The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, al-Ibrahimi Mosque was closed by Israeli authorities for Palestinians from midnight to 10 p.m. 5 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem; 1 was arrested at a flying checkpoint near Salfit; and 1 near al-Ibrahimi Mosque for allegedly carrying a knife. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Issawiyya. Some 400 Israeli settlers, including Israeli minister of agriculture Uri Ariel, toured the Haram al-Sharif compound; Muslim worshippers were forced to leave al-Aqsa Mosque. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA 9/30; WAFA 10/1; PCHR 10/3)

The Palestinian man who was hospitalized after allegedly being severely beaten during interrogation by the Shin Bet on 9/29 was reported to have suffered broken ribs and kidney failure after the interrogation. The Israeli ministry of justice said it had launched an investigation into whether the Shin Bet interrogators had used “excessive force.” (HA, WAFA 9/29; AJ, HA, WAFA 9/30)

Israeli authorities imposed a closure of all entries in and out of the West Bank and Gaza for Jewish New Year celebrations. The closure will last through 10/1. (WAFA 9/29)

The German city Aachen withdrew a $10,900 prize given to the artist Walid Raad because of Raad’s support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Aachen’s mayor said in a statement, “According to research, we have to assume that the designated prizewinner is a supporter of the BDS movement and has been involved in various measures for the cultural boycott of Israel.” (ARTnews 10/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian-owned agricultural lands in Burqa, they subsequently opened fire at Palestinians seeking to put the fire out; no injuries were reported. In a separate but similar incident, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in ‘Urif after trying to ignite agricultural lands. Israeli settlers also sprayed racist graffiti on Palestinian-owned buildings and vehicles in al-Zawiya. 3 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces in Qalqilya and Aida refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was killed and another wounded after stabbing 1 Israeli policeman near the Haram al-Sharif compound. After the stabbing, Israeli police closed Haram al-Sharif for 2 hours after which only persons older than 50 were allowed on the compound. Also in the Old City, Israel’s Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel toured the Haram al-Sharif compound along with Israeli settlers. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen 2 nautical miles from shore. (AJ, HA, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/15; PCHR 8/22)

Israel’s Interior Ministry announced the U.S. congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) would not be allowed to enter Israel and the West Bank for their planned visit. The ministry stated that the 2 congresswomen were denied entry on the basis of their involvement in the BDS movement. U.S. president Donald Trump had hours earlier tweeted that “[i]t would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people.” The decision sparked criticism from members of Congress from both parties and from pro-Israel organizations such as AIPAC. (HA, Twitter, WAPO, WAFA 8/15)

In the West Bank, 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Burqin and Jenin. Israeli forces seized an agricultural irrigation network in Jiftlik near Jericho. Israeli forces also demolished a playground, several water wells, and trees in the southern Hebron Hills. In East Jerusalem, Israel’s minister of agriculture and rural development Uri Ariel toured the Haram al-Sharif compound with a group of 42 Israeli settlers and police escort. In Gaza, Israeli authorities prevented a soccer game from being held between a team from Gaza and a team from the West Bank as Israel delayed issuing permits for the Gaza players. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/3; WAFA 7/4)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Jenin, Tubas, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 2 employees of the Islamic Waqf were released after being arrested; they were both banned from the Haram al-Sharif compound for 15 days. Israeli minister of agriculture Uri Ariel toured the Haram al-Sharif compound with a group of Israeli settlers. In Israel, Israeli authorities issued a demolition order for a playground in Rakhama Bedouin village in southern Israel. (WAFA 5/19; WAFA, WAFA 5/20, HA 5/21)

The Israeli high court of justice rejected a petition to bar the Israeli Jerusalem Day flag march from walking through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. The petition was filed by Ir Amim and argued that since the day of the flag march coincides with the final days of the Ramadan, it should not be passing through the Muslim Quarter. (HA 5/21)

The White House reported that the economic component of the U.S. president Donald Trump’s peace plan will be released in late June at an international summit in Bahrain. The summit will be named Peace to Prosperity. (AJ, HA 5/19)

A Jerusalem court ordered the eviction of Israeli settlers from a Palestinian home in Hebron that was acquired by the Israeli settlers on forged documents. The Palestinian family’s home was taken over by settlers in 2005 and the legal proceedings were ongoing since 2007. The Israeli settlers appealed the court’s decision which also stipulated that the settlers must pay the Palestinian family $161,000. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces sealed off the al-Ibrahimi Mosque for Muslim worshippers in preparation for Passover celebrations. Israeli forces also arrested 18 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Salfit, and Ramallah. In the raid near Jenin, Israeli forces fired tear gas, causing dozens of residents to suffer from tear gas inhalation. In East Jerusalem, 170 right-wing Israelis, led by Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel, stormed Haram al-Sharif with Israeli police escort. In Gaza, a prosthetic hospital was inaugurated to help the many Palestinians in Gaza who have lost limbs. The hospital’s expenses are covered by the Qatar Fund for Development. A day after Israel denied access of Christian Palestinians in Gaza to the West Bank and East Jerusalem for Easter celebrations, Israeli authorities reversed its position, allowing 500 Christians to enter the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Elsewhere in Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire against Palestinian farmers near Rafah and on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Rafah; no injuries were reported. (AJ, HA, HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA 4/22; HA, MNA, WAFA 4/23)

In the West Bank, the entrance to ‘Azun east of Qalqilya was blocked by Israeli forced for the 15th day in a row. Israeli forces also sealed the entrance to al-‘Arub refugee camp north of Hebron and al-Fawar refugee camp south of Hebron. Separately, Israeli forces conducted raids in Sair, Bayt Umar, and Sabastiyya. During the raid in Sabastiyya, several Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation after clashes with Israeli forces. During late-night raids in and around Sair and Jenin, Israel forces arrest 7 Palestinians and injure 2 others. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli minister of agriculture Uri Ariel toured Haram al-Sharif along with a group of Israeli settlers and security forces. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces fired toward Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles from the shore of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. 2 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces near the Gaza fence. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/11; MNA, MNA, WAFA 4/12)

It was announced that the Saudi Arabian government, through the Saudi Fund for Development, donated $23 million to UNRWA projects across Syria, Jordan, Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to maintain school and health centers. (WAFA, UNRWA 4/11)

U.S. senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced to the Senate a resolution (S. Res. 171) seeking to restore bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza after the Trump administration slashed all aid to Palestine in 2018. The bill was co-sponsored by Chris Coons (D-DE), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). (Congress 4/11; HA, WAFA 4/18)

Led by Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, dozens of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif. Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler sprays anti-Palestinian graffiti on walls outside the Old City. Israeli forces arrest Adnan Ghaith, the PA’s governor of Jerusalem, during a raid in Silwan (Ghaith has been arrested several times in the past few months on allegations related to Palestinian land sales to Israelis in East Jerusalem). The Israeli police say that Ghaith’s arrest today is related to “fraud and forgery.” Israeli forces also arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya. In the West Bank, Israeli forces deliver stop-work orders to Palestinians building a new agricultural road near Hebron. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians and confiscate 1 vehicle during raids in and around Ramallah, Jenin, and Hebron; and patrol near Hebron. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Bayt Hanun and open fire on Palestinian farmland near Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage or injuries. In the evening, hundreds of Palestinians gather along the border fence near Gaza City to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse them, injuring 4 protesters. (HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; MNA, MNA, TOI 2/27; PCHR 2/28)

A member of Hamas’s military wing dies in a “resistance tunnel” accident near Khan Yunis, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza. (MNA 2/27)

A senior Japanese official announces a grant of $83,651 to install a solar panel system at a hospital in Gaza. (WAFA 2/26)

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 22 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, and Bethlehem; and patrol near Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians during raids in Jabal Mukabir, Issawiyya, al-Tur, Shu‘fat refugee camp, and the Old City. (WAFA 12/30; PCHR 1/3)

After PA Agriculture Minister Sufian Sultan sends a message to Israel’s Agriculture Ministry informing them of his intention to reverse the PA’s 12/2 ban on imports of lamb from Israel, Israel’s Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel lifts his 12/17 ban on imports of Palestinian produce. “In light of the Palestinian agriculture minister’s notification that he is allowing the free entry of Israeli-bred lamb [into Palestinian markets], I cancel my order to block the transfer of produce from the PA to Israel,” Ariel says in a statement. Shortly after Ariel’s statement, the PA Agriculture Ministry cancels the ban on imports of Israeli produce that the PA cabinet approved on 12/27. (TOI, WAFA 12/31)

One day after Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked announce the formation of their new political party, Israeli polls project that their Hayamin Hehadash will win between 6 and 14 seats in the Knesset in the upcoming election on 4/9. Hosen L’Yisrael, the new party led by former IDF Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz, is projected to win between 13 and 15 seats, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud is projected to win between 27 and 31. (HA 12/30)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near al-Buriej refugee camp. IDF troops stationed along the border fence open fire on Palestinian shepherds working near Rafah. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in and around Qalqilya and Hebron; and patrol near Hebron and Bethlehem. (PCHR 1/3)

The PA cabinet agrees to ban imports of Israeli fruits, vegetables, and poultry in response to Israeli agriculture minister Uri Ariel’s 12/17 decision to ban Palestinian produce and poultry from Israel. “In accordance with the principle of protecting the local produce and the Palestinian farmer in order to achieve the government's policy of supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian farmers and in light of the unilateral Israeli decision to prevent the entry of Palestinian vegetables and fruits into Israeli markets, the government decided to prevent the entry of all kinds of vegetables, fruits and poultry into the Palestinian markets,” a statement from the cabinet meeting reads. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 12/27; HA 12/28)

Sources within the company confirm recent rumors that multinational banking and financial services holding company HSBC is planning to divest from Elbit Systems, one of Israel’s largest arms manufacturers. HSBC reportedly alluded to the decision in an email to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign last week. (AJ, MEE 12/27; MO 12/28; HA 12/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raze an area of Palestinian farmland near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron and Ramallah; and patrol near Nablus and Hebron. Israeli settlers assault and injure several Palestinian farmers working their lands near Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians during late-night raids in Hizma and Issawiyya. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian shepherds working near Dayr al-Balah, causing no injuries. Israeli forces also conduct a limited incursion to level land near al-Bureij refugee camp. (MNA, MNA, WAFA 12/19; PCHR 12/20)

The undersecretary of the PA’s Agriculture Ministry, Abdallah Lahlouh, says that the PA has not been officially informed of any new Israeli policy to ban imports of fruits and vegetables from the West Bank, but that the PA will respond in kind if the recent reports of a ban continue. Although it was not publically announced at the time, Israel’s Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel ordered such a ban on 12/17 after the PA barred Palestinian meat-sellers from buying lamb from Israel on 12/2. (TOI, TOI, WAFA 12/19)

Israel’s Knesset passes a first reading of a bill that would allow the IDF to order the expulsion of the families of Palestinian assailants from their homes, despite objections from Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and senior IDF officers. The Knesset also passes a first reading of the so-called Young Settlement Bill, which would allow for the temporary retroactive authorization of certain settlement outposts in the West Bank and which the Israeli cabinet unanimously approved on 12/16. (HA 12/19; HA 12/20)

At a UN Security Council meeting on alleged violations of Resolution 1701, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon presents new information that he claims shows the extent of Hezbollah’s tunneling operations along the Israel-Lebanon border. He also says that Israel “gave UNIFIL precise information about the location of [1 of the tunnels],” but that compromised Lebanese army officers leaked the information to Hezbollah, allowing the group to conceal certain offensive operations. “Lebanese army officials are working for Hezbollah, while UNIFIL is not working to fulfill its mandate in the region in the necessary manner,” Danon alleges. While several UNSC members condemn Hezbollah’s tunneling activities, the UNSC takes no action at today’s meeting. (HA, HA, TOI, YA 12/19; TOI 12/20)

UN World Food Programme (WFP) country director Stephen Kearney announces that funding shortfalls have forced “drastic” cuts to food aid initiatives planned in the West Bank and Gaza in 2019. Starting on 1/1/19, the WFP plans to suspend food assistance to 27,000 people in the West Bank and reduce by 20% the food aid delivered to 166,000 additional recipients across the occupied Palestinian territories. “The major donor that we have had in the past years has been the U.S.,” Kearney says. “They have cut funding, not just to UNRWA, who work with the refugees in Gaza, but also to the rest of the humanitarian community, including WFP.” A WFP spokesperson says that an additional $57 million would be needed to maintain the current level of food aid in 2019. (AFP, AJ, REU, TOI 12/19; MEE 12/20)

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announces that it has filed a legal challenge to an anti-BDS law in Texas on behalf of 4 Texans who either lost their jobs or lost the opportunity to be hired after they refused to renounce their support for boycotts against Israel or its settlements in the West Bank. “Whatever you may think about boycotts of Israel, the bottom line is that political boycotts are a legitimate form of nonviolent protest,” says an ACLU lawyer. “The state cannot use the contracting process as an ideological litmus test or to tell people what kind of causes they may or may not support.” Texas’s anti-BDS law, which requires all state contractors to certify that they do not support or participate in any boycotts of Israel or its West Bank settlements, has been on the books since 5/2/17. (HA, TOI 12/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of part of the Tulkarm-area home of a Palestinian suspected of shooting and killing 2 Israeli settlers on 10/7 (IDF troops shot and killed the suspect during an arrest raid on 12/12). The demolition sparks clashes with Palestinian residents of the area; 3 Palestinians are arrested and 6 are injured. Separately, IDF troops arrest 20 Palestinians during raids near Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jenin; and patrol near Hebron throughout the day. Israeli settlers assault and severely injure a Palestinian after they force him out of his car outside Bethlehem. In the evening, hundreds of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s northern border to continue the Great March of Return and to cheer on 20 Palestinian boats sailing in a symbolic challenge to the Israeli blockade. IDF troops and Israeli naval forces violently disperse the demonstrations; 22 Palestinians are injured. Also off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp and Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 12/17; EI, MNA, MNA 12/18; PCHR 12/20)

In response to the PA’s ban on Palestinian purchases of lamb from Israel on 12/2, Israel’s Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel imposes a ban on Palestinian fruit and vegetable imports. Ariel neglects to announce the ban to the public. Palestinian farmers export between 280 and 300 tons of produce to Israel per day, and the ban is expected to cost the Palestinian economy approximately NIS 1 million (approximately $265,545) per day. (JP 12/19; TOI 12/27)

After the IDF announced the discovery of a 4th Hezbollah-built cross-border tunnel on 12/16, UNIFIL states that 2 of the 4 were built in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. “UNIFIL has requested the Lebanese authorities to ensure urgent follow-up actions in accordance with the responsibilities of the Government of Lebanon pursuant to resolution 1701,” a UNIFIL statement reads. Earlier in the day, the Lebanese Armed Forces go on high alert after several Lebanese soldiers confront IDF troops installing barbed wire along the border near Mays al-Jabal village. UNIFIL forces are deployed to the scene to defuse the situation and prevent misunderstandings, according to a UNIFIL spokesperson. (AP, HA, TOI, TOI 12/17)

In East Jerusalem, Israel’s Minister of Agriculture, Uri Ariel, (Jewish Home) and MK Sharren Haskel (Likud) tour Haram al-Sharif. Their visit comes days after Israeli PM Netanyahu lifted (7/3) his ban on Israeli MKs and ministers touring the sanctuary. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 14 Palestinians during late-night raids near Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and Ramallah; and patrol near Hebron. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish 4 homes belonging to Palestinian citizens in Umm al-Fahm, citing “unauthorized construction.” In Gaza, unidentified Gazans fly incendiary kites and balloons across the border fence into Israel, sparking at least 33 fires in Israeli forests and farmland. IDF troops open fire on Palestinian minors allegedly preparing further kite and balloon attacks, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 7/8; MNA 7/10; PCHR 7/12)

A Palestinian minor succumbs to injuries sustained in a confrontation with IDF troops near Hebron in 2009. The Palestinian, Yacoub Fayiq Nassar, was partially paralyzed when Israeli soldiers shot him in the back in al-Fawar refugee camp in 2009. He suffered from various other ailments related to the shooting over the years. (MNA 7/8)

The tension in East Jerusalem escalates significantly today as Israeli forces enter Haram al-Sharif in the morning, clashing with dozens of Palestinians who stayed overnight in al-Aqsa Mosque; 110 Palestinians are injured to various degrees, including 9 journalists. Later that morning, around 650 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary for Rosh Hashanah, including Agriculture Min. Uri Ariel (Jewish Home Party). Israeli forces violently disperse stone-throwing Palestinians protesting the restrictions at Haram al-Sharif in Silwan and Issawiyya, arresting 2 Palestinians and injuring others.

Elsewhere, an Israeli driver crashes into a power pole in Sur al-Bahir, injuring all 3 passengers (the driver will succumb to his injuries on 9/14). Israeli police believe that Palestinian stone-throwers caused the crash, but are also investigating whether it was due to the man’s medical condition. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces fire warning shots at a group of Palestinians who were allegedly approaching the border fence. The Palestinians return fire, but there are no injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel e. of Jabaliya r.c. Off the n. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attempt to kidnap a Palestinian child nr. Nablus, lightly injuring him. The boy’s father stops the attack. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting settlement activity nr. Bethlehem; conduct a late-night raid nr. Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrol in al-Fawar r.c. and nr. Hebron and Nablus. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 9/13; HA, JP, NYT, YA 9/14; PCHR 9/17)

In Gaza, unknown assailants open fire on trucks at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, causing light damage to 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm r.c. and 1 village nr. Tulkarm, as well as al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron, arresting 18 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin, 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Hebron, and ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho. Meanwhile, a group of armed men from the Balata r.c. shut down a main road in Nablus in protest of the PASF crackdown on the camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces confiscate the contents of a store in Hizma and demolish a residential building under construction in Wadi al-Juz. They also conduct raids in Silwan, assaulting 2 Palestinians and arresting 3. Meanwhile, the Jordan-funded Islamic Waqf begins renovations at Haram al-Sharif, and Israeli minister Uri Ariel calls for the project to be halted. In the Galilee, Palestinians in Kafr Kanna conduct a general strike in protest of the demolition in the village on 4/12. (MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/13; MNA 4/14; PCHR, WAFA 4/16)

PA Pres. Abbas meets with Russian pres. Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss Russian-Palestinian relations, the Middle East peace negotiations, and other issues. (AFP 4/9; AFP, HA, TOI 4/13; REU 4/14)

U.S. Pres. Obama meets with several U.S. Jewish groups to discuss the “key parameters” announced on 4/2 by the P5+1 and Iran, and their concerns about Israel’s security. The groups include the AJC, ADL, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Federations of N. America, AIPAC, and J Street. (HA 4/13; HA, TOI 4/14; JP 4/23)

In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse protesters at numerous demonstrations marking the 1967 war and the beginning of military occupation. Hundreds of Palestinians attend protests at Hebron, Qalandia checkpoint nr. Ramallah, where 4 are injured by rubbercoated metal bullets, and other locations around the West Bank. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Salfit. (MNA 6/5; PCHR 6/12)

Israeli PM Netanyahu unfreezes plans for 1,800 settlement housing units and Housing Minister Uri Ariel publishes tenders for a separate 1,500 housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Ariel describes the move as an “appropriate Zionist response to the Palestinian terror govt.” Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat warns of Israeli efforts to annex areas of the West Bank and calls on the international community to boycott settlement products and hold Israel accountable. PLO official Ashrawi says the Palestinians will address the latest settlement expansion at the UNSC. State Dept. dep. spokesperson Harf says that the U.S. is “deeply disappointed” by Israel’s announcement and says “it is hard to see how these settlements contribute to peace.” The EU expresses “deep disappointment” about the moves, and calls on the Israeli authorities “to reverse this decision.” (AFP, AP, HA, MNA, REU, ToI 6/5)

Two mortar shells fired from within Syria land in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF says the fire is likely inadvertent. (ToI 6/5)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village and al-Fawar and al- ‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces demolish a Palestinian family’s mobile home in Bayt Hanina. (MNA 11/12; PCHR 11/14)

Israel’s Housing Ministry has issued tenders for drawing up construction plans for some 24,000 new settlement homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, it is claimed by NGO Peace Now. The plans include 1,200 housing units for the E-1 area nr. Jerusalem. However, soon after the announcement, PM Netanyahu halts the move and says that Housing Minister Uri Ariel had drawn up the plans without any advance coordination. Netanyahu claims that the preliminary plans damage Israel’s international standing and ability to assert itself with regard to Iran. (AP, REU 11/12)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning, and in 2 villages nr. Jenin and al-Fawar and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron at night; patrols in Nablus, 3 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Hebron at night. In Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, the IDF attacks a funeral procession, sparking clashes where 2 Palestinians are injured by rubber-coated metal bullets. In East Jerusalem, Israeli troops demolish residential and agricultural structures in al-Za’ayem village, displacing around 35 people. In addition, Israel’s Housing Minister Uri Ariel visits the al-Aqsa mosque compound under police protection, heading a tour group of around 100 rightist Jewish activists. (MNA, WAFA 9/11; PCHR 9/12)

The 5 permanent mbrs. of the UNSC meet at Russia’s UN mission to discuss the contents of a new res. on the securing and dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons. Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov speak by phone the day before heading to Geneva for talks with experts about the practicalities of the Russian proposal. France, for its part, aligns itself with the U.S. position of insisting that a military option remains on the table but that the diplomatic process will be prioritized. (AFP, AP, REU 9/11)

Three attacks including 2 car bombs kill 11 people and injure more than 15 in the Sinai, as the army continues its offensive against Islamist militants, including Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis. The dead include 9 Egyptian officers targeted at the intelligence headquarters in Rafah. Meanwhile, Israeli officials arrive in Cairo on a private jet for discussions with Egyptians security officials expected to focus on events in the Sinai. (MNA, REU 9/11)

U.S. Amb. Joseph Macmanus tells a meeting of the IAEA that there are “troubling developments” in Iran’s nuclear program amid concerns that Tehran is stalling on achieving any progress in negotiations with the international community. Iran’s FM Mohammad Javad Zarif says that Iran’s nuclear work could take place under international safeguards but would not just go away. (REU 9/11)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon and in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Salfit at night, patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 village each nr. Jericho, Ramallah and Tulkarm in the morning, in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 village each nr. Jenin and Salfit at night. Israeli bulldozers level privately-owned Palestinian land nr. Nablus to enlarge an illegal settlement outpost. In Jerusalem, dozens of right-wing Jewish activists enter the al-Aqsa compound and held discussions on the possibility of building a Jewish temple there. (MNA 8/25, PCHR 8/29)

The Jerusalem Municipality approves a budget for a NIS 62.4 million extension of the Ramat Shlomo settlement, adding some 1,600 housing units. Other projects approved include a NIS 20 million budget for developing a national park at the settlerowned “City of David” project in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan. Half of that latter budget will come from the prime minister’s office. Meanwhile, Israel’s Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel dedicates 2 new neighborhoods of 160 homes in the West Bank settlement Keddumim and says that a two-state solution will never happen. (AP, HA, JP 8/25)

Israel’s cabinet unanimously approves the appointment of Yossi Cohen as the new head of the National Security Council (NSC). Cohen, who spent 3 decades working for Mossad, replaces Yaakov Amidror. (YA 8/25)

Syria agrees to allow UN inspectors to visit the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, a Damascus suburb. The U.S. State Dept. says that Secy. of State John Kerry told his counterparts in Britain, France, Russia, and Canada in a round of phone calls that there is “very little doubt” the Syrian govt. is responsible for gassing its own citizens. An unnamed administration official tells the media that despite this near certainty in Washington, the pres. still hasn’t decided how to respond. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich says that the U.S. and its allies should await the findings of the UN inspection team and avoid military action. (AP, REU, 8/25)

Three leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, including the organization’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie did not appear in court on the 1st day of their separate trials, apparently due to security reasons. The judge adjourns proceedings until 10/29. The charges are of inciting lethal violence during the events leading up to the military coup. (REU 8/25)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages nr. Bethlehem, 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, and 1 village nr. Hebron at night; patrols Qalqilya and in 1 village each nr. Salfit, Jenin, and Hebron at night. (PCHR 6/20)

Israel’s Economics and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett says that the idea of a Palestinian state is “dead” and urges Israel to annex Area C of the West Bank as soon as possible. In response, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat says that the international community needs to recognize that Israel has declared the end of the two-state solution. However, separately, Israel’s Housing Minister Uri Ariel says that the govt. has frozen nearly all housing starts in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, to boost efforts to restart talks. (AFP, JP, REU, YA 6/17)

Reports in Fiji’s media suggest that the Pacific island will replace some of the UNDOF peacekeepers withdrawn by Austria (following previous withdrawals by Croatia and Japan), sending 170 troops by the end of 6/2013. (JP 6/17)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry welcomes the Arab League’s expression of support for reviving peace talks made the previous day, describing it as a ‘‘very big step forward.’’ An Israeli official welcomes the development, but says that the framework will not be a starting point for talks. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni says that the Arab League proposal represents encouragement for the Palestinians that they have regional support for a negotiated agreement. PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat says that the Arab League’s support for land swaps is nothing new. Meanwhile, Israel’s Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel says that his party, Bayit Yehudi, will not back a 2013 budget that does not include full funding for West Bank settlement construction projects. (NYT 4/29; MNA, JP 4/30)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF makes an air strike nr. Rafah assassinating Hitham al-Mishal, whom Israel accuses of being a Salafist militant responsible for arms manufacturing. In response, Hamas urges Egypt to ensure that Israel stays committed to the truce deal signed at the end of Operation Pillar of Defense in 11/2012 (see QU 167). Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen twice, once off the central Gaza coast nr. Dayr al-Balah and once off the south Gaza coast nr. Rafah, in the latter case causing damage and 1 injury. IDF forces also make a brief incursion into central Gaza nr. Juhr al-Dikto level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence. In the West Bank, a Palestinian fatally stabs a Jewish settler from Yitzhar at a Tapuach junction bus stop. In retaliation, Jewish settlers riot and attack Palestinians across the West Bank, including blocking roads and throwing stones at passing vehicles. Overall, the Palestinian civil defense report 57 fires across the West Bank caused by settlers, with damage to hundreds of olive and almond trees. In the most serious incident, Jewish settlers from Yitzhar settlement attack a mosque in Urif village and try to set it on fire; and stone a bus carrying Palestinian schoolchildren, injuring 2. The attack on Urif sparks clashes between IDF forces and Palestinians, leaving 4 Palestinians injured. Meanwhile, the IDF patrols in Hebron and 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Tulkarm in the afternoon, and in Bethlehem and Tulkarm at night. (HA, MNA 4/30; MNA 5/1; PCHR 5/2)

UNRWA estimates that 235,000 Palestinian refugees have been displaced inside Syria during the ongoing civil war. (AP, WAFA 4/30)

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)