The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian trying to enter Israel for work at the separation wall west of Jenin. Israeli forces also seized 1,480 dunams (366 acres) of land near the Shilo settlement, taken from Qaryut, Jalud, Turmus ‘Ayya, and al-Mughayyir villages. 3 Palestinians were arrested during a raid in al-Fasayil. (MEE, WAFA, WAFA 7/13; PCHR 7/21; UNOCHA 7/22)

Haaretz reported that the Israeli military police was investigating 16 out of 60 killings of Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli forces during the 1st 6 months of 2022. Of the 60 killed, 15 were children and 4 were women. Israeli forces killed 70 Palestinians in the West Bank in 2021, 19 in 2020, and 20 in 2019. (HA 7/13)

Palestinians living in the Masafer Yatta area asked the Israeli high court of justice to issue an interim injunction against Israeli military exercises in the area, citing a munition hitting a home during an exercise on 7/6. (HA 7/13)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said that he had invited the family of the Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces on 5/11, to the White House. The invitation comes as the Biden administration has received severe criticism for whitewashing the Israeli killing by not firmly blaming Israel for the killing and by refusing to call for any consequences. It was unclear if President Biden will partake in the meeting. U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that the U.S. does not consider the case a closed matter and expects an open investigation. (+972 7/12; AJ, AJ, HA, INT, REU 7/13)

U.S. president Joe Biden landed in Tel Aviv for a 4-day trip of the Middle East that will include meetings with Palestinian, Israeli, and Saudi leaders. In a speech, President Biden voiced support for a 2-state solution but said “even though I know it is not in the near-term.” PA minister of social development Ahmed Majdalani called Biden’s words meaningless, saying Biden seeks to promote Israeli normalization with Arab countries over addressing the situation on the ground. During the 1st day of his 4-day tour, Biden also visited the Yad Vashem. (+972, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, ALM, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 7/13; HA, HA 7/14)

In a prerecorded interview with Israeli Channel 12, Biden emphasized that his trip to the Middle East was about having Israel “accepted as an equal” in the region. Biden also dismissed members of his own party who call Israel an apartheid state and said that he would not remove the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations even if that blocked a deal in which the U.S. would reenter the Iran Nuclear Deal. (MEE 7/14; HA, MEE 7/14)

Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip continue, killing 24 Palestinians. Palestinians fire rockets into Israel, with 2 hitting Sderot and starting a small fire. There are no injuries. Iron Dome intercepts 2 rockets over Ashdod. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian child in al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron. There are no significant clashes at the time, and the Military Police Corps announces it is opening an investigation. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 8/10; PCHR 8/11)

Via mediators, reps. of Israel and the Palestinian delegation agree to a new 72-hour cease-fire to begin at midnight local time.Israeli officials tell the media that a delegation will head to Cairo to discuss a long-term cease-fire if the 72-hour truce holds. Hamas leader Mish‘al reiterates Hamas’s demand that ending the blockade must be a part of any long-term deal and Hamas spokesperson Abu Zuhri says that the new talks will be the “last chance” for a deal. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 8/10)

Nr. Bayt Hanun, 4 AMB mbrs. are killed either when a roadside bomb they are planting explodes or when an IDF tank fires on them while they are planting a roadside bomb. In Gaza, a female IDF soldier forces a Palestinian woman to drink fr. a bottle of caustic liquid she is carrying in order to cross the checkpoint; the Palestinian is taken to the hospital with severe burns and convulsions, files a complaint; the soldier is arrested by IDF military police. The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian nr. Morag settlement; demolishes 6 Palestinian homes in Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches and bulldozes 3 dunams of land n. of Khan Yunis; raids dormitories at Birzeit University, arresting 80 students; fires on residential areas of al-Brazil, Rafah. (ITV 6/22 in WNC 6/24; HA, NYT, WP 6/23; MM 6/24; PR 6/25; PCHR 6/26; AKH 6/26 in WNC 6/28)

PA warns that talks set for 8/3 will be the last mtg. with Israel unless the Israeli team offers new ideas. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/3)

The Israeli FMin. says that it has rebuffed overtures by Cuban contacts seeking closer ties btwn. the 2 countries. (YA 8/2 in WNC 8/10)

In Damascus, Iran, Syria hold talks on economic cooperation, expanding commercial ties. (IRNA 8/2 in WNC 8/10)

Israeli military police arrest 1 IDF tracker, 1 SLA mbr. suspected of smuggling 10 M-16 rifles, 5 handguns fr. Lebanon into Israel. (MA 8/2 in WNC 8/10)

Military Action:

Israeli troops seize Beaufort Castle, Nabatiyeh, Hasbaya; fighting continues in Tyre and nearby Palestinian refugee camps; air battle over Beirut suburbs between Israeli and Syrian jets; Israeli troops converge on Sidon from 3 directions after airdropping leaflets to residents asking them to leave their homes within 2 hours; three waves of Israeli planes bomb and strafe southern Beirut; Begin and Ariel Sharon tour Beaufort Castle; Tyre is finally captured, in house-to-house combat, though pockets of resistance remain; UN re-ports 57 Israeli sorties flown over Lebanon; Israeli armored column pushes to within 12 miles of Beirut; assault on Jiye power plant cuts electricity to Beirut.

Two Syrian jets shot down over northern Israel, .2 in northern Lebanon; Israeli jets bomb and strafe Syrian positions at jezzine, east of Sidon (at least 5 Syrian soldiers killed); fierce battles fought with Israeli jets over Beirut; Syrian peacekeeping units in Beirut move equipment and ammunition to positions guarding highways to Bekaa valley.

PLO units resist in heavy fighting in Tyre and Sidon and at Saadiyat, 12 miles south of Beirut; Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) says 45,000 Israeli troops involved apd 400 killed since the invasion began; claim 45 Israeli tanks and 45 armored cars knocked out; personal security headquarters for Arafat reported hit; PLO accuses UNIFIL of "collaboration" with Israel in failing to counter invasion; Lebanese National Move-ment militias take positions near seafront to guard against Israeli invasion of Beirut.

Casualties:

Apartment buildings and structures at Arab University hit, hospitals report at least 60 wounded; refugees stream into Beirut; electricity cut off to Beirut; Israelis estimate Palestinian casualties at 2500; radio reports say hundreds of bodies litter streets of Sidon; fierce firefight on edge of Sidon reported, as fires rage on hillsides. Israel reports 25 killed, 7 missing, 1 captured, 96 wounded; PLO estimates Israeli casualties at 400.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Begin turns over Beaufort Castle to Major Haddad, meets with Habib, rejects US call for restraint; Army Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan says taking of Beaufort Castle pushes guerrillas out of range of all Galilee settlements except near Golan Heights; blackout on news of troop movements maintained; Foreign Minister Shamir says Israeli aims go beyond pushing the PLO away from the border to "the PLO's final destruction as a terrorist and political factor"; Israel reportedly pressuring Haddad and the Phalange to join in attacks on the PLO (Bashir Gemayel resists); Peres and Rabin (Labor Party) meet with Begin over remarks of Sharon, and Peres calls for speedy end to the conflict; Mapam demands a halt to Israeli air attacks and a return to the cease-fire; Knesset meets to consider no-confidence motion introduced by Democratic Front for Peace & Equality; 60 left-wing students demonstrate near prime minister's of-fice; 150 march to Mt. Scopus campus. Israeli military police tighten border patrols to prevent goods looted from Lebanese homes coming into Israel.

Palestinians/Lebanese: PLO accuses UNIFIL of "collaboration" with Israelis; Bashir Gemayel resists Israeli pressure to attack PLO; WAFA reports Israeli troops number 60,000.

Arab Governments: High-level Iranian delegation, including heads of Iranian army and revolutionary guards, visits Syria.

US: Pentagon sends 5 US warships to the eastern Mediterranean in case the 4,000 Americans in Lebanon need to be evacuated.

UN: UN resolution calls for unconditional and immediate Israeli withdrawal and an end to all military activity within Lebanon and across its border with Israel (Israel's Ambas-sador says Israel will not comply); ABC reports UNIFIL officer received orders from UN headquarters not to resist Israeli forces.