The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Qabatiya on 3/30. Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian woman during a raid in Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Nablus, causing damage. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Nablus. Israeli forces also assault Palestinian farmers in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in as-Samu and 2 homes under construction in al-Simiya. Israeli forces also seize a rickshaw in Deir Balut. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raze land near Ya’bad and Arrabah. Israeli forces also arrest 34 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Husa, Battir, Bethlehem, Qalandia, Hizma, Nablus, Madama, Qabalan, Qiffin, ‘Azzun, and Jayyus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 71 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ainata, Aitaroun, and Blida. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Nahariya. In Jordan, protesters demonstrate outside of the Israeli embassy in Amman for the 10th day in a row. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/2; AJ, UNOCHA 4/3)

More than 32,916 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,750 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,495 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 446 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,700 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 254 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,520 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. U.S. forces airdrop aid over northern Gaza. 158 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UN suspends aid movements at night in Gaza, citing risks to aid workers. (AJ, WAFA 4/2; AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA 4/3; UNOCHA 4/5)

Anera, the second largest humanitarian organization in Gaza, suspends operations following the Israeli attack on World Central Kitchen aid workers on 4/1 that killed 7 people. The UAE suspends its operations in the maritime corridor between Cyprus and Gaza due to the attack. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 4/2; AJ 4/3)

140 countries sign letters to the presidents of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly, and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres supporting Palestine gaining full UN membership. The Security Council would have to approve full membership for Palestine before the General Assembly can vote on approval. U.S. deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood says the U.S. position remains that the issue of Palestinian statehood is a final status issue to be decided in talks between Israel and Palestine. (REU 4/2; AJ, AP 4/3)

A ceasefire proposal formulated by Egypt and Qatar is sent to Hamas. (HA 4/3)

The World Bank and the UN release a report saying the damage to Gaza’s infrastructure is estimated at $18.5 billion and that the estimated 26 million tons of rubble caused by Israeli destruction  will take years to remove. (AJ, REU, WAFA 4/2; AJ 4/3)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa addresses the first cabinet meeting of the new government, outlining 3 major priorities: easing the hardship of Palestinians in Gaza, achieving financial stability, and reform of public institutions to make them more productive, accountable, and transparent. Mustafa also speaks with UK foreign secretary David Cameron, Egyptian prime minister Mustafa Madbouly, and Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa in separate phone calls. PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Jordanian king Abdullah II in a phone call, saying he supports Jordan as external forces are trying to interfere in internal Jordanian affairs, exploiting the situation in Gaza. It is not immediately clear what Abbas is referring to, but it could relate to the more than week-long protests outside of the Israeli embassy in Amman. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/2; WAFA 4/3)

The UN Security Council discusses Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on 4/1. The Russian and Iranian ambassadors condemn the attack, as does Secretary-General Guterres who says the “inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law.” The U.S., France, and the UK do not condemn the Israeli attack but say that diplomatic structures should be protected. (AJ, HA, REU 4/2; NYT 4/3)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Blinken says the U.S. is in contact with Israel on how to distribute aid in Gaza, adding not enough aid is getting in. (HA 4/2)

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan postpones a trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss Saudi-Israeli normalization with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman after he suffers a cracked rib. (AJ, AX, HA 4/2; REU 4/3)

47,800 Americans in Wisconsin vote “uninstructed” in the Democratic primary election, more than the 20,682 votes President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by in the state in 2020. Wisconsin is one of several swing states where a campaign to criticize Biden’s policy on Gaza has gathered significant support. (HA 4/2; AJ 4/3)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Jalbun and Huwwara, opening fire at homes; no injuries are reported. Israeli forces demolish 7 agricultural structures in Barta’a and 2 agricultural structures in Qabalan. Israeli forces also deliver a stop-work notice for a Swiss-funded sports field in Qalandia and seize a vehicle and equipment. Elsewhere, Israeli forces set up 2 iron gates on roads leading to Huwwara. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid al-Qibli Mosque at the Haram al-Sharif compound, forcibly removing worshippers. Israeli forces also erect iron barriers at the King Faisal, al-Ghawanmeh, and al-Hadid gates to the compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 69 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people and injuring 155. In Beit Kama, a Palestinian citizen of Israel stabs and kills an Israeli soldier before he is shot and killed. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a home in Naqoura. Israeli forces also bomb Tayr Harfa, Kunin, and Hamul. Hezbollah attacks Israeli soldiers in al-Abad. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 9 anti-ship missiles and 2 drones at different sites, saying Houthis fired 4 anti-ship missiles at vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 3/15)

More than 31,341 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,134 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 425 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,475 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 142 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 13,900 meals over northern Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/14; UNOCHA 3/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints the current chairperson of the Palestine Investment Fund and former deputy prime minister and minister of national economy, Mohammed Mustafa, as the new PA prime minister. Abbas says in a statement that he asked Mustafa to create a plan to re-unify the administration of Gaza and the West Bank, lead reforms in the PA government, security services, and economy, and fight corruption. The U.S. National Security Council welcomes the appointment of Mustafa. UK foreign secretary David Cameron also welcomes the appointment. According to Axios, State Department and White House officials have met with Mustafa and heard his plans for post-war Gaza and rehabilitating the PA economy. The PA condemns Israel for setting up barriers and gates around the Haram al-Sharif compound ahead of Friday prayers. The PA also calls on the ICC to summon Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for incitement to kill Palestinians, citing his statement in support of the killing of a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem on 3/12. Abbas speaks with Jordanian king Abdullah II, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 3/15)

Reuters reports that Hamas has submitted a 2-stage ceasefire proposal where the first stage would see Israeli women, children, elderly, and ill captives, including female soldiers, exchanged for 700-1,000 Palestinian prisoners. During the first stage a date for a permanent ceasefire and a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be set. The remaining captives would be released in another prisoner exchange. The Israeli prime minister’s office calls Hamas’s terms “unrealistic” but says the war and security cabinets will discuss the proposal on 3/15. Hamas also calls on Palestinians to break the siege of the al-Aqsa Mosque. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 3/14; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/15)

Representatives from several clans in Gaza tell international organizations and Israel that they will not participate in Israel’s plan to circumvent Hamas in the distribution of aid. (HA 3/14)

National Security Minister Ben-Gvir bans the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation from broadcasting in Israel and Jerusalem. (WAFA 3/14)

The U.S. sanctions 3 Israeli settlers, Neriya Ben Pazi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit, and the 2 settlement outposts Moshe’s Farms and Zvi’s Farms. Sharvit and Bar Yosef are responsible for the 2 outposts and are also sanctioned by the UK. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 3/14)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signs a letter assuring the Biden administration that Israel will use U.S. weapons in accordance with international law and will allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AX 3/15)

The U.S. circulates a draft resolution at the UN Security Council, supporting efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire. It is unclear when the draft will be put to a vote. (REU 3/14; AP 3/15)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calls for new elections in Israel, calling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 1 of 4 major obstacles for peace, along with “radical right-wing Israelis in government and society,” Hamas, and PA president Abbas. Schumer also says that if Netanyahu remains in power then the U.S. should “play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course.” House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he may introduce a standalone bill for aid to Israel, saying Schumer’s comment “made the situation even more urgent.” The House has already passed 2 Israel funding bills, which Schumer has rejected as Senate Democrats want to tie Israel funding to Ukraine funding. The Likud Party condemns Schumer’s remarks, saying “the Israeli public supports a total victory over Hamas, rejects any international dictates to establish a Palestinian terrorist state, and opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza” and that Israel is “not a banana republic.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

Leader of the Houthi movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi says Houthi forces will attack Israeli-linked ships in the Indian Ocean that are circumventing the blockade of the Red Sea by going south of the African continent. Al-Houthi also says that 34 members of the Houthi movement have been killed since the U.S.-led anti-Houthi coalition began attacking its forces. (AJ, REU 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

The Toronto Star and Reuters report that Canada has stopped shipments of non-lethal military equipment, such as night vision goggles, to Israel due to concerns over human rights violations. (AJ 3/14)

The European Parliament pass a resolution denouncing the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the risk of imminent starvation.” EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic says that neither the EU, nor to his knowledge any other UNRWA donor, has been presented with any evidence against UNRWA employees by Israel. (AJ, REU 3/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 120 olive tree saplings in Qabalan. 1 Israeli soldier on leave stopped his car on a road in Huwwara and started shooting at Palestinian homes, causing damage. Israeli forces shot and injured 5 Palestinians during a raid in Qarawat Bani Hassan; 1 succumbed to his injuries on 10/16. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of Beit Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/15; AJ, HA, HA, PCHR, REU, TOI, UNOCHA, WAFA 10/16; PCHR 10/20; UNOCHA 11/1)

In the West Bank, 4 Israeli soldiers were injured by an explosive device thrown at them at a military checkpoint near Nabi Saleh. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near the Ofra settlement, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 1 other during a raid in Qabatiya; 5 were arrested. Israeli forces also delivered a demolition notice against retaining walls in al-Khader. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ramallah, al-Bireh, Nablus, Qabalan, Hebron, and Bani Na’im. (ABC, AJ, AP, HA, MEE, MEMO, NA, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/5; PCHR 9/8; UNOCHA 9/16)

Israel said its probe into the death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh found that an Israeli soldier “highly probably” shot and killed Abu Akleh in Jenin on 5/11. The Israeli army claimed that Abu Akleh likely was shot by a soldier using a telescopic scope, misidentifying Abu Akleh as a Palestinian militant during crossfire. Abu Akleh was wearing a vest and helmet clearly marking her as a journalist and eyewitnesses and several independent investigations have concluded that no crossfire happened during the killing of Abu Akleh. The Israeli military advocate general’s office said that it will not open an investigation into any potential wrongdoing by any of the soldiers involved. PA president Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s report, calling it “another Israeli attempt to evade responsibility for murder.” U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price said “[w]e welcome Israel’s review of this tragic incident, and again underscore the importance of accountability in this case, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.” (AA, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, DW, FOX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, NBC, NPR, NYT, REU, TOI, SKY, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WSJ 9/5; AJ, AP, CNN, HA, HA, JP, MEMO, REU, WAFA 9/6; ALM, GDN, MEE, MEMO 9/7; AP, HA 9/8; HA 9/12)

Haaretz reported that the Israeli civil administration was seeking to legalize 30 of 35 agricultural settlement outposts using a new regulation that allows legalizing outposts on “state land.” The move will need the approval of the defense minister and justice ministry. (HA, HA, MEE 9/5)

The Jerusalem municipality planning and building committee approved construction of 700 new settlement units in East Jerusalem in the Givat HaShaked settlement adjacent to Beit Safafa. In addition to the housing units, a school and commercial buildings were also approved. (ABC, AP, HA, PCN 9/5; MEMO 9/7)

Israel delayed the implementation of new regulations for foreigners visiting the West Bank outside of Israeli settlements after criticism from the U.S. and others. The coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT) also updated the new regulations called “Procedure for entry and residence of foreigners in the Judea and Samaria area,” scrapping some of the most controversial new rules, such as forcing foreign spouses of Palestinians to leave the West Bank for a minimum of 6 months for a “cooling off” period and requiring foreigners to tell the Israeli government if they have started a relationship with a Palestinian resident of the West Bank. U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides expressed concerns regarding Israeli limitations to who can study and teach at Palestinian academic institutions. The regulations were originally released by COGAT in April. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called the regulations racist and said they were aimed at Palestinians with foreign passports. (MEE, TOI, WAFA 9/3; JP, MEMO, TOI 9/4; AJ, AJ, AP, CNN, MDW, MEE, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA 9/5; HA 9/7)

The EU provided $35 million to the PA to help pay for salaries and pensions for August. (WAFA 9/5)

In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler shot and injured 1 Palestinian minor using rubber-coated bullets in al-Janiya. Israeli settlers also damaged and uprooted 130 olive seedings in al-Rihaya south of Hebron. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian with live ammunition in Far‘un. 19 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bayt Umar, Yatta, Bethlehem, al-Walaja, Kaubar, Silwad, Tell, Qabalan, ‘Azun, al-Twana, and Jenin; during a house raid in al-Twana, 1 Palestinian 5-year-old got a black eye during the raid on her home. In East Jerusalem, around 120 Israeli settlers with military escort raided the Haram al-Sharif compound for the 2d day in a row. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian after he allegedly stabbed and injured 1 settler and 1 soldier near Shaykh Jarrah. 26 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Silwan, Jabal al-Mukabir, Shu‘fat, and the Old City. In Gaza, 2 Palestinians injured in Israeli air strikes on Bayt Hanun on 5/11 succumbed to their injuries and 4 Palestinians were found dead in rubble from Israeli air strikes in Khan Yunis, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 253 to 259, including 67 children and 3 pregnant women. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/24; HA, MEMO, WAFA 5/25; PCHR 5/27)

3 Jewish-Israelis were charged with terrorism after severely beating 1 Palestinian-Israeli man on 5/12 in Bat Yam. The Palestinian man was pulled from his car and beaten by a large mob of Jewish-Israelis while an Israeli TV crew filmed the incident as it was unfolding. 6 people were for the attack, while TV footage show the faces of several others beating the man who have not been arrested. (HA 5/24; HA 5/26)

The Palestinian Prisoners Society said Israel had issued 155 administrative detention orders since the beginning of May. (WAFA 5/24)

AP reported that 17 journalists in Gaza had their WhatsApp accounts blocked since 5/21. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, which has been accused of silencing Palestinian voices. WhatsApp is considered an important tool for sharing information among journalists and activists. (AP 5/24; AJ, F24, NAT, TOI 5/25; AJ, MEMO 5/26)

Iran said it would allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to continue monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities for 1 additional month after a previous agreement expired. (AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 5/24)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke to Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, thanking him for his role in mediating the Hamas-Israel ceasefire that went into effect on 5/21. The 2 also discussed rebuilding Gaza. (HILL, REU 5/24; AJ, NAT 5/25)

A U.S. federal court ruled a 2016 Georgia law, prohibiting state contracts with people who engage in boycotts of Israel, unconstitutional. The lawsuit was brought by 2 U.S. rights organizations on behalf of journalist Abby Martin. (MEMO 5/25)

In an attempt to deflect from international outcry, Belarus said it had forced a Ryanair plane traveling from Athens to Vilnius to land in Minsk because a bomb threat in the name of Hamas was made against it. Hamas denied the allegation. In the incident, which happened on 5/23, Belarusian warplanes forced the commercial jet to land in Minsk for Belarusian forces to arrest a passenger who runs a website for opponents of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. (HA 5/24; MEMO 5/26)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces handed stop-work orders for 13 Palestinian houses in Qabalan. Israeli forces also seized 2 caravans in Susiya and 1 tractor in Bardala. 4 Palestinians were arrested at checkpoints near Nablus and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian man and 1 Israeli man trying to help him, causing injuries. Israeli forces arrested 2 Palestinian minors suspected of slapping 1 ultra-orthodox Jewish man and filming the incident on the Jerusalem light rail. 1 Palestinian family started demolishing their own home in Jabal Mukabir. 9 Palestinians were arrested, including 7 minors during late-night raids in the Old City and al-Tur, and 2 were arrested in the Old City during the 8th day of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians at the Damascus Gate plaza. (HA, WAFA, WAFA 4/20; ALM, HA 4/21; PCHR 4/22)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said the PA had ordered 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines. It is not clear when the doses will arrive. The total cost for the 4.5 million doses was $27 million. (HA, WAFA 4/20)

The Israeli supreme court dismissed a petition from 9 Palestinian-Israeli families to have the court order the local municipality to open an Arab school in Upper Nazareth. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel called the decision “saddening” and said the city has neglected its Palestinian-Israeli students, who constitute 1/3d of the total student body. (HA 4/20)

At a normalization celebration event at the UAE embassy in Washington D.C., the ambassadors of Israel and the UAE to the U.S., along with diplomats from Morocco and Bahrain, planted an olive tree. White House National Security Council official Barbara Leaf and House representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) were also at the event. (HA, JTA 4/21)

Israel sent COVID-19 medical aid to Jordan upon Jordanian request, including ventilators, test kits, and face masks. The move was seen as an Israeli effort to ease tension between the 2 countries, which have been high in recent months. The request was made in March, when Jordan’s COVID-19 cases were peaking. (HA 4/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Bayt Dajan, Qabalan, Majdal Bani Fadl near Nablus, and Kafr al-Dik near Salfit, and vandalized more than 50 Palestinian-owned vehicles, setting several on fire; settlers also wrote racist graffiti on several buildings. In Hebron, an Israeli settler assaulted 12 Palestinians. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian man succumbed to injuries he sustained during Israeli airstrikes on 11/14. This brings the comprehensive death toll in the Israeli attack on Gaza starting on 11/12 to 34. Despite the Great March of Return protest being canceled, several Palestinians protested by the Gaza fence; 1 Palestinian was shot by Israeli forces using live ammunition, others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces separately opened fire on Palestinian farmland east of Jabalia; no injures were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/22; HA 11/23; PCHR 11/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 3 vehicles and wrote racist graffiti in Hebrew on several buildings in Qabalan. 11 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, and Halhul. Israeli forces also took measurements of the family home of an accused Palestinian attacker for punitive demolition in Kobar. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian woman was shot in the head by Israeli forces using rubber-coated bullets in Issawiyya; 1 Palestinian was arrested during the raid. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire and used water hoses against Palestinian fishermen near Rafah; 2 Palestinians were arrested and 1 boat was seized. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; WAFA 11/8; PCHR 11/14)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian teenager was arrested in Qabalan south of Nablus; he is suspected of raping a girl in Tel Aviv. Israeli forces also arrested 1 Palestinian at a flying checkpoint on the Nablus-Ramallah road. In East Jerusalem, 5 Palestinians were arrested, 2 during late-night raids in Silwan and 3 in Issawiyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on a sewage vacuum truck east of Khan Yunis. (HA 8/15; PCHR 8/22)

In the Gaza Strip, a new 72-hour cease-fire begins at midnight local time, and holds throughout the day. A 1-mo.-old Palestinian dies, succumbing to injuries sustained in earlier attacks. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian in a raid on Qabalan village nr. Nablus. The Israeli soldiers attack a building with grenades and heavy arms fire, before entering and shooting the man, according to residents. A Palestinian teenager is killed by Israeli ordnance nr. Tubas while tending sheep. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning, in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 village nr. Salfit in the afternoon; there are also 9 patrols. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 8/11; PCHR 8/12)

In Cairo, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resume indirect talks mediated by Egyptian officials, with the Israeli delegation flying in and out in the same day. Hamas official al-Rishq says that his group is not opposed to placing the Rafah terminal under the control of the PA unity govt., as offered by Egypt and agreed to by Abbas. Israel reportedly agrees to several terms, including a gradual expansion of the fishing zone and easier passage for goods and people between the Gaza Strip and Israel and the West Bank. Palestinian negotiators reportedly say that they are willing to delay discussions over Gaza’s air and sea ports as long as the rest of their terms are met. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 8/11)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/lsrael: Israeli D.M. Rabin says that Israel has temporarily halted W. Bank deportations. The announcement comes after complaints from Israeli human rights activists and a U.S. State Dep't call for more flexibility in deportations [WP 2/1].

Jerusalem Domestic Service reports that 4,600 Soviet Jews arrived in Israel during January [FBIS 2/1].

Arab World: The Fifth Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches ends 6- day meeting in Nicosia with a call to support Palestinian independence [FJ 2/5].

Arafat meets with Soviet envoy Gennedy Tarasov in Tunis over emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel [MET 2/13].

ACC parliamentary committee opens meeting in Baghdad [FBIS 2/7].

Other Countries: UN Sec. Council extends the mandate of UNIFIL for another 6 months [MET 2/13].

Many of the Soviet Jews emigrating to Israel tell of rampant anti-Semitism in the USSR [NYT 2/4].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli military demolishes 2 homes in Qabalan village, near Nablus [FJ 2/12].

General strike called for by UNLU is observed in O.T. [FBIS 2/1; FJ 2/5].

At least 12 Palestinians are wounded in clashes in O.T. [FBIS 2/1; FJ 2/5].

Israeli military closes 7 Gaza Strip schools for security reasons [FJ 2/5].

Gazan accused of collaborating with Israel is killed [MET 2/13].

Arab World: Army troops loyal to Aoun battle militias outlawed on 1/30. At least 28 people are killed [WP 2/1; MET 2/13].

Social/Economic/Political:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: ICRC reports Israel failing to report arrests within 10- day limit. Nablus and Bethlehem residents complain of water shortages as Mekorot diverts supplies to Israeli settlements. Israel-American Zionists Assoc. in conjunction with Compass-Peltours and Israel Assoc. of Real Estate Dealers announce plan to offer US Jews lots (60' x 60') in occupied territories for $3,600 (including Israeli passport and subsidized mortgage options). Items at Hebron Islamic exhibit confiscated by "civil administration" as "inciteful." 2-10 Golani Druze charged by Kiryat Shemona magistrate for incitement and participation in recent demonstration.

Arab World: DM Arens tells Tel Aviv engineers' club Israel will keep Awali River bridges closed until attacks on IDF in S. Lebanon end. Lebanese gov't. decides to close Israeli liaison office north of Beirut.

Military Action:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli bus used to transport Nablus labor to Israel burned at roadblock near Qabalan village.