel south on Salah al-Din Street between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Israeli heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu suggested that Israel use nuclear bombs in Gaza. He was later suspended from cabinet meetings but not as a minister. Eliyahu also suggested that the Palestinian population in Gaza should be forcefully displaced to Ireland or the desert. Saudi Arabia condemned the comments and called on Israel to fire him. Israeli military rabbi Amichai Friedman told Israeli soldiers, “[t]his is our country. All of it. Including Gaza. Including Lebanon, the entire Promised Land.” Newly appointed chairperson of the Knesset subcommittee on West Bank Issues Zvi Sukkot called on Israel to prevent all Palestinians from harvesting olives, claiming the harvest endangers Israeli settlers. (AJ 11/4; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/5; AP, HA, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6)

Israeli police banned an anti-war protest in Umm al-Fahm. (HA 11/5)

King Abdullah II of Jordan said Jordanian military had airdropped medical aid for a field hospital run by Jordan in Gaza. Israel later claimed it coordinated with Jordan on the airdrop. (AJ 11/4; HA 11/5; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 11/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Ramallah, calling on Blinken to support a ceasefire. Abbas said that the PA could return to power in Gaza if a “comprehensive political solution” is found to the Israeli occupation. U.S. officials said Blinken had told Abbas that the PA will play a central role in “what comes next for Gaza.” Palestinians protested Blinken’s visit to Ramallah. Blinken also traveled to Iraq, meeting with prime minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with the French consul-general to Jerusalem Pierre Cochard, discussing the upcoming French conference on aid to Gaza. (AJ 11/4; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/5; AJ, AJ, AP 11/6)

The Fatah Central Committee held a meeting discussing the situation in Gaza. In a statement after the meeting the committee condemned the “barbaric war of extermination by the occupying army.” (AJ 11/6)

CIA director William Burns arrived in Israel for meetings with Israeli officials. (AJ 11/4; NYT 11/5)

The New York Times reported that Israeli officials have been pushing other countries to lobby Egypt to allow Israel to displace Palestinians to the Sinai. The Times also reported that U.S. officials overseeing arms transfers to foreign countries will approve the sale of 24,000 assault rifles to Israel, despite concerns that some of the rifles will be handed out to settlers and civilian militias in Israel. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has handed out weapons to settlers and promised more will arrive. Axios reported on 11/6 that the Biden administration, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee have approved the Israeli purchase of M16 rifles from U.S. companies on the condition that they would not be handed to civilians in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. (NYT, NYT 11/5; AX 11/6)

Thousands of Turkish protesters demonstrated outside of a U.S. airbase in Incirlik after traveling 584 miles from Istanbul in solidarity with Palestine. Turkish police violently dispersed some protesters with water cannons and tear gas. (AJ, AJ 11/4; AP, HA, REU 11/5; AP 11/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and killed a Palestinian man harvesting olives during a raid in al-Zawiya. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Qusra, Kafr ad-Dik, Deir Istiya, Haris, and Shaab al-Butum, injuring 1. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized 10 Palestinian-owned vehicles in Beit Iksa. Israeli settlers also raided at-Tuba in the Masafer Yatta area, attacking homes and stealing property. Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian child during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolished the family home in Jalazone refugee camp of Hamas activist Bajis Nakhleh, who was arrested on 10/9, displacing 7. Elsewhere, Israeli forces placed cement barriers at the main entrance to Burqa. 25 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jalazone refugee camp, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israel forced 3 Palestinian families to demolish their own homes in Bayt Hanina, displacing 18. In Gaza, all telecommunications were cut off for the second day in a row as Israel’s ground invasion continued overnight. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 377 Palestinians; the death toll could be much higher as the breakdown in telecommunications made delivering news from Gaza extremely difficult. Israel said it had hit 150 underground facilities and infrastructure in Gaza. Israel also said it assassinated Hamas members Asem Abu Rakaba and Ratab Abu-Tsahiban. Rockets were fired from Gaza, causing damage. Palestinian students at Netanya Academic College were attacked by Jewish Israelis chanting “Death to Arabs” at the dormitory. In Lebanon, Israel said it had attacked Hezbollah positions overnight. A surface-to-air missile was fired at an Israeli drone. A shell hit the UNIFIL headquarters in South Lebanon without exploding; it was unclear who fired the shell. UNIFIL also said 1 of its peacekeepers had been injured after a shell hit a UNIFIL base in Houla and called for a ceasefire. (HA 10/27; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/28; AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT 10/29)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 7,703 Palestinians have been killed, including around 5,000 women and children, and 19,743 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. Hundreds of others are feared dead, trapped under rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 109 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 30 children. More than 2,011 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The Gaza Ministry of Health also reported that Israeli attacks have killed 110 medical staff injured more than 100, that 50 ambulances have been targeted since 10/7, and that 12 hospitals and 46 healthcare facilities have been shut due to bombing or lack of fuel. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said “Israeli obstacles” impede the delivery of aid to Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 10/28)

Sustained Israeli settler attacks forced 141 Palestinians in Khirbet Zanuta to flee their homes. (WAFA 10/28; UNOCHA 10/29; UNOCHA, WAFA 11/1)

Amid a total communications blackout in Gaza, the Israeli military said in an English language video that Palestinians should evacuate northern Gaza. (HA 10/28; REU 10/29)

Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar said Hamas is ready for “an immediate prisoner exchange deal, all the captives in exchange for all the prisoners.” Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida said Israel has not been serious about a prisoner exchange and criticized Arab nations for not doing more to get humanitarian aid to Gaza. (HA 10/28)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League to address the “genocide in the Gaza Strip.” PA health minister Mai al-Kaila also called the Israeli attacks genocide, saying 7,300 civilians had been killed, 70% of them women, children, and elderly. The PLO Executive Committee held a meeting in Ramallah, issuing 3 top priorities, including an immediate ceasefire, lifting of the blockade of Gaza, and halting forced displacement of Palestinians inside and outside of Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/28)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ground invasion of Gaza was approved unanimously by the government. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 10/28; AJ, AJ 10/29)

The U.S. told Israel that it would stop supplying weapons to Israel if they are used to arm civilians and handed out at political events. The warning followed Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s tour of Israel handing out guns to Israelis. (HA 10/28)

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower arrived in the Mediterranean, joining the USS Gerald Ford. (AJ, HA 10/28)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted a massive rally in Istanbul in support of Palestinians. Erdoğan told the rallygoers that that Israel is an occupier, and that Hamas is not a terrorist organization. Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called Erdoğan a “snake” and Israel recalled all of its diplomats in Turkey. The UAE and Saudi Arabia condemned the Israeli ground operation in Gaza and the UAE called for a UN Security Council meeting on the situation. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 10/28)

X and SpaceX owner Elon Musk said his Starlink satellite internet would be made available to humanitarian organizations in Gaza if the organizations are approved by both Israel and the U.S. Israel said it would not allow Starlink to be used in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 10/28)

More than 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London. Thousands of pro-Palestinians protesters defied a ban by Paris police on their demonstration and marched in the city. 100,000 people also rallied in support of Palestine in Kerala, India. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/28; AJ 10/29)

Former U.S. president and current republican front-runner for the upcoming U.S. elections Donald Trump said at a convention for the Republican Jewish Coalition that he would cancel the visas of pro-Palestinian protestors if he is elected president. Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis again claimed that Students for Justice in Palestine “provided material support to terrorists.” Newly elected House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson pledged support for Israel, saying “God is not done with Israel.” (HA, HA 10/28; HA 10/29)

American Muslims for Palestine said it has been forced to move its annual convention in Chicago in November after the original venue Hyatt Regency O’Hare received threats over its planned hosting of the convention. (HA 10/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid in Dura al-Qara’. Israeli settlers also shot and injured a Palestinian in Shufa. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinians traveling near Burqa, injuring a Palestinian woman. Israeli settlers also opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle near Bizarya, causing damage. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers vandalized olive trees near Tell. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including 2 minors, during raids in Shuqba and Jamma’in. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Huwwara, Tarqumiyah, and Dar Salah, injuring 3 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in Bayt Hanina. 65 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, and Nablus. Around 750 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli forces since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed around 100 Palestinians, including several people sheltering at an UNRWA school in Khan Yunis. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In Haifa, Israeli police violently dispersed anti-war protesters, arresting 4 and injuring others with batons. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fired an anti-tank missile at Israeli soldiers in Shtula, injuring 5. Israel fired artillery shells and conducted drone strikes in Lebanon. Hezbollah said 2 of its members were killed. Protesters demonstrated outside of the German and U.S. embassies in Beirut. In Syria, Israel conducted airstrikes in the Quneitra province. In Turkey, 60 people, mostly police officers, were injured after protesters in Istanbul attempted to storm the Israeli consulate. There were also demonstrations in Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Iran, and the West Bank. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/18; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/19)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 3,500 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 853 children, and 12,500 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 65 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 15 children. More than 1,284 have been injured, including at least 300 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,562 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1 million Palestinians have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 11,887 housing units have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The number is likely much higher as the latest data is from 10/14. The Palestinian civil defense team said that more than 1,000 Palestinians were under the rubble of buildings in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA 10/18)

Palestinians in the West Bank observed a general strike in protest against the Israeli airstrike that killed 471 people at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on 10/17. (WAFA, WAFA 10/18)

The Israeli military again called on Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate south to the al-Mawasi area. (AJ 10/17; HA, UNOCHA 10/18)

The PA leadership held an emergency meeting chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas, confirming a July 2023 decision to end security coordination with Israel and reaffirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense. (WAFA 10/18)

The Knesset approved temporary legislation to allow Israeli prisons to admit new inmates beyond their legal capacity, allowing worsening conditions for Palestinian prisoners, including reducing living spaces and forcing prisoners to sleep on mattresses on the floor. The bill will be in effect for 3 months. Israel prisons have received 500 new Palestinian prisoners since 10/7, including 118 who crossed from Gaza to Israel in relation to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The Israeli High Court of Justice ruled in 2017 that prisoners must be given at least 37.7 square feet of space. The Knesset ethics panel also voted to suspend Jewish Hadash MK Ofer Cassif from the Knesset for 45 days and revoked his salary for 14 days over his anti-war stance. (AJ, HA 10/18; HA 10/19)

U.S. president Joe Biden landed in Israel for meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and the war cabinet. Biden was supposed to travel to Amman for meetings with President Abbas, Jordanian king Abdullah II, and Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, but the meetings were cancelled by the 3 leaders after Israel bombed al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, killing 471 people. Biden told Netanyahu during a meeting that “it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you” in reference to the hospital bombing. Biden cautioned Israel not to be consumed by rage, saying the U.S. made mistakes after 9/11. Biden also announced $100 million in humanitarian aid to Palestinians as the Senate was working on passing a bill providing $10 billion in extra military aid to Israel. Biden said aid to Gaza could start arriving on 10/20, as Egypt needs to “patch the road” to the crossing. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) blocked an attempt by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) to prevent the Biden administration from dispersing the $100 million in aid to Palestinians. 33 Democratic senators urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to lead efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. Around 300 Jewish Americans were arrested at the U.S. Capitol while protesting Israel’s war in Gaza. The protest was arranged by Jewish Voice for Peace. (HA 10/17; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 10/18; AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 10/19; AJ 10/20)

After President Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying that Israel will not allow aid from its territory to enter Gaza until the captives are returned. The statement also said Israel demands that the Red Cross be able to visit the captives and that Israel will not “thwart” humanitarian aid from Egypt as long as it only consists of food, water, and medicine. (AJ 10/17; AJ, HA 10/18)

President el-Sisi said during a press conference with German chancellor Olaf Schulz that Israel could allow Palestinians in Gaza to stay in the Naqab desert until Israel can “do what they wish to do with the militant operatives in the Gaza Strip.” El-Sisi also spoke with President Biden about aid coming through the Rafah crossing. Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the sidelines of an OIC meeting in Jeddah, discussing the situation in Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian called on the OIC members to sanction Israel and expel Israeli ambassadors. The OIC called for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to lift the siege of Gaza. (AP 10/16; AJ 10/17; AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/18; WAFA 10/19)

The U.S. blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for humanitarian access to Gaza, protection of civilians, and condemning Hamas’ operation in Israel. The resolution, introduced by Brazil, was approved by 12 members of the Security Council, while Russia and the UK abstained. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called “for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East.” (AJ 10/17; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 10/18)

U.S. State Department director of the office of public and congressional affairs Josh Paul resigned in protest over the Biden administration’s policy toward the Israeli assault on Gaza and its “impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political convenience, intellectual bankruptcy, and bureaucratic inertia.” (AJ, HA 10/18; AJ, NYT 10/19)

Jewish Currents reported that the Palestinian academics and analysts Noura Erakat, Yousef Munayyer, and Omar Baddar had their interviews cut from segments on CBS and CNN. MSNBC last week temporarily removed 3 Muslim hosts, Mehdi Hasan, Ali Velshi, and Ayman Mohyeldin, who is Palestinian, from their programming. (JC 10/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinians and Israeli activists working an olive grove near Turmus ‘Ayya and set fire to 2 Palestinian-owned vehicles. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian homes in ‘Ayn Bus. Israeli forces shot and killed 5 Palestinians and injured 21 others during a late-night raid in Nablus. Israel claimed it was raiding Nablus to destroy an explosives lab belonging to the Lion’s Den group; at least 1 anti-tank missile was fired by Israeli forces during the raid. The PA called the raid a war crime and said it had reached out to the U.S. to pressure Israel to end its deadly raids. Tens of thousands attended the funeral procession for the 5 victims and a general strike was issued in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian during a raid in Nabi Salih. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting in Hebron against the raid in Nablus, injuring 3 with live ammunition and others with baton rounds and tear gas. Israeli forces also seized 2 residential tents in al-Juwaya in the Masafer Yatta area, and assaulted Palestinians resisting the seizure. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolished 1 Palestinian home in Bani Na‘im. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Bireh, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Aida refugee camp, injuring 1 with live ammunition. (NYT 10/24; AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AX, BB, BBC, CNN, DW, GDN, HA, HA, INT, JP, LT, MDW, MEE, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WSJ 10/25; AJ 10/26; ALM, PCHR 10/27; UNOCHA 11/1; UNOCHA 11/13; HA 11/18)

The Israeli military suspended the security coordinator of the Har Bracha settlement after a video from 10/21 showed that he aided Israeli settlers in attacking Palestinians while in military uniform near Burin. The security coordinator was seen providing a settler with a gas grenade while he was watching the settlers attack Palestinians. The security coordinator was reinstated on 10/30. (HA 10/26; HA 10/31)

PLO secretary general Hussein al-Sheikh met with the ambassadors of Jordan, Egypt, France, and Germany, known as the Munich Group, to continue talks about developing a political horizon for ending the occupation. (WAFA 10/25)

Leader of the Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh met with a delegation from the Taliban-led Afghan government in Istanbul. (MEMO 10/26; MEE 10/28)

Israeli president Isaac Herzog met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Washington. Secretary Blinken said that the 2 discussed the need to deescalate the situation in the West Bank. (HA 10/26)

Amnesty International urged the ICC to “investigate unlawful attacks committed during Israel’s August 2022 assault on the Gaza Strip as war crimes.” Amnesty said it had investigated 3 deadly incidents during the assault, 2 of which it with certainty ascribed to Israel and 1 which “likely” was caused by an unguided rocket fired by Palestinian militants. The 2 Israeli attacks Amnesty investigated killed 6 Palestinian civilians, including “a four-year-old boy, a teenager visiting his mother’s grave, and a 22-year-old student at home with her family.” Amnesty said that of the 49 Palestinians killed, 33 were killed by Israel and 7 were killed by rockets fired by Palestinian militants; it was unclear who had caused the deaths of the remaining 8. (AI, AJ, MEE 10/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces closed off large parts of Hebron to Palestinians, including forcing Palestinians to close their shops in the Bab al-Zawyeh area to allow Israeli settlers to tour it. Israeli forces also seized an excavator in Burin. 7 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Burqin, and Deir Ghasana, 1 was arrested at a checkpoint near al-Khader, and 1 was arrested at the entrance to Zabbuba. In East Jerusalem, nearly 1,700 Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound on the Jewish holiday Tisha B’Av, drawing criticism from the Israeli governing party the United Arab List, the PA, Hamas, the EU, and Jordan. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters on and around the Haram al-Sharif compound who were expressing anger over the settler incursion, causing injuries and 5 arrests. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/18; MEMO, MEMO 7/19; PCHR 7/29)

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was open for 1 day. (MEMO, WAFA 7/19)

In a statement after the Israeli settlers had toured the Haram al-Sharif compound, Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the Israeli security forces had preserved “freedom of worship for Jews on the Mound [the Haram al-Sharif compound],” a significant departure from the status quo of the Holy Sites and a 1st from an Israeli prime minister. Under the status quo agreement, only Muslims have the right to worship on the Haram al-Sharif compound. 1 day later, Prime Minister Bennett clarified that the wording was a mistake and that he meant “visit” rather than “worship.” (HA, MEMO 7/18; AP, HA, JP, WAFA 7/19)

The Israeli high court of justice rejected a petition from Peace Now to stop the transfer of Israeli public funds to the Amana movement, which funds and builds unauthorized constructions in Israeli settlements and settlement outposts. (HA 7/19)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said that the Israeli government would examine the diplomatic ramifications of the demolition and eviction of the bedouin community Khan al-Ahmar. (HA 7/18; MEMO 7/19)

The PFLP-GC said it had elected a new leader, Talal Naji, to replace Ahmed Jibril who died on 7/7 after months of sickness. (AP, HA 7/18)

17 news outlets published a Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International investigation based on a leak of more than 50,000 records of phone numbers, which had been targeted for surveillance with Pegasus spyware from the Israeli spyware company NSO Group’s clients. The investigation found that at least 180 journalists from 21 countries had been targeted by 12 NSO Group clients, including the governments of Bahrain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, India, the UAE, Mexico, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Togo, and Rwanda. The investigation also found that heads of governments, including Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan, France’s president Emmanuel Macron, and Morocco’s king Mohammed VI, were among possible victims. Furthermore, the investigation showed that Pegasus spyware was installed on Saudi dissent journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée’s phone and that his son had been listed for targeting before Khashoggi was murdered by special forces in Saudi’s embassy in Istanbul on 10/2/2018. Charges against NSO Group that its spyware was used against Khashoggi have been denied by the company. The Israeli government approves all sales of spyware from NSO Group to potential clients. Amazon subsequently said it had shut down its servers used by NSO Group. The investigation comes as a different investigation into another Israeli spyware company Candiru was released on 7/15. Later, after the Forbidden Stories investigation was published and with international criticism mounting, the Knesset’s foreign affairs and defense committee chairman Ram Ben Barak on 7/22 said that his committee would review the process of granting licenses to export spyware to other countries. France and Luxembourg said they would start investigations into the Israeli-made spyware. (NYT 7/17; AI, AJ, F24, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, NYT 7/18; AJ, ALM, AP, GDN, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NPR, REU, REU 7/19; AJ, ALM, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, REU 7/20; AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, REU, REU 7/21; AJ, ALM, BBC, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEE 7/22; HA, MEE, MEE 7/23; CNN, HILL 7/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed the weekly anti-settlement protest in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed a protest in Bayt Dajan, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Dayr Jarir, injuring the village’s major and 1 other with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also raided Qabatiya, leading to clashes with Palestinians; 1 Palestinian was hit with a rubber-coated bullet, others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces took measurements of the house of a Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli settler on 12/21 for a punitive demolition. 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Qalqilya and Dayr al-Ghusun. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested in the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural fields east of Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/25; PCHR 12/31)

The PA foreign ministry urged the UN Security Council to address the spike in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians. (WAFA 12/25)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Moroccan king Mohammed VI spoke via phone for the 1st time since the 2 countries’ normalization deal was announced on 12/10. Prime Minister Netanyahu said he had invited King Mohammed VI to Israel and later said that a Moroccan delegation would land in Israel soon. (AJ, HA 12/25; REU 12/26)

Israeli forces attacked the Syrian city of Masyaf near Lebanon, killing 6 people and causing damage. According to the Syrian military, it had intercepted a “barrage of Israeli missiles.” Low-flying Israeli fighters were filmed over Beirut shortly before the attack. (AJ, DT, HA, TOI 12/25)

Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters in Istanbul that he wants relations with Israel to be better but that “[t]he Palestine policy is our red line. It is impossible for us to accept Israel’s Palestine policies. Their merciless acts that are unacceptable.” (AJ, HA, MEE, REU 12/25)

In the West Bank, hundreds of armed Israeli settlers visit the Saint Saba Monastery outside Bethlehem overnight, sparking a tense confrontation between their IDF escort and Palestinians in the area; there are no clashes or injuries reported. Separately, Israeli settlers puncture the tires of several Palestinian vehicles and spray racist graffiti on nearby walls in Yasuf village near Salfit overnight; uproot approximately 100 trees on a Palestinian farm near Hebron; and damage a Palestinian vehicle’s windshield near Nablus. Israeli forces uproot approximately 200 cactus seedlings from a Palestinian farm near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 9 Palestinians during raids near Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Tubas, Jenin, and Tulkarm; and patrol near Nablus, Hebron, and Ramallah. An IDF raid in Dahaysha refugee camp sparks minor clashes; 1 Palestinian is injured. Unidentified assailants throw stones at an Israeli settler family driving near Hebron, lightly injuring a settler infant. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians at a checkpoint at the entrance to Issawiyya and 15 more Palestinians during raids in the neighborhood. They also demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Jabal Mukabir. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian bird-hinter approaching the border fence near Gaza City. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MNA, MNA 12/18; MNA, MNA, WAFA 12/19; PCHR 12/20)

UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov reports to the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the Israeli authorities approved or advanced approximately 2,200 new housing units in West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements between 9/13 and 12/14, marking a record low since the UNSC established its current monitoring system with Resolution 2334 of 12/2016. (HA, TOI, YA 12/19)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the secret U.S.-backed effort to build a relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia has ground to a halt recently following the Saudi government’s removal of 2 top officials involved in the killing of a dissident journalist in Istanbul on 10/2. The killing and the ensuing international outcry have reportedly restricted Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “room to maneuver” and “dampened [his] appetite for risky foreign policy endeavors.” Israeli prime minister Netanyahu said as recently as last week that the killing of the journalist was “horrific,” but that it did not overshadow the value of a strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia. (HA, TOI, WSJ 12/18)

Hundreds of Palestinian protesters gather along the border fence in Gaza to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse them near Rafah, Gaza City, Jabaliya refugee camp, and Khan Yunis; 27 Palestinians are injured (1 critically). Also along Gaza’s border fence, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land along the border fence near Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, IDF troops patrol in and around Tulkarm and Hebron. In Israel, hundreds of Palestinian citizens of Israel gather in Haifa to protest the recent deadly violence in Gaza; 21 Palestinian citizens of Israel are arrested. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct arrest raids in Issawiyya, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing residents; 1 Palestinian is injured and arrested. (MNA, YA 5/18; HA, JP 5/19; PCHR 5/24)

An elderly Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained when IDF troops opened fire on protesters along Gaza’s border fence on 5/14. His death brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 107. (HA, MNA, WAFA 5/19; MNA 5/21; PCHR 5/24)

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) convenes to debate the recent violence in Gaza. Overcoming U.S. and Australian objections, they approve a Pakistani proposal to establish an independent commission of inquiry into Israel’s use of deadly force to quell the Great March of Return. Twenty-nine countries vote in favor of the proposal, 14 abstain, and only the U.S. and Australia oppose it. Separately, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convenes in Istanbul to discuss similar initiatives. In a joint statement, delegates request that the OIC general secretariat “act immediately to establish an international independent committee of experts to investigate the crimes and massacres committed by the Israeli forces against the peaceful and unarmed demonstrators in the Gaza Strip, to determine the culpability of the Israeli officials, and communicate the findings to relevant international bodies.” (AP, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 5/18; WAFA 5/19)

For a 7th day in a row, Palestinians across the oPt gather to protest U.S. pres. Trump’s 12/6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (attendance continues to steadily decline). Israeli forces violently disperse protestors in Hebron and 3 nearby villages (Dura, Bayt Umar, and Halhul), outside the Beit El settlement near Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and along Gaza’s border near al-Bureij refugee camp, Bayt Hanun, Khan Yunis, and Rafah; at least 26 Palestinians are injured, including 1 journalist, and 5 are arrested. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently detain 2 Palestinian youths inside an ambulance in Halhul; arrest 3 Palestinians during late-night raids in Hebron and near Ramallah; and patrol in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian students outside a school in Burin village near Nablus, sparking minor clashes; there are no serious injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya and Abu Dis. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 12/13; MNA, PCHR 12/14)

Unidentified parties fire 3 rockets from Gaza toward Israel in the evening; 2 are intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and 1 falls in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. The IAF conducts air strikes on at least 5 Hamas sites across Gaza, causing damage but no injuries. The Israeli authorities announce that both the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings will be closed indefinitely as collective punishment for the week of rocket attacks emanating from Gaza. (HA, TOI 12/13; HA, PCHR, WAFA, YA 12/14; PCHR 12/21)

At an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, reps. of the 57 OIC members jointly declare East Jerusalem to be the capital of the State of Palestine and urge all countries to recognize Palestine. Addressing the attendees, PA pres. Abbas says that Israel’s violations and of international law free the Palestinians from prior commitments made in context of the peace process, threatens to abandon the PA’s security coordination with the IDF, and announces the Palestinians’ intention to go to the UNSC for full UN membership. (AFP, HA, NYT, REU, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/13)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches nr. Tulkarm, Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians, assaulting 1, and confiscating some property; patrol in 4 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home under construction in a village nr. Bethlehem in the morning. In East Jerusalem, around 40 Israeli settlers storm a Palestinian-owned building in the Old City, performing prayers and claiming ownership of the property. Israeli forces confiscate a small swath of land in Shaykh Jarrah and turn it over to a private settler organization, and arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in al-‘Izzariya and Qatanna. (MNA, WAFA 5/9; PCHR 5/12)

At the Jaffa Military Court, the manslaughter trial of the Israeli soldier who shot and killed a prone and detained Palestinian in Hebron on 3/24 begins. (HA, TOI, YA 5/9)

Israel’s consul-gen. in Istanbul Shai Cohen says that Israeli-Turkish reconciliation will have to wait for the formation of a new govt. in Ankara. Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoğlu is set to step down on 5/22 following a dispute with Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (REU, TOI 5/10)

In the Beit Horon settlement nr. Ramallah, a settlement security guard shoots and kills 2 Palestinians after they allegedly stab 2 Israeli settlers, critically injuring both (1 will succumb to her injuries on 1/26). After the attack, the IDF encourages settlement security personnel to carry weapons at all times and tighten security procedures; locks down the nearby Bayt ‘Ur al-Tahta village where 1 of the alleged attackers was from, barring anyone from entering or exiting. Meanwhile, IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Hebron, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrol during the day in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Salfit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians on late-night raids in Issawiyya. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 1/25; EI, HA, NYT, YA 1/26; PCHR 1/28)

The Israeli press reports that the planning and building comm. of Israel’s Civil Admin. approved plans for the construction of 153 new settler residences in the West Bank last week, including 65 nr. Ariel; 28 in Carmel, s. of Hebron; and 60 in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. The Israeli govt. does not confirm the announcement. Separately, PM Netanyahu orders the IDF to prepare a comprehensive plan to increase security in Israel’s West Bank settlements. (HA, TOI 1/25)

Senior Hamas and Fatah officials meet in Istanbul to discuss a possible resumption of national reconciliation talks, according to sources in Ramallah and Gaza. (TOI, XIN 1/25; NA 1/26)

In Israel, a Palestinian stabs and injures 3 Israelis in Ra’anana nr. Tel Aviv, and Israeli police arrest him after he attempts to flee the scene. Then, IDF troops conduct a late-night raid of the suspect’s Tubas-area home, sparking clashes with stone-throwers and injuring 4 Palestinians. During the day, Israeli soldiers shoot and injure a Palestinian in c. Hebron after she allegedly attempts to stab them; patrol in 4 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting the recent Israeli crackdown on the oPt in 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah, injuring 1; conduct further raids and house searches in Hebron and 1 nearby village, as well as 1 village nr. Jenin, arresting 3 Palestinians. Palestinian youths throw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli military structure nr. Ramallah late at night, setting it on fire and sparking minor clashes. Armed Palestinians then throw pipe bombs at an Israeli checkpoint nr. Ramallah, sparking a brief firefight with Israeli troops; 2 young Palestinian bystanders are lightly injured. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 12/19; HA, MNA 12/20; PCHR 12/31)

Hamas political bureau chief Khalid Mishal meets with Turkish pres. Erdoğan in Istanbul, marking their 1st meeting since the reported 12/ 16 Turkish-Israeli understanding. They reportedly discuss recent regional developments. (JP, TOI 12/19)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jenin and 2 nearby villages, and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; patrols in 1 village and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. In East Jerusalem, Jewish right-wing activists enter Haram al-Sharif, provoking clashes with Palestinian worshippers. (MNA 12/4; PCHR 12/5)

Israeli media reports that the Ministry of Defense is preparing to hand over 20,000 dunams of land in Area C to the PA, to be used for agricultural and commercial projects. (MNA 12/4)

Hizballah commander Hassan al-Laqqis is shot and killed outside his home in Beirut by unknown assailants. Laqqis had fought in Syria’s civil war. A previously unknown group, Ahrar al-Sunna Baalbek Brigade, claimed responsibility for the assassination on Twitter, but the claim could not be verified. In a statement broadcast on al-Manar TV, Hizballah accuses Israel of being behind the killing. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs then issues a denial. (AFP, DS, REU 12/4)

Israeli television reports that construction of the 245-km (152-mi.) border fence between Israel and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has been completed, 3.5 years after work began. (JP 12/4)

Israel’s Environmental Affairs Minister Amir Peretz flies to Istanbul to attend a 4-day UN-sponsored conference on Mediterranean marine and coastal environment issues. He is the 1st Israeli cabinet minister to visit Turkey since the Mavi Marmara raid in 2010. (REU 12/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin in the morning, in 3 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village each nr. Ramallah and nr. Tulkarm at night. At night, IDF soldiers conduct house searches and arrest raids in al-Azza r.c. in Bethlehem, Aida r.c. in Bethlehem, 1 village nr. Bethlehem, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 2 villages nr. Jenin. (PCHR 4/25)

U.S. Defense Secy. Chuck Hagel begins a Middle East tour in Israel, where he is expected to have meetings with Pres. Shimon Peres, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and DM Moshe Ya’alon. Hagel will discuss Iran, Syria, and also the sale of U.S. military equipment to Israel. Hagel’s weeklong tour of the region will also include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. (HA, NYT 4/20; WP 4/21)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry meets Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas in Istanbul to continue discussions about restarting negotiations, particularly a proposal to focus on boosting the Palestinian economy. Palestinian amb. to Turkey Nabil Maarouf says that the meeting fails to make any substantial progress with regards to Palestinian conditions for resuming negotiations. Secy. Kerry says that restored ties between Turkey and Israel can allow both countries to work with Washington on Iran and Syria. Kerry asks Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to delay his planned trip to the Gaza Strip in order not to disrupt efforts to improve Turkish-Israeli relations. Secy. Kerry also attends a major meeting between the Syrian opposition and its main 11 foreign supporters. After the meeting, Secy. Kerry says that Washington will double its nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition to $250 million, support that will be funnelled through the rebels’ Supreme Military Council. (AFP 4/20; MNA, NYT, REU 4/21; JP 4/22)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s new coalition government officially takes office. Speaking in the Knesset, Netanyahu says that Israel is ready for a ‘‘historic compromise’’ with the Palestinians. (JP, REU, WP 3/18)

In the West Bank, unidentified Palestinians open fire on and injure a Jewish settler at a bus stop nr. Nablus. The IDF patrols in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and conducts house searches and arrest raids in al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Nablus at night. (AP 3/18; PCHR 3/21)

A UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) fact-finding mission releases its report on Israel’s West Bank settlements, describing them as a ‘‘creeping form of annexation,’’ and calling on Israel to cease construction immediately and ‘‘initiate a process of withdrawal.’’ The report, presented by mission leader Christine Chanet, urges the international community to cut economic links with the settlements. The U.S. refuses to take part in the Council’s debate. Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay states that Israeli settler violence ‘‘continues to be perpetrated with impunity,’’ and further notes that excessive force by the IDF has resulted in Palestinian fatalities. (AFP, HA, JP, UNNC 3/18)

Lebanon reports that Israeli warplanes entered Lebanese airspace earlier in the day. Israel routinely conducts aerial surveillance over Lebanon even though this explicitly violates the 2006 Israel-Hizballah cease-fire agreement laid out in UN Res. 1701. (AP 3/18)

Iran and P5+1 group nuclear experts meet in Istanbul to review proposals put forward during the last round of talks in Kazakhstan (2/26-27). (AFP, XIN 3/18)

The Israeli cabinet approves (16–3, with 1 abstention) a plan for the Bedouin communities in the Negev that would see thousands of so-called unrecognized villages destroyed and their populations forcibly relocated to governmentapproved towns. The plan covers landownership issues, compensation, and investment in the region. The PM’s Office calls it a ‘‘compromise,’’ but Bedouin activists and human rights campaigners denounce it entirely. (JP 1/27, JP 1/28)

Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast nr. al-Waha, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Salfit in the afternoon, and in Tulkarm at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Tubas at night. (PCHR 1/31)

Tunisian pres. Moncef Marzouki postpones his visit to the Gaza Strip (see 1/20) until 3/2013, following discussion with Palestinian pres. Abbas, in order to ‘‘allow the path of reconciliation to progress.’’ Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Palestinian reconciliation comm., Abdul Aziz Qudaih, says that Morocco has pledged $500 m. to support reconciliation efforts, money to be used for compensation payments for those injured or who suffered property damage during Hamas-Fatah fighting in 2007. (MNA 1/27)

Turkish media report that the country’s dep. min. for energy and natural resources, Murat Mercan, has told Israeli Foreign Ministry official Michael Lotem that Israel’s energy cooperation with Cyprus would stand in the way of any proposed Israel-Turkey natural gas pipeline. The unofficial conversation took place during the Eurasian Economic Summit held in Istanbul. (REU 1/27)

U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton criticizes Israel’s 11/30 decision to approve 3,000 new housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, saying ‘‘these activities set back the cause of a negotiated peace.’’ The British and French governments also condemn the settlement expansion plan, stating that international confidence in Israel’s desire to make peace is at risk. Meanwhile, PLO Executive Comm. mbr. Hanan Ashrawi refers to the decision as a ‘‘war crime,’’ a hint that the PA may consider taking Israel to the ICC. (JP, REU 12/2)

An independent Palestinian source in Gaza says that Palestinian factions will open reconciliation talks in Cairo in the next few days, under Egyptian auspices. (MNA 12/1)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF opens fire on 3 separate occasions on civilians and farmers in the area nr. the border fence, wounding 1 nr. Bayt Hanun and 2 nr. Jabalya. Israeli naval vessels fire on 3 fishing boats operating between 2.5 and 3 naut. mi. off the coast, in 1 case arresting 5 Palestinian fishermen. Israel’s recent shooting of Palestinians nr. the border fence prompts Hamas to complain about Israeli violations of the cease-fire, with spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri saying that they are discussing the situation with Egyptian officials. Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades warns that Israeli cease-fire violations (including shootings along the border, firing on Palestinian fishing boats, and continued use of surveillance aircraft over Gaza) may force a response. In the West Bank, the IDF shoots and wounds a Palestinian man in Dura village nr. Hebron, after a military patrol is attacked by stone-throwing youths. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night. (MNA, REU 12/1; MNA 12/2; PCHR 12/6)

Turkish FM Davutoglu calls Israel a ‘‘terrorist state’’ at a meeting of regional leaders at the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum in Istanbul, and urges collective action against Israel. (ToI 12/1)

In a meeting with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, PA pres. Abbas says that the bid for non-member status at the UN will go ahead. Israeli PM Netanyahu convenes his inner cabinet to discuss measures against the PA in response to the UN bid. These punitive actions are reported to include freezing funds to the PA and revoking privileges of senior Palestinian leaders. (JP, ToI 11/6)

A Turkish court in Istanbul opens the trial in absentia of 4 former Israeli military commanders over charges related to the killing of 9 Turkish citizens on the Gaza-bound international aid ship Mavi Marmara in 2010 (see QU in JP 164). (REU 11/5)

Israel publishes tenders for over 1,200 new homes in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. The housing units are set for Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramot, with another 72 units re-offered in Ariel settlement in the n. of the West Bank. European governments condemn the move as a hindrance to the peace process. EU foreign policy chief Ashton expresses ‘‘regret’’ at the publication. (AFP 11/6; HA 11/7; MNA 11/8)

A bomb explodes along the Gaza Strip-Israel border fence, injuring 3 IDF soldiers on patrol. Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket into Israel, causing no injuries. Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Bayt Lahiya in the morning, causing no injuries, and shell areas nr. Khan Yunis while leveling an area nr. the border fence; the IDF also clears land by the border fence nr. Gaza Valley village at night. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes and agricultural property in villages nr. Hebron, and hands over demolition orders for 4 other homes; conducts late-night house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police conduct an arrest operation in Shu‘fat r.c., clashing with local residents; 9 police officers are injured, including 1 who is stabbed. (JP 11/6; MNA 11/7; MNA, PCHR, WAFA 11/8)

An Israeli military court sentences Palestinian activist Bassem Tamimi to 4 mos. in prison for his participation in a 10/24 demonstration at an Israeli-owned supermarket in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. (BBC 11/6)

The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in 2 villages nr. Jenin. (PCHR 7/5; OCHA 7/13)

In a television interview in Beirut, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command (PFLPGC) leader Ahmad Jibril states that his faction, along with Hizballah and Iran, would fight to defend Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad if foreign forces intervene in Syria. Jibril claims to have discussed the matter with Hizballah leader Hasan Nasrallah, but Hizballah does not comment. (WT 7/4)

Al-Jazeera satellite TV airs a special investigative report in which it claims to have uncovered new evidence that Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat did not die of natural causes in 11/2004 but was assassinated. The station funded scientific tests of Arafat’s clothing (kept by his widow, Suha Arafat) by a Swiss forensic institute that found unusually high traces of the radioactive substance polonium21. Suha Arafat immediately calls for Arafat’s body to be exhumed and tested. The PA says only that it would not ‘‘stand in the way of an exhumation.’’ (JAZ 7/3; NYT, WP 7/5)

Iran and the P5þ1 end 2 days of talks in Istanbul. Though the sides do not comment on progress, they say that deputies to Ashton and Jalili will soon meet to discuss how to reduce gaps in their positions and move negotiations forward. The meeting is later set for 7/24 in Turkey. (NYT 7/5, 7/10)

Israeli pres. Shimon Peres says he has met with Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas and other Palestinian officials several times in recent months to discuss resuming peace talks. The Palestinians do not comment. (WT 6/20) A previously unknown group calling itself the Mujahiddin Shura Council of Jerusalem (which claims ties to alQa‘ida) releases a video claiming responsibility for the 6/18 cross-border attack on Israel from Egypt. The video shows the 2 assailants killed by the IDF, identifying them as an Egyptian and a Saudi. (WP 6/20; NYT 6/21)

Responding to recent Israeli air strikes and cross-border shootings in Gaza that killed 6 Palestinians, Hamas’s IQB for the 1st time in more than a year fires a barrage of at least 45 rockets (including at least 10 Grads) fr. Gaza into Israel; 1 rocket damages an Israeli police barracks and injures 2 police officers, but the others land in open areas. The IQB says it is aiming predominantly at open areas to minimize the severity of its rocket fire and to ‘‘send a message’’ to Israel. Expecting retaliation, Hamas security officials vacate their bases. Israel initially issues a stern warning and carries out 1 air strike on a Palestinian rocketlaunching team nr. Dayr al-Balah, wounding 1 armed Palestinian. Late at night, however, Israeli warplanes and drones carry out 7 air strikes on Hamas targets across Gaza, seriously wounding 1 IQB mbr. The targets include a garage and a group of armed Palestinians in Gaza City, a vacant house in al-Bureij r.c., and 2 IQB training camps nr. Bayt Lahiya and Rafah. (HA 6/19; NYT, YA 6/20; PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22)

In the West Bank, Jewish settlers set fire to a mosque in the village of Jaba nr. Bethlehem and spray graffiti on its walls warning the Israeli government against evacuating the unauthorized settlement outpost of Ulpana (5 buildings, 30 families). This is the 12th mosque vandalized by Jewish settlers since 1/2011. Jewish settlers also vandalize the car of the settler leader negotiating the terms of Ulpana’s evacuation with the Israeli government. OCHA reports that in the previous week, the IDF carried out several significant demolitions in Israelicontrolled Area C: 14 residential structures and 11 animal pens in the al-Hirma bedouin community near Bethlehem (64 displaced, including 37 children); 6 seasonal residential structures in the Jordan Valley (20 displaced); 1 residential structure nr. Qalqilya; and 2 animal pens nr. East Jerusalem. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/20; OCHA 6/22)

The P5+1 and Iran close 2 days of ‘‘intense and tough’’ nuclear talks in Moscow. Both sides say that the talks were so detailed and so heated that they need a break to digest all that has been discussed and to confer with their governments. Iran reportedly offers to halt enrichment of uranium to 20% purity if the international community acknowledges Iran’s right to enrich uranium and immediately rolls back sanctions. The P5+1 refuses to delay or waive sanctions until Iran meets specific benchmarks of compliance. Ashton announces that the sides plan to send technical experts to Istanbul on 7/3 ‘‘to make sure all clearly understood the nature of both sides’ proposals’’ and to gauge the prospects for narrowing gaps and holding more negotiations. Meanwhile, the next round of EU and U.S. sanctions are scheduled to go into effect as scheduled on 7/1. (NYT 6/19; NYT, WP 6/20; NYT 7/2; WT 7/4; NYT 7/5)

Unidentified U.S. and Western officials confirm to the Washington Post (6/20) that the U.S. and Israel jointly developed the Flame virus to map and monitor Iran’s computer networks in preparation for a major cyberwarfare campaign. They said, however, that Israel deployed the virus unilaterally, without consulting the U.S., leading to its premature detection by Iran and to development of critical Iranian countermeasures. U.S. intelligence officials had hoped that Flame would reside undetected on Iran’s networks for years sending back valuable information. Computer experts said (WP 6/20) that Flame contained ‘‘DNA-like evidence’’ linking it to the Stuxnet virus (see QU in JPS 158). This would make the Stuxnet and Flame attacks the first recorded sustained cyber-sabotage campaign against a state. (WP 6/20)

Lebanon releases 9 Islamists (7 Lebanese, 1 Palestinian, 1 Saudi) tied to Fatah al-Islam who were among the approximate 180 people detained during the 2007 clashes between Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army in Nahr al-Barid r.c. in n. Lebanon (see QU in JPS 145–46). (WT 6/20)

The IDF conducts a major late-night operation targeting Islamic Jihad in and around Jenin, raiding and searching the homes of at least a dozen local Islamic Jihad figures (arresting all but 1) and raiding, searching, and confiscating the files of 2 charities affiliated with Islamic Jihad. The Jenin offices of the Palestine People’s Party are also searched. During the day, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian construction company building in Jinsafut nr. Qalqilya; sends undercover units in a civilian vehicle with Palestinian license plates into al-Bireh to raid and search a restaurant, arresting 4 Palestinians and seizing surveillance tapes; conducts early morning patrols in Silat alDahir nr. Jenin (photographing old houses and alleys), Iraq Burin nr. Nablus (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing youths who confront them, seriously wounding 1), and Tulkarm; conducts afternoon and evening patrols in ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya (without incident) and in Bayt Liqya and Nabi Salih (in both cases firing live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stonethrowing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries); conducts late-night patrols in Alar nr. Tulkarm and late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to Palestinian crops s. of Nablus; the IDF hinders Palestinian fire crews from reaching the scene. The IDF escorts 1,600 Jewish worshipers to visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus; some 200 Israelis who did not have authorization for the visit sneak in with the group, refuse to leave, and are forcibly removed by soldiers. (MNA 5/30; PCHR, WJW 6/2; OCHA 6/3)

At a massive rally in Istanbul commemorating the 1st anniversary of Israel’s 5/2010 attack on the aid flotilla to Gaza that killed 9 Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, the flotilla organizers, the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement (FGM), and the Turkish charity Humanitarian Relief Foundation (known by its Turkish acronym IHH), announce plans for at least 1,500 activists and 10 boats to set sale in late 6/2011 as part of the “Freedom Flotilla II” to break the Gaza siege. Israel denounces the effort as supporting “a designated terrorist group” (Hamas) and warns it will use force if necessary to halt the flotilla. (DPA, REU 5/30)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires live ammunition at a group of children who approach IDF bulldozers working on the separation wall nr. Ni‘lin while a nonviolent protest at the site winds down, fatally shooting an 11- yr.-old Palestinian boy in the head; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Bethlehem, Jenin. (HA, NYT, OCHA, PCHR, WP, WT 7/30; PCHR 8/7)

Israeli and Syrian negotiators open a 4th round of indirect peace talks in Istanbul. (JP, XIN, YA 7/30)

Israel reseals Gaza’s border crossings in the morning, saying that overnight its radar detected a Palestinians rocket launched from n. Gaza toward Israel (though admitting it has not found any rocket fragments); Hamas denies a rocket was fired, accusing Israel of looking for excuses not to honor the truce agmt. Meanwhile, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on 2 Palestinian women working a field nearby, seriously wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF fires on residential areas of Bayt ‘Awa nr. Hebron, then enters to raid and search homes, claiming that barbed wire nr. the separation wall nearby had been tampered with, threatening to shoot dead anyone to approaches the wall; sends undercover units into Tulkarm to raid an apartment building, arrest a wanted Palestinian; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and in Dahaysha r.c., Jenin town and r.c., and Tulkarm r.c.; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (wounding 5). In the 1st such incident reported, Jewish settlers fr. Brakha settlement nr. Nablus fire 2 mortars toward the nearby Palestinian village of Burin, landing inside a residential area but causing no damage or injuries. (OCHA, WT 7/2; PCHR 7/3)

Syrian and Israeli negotiating teams open a 3d round of indirect peace talks in Istanbul. (Israel Radio, MM 7/2)

In Gaza, Palestinians fire 2 rockets toward Israel, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF directs heavy machine gun fire across the border at the launch site, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c.; issues a military order confiscating 356 d. of Palestinian land e. of Tubas for construction of an IDF training facility. Unidentified gunmen fire on a group of Hamas-affiliated policemen outside a police office in Gaza City, causing no injuries. Hamas-affiliated police make a 2d attempt to arrest a wanted Fatah mbr. in al-Bureij r.c. (see 6/12), but are again attacked by neighbors and Fatah supporters and are forced to retreat. (OCHA 6/18; PCHR 6/19)

Israeli, Syrian negotiating teams open a 2d round of indirect peace talks in Istanbul. (MM 6/16; AFP, MM, NYT 6/17)

In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on an empty car in Jabaliya r.c. owned by a member of Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB) in an apparent assassination attempt, destroying the car, damaging surrounding homes, causing no reported injuries; sends tanks, troops into areas southeast of Gaza City to bulldozes 200 d. of olive groves. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border shell an alleged rocket-launching site w. of Bayt Lahiya in n. Gaza, injuring 2 Palestinian children (ages 4, 17) and damaging a house. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border direct heavy machine gun fire towards residential areas of Abasan, wounding 1 Palestinian inside his home. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF raids, searches a store in Yatta nr. Hebron, arresting the owner and confiscating a computer; chases and detains 17 Palestinian children who throw stones at an IDF post outside al-Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, questioning and releasing 12, arresting 5; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. The IDF also demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem, displacing a family of 7. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar nr. Nablus seize an area of Palestinian land and begin leveling work for construction of a new settler-only bypass road. Jewish settlers angry over the removal of an IDF roadblock nr. Hebron demonstrate, block Palestinian traffic. Israel’s Housing min. issues tenders for construction of 286 new settlement housing units in Beitar Ilit nr. Bethlehem. A Palestinian teenager injured during the IDF’s 4/11/08 raid on al-Bureij r.c. dies (see Chronology in JPS 148). (PCHR 5/22; OCHA 5/28; PCHR 5/29)

Israeli police hold a press conference to announce serious new corruption and financial impropriety allegations against Israeli PM Ehud Olmert (see Quarterly Update for details). (NYT, WP, WT 5/22; NYT 5/23; MM 6/12; NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 5/28)

Israel, Syria, Turkey announce that Israel and Syria have been holding “serious and continuous” indirect peace talks through Turkish mediators since 2/07; high-level Israeli and Syrian negotiating teams are in Istanbul taking part in a preliminary round of indirect negotiations. (IFM 5/21; NYT, WP, WT 5/22; NYT 5/23; MM 6/12)

Lebanese political figures holding national unity talks in Doha formally announce that they have reached a comprehensive agmt. ending their 18-mo. political standoff and paving the way for Gen. Michel Suleiman’s election as pres, including agmts. on redistricting Beirut, an electoral law, and allotment of cabinet seats that will give Hizballah veto power over major decisions. (MM, NYT, WP 5/21; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/22)

Israeli PM Ariel Sharon visits Hebron, calls for the expanding of Jewish settlements in and around Hebron to create “settlement contiguity” btwn. 4 Jewish enclaves in He-bron, the outlying Kiryat Arba settlement, the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs site. In response, Jewish settlers declare a new settlement on the site of the olive grove bulldozed by the IDF on 11/16 and move in 3 shipping containers, tents, cisterns; the IDF constructs a 7-ft. concrete wall around the site. IDF undercover units attempt to assassinate Riad ‘Abd al-Ghani in Tulkarm, missing him, killing his brother, wounding a 2d brother. The IDF fires rockets, tank shells at the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) Preventive Security Force (PSF) headquarters complex in Gaza, sends troops in to set fire to 2 buildings, injuring 2 PSF officers, 1 Palestinian journalist. The IDF also fires on Palestinians in Gaza City, Nur al-Shams refugee camp (r.c.); bulldozes 8 dunams of Pal-estinian land in Bayt Lahia; blows up 2 Palestinian homes in Balata r.c.; detains for 2 hrs. a PRCS ambulance carrying Palestinians seriously injured in a car accident; fires on 2 ambulances outside a hospital in Gaza, nr. Shati‘ r.c.; detains, searches 6 ambulances, including 1 transporting a patient, for up to 70 mins. at checkpoints. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/18; MENA 11/18 in WNC 11/19; AFP 11/19 in WNC 11/21; PCHR 11/20; WJW 11/21; MEI 11/22; PRCS press release 11/23)

Israeli Arab passenger carrying only a pen knife that he does not wield attempts to hijack an El Al plane bound for Istanbul fr. Tel Aviv. He is quickly captured and detained, without injury to any other passen-gers; says that he intended to hijack the plane to protest Israeli actions against Palestinians, that he is not affiliated with any group. He is described by peers as frail, nervous, eccentric young man with a heart condition, who craves popularity and attention. (MM, NYT 11/18; ATL 11/18 in WNC 11/19; CSM, NYT, WP 11/19; NYT, WJW 11/21; NYT 11/26, 11/27; JPI 11/29

In Paris, U.S. Secy. of State Albright, CIA Dir. Tenet meet with Arafat, Barak. After 12 hrs. of talks, joined at times by UN Secy.-Gen. Annan and French pres. Chirac, the sides reach an arrangement under which Barak agrees to withdraw troops to their positions before 9/28, Arafat agrees to try to curb Palestinian rioting, both sides agree to keep people away fr. 3 hot spots (Netzarim Junction in Gaza, Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, and the "circle area" nr. Ramallah). The U.S. had hoped Arafat and Barak would sign a document outlining the agmts., but the Arafat would do so only if the text included provisions for an international inquiry, which Barak rejected. After the mtg. Albright, Arafat leave for Sharm al-Shaykh. Barak returns to Israel, saying there no point in meeting with Mubarak. (MM, REU 10/4; AFP, ATL, Interfax, IRNA, ITAR-TASS, MENA, Yonhap [Seoul] 10/4, AFP, IDF Radio, Interfax, JT, MA, MENA, al-Quds, SA, VOI 10/5 in WNC 10/6; AP, CSM, LAW, MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/5; Arab News 10/5, AYM, HJ, MENA 10/6, SA 10/7, MENA 10/9 in WNC 10/10; MM, WP 10/6; AYM, Le Monde 10/11 in WNC 10/12; MM, WP 10/12; JP, MEI 10/13)

Meanwhile, Palestinian-Israeli clashes continue in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel, leaving 9 Palestinians dead, 10s wounded; 2 Palestinians die of wounds received earlier. An Israeli Arab is killed in a clash Israeli police in Kefar Manda in the Galilee. The IDF eases open-fire regulations, permitting soldiers to fire on any vehicles approaching checkpoints and continues to use heavy weapons, but overall the fighting is less intense than in previous days. The most serious clashes are nr. Bethlehem, Jaffa, Nablus, Netzarim Junction. (MM 10/4; ANSA, IRNA 10/4 in WNC 10/6; LAW, NYT, WP, WT 10/5; HJ, Daily Star 10/5 in WNC 10/10; MM 10/9)

Protests against Israel's actions are held in Damascus, where 1,000s of students demonstrate outside the U.S. emb.; in Cairo, where 1,500 students demonstrate outside the Israeli emb.; and in Amman, where riot police fire tear gas to disperse 800 protesters marching toward the Israeli emb., injuring 62. In Copenhagen, 5,000 attend a Palestinian solidarity rally. Smaller rallies are staged in Istanbul, London, Rome. In the U.S. demonstrations are staged in Dearborn, Detroit, Madison, Miami, New Haven, Portland. (MENA 10/4 in WNC 10/5; ATL 10/4, JT 10/5 in WNC 10/6; MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/5; MENA 10/5, HJ 10/6 in WNC 10/10; MENL 10/11)

The PA releases 12 Hamas political prisoners who had been held without charge in PA jails. Israel says the PA is giving a "green light for terrorism." (HJ 10/5 in WNC 10/6; WP 10/6)

The PC convenes an emergency session in Ramallah, denounces Israel's aggression, calls for an Arab summit. (WP 10/5)

Citing "compelling national security interests," the State Dept. sends Amb. Indyk back to Israel to maintain contact with Israeli officials during the clashes. (WT 10/5) (see 9/22)

Israeli, PA teams open 2 sets of talks nr. Washington: final status issues at Andrews air force base (AFB) and interim issues at Bolling AFB. (MM, WT 6/13; NYT, WP, WT 6/14; WP 6/15)

Funeral ceremonies for Syrian pres. Hafiz al-Asad are held in Damascus, Latakia, and Asad's childhood home of Qardaha, where he is laid to rest in the family mausoleum. Attending are the heads of state of Egypt, France, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Turkey, and Yemen; the heads of the PA and Hizballah; plus senior reps. from Iraq, Russia, the U.S. Secy. of State Albright meets alone with Bashar al-Asad for 15 mins., says he is ready to continue discussions on talks with Israel. (MM, WT 6/13; ATL, DUS, HINA [Zagreb], Interfax, IRNA, ITAR-TASS, MENA, al-Quds, Rompres [Bucharest] 6/13 in WNC 6/14; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 6/14; MA, al-Quds 6/14 in WNC 6/15; JP, MEI, MM 6/16; Sabah [Istanbul] 6/15 in WNC 6/21; MIL 6/19 in WNC 6/27; MM 6/20; MEI 6/30)

After a wk. of coalition bargaining to keep his government together following the 6/7 Knesset vote, PM Barak's main partner, Shas (17 Knesset seats), announces it will quit the coalition at the next cabinet mtg. unless Barak agrees to bail out its financially strapped schools, to remove its schools fr. Education Min. oversight, and to legalize its pirate radio stations. Shas's departure would leave Barak with a minority government. (MM 6/13; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/14; MM 6/15; MA 6/16 in WNC 6/19; WP 6/20; WJW 6/22)

The IDF bulldozes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem to make way for a road. This is the 13th house demolition in East Jerusalem this yr. (WT 6/14)

In Istanbul for the 11/18+n19 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mtg., U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton, Israeli PM Ehud Barak meet to discuss resuming the Syrian-Israeli track, progress on the PA-Israeli track. (MM 11/17, 11/18; SA 11/18 in WNC 11/22; NYT 11/20)

Mbrs. of the Palestinian Bar Assn. hold a sit-in to protest the Palestinian Council's (PC) approval of the Bar Association Law no. 3 of 1999, which lawyers believe restricts their work. (LAW 11/18)

Mauritania sends its 1st official delegation to Israel since establishing diplomatic ties on 10/28. (AFP 11/17 in WNC 11/22)

In Tehran, Iran, Qatar discuss expanding bilateral economic, political, security relations. (IRNA 11/17 in WNC 11/22)

Lebanese PM Huss meets with Islamic Jihad reps. to discuss their resistance activities in s. Lebanon. Jihad reps. agree not to take actions that "conflict with Lebanese government's stance." (RL 11/17 in WNC 11/22; al-Safir 11/19 in WNC 11/23) (see 11/16)