The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, 2 rockets are fired toward Israel, with 1 falling short of the n. border and the other exploding in open land on the Israeli side of the border fence; neither cause major damage. Off the n. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian refugees gather in front of UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City for the 2d Sunday in a row to protest the agency’s recent reduction in services. In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians march in Duma, nr. Nablus, in solidarity with the victims of the 7/31 arson attack in the village. Israeli forces erect mobile checkpoints outside the village to stop the march, sparking clashes in the evening; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops assault 1 Palestinian each in c. Hebron and Bethlehem; conduct late-night raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrol during the day in 3 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers return to the evacuated Sa-Nur settlement, harassing Palestinians in the area; throw rocks at a Palestinian bus s. of Hebron, causing minor damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities increase restrictions on Palestinians’ access to Haram al-Sharif, barring all Palestinian women and men under the age of 30 from entering between 7:00 and 11:00 A.M. Israeli forces detain 5 Palestinians as they leave the sanctuary. Later, minor clashes break out when 30 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary; there are no serious injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces also set up mobile checkpoints at 5 entrances to the Old City. In c. Israel, 3 Jewish Israelis assault a Palestinian in Lydda, shouting that he should be forced out of the city. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/2; MNA, TOI 8/3; PCHR 8/6)

U.S. and Egyptian officials, including U.S. secy. of state Kerry, meet in Cairo for a Egypt-U.S. strategic dialogue, the 1st such meeting since 12/2009. (SIS 7/17; AHR 7/27; AP, NYT, REU 8/2)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Tulkarm at night. (PCHR 3/21)

Israel’s new housing minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi), himself the founder of a number of settlements, rejects the idea of a construction freeze in West Bank settlements, pledging to ‘‘build in Judea and Samaria.’’ (ToI 3/17)

The European Union reveals that it contributed around €20.8 million ($27.2 million) to the PA to cover the payment of 2/2012 salaries and pensions of over 80,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, funding channelled through the donors’ PEGASE mechanism. (WAFA 3/17)

Iranian authorities indict 18 suspects on charges related to the killing of nuclear scientists—attacks Tehran has claimed are linked to Mossad, the CIA, and MI6. (AP 3/17)

New Yorker columnist Seymour Hersh reports that in 11/97, Russian PM Yevgeny Primakov allegedly accepted an $800,000 bribe fr. Iraqi pres. Saddam Hussein in return for Russian assistance with strategic weapons technology; cites British intelligence reports that a bank transfer was made btwn. Iraq's Dep. PM Tariq Aziz, an account "traceable to Primakov." Russia denies the report; National Security Adviser (NSA) Sandy Berger says that the U.S. has no evidence to support the report. (WP 3/29; NYT 4/1; New Yorker 4/5)

Britain's MI6 says Iraq's Deputy PM Tariq Aziz met secretly with an Israeli delegation headed by Housing M Binyamin Ben Eliezer in Rabat 1 mo. ago to try to draw up a peace treaty. Israeli FMin. denies the report. (Sunday Times 9/18 in WT 9/19, FBIS 9/21; CSM 9/19; WT 9/21; WJW 9/22; MEI 9/23)

Israeli police extend ban on Kach, Kahane Chai for 6 mos. (QY 9/18 in FBIS 9/19)

Palestinian Amb. to Iraq `Azzam al-Ahmad says PLO has stopped VOP transmissions fr. Baghdad, Sana`a', Algiers; will now rely solely on VOP Jericho. (Al-Dustur 9/18 in FBIS 9/20)

IDF kills 1 Palestinian, wounds 1 when car fails to stop for roadblock nr. Ramallah. In separate incident, 1 IDF soldier wounded in knifing by Palestinian nr. Tel Aviv. (WT 9/19)

Hamas issues leaflet denying association with men who shot a Palestinian policeman 9/17, blame PSF men who were also at the scene. Arafat calls in PSF's Gaza head Muhammad Dahlan to explain. (MM 9/19; QY 9/19 in FBIS 9/19; MEI 9/23)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Lawyer Kamil Dahir, spokesman for the Progressive List for Peace, is forbidden to travel for one year, following visit to see Arafat last February [FJ 7/7]. Israeli border guards and secret service beat up and arrest 3 Palestinians at Hakawati Theater during sit-in to protest one-day closure of theater to prevent scheduled Workers Unity Bloc conference [FJ 7/11].