On December 24, 2013, a sniper from the Gaza Strip shot a daily laborer working on the Israeli side of the fence, leading to the death of the laborer. Immediately Israeli tanks and troops along with planes pummeled Central Gaza, thus ending a year-long truce that was in vogue since the eight-day heavy fighting in November 2012 between Hamas and Israeli troops. A three-year-old Palestinian girl was killed in the aerial strike on December 24. As the secret peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are yet to produce any tangible compromise, Obama administration's challenge is to ensure that both parties are focused on arriving at a comprehensive peace agreement through mutual negotiation and not getting diverted by small-scale conflicts on ground such as those happened on December 24.
In a signal of growing moral stand among progressives in Israel against Jewish settlements, three actors of an eminent production Best Friends refused to take part in the play to be shown in a theater in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. The Cameri and Beit Lessin Theaters said on December 25, 2013 that the three cast members, including Ms. Sarit Vino-Elad, won't be on stage, and would be substituted by the alternates.
As per request from Yasser Arafat’s widow, a trio of medical investigation was launched to identify the principal causes of the Palestinian leader’s death. However, instead of coming to any conclusive outcome, the inquiries by Swiss, French and Russian experts created more confusion. Swiss report made public on November 6, 2013 raised the possibility that Arafat might had been poisoned as the findings by the University of the Legal Medicine in Lausanne found high trace of Polonium-210 radioactive isotope in Arafat’s body. A December 3, 2013, French report showed no significant trace of Polonium-210 in Arafat’s body. A December 26, 2013, Russian report followed along the French line and said that Arafat had died of natural causes, and no traces of Polonium-210 was found in his body.
As part of a package reached last summer (summer 2013) at the behest of US Secretary of State John Kerry to re-start Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, Israel released overnight (December 30-31, 2013) 26 long-term Palestinian prisoners serving time for deadly attacks against Israelis. This marked the third batch of a four-batch 104 prisoner release plan. The prisoner release plan created a furor in Israel as PM Benjamin Netanyahu faced political ire from all corners of population. However, every prisoner release coincided with announcement of construction of thousands of apartment in the West Bank settlement. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas greeted many of the released prisoners at the Palestinian Authority headquarters in Ramallah in the middle of the night.
On January 2, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry was back in the region for the tenth time to provide a necessary push to move forward the peace talks. During a dinner with Kerry, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu assailed for according the Palestinian prisoners freed on December 30, 2013 night hero's welcome.
On January 3, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry continued his shuttle diplomacy to gain traction of the faltering peace talks with a second round of meeting with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in as many days and, later in the day, following it up with another round of session with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. What is laudable about Secretary Kerry is that despite skepticism all around about any progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and back-and-forth sniping, he kept his faith in peace talks and expressed optimism about the outcome.
On January 4, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is visiting the region for the tenth time, said that Israeli-Palestinian talks were making progress although significant gridlock remained after more than 20 rounds of talks. During the day Kerry met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the second time in as many days and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu for the third time in three days.
On January 5, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry took break from his shuttle diplomacy to huddle with USA's two regional allies: Jordan and Saudi Arabia as there was a growing pressure on both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to take bold and big decision amid the peace talks that began in July 2013 were facing strong headwinds. As the expectation is very low to come up with an agreement by April 2014 as originally targeted, Kerry has come to the region this time with a package that calls for Palestinians to recognize Israel as Jewish state and Israel to recognize the pre-1967 borders as a "baseline" for an agreement.
As US Secretary of State John Kerry was wrapping up his tenth visit to the region that included numerous meetings with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli government on January 6, 2014 gave final approval for construction of 272 apartments in two isolated West Bank settlements, a move decried by a venerable Israeli peace group, Peace Now, as a show of bad faith.
On January 10, 2014, Israel announced plan to construct 1,400 homes in settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem, thus complicating the effort of US Secretary of State John Kerry to find a solution to the vexed Israeli-Palestinian problem. Out of 1,400 homes planned, 800 are proposed in the West Bank and remaining 600 are planned in East Jerusalem.
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ARIEL SHARON (February 27, 1928-January 11, 2014)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon passed away on January 11, 2014 at Sheba Medical Center, where he spent most of the time after a massive stroke incapacitated and sent him into coma. In many ways, Sharon was a divisive figure and remained so until his last breath. Sharon was revered as a hero and savior of Israel by many right-wing Israelis for his contribution in 1948 War of Independence, valor as a tank commander in 1967 Six-Day War and return from his 1972 retirement to military service again in 1973 Yom Kippur War in which he commanded an armored division to lead charges through Sinai Desert and up to Suez Canal. However, he earned worldwide infamy in 1982 when he as the Defense Minister of Menachem Begin cabinet pressed for invasion of Lebanon, and eventually allowed Lebanese Christian militia group Phalanges to enter the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatilla in Beirut that led to massacre of hundreds of Palestinians. Sharon was subsequently fired. However, Sharon in the latter part of political lift understood the importance of peace with Palestinians, leading to his decision to dismantle all settlements in Gaza in 2005.
Sharon was buried on January 13, 2014.
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The U.S. on January 14, 2014 was outraged by the comments of Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon quoted during the day by Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot as telling a delegation of Americans and Israelis that US Secretary of State John Kerry's middle-east peace effort was not worth of the paper on which it was written.
The relationship between Israel and Europe hit a new nadir on January 16, 2014 as Britain, France, Italy and Spain summoned the respective Israeli ambassadors to protest against the Netanyahu administration's plan made public on January 10, 2014 to build 1,400 more homes in settlements in East Jerusalem and West Bank. PM Benjamin Netanyahu lobbed the first salvo after the incident, calling for European nations "to stop this hypocrisy". In a tit-for-tat diplomacy, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on January 17, 2014 summoned the ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy and Spain, and asked them to be more balanced in their view toward Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Clashing Visions of Two State Plans Presented at a Tel Aviv Security Conference
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on January 28, 2014 presented two very different visions of how their independent states would exist in future at an important security conference in Tel Aviv. While Netanyahu favored an Israeli troop presence, although at a smaller scale, in West Bank along Jordanian borders for years to come, Abbas dismissed that proposition with his own vision that would replace Israeli troops with international troops such as NATO troops.
Kerry, E.U. Diplomat Warn Israel of Isolation
Intensifying the pressure on Israel, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Israeli leaders on February 1, 2014 that Israel faced "international isolation" if it was seen as stumbling block to the middle-east peace. Kerry's comments came at a security conference in Munich amid a stalled peace negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians which Kerry had helped launch in July 2013 and scheduled to wrap up by April 2014. Echoing the same sentiment, EU's ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Abdersen said on February 3, 2014 during an interview with Israel's Channel 2 TV that the isolation was a real possibility as instead of European governments, it would be led by private companies.
New Housing to Come up in East Jerusalem
In what is described by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat as an example of undermining the diplomatic effort by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry days before Kerry would present a framework for a two-state solution, Jerusalem municipal officials on February 5, 2014 gave final approval for construction of 558 apartments in three East Jerusalem settlements: Har Homa, Neve Yaakov and Pisgat Zeev.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews Protest a Proposed Military Draft Bill
In a growing chasm of social and political landscape, hundreds of thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews on March 2, 2014 choked the streets of Jerusalem to protest against a military draft bill to be introduced in parliament in the coming weeks that would penalize, for the first time, draft evaders in the name of religious exemption. The issue took at the front and center of the campaign during last parliamentary polls in which many secular parties decried the existing practice of exempting ultra-orthodox Jews from conscription. One of the parties, Yesh Atid, made unexpected inroads in the polls, and subsequently became a partner of Netanyahu government.
Netanyahu Calls for Toughening of Stance on Iran
Appearing before a friendly crowd of American Israeli Public Affairs Committee at Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 4, 2014 called for international community to ensure that Teheran didn't make progress on making nuclear arms amid talks of reconciliation and easing of sanctions. He also called out Iranian president and foreign minister for the bluff and fooling around the international community through their suave posture and sweet talk. Netanyahu was also harsh on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for forwarding the idea of BDS, an acronym for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, that had caught fire in recent months in Europe as there started a growing movement that targeted the firms serving in the West Bank settlements by boycotting them, divesting the capital that was invested by pension funds and promoting sanctions against them. As a result, many of the firms stopped doing business in the settlement areas of West Bank.
Israel Naval Operation Seizes Arms Shipment Bound for Gaza
A high sea naval raid in the Red Sea on March 5, 2014 seized a large cache of Syrian-made M-302 rockets bound for Gaza in a 5,000-mile circuitous route that, according to the Israeli reports, began its trail in Syria, then flew to Iran, then shipped on road to Persian Gulf port of Bandar Abbas, then loaded on a cargo ship, then sailed toward Sudan via a port call at Umm Qasr in Iraq. Once docked in Sudan, according to Israeli briefing, the arms shipment was planned to have been offloaded and transported by road to Gaza through tortuous routes in Egypt. However, prior to calling on the port in Sudan, the ship was raided on the Red Sea.
Abbas Signs Measures to Join International Agencies
In a move that would push the already troubled Mideast peace negotiation into further disarray, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on April 1, 2014 signed off applications to join 15 international treaties and conventions. Palestinians won the right to join 63 international agencies, conventions and treaties after a landmark November 29, 2012 vote by the U.N. General Assembly granting the Palestinian Authority the status of an observer state, overruling the US and Israeli objections. However, when Israel and Palestinians entered into an intense negotiation last July (July 2013) at the behest of the US Secretary of State John Kerry with an objective to wrap up the talks and reach an agreement by April 29, 2014, Palestinians agreed to shelve the idea of applying for membership of various UN bodies and conventions in lieu of Israel's nod to release 104 long-held Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in four batches. After the fourth such release didn't take place by March 31, 2014 as scheduled, Palestinian frustration went high and public, leading to this precipitous action.
Israel Puts Hold on Prisoner Release; Kerry Skeptical on Middle-East Peace
On April 3, 2014, Israel cancelled the fourth round of Palestinian prisoner release from Israeli prisons, citing Palestinian move two days earlier to apply for joining 15 international treaties and conventions. On April 4, 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made his most skeptical comment yet on the future of Israeli-Palestinian, saying that it was time for some "reality check".
Netanyahu Threatens Unilateral Action
Responding to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' April 1, 2014, move to sign off on applications to join 15 international treaties and conventions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 6, 2014 threatened to take "unilateral steps" without divulging what those steps would be.
Kerry Critical of Israel's Housing Plan; Israel Denounces Kerry's Comment
Mincing no word and hiding no frustration, US Secretary of State John Kerry appearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 8, 2014 criticized the publication of Israeli plan to build 700 new apartments in East Jerusalem that would not auger well in either pushing forward Mideast peace negotiation or extending the negotiation period beyond the original deadline of April end. Kerry was very sarcastic about Israel's publication of apartment construction tender hours before Palestinian decision on April 1, 2014 to join 15 international treaties and conventions by observing: "poof, that was sort of the moment" that precipitated the crisis. However, Kerry was also categorical that both sides bore responsibility for the current impasse. On April 9, 2014, Israeli government took issues with Kerry's comments, and criticized him for singling out Israel for the gridlock in talks.
UNSG Accepts Palestinian Applications for 13 U.N. Conventions; Swiss Accepts Palestinian Application for Geneva Convention
In a lightening speed of political embrace of Palestinian cause of statehood by the international community, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on April 10, 2014 accepted the Palestinian applications for 13 U.N. conventions. A day later (April 11, 2014), Swiss government also accepted the Palestinian application to join the Geneva Convention, a landmark international treaty that still guides the rule of law that dictates war time engagement by combatants and treatment of prisoners. On June 21, 1989, Palestine Liberation Organization first applied for joining the Geneva Convention, but at that time Swiss Foreign Ministry refused the application as ther was no unanimity in the international community whether to consider Palestine as a state. That confusion was resolved by the UN General Assembly vote on November 29, 2012 that accorded the Palestine as the "nonmember observer state". One aspect of Geneva Convention that has alarmed Israel all along in case Palestinians would join the convention is its prohibition of colonizing the occupied land. Israel argued, without much success to persuade the international community, that the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip were either part of Jordan or Egypt, never part of sovereign Palestine, thus exempting Israel from the "colonizing" clause of the convention.
Fatah-Hamas Unity Government Proposed; Israel Halts Talks
In a setback to the US Secretary of State John Kerry's diplomatic crusade to keep peace talks between Palestinian Authority and Israeli government going, Hamas and Fatah on April 23, 2014 signed a landmark agreement in Gaza to form a unity government and hold new elections. The move is all but ruin any chance to extend the ongoing talks beyond the original April 29, 2014, deadline. On April 24, 2014, Israel halted all talks with Palestinian Authority.
Former Israeli Premier Gets Six-year Term for Bribery
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on May 13, 2014 received 6 years of imprisonment for bribery committed when he was Jerusalem Mayor. The jail term of Olmert, who was country's premier from 2006 to 2009, will begin on September 1, 2014 as the Tel Aviv District Court Judge David Rosen wants to give former prime minister's attorneys time to appeal. Ehud Olmert is not the only one at the high office to be sent to jail, former President Moshe Katsav is serving a seven-year jail term on charges of rape.
Israel in a Political Bind over Palestinian Unity Government
On June 2, 2014, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appointed a unity government for both Gaza Strip and West Bank. The government was made up of apolitical technocrats, and supported from outside by both Hamas and Fatah, ending a seven-year feud and factional war that had begun when Fatah was run over and ousted from Gaza by an aggressive Hamas. Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the unity government, and urged the west not to recognize it as involved Hamas. However, Abbas was very categorical that the unity government would recognize the rights of Israel to exist, which Hamas never did, and comply with all treaties signed with Israel. Assuaged by Abbas' pledged, both USA and EU said late June 2, 2014 that they would work with the new Palestinian unity government. The support from both USA and EU provided the necessary boost to the new unity government and international profile of President Abbas, who had made the formation of the unity government a priority after the collapse of the peace talks with Israel. On June 3, 2014, Israeli premier Netanyahu called the US stand on the Palestinian unity government "deeply" troubling.
Israel Responds to Formation of Palestinian Unity Government with Further Settlement Construction
Disappointed over west's acceptance of a Palestinian unity government established on June 2, 2014, Israel on June 5, 2014 announced plans for construction of 1,500 apartments at settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The intention of the latest plan was not lost as Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel made it in plain words on June 5, 2014 that it was "an appropriate Zionist response to the establishment of the Palestinian terror government".
Peres-Abbas Pray together with Pope
In a ritual full of symbolism, Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas prayed together on June 8, 2014 at the Vatican City with Pope Francis as part of Pope's invitation to the two leaders during his recent trip to the Holy Land.
Israel's New President: A Moderate Face
A former Likud leader Reuven Rivlin was elected to the titular post of country's president on June 10, 2014 by the lower house of parliament, known as Knesset, by 63-53 votes over Meir Sheetrit. Rivlin will replace nonagenarian Shimon Peres next month for a seven-year term.
A New Flashpoint Emerges with Kidnapping of Three Israeli Youths
Weeks after a Palestinian unity government was formed, a new source of tension and provocation arose on June 12, 2014 as three Israeli teenagers--Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel, both 16--were kidnapped as they had left a religious class at a settlement in West Bank. Frankel is a dual Israeli-American citizen.
Abbas Defends Joint Search of Missing Teens
At a conference of Muslim nations at Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on June 18, 2014 defended the ongoing joint search with Israeli defense forces to find three missing teens who might have been abducted from a hitchhiking stop a week ago on their way from a seminary class. Israel had blamed Hamas for the abduction. Although the militant organization praised the kidnapping, it didn't take responsibility.
Israel Launches Airstrikes in Syria in Response to a Cross-border Attack in Golan Heights
In a new dimension of Syrian civil war's international escalation, a cross-border shelling on June 22, 2014 killed an Israeli teenager on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. However, it was not confirmed who were responsible for the cross-border shelling. A day later (June 23), Israel pounded Syrian targets with punishing airstrikes that had killed four people and wounded nine others.
Bodies of Teenagers Found
Almost three weeks after three Israeli teenagers--Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel, both 16--disappeared on June 12 during their hitchhike from seminaries to their settlement near Hebron, their dead bodies were found on June 30, 2014. Their disappearance led to one of the largest Israeli crackdown in West Bank in recent years, nabbing at least 400 Hamas supporters. They were buried side by side at a central Israeli town, Modiin, on July 1, 2014 amid presence of high-ranking Israeli officials such as Premier Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and Finance Minister Yair Lapid.
Tit-for-tat Killing Inflames the Region
In a revenge attack, a Palestinian teenager was kidnapped near his home in East Jerusalem on July 2, 2014 and was taken off in a vehicle. Later in the day the burned body of Mohammed Abu Khdeir was found in a Jerusalem forest, kindling anger and animosity among Palestinians. Khdeir's horrible killing came two days after bodies of three Israeli teens---Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel, both 16---kidnapped on June 12, 2014 were found.
On July 3, 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to calm the situation that took a more serious turn after July 2, 2014, horrific tit-for-tat burning death of an Arab boy, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and said that "we don't know yet the motives or the identities of the perpetrators, but we will. We will bring to justice the criminals responsible for this despicable crime, whoever they may be". Meanwhile, Israel rushed armored carriers and military personnel towards Gaza borders as Israeli Air Force carried out several airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza. At least 40 rockets, mortars and missiles were fired off Gaza on July 3.
On July 4, 2014, thousands of angry Palestinians attended the funeral of Mohammed Abu Khdeir in East Jerusalem, and many of the participants fought pitched battles with Israeli security forces. Meanwhile, Israel launched several punishing airstrikes against targets in Gaza, and at least 14 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza.
Israel Detains Six on Burning Death of Palestinian Boy; Netanyahu Promises Justice
Israel on July 6, 2014 announced that it had detained six Jews in relation to burning death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir on July 2, 2014. Meanwhile, Israel said on July 6, 2014 that it had carried out airstrikes in response to more than two dozens rocket attack on Israel from Gaza Strip.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu on July 7, 2014 called up the boy's father, Hussein Abu Khdeir, and expressed outrage. Netanyahu promised to take appropriate actions against the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the mother of one of the Israeli kidnapped teenager, Naftali Frankel, came out openly against the burning death of the Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir. Racheli Frankel said on July 7, 2014 that her family was distressed by the event.
Middle East Plunges to a New Low as Israel Begins a New Offensive
Late July 7, 2014 (US Time)/early July 8, 2014 (Local Time), Israel began a new offensive, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge, in Gaza Strip as Israeli airstrikes killed five Hamas fighters in a tunnel. Earlier in the day on July 7, 2014 Hamas upped the ante too by firing an avalanche of rocket and mortars on Israel, with more than 80 landing on Israeli soil and some of them deep inside the country. In the early morning of July 8, 2014, Israeli Defense Forces announced the beginning of Operation Protective Edge on a Twitter posting.
Israeli Air Attacks Shake Gaza
On July 8, 2014, Israeli air assaults targeted more than 150 sites in Gaza Strip, including 10 tunnels, 90 concealed rocket launchers and 18 weapons storage and manufacturing sites, according to Israeli military. Gaza health officials reported 24 deaths and more than 152 injuries in Israeli attacks. Among the dead were seven people, including three children, who were killed as Israeli airstrikes hit a three-story building at Khan Younis in Gaza. Militants also fired more than 150 rockets from Gaza into Israeli territory. Meanwhile, Israel might be preparing for a possible ground invasion as its cabinet on July 8, 2014 approved call-up of up to 40,000 army reservists, and massing troops to the Gaza borders.
Israeli Offensives Continue amid Mounting Civilian Casualties
Israel said on July 9, 2014 that it had carried out airstrikes overnight against 160 targets in Gaza Strip as Gaza health officials said that 53 people were killed in Israeli attacks since July 5, 2014, including 45 since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on late July 7, 2014 (US Time)/early July 8, 2014 (Local Time). Out of 53 Palestinians killed, Gaza Health Ministry said, 18 were children and 9 were women. Meanwhile, militants continued firing off rockets from Gaza at an alarming rate with range far from what was thought previously of limited capability of the existing arsenals. Some of the rockets landed close to Haifa, about 100 miles north of Gaza borders, sending panic in the region. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system shot down five rockets over Tel Aviv early July 9.
Hamas-Israeli Clashes Raise Specter of Catastrophe in the Region
As Israel's pounding of Gaza raised the death toll on the Palestinian side to more than 85, including dozens of civilians, since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, international community got into action to broker a cease-fire on July 10, 2014. U.S. President Barack Obama called up Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on July 10, and while supporting Israel's right to defend, he called for avoiding civilian deaths and formulating a cease-fire along the line of a similar one that was crafted in 2012 with the help from Egypt and the then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In an emergency session at the UNSC, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on July 10 that it was necessary to avoid civilian casualties irrespective of the sides and create an atmosphere for a cease-fire immediately. Meanwhile, militants from Gaza Strip launched more than hundred rockets and mortars against Israeli population centers. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system was able to destroy scores of projectiles against targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Death Toll on Palestinian Side Rises as Israel Turns on Heat on Gaza
After a punishing series of airstrikes over the past four days since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, the Palestinian death toll surpassed triple digit on July 11, 2014. Health Ministry in Gaza announced that by the evening of July 11, 2014 the Palestinian death toll stood at 106, many of whom were children and women. One of the latest victim was a 3-year old child, Saher Abu Namous, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military said on July 11 that it had carried out airstrikes against more than 1,100 locations in Gaza Strip, including targets in Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Khan Yunis and Rafah. Hamas and other militant groups launched more than 600 rockets, including 140 on July 11, 2014.
Israel Made Ground Incursion in Gaza
In turning up the heat on Hamas, Israeli ground forces made brief incursion into northern Gaza Strip in the early hours of July 13, 2014 to dismantle a rocket launching site. Earlier on July 12, 2014, Israeli government announced that it would hit northern Gaza "with great force" and asked residents to leave their homes "for their own safety". During the day (July 12), Israel carried out several airstrikes against targets, including the Al-Tawfeeq Mosque in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, south of Gaza City, a center for disabled Palestinians, Mabaret Palestinian Society, in northern Gaza, and a house of a police commander, Hamas police chief Gen. Tayseer al-Batsh. The attack on the house of the police commander killed 18, highest death in a single airstrike during the current Israeli air campaign, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge that had begun on July 8, 2014, At least five people were killed in the airstrike on the center for disabled Palestinians, Mabaret Palestinian Society, in northern Gaza. Palestinian officials said on July 12, 2014 that the death toll rose to at least 156. Militants fired at least 90 rockets during the day (July 12). Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council issued a statement on July 12, 2014, calling for a cease-fire in line with the one in 2012 and "respect for international law including protection of civilians".
Many Fleeing Northern Gaza
Despite Hamas' call for the residents of northern Gaza to stay back, thousands of Palestinians on July 13, 2014 fled their homes on foot, donkeys and vehicles, heeding the Israeli warning of an impending attack. Many of them took refuge at U.N.-run schools in Gaza Strip. As of July 13, 2014, at least 17,000 Palestinians were housed in 20 U.N.-run schools. Meanwhile, more than 130 rockets were fired off Gaza, out of which 22 were intercepted by Israeli missile defense system. Meanwhile, international outrage had mounted over Israeli airstrikes on July 12, 2014 against a center for disabled Palestinians and Hamas police chief Gen. Tayseer al-Batsh that had killed scores of civilians. Meanwhile, the ruling head of Gaza Strip, Governor Abdallah al-Frangi, an official appointed as part of Hamas-Fatah unity government, on July 13, 2014 called for American intervention to resolve the crisis.
An Egyptian-brokered Truce Rejected by Hamas
A truce proposed by Egypt was accepted by Israel on July 15, 2014, but rejected by Palestinian group Hamas, setting off another barrage of Israeli airstrikes on numerous Gaza targets. The Egyptian-brokered truce provided a narrow window of hope for middle east violence to end before the holiest Islamic festival of Eid. However, the truce proposal offered by Egyptian regime was not palatable to Hamas, underlining the tense relationship between the current Abdel Fattah el-Sissi government and Hamas, an offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood, target of severe crackdown by the current Egyptian regime. During the day, at least 120 rockets and mortar were fired off the Gaza, and the first Israeli casualty took place near Erez Crossing amid soaring deaths on Palestinian side. As of July 15, 2014, 197 Palestinians were killed and about 1,500 wounded. Since the Israeli air campaign, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge, had begun on July 8, 2014, Israel carried out close to 1,700 airstrikes and militants from Gaza fired more than 1,200 rockets at Israel. Israel issued warning on late July 15, 2014, asking tens of thousands of residents in northern and eastern Gaza to leave their homes by Wednesday (July 16) morning. Israel issued the warning via text messages, automated telephone calls and leaflets. Hamas, to the contrary, asked the residents to stay put, describing the Israeli warning as psychological warfare on Palestinian population.
Israel Pounces Northern Gaza; Announces a Five-Hour Pause in Aerial Campaign
Hours after warning more than 100,000 residents of northern and eastern Gaza to leave their homes by 8AM on July 16, 2014, Israeli military pounded more than 60 targets in Northern Gaza on July 16, 2014. By the evening of July 16, 2014, Palestinian death toll stood at least 214, including the eyebrow-raising, international attention grabbing deaths of four Palestinian children during the day as Israeli airstrike took their lives as they were playing in seashore. Although informally rejecting an Egyptian-crafted truce proposal a day earlier, Hamas made it official on July 16, 2014 that it would reject the Egyptian proposal, and instead offered its own truce proposal that called for 10 years of quiet in exchange for full reopening of all Gaza border crossings and release of 50 Palestinian prisoners who had been released under a 2011 deal, but rearrested later. Meanwhile, nodding to the appeal of special U.N. envoy to the Middle East, Robert Serry, Israel on July 16, 2014 announced that it would pause its aerial campaign on July 17, 2014 for five hours from 10 AM to 3 PM for humanitarian aid.
Israel Makes Ground Invasion in Gaza to Destroy Tunnels
After a failed infiltration and instant attack using a underground tunnel by 13 Palestinians at around 4:30 AM on July 17, 2014, Israeli cabinet took decision to carry out ground invasion in Gaza with aims at destroying the tunnels. The ground invasion began late in the evening after a five-hour pause in fighting between 10 AM and 3 PM during the day (July 17) as per request by the U.N. in order to provide humanitarian relief. However, immediately after the pause was over at 3 PM, Israel resumed its airstrikes and militants took to firing rockets at Israel. By the end of the day on July 17, 2014, the Palestinian death toll stood at close to 250 and more than 120 rockets rained on Israel. Among the Palestinian deaths, there were four young children killed by an Israeli airstrike as they were playing on the rooftop, mirroring the death of four boys, all of them were cousins, a day at a Gaza sea beach. Meanwhile, Israel's ground offensive in Gaza drew sharp rebuke by the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who called July 17, 2014 the Israeli move a serious escalation.
Israeli Boots on Gaza Soil Roils the Region
On July 18, 2014, Israeli soldiers took their presence along a larger stretch of border, but refrained from getting deeper inside. Instead Israeli ground operation was focused on finding, exposing and destroying the underground tunnels. Meanwhile, the death of an Israeli soldier overnight brought the Israeli death toll to two as of July 18, 2014, while the Palestinian death toll neared 300. During the day, dozens of rockets rained down on Israel amid a looming humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip with 47,000 Palestinians now housed in 43 U.N. shelters. U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had talks during the day over phone in which Obama, though supporting Israel on its right for self-defense, expressed concern over rising civilian casualty in Gaza.
Israel Continues Ground and Aerial Offensives Amid Israeli Border Breach by Militants
As Israel pushed deeper into Gaza two days after beginning a ground invasion on July 17, 2014, there were three purported, separate infiltration attempts by Palestinian militants to breach Israeli borders on July 19, 2014. The first infiltration attempt occurred in the morning as eight Palestinians with Israeli military uniform appeared at the Israeli border using an underground tunnel fired against Israeli military, killing two Israeli soldiers. One of the attackers was killed as the remaining soldiers had retreated through the tunnel. Two militants separately breached the Israeli borders either through tunnel incursion or scaling border fence. One militant was killed. Late in July 19, 2014, a lone Palestinian militant used underground tunnel to breach Israeli border, but killed by Israeli troops. During the day (July 19), 48 Palestinians were killed. Meanwhile, an Egyptian-backed truce plan failed more due to division in regional power politics than just Hamas-Israeli intransigence. While the Egyptian plan was accepted by Israel, it was rejected by Hamas. The Egyptian plan was backed by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, while opposed by Qatar-Hamas-Turkey axis. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri on July 17, 2014 night went so far to castigate the trifecta (Qatar, Hamas and Turkey) for "trying to abort Egypt's role, which is the region bulwark in the face of a plot aimed at fragmenting the region into rival mini-states".
Fatal Sunday Turns Region into Killing Field
July 20, 2014 marked the most fatal day since the Israeli operation, dubbed the Operation Protective Edge, had begun on July 8, 2014, and subsequently bolstered by Israeli boots on ground in Gaza was launched on July 17, 2014. During the day (July 20, 2014), 87 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers were killed, including two Americans--Nissim Sean Carmell and Max Steinberg--who were serving in the Israeli Defense Force. Most of Palestinian deaths took place in Israeli missile strike against the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, while the Israeli military deaths were an outcome of deeper and deadly involvement of Israeli troops in Gaza Strip. Late in the day, military wing of Hamas claimed that it had captured one Israeli soldier. The casualty and catastrophe in the region spurred the international community to push for diplomatic initiative as evidenced by an emergency session by the U.N. Security Council on July 20, 2014 night at the request of Palestinians. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was in Doha, Qatar on July 20, 2014 and was scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas at Doha late in the evening was pointed in his criticism against excesses by both sides, but took swipe at Israel because of "atrocious" bombardment of Shijaiyah. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called the situation in Gaza "intolerable" as he made a televised address at Doha. He dubbed Israeli action in Gaza Strip "crime against humanity". Even U.S. President Barack Obama chipped in on July 20, 2014 with a telephone conversation with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, second time in two days, with a message that the USA wanted to see cessation of hostilities as the mounting death toll was of paramount concern. The only good piece of news during the day was Israel's declaration of military pause for two hours from 1:30 to 3:30 PM so that dead and wounded could be evacuated from Shijaiyah, and subsequent extension of the pause twice first until 4:30 PM and then until 5:30 PM.
Situation Spinning out of Control Amid Stalled Diplomacy
In what could be best described as an impending onset of human catastrophe in Gaza Strip, neither side is willing to cede an inch, and the Palestinian toll has passed 560 as of July 21, 2014. Israel shelled a hospital in central Gaza, and an airstrike brought a high-rise tower crumbling, killing at least 11 people. At least 565 Palestinians have been killed and more than 3,000 wounded since the Israeli air campaign, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge, had begun on July 8, 2014. On the Israeli side, seven more soldiers were killed on July 21, 2014 as the Israeli ground operation in Gaza got deeper and more intense, bringing the Israeli military deaths to 25 in addition to two civilians killed in militant rocket fire. Amid mounting death toll and destruction, diplomacy remained stalled, but intense, and now centered at Cairo as both the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N.S.G. Ban Ki-moon on hand on July 21, 2014 at Cairo. A Cairo-sponsored truce proposal was accepted by Israeli government last week, but rejected by Hamas. However, Ban after meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri on July 21, 2014 made it clear that UN stood behind the Egyptian proposal, and asked all parties to stop violence. However, effort of diplomatic solution fell flat as Hamas' top civilian official in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said on July 21, 2014 that Gaza Strip's 1.7 million residents shared Hamas' goal of resistance and cease-fire would be possible if all the blockades by Egypt and Israel were withdrawn. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Cairo on July 21, 2014 and met with Ban during the day, announced $47 million in humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
International Flights to and from Israel Suspended amid the Fear of Hamas Rocket Attack
In the backdrop of July 17, 2014, downing of the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 in Eastern Ukraine, allegedly by a SA-11 surface-to-air missile fired by pro-Moscow rebels, Federal Aviation Administration didn't take any chance on July 22, 2014 after a rocket fired from Gaza landed at Yehud, in central Israel close to Ben Gurion International Airport, ordering all U.S. flights to be suspended immediately. European airlines such as Britain's EasyJet, Air France, Lufthansa, Dutch KLM as well as Air Canada, Turkish Airlines and Greece's Aegean Airlines suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv. The incident showed Hamas' ability to disrupt Israel's economy significantly by hurting travel, tourism, trade and high-tech sector. Meanwhile, Israel announced during the day that two more soldiers were killed overnight on July 21, 2014, bringing the total Israeli military toll to 27, and admitted that one of its soldiers was missing from July 20, 2014. Hamas announced on July 22, 2014 that it had Sgt. Oron Shaul as hostage. Meanwhile, Israel continued to push ground offensive deep inside Gaza to destroy underground tunnels, which were found to be more extensive than known earlier, and pound Gaza with naval shelling and aerial strikes. Meanwhile in the face of rising anti-Semitism in Europe, foreign ministers of three important European countries with large Muslim population issued a joint statement on July 22, 2014 decrying "anti-Semitic rhetoric and hostility against Jews". German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his French and Italian counterparts, Laurent Fabius and Federica Mogherini, issued the joint statement at Brussels, where European foreign ministers were huddling to discuss on possible tightening of sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian crisis.
FAA Lifts Flight Suspension as Kerry Makes Whirlwind Rounds in the Region
Late July 23, 2014, Federal Aviation Administration withdrew its suspension of US-based flights to and from Israel after receiving a security update from Israeli officials and reevaluating the flight safety situation in the region. Meanwhile, on diplomatic front, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Israel to hold discussion with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at Ramallah. U.N.S.G. Ban Ki-moon and Kerry also held talks to revive the Egyptian-backed truce proposal, which Israel had accepted, but Hamas rejected. Hamas' stand remained steadfast on July 23, 2014 as its chief of Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal, reiterated the group's stand in Qatar that cease-fire was possible only if all the blockades imposed by Israel and Egypt were completely withdrawn. Meanwhile, during the day, some of the fiercest clashes took place in the Shijaiyah neighborhood, Beit Hanoun in the north and Khan Younis in the south. At least 74 Palestinians were killed on July 23, 2014 and early July 24, 2014, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 702 since the current conflagration had begun on July 8, 2014. On the Israeli side, three more soldiers were killed on July 23 and one Thai worker was killed as a rocket landed near the southern city of Ashkelon, raising the Israeli death toll to 32 for military personnel and three for civilians. In Gaza City, Wafa Hospital was struck by Israeli bombing on July 23, 2014 in the afternoon and evening. Israel accused Hamas of using the hospital as command and control center for attacks against Israel.
Meanwhile, U.N. Human Rights ombudsman Navi Pillay said on July 23, 2014 that Israeli action in Gaza might lead to charges of war crimes. She was also critical of Hamas' rocket attacks on Israel.
FAA Flight Suspension Draws Political Ire from Sen. Cruz
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took the partisan political battle against Obama administration to a new high with arguments laced middle-east crisis theme. Sen. Cruz put confirmation of various Obama administration nominees on hold demanding an inquiry whether White House was involved in any way in the FAA's July 22, 2104, decision to suspend American carriers' flight to and from Israel. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf on July 24, 2014 called Cruz's move "just perplexing".
Change of Hands of Israel's Presidency Amid Worst Single Day of Palestinian Fatalities
As Israeli elder statesman Shimon Peres handed over presidential powers to Reuven Rivlin on July 24, 2014, Palestinians in Gaza suffered worst single-day casualty as at least 119 Palestinians were killed during the day, raising the total Palestinian death toll to at least 803 since Israeli campaign had begun on July 8, 2014. An explosion rocked a U.N. school in Gaza where dozens of Palestinian families sought refuge, killing at least 15 civilians and leaving blood-splashed belongings such as bed covers, pillows, clothes and other stuffs. This marked the fourth time a U.N. facility was hit since the current conflagration had begun on July 8, 2014. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for immediate end to killings, denouncing the attack on the U.N. school. Israel said that it was not Israeli shelling, but Hamas' rockets, that had hit the U.N. school.
Israel Rejects Kerry's Cease-Fire Proposal; Missing Israeli Soldier Pronounced Dead
Israel on July 25, 2014 rejected John Kerry's weeklong cease-fire proposal as it didn't want to discontinue its ground operation in Gaza Strip to identify, expose and destroy underground tunnels and rocket launch sites. Meanwhile, anti-Israeli protests on July 25, 2014 spread to more areas in the West Bank in camaraderie with their fellow brethren in Gaza. At least five demonstrators were killed in fighting with security forces in various parts of West Bank. After spending five days in the region, Kerry said on July 25 that he would head to Paris to enlist European support, but didn't mince his frustration at the Israeli rebuff of his cease-fire proposal. Kerry had hoped for helping to come up with a cease-fire prior to his leaving the region and run-up to a major Muslim festival, Eid ul-Fitr. Also on July 25, 2014, Israeli Defense Forces announced that Sgt. Oron Shaul, reported missing since July 22, 2014, was "killed in action whose burial site is unknown".
Pause in Fighting at the Urging of U.N.
Both Hamas and Israel held their guns on July 26, 2014 for twelve hours at the request of U.N. During lull in fighting, aid workers and residents scoured the mounds of debris created by Israeli bombardment and shelling (of Gaza Strip) to look for dead and wounded, provided food and medicine to an exasperated population and evacuated people trapped in neighborhoods. Rescue workers and medics recovered 147 bodies. Later Israel extended the pause for an additional four hours just before the initial 12-hour pause was about to expire at 8 PM local time. Later in the night, Israel extended the pause for additional 24 hours, but warned that Israeli forces reserved the right to strike back if attacked. Israel also made it clear that during lull in fighting its troops won't withdraw from Gaza. Meanwhile, on the Palestinian side, death toll reached 1,047 as of July 26, 2014 since the
Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014. So far, 42 Israeli military personnel were killed in addition to two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker.
No Let-up in Fighting a Day Before Eid
Despite public announcement of pause in fighting both sides, Israel and Hamas continued their fighting on July 27, 2014 amid rising death tolls, anxiety among international community and likelihood of plunging the region to a more lasting political turmoil. The 20-day fighting (July 8-27, 2014) took heaviest toll on Palestinian population in Gaza Strip, killing almost 70 percent civilians among nearly 1,050 killed so far. On the Israeli side, as of July 27, 2014, 43 military personnel, two civilian and one Thai worker were killed. The U.N. Security Council approved a statement late July 27, 2014 calling for "an immediate and unconditional humanitarian cease-fire" into the "Eid period and beyond". President Barack Obama during the day talked to Israeli P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu over phone, and supported Israel's right to defend itself. But the president was also unambiguous in expressing his concern over rising death toll of Palestinian death toll in Gaza Strip. Also on July 27, 2014, Israeli Defense Forces spokesman during the current conflict, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, admitted that the July 24, 2014, explosion at a U.N. school in Gaza was caused by an errant "single mortar" round.
Unbridled Violence Takes the Region into Downward Slide
An informal cease-fire supposed to take hold on the holy day of Eid gave way to a day of deadly violence on July 28, 2014, with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for "patience and determination" to root out Hamas infrastructure of tunnels and (rocket) launch sites in Gaza Strip. An explosion rocked the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip in the afternoon, killing 10 Palestinians, mostly children who were playing outside. Another blast shattered an outside wall of Gaza's main hospital, Shifa Hospital, during the day. Hamas blamed--and Israel denied--Israeli hands behind the attacks on the both Shati Refugee Camp and the main hospital. During the day (July 28), mortar rounds fired from Gaza Strip killed four Israeli soldiers at a staging ground near Gaza borders. A fifth U.S. soldier was killed in combat in southern Gaza Strip, raising the total Israeli military death toll to 48 as of July 28, 2014. Beside 48 military deaths, two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker were also killed in mortar and rocket attack.
Gaza's Power Plant Struck, Brings Darkness to Entire Strip
Israel on July 29, 2014 has broadened its aerial campaign to include more targets, including a power plant in Gaza Strip that is the lifeblood for Palestinian economy and on which 1.8 million Gaza Strip residents depend on for electricity to keep lights on, sewage flowing and water running. Aerial strikes on July 29, 2014 included targets such as home of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, offices of Hamas' satellite TV station, Al-Aqsa, and Jebaliya Refugee Camp. During the day, at least 128 Palestinians were killed, according to Gaza's health officials, raising the death toll on the Palestinian side to at least 1,229. During the day, a daring attack by a team of eight Palestinian gunmen using a underground tunnel to appear on the Israeli side of borders near a military watch tower, then opening fire on Israeli soldiers and retreating to the Palestinian side of the borders through the tunnel raised the specter and seriousness of a prolonged fight in the region. During July 29, 2014, tunnel infiltration and attack near kibutz Nahal Oz, five Israeli soldiers were killed, raising the Israeli military death toll to 53.
Israeli Artillery Strikes a U.N. School; U.N. Accuses Israel of Violating International Law
At least 17 people were killed and more than 90 injured in shelling of a U.N. school at the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip that was filled with displaced Palestinian families in the early hours of July 30, 2014 when most of the people inside were sleeping. This was the sixth such hit of U.N. schools in Gaza Strip and also the deadliest one. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which operated the school, where 3,300 people sought refuge, said in a statement later in the day that it had collected evidence that pointed to Israeli shelling. UNRWA's Commissioner-General Pierre Kraehenbuhl said on July 30 that the attack on the school constituted "serious violation of international law by Israeli forces". U.N.S.G Ban Ki-moon was more pointed in his criticism of the attack, saying on July 30 that "nothing is more shameful than attacking sleeping children". The U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson referred to the Geneva Convention that prohibits attacking schools and hospitals. The White House also deplored the attack on the U.N. school at the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip. However, Israeli military spokesman Col. Peter Lerner called the incident "a true tragedy" and was under investigation. Israel regularly blames Hamas for storing and firing mortars, projectiles and rockets from civilian areas, hospitals and schools. During the day (July 30, 2014), at least 116 Palestinians were killed, raising the Palestinian death toll to 1,361 since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014. Three Israeli soldiers were killed as they, searching for an underground tunnel, raided a house in Gaza Strip that was booby-trapped. The Israeli military death toll stood 56 as of July 30, 2014. Two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker were also killed during the current conflict.
A 72-Hour Humanitarian Truce Reached Amid Continuing Violence
A joint statement issued separately on July 31, 2014 at New Delhi, where U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had arrived for a state visit, and the U.N. headquarters in New York brought a ray of hope as both Hamas and Israel had accepted a 72-hour humanitarian truce starting at 8AM on August 1, 2014. However, Kerry was cautious about any possible lasting truce that this 72-hour pause would yield in. Palestinian and Israeli delegation will head to Cairo for negotiation aimed at ending the conflict. The Palestinian delegation will include Hamas representatives, and they will talk to Israeli representatives via Egyptian officials. Under the deal jointly announced by the US and UN on July 31, 2014, Israeli forces will stay in Gaza Strip and Palestinians will receive food, medicine and other necessary supplies. As of July 31, 2014, at least 1,441 Palestinians were killed since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, surpassing the Palestinian death toll of 1,410 during the last major Israeli invasion in 2009. The Israeli military death toll stood at 56, larger than 13 during the previous major campaign. Three-quarters of the Palestinian deaths were of civilian. During the current conflagration, record number of rockets were fired from Gaza and some of their reach was deeper than during any previous conflict. At least 2,850 rockets were fired at Israel, and many of them landing near major cities. Israel also carried out some 4,000 strikes to root out underground tunnels and rocket launching infrastructure in Gaza.
A 72-Hour Humanitarian Truce Fails to Take Hold
A 72-hour humanitarian truce announced simultaneously with much fanfare a day earlier at two different places of the world turned out to be an abject failure as before the start of the cease-fire an Israeli soldier was abducted and two soldiers were dead in an operation in southern Gaza on August 1, 2014. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of flagrantly violating the truce while Hamas said that the operation took place before the start time of the proposed truce. Hamas also denied any responsibility for abducting 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin. Meanwhile, world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, called for Goldin's unconditional release.
Soldier Suspected to be Captured Declared Dead
A soldier thought to have been captured in Rafah a day earlier leading to a plan for a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire crafted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to collapse even before the pause in fighting had begun to take a foothold was declared dead on August 2, 2014 by Israeli Defense Forces. The soldier, 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin, 23, whose alleged abduction a day earlier became a rallying cry for world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, for his immediate release, was instead killed during a fight in southern Gaza city of Rafah. Hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once more vowed to go forward with both aerial and ground operation to dismantle and destroy Hamas' extensive tunnel networks and rocket launching infrastructure. However, Israel also made a small degree of tactical retreat on August 2, 2014 in face of intense international criticism as some Israeli forces returned to the borders from inside Gaza. On August 2, Israel pounded Gaza Strip, especially Rafah, with airstrikes, killing at least 72 people. Netanyahu is facing twin challenges of political clamors: one from the international community to help end the conflict that had as of August 2, 2014 killed at least 1,712 Palestinians and wounded more than 9,000. The second is from a restive domestic population as this time Hamas' rockets had reached deep inside Israel near the population centers and ferocity of resistance in Gaza Strip had killed 64 Israeli soldiers, maximum number since 2006 war with Lebanon's Hezbollah. Later in the day, Israel informed Palestinians in Beit Lahiya and al-Atatra that it was safe for them to return homes.
Israel Pulls Ground Troops out of Gaza Strip
Bulk of Israeli ground troops returned to Israel on August 3, 2014 after destroying some 30 tunnels used by militants for surprise attack on the Israeli side of the border. Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll crossed 1,800 since the current conflagration had begun on July 8, 2014. Amid withdrawing from Gaza, Israel's action on August 3, 2014 drew sharp rebuke from its natural ally USA as an Israeli airstrike near a U.N. shelter during the day killed at least 10 people. The U.S. State Department said that it was appalled by this "disgraceful attack" on a U.N. facility that housed about 3,000 refugees. The U.N.S.G. Bank Ki-moon lashed out against Israel, calling the attack on the U.N. facility "a moral outrage and criminal act". In Cairo, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators continued talking at the behest of Egyptian hosts.
Deal Emerges in Cairo, Hope Arises Across Globe
Ray of hope emerged from the negotiating tables at Cairo as a new 72-hour truce was being agreed on August 4, 2014 that might lead to reaching at a more sustainable peace to end the current conflict in Gaza Strip that had begun on July 8, 2014, killing nearly 1,900 Palestinians and 64 Israeli soldiers in addition to deaths of two Israeli civilians and a Thai worker. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama signed a bill on August 4, 2014 that would allocate $225 million for Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense system, credited for intercepting several inbound rockets launched from Gaza.
An Uneasy Calm Takes Hold in Gaza amid an Egyptian-brokered Cease-Fire
As a 72-hour cease-fire began at 8AM on August 5, 2014, an unusual scene for the past month took hold in Gaza and Israel: no rocket fire, no airstrike. Israel completed the withdrawal of its ground forces from Gaza Strip before the start of the pause period at 8AM. Israeli troops dismantled 32 tunnels, including 14 that stretched into Israel, since the ground operation had begun on July 17, 2014. Israeli and Palestinian delegations are heading to Cairo for talks scheduled to start on August 6, 2014.
Diplomacy in Full Swing at Cairo amid Efforts to Extend the 72-Hour Cease-Fire
As Egypt's Intelligence chief Mohammad Farid al-Tohamy held separate discussions with Palestinians and Israeli negotiators at Cairo on August 6, 2014, there was hope that the 72-hour humanitarian truce would be extended beyond its August 8, 2014, last day of the truce. USA sent Frank Lowenstein, the acting special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiation, to Cairo to facilitate talks. Meanwhile, Robert Serry, U.N.'s special envoy to the Middle East, and Tony Blair, representative of the so-called Quartet--US, EU, UN, and Russia--were also on hand at Cairo. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri on August 6, 2014 hoped that the humanitarian cese-fire would be extended as the negotiation progressed slowly. However, the second top leader of Hamas, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that there were no talk about a potential extension of cease-fire.
Hamas Rockets Greet the Expiry of 72-hour Cease-Fire
As soon as 72-hour cease-fire expired at 8AM on August 8, 2014, rockets were fired from Gaza Strip toward Israel. Israel responded by carrying its own air strikes. Although the Israeli delegation left Cairo, saying that Israel won't negotiate under the threat of fire, Palestinian delegation had stayed back.
Hope Rises as Parties Accepts Another 72-Hour Lull in Fighting
Both Palestinians and Israel on August 10, 2014 accepted another Egyptian-backed 72-hour truce set to begin past midnight (12:01AM local time of August 11, 2014). However, no side seemed to back down before the pause time was about to start as more rockets landed in Israel as a mark of final countdown and continuing Israeli airstrikes killed 7 more Palestinians. Since Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, at least 1,900 Palestinians and 67 on the Israeli side, all but three were military personnel, were killed. In the run-up to the beginning of a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire, Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on August 10, 2014 that parties would use the lull in fighting to pursue a lasting cease-fire, provide relief to people in Gaza Strip and try to start the process for reconstruction of devastated infrastructure of the strip. However, the gulf between Israel and Egypt on one side and Palestinians on the other sides for future direction of negotiation remains wide. Palestinians demand for an immediate lifting of blockade of Gaza Strip, free flow of people between Gaza Strip and West Bank, construction of a seaport in Gaza and re-construction of the Gaza Airport. However, both Israel and Egypt insist for an unconditional cease-fire as the first step to begin discussion on other issues. The leader of the Palestinian delegation, Azzam al-Ahmad, said on August 10 that the Palestinian demands were not new and Israel shouldn't "waste the time" during lull in fighting. However, one of the Palestinian factions attending the Cairo talks, Democratic Front for Liberation of Palestine, was more emphatic as its leader Qais Abdel-Karim said during the day that it would be farce to return from Cairo with a truce and nothing else.
Negotiation Resumes at Cairo as 72-Hour Truce Begins
As a 72-hour humanitarian truce began on August 11, 2014, negotiators in Cairo were in the midst of an intense negotiation process.
Truce Extended for Five More Days
As nerves in the region were showing sign of stress and people started to prepare for another bout of rocket and aerial attacks, the ray of hope became brighter in Cairo as both sides on August 13, 2014 accepted another five-day truce that would begin at 12:01AM local time on August 14, 2014 when the present 72-hour truce would expire.
Truce Extended for 24 Hours
A five-day truce set to expire 11:59 PM on August 18, 2014 was renewed for 24 hours just few hours before the expiry of the deadline at the request of Egypt.
Rocket Attacks Shatter the Truce, Israel Walks Off the Talks in Cairo, Pummel Gaza with Airstrikes
Rockets were launched from Gaza Strip on August 19, 2014, shattering the truce and forcing the Israeli government, who had said earlier that it won't negotiate under fire, to withdraw country's delegation to Cairo talks. At least eight rockets were fired, with two intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and six having landed near the cities of Ashdod, Beersheba and Netivot. There was no injury in the rocket attack. However, in the subsequent Israeli airstrikes, five people, including three children, were injured in Gaza Strip.
Hamas' Military Chief Targeted
An Israeli airstrike late August 19, 2014 targeted head of Hamas' military wing, Qassam Brigades, by attacking a Gaza apartment, but missed Mohammed Deif instead killing one of his wives, Widad, 28, and their infant son along with three other residents. This marked the latest of a series of unsuccessful Israeli attempts to assassinate Deif, but only to end up lending an aura of invincibility to the Palestinian leader. Thousands of mourners attended the August 20, 2014, funeral of Deif's wife and son.
Israel Ups the Ante on Hamas
In an early morning attack, an Israeli airstrike on August 21, 2014 killed three Hamas military commanders as they had just emerged from a Rafah tunnel on the Gaza side of the border. The deaths of three Hamas military commanders were among at least 26 Palestinians killed during the day in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza Strip that had killed more than 2,000 Palestinians since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014. Also in an indication of renewed escalation, Israeli cabinet on August 21, 2014 authorized to call up to 10,000 more reserve soldiers. Meanwhile, in an explosive revelation, an exiled Hamas official, Saleh Arouri, on August 21, 2014 said at a Turkish conference that Hamas had kidnapped three Israeli teens in June to stoke Palestinian uprising in the West Bank. As violence returned to the region, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on August 21 met with his Hamas rival Khaled Mashaal on August 21 in Qatar as part of an effort to revive peace talks with Israel.
Suspected Collaborators Executed
About 18 suspected Palestinian collaborators, who were under Hamas detention since before the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, were executed on August 22, 2014. Meanwhile, a 4-year-old boy was killed on August 22, 2014 in a mortar shell attack on a Jewish kibbutz, raising the death toll on the Israeli side to 68, all barring 4 were military personnel.
Uncertainty Hangs over Open-Ended Cease-Fire
After almost 50 days of fighting that took more than 2,100 Palestinian lives, Hamas achieved very little to show with an open-ended cease-fire announced on August 26, 2014 that would return the parties to the same political plateau as was at the end of an eight-day war in 2012. Although Hamas immediately claimed victory, its main demands for lifting of blockade by Israel and Egypt as well as unhindered fishing rights and reopening of an airport in Gaza were only partially met. An hour before the beginning of the cease-fire at 7PM, a mortar fell on a kibbutz just outside the Gaza borders, killing two Israeli civilians and raising the death toll on the Israeli side to 70, all but six were military personnel. The deal related to the open-ended cease-fire that went into effect at 7PM (local time) on August 26, 2014 calls for:
* Opening of the Israeli-controlled border crossings to facilitate entry of relief supplies and construction materials for rebuilding of homes and infrastructure in Gaza
* Allowing Palestinian fishermen access to 6-nautical miles of coastal waters off Gaza
However, Israeli demand for demilitarization of Gaza was not included in the agreement.
Abbas Accuses Hamas of Prolonging the War
In a direct criticism of Hamas, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on August 29, 2014 that Hamas acted in a way that had prolonged the war with Israel, adding to the misery of Palestinian people in Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Children Start Late School in Gaza
About 230,000 Palestinian students made late start on September 14, 2014 in Gaza Strip where most of the schools were partly or totally destroyed by Israeli aerial campaign. Still as many as 50,000 people are in temporary shelters at various schools.
Abbas Calls for UN to Set a Date for Ending Israeli Occupation
Taking the podium of UN General Assembly, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on September 26, 2014 called on the UN to set a date for Israel to end its occupation. He also called the 50-day Israeli air campaign in Gaza as war crimes and genocide.
Netanyahu Lashes Back at Abbas; Links Hamas to Islamic Group
Lashing back at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29, 2014 addressed the U.N. General Assembly with a vigorous defense of his country's handling of 50-day war with Hamas this summer. Netanyahu called the Hamas and Islamic State as two branches of the same poisonous tree.
Sweden to Recognize Palestine State
In a major diplomatic victory for Palestinian Authority and its President Mahmoud Abbas, Sweden's new government of Social Democrats and Greens on October 3, 2014 announced that it would recognize the Palestinian state. Although newly sworn-in PM Stefan Lofven was short of saying when his government would recognize the Palestinian state, his action marked the first for an EU nation to join more than 130 countries which had already recognized Palestinian state. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki welcomed the Swedish announcement, and urged other EU nations to follow suit.
Aid to Flow for Gaza Reconstruction
An one-day conference held at Cairo on October 12, 2014 pledged to raise $5.4 billion, out of which nearly half, or $2.7 billion, would be dedicated for reconstruction of Gaza Strip. Co-chairing the conference, Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, however, didn't explain how the other half of the $5.4 billion fund would be spent.
Unprecedented Visit by Israeli President to the Massacre Site
Israel's nominal president, Reuven Rivlin, made history on October 26, 2014 by paying a visit to Kfar Kassem, a site that came to stir world conscience nearly sixty years ago by brutal killing of 47 Arab civilians by Israeli security forces. In 1956, Israel imposed a nighttime curfew on its Arab citizens as tension with Egypt was rising high. A group of Israeli Arabs returned to Kfar Kassem from work unaware of nighttime curfew. 47 of them were killed as Israeli security opened fire on them.
Attack on A Settler Rights Leader Triggers Closure of Religious Jerusalem Site
A failed attack on a pro-settler Jewish activist, Yehuda Glick, on October 29, 2014 led to a massive Israeli manhunt for Palestinian attacker, eventually ending with a stand-off and killing of Muataz Hijazi on October 30, 2014. As a collective punishment, Israel on October 30, 2014 closed off the third holiest shrine in Islam, Noble Sanctuary, for the first time in decades, a move that had irked Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas called for a "day of rage" to be observed on October 31, 2014. On October 31, 2014, during the "day of rage", young Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in East Jerusalem and West Bank as authorities re-opened Noble Sanctuary, limited the access to men over 50 years, women and children.
Attack on Pedestrians Kill One, Inflames Jerusalem
In an ugly turn of events on the heel of an already combustible situations in Jerusalem, a Palestinian used a vehicle to mow down three Israeli border policemen near a Jerusalem light-rail station, killing one of the border policemen on November 5, 2014. The attacker then drove the car towards the light-rail station, and struck against a group of civilians and wounding at least 11. The attacker was subsequently shot dead. A 17-year-old Israeli, Shalom Aharon Baadani, succumbed to his injury on November 7, 2014 at the hospital, raising the total death toll in November 5, 2014, vehicle attack to 2 beside the attacker.
Meanwhile, in a separate diplomatic move, Jordan, who is the official overseer of the Muslim holy places in East Jerusalem, on November 5, 2014 recalled its ambassador to Israel for discussion on volatile issue of the Israeli right-wing demand for increased access to Noble Sanctuary. Both Jews and Muslims consider the controversial East Jerusalem religious site as holy site as Judaism's two revered ancient temples were believed to have existed here, according to Jewish scriptures, and Muslims worldwide believe that Prophet Muhammad went to heaven off the Al-Aqsa Mosque situated inside the Noble Sanctuary.
Israeli Premier Assures Jordan of East Jerusalem Religious Place's Status Quo
Over a phone conversation, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on November 6, 2014 assured a rattled Jordanian King, King Abdullah II, that he would continue the current status quo in the Noble Sanctuary. Under the existing convention, Jews are allowed to visit, but not pray, at the Noble Sanctuary. There is an increasing chorus among right-wing Jews for more access to the sanctuary and permission for prayer.
Israeli Restriction to Muslim Prayer Site Relaxes a Little
A week after barring all men and boys below 50 from entering the Noble Sanctuary during Friday prayer, Israel on November 7, 2014 allowed all men over 35 beside women and girls to enter the Muslim holy site in East Jerusalem.
Fatal Shooting Death of Inflames Arabs in Israel
A fatal shooting by Israeli police at an Arab-dominated northern Israeli village, Kfar Kana, on November 8, 2014 killed an Arab youth, raising the specter of violence and religious hatred in Israel. According to police, as police entered the village with arrest warrant, the man wielded knife in a menacing way and police shot him dead. In protest against the shooting, Israeli Arabs called a strike on November 9, 2014 and vowed to continue their protest.
Complete Success in Strike in Arab Towns and Villages in Israel
A strike called to protest alleged killing of an Israeli-Arab at the village of Kfar Kana a day earlier, Arab businesses shuttered their storefronts and Arab residents stayed indoor on November 9, 2014, making the protest strike a complete success.
Two Israelis Killed in Separate Attacks
One Israeli woman was stabbed to death in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut on November 10, 2014, hours after an Israeli soldier was fatally stabbed near a Tel Aviv rail station in a separate incident.
Restrictions on Entry to Jerusalem Religious Sites Lifted
Israeli authorities on November 14, 2014 allowed Palestinians of all ages to enter the Noble Sanctuary in East Jerusalem for the Friday prayer for the first time in several weeks, a move that triggered wide-spread criticism in the Arab world and stoked anti-Israeli violence in the West Bank and Israel.
Bold Attack on Synagogue Outrages Israelis
Two Palestinians armed with knives attacked ultra-Orthodox congregants at a West Jerusalem synagogue on November 18, 2014, and killed 4 members of the congregation before being shot dead. A Druse traffic officer displayed heroism by fighting against the attackers, and was killed too.
Israel Takes Steps to Become Jewish Nation
In a controversial move lampooned by many inside and outside Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political pandering to the right-wing supporters prior to the party primary, Israeli cabinet on November 23, 2014 approved a measure by 14-6 vote to declare Israel as "Jewish Democracy". Now, the measure advances to the full parliament. A veteran Israeli-Arab lawmaker, Ahmed Tibi, speaking from New York blasted the measure.
Israeli Coalition Falls Apart, Early Polls Likely
After months of dissention and difference of opinion over a wide range of issues from the right-wing effort to declare Israel a Jewish state to expansion of settlements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 2, 2014 took a rash decision to fire his Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the ground of insubordination and obstructionism, thus all but ensuring early elections to Knesset. Netanyahu's five-party coalition took office in early 2013, but ideological fissures had opened since the very beginning, with Lapid's Yesh Atid, which rose to prominence pledging economic uplift of middle-class, and Livni's Hatnuah, whose platform emphasizes on reaching peace with the Palestinians, opposing ever belligerent stand taken by other coalition partners, namely Netanyahu's Likud Party; Jewish Home, a political party rooted in the settlement movement in the West Bank; and Yisrael Beitenu, a right-wing party that wants to redraw Israel's borders to rid the country of many Arab citizens.
French Parliament Recognizes Independent Palestine
In an ever-growing support of independent Palestine state, lower house of French parliament on December 2, 2014 voted 339-151 to recognize an independent Palestinian state. This came after Swedish government on October 30, 2014 recognized the state of Palestine, becoming the first European country to recognize an independent Palestinian state. Lawmakers in Britain, Spain and Ireland already passed non-binding motions recognizing an independent Palestinian state.
Early Elections to be Held in March
As the early elections to elect a new Knesset were announced, the bitterness and brick-batting between former coalition partners became more intense and personal. Sacked Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's push to declare Israel a Jewish state more as a sign of protecting the Balfour Street, where the official residence of premier is located, than Balfour Declaration, a 1917 British statement of support for a Jewish state. Many political observers came to regard March 17, 2015, elections as a referendum on the premier himself.
Israeli Parliament Officially Dissolves Itself
Israeli lower house of parliament, Knesset, on December 8, 2014 voted 93-0 to dissolve itself two years ahead of its normal time. Now all eyes are set in the March 17, 2015, polls to elect a new 120-member Knesset.
Palestinian Authority Official Dies During Demonstration
A Palestinian Authority official in the rank of a cabinet official was pronounced dead on December 10, 2014 after what video records showed shoving and pushing by Israeli security forces during a demonstration in the West Bank. Ziad Abu Ein, who was in charge of struggle against the Israeli West Bank barrier and the settlements, a role equivalent to a cabinet portfolio in the Palestinian Authority, was leading a demonstration participated by Palestinians and an Israeli peace group, Yesh Din, as part of a campaign to plant olive trees near an unauthorized West Bank outpost, Adei Ad. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing an "intolerable crime". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for calm and assured proper investigation into the incident.
Israel Arrests 10 Jewish Extreme Right-Wingers
After a 10-month undercover investigation, Israeli police on December 16, 2014 arrested 10 members of a radical Jewish group, Lehava, that relentlessly campaigned against Arab-Israeli dating. Among the arrested was the group's leader Benzion Gopstein, who is a disciple of late Jewish ultranationalist leader Meir Kahane, whose Kach party was banned from parliament in 1988. Kahane was assassinated in New York City in 1990 by an Arab gunman.
Conference on Geneva Convention Rebukes Israel, EU Court Gives a Setback Ruling to Israel
Israel on December 17, 2014 received back-to-back political and diplomatic setback, implying growing isolation of the country on settlement expansion and treatment of Palestinians. A conference on the Fourth Geneva Convention issued a rare rebuke to Israel for its settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that was tantamount to violating the letter and spirit of the convention as an occupier. Speaking at the periphery of the conference at Geneva, Swiss Ambassador Paul Fivat said that Israel should take the rebuke as an unmistakable "signal". On the same day, an unrelated ruling issued by the Luxembourg-based European Court ordered EU to drop Hamas from the official terrorist list.
A U.N. Resolution to End Israeli Occupation Fails
A resolution calling for end of Israeli occupation introduced by Jordan on behalf of the Arab world failed to garner necessary nine votes at the U.N. Security Council. Only eight nations voted for the resolution on December 30, 2014. Israel and USA opposed any solution to the middle-east problem taking recourse to the UN. Instead the solution would have to come, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said, through tough compromises at the "negotiating table". USA had made it clear that even if the measure got nine votes, it would have vetoed. The resolution introduced by Jordan's UN Ambassador Dina Kawar called for:
* A "just, lasting and comprehensive" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within a year
* Ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory by December 31, 2017
* Creation of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders
* "Just solutions" to other vexing issues such as Palestinian refugees, water rights, economic opportunity and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails
Palestinians Join the International Criminal Court
Eight months after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas stunned the world by signing off applications to join 15 international treaties and conventions, he stunned the world again on December 31, 2014 by signing the Rome Statute that would help the Palestinians pursue war crimes charges in The Hague-based International Criminal Court against senior Israeli leaders on cases such as their role in 50-day war in Gaza this summer and expansion in settlement in the West Bank. At present, 122 member nations signed and ratified Rome Statute that had created the International Criminal Court. However, neither the USA nor Israel had signed the statute. Rome Statute was one of several agreements Abbas signed on December 31 that spanned across a spectrum of issues such as organized crime, safety of U.N. workers, biodiversity, hazardous waste, international waterways, nuclear weapons and cluster munitions.
Israel Withholds Disbursing Tax Revenue to Palestinian Authority
A day after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed the Rome Statute to join the International Criminal Court, a furious Israeli cabinet led by premier Benjamin Netanyahu on January 1, 2015 decided to block $127 million in tax revenue owed Palestinian Authority. On January 3, the day Israeli cabinet decision of withholding Palestinian tax revenue was publicly announced, senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called the Israeli action "piracy" and "collective punishment". The revenue to be withheld is more than three-quarter of Palestinian Authority's monthly operating budget of $160 million.
Confusion over Expulsion of Top Hamas Leader from Qatar
An Israeli foreign ministry statement issued on January 6, 2015 saying that it welcomed the Qatari decision to expel exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to Turkey created an air of confusion in the middle-east as Hamas authorities in both Gaza and Qatar rushed to quash the veracity of the statement.
International Criminal Court Opens Abuse Examination against Israel
The Hague-based International Criminal Court on January 16, 2015 opened a preliminary examination into Israel's conduct of summer 2014 war in Gaza and any possible human rights abuses that might have been perpetrated. The lead prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that her examination would be fair and impartial. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the ICC examination on January 16, saying that it was all the more despicable as it had been launched days after the Paris attacks in which four Jews were killed at a kosher market. For Palestinian Authority, which had become the 123rd member of the ICC, the examination scored a symbolic political victory in international arena although it's highly doubtful whether the examination would translate into a formal investigation.
Hezbollah Strike Kills Two Israelis
In the worst flare-up since 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, Hezbollah militants fired missiles on January 28, 2015, destroying Israeli military vehicles and killing two Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military vehicles were part of a convoy that was traveling along a disputed tract of land at the northern tip of Israel adjacent to Golan Heights and Lebanese borders near Mount Dov and Chebaa Farms. In response, Israel fired back, killing a U.N. peacekeeper, Cpl. Francisco Javier Soria Toledo. Spain's UN Ambassador Roman Oyarzun Marchesi later in the day had some harsh words for Israel in the death of Cpl. Soria Toledo. Hezbollah defended its action as a natural response to January 18, 2015, Israeli airstrikes within Syria that had killed 6 Hezbollah militants and one Iranian general.
Premier's Planned Address to Congress Ruptures Bond between US and Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned address to the joint session of the Congress over Iran's nuclear talks on March 3, 2015 has inserted a great deal of uncertainty and tension in the relations between the allies. The way Netanyahu has been invited by the House Speaker John Boehner is unprecedented as the speaker has flouted norms and protocol by keeping the White House in the dark and extending invitation to Netanyahu directly. The fact that Netanyahu has accepted the House Speaker's invitation just three weeks before the national elections talks volume about premier's motive and mindset. Netanyahu's personal relations with Obama is also strained over a host of issues such as Palestinian-Israeli talks, Jewish settlement in the West Bank and, lately, ongoing nuclear talks with Iran. President Obama has already announced that he will not see Netanyahu during premier's upcoming visit to Washington, a diplomatic snub to a trusted ally.
Egyptian Court Labels Hamas a Terrorist Organization
An Egyptian court on February 28, 2015 ruled that Hamas was a terrorist organization, leading to the possible rupture in relations between the rulers of Gaza and Egypt on the political level and likely end of Egyptian role as a primary mediator in Palestinian-Israeli talks on the diplomatic level. The same court earlier labeled the military wing of Hamas, Izzidin al-Qassam Brigade, a terrorist organization.
Netanyahu Addresses Congress, Blasts International Talks on Iran's Nuclear Program
A day after saying before a packed audience of American Israeli Political Action Committee that he had deepest respect for President Barack Obama and the presidency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on March 3, 2015 at the invitation of House Speaker John Boehner, and blasted the ongoing talks between P5+Germany and Iran on Iran's nuclear program. The address by Netanyahu marked the lowest point of Israeli-American relationship since the founding of Israel as the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu, never cordial, took nosedive after House Speaker John Boehner bypassed the White House and invited Netanyahu to address the joint session of Congress. Many Democratic lawmakers stayed away from attending Netanyahu's address.
Palestinian Attacks Israel's Border Police using a Vehicle, Wounds Five
A Palestinian from the Arab-dominated East Jerusalem used his car as a vehicular weapon and lunged it against the Israeli border guards at Jerusalem on March 6, 2015, wounding five people. The attacker, who later emerged from the vehicle with a knife, was shot and wounded. The attack on the Jewish holiday of Purim marked third such attack in the past six months.
The first one took place in October 2014 when a Palestinian from the East Jerusalem drove his car straight into a crowd at a light-rail station in Jerusalem, and killed a 3-month-old baby and wounded eight others before fatally shot.
The second attack was carried out by a Palestinian with allegiance to Hamas in November 2014 when he rammed his vehicle at a Jerusalem train station, killing two people. He was shot dead too by security forces.
Netanyahu's Party Rejects Two-State Policy
The Likud Party issued a statement on March 8, 2015, nine days before parliamentary polls, saying that the party now didn't support an independent Palestinian state.
Netanyahu Wins an Upset Victory, Rhetoric Likely to Haunt Government
An epic election battle that seemed down-the-wire and razor thin even few days ago turned out to be a big win for incumbent premier Benjamin Netanyahu and right-wing political parties.
Backdrop of the Israeli Parliamentary Polls
Prior to the March 17, 2015, parliamentary polls, Netanyahu faced a concerted challenge from an inspiring campaign of the center-left Zionist Union alliance led by Isaac Herzog. Netanyahu also angered the Obama administration by accepting the invitation for an appearance before the U.S. Congress from the U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, who even didn't inform, left alone the consent from, the White House prior to sending the invitation and denouncing the ongoing west-Iran nuclear talks during a March 3, 2015, address to the joint session of the Congress.
Campaign Rhetoric
As many pre-election opinion polls were showing a definite popular tilt toward the center-left Zionist Union alliance led by Isaac Herzog, a desperate Netanyahu invoked some of the worst rhetorical tactics in order to excite and prod his right-wing, religious voter base. However, two of his remarks were not only offensive, but they also struck at the root of close bond between Israel and its most trusted ally, USA. His vow that there won't be any Palestinian state on his watch tore apart the basic foundation of long-held U.S. policy toward middle-east: a negotiated settlement for a two-state solution. However, his comments at the eleventh hour that Israeli Arabs were voting "in droves" invited a scathing rebuke from world capitals, including Washington. Obama administration condemned the comment as racist.
Poll Results
According to YNet news site reported on early morning of March 18, 2015, Likud Party might have won around 30 seats, Herzog's Zionist Union 24 and the Joint List of Arab Parties might have won 13, making it the third-largest political bloc. In the last election, Joint List of Arab Parties' four political parties had received a combined of 11 seats. The unity among the Arab parties in this election catapulted the Israeli Arab voters to make the Israeli-Arab voter turnout the heaviest since 1969, according to the List of Arab Parties' leader Ayman Odeh. However, Netanyahu is likely to receive support from other small right-wing parties, including:
* Newly formed Kulanu, led by former Likud Party leader Moshe Kahlon, who broke ranks with Netanyahu and left the party. Kulanu campaigned on Israelis' pocketbook issues, and might have won 10 seats.
* Jewish Home Party, led by Naftali Bennett
* Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman
Netanyahu Backpedals on Two-State Issue, Receives Chastise from the White House
Two days after winning a bitterly fought poll, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 19, 2015 backtracked on his campaign time provocative statement that there won't be any Palestinian state on his watch, and now said that he favored a two-state solution. Meanwhile, the White House continued its strong critique of Israeli premier. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on March 19, 2015 that Netanyahu's "backing away from a commitment" from the known stand of two-state solution put the time-tested relations between the allies to the current state of less than fully trustworthy level.
Obama Unsparing on Netanyahu with Sharp Rebuke
The Huffington Post on March 21, 2015 released an interview in which the U.S. President Barack Obama didn't mince any word to show his displeasure with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said that he had called Netanyahu to congratulate on his election victory, but told him that the Israeli leader had hurt the peace talks badly.
Netanyahu Apologizes for His Anti-Arab Comments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 23, 2015 met with the leaders of country's minority communities, including Muslim, Bedouin and Christian, at his official Jerusalem residence, and apologized to them for his anti-Arab election comments, alluding to the remarks that Israel's Arabs were voting "in drove".
Spying Allegation against Israel Throws Mud on Relations with Washington
A report carried by The Wall Street Journal that Israel spied on the U.S. negotiation on Iran's nuclear weapons program couldn't come at worse time as the bilateral relations between two close allies had reached a new nadir in recent days. Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief and head of military intelligence, said on March 24, 2015 that no way his country would do such dastardly thing.
Israel to release Tax Funds to Palestinian Authority
As a token of goodwill, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 27, 2015 decided to release the tax fund that was held up since Palestinian Authority had announced on December 31, 2014 its decision to join the International Criminal Court.
Palestinians Formally Join ICC
On April 1, 2015, Palestinian Authority officially became the 123rd member of the International Criminal Court that was established in 2002. Israel, which a day ago announced the release of frozen Palestinian revenue, decried the move as "political, cynical and hypocritical".
Palestinians Ask UN Security Council to Set a Date
Palestinian Authority's UN representative Riyad Mansour on April 6, 2015 challenged the U.N. Security Council to weigh on setting a date for the end of Israeli occupation.
Israel Carries out Airstrike in Syria
In the seventh airstrike since the civil war had begun in Syria more than four years ago, Israeli Air Force on April 25, 2015 struck Syrian and Hezbollah military targets near the town of Qateyfah in the Qalamoun Mountains. The reports of airstrike were broadcast by Arab media, but neither admitted nor denied by Syria and Israel.
Israel Launches Second Attack in Two Days in Syria
Israeli military said on April 26, 2015 that it had to attack Syrian Army from the air in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as the army personnel were carrying weapons. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that four Syrian soldiers were killed in the airstrike.
Racial Tension Rises in Israel over Treatment of Ethiopian Jews
Migrant Jews from Ethiopia have been venting their angst in recent years against the step-motherly attitude by the government. Their collective disappointment and frustration came out as a violent outburst on May 3, 2015 at Tel Aviv when hundreds of Ethiopian origin youths blocked a major highway in the city, hurled stones and bottles at the police and vandalized several areas. Police had to use tear gas, water canons and stun grenades to disperse the mob. At least 60 people were injured and 40 were arrested following the violence. The violence followed after a video was widely circulated showing an Israeli soldier of Ethiopian origin being beaten up by Israeli police without any apparent provocation. The outburst exposed what Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on May 4, 2015 called "an open, bleeding wound in the heart of the Israeli society". On May 4, 2015, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu met the leaders of the Ethiopian Jewish community that numbered 120,000 out of country's more than 8 million Jews and the wounded soldier on May 4, 2015.
Netanyahu Props up a Coalition, Barely
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 6, 2015 was able to coalesce a group of 61 lawmakers to form a coalition that signals a further, and a much steeper, rightward shift.
Vatican Concludes Treaty to Recognize Palestinian State
In an earth-shattering, but expected, move, the Vatican on May 13, 2015 concluded a treaty to recognize Palestinian state, thus giving new legitimacy to the nationalistic aspirations to Palestinians of both Muslim and Christian lineage. The recognition was published on a Vatican news website, and a formal approval and signing ceremony would come later.
Abbas Dissolves Unity Government
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on June 16, 2015 dissolved a unity government of Fatah and Hamas that never took an effective hold since the moment it was formed in June last year (June 2014).
Netanyahu Rejects French Proposal for International Peace Talks
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on June 21, 2015 told the visiting French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that his government rejected a French initiative to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian talks and get a UN mandate to promote them. Earlier in the day, Fabius met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, and warned that lack of progress would lead to explosion in the region, according to official Palestinian mouthpiece WAFA.
Israel, Hamas Refute the UN Report of Abuse
A UN report issued on June 22, 2015 said that both Israel and Hamas had committed gross violations of human rights during the 50-day war in Gaza last summer. The U.N. Human Rights Council report took Israeli government to the task for the killing of more than 2,000 Palestinians, including 1,462 civilians, with the American Judge Mary McGowan Davis, who had led the investigation, saying that "we must remember that victims are not just numbers or collateral damage". The report also blamed Hamas for using population centers to launch rocket attacks against Israel and targeting the Israeli civilians. The reaction to the report was along the expected line: both Hamas and Israel refuted the report.
Series of Attacks by Jewish Extremists Roil Nerve in Israel
First it was a gay pride parade in Tel Aviv on July 30, 2015 that an ultra-orthodox Jew attacked and stabbed six people only three weeks after he was released from jail for a similar stabbing at a gay pride parade in 2005. Overnight a group of Jewish settlers firebombed a house in the West Bank town of Duma, killing one toddler, Ali Dwabsheh, and injuring his 4-year-old elder brother and parents with serious burn injury. On July 31, 2015, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu called the overnight firebombing a "terrorist act", and on a personal note, visited the hospital to see Dwabsheh family.
************************** FIREBOMBING OF DWABSHEH HOME******************
Firebombing Death of a Palestinian Toddler Evokes Strong Criticism from Israelis
In a rare gesture of bipartisan outrage against the firebombing of a Palestinian house in the West Bank town of Duma in which a toddler, Ali Dwabsheh, was burnt to death, thousands of Israelis held rallies in protest against the so-called settler "terrorism" on August 1, 2015. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on August 1, 2015 called the firebombing Dwabsheh family home as "blatant disregard for rule of law, for human dignity". On the other end of political spectrum, Palestinians observed a day of rage on August 1, 2015, with sporadic unrests reported from various areas. Major escalation erupted at Jalazoun Refugee Camp on August 1, 2015 following funeral of a Palestinian teenager, Latih al-Khaldi, 17, who succumbed to his wounds overnight after being shot by Israeli security forces on July 31, 2015.
Father Critically Injured in Firebombing Dies in Hospital
The July 31, 2015, firebombing of Dawabsheh family home at the West Bank town of Duma that had earlier killed a toddler, Ali Dawabsheh, took one more life on August 8, 2015 as the 32-year-old father, Saad Dawabsheh, succumbed to his injury at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
Israeli Prosecutors to Charge Main Suspect in Firebombing of a Palestinian Home
Israel's state prosecutors on December 30, 2015 notified a court that the main suspect in the July 30, 2015, firebombing of Dawabsheh family home at the West Bank town of Duma would be indicted the following week. The case shed light on the hitherto unknown dark side of the conflict: long overlooked Jewish extremism. The same court on December 30, 2015 extended a gag order in this case for an additional two weeks. The incident that had killed a toddler Ali Dawabsheh on that night and his parents days later drew a rare rebuke and full force of prosecution from the Israeli authority. The only surviving member of the Dawabsheh family, 4-year-old Ahmed, who has been badly burned, is now being taken care of by the relatives.
Israel Charges Two Jews in Firebombing Deaths of Three Members of a Palestinian Family
Israel on January 3, 2016 charged two Jewish extremists on charges of arson deaths of Ali Dwabsheh, a Palestinian toddler, and his parents after attacking the Dwabsheh family home with firebomb in the night of July 30, 2015.
Dawabsheh Boy Returns Home
After being treated for severe burn at a Israeli hospital, the lone survivor of the family, 5-year-old Ahmad Dawabsheh returned home on July 22, 2016 to relatives. The firebombing a year ago had killed his toddler brother, and eventually his parents succumbed to injuries. The July 30, 2015, firebombing of the Dawabsheh home generated international outrage and shed a rare spotlight on the so-called Jewish extremism.
************************** FIREBOMBING OF DWABSHEH HOME******************
Jewish Extremist Arrested
In toughening of its stand against a growing Jewish, especially settler, extremism, Israeli government began to crack down on the extreme fringe, and the August 3, 2015, arrest of Meir Ettinger, 19-year-old grandson of the U.S.-born Jewish extremist Meir Kahane, whose ultranationalist party was banned from Israeli parliament in 1988 for its extreme views and who was assassinated in New York in 1990 by an Arab gunman, was testament to it. Ettinger was produced before an Israeli court on August 4, 2015. However, authorities were not sure that Ettinger was directly involved in the July 31, 2015, firebombing at the West Bank village of Duma that had killed a toddler, Ali Dwabsheh.
Israeli Defense Minister Invokes Special Law to Detain Jewish Extremist without Charges
A much hated law widely used against Palestinians to jail them indefinitely is now being also used against some of the hardened Jewish extremists. On August 4, 2015, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon signed an administrative detention to jail an extremist, Mordechai Meyer, from the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim, without charges for six months. Shin Bet said on August 4, 2015 that Meyer and four others were arrested in connection with burning of a well-known church in northern Israel in June 2015. Although two of his accomplices were charged in that burning, Meyer himself was not charged.
Israel Places Administrative Detention on Pair of Ultranationalists
Israeli authorities on August 9, 2015 used administrative detention to Meir Ettinger, 19-year-old grandson of the U.S.-born Jewish extremist Meir Kahane, and Eviatar Slonim, another Jewish extremist, arrested last week for stoking anti-Arab hatred.
Reconstruction of Gaza Limping at Best
After the August 26, 2014, cease-fire ended a summer of bloody fighting between Israel and Hamas, there was a ray of hope for better civic administration, a meaningful peace initiative and beginning of reconstruction projects in the Gaza Strip. However, in the year since the cease-fire none of it came even distant close to reality, leave alone satisfactory. A fraction of 18,000 homes destroyed in the 2014 Gaza War were reconstructed or in the process of reconstruction. After the August 26, 2014, cease-fire, the reconstruction fund, dubbed the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, was created by the U.N., Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Only 12 percent owners have so far been approved for the funding by the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, and just under 4 percent, or 719 families, bought construction materials as of August 22, 2015.
Palestinian Flag to Fly at the U.N.
The U.N. General Assembly on September 10, 2015 overwhelmingly voted to let Palestinian flags hoisted later this month at the U.N. 119 member nations voted "YES", eight--including the USA and Israel--voted "NO" and 45 abstained.
Abbas Won't Comply with Oslo Accords; Raises Palestinian Flag at the U.N.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas scored a significant political and diplomatic victory on September 30, 2015 as he hoisted the Palestinian flag at the U.N. in New York City. During the day, Abbas delivered an impassioned speech at the U.N. General Assembly, saying that Palestinians won't follow the Oslo Accords. Responding to Abbas' speech at the U.N. General Assembly, the office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called Palestinian leader's speech full of "lies" that encourage "incitement and unrest in the Middle East". In his speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Abbas also slammed Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu for trying to change the status quo of Noble Sanctuary, third-holiest place in Islam.
Israel Rips Iran Accord
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the U.N. General Assembly on October 1, 2015, blasted the Iran nuclear deal reached among the Persian Gulf nation, USA, Russia, China, France, Germany and the UK. Although the deal was negotiated by "well intentioned" people from the west, it won't prevent the worst outcome, according to Netanyahu.
Violence Spirals Out of Control
Since July 31, 2015, firebombing of Dawabsheh family home at the West Bank town of Duma that had killed a toddler, father and mother, the Palestinian-Israeli relationship has taken nosedive with the past one month of daily Palestinian protest against Israeli government's action to let Jewish leaders to visit Noble Sanctuary, a holy site to Muslims, thus disrupting a delicate balance in East Jerusalem. On October 3, 2015, a Palestinian teenager fatally stabbed two ultra-Orthodox Jews as they went to pray at the Western Wall before being shot to dead.
More Stabbings in Israel
The recent spurt of lone-wolf stabbings by Palestinian youths randomly targeting the Israeli security personnel and people began as a Palestinian response to Israeli government's effort to change the status quo at the Noble Sanctuary last month. The violence, including stabbings and rock-throwing, continued on October 7, 2015 for the sixth-straight day, rousing the possibility for a new round of uprising.
Netanyahu Bans Israeli Officials from Visiting Muslim Holy Site in Jerusalem
In an effort to contain the ongoing violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 8, 2015 banned Israeli lawmakers and government ministers from visiting East Jerusalem's Noble Sanctuary, third-holiest shrine in Islam, a move that was sure to anger right-wing and religious Israeli political parties. Meanwhile, spurt of stabbings continued on October 8, 2015, with a Palestinian stabbing four Israelis at Tel Aviv before a soldier had shot him to dead. In the latest round of violence that had erupted since October 2, 2015, four Israelis and 7 Palestinians--including four attackers--were killed.
Six Palestinians Killed in Gaza
The situation in middle-east had all the potential to turn for the worst as six Palestinian protesters were killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza Strip near the Israeli border fence on October 9, 2015 as officials on both sides ratcheted up the brinkmanship to a new dangerously high level. This marked the first time that stabbings which had become a menace in the West Bank and Israeli cities in recent days had spilled over to Gaza in terms of anti-Israeli violence as Palestinian youths had resorted to stone-throwing and scaling the border fences. Meanwhile, Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh declared during the day "the start of a new intifada", and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon asked called for usage of lethal force against Palestinian assailants at a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Four Killed in Continuing Violence
Two Palestinians launched stabbing attacks, now a regular occurrence in Jerusalem and West Bank, on October 10, 2015, before being shot dead by police. Separately, two more Palestinians were killed during the day near the Israeli borders in Gaza.
Airstrike Kills a Pregnant Palestinian Woman
Responding to an overnight rocket fire, Israeli aircraft carried out airstrikes in Gaza Strip on October 11, 2015, killing a pregnant Palestinian woman and a toddler. So far this month, at least 20 Palestinians were killed and four Israelis were slain in a rash of stabbings, a shooting and a stoning attack in West Bank and Jerusalem. The bloody campaign of stabbings by Palestinians targeting Israeli citizens and security personnel in October 2015 capped a month-long (September 2015) agitation by Palestinians over what they alleged--and Israel had refuted--Netanyahu regime's plan to alter the balance on oversight of Noble Sanctuary, host to the third-holiest Muslim shrine Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall, the holiest site of Judaism.
Rash of Stabbings in Jerusalem Heightens Tension in Israel
Three stabbing attacks by Palestinians took place in Jerusalem on October 12, 2015, critically injuring an Israeli boy. Two Palestinian attackers, both teenagers, were killed. As of October 12, 2015, five Israelis were killed in stabbings, a shooting and a stone throwing attack that had taken place since the recent wave of stabbing campaign by Palestinians had erupted. Meanwhile, in Israeli counterattacks and at hands of Israeli security forces, at least 25 Palestinians, including 10 attackers, were killed. Meanwhile, addressing the parliament, premier Benjamin Netanyahu on October 12, 2015 accused the Israel's Arab leaders of inciting violence.
Israel Implements New Security Measures, Army Fans out Across the Israeli Cities
Israeli security cabinet in the early hours of October 14, 2015 adopted extreme preventive measures in order to contain a spate of stabbings and attacks by Palestinians. As an unprecedented measure, Israeli army were deployed in several cities within hours to shore up defense and bring a sense of normalcy to an edgy population. Also the measures include some of the toughest action such as revoking the residency rights of the assailants and demolishing their homes.
Firebombing of Jewish Shrine Condemned
An overnight firebombing of Tomb of Joseph, outside the West Bank city of Nablus on October 16, 2015 not only drew condemnation from Israel, but also from Palestinian Authorities. Palestinian Authorities are in charge of overseeing the security of the tomb that is visited by Jews from all over the world. Meanwhile, violence continued on October 16, 2015 with at least 4 Palestinian deaths. During the day, the US President Barack Obama called both the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, and urged them to work towards tamping down the tension.
Four Assailants Killed in Stabbing Incidents in Israel
A nervous nation on October 17, 2015 faced more incidents of violence and stabbings that bore no resemblance with past Palestinian uprisings. Five separate incidents, or purported attempts, of stabbings took place in Jerusalem and West Bank on October 17, 2015. Four Palestinian assailants involved in those incidents were killed. Over the past month, eight Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, most of them were stabbings, and 40 Palestinians were killed, including 19 alleged attackers.
Israeli Soldier Killed at an Israeli Bus Station
An Arab assailant armed with a gun and a knife entered a bus station in the southern Israeli town of Beersheba on October 18, 2015 evening, and began shooting and stabbing people, killing an Israeli soldier and wounding 10 others. The assailant was shot dead, but not before his mayhem took the life an Israeli soldier. In the aftermath of attack, a mob gathered at the bus station, chanting slogan "death to Arabs". In a public display of rage and senseless revenge, the mob beat up an Eritrean, Habtom Zerhom, to death. Apparently Zerhom, in his late 20s, ran toward the bus station to seek cover from violence, and an Israeli security guard mistook his as an accomplice of the assailant and shot him. The mob jumped up on him, beating, spitting and kicking.
Killing of Eritrean Migrant Draws Criticism, Evokes Soul-Searching
The October 18, 2015, vigilante killing of an Eritrean migrant, Habtom Zerhom, at a bus stop in Beersheba, where minutes earlier an assailant killed an Israeli soldier, drew sharp rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on October 19, 2015 called the killing "a disgrace to Israeli society". However, critics blamed Israeli political leaders, including Netanyahu, for raising the decibel of political rhetoric to a new high, leading to a tragedy such as the one that occurred on October 18. In the past one month, at least nine Israelis were killed in a spate of stabbings and other mode of violence, while at least 41 Palestinians, including 20 Israel claimed to be the attackers, were killed. The latest violence erupted a month ago after Israeli leaders, including cabinet members, had begun a month ago to visit Noble Sanctuary, host to the third-holiest shrine in Islam, al-Aqsa Mosque, with increased frequency, leading to the suspicion that Israel might be planning to change the status quo of the Jerusalem religious site. At present, Jews can visit, but not pray, at the Noble Sanctuary.
Netanyahu Distorts History, Calls out a World War II-Era Palestinian Mufti for Holocaust
In a massive and ridiculous distortion of historical facts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on October 20, 2015 that Jerusalem's then-Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, a known Nazi sympathizer, had pleaded with Adolf Hitler during his November 1941 meeting to annihilate Jews. Netanyahu made those ridiculous statement during a speech to the World Zionist Congress, saying that "Hitler didn't want to exterminate Jews at the time, he wanted to expel Jews". However, al-Husseini persuaded Hitler to carry out the "Final Solution". Leading historians, Holocaust scholars and academics slammed Netanyahu for his irresponsible remarks aimed at floating an unfounded, revisionist version of Holocaust to advance his political goals.
Israel Lifts Age Restrictions for Prayers at Jerusalem Holy Site
Israeli authorities on October 23, 2015 loosened age restrictions imposed in the aftermath of eruption of the current round of violence. As a result, Palestinians of varying ages could go and pray at the al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday October 23, 2015 for the first time in several weeks. Meanwhile, the quartet--USA, Russia, European Union and United Nations--issued a statement during the day on the sideline of Syria talks being held at Vienna that called for utmost restraint and reining in on provocation on the both sides.
Kerry Meets King Abdullah, Netanyahu; Suggests Video Monitoring
On October 24, 2015, US Secretary of State John Kerry flew from Vienna, where he had been pre-occupied with the Syria talks, to middle-east to confabulate with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jordan, which manages the Noble Sanctuary through Waqf, has proposed to install video cameras at the Jerusalem holy site for round-the-clock monitoring, according to Kerry, and Israel has accepted the proposal. However, most of the Palestinians are leery about video cameras as they suspect the measure as a ploy to spy on them.
American Succumbed to Death
An American educator who had moved to Israel and advocated peaceful co-existence between Palestinians and Israelis sustained knife injuries in an attack in Jerusalem on October 13, 2015. Richard Lakin, 76, originally from Newton, Massachusetts, succumbed to his injuries two weeks later on October 27, 2015.
Two Palestinians Killed after Stabbing Attacks
Two Palestinian youths were killed by Israeli security forces on October 29, 2015 at Hebron after they were involved in stabbing attacks.
100,000 Remember Rabin
Former US President Bill Clinton urged a 100,000-strong crowd, who showed up on October 31, 2015 at a Tel Aviv square, where the former Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist, Yigal Amir, on November 4, 1995, to respect the former commander-turned-peacemaker on the 20th anniversary of his assassination, to stick to the path of peace and reconciliation as espoused by the late leader and even sacrificed his life to further it.
Israel Shuts Down a Palestinian Radio Station
Israeli troops conducted an overnight raid on November 3, 2015 at Al Hurria radio station in Hebron, confiscating equipment and shutting it down. Israeli authorities accused the radio station of inciting the current round of violence that had erupted in mid-September 2015, resulting in the killing of 11 Israelis and 69 Palestinians, including 43 whom Israel accused of orchestrating attacks against Israelis. Meanwhile, violence continued unabated, with a stabbing incident on November 2, 2015 in central Israel that had seriously wounded a 70-year-old Israeli man. This incident took place hours after a Palestinian knifed several people in Tel Aviv, including an 80-year-old woman.
Netanyahu Re-Considers His Choice for Diplomacy Chief
No sooner had he named November 4, 2015 Ran Baratz as his administration's diplomacy chief, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced incessant call from various quarters to withdraw Baratz because of the West Bank settler's past and recent controversial comments such as US President Barack Obama was "anti-Semite" and "anti-Israeli" and US Secretary of State John Kerry had intellect of a 12-year-old. Within 24 hours of naming Baratz as his diplomacy chief, Netanyahu tried to distance himself by saying that he didn't share Baratz' views.
Three Israeli Teens Hurt; A Palestinian Woman Shot Dead
In separate incidents in the West Bank city of Hebron on November 6, 2015, three shots have been fired at Israelis, injuring three Israeli teenagers. In the third incident of the day, a 73-year-old Palestinian woman was shot dead in Hebron as she had careened her vehicle towards the soldiers. The woman, Tharwat Sharwai, was widowed in 1988 when her husband had died in a burst of tear gas outside a mosque. Since mid-September, 11 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, most of them were from stabbings, and 72 Palestinians, including 45 alleged attackers, were killed in the spiraling violence.
Netanyahu's Washington Visit to Mend the Fence between Trusted Allies
Frayed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unilateral action, over the Iran nuclear deal, to ignore diplomatic decorum by bypassing the White House and address the joint session of Congress, U.S.-Israeli relationship slid in recent days to a new low, with a contentious Republican primary often making it politically unpalatable to both sides. In this backdrop, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited White House and met with President Barack Obama on November 9, 2015. Part of Netanyahu's visit was focused on mending the fence with Obama White House. Both leaders discussed on a range of issues, including Israeli-Palestinian peace process, regional conflict, and more than anything else, kick-starting an arduous negotiation process to renew a 10-year bilateral defense package set to expire in 2017.
Palestinian Teenagers Accused of Orchestrating Knife Attack
After a two-week lull in violence in Jerusalem, during which much of the violence was centered in and around West Bank, knife attacks made its full fledged return to the pre-historic city on November 10, 2015 with two Palestinian teenagers, 11 and 14, mounting knife attack on a security guard inside an Israeli train. The guard responded by opening his gun, wounding one of them. Separately, Israeli security personnel shot dead two Palestinian knife attackers during the day in Jerusalem.
*********** EU REQUIREMENT ON LABELING SETTLEMENT PRODUCTS **********
EU to Require Product Label for Imports from "Settlement"
In a slap to Israel on contentious settlement issue, 28-nation European Union on November 11, 2015 finalized rules that would require any import from Israeli settlements from East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and West Bank to be labeled clearly the source of the import. The labeling requirement will clearly give European shoppers the means to make a conscious decision whether to buy any settlement products. However, the settlement products account less than 2 percent of all Israeli exports to EU. Responding to the EU guidelines, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on November 11, 2015 that EU should be ashamed of its action, and Israeli Foreign Ministry called the move politically motivated.
Israel Freezes Key Contacts with EU over Product label
Israeli Foreign Ministry said on November 29, 2015 that Israel would freeze some key contacts with EU pending reassessment of relations after the 28-nation bloc had finalized rules to label and differentiate products made in the West Bank from that of Israel.
France Publishes "Anti-settlement" Rules for Retailers
More than a year after the November 11, 2015, publication of European Union rule guiding the labels of products made in the Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and West Bank, France on November 24, 2016 published its first official rules in the French Official Journal advising retailers to put clearly the labels bearing "made in the Israeli settlement" instead of "made in the West Bank" on the products imported from the Israeli settlements. It's not clear whether the November 24, 2016, publication of the rules in the French Official Journal is a recommendation or mandatory.
*********** EU REQUIREMENT ON LABELING SETTLEMENT PRODUCTS **********
Secret Raid at a West Bank Hospital Kills One
Special Ops personnel from Israel's domestic agency Shin Bet carried out a Hollywood-style raid during pre-dawn hours of November 12, 2015 at a Hebron hospital, Al Ahli Hospital. They arrived at the hospital in two vans, as per hospital's video footage, and were seen escorting a pregnant woman inside. Their apparent target was a 20-year-old Palestinian, Azzam Shalaldah, who was accused of stabbing an Israeli in West Bank late last month. The Israeli open fire, and Shalaldah had fled with injury. The Israeli commando arrested Shalaldah, and killed his cousin, 28-year-old Abdullah Shalaldah.
Ambush Kills 2 Israelis in West Bank
A Palestinian gunman on November 13, 2015 sprayed bullets on a van carrying an Israeli family of seven near Hebron in the West bank, killing a father, Rabbi Yaakov Litman, 40, and his 18-year-old son, Netanel Litman. The gunman fled after the ambush that took place near the Jewish settlement of Otniel, south of Hebron. Soon after, Israeli security forces mounted a massive manhunt to nab the gunman. Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Hebron, a Palestinian was killed on November 13, 2015 in a clash with Israeli security forces. A second Palestinian was killed too in the city of Ramallah during the day. Since the current round of violence had erupted two months ago, 14 Israelis and 81 Palestinians, including 51 accused by Israel to be attackers, were killed in the ensuing violence.
Israeli Security Forces Nabs the Gunman behind the Killing of a Father and Son
Israeli authorities on November 15, 2015 announced that they had arrested the gunman, 28-year-old Palestinian Shadi Ahmed Matua, who had ambushed a van two days ago near Hebron, killing a father , Rabbi Yaakov Litman, 40, and his 18-year-old son, Netanel Litman.
Razing of a Palestinian's Home Turns Violent
As Israeli troops arrived at the home of a Palestinian gunman overnight on November 16, 2015 at a Palestinian refugee camp, Qalandiya, just outside Jerusalem, with heavy equipment and bulldozers to raze his home, a large crowd assembled there, and began throwing projectiles, rocks and firebombs. Israeli security forces had to resort to fire, killing two Palestinian youths. The home in question was that of gunman Abu Shaheen, who was accused of ambushing an Israeli motorist in the West Bank this summer, leading to the motorist's death. Shaheen is now in Israeli prison. Amid the rising tide of violence, Israel has brought back so-called collective punishment measures such as razing the perpetrator's home. After the latest round of violence had begun in early October due to a tense environment over the status of a holy Jerusalem landmark, Noble Sanctuary, since mid-September, 14 Israelis and 83 Palestinians, including 51 Israel accused of being involved in attacks, were killed.
Israel Bans an Arab Group
Israel on November 17, 2015 carried out raids at offices of the northern branch of Islamic Movement in Israel (IMI), confiscated computers and files, and shut down the operation. The government also banned the northern branch of Islamic Movement in Israel. accusing it, beside other Palestinian groups, of inciting the violence that had killed 14 Israelis and at least 78 Palestinians, including 47 accused by Israel of involvement in attacks. IMI provides education, health and other basic services to Arabs in Israel, and its moderate southern branch has representatives in Israeli parliament. Its northern branch is more aggressive and its leader, Sheikh Raed Salah, is about to serve jail time for a fiery sermon in 2007.
Five Killed in Violence
Violence ensued on November 19, 2015, spilling blood in a pair of attacks that continued the last two-month downward spiral of mayhem and killing. A Palestinian from the West Bank town of Dura, who had a permit to enter Israel for work, attacked people at a makeshift synagogue in Tel Aviv with a knife, killing two Israelis. The attacker was overpowered by a shoe salesman. In a separate incident, a Palestinian launched drive-by shooting and vehicular attack at a bus stop in south West Bank, killing two Israelis, including an American, before being killed. The 18-year-old American, Ezra Schwartz from Sharon, Massachusetts, was studying in Israel after graduating from high school and before heading to college. Schwartz was in a program at a yeshiva in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh.
An Israeli Woman Stabbed to death, Attacker and Two Other Palestinians Killed
Two days before a scheduled trip of the US Secretary of State John Kerry to the region, violence continued unabated on November 22, 2015 as a Palestinian attacked a young Israeli woman with knife. The Israeli woman was killed. The Palestinian attacker was also killed. In two other separate incidents, a couple of Palestinians were also killed.
Kerry Visits the Region After More than a Year Amid Continuing Violence
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on November 24, 2015 strongly defended Israel's right to take whatever measures it would deem fit against a wave of Palestinian campaign of stabbing attacks in Israel and West Bank. Kerry's strong support for Israel came amidst a downward spiral of violence involving a Palestinian campaign of stabbing attacks that so far had killed 19 Israelis, 89 Palestinians--out of whom 57 Israel accused of launching attacks--and an American Jewish student, Ezra Schwartz. Later in the day, Kerry held talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at Ramallah for two hours.
Two Palestinians Killed as They Ram Vehicles against Soldiers in West Bank
On November 27, 2015, two Palestinian drivers were shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they had rammed, in two separate incidents in West Bank, Israeli soldiers, injuring eight soldiers. Reflecting the mood of fear and suspicion, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, addressing a conference at Red Sea resort of Eilat on November 27, 2015, asked Israelis to brace against Palestinian attacks for long haul. In the current wave of violence, 19 Israelis and an American Jewish student, Ezra Schwartz, were killed as were at least 96 Palestinians, including 61 Israel accused of participating in anti-Israeli attacks involving stabbing, sniping and vehicular slaughtering.
Two Jewish Teens Found Guilty in Palestinian Boy's Death
A Jerusalem District Court on November 30, 2015 found two teenaged Jews guilty in the July 2, 2014, kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir. The sentencing hearing will be held in mid-January 2016. Because of the age, Jewish teenagers were not identified. A Jewish man, Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, is the main defendant in this case, but the court delayed verdict on him pending a psychiatric evaluation. Ben-David mounted an insanity plea.
Palestinian Female Lawmaker Gets Jail Term
A rising Palestinian politician and lawmaker from the West Bank, Khalida Jarrar, whose fiery and secular stand against Israeli occupation raised inspiration among Palestinian progressives was sentenced to 15 years in prison by an Israeli military court on December 8, 2015. Ms. Jarrar, in her early 50s, was arrested in April 2015 for violating travel restrictions. She was also accused of inciting Palestinians to kidnap Israeli soldiers to seek release of Palestinian prisoners. Khalida Jarrar is a member of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a secular and leftist faction that had opposed peace with Israel, and is known for her bold stand. Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian official, reacting to the sentencing said that the punishment had "no legal basis" as Jarrar enjoyed parliamentary immunity.
Israeli Arab Released from Egyptian Prison, Welcomed by Netanyahu
An Arab Bedouin, Ouda Tarabin, who was accused of illegally crossing into Egypt in 2000 and spying for Israel, was released on December 10, 2015 after spending last 15 years in Egyptian jail, and was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon return. Tarabin always maintained his innocence. Israel freed two Egyptians as part of Tarabin's release, but didn't divulge any more information about it. Former Israeli Ambassador to Egypt, Itzhak Levanon, worked over the years toward seeking the release of Ouda Tarabin, including meeting the then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Bethlehem Looks Festive on Christmas Eve
The Palestinian city of Bethlehem and surrounding communities wore a different look on December 24, 2015 as pilgrims from all around, though significantly smaller in numbers this year, the world descended on the birthplace of Jesus. Palestinian vendors made brisk business in the main plaza at Manger Square. The region took a break from almost daily cycle of violence, including stabbings carried out Palestinians, brick-batting and clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians.
Stabbings Resume after a Lull during Christmas
After a lull in violence in and around Christmas, the violence again reared its ugly head on December 27, 2015 as a pair of Palestinians stabbed an Israeli soldier at a gas station near a West Bank checkpoint at Hawara, south of the city of Nablus, before being shot to death.
************************************** EHUD OLMERT ***************************
Former premier Acquitted on the Count of a Serious Bribery Charge
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (2006-09) was cleared of a serious count of bribery on December 29, 2015 by the Israeli Supreme Court that would shorten his stay behind the bar from six years to 18 months. The charges related to bribery over the construction of a housing complex in Jerusalem known as the Holyland while he was the mayor of the city. Olmert served as Jerusalem Mayor for a decade until 2003, when he joined the national politics and, subsequently, served as the minister of industry and trade. Olmert, now 70, became the premier in 2006. Although Israeli Supreme Court has overturned the serious count of bribery charges, Olmert still faces a minor bribery charge unrelated to Holyland. Ehud Olmert was convicted in March 2014 partly based on testimony and cooperation provided by the then-financier of the Holyland project, Shmuel Dechner, but the financier had died in 2013 prior to deposition by Olmert's lawyers. Ehud Olmert is scheduled to begin sentencing on February 15, 2015.
Former Premier Begins His Sentencing
At the nadir of his public life from the zenith of premier's office, Ehud Olmert on February 15, 2016 arrived at the gate of Maasiyahu Prison, southeast of Tel Aviv, to begin serving his 19-month term on corruption charges. Calling his fall as "painful and strange", Olmert said that nobody was above the law.
Parole Board Shortens Olmert's Sentence
An Israeli parole board on June 29, 2017 cut the 27-month sentence handed down to Ehud Olmert, paving the way for his freedom as early as July 2, 2017.
************************************** EHUD OLMERT ***************************
Tel Aviv Shooting on the New Year Day Rattles the Nerve of Israelis
A gunman, spectacled and dressed black, created a sense of panic and fear among the residents of easy-going city of Tel Aviv on the New Year Day as he opened fire on a café, a sushi restaurant and a pub, Simta pub, his main target, on the busy Dizengoff Street, killing two people and wounding at least 7. An intensive manhunt went underway immediately after the January 1, 2016, shooting rampage at Tel Aviv. The gunman was later identified as Nashat Milhem, an Israeli-Arab.
Israel Returns Remains of 23 Palestinians
Israel on January 2, 2016 handed over remains of 23 Palestinian attackers to Palestinian authorities. Israel began to withhold the bodies of Palestinian attackers since October 2015 as a modus of punishment to deter a campaign of stabbings, shooting and ramming vehicles since late summer that had killed 21 Israelis, not including the two killed a day earlier at Simta pub in Tel Aviv, and at least 131 Palestinians, including more than 90 Israel accused of attacking. Bodies of many Palestinians returned on January 2, 2016 were from Hebron area, and a large number of Palestinian mourners turned in to pay their respect.
U.S. Slams Israeli Settlement Expansion
U.S. State Department Spokesman John Kirby on January 8, 2016 condemned Israel's late December 2015 move to expand the boundary of the West Bank settlement of Gush Etzion, near Jerusalem. Kirby said that "continued settlement activity and expansion raises honest questions about Israel's long-term intentions and will only make achieving a two-state solution much more difficult".
Tel Aviv Shooter Killed
A week after opening fire at a pub, Sinta pub, in Tel Aviv, killing two patrons and then, fleeing the scene that followed a massive manhunt by the Israeli security forces, Nashat Milhem on January 8, 2016 was shot dead by Israeli security forces as they tried to nab him. Beside killing two patrons at the pub, Milhem wounded six others in the pub, and shot dead an Arab cab driver later.
A Pair of Palestinian Attackers Killed
A pair of Palestinians armed with knives came to a West Bank checkpoint in the early hours of January 9, 2016, but before they could launch attacks, they were shot dead by Israeli security forces.
A Settler Killed at Her Home
An assailant intruded into a settlement home near Hebron on January 17, 2016, killed a woman in her late 30s and fled away.
Open Disagreement between USA and Israel over Settlement Emerges Once More
In a continuing trend that had become all too familiar of criticizing Israel's settlement activity by its closest ally, the USA, and subsequent angry response, USA's Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, addressing to the annual conference of a top Israeli think tank, Institute for National Security Studies, had some harsh words for Israel on January 18, 2016. He termed Israel's continuing settlement activity "perplexing" and counterproductive to the peace process. Shapiro also accused Israel of violating its pledge to USA of not carrying out any construction activity at some of the outlying settlement outposts. The open airing of dissent by the top American envoy to Israel drew a sharp condemnation from the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Settlers Occupy Empty Palestinian Building
In flagrant violation of political status quo, about hundred Israeli settlers on January 21, 2016 occupied a building that used to include several Palestinian stores near a settlement close to Hebron.
A 13-Year-Old Palestinian Girl Killed in Failed Attack
A 13-year-old Palestinian girl went after an Israeli security guard on January 23, 2016 at the entrance of an West Bank settlement, Anatot, leading to the opening of fire by the guard that had killed the attacker, later identified by the Palestinian news agency WAFA as Ruqayya Eid Abu Eid from the nearby West Bank village of Anata.
Two Palestinians Killed after Stabbing Women
Two Palestinian attackers breached the security of a minimarket in the West Bank settlement of Beit Horon on January 25, 2016, and began stabbing women. A security guard shot them dead outside the store.
Israeli Woman Dies of Wound
An Israeli woman, Shlomit Krigman, 23, who was stabbed a day earlier at a minimarket in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Beit Horon succumbed to her injury on January 26, 2016.
U.N. Leader's Comment Riles Israeli Premier
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on January 26, 2016 that the natural reaction to Israel's settlement activity in West Bank was to resort to violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the U.N.S.G's comment deplorable and to provide "tailwind to terrorism".
Three Palestinian Attackers, One Israeli Guard Killed in Jerusalem
In an audacious assault, three Palestinians, armed with weapons, explosive devices and knives, on February 3, 2016 attacked two Israeli security officers at Jerusalem, killing one of them and seriously injuring the second one. All three attackers were subsequently fatally shot by Israeli police.
Five Palestinians Killed on Bloody Valentine Sunday
Valentine Day was transformed into a day violence in Israel on February 14, 2016 with Palestinian youths launching attacks on Israeli targets in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Five Palestinians were killed in four separate incidents during the day. Two Palestinians were killed by security forces near the Jerusalem's Damascus Gate as the duo had opened fire on the Israeli security personnel. Two 15-year-old Palestinian boys were shot dead by security forces near the West Bank town of Jenin as they resorted to stone-throwing at the passing vehicles. In the third incident of the day, a 17-year-old Palestinian lunged toward Israeli security personnel with a knife at a checkpoint on the outskirt of Jerusalem, leading to security personnel to open fire and kill the boy. In the fourth incident, a 21-year-old Palestinian woman tried to stab an Israeli border police at a border checkpoint near Hebron, leading to Israeli security to open fire on and critically injuring her.
Palestinian Teenagers Kill an Israeli Security Officer
Two Palestinian teenagers on February 18, 2016 stabbed two Israeli security guards at a West Bank supermarket, killing one of them and wounding the other. A civilian opened fire on the Palestinian teenagers, wounding both.
Palestinian Journalist on Hunger Strike on the Verge of Death, Wife says
A Palestinian journalist, Mohammed al-Qeq, employed by Saudi state-owned satellite TV Almajd for the past six years, stopped taking food since his arrest in November 2015, and he was lying on a bed at an Israeli hospital, Emek Medical Center at Afula, awaiting death, according to al-Qeq's wife, who also alleged on February 19, 2016 that Israeli security forces had kidnapped al-Qeq from his Ramallah home in November 2015 and placed him under "administrative detention", a measure under which prisoners can be held indefinitely without any charge. At present, some 660 Palestinians out of a total of more than 6,800 are being held under "administrative detention".
Palestinian Journalist Ends His 94-Day Hunger Strike
Palestinian Journalist Mohammed al-Qeq, 33, ended his 94-day hunger strike on February 26, 2016 after reaching a deal with Israeli authorities that would set him free in about three months. As soon as the news of the deal reached his West Bank village of Dura, near Hebron, an air of victory and celebrations gripped the residents who stood steadfastly in support of al-Qeq since he had begun the hunger strike on November 25, 2015. Israel accused al-Qeq of association with recent violent activities and being part of a conspiracy to incite in recent months a spate of stabbings, shootings and vehicular onslaught.
VP Biden's Visit Marred by American's Killing
As the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden set his feet on Israel on March 8, 2016 for a two-day official visit, violence broke out in the port city of Jaffa. As Joe Biden was in the midst of a meeting with former Israeli President Shimon Peres at the Peres Center for Peace, nearby a Palestinian attacker launched a stabbing spree, killing an American tourist and wounding six Israelis before the attacker was killed by Israeli security forces. Later in the day on March 8, 2016, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos identified in a message on the school website the American tourist killed earlier in the day at Jaffa as Owen Graduate School of Management student Taylor Force. Three other Palestinian attackers were killed during the day.
Biden Rebukes Palestinians for Violence
Instead of giving a try to smooth an already abrasive contour of US-Israel relationship, Vice President Joe Biden's two-day (March 8-9, 2016) Israel trip marked anything but what he had aspired to do because of the stabbing death of Vanderbilt University MBA student and Lubbock resident Taylor Force. Force graduated from West Point, served in Iraq, and last fall enrolled in Vanderbilt University as an MBA student. Force was with other Vanderbilt students in a university-sponsored trip to study the start-up business climate in Israel when he was stabbed to death by a Palestinian attacker on March 8, 2016. Meanwhile, on the second day of his trip, Joe Biden, standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had some harsh words for Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas. Biden said that "let me say in no uncertain terms: the United States of America condemns these acts and condemns the failure to condemn the acts". Later in the day on March 9, 2016, Biden met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who had expressed deep condolences over Force's murder at Jaffa a day earlier.
Israel Toughens Stand on Golan Heights
In view of Syrian President Bashar Assad's push to include the future of Golan Heights in the indirect talks being hosted by Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy for Syria, at Geneva, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on April 17, 2016 traveled to the occupied highlands and reiterated that the strategic plateau would never be returned. Israel seized Golan Heights in 1967 Arab War, and essentially annexed it in 1981 by extending the Israeli civil law to the conquered plateau, an action none in the international community had recognized. Israel's premier Benjamin Netanyahu held his cabinet meeting on April 17, 2016 in Golan Heights, and said that "the Golan Heights will forever remain in Israel's hands". Netanyahu also said that "after 50 years, the time has come for the international community to finally recognize that the Golan Heights will remain under Israel's sovereignty permanently". The U.S. quickly criticized the statement by Netanyahu and said that Golan Heights were not "part of Israel". Germany, EU, Arab League, 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation and U.N. Security Council followed suit and swiftly criticized Netanyahu's comments.
Israeli Convicted in Kidnapping, Murder of Palestinian Boy
An Israeli court on April 19, 2016 convicted a 31-year-old Israeli man, Yosef Haim Ben-David, of abducting and murdering a Palestinian teen after the July 2, 2014, kidnapping of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. Yosef Haim Ben-David carried out the heinous crime in collaboration with his two teenage nephews to take revenge on kidnapping and murder of three Israeli hitchhikers days earlier. One of the nephews was sentenced in February 2016 to life in prison, and another to 21 years in jail. The Jerusalem District Court rejected Yosef Haim Ben-David's late-hour insanity plea. In a country where killings and revenge-killings are way of life, the murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir attracted unusual press coverage as well as condemnation from the both aisles of the political spectrum.
Israeli Security Forces Kill Two Palestinians
Israeli security forces on April 26, 2016 opened fire and killed a 23-year-old Palestinian mother of two, Maram Salih Hassan Abu Ismail, and her 15-year-old brother Ibrahim Taha at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah. With the deaths of Maram Salih Hassan Abu Ismail and Ibrahim Taha, 28 Israelis, 2 Americans and nearly 200 Palestinians were killed in the latest escalation of stabbing, shooting, vehicle-ramming and sniping campaign that had erupted in September 2015.
Escalation in Gaza Raises Alarm of a New Fighting
The Egyptian-brokered truce that brought the 50-day fighting in 2014 to an end after deaths of 71 Israelis, most of them soldiers, and at least 2,100 Palestinians, including about 500 children and 250 women, was put to serious test as renewed fighting began on May 4, 2016 after the Israeli troops had entered Gaza to destroy underground tunnels being constructed by militants. Hamas militants launched mortar attacks immediately, and Israel responded in kind by aerial strikes on the coastal peninsula. On May 5, 2016, a 53-year-old Palestinian woman, Zeina al-Amour, was killed in an Israeli missile strike near Khan Younis. The fighting continued for the third day on May 6, 2016 as Hamas militants launched a new round of salvos on Israel and the Netanyahu regime carrying out airstrikes deep inside Gaza Strip.
General's Comment Throws Israel into Vortex of Debate
Israel's Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan's speech last week on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day drew kind of response that reflected the identity of a nation that was still evolving and emerging with newer senses of purpose. On one hand, Yair Golan's comment touched a chord among people who had suffered immeasurably under the persecution of Nazi-era autocracy, a "revolting trend" that the Major General could see these days among many Israelis. In his address at the Massuah Institute for Holocaust Studies, Golan said that it was easy "to hate those who are different; there is nothing easier than to sow fear and terror; there is nothing easier than to behave like animals". As expected, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan's comment immediately drew condemnation from hawkish elements of Israeli society, including premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who on May 8, 2016 stepped into this controversy rather gracelessly by denouncing his speech "outrageous" and "unfounded". To many in Israel, Yair Golan's comment could not have come at a better time as the recent event surrounding the charges leveled against an Israeli army sergeant, Elor Azaria, who was seen on video turning his gun on a Palestinian lying on the ground and subsequent rally by thousands of Israelis in Tel Aviv in support of Azaria. The Israeli opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog called Yair Golan courageous.
Netanyahu's Risky Overture to Ultra-Nationalist Hawk
In a high-risk political game of Russian roulette, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on May 18, 2016 invited ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman to join his cabinet. Induction of Liberman, a former foreign minister known for his provocative comments and a lightning rod for Palestinians, will tilt the Netanyahu administration further to the extreme right. Apparently, the premier has offered Avigdor Liberman the defense ministry as the current office holder, Moshe Yaalon, who has in recent days defended the Israeli military officials, including Israel's Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan against the criticism from hawkish Jewish leaders, is at loggerheads with his Likud compatriot Netanyahu.
Israeli Defense Minister Resigns
In an expected outcome stemming from Benjamin Netanyahu's shameless embrace of ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party and its leader Avigdor Liberman, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on May 20, 2016 stepped down as country's defense minister.
Netanyahu Inducts a Far-Extreme Leader in the Cabinet
In a further extreme move, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu inducted Yisrael Beitenu in his shaky coalition, thus increasing the strength from a wobbly 61 to 66 in 120-seat Knesset, and rewarded the far-right party's leader, Avigdor Liberman, known for his provocative and threatening remarks, with the defense portfolio. The ministry shuffle on May 25, 2016 came five days after Moshe Yaalon had called it quits.
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Ex-Commanders Slams the Government for Inaction on Peace
A group of more than 200 of Israel's former army officials and commanders, Commanders for Israel's Security, on May 27, 2016 blasted the Netanyahu regime for the moribund state of the peace process with the Palestinians, calling for immediate freeze in settlement building, acceptance in principle of the Arab Peace Initiative and recognition of East Jerusalem as part of future Palestinian state. The group sways tremendous influence among Israelis because of its link to former commanders, who are no dove, and is headed by a fabled Israeli commander, Ammon Reshef, who decried the fear mongering climate promoted by the government. Meanwhile, in a sign of building international pressure to jumpstart the peace talks, stalled since 2014, France is planning to host a conference in June 2016.
Group Formally Presents Peace Plan
Reflecting a growing decoupling with Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing administration, a group of former commanders from Israeli Army, police, Shin Bet security service and Mossad spy service, formally called as the Commanders for Israel's Security, on June 28, 2016 made public a plan to bring an end to decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Under the plan submitted, Israel will unilaterally withdraw from 90 percent of West Bank and there will be an immediate and complete freeze on settlement construction. The group's founder Retired Major General Ammon Reshef said that the "things are getting worse and worse" and posed some hard questions such as "what kind of future do we have" if the plan would not get at least a serious consideration.
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First Couple Slapped with Fine
An Israeli labor court on May 31, 2016 ordered PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, to compensate a former employee of their official residence with a lump sum payment of $30,000 in back dues. There are already numerous complaints about spending habits of the first family, and Israel's state comptroller published a harsh report in February 2015, accusing the first family of excessive spending.
Paris Hosts a Meeting to Find a Solution to Mideast Crisis
French government on June 3, 2016 hosted a meeting of EU, the US, Arab League and the U.N. at Paris to brainstorm into the mess that was currently the state of affairs in Israeli-Palestinian relations and figure out a way forward. Diplomats, including the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, issued a communique at the end of day-long meeting, where neither Israel nor Palestinians were not invited, that emphasized on "a just, lasting and enduring peace, with two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security". To further the goals of achieving a two-state solution, the leaders decided to hold an international conference by the end of the year. Israel strongly criticized the June 3, 2016, Paris meeting, with the country's public security minister, Gilad Erdan, calling the meeting a "borderline delusional" exercise.
Four Israeli Soldiers Slain in Shooting
Two Palestinians on June 8, 2016 evening entered into a shopping complex, Sarona, in Tel Aviv across the headquarters of Israeli military, and opened fire, killing four Israelis in one of the most brazen attacks. The sprawling shopping and restaurant complex is a symbol of Israel's vibrancy and open lifestyle, and often frequented by young soldiers and visitors. Opening fire at Sarona symbolized an assault on the country's security apparatus and its vicious boldness. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency national security meeting and resolved to respond this "cold-blooded" murders with an iron hand. Hamas didn't claim the responsibility for the Sarona attack, but nonetheless praised the two attackers, who hailed from the same family in the West Bank village of Yatta, close to Hebron, for their "heroic works" in the month of Ramadan. Hours after Hamas' praise, the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took Hamas to task for their support for the heinous attack. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemned the "horrific terrorist attack" in Tel Aviv.
Israel Displays Defiance in Face of Brazen Attack
A day after two Palestinians dressed in black suits and ties killed four Israeli civilians--identified as Ido Ben Ari, 42; Ilana Naveh, 39, a mother of four girls; Michael Feige, 58, a Sociologist and Anthropologist at Ben Gurion University; and Mila Mishayev, in her early 30s--the prevailing mood was one of defiance and courage, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman paying visit to Sanoma as well as Labor Party lawmaker Shelly Yacimovich shifting all her day's meeting to the restaurant itself on June 9, 2016. One of the two Palestinian attackers was already in custody while the other was being treated at the hospital. On June 9, 2016, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement, condemning the attack. In response to the attack a day before, Israeli government went ahead to suspend 83,000 special travel permits granted to the West Bank Palestinians as well as the permits for Palestinians from Gaza who would go to Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers. Authorities also revoked a total of 204 work permits for the relatives of two Palestinian shooters, meting out the collective punishment as a response to terrorist attack.
Israel Bans Palestinians from West Bank
In the light of June 8, 2016, Palestinian attack on a restaurant complex, Sanoma, across the street from the country's defense department headquarters at Tel Aviv that had killed four Israelis, the authorities on June 10, 2016 imposed a blanket travel ban on Palestinians from West Bank for three days until the end of Jewish holiday of Shavuot. The only exemption to this ban included "humanitarian and medical" cases and visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Travel for Gaza residents had already been impossible after the June 8, 2016, attack as the trip to Al-Aqsa from the coastal strip had immediately been suspended in the aftermath of the attack. Responding to the harsh measures by Israeli authorities, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on June 10, 2016 that the decision to "revoke tens of thousands of entry permits could stoke tension which could yield to a risk of escalation".
Former Defense Minister Blasts Netanyahu
The ousted defense minister Moshe Yaalon ripped through premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies on June 16, 2016 in an address at a security conference in Herzliya. Calling out his bluff and fear mongering tactic, Yaalon said that there was no existential threat to the state of Israel now and Netanyahu's pandering of right-wing extremists was shameful, and vowed to challenge Netanyahu in the next election slated to be held in 2019. Meanwhile, another former premier, Ehud Barack, called during the day for ouster of Netanyahu.
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Israel, Turkey Emerge from Six Years of Near Freeze in Ties
Israel and Turkey on June 27, 2016 took a big diplomatic leap in reviving their full-scale bilateral relationship after a gap of six years when Israeli commando boarded a Turkish-flagged ship trying to breach a naval blockade to deliver relief supplies to Gaza that had led to death of 10 pro-Palestinian activists and torrent of international condemnation against Israel. However, the civil war in Syria and the resulting political volatility in the region had pitted Bashar Assad, a nemesis of Israel, against Turkish regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and changed all the political calculation as far as relationship among the regional powers were concerned. Under the changed circumstances, it was a matter of when, rather than if, Turkey and Israel would come around and embrace with full diplomatic relationship. The day turned out to be June 27, 2016, and the venue was Rome. Under the reconciliation agreement, Israel will give Turkey $20 million in compensation for the 10 pro-Palestinian activists' death. Turkey will build a 200-bed hospital, residential and infrastructure projects in Gaza Strip. Relief supplies and raw materials meant for Gaza will be offloaded by Turkish ships at the Israeli-control port of Ashdod, from where the Israeli authorities will take control and ship them to Gaza. As the details of the deal emerged over the weekend (June 24-26, 2016), Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot published a blistering frontline article wondering what Israel got in return as there was no promise of returning the remains of two Israeli soldiers as well as two Israeli civilians who had been presumed to be held hostage by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the deal on June 27, 2016 at a Rome conference, saying that it was of "strategic importance to Israel". Also, he pointed out to opening of Turkish market for Israeli natural gas export, leading to more marketing opportunity in Europe.
First Supply Ship Arrives at Gaza
The result of June 27, 2016, détente arrived at Rome by Turkey and Israel to restitute their relationship back on normal track was borne fruit as the first Turkish ship carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid docked at the Israeli port of Ashdod on July 3, 2016 after nearly 35 hours of voyage that the ship, Lady Leyla, had begun from the Turkish port of Mersin on late July 1, 2016.
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Settler Girl, 13, Stabbed to Death
A 19-year-old Palestinian man scaled the fence of a West Bank settlement, Kiryat Arba, in the morning of June 30, 2016, entered a settlement home, and stabbed a 13-year-old girl, Hallel Yaffa Ariel, 13, a dual Israeli-American citizen, on her bed. As the teenager's father found her body, a search ensued for the killer, and Mohamad Tarayreh, 19, was subsequently shot dead. Tarrayreh hailed from a nearby West Bank town, Bani Naim.
An Israeli Man Shot Dead, Wife and Kids Injured
A day after a 19-year-old Palestinian youth stormed a settler home and knifed a Jewish girl to death on her bed, a Palestinian sniper opened fire on a car near Hebron on July 1, 2016, killing its male driver, later identified by the Israeli media as Miki Mark, a 48-year-old Jew who had headed a Jewish seminary in the nearby Otniel settlement. Mark's wife and his two teenage children were wounded in the shootout. After the shooting, a huge contingent of Israeli security forces entered into Hebron in the largest security operation in two years, and closed most of the roads to and from Hebron. The security was notched up at the Hebron's contested religious shrine, known to Tomb of Patriarchs to Jews and Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslims. Also, the Israeli administration of premier Benjamin Netanyahu announced that it would reduce the revenue reimbursement to Palestinian Authority in response to the recent spurt in attacks.
Quartet Expresses Doubt in Future of Peace Process
The so-called Quartet--U.N., USA, Russia and EU--issued a report on July 1, 2016, painting a gloomy picture on the state of affairs Palestinian-Israeli relationship. The report condemned Israeli authorities for their continued expansion of settlements in West Bank and Jerusalem, defying all international norms and protocols. The settlement activity, according to the report, posed a significant hindrance to pushing the peace process forward. The Quartet Report also took Palestinians to task for glorifying the attackers as martyrs.
Palestinian Martyr Fund Attracts Renewed Scrutiny, Condemnation
A long-ago established fund created by PLO to compensate Palestinian martyr families drew harsh condemnation from the Israeli authorities in light of families of some of the Palestinian attackers in the approximately year-old campaign of violence, involving sniping, knifing and vehicular attacks, receiving compensation from the fund that was created in 1967. According to a report carried by The Associated Press on July 11, 2016, the fund pays about 35,000 Palestinian families and growing, and has a budget of $170 million this year. In comparison, Israel transfers $125 million a month, or $1.5 billion a year, to Palestinian Authorities in revenue that belongs to Palestinians anyway.
Netanyahu Sorry for Anti-Arab Comments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 26, 2016 apologized for anti-Arab comments he had made at the height of the last year's keenly contested elections. His infamous comment at that time that Arabs were going to polling stations in "droves" to help increase Jewish voter turnout drew rebuke from various groups and political parties. On July 26, 2016, Netanyahu offered his apology to Israeli Arabs and called for their increased integration with the Israeli society.
Netanyahu Invites Abbas to Address Israel's Parliament
In a political grandstanding of sort and choosing the U.N. General Assembly as a platform, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 22, 2016 tried to perform a regional statesman as he exhorted Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to address Knesset and offered to do the same at the Palestinian parliament. Prior to Netanyahu's speech, Chairman Abbas took the podium to call for the U.N. to declare 2017 as the "international year to end the Israeli occupation of our land and our people". He also questioned the sincerity of any Israeli leader to see through any peace deal with Palestinians. He took swipe at Netanyahu for evading a special conference on the middle-east conflict that France wanted to host.
Settlement Expansion Continues with New Building Permits
In another setback to hope for reviving the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, Israel's military planning commission on okayed permit for 463 housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Haaretz reported on August 31, 2016 that of the 463 units, 51 would be newly built, 178 would be retroactively legalized although they had been built decades ago and 234 would be exclusively built for senior citizens. What is most disconcerting and what has been pointed out clearly by the White House press secretary Josh Earnest during the day is Israel's decision to put a legal stamp of approval for unauthorized and illegal settlement activities carried out decades ago violating Israel's own laws.
Moscow Inserts itself in Palestinian-Israeli Conflicts, Invites Both Sides
Russia's foreign ministry issued a statement on September 8, 2016, saying that Moscow had offered to host a meeting between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and both leaders had accepted the invitation. However, the statement did not say when the meeting would be held, or what would be agenda.
Abbas a Former KGB Agent?
An Israeli TV station reported on September 8, 2016 that two Israeli researchers had come across a convincing set of dossier implicating Mahmoud Abbas to be a paid KGB agent in the 80s when he had lived in Syria. Palestinian officials called the report an Israeli dirty ploy to discredit Abbas.
Rights Groups Call the Israeli Inquiry into 50-Day 2014 Conflict a "Whitewash"
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem that often sheds light on Israeli excesses on Palestinians has issued a report on September 20, 2016, criticizing the Israeli military of not adequately investigating the allegations documented during the 50-day Gaza Conflict in 2014. B'Tselem called the Israeli inquiry a "whitewash protocol". A U.N. Commission of Inquiry had found both Israel and Hamas guilty in war crimes. The 50-day Gaza Conflict (July 8-August 26, 2014) had killed about 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis.
SHIMON PERES
Shimon Peres, former President, premier and quintessential public servant, passed away on September 28, 2016 at the age of 93. Peres' life chronicled the events and evolution of Israeli society since the birth of the Jewish nation.
Shimon Peres was also the last of the founding fathers of Israel and one of the most outspoken elder statesmen in the region. His political life of more than seven decades can not be separated from the nation of Israel itself. His life--along with his evolving political position over the years--has come to epitomize the changing landscape of middle-east.
Shimon Peres has held all possible public offices and numerous government portfolios--including premiership and presidency--in a span of 70-plus years of public service. It was Peres who was the chief advocate and champion of Israel's nuclear weapons program. His hawkish stand in 60s, 70s, and 80s was a source of much of Arab indignation. Peres was also a leading voice of Israel's settlement building and expansion plan in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Many Arab leaders still harbor animosity against Peres because of his past hawkish stand, and they have expressed strong displeasure over Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' decision to attend the state funeral of Peres on September 30, 2016.
However, Shimon Peres and his then-Labor ally Yitzhak Rabin seized a rare opportunity to explore peace with PLO in early 90s. Prodded by the U.S. President Bill Clinton, Peres spearheaded an intense negotiation with the Palestinian side that led to signing of Oslo Accord in 1993. In 1994, three key figures of the Oslo Accord--Peres, Rabin, and the PLO leader Yasser Arafat--received the Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, Shimon Peres played the role of an elder statesman, emphasizing time and again the significance and benefit of a two-state solution. He was seen as the only remaining powerful voice for middle-east peace since the November 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin at hands of a Jewish extremist.
Shimon Peres sensed the shift in the attitude of international community toward Jewish settlement activity, occupation of Palestinian land and Israeli step-motherly policies against its own Arab citizens. Peres tried to do his best to counter the adverse international opinion by constantly and consistently advocating for peace and reconciliation with the Palestinians. As former U.S. President Bill Clinton said of Shimon Peres, the beloved Israeli elder statesman was first a bright student of Israel, then a bright teacher of his country and eventually the best dreamer of Israel. His vision for peace and two-state solution will serve as a beacon of hope to both Palestinians and Israelis for their common pursuit of the dream to have an independent Palestine thriving alongside its neighbor, a secure and prosperous Israel.
Two Israelis Killed in a Palestinian Shooting Rampage
A Palestinian, identified later in the day as 39-year-old Musabh Abu Sbaih, opened fire near Israel's national police headquarters in Jerusalem on October 9, 2016, killing a police counterterrorism personnel, Yosef Kirma, 29, and a 60-year-old woman, Lavanah Malichi. The U.S. State Department strongly condemned the attack and the continuous glorification of such violent acts as Hamas described Sbaih in the aftermath of the attack that the gunman, killed in the subsequent exchange of gunfire, was "one of ours".
Qatar Mediates between Palestinian Factions
Amid the peace process stuck in the mud and Palestinian unity in a disarray, the best chance for the Arab world to become a player in any future peace talks is to push for bridging the current rift that has afflicted, and to some extent harmed, the Palestinian interest. Qatar in recent years took the onus to lead the Arab effort to bring Fatah and Hamas closer. As part of that continuing effort, the latest intra-Palestinian talks were held at Doha on October 27, 2016, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas premier of Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, and Khaled Meshal, Hamas' chief political adviser, among others participating.
Netanyahu Declines to Join Paris Conference
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 7, 2016 rejected French President Francois Hollande's invitation to join the upcoming conference at Paris to revive Israel-Palestinian peace talks.
U.S. Refrains from Vetoing U.N. Resolution Condemning Israel's Settlement Activity
In the waning days, Obama administration sent a very clear message to Netanyahu administration on its drive to expand settlement activities by abstaining from vetoing a measure at the U.N. Security Council that condemned Israel's settlement activity. The measure, sponsored by New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal, was passed by 14-0 vote on December 23, 2016. Obama administration vetoed a similar measure in 2011, and since then, Israeli settlement activity had only increased. Obama administration made it clear that it would be almost impossible to veto a measure like this in light of universally condemnable settlement expansion. Israel's Ambassador to the USA, Danny Danon, denounced the measure, and Netanyahu called it a "shameful anti-Israeli resolution". U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan called it "shameful" too.
Netanyahu Blasts Obama, U.N.
A day after Washington refrained from vetoing a U.N. resolution that condemned in no uncertain terms Israel's settlement activities, Israel's premier Benjamin Netanyahu on December 24, 2016 did not hide his displeasure against Obama administration, and poured out the venom against Obama personally as well as the U.N. Netanyahu vowed to correct the situation once his "friend" Donald Trump was inaugurated the U.S. President. Separately, Trump tweeted condemning the U.N resolution as well as the U.S. action.
Kerry Rips Israel
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry used his farewell address on December 28, 2016 at the State Department to chastise Israel for its pro-settlement policy, and firmly reminded Israel that either it could be a Jewish State, or a Democratic state, but could not be the both at the same time. The tone of the speech reflected the souring relationship between the two allies in the waning days of Obama administration.
British Premier Chides Kerry
In an unusual departure of protocol, British Prime Minister Theresa May took issues with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on December 30, 2016 and criticized Kerry's December 28, 2016, speech at the State Department in which Kerry called out Benjamin Netanyahu regime as the most right-wing regime in Israel's history driven by the most right-wing elements.
Israeli Soldier Convicted of Shooting an Wounded Palestinian Attacker
An Israeli soldier, Sgt. Elor Azaria, seen on a video tape of shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker was convicted of manslaughter by a three-judge panel at Tel Aviv on January 4, 2017. The three-judge panel ruled the shooting of Abdul Fattah al-Sharif as needless. Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, and another Palestinian youth, Ramzi al-Qasrawi, attacked Israeli soldiers with knives at a Hebron checkpoint on March 24, 2016, leading to soldiers opening fire. Ramzi al-Qasrawi was immediately killed, but as Abdul Fattah al-Sharif was laying on the ground and groaning with pain, Sgt. Elor Azaria approached the Palestinian youth and opened fire.
Truck Plows Soldiers, Kill 4
A truck driven by a Palestinian drove into a group of Israeli soldiers at Armon Hanatziv Promenade, a prominent tourist spot joining eastern and western parts of Jerusalem, killing 3 female and one male soldiers on January 8, 2017. Premier Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident an Islamic State-inspired terrorist incident.
Soldier Receives 18-Month Term
Sgt. Elor Azaria, convicted on January 4, 2017 on charges of murdering a wounded Palestinian attacker, Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, on March 24, 2016, was on February 21, 2017 sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment by a panel of military judges.
Conference on Israel Poised to End up as a Political Flop
As leaders and diplomats from more than 70 states are scheduled to meet at Paris on January 15, 2017 to rejuvenate the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestinians, chances of its success are at best slim as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu refused to attend the talks and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had postponed his trip to Paris in the last minute.
Palestinians Open Embassy at Vatican
One more flying color to Palestinian Authority's diplomatic cap as on January 14, 201 its President Mahmoud Abbas officially opened its embassy in Vatican. Abbas also met with Pope Francis during the day, and a communique issued after the Pope-PA leader's meeting reiterated Vatican's long-standing demand that the "holy places for believers of all three of the Abrahamic religions" must be safeguarded.
Israel Okays Settlement Growth in the First Week of Trump Presidency
Sensing a possible shift in the U.S. policy after Donald Trump became president, Israel on January 23, 2017 approved construction of 566 new housing units in East Jerusalem that was delayed because of strong objection by the Obama administration. A day later, January 24, 2017, Israel doubled down on settlement activity by announcing an additional 2,500 units to be built in the West Bank.
Trump Recalibrates Stance on Israel
Days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to make his first official visit to Trump White House, U.S. President Donald Trump tried to lower the expectation on radical departure from the years-old American policies. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, owned by casino magnet Sheldon Adelson, that carried it on February 10, 2017, Trump said that the Jewish settlement didn't help the peace process and moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was not a sure-thing as it was a complex issue.
Harsh Enforcer to Become Hamas' New Leader
Hamas made it official on February 13, 2017 that its new leader for Gaza was chosen after a secret two-week meeting. Yehya Sinwar, in his mid-50s, served almost two decades in Israeli prison and was known for his ruthlessness in enforcing the militant organization's command structure.
Trump Off-tracks Long-held U.S. Policy on Israel
As he greeted the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 15, 2017 at the White House, President Donald Trump seemed to have thrown away, willingly or unwillingly, the long-held U.S. policy toward Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At a joint press conference, Trump hinted that he would be comfortable either way with a one-, or a two-state, solution. U.S. and much of the international community have been strong advocates of a two-state solution for years, and Trump's comments have added a new complexity and uncertainty to this volatile issue.
Haley Re-affirms U.S. Support for a Two-State Solution
A day after President Donald Trump's news conference that had sown confusion over Washington's policy toward Israeli-Palestinian conflict, USA's U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on February 16, 2017 tried to walk back and reiterate Washington's long-term commitment to find a two-state solution.
Trump Administration Warns against West Bank Annexation
After a novice lawmaker, Miki Zohar, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party floated the idea of annexing the West Bank and giving approximately 2 million Palestinians limited autonomy, but no voting privilege, Trump administration communicated very clearly against any unilateral imposition of "one state solution" by Israel as the policy would be sure to flame the Middle-East, according to a speech given by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on March 6, 2017 to the country's parliament. Trump administration's admonition against any unilateral step is more in line with the traditional U.S. policy toward the region and a welcoming break from his campaign rhetoric.
Arab Leaders Revives Palestinian Statehood Issue
Sensing an opportunity to score brownies with Trump administration with the U.S. President's desire for a grand bargain, a summit of Arab leaders at Dead Sea in Jordan on March 29, 2017 tied the issue of normalization of Arab World's relationship with Israel to recognition and eventual creation of Palestinian statehood. The summit was significant in the sense that it was held days before three key Arab leaders were to meet with the U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. Those three leaders--Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah--met separately amongst themselves on the sidelines of the summit.
Israeli Plan to Build the First New Settlement in Two Decades Stirs Controversy
Complication the Trump White House's drive and zeal for a "Grand Bargain" in the Middle East, Israeli security cabinet on March 30, 2017 announced plan to build the first settlement in the West Bank in almost two decades to compensate for demolishing an illegal outpost, Amona, in February 2017 under the Israeli Supreme Court order.
Joint U.S.-Israeli Missile Defense System Becomes Operational
A joint U.S.-Israeli missile defense system, formally called the David's Sling System and jointly built by Israeli firm Rafael and U.S. firm Raytheon, became operational on April 2, 2017. Noting the importance of the David's Sling System, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the anti-missile system would help the nation fending off the incoming rockets and missiles launched by Hezbollah. Israel's other missile-defense systems are Arrow and Iron Dome.
Hamas' New Leader Likely to Deteriorate Palestinian-Israeli Relations
Hamas on May 6, 2017 chose a former premier of the coastal strip as its new international leader, replacing the militant group's long-time ideologue Khaled Mashaal. However, selection of Ismail Haniyeh sends a strong signal to Israel and beyond that the group's strident anti-Israeli stand and struggle are here to stay for longer run.
Trump Disappoints Ultra-right Jewish Lobby
U.S. President Donald Trump, who had toyed over the idea of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, refrained from stirring the hornet's nest after all. On June 1, 2017, President Trump signed an order to stay put where the U.S. embassy of Israel was: Tel Aviv. President's action is sure to bring tremendous disappointment to several right-wing groups both in Israel and USA.
Ex-Hamas Inmates Miss June 2017 Monthly Stipends
Former Hamas inmates, who had been released by Israeli authorities in a 2011 prisoner swap program, were reported to have missed this month's monthly stipends from the Palestinian Authority, according to a June 4, 2017, report by The Associated Press. Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas is under increasing pressure from Israel and the USA to stop giving such stipends to former Palestinian prisoners as these handout, according to officials from both nations, glorifies the violence against Israel.
Israel Breaks Grounds for New Settlement
A day before U.S. President's new envoy for Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jared Kushner, was scheduled to arrive for mediation, Israel broke grounds for the first time since 1990s on a new West Bank settlement, called Amichai, on June 20, 2017.
Hamas' New Leader Wants Reconciliation with Abbas
Hamas' new leader Ismail Haniyeh gave his view on the group's policy first time on July 5, 2017 since assuming the helms of affairs in May 2017. Haniyeh railed against Trump administration for extorting "Islamic and Arab powers" to benefit Israel while extending an olive branch to Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas. Haniyeh stressed broader unity among Palestinians.
Jerusalem City Council to Approve 800 New Homes
Escalating an already deteriorating tension, Jerusalem's local government announced on July 5, 2017 that it would approve 800 new Jewish homes in the existing settlements in East Jerusalem.
UNESCO Decision Rattles Israel
UNESCO on July 7, 2017 voted 12-3 to declare a contested holy site in the West Bank as the World Heritage site. The vote came during the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee meeting at Krakow, Poland at the urging of Palestinians. The site at Hebron, known as the Ibrahimi Mosque to Palestinians and the Tomb of Patriarchs to Jews, witnessed many violent clashes between settlers and Israeli security on one side and Palestinians on the other. Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu called the decision "delusional". U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley chimed in too, saying that the UNESCO's decision "does not do any good and causes much harm".
Newcomer Elected to Lead Israel's Labor Party
Avi Gabbay, 50, beat Amir Peretz, former Defense Minister, in a Labor Party runoff held on July 10, 2017.
Escalation in Tension Grips Old City and Key Religious Site
The most recent escalation in violence erupted on July 14, 2017 as three Palestinian gunmen emerged from Nobel Sanctuary of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and opened fire on the Israeli security personnel at the holy site, killing two of them. Israeli police pursued the attackers into the complex, and shot them dead. In the aftermath, Israel installed pervasive metal detectors at the entrance of and around the Nobel Sanctuary, angering the Palestinians. Since then, a silent diplomatic communication among Israel, Palestinians, Trump administration and Jordan were going on to find the impasse. Meanwhile, a tragic incident on July 23, 2017 at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan helped find a path forward for the impasse that had plagued the Al-Aqsa Mosque since July 14, 2017. On July 23, 2017, an Israeli security guard at the embassy opened fire and killed two Jordanians after one of them attacked the embassy security personnel with a screw-driver. Next day, July 24, 2017, Jordanian King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a phone conversation, leading to the Israeli guard's release followed by dismantling of metal detectors around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Two days later, an Israeli cabinet meeting on July 26, 2017 decided to replace the metal detectors with a $29 million high-resolution cameras and sensors.
Peaceful Prayers Held inside Al-Aqsa Mosque
For the first time in more than two weeks, prayers were held on July 28, 2017 inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound since the killing of the two Israeli guards by Palestinian gunmen on July 14, 2017. For the past two weeks, Palestinians refused to enter the mosque in protest against installation of metal detectors. Waqf Board, overseer of the mosque, demanded that the security be returned to pre-July 14, 2017, level. After Israeli security forces removed the metal detectors, a key demand by Palestinians, normalcy returned on July 27, 2017.
U.S. Ambassador's Comments Draw Ire
Putting the Trump administration in a soup, president's former bankruptcy attorney and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said on September 28, 2018 during an interview with Israel's Walla news site that Israelis were occupying only 2 percent of the West Bank, a figure that came almost nowhere. Friedman's comments immediately drew fire from the Palestinians, with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' aide Nabil Shaath calling the comments an "absolute ignorance of facts of law and of the position of the United States". To clear a diplomatic mess, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heath Nauert later in the day responded that ambassador's remarks "should not be read as a change in U.S. policy".
Jordan's King Visits West Bank in a Rare Diplomacy
Jordanian King Abdullah whose Hashemite Dynasty is the custodian of Old Jerusalem's Muslim establishment and religious sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on August 7, 2017 arrived at Ramallah to a red-carpet welcome from Palestinian Authority and its Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. King Abdullah was in the Palestinian Authority headquarters to accelerate a diplomatic effort to diffuse tension stemming from the July 14, 2017, attack on two Israeli security guards at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Netanyahu Rails against Media
Under investigation on charges of corruption, an irate Benjamin Netanyahu on August 9, 2017 blasted Israeli media for provoking unrest as he spoke to thousands of Likud Party surrogates at Tel Aviv Convention Center.
Hamas Repairs Relations with Iran; Netanyahu Meets U.N. Chief
Gaza Strip's Prime Minister Yehiyeh Sinwar met for the first time with reporters on August 28, 2017 after becoming Gaza Strip's administrative head in February 2017. During his four-hour meeting with journalists, Sinwar, who had spent two decades behind bar in Israeli prison on charges of instigating violence and murder of two Israeli soldiers, said that Hamas had repaired relations with its old benefactor Iran and the relations were in upswing now. In 2012, Hamas downgraded its once intimate relations with Teheran over the Shiite state's support for Bashar Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu poured his frustration with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was visiting the region. His August 28, 2017, meeting with Guterres touched on several thorny issues including an overt bias against Israel in U.N., failure of U.N. peacekeeping mission, or UNIFIL, from weapons smuggling by Hezbollah and buttressing the enforcement mandate of the mission with renewal of its authority after the mandate was over at the end of August.
Netanyahu's Comments Draw Ire from U.N.S.G., Palestinians
Hours after meeting visiting U.N. chief, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a very provocative speech on August 28, 2017 night at a West Bank settlement, Barkan, where Netanyahu vowed never to withdraw from "Judea and Samaria" and keep up the momentum of settlement activity. As Netanyahu's Barkan speech sank in overnight, murmur of protest emerged on August 29, 2017. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres challenged Netanyahu's comment while Palestinians called for U.N. intervention.
Celebration, Condemnation over 100 Year Anniversary of Balfour Declaration
A historic declaration made 100 years ago on November 2, 1917 by the then-British Foreign Minister Lord Arthur Balfour to address the concern and marginalization of Jewish people in Europe was thought to have set the stage for creation of Jewish nation, and being hailed by the Jewish population around the world as the turning point for the national identity and statehood for Jews, but at the same time marked as harbinger of the so-called Nakba, or the Catastrophe, for the Palestinian population. The 67-word original declaration written by Balfour and addressed to Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild, a British financier and Zionist leader, was meant to assist Jewish people to create a homeland. The Balfour Declaration reads: "His majesty's government views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object". However, the same declaration provided safety net for the Arab and non-Jewish people of Palestine, saying that "It being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine". The Balfour Declaration served as the founding rock for the British Mandate of Palestine, which was approved by the League of Nations in 1920, leading to the wave of migration of Jews to Palestine and eventually helping establish the first homeland for Jewish people.
Hamas Leader Calls Abbas to Assume Authority of Gaza
Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh upon his return to Gaza City after talks with Egyptian officials called on Palestinian Authority on September 19, 2017 to work out the "practical steps" to bring Gaza Strip under its jurisdiction, underscoring the message of unification of Palestinian factions.
Palestinian Factions Sign Agreement to Rule as one Entity
At the behest of Arab World and with the full backing of Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Authorities and Hamas negotiators on October 12, 2017 signed a deal at Cairo that was mediated by Egypt to begin the process of bringing the Gaza Strip and West Bank under the single administrative umbrella of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
PLO Office in Washington to Shut down under U.S. Law
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson late November 17, 2017 determined that Palestinians had violated a U.S. law when Palestinian Authority in September 2017 asked International Criminal Court to prosecute Israeli soldiers. Under the law, PLO office in Washington has to close until President Trump determines that Palestinians are engaged in the peace process. Reacting to U.S. move, Palestinian leader Hanan Ashrawi said on November 18, 2017 that U.S. was disqualifying itself as a peace broker.
Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Capital; Plans to Move US Embassy
Torpedoing the delicate balance of Middle-East politics in general and Israeli-Palestinian relationship in particular, Donald Trump on December 6, 2017 recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and announced that his administration would begin the work to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump's announcement immediately drew rebuke from European and Arab allies, and Palestinian Authority all but dismissed any role of Trump administration in future mediation. Fatah and Hamas called for days of rage, and Hamas called for a third Intifada.
Protests Erupt through out Middle East
Large and small protests erupted across the region, and violence broke out near Gaza boundary and other West Bank towns on December 7, 2017. Daily protests were being held across the globe to condemn Donald Trump's December 6, 2017, move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Protest Continues for Fourth Day; Two Killed
Israeli airstrike on December 9, 2017 in Gaza killed two Hamas militants after rocket was launched from the strip on an Israeli town, Sderot. Meanwhile, the political fallout from Donald Trump's December 6, 2017, decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv was prompt, with Palestinian Authority announcing on December 9, 2017 that its President Mahmoud Abbas would not meet with the U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to the region. Egypt's Coptic Church said during the day that its pope would not meet with Pence either.
Macron, Netanyahu Spar amid Growing and Expanding Violent Protest
A visiting Benjamin Netanyahu faced his moment of diplomatic justice as his host, French President Emmanuel Macron, standing beside Israel's premier condemned on December 10, 2017 the U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move there the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv. Netanyahu has retorted by saying that just like Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for the past 70 years and the historic link of the city to the Jews goes back to 3,000 years. Netanyahu's next moment of uncomfortable confabulation comes on December 11, 2017 as he meets with EU Foreign Ministers at Brussels.
Meanwhile, the violence continued unabated in the region during the day. On December 10, 2017, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli soldier in Jerusalem, severely wounding him and bringing the violence to the contested city for the first time. Demonstrators clashed with security forces near the U.S. embassy in Beirut during the day. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Arab League Foreign Ministers Demand Withdrawal of Trump's Order on Jerusalem
Meeting at Cairo, Arab League foreign ministers on December 10, 2017 demanded that the December 6, 2017, U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital be rescinded.
Hezbollah Leader Denounces Trump's Decision
Addressing tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters at Beirut on December 11, 2017 from an unknown location, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called Trump's December 6, 2017, decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move U.S. embassy there a "foolish decision" that would rather accelerate Israel's downfall.
Islamic World Rails against Trump's Jerusalem Stand
A summit of 57-member Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) took a unified stand at a meeting at Istanbul, Turkey on December 13, 2017 against Donald Trump's December 6, 2017, declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. In a communique issued at the end of a one-day summit on December 13, 2017, Islamic world called Trump's move "unilateral" and "dangerous declaration". The host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was among more than 30 heads of state, including Jordanian King Abdullah, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and emirs of Qatar and Kuwait. The leaders also declared East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state from the Istanbul OIC summit.
Trump Administration's First U.N. Security Council Veto Shots down U.S' Jerusalem Decision
An Egyptian-tabled resolution that condemned, without directly naming, Trump administration's December 6, 2017, declaration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there was vetoed by U.S. on December 18, 2017. U.S. stood isolated at the U.N. Security Council as other 14 member nations had lent support to the resolution that called any unilateral decision on the final status of Jerusalem as "null and void".
U.S. Stands Isolated on Jerusalem Issue
In a significant loss of diplomatic leverage and prestige on international stage, Trump administration on December 21, 2017 received a severe jolt as U.N. General Assembly voted 128-9 for a resolution demanding that U.S. withdraw its December 6, 2017, decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital and move the U.S. embassy there. Thirty five nations abstained from voting.
Mike Pence Heckled at Knesset by Arab Lawmakers
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on January 22, 2018 gave a bold, but divisive, speech to Israeli lawmakers, saying that U.S. embassy would be moved to Jerusalem by the end of 2019. His speech was greeted with applause by the Jewish lawmakers. However, at the beginning of his speech, Arab lawmakers stood up and unfurled banners that read: "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine". Arab lawmakers were subsequently removed from the Knesset. Reflecting the Arab anger, the leader of the main Arab party, Ayman Odeh, vowed to not lend a "silent backdrop" to a man that he had called a "dangerous racist".
Pence Wraps up Middle-East Trip with a Visit to Judaism's Holiest Place
Vice President Mike Pence on January 23, 2018 concluded a four-day middle-east trip with a visit to Western Wall, a powerful message in support of Jews and Israel, but after rankling the Palestinians. Palestinians Authority snubbed Pence as Mahmoud Abbas refused to meet with the U.S. Vice President, and Pence received a lukewarm reception from his hosts at two earlier stops in Egypt and Jordan.
Trump Blasts Palestinians for the Slight to Pence
President Donald Trump, attending the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, fired the fusillade on January 25, 2018 by threatening the Palestinians to cut off aid in response to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' refusal to meet with Mike Pence as a protest to U.S. decision in December 2017 to move the embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital.
Israel Loses Its First Warplane in Decades
The civil war in Syria suddenly turned into a regional escalation on February 10, 2018 with Israel sucked into it as an Iranian drone was alleged to have penetrated into Israeli airspace in the early morning. Israeli defense forces downed the drone, and followed up by upping the ante by attacking the command-and-control center in Syria where the Iranian drone had been launched from. After the mission was complete, one of Israel's F-16 jets on its way back crashed in northern Israel, reportedly under the hostile Syrian fire. Israel then sent sorties over Syrian skies to launch strikes against Syrian and Iranian targets, including three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian facilities that were part of what Israel described as "Iran's military entrenchment in Syria". However, the F-16 crash in northern Israel was marked by jubilation in both Damascus, where Syrians were seen distributing sweets, and Lebanon. Lebanese Hezbollah went a step ahead to describe it (downing of Israeli F-16) as the "start of a new strategic phase". Last time that Israel lost a warplane was decades ago in early 1980s.
Netanyahu Fumes; Threatens Adversaries
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on February 11, 2018 that Israel had struck severe blows against numerous Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria a day earlier after an Iranian drone had entered into Israeli airspace although one of the country's F-16 fighter jets had been shot down too.
Putin Hosts Palestinian Leader; Relays Trump's Greeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 11, 2018 greeted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the Kremlin, moments after he was off a phone call with the U.S. President Donald trump. Putin conveyed Trump's good wishes to Abbas, who in turn retorted that "we refuse to cooperate with Americans" in Palestinian-Israeli peace process, underscoring the shift in fulcrum of political balance in facilitating the peace process.
************************ CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST BIBI **************
Israeli Leader May Become the First Sitting Head of State to Face Indictment
After many months of investigation, Israeli police on February 13, 2018 recommended that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu face prosecution on charges of bribery and corruption, including about $300,000 in gifts in exchange for favorable government treatment of his benefactors and action to mete out public largesse to a newspaper, Yediot Ahronot, in lieu of portraying the premier, his family and policies in positive light. The recommendation now goes to Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, a one-time confidante of Netanyahu, who will now decide whether to prosecute Netanyahu. If Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit files formal charges against Benjamin Netanyahu, this will be the first time that a sitting president will face indictment.
On February 14, 2018, Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the police inquiry as "full of holes, like Swiss cheese".
A Second Scandal in a Week Hits Netanyahu
A week after Israeli police recommended that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stand in trial on corruption charges, another allegation--reported by The Associated Press and The New York Times--surfaced on February 20, 2018, implicating a longtime Netanyahu aide, premier's media adviser Nir Hefetz, trying to bribe a judge, Judge Hila Gerstel, through a middleman in 2015 that involved an offer for the judge to be appointed as Israel's Attorney-General in exchange for action to drop charges against Netanyahu's wife, Sara Netanyahu, related to household spending. Both Hefetz and the middleman were being held in custody. Netanyahu denied the allegation. In Fall of 2017, Israel's current Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit recommended indictment against Ms. Netanyahu.
A Third Scandal Pops up Involving Country's Telecom Giant
In addition to scandals related to attempted backroom deal with the publisher of Yediot Ahronot for favorable coverage and trying to bribe a judge in order to drop charges against his wife, Israel's embattled premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, now faces a third serious charge in which one of his former confidantes is even ready to become a state witness and testify against the prime minister. The aide, Shlomo Filber, or "Momo", taken to custody this week, on February 21, 2018 agreed to become a state witness. Filber was the Director General of the Communications Ministry from 2015 to 2017, reporting to Netanyahu. He was sacked few months ago as Israel Securities Authorities zeroed in on him over providing undue financial incentives and other largesse to Israel's largest telecommunication company, Bezeq, for favorable coverage of Netanyahu on its online news site. The largest shareholder of Bezeq, Shaul Elovitch, and many of his family members were arrested too this week besides Filber.
Netanyahu Quizzed by Police for the Eighth Time
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu was questioned by Israel's police on March 2, 2018 in his Jerusalem's official residence on the Balfour Street. The questioning was linked to the third corruption case involving telecommunication giant Bezeq and marked the eighth time in the last fourteen months that Netanyahu had faced such police interrogation.
Netanyahu Wields Remnant of Iranian Drone, Threatens Tehran
In a not so diplomatic speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 18, 2018 upped the ante at Munich Security Conference, wielding a component of an Iranian drone that had penetrated into Iranian airspace on February 10, 2018 before being shot down, and issued a not so subtle threat, pointing to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif, who was in the audience, if he could "recognize this", by taking harsh steps "not only against Iranian proxies, but against Iran itself". Taking to the podium hours later, Zarif dismissed Israeli threat and called Netanyahu's behavior at the conference as a "cartoonish circus".
Abbas Blasts U.S. in U.N. Security Council Address
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on February 20, 2018 slammed Trump administration in an address before the U.N. Security Council, with two administration aides--Ambassador Nikki Haley and administration's Middle East adviser Jared Kushner--looking on and called for re-opening of peace talks between Israel and Palestinians under the auspices of the U.N., not the U.S. Before Haley got her turn to rebut Abbas, the Palestinian leader left the council.
Egypt to Open Rafah Crossing for Four Days
In a humanitarian gesture, Egypt will open its borders with Gaza Strip at Rafah for four days (February 21-24, 2018), according to the Palestinian Embassy at Cairo that has confirmed the report on February 20, 2018.
Palestinian Premier Greeted with Blast in Gaza
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, a soft-spoken former dean of a university, arrived at Gaza Strip to inaugurate a sewage plant on March 13, 2018 when a bomb went off, creating panic, but injuring none. The ribbon-cutting went as usual, and he reiterated that the explosion would not deter the reconciliation between Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Abbas Blasts U.S. Ambassador, Hamas
Addressing the Palestinian officials on March 19, 2018 at the seat of powers in Ramallah, West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, known for his connection with West Bank settlement movement and its leaders, as a "son of a dog". Abbas also condemned Hamas for the March 13, 2018, explosion of the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah who had gone to Gaza to inaugurate a sewage plant.
*********************************** AHED TAMIMI ******************************
Palestinian Teenager Gets 8 Months
A 15-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, whose video of slapping an Israeli soldier in December 2017 had gone viral, on March 21, 2018 pleaded guilty to four of the 12 charges. She was sentenced to eight-month term in Israeli jail, paving the way for her freedom in August 2018.
Tamimi Arrives at Her Native Village with a Queen's Welcome
The 17-year-old Palestinian teenager who had earned international fame by kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier and become an instant symbol of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation was released on July 29, 2018 from an Israeli prison. After Ahed Tamimi arrived at her West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, she was given a heroine's welcome, and she took that in stride, vowing to study hard and become a lawyer in future to defend Palestinian rights in the court of law.
*********************************** AHED TAMIMI ******************************
Israel Acknowledges Bombing of Syrian Nuclear Plant more than Ten Years Ago
For the first ever admission by any Israeli official, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 21, 2018 that "IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] and Mossad prevented Syria from developing nuclear capability" and bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor on September 6, 2007. As the censorship of the bombing of the North Korea-supplied nuclear reactor lifted at 5AM during the day, Israelis woke up to the dramatic video of the bombing of the site.
********************** SIX-WEEK MARCH OF RETURN MOVEMENT ***************
Hamas Holds Large Demonstration in Preparation of Weekly Border Protests
Hamas on March 25, 2018 held a big, militant protest march in Gaza City with overt display of fire-arms, projection of missiles and machine-gun fire and announced that it would hold Friday protests along the border walls with Israel to:
* Demand right of return
* Protest continuous blockade of the coastal region by Israel and Egypt since 2007
The weekly border protests will culminate in mid-May 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of so-called naqba, or the catastrophe, that forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians out of their own homes 70 years ago when the nation of Israel was established in 1948.
During March 25, 2018, Hamas demonstration, Israel's Iron Dome defense missile was activated by the machine-gun fire, but no missile or fire was aimed at Israel.
First Friday Protest near Border Walls Turns Bloody
Tens of thousands of Palestinians on March 30, 2018 participated in demonstrations near the Gaza Strip's border walls with Israel. The demonstrations turned violent at several places, and Israeli security forces opened fire, killing at least 15 demonstrators. More than 30,000 demonstrators arrived early in the morning at numerous encampments set up on the Gaza side of the border walls as part of weeks-long protest against forcible displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at the time of Israel's founding in 1948 and continuous blockade of the coastal strip by Egypt and Israel. However, some of the demonstrators turned violent, throwing rocks, Molotov cocktail, slingshot projectiles and burning tires.
U.N. Chief Expresses Concern over Border Violence, Israel Vows Strong Response
A day after border clashes, which had occurred on the first Friday of a six-week demonstration that would culminate on May 15, 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of naqba, or the Catastrophe, killed 15 Palestinians and injured more than 750, Israel on March 31, 2018 vowed to protect its borders. Israel's chief military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said during the day that Israel had restrained its response near the border, but would be forced to go after Hamas operatives deep into Gaza if the situation so warranted. Meanwhile, worldwide reaction to the disproportionate use of force was one of condemnation and criticism. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 31, 2018 expressed "deep" concern over the violence and called for an independent and transparent investigations into the incidents.
Second Friday Protest near Border Walls Resembles the First Week's Violence
On the second Friday of the so-called "March of Return" movement, thousands of Palestinians massed along the border walls in Gaza on April 6, 2018, and violence had erupted. Israeli police had to resort to live-fire, killing 10 people. The April 6, 2018, protest was smaller compared to March 30, 2018, sit-in and protest in which at least 21 Palestinians had been killed. Palestinian Health Ministry said that an additional 491 were wounded.
Hundreds Attend Journalist's Burial
A Palestinian journalist, Yasser Murtaja, who was shot by Israeli fire while filming the violence near Gaza wall a day earlier, was laid to rest on April 7, 2018. Hundreds of Gaza residents attended Murtaja's burial as condemnation had begun to pour in from various parts of the world for Israel's high-handed response to the six-week long planned Palestinian movement, dubbed the March of Return, that had so far taken at least 31 Palestinian lives.
Fourth Friday of "March of Return" Turns Violent, Four Die, including a 15-year-old
After a week of relative calm, violence stalked the border walls between Gaza and Israel on April 20, 2018. Although a much smaller crowd, estimated to be 3,000, showed up during the day at five demonstration sites along the wall, significantly lower than 30,000 on the first Friday, March 30, 2018, but that did not help in either reining in provocation or lethal response. Four demonstrators, including a 15-year-old boy, Muhammad Ayoub, were killed in the clash in which Israeli security forces were accused of using deadly force. The U.N. special coordinator handling the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Nickolay Mladenov, decried the killing of the 15-year-old Palestinian, saying it was "outrageous" response by the Israeli troops. However, Israel remained unapologetic during last three weeks of violence since the March 30, 2018, beginning of March of Return protest movement that had so far killed at least 37 Palestinians. However, barring the U.S., the world reaction to the Israeli response with strong-armed tactic was mostly critical. The latest black eye that Israel received on April 20, 2018 was the last-minute cancellation of the Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman in an award ceremony in Jerusalem.
Three Palestinians Killed as Hundreds Return to Walls along Israel-Gaza Borders
On the fifth Friday of the "March of Return" movement, hundreds of Palestinians flocked to five designated sit-in places near the border walls. The protest turned violent on April 27, 2018 as dozens of Palestinians took to brick-batting, slingshot and flying kites attached with flames into Israeli territory and Israeli troops responded with live fire. Gaza health officials reported that three Palestinians were killed and 138 injured during the day, raising the death toll to at least 38 and injuries to more than 1,600 since the "March of Return" movement had begun on March 30, 2018.
Three Incidents of Wall Breaches Reported, Three Palestinians Killed
Three separate incidents of wall breaches occurred on April 29, 2018, sending shudders in Israel as those incidents had happened on Sunday instead of usual protest day of Friday. In one incident, two Palestinians were able to sneak into Israeli territory and attacked Israeli soldiers with explosives. Both were shot to death by Israeli security forces. In the second incident, one Palestinian breached the border wall at a separate place in Gaza, and was killed by Israeli troops. His accomplice was detained. In the third incident, two Palestinians trying to illegally cross the Gaza-Israeli border were nabbed by Israeli forces.
70 Palestinians Injured, Fuel and Gas Pipelines at the Key Cargo Crossing Damaged
On May 4, 2018, the sixth Friday since the beginning of the "March of Return" movement on March 30, 2018, hundreds of Palestinians tried in vein to scale the border walls, leading to Israeli soldiers to open fire and tear gas, At least 70 Palestinians were injured, a milder toll compared to dozens of deaths in preceding Fridays. Dozens of militant Palestinian youths set in fire the main cargo crossing, Kerem Shalom Crossing, used to transport aid and shipments from Israel and Egypt, damaging the fuel and gas pipelines.
One Dead, Close to 200 Injured on Friday Days before U.S. Embassy Move to Jerusalem
Violence returned to the border walls along Gaza as 15,000 Palestinian protesters demonstrated on May 11, 2018 at five tent camps set up along the Gaza-Israeli border wall. A section of protesters fought against Israeli soldiers, leading to opening of live fire by Israeli troops that had killed one demonstrator and injured 176 others. Later in the day, some Palestinian youths vandalized a fuel complex on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing, and damaged a conveyor belt, inflicting an estimated damage of $9 million.
U.S. Holds Embassy Opening in Jerusalem amid Splurge in Violence in Gaza
As Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Sheldon Adelson, dozens of GOP politicians, donors and religious leaders attended a festive unveiling of embassy plaque at Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, unprecedented violence swept through Gaza that had left a trail of death and destruction which were worst since the 50-day Gaza War between Hamas and Israel in 2014. Several Gaza mosques blared over loud speakers to urge Palestinians to rush to walled area and thousands followed that call. The protest centers along the wall grew from five to 13 during the day, fierce fighting broke out along the wall. Israeli security personnel adopted disproportionate amount of force to quell Palestinian uprising along the border wall, killing at least 58 Palestinians. Thousands of Palestinians were injured in the day-long fight on May 14, 2018. By midafternoon on May 14, 2018, the walled area in Gaza bore a look of warzone with blood, body parts, mangled objects, black smoke and putrid air of tear gas allover. Deputy chief of Hamas, Khalil al-Hayya, during the day held USA responsible for the day's violence and bloodshed, saying that the Trump "administration bears the responsibility for all consequences following the implementation of this unjust decision" of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Death Toll Rises to Sixty, Turkey Expels Israeli Ambassador
A day after unprecedented violence filled the walled border of Gaza with Israel, families and friends on May 15, 2018 buried their loved ones as the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that at least 60 Palestinians--including at least six teenagers--were killed a day earlier in the protest against opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The Ministry also disclosed that more than 2,700 people had been injured, almost half of them having sustained live bullet injuries. During the day, though, the protest was thinner as diplomatic effort was in full swing on behalf of Egypt to bring peace to the region and urge Hamas to prod its supporters back home. At least one Palestinian was reported killed during the day as Turkey swung into diplomatic action by recalling its envoys to the U.S. and Israel while ordering the Israeli ambassador to be out of the country. The day earlier violence consumed part of the U.N. Security Council's diplomats on May 15, 2018 as the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley defended the action of Israel by telling the Security Council that no other nation would behave with "more restraint than Israel" under similar circumstances.
U.S. Vetoes Arab Draft at the U.N. Security Council
A U.N. Security Council resolution drafted by Kuwait that condemned Israeli use of "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against "Palestinian civilians" in the weeks-old "March of Return" demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel borders and called for halt of such actions was vetoed on June 1, 2018 by the USA. The resolution was favored by 10 nations and four nations abstained from voting. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley called the resolution one-sided that condoned the militant group Hamas. A second resolution tabled by Haley, condemning the Hamas aggression on Israel, was voted down too as only U.S. voted for it, three against it and 11 abstained. For any U.N. Security Council resolution to pass, it needs nine YES votes and no veto by permanent security council members.
Migrants Issue: Israeli Hawks Rule the Day
In a topsy-turvey chain of events that had begun with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing on April 3, 2018 that his administration would help settle about 35,000 African migrants, many of whom had arrived at Israel years ago in the hope for better living conditions, in collaboration with the U.N., Netanyahu himself became a hostage of political right on April 4, 2018 as angry right-wing parties in his coalition had forced him to backtrack on his promise to re-settle half of the migrants in Europe and absorbing the rest within Israel itself. On April 4, 2018, Netanyahu, under pressure from hard right, did a political somersault and vowed to expel the migrants to Africa. According to reports, Netanyahu regime had reached a secret agreement with Uganda and Rwanda about re-settling tens of thousands of migrants who had come from various parts of Africa to look for jobs and economic opportunities. The U.N. then persuaded Israel into deal-making, and plucked in Europe for its help to resettle half of the migrants in Europe. The April 4, 2018, about-face by Benjamin Netanyahu put cold water into the U.N. plan.
Netanyahu Rescinds Mass Deportation Plan
After coming under withering criticism by a court that had recently taken up a case from human and migrants rights groups, Benjamin Netanyahu government on April 24, 2018 backtracked on a plan to mass-deport tens of thousands of African migrants to, most likely, Rwanda and Uganda, forcing them into an uncertain future. Netanyahu tweeted during the day that he intended to re-open Holot, a large remote detention facility in Negev Desert, to house the migrants.
Netanyahu Brags about Intel Agency, Blasts Iran for Befooling the World
In a presentation on April 30, 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed a voluminous set of records that had been seized from a Teheran warehouse in a covert Mossad mission in January 2018 to cast doubt on the very assumption of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement, or JCPOA. Netanyahu stressed during the day that Iran all along had been cheating the international community by furtively working on its nuclear program and deceived inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Refuting the deceit allegation hurled by Netanyahu, a top Iranian negotiator of the 2015 nuclear deal, Abbas Araghchi, called the Israeli prime minister's action "a very childish and even a ridiculous play". The New York Times reported on April 30, 2018 that Mossad had been surveilling the targeted warehouse since February 2016 and broke into it one night in January 2018 to seize the document.
Abbas Addresses Full Palestinian Parliament, Hints Unspecified Steps against U.S., Israel
Addressing the opening session of the four-day Palestinian National Council, or Palestinian parliament, in Ramallah, President Mahmoud Abbas on April 30, 2018 thundered that he would soon take stern steps, without specifying what they would be, against USA and Israel for conspiring to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Abbas, who had also spat out some anti-Semitic comments such as Jews' money-lending business to be one of the factors of Europe's anti-Jewish fervor during the World War II, also declared that Washington would play no role as arbiter to the middle-east peace process anymore. The PNC is meeting for a full session for the first time since 1990s.
Palestinian President Draws Wrath for His Anti-Semitic Comment
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' April 30, 2018, address to Palestinian parliament in Ramallah in which he had castigated Jews' money lending business as one of the factors that had contributed to the hatred against Jews in Europe during World War II and establishing a homeland that was not necessary drew immediate and sharp condemnation from home and abroad. On May 2, 2018, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial issued a statement, calling Abbas' speech a text book example of "blatantly falsifying history to the point of accusing the Jewish victims as being responsible for their own murder". The U.N. Special Middle East Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov issued a statement, criticizing the speech of Abbas and stressing on the need for the leaders to have "an obligation to confront anti-Semitism everywhere and always, not perpetuate the conspiracy theories that fuel it".
Under Pressure, Abbas Apologizes
As he was facing all-round criticism for the April 30, 2018, anti-Semitic-laced speech at the Palestinian parliament, diverting the international attention from the lethality in response and subsequent loss of lives in the ongoing "March of Return" movement along the Gaza's border walls, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on May 4, 2018 issued an unconditional apology for the hurt he might have inflicted by his comments.
Israel, Iran Wage Proxy War
Israel on May 10, 2018 launched missile strikes and mortar fire on Iranian targets at a Syrian airbase after Israel alleged that Iran had launched missiles from the airbase aimed at Israel, but failed to reach.
Palestinians Press for ICC Inquiry
Palestinian Authority on May 22, 2018 took a hard line against Israel's policy of suppression by asking The Hague-based International Criminal Court to launch a full investigation into Israeli policies of treating Palestinians since 2014 and settlement activities in the West Bank. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki hand-delivered the referral letter during the day at the court's headquarters in The Hague. In 2015, ICC launched a preliminary inquiry into 2014 Gaza Conflict between Israel and Hamas, focusing on the gross violations on the both sides. Palestinian Authority's May 22, 2018, action will ramp up pressure on Israel and deepen its isolation on the international stage. Israel during the day blasted the Palestinian action of seeking ICC's involvement and internationalizing the regional conflict, calling it "legally invalid".
Rocket Attacks, Counterstrikes Inflame Gaza
After three of the Islamic Jihad members were killed by Israel on May 27, 2018, Islamic Jihad militants launched dozens of rockets and projectiles toward Southern Israel on May 29, 2018. Although Israel's Iron Dome missile defense intercepted most of them, few also landed in Israel, injuring three soldiers and a civilian. Israel later blamed military wing of Hamas and Islamic Jihad for about 70 rocket attack on Israel, and carried out airstrikes against 35 militant targets in Gaza Strip. On May 29, 2018, U.S. called for an emergency U.N. Security Council session to discuss attack on Israel, a stand most of the international community came to loathe with.
Hamas, Israel Seek Avoiding Full-blown Conflict
At the behest of Egypt, Hamas and Israeli officials are trying to avoid the situation from hurtling out of control as Islamic Jihad and military wing of Hamas are now getting enmeshed in the border conflict that had begun in late March 2018 with the so-called "March of Return" movement. A day after Israel carried out airstrikes targeting several Hamas facilities, but largely avoiding populated areas and thus sparing mass casualties as was the case in 2014, Egyptian officials on May 30, 2018 got in action to sustain and preserve truce between the sides.
******* Palestinian Health Worker Martyred during Evacuation of Wounded Demonstrators
Israeli Killing of Palestinian Paramedic Draws Criticism from U.N.
That the Palestinian paramedic, 21-year-old Razan Najjar, shot to death by Israeli security forces, was wearing her medical attire while tending to injured on the 10h Friday of Palestinian demonstration, dubbed as "March of Return", along the Gaza-Israel wall on June 1, 2018 raised outrage in the region and drew rebuke from the U.N. Razan Najjar's death marked only the second woman death among the total of 115 Palestinians killed since the "March of Return" was launched on March 30, 2018. U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the region, Jamie McGoldrick, said that the "killing of a clearly identified medical staffer by security forces during a demonstration is particularly reprehensible". The killing of Razzan Najjar was the only fatality of the day, June 1, 2018, the 10th Friday of the "March of Return" movement.
On June 2, 2018, thousands of Palestinian mourners buried Najjar's body, and vowed to continue their struggle. Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued a statement on June 2, 2018, saying that its troops had operated "in accordance with standard operating procedures".
Israeli Investigation Concludes Najjar's Death Accidental
After only few days of investigation that, by itself, raised suspicion on the thoroughness of the probe, Israeli military on June 5, 2018 concluded that Razzan Najjar's June 1, 2018, death was accidental.
******* Palestinian Health Worker Martyred during Evacuation of Wounded Demonstrators
Israel Hits Hamas Targets in Escalation of Tension
A fragile informal truce cobbled together by Egypt might be in jeopardy as militants from Gaza launched rockets and projectiles, some of which were intercepted by Iron Dome missile shield while others landed inside Gaza, and Israel carried out strikes against 15 Hamas targets in Gaza on June 3, 2018 early morning. Meanwhile, low-cost attacks by Gaza militants, using flammable balloons and kites with burning tails, are creating havoc in Israel's dry pastures starting grass and forest fires and forcing Israel to spend massively to extinguish dozens of such fires.
******* Jerusalem Day
Burning Kites and Balloons Pose Threat to Ranchers and Farmers
Palestinians are launching low-cost attack on Israel in recent months by flying burning rags tailed to kites and flammable balloons that can set off wildfire and destroy parched agricultural land. The Associated Press, meanwhile, reported on June 17, 2018 that at least 120 Palestinians were killed in the weeks-long conflict that had erupted in late March 2018 and more than 3,800 wounded.
Most Intense Day time Air Assault on Gaza since 2014
Israel on July 14, 2018 launched the most fearsome campaign of airstrikes against Hamas and other militant targets in Gaza Strip since the bloody war with Hamas in 2014. Hamas and Islamic Jihad did not sit idle either, and instead launched rocket attack on Israeli communities near Gaza, injuring three Israelis. In July 14, 2018, Israeli airstrikes, two Palestinian teenagers were killed in Gaza City.
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Netanyahu Pushes for "Basic Law" to Enshrine Jewish Character
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 19, 2018 introduced a new legislation, a "basic law", akin to a constitutional amendment, that would declare Israel as the "nation-state of the Jewish people", built on national self-determination "unique to the Jewish people". The "basic law" prioritizes Jewish buildings and downgrades "Arabic" from an "official" language alongside Hebrew to one with a "special status". However, Netanyahu said that the law also called for respecting the "rights of all of its citizens".
Druze Feels Betrayed by Israel's "Basic Law"
Druze, which broke off Islam about 1,000 years ago, has flourished in parts of middle-east, and its people have been serving in Israeli military for years. Many of the Druze soldiers were killed fighting for Israeli security forces. Unfortunately, their world changed in July 2018 as Israeli parliament pushed through the "Basic Law" that had enshrined the supremacy of Jewish people in Israeli constitution. At least two high-ranking Druze officials had quit Israeli military in recent days. Sensing further desertion, Israel's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot wrote a rare letter to his troops on July 31, 2018, urging them to leave politics out of their job. Dozens of former high-ranking police officials, including eight former police commissioners, signed a letter, calling for modification to the law to give appropriate expression to the status of minorities to effectively protect the country.
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Israel Knocks out Arms Depot in Syria
Israeli Action Criticized
Two U.S. Muslim Lawmakers Barred from Entry into Israel
Rashida Tlaib Granted Permission to Visit West Bank, but Declines
U.N. Lists 112 Businesses for Supporting Economy in Settlement
U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva on February 12, 2020 issued a report, naming 112 firms with clear link of supporting the economy and financial lifeline of Israeli settlements. Many of the firms, including General Mills, are included in the list after a 2016 U.N. resolution initiated by the Arab nations, leading to the U.N. Human Rights Council to launch a process to compile this report. U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said that the job was "thankless" and it was initiated when he was not the U.N. official.
********* THIRD PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR*********
Netanyahu Again Came Short
In the March 2, 2020, parliamentary election, third in a little over a year, the political landscape of Israel remained stuck to the same murky picture that had plagued the earlier two rounds of polls. Likud Party led the slate with 36 seats, and Benny Gantz-led Blue and White Party won 33 seats. The notable victory was secured by Arab-dominated Joint List that had won 15 seats and secured the formidable third slot in 120-member Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his own pompous style, slapped on his own back, saying the country had given him more votes. Joint List leader Ayman Odeh exuded encouragement by Arab turnout as "our public feels its power and it wants to exert that power".
********* THIRD PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR*********
Opposition Leader to Become Speaker, Leading to Fracture of the Opposition Bloc
Opposition leader Benny Gantz on March 26, 2020 was elected the Knesset Speaker, paving the way for Benjamin Netanyahu to continue as premier. The action led the opposition Blue and White Party to erupt in rumble, pitting at least two factions of the opposition party to oppose Benny Gantz's decision to take speakership job as it allowed Netanyahu to continue as the head of the government.
President Extends Deadline; Parties in Hard Negotiation Process
As President Reuven Rivlin on April 13, 2020 extended the deadline for forming a national emergency government in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz met in the night at a session that lasted through early hours of April 14, 2020 and both leaders had touted "progress" in the talk, but not sure that the timeline of April 15, 2020 could be met. The contour of the talk is based on the concept of rotating premiership. If nothing works out, Israel will head to an unprecedented fourth parliamentary election in over a year.
After Leaders Fail to Reach Deal, President Gives a Three-week Deadline to Knesset
Hours after a midnight April 15, 2020, deadline to come up with an agreement passed without any progress, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on April 16, 2020 pushed the ball to the parliament's court, issuing a stern ultimatum to Knesset to help elect a premier within three weeks or get ready to be dissolved and face fourth election in a little over a year. However, the negotiation between the Blue and White Party led by Benny Gantz and Likud led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to reach a compromise.
Leaders Reach Compromise
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz on April 20, 2020 signed a compromise agreement that would avert a fourth general election in a little over a year and steer the country, hopefully, with a unified response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Under the April 20, 2020, agreement, many of the portfolios will go to Blue and White Party, but Netanyahu will have significant veto power if key portfolios such as attorney-general, who will oversee his corruption trial, are not to the liking of either party. The three-year deal calls for the first stint of 18 months under Netanyahu, making it all but certain that he will be at the helms of affair while his trial will proceed, followed by a rotating 18-month stint by Gantz.
However, what is concerning about the April 20, 2020, Gantz-Netanyahu agreement is a provision that allows Israel to annex West Bank land that includes Jewish settlements effective July 1, 2020.
EU Warns Israel against Unilateral Annexation
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borrell on April 23, 2020 issued a stern warning to Israel against any annexation effort of Palestinian land in response to an April 20, 2020, agreement between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz that called for beginning of annexing the West Bank settlements starting July 1, 2020.
Israel Swore Its Government, at Last
After nearly 500 days of political uncertainty, three divisive elections, a much ridiculed compromise between two political rivals and a mini-revolt in Likud Party that delayed swearing-in for three days, Israeli parliament on May 17, 2020 swore in the largest cabinet in Israeli history, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heading a team of 36 cabinet ministers and 16 deputies. His political rival, Benny Gantz, a former military head, will be the "alternate prime minister and future prime minister". Opposition leader Yair Lapid mocked the new cabinet as a completely out of touch with people and a cover to allay political dissension in the cover of fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the portfolios such as "community development" are created to make Likud's smaller allies and Likud dissenters happy.
First Known Official Flight Brings Aid for Palestinians
What international leaders couldn't do for decades, coronavirus made it happen. United Arab Emirates didn't have any formal relationship with Israel, and there was no flight between the countries. However, coronavirus pandemic, and COVID-19, the illness it causes, have changed everything. On May 19, 2020, an Etihad Airways cargo plane brought 14 tons of aid supply--including medical devices, protective gears and other necessities--to Israel for shipment to, according to a UAE press statement, "occupied Palestinian territory".
Two-State Solution No More Possible, Expert says
An American expert on the middle-east who earlier held a firm line on a two-state solution as part of longer-lasting peace deal between Israel and Palestinians had changed stance in recent days, sending shock waves through western policy-makers, West Bank settlements and Israeli officials. In a July 8, 2020, Op Ed in The New York Times, Peter Beinart, and influential voice on the middle-east and editor at large of the Jewish Currents, proposed to forego a two-state solution as it's no more a viable concept with Israeli occupation of West Bank and Palestinians pushed into a corner, and instead, argued for a democratic entity where Jews and Palestinians would live side by side and exercise equal basic rights, including right to vote. Peter Beinart's change in stance put progressives at an awkward situation as a long-time backer of their two-state goal has withdrawn support while the hawkish Jews, especially in Israel, are at best lukewarm to this idea as someday in future Jews may become minority in their own homeland and Palestinians will play more prominent political and policy roles with their rights at par with Jews.
In a signal of growing moral stand among progressives in Israel against Jewish settlements, three actors of an eminent production Best Friends refused to take part in the play to be shown in a theater in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. The Cameri and Beit Lessin Theaters said on December 25, 2013 that the three cast members, including Ms. Sarit Vino-Elad, won't be on stage, and would be substituted by the alternates.
As per request from Yasser Arafat’s widow, a trio of medical investigation was launched to identify the principal causes of the Palestinian leader’s death. However, instead of coming to any conclusive outcome, the inquiries by Swiss, French and Russian experts created more confusion. Swiss report made public on November 6, 2013 raised the possibility that Arafat might had been poisoned as the findings by the University of the Legal Medicine in Lausanne found high trace of Polonium-210 radioactive isotope in Arafat’s body. A December 3, 2013, French report showed no significant trace of Polonium-210 in Arafat’s body. A December 26, 2013, Russian report followed along the French line and said that Arafat had died of natural causes, and no traces of Polonium-210 was found in his body.
As part of a package reached last summer (summer 2013) at the behest of US Secretary of State John Kerry to re-start Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, Israel released overnight (December 30-31, 2013) 26 long-term Palestinian prisoners serving time for deadly attacks against Israelis. This marked the third batch of a four-batch 104 prisoner release plan. The prisoner release plan created a furor in Israel as PM Benjamin Netanyahu faced political ire from all corners of population. However, every prisoner release coincided with announcement of construction of thousands of apartment in the West Bank settlement. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas greeted many of the released prisoners at the Palestinian Authority headquarters in Ramallah in the middle of the night.
On January 2, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry was back in the region for the tenth time to provide a necessary push to move forward the peace talks. During a dinner with Kerry, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu assailed for according the Palestinian prisoners freed on December 30, 2013 night hero's welcome.
On January 3, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry continued his shuttle diplomacy to gain traction of the faltering peace talks with a second round of meeting with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in as many days and, later in the day, following it up with another round of session with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. What is laudable about Secretary Kerry is that despite skepticism all around about any progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and back-and-forth sniping, he kept his faith in peace talks and expressed optimism about the outcome.
On January 4, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is visiting the region for the tenth time, said that Israeli-Palestinian talks were making progress although significant gridlock remained after more than 20 rounds of talks. During the day Kerry met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the second time in as many days and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu for the third time in three days.
On January 5, 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry took break from his shuttle diplomacy to huddle with USA's two regional allies: Jordan and Saudi Arabia as there was a growing pressure on both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to take bold and big decision amid the peace talks that began in July 2013 were facing strong headwinds. As the expectation is very low to come up with an agreement by April 2014 as originally targeted, Kerry has come to the region this time with a package that calls for Palestinians to recognize Israel as Jewish state and Israel to recognize the pre-1967 borders as a "baseline" for an agreement.
As US Secretary of State John Kerry was wrapping up his tenth visit to the region that included numerous meetings with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli government on January 6, 2014 gave final approval for construction of 272 apartments in two isolated West Bank settlements, a move decried by a venerable Israeli peace group, Peace Now, as a show of bad faith.
On January 10, 2014, Israel announced plan to construct 1,400 homes in settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem, thus complicating the effort of US Secretary of State John Kerry to find a solution to the vexed Israeli-Palestinian problem. Out of 1,400 homes planned, 800 are proposed in the West Bank and remaining 600 are planned in East Jerusalem.
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ARIEL SHARON (February 27, 1928-January 11, 2014)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon passed away on January 11, 2014 at Sheba Medical Center, where he spent most of the time after a massive stroke incapacitated and sent him into coma. In many ways, Sharon was a divisive figure and remained so until his last breath. Sharon was revered as a hero and savior of Israel by many right-wing Israelis for his contribution in 1948 War of Independence, valor as a tank commander in 1967 Six-Day War and return from his 1972 retirement to military service again in 1973 Yom Kippur War in which he commanded an armored division to lead charges through Sinai Desert and up to Suez Canal. However, he earned worldwide infamy in 1982 when he as the Defense Minister of Menachem Begin cabinet pressed for invasion of Lebanon, and eventually allowed Lebanese Christian militia group Phalanges to enter the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatilla in Beirut that led to massacre of hundreds of Palestinians. Sharon was subsequently fired. However, Sharon in the latter part of political lift understood the importance of peace with Palestinians, leading to his decision to dismantle all settlements in Gaza in 2005.
Sharon was buried on January 13, 2014.
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The U.S. on January 14, 2014 was outraged by the comments of Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon quoted during the day by Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot as telling a delegation of Americans and Israelis that US Secretary of State John Kerry's middle-east peace effort was not worth of the paper on which it was written.
The relationship between Israel and Europe hit a new nadir on January 16, 2014 as Britain, France, Italy and Spain summoned the respective Israeli ambassadors to protest against the Netanyahu administration's plan made public on January 10, 2014 to build 1,400 more homes in settlements in East Jerusalem and West Bank. PM Benjamin Netanyahu lobbed the first salvo after the incident, calling for European nations "to stop this hypocrisy". In a tit-for-tat diplomacy, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on January 17, 2014 summoned the ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy and Spain, and asked them to be more balanced in their view toward Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Clashing Visions of Two State Plans Presented at a Tel Aviv Security Conference
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on January 28, 2014 presented two very different visions of how their independent states would exist in future at an important security conference in Tel Aviv. While Netanyahu favored an Israeli troop presence, although at a smaller scale, in West Bank along Jordanian borders for years to come, Abbas dismissed that proposition with his own vision that would replace Israeli troops with international troops such as NATO troops.
Kerry, E.U. Diplomat Warn Israel of Isolation
Intensifying the pressure on Israel, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Israeli leaders on February 1, 2014 that Israel faced "international isolation" if it was seen as stumbling block to the middle-east peace. Kerry's comments came at a security conference in Munich amid a stalled peace negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians which Kerry had helped launch in July 2013 and scheduled to wrap up by April 2014. Echoing the same sentiment, EU's ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Abdersen said on February 3, 2014 during an interview with Israel's Channel 2 TV that the isolation was a real possibility as instead of European governments, it would be led by private companies.
New Housing to Come up in East Jerusalem
In what is described by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat as an example of undermining the diplomatic effort by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry days before Kerry would present a framework for a two-state solution, Jerusalem municipal officials on February 5, 2014 gave final approval for construction of 558 apartments in three East Jerusalem settlements: Har Homa, Neve Yaakov and Pisgat Zeev.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews Protest a Proposed Military Draft Bill
In a growing chasm of social and political landscape, hundreds of thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews on March 2, 2014 choked the streets of Jerusalem to protest against a military draft bill to be introduced in parliament in the coming weeks that would penalize, for the first time, draft evaders in the name of religious exemption. The issue took at the front and center of the campaign during last parliamentary polls in which many secular parties decried the existing practice of exempting ultra-orthodox Jews from conscription. One of the parties, Yesh Atid, made unexpected inroads in the polls, and subsequently became a partner of Netanyahu government.
Netanyahu Calls for Toughening of Stance on Iran
Appearing before a friendly crowd of American Israeli Public Affairs Committee at Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 4, 2014 called for international community to ensure that Teheran didn't make progress on making nuclear arms amid talks of reconciliation and easing of sanctions. He also called out Iranian president and foreign minister for the bluff and fooling around the international community through their suave posture and sweet talk. Netanyahu was also harsh on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for forwarding the idea of BDS, an acronym for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, that had caught fire in recent months in Europe as there started a growing movement that targeted the firms serving in the West Bank settlements by boycotting them, divesting the capital that was invested by pension funds and promoting sanctions against them. As a result, many of the firms stopped doing business in the settlement areas of West Bank.
Israel Naval Operation Seizes Arms Shipment Bound for Gaza
A high sea naval raid in the Red Sea on March 5, 2014 seized a large cache of Syrian-made M-302 rockets bound for Gaza in a 5,000-mile circuitous route that, according to the Israeli reports, began its trail in Syria, then flew to Iran, then shipped on road to Persian Gulf port of Bandar Abbas, then loaded on a cargo ship, then sailed toward Sudan via a port call at Umm Qasr in Iraq. Once docked in Sudan, according to Israeli briefing, the arms shipment was planned to have been offloaded and transported by road to Gaza through tortuous routes in Egypt. However, prior to calling on the port in Sudan, the ship was raided on the Red Sea.
Abbas Signs Measures to Join International Agencies
In a move that would push the already troubled Mideast peace negotiation into further disarray, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on April 1, 2014 signed off applications to join 15 international treaties and conventions. Palestinians won the right to join 63 international agencies, conventions and treaties after a landmark November 29, 2012 vote by the U.N. General Assembly granting the Palestinian Authority the status of an observer state, overruling the US and Israeli objections. However, when Israel and Palestinians entered into an intense negotiation last July (July 2013) at the behest of the US Secretary of State John Kerry with an objective to wrap up the talks and reach an agreement by April 29, 2014, Palestinians agreed to shelve the idea of applying for membership of various UN bodies and conventions in lieu of Israel's nod to release 104 long-held Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in four batches. After the fourth such release didn't take place by March 31, 2014 as scheduled, Palestinian frustration went high and public, leading to this precipitous action.
Israel Puts Hold on Prisoner Release; Kerry Skeptical on Middle-East Peace
On April 3, 2014, Israel cancelled the fourth round of Palestinian prisoner release from Israeli prisons, citing Palestinian move two days earlier to apply for joining 15 international treaties and conventions. On April 4, 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made his most skeptical comment yet on the future of Israeli-Palestinian, saying that it was time for some "reality check".
Netanyahu Threatens Unilateral Action
Responding to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' April 1, 2014, move to sign off on applications to join 15 international treaties and conventions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 6, 2014 threatened to take "unilateral steps" without divulging what those steps would be.
Kerry Critical of Israel's Housing Plan; Israel Denounces Kerry's Comment
Mincing no word and hiding no frustration, US Secretary of State John Kerry appearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 8, 2014 criticized the publication of Israeli plan to build 700 new apartments in East Jerusalem that would not auger well in either pushing forward Mideast peace negotiation or extending the negotiation period beyond the original deadline of April end. Kerry was very sarcastic about Israel's publication of apartment construction tender hours before Palestinian decision on April 1, 2014 to join 15 international treaties and conventions by observing: "poof, that was sort of the moment" that precipitated the crisis. However, Kerry was also categorical that both sides bore responsibility for the current impasse. On April 9, 2014, Israeli government took issues with Kerry's comments, and criticized him for singling out Israel for the gridlock in talks.
UNSG Accepts Palestinian Applications for 13 U.N. Conventions; Swiss Accepts Palestinian Application for Geneva Convention
In a lightening speed of political embrace of Palestinian cause of statehood by the international community, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on April 10, 2014 accepted the Palestinian applications for 13 U.N. conventions. A day later (April 11, 2014), Swiss government also accepted the Palestinian application to join the Geneva Convention, a landmark international treaty that still guides the rule of law that dictates war time engagement by combatants and treatment of prisoners. On June 21, 1989, Palestine Liberation Organization first applied for joining the Geneva Convention, but at that time Swiss Foreign Ministry refused the application as ther was no unanimity in the international community whether to consider Palestine as a state. That confusion was resolved by the UN General Assembly vote on November 29, 2012 that accorded the Palestine as the "nonmember observer state". One aspect of Geneva Convention that has alarmed Israel all along in case Palestinians would join the convention is its prohibition of colonizing the occupied land. Israel argued, without much success to persuade the international community, that the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip were either part of Jordan or Egypt, never part of sovereign Palestine, thus exempting Israel from the "colonizing" clause of the convention.
Fatah-Hamas Unity Government Proposed; Israel Halts Talks
In a setback to the US Secretary of State John Kerry's diplomatic crusade to keep peace talks between Palestinian Authority and Israeli government going, Hamas and Fatah on April 23, 2014 signed a landmark agreement in Gaza to form a unity government and hold new elections. The move is all but ruin any chance to extend the ongoing talks beyond the original April 29, 2014, deadline. On April 24, 2014, Israel halted all talks with Palestinian Authority.
Former Israeli Premier Gets Six-year Term for Bribery
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on May 13, 2014 received 6 years of imprisonment for bribery committed when he was Jerusalem Mayor. The jail term of Olmert, who was country's premier from 2006 to 2009, will begin on September 1, 2014 as the Tel Aviv District Court Judge David Rosen wants to give former prime minister's attorneys time to appeal. Ehud Olmert is not the only one at the high office to be sent to jail, former President Moshe Katsav is serving a seven-year jail term on charges of rape.
Israel in a Political Bind over Palestinian Unity Government
On June 2, 2014, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appointed a unity government for both Gaza Strip and West Bank. The government was made up of apolitical technocrats, and supported from outside by both Hamas and Fatah, ending a seven-year feud and factional war that had begun when Fatah was run over and ousted from Gaza by an aggressive Hamas. Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the unity government, and urged the west not to recognize it as involved Hamas. However, Abbas was very categorical that the unity government would recognize the rights of Israel to exist, which Hamas never did, and comply with all treaties signed with Israel. Assuaged by Abbas' pledged, both USA and EU said late June 2, 2014 that they would work with the new Palestinian unity government. The support from both USA and EU provided the necessary boost to the new unity government and international profile of President Abbas, who had made the formation of the unity government a priority after the collapse of the peace talks with Israel. On June 3, 2014, Israeli premier Netanyahu called the US stand on the Palestinian unity government "deeply" troubling.
Israel Responds to Formation of Palestinian Unity Government with Further Settlement Construction
Disappointed over west's acceptance of a Palestinian unity government established on June 2, 2014, Israel on June 5, 2014 announced plans for construction of 1,500 apartments at settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The intention of the latest plan was not lost as Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel made it in plain words on June 5, 2014 that it was "an appropriate Zionist response to the establishment of the Palestinian terror government".
Peres-Abbas Pray together with Pope
In a ritual full of symbolism, Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas prayed together on June 8, 2014 at the Vatican City with Pope Francis as part of Pope's invitation to the two leaders during his recent trip to the Holy Land.
Israel's New President: A Moderate Face
A former Likud leader Reuven Rivlin was elected to the titular post of country's president on June 10, 2014 by the lower house of parliament, known as Knesset, by 63-53 votes over Meir Sheetrit. Rivlin will replace nonagenarian Shimon Peres next month for a seven-year term.
A New Flashpoint Emerges with Kidnapping of Three Israeli Youths
Weeks after a Palestinian unity government was formed, a new source of tension and provocation arose on June 12, 2014 as three Israeli teenagers--Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel, both 16--were kidnapped as they had left a religious class at a settlement in West Bank. Frankel is a dual Israeli-American citizen.
Abbas Defends Joint Search of Missing Teens
At a conference of Muslim nations at Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on June 18, 2014 defended the ongoing joint search with Israeli defense forces to find three missing teens who might have been abducted from a hitchhiking stop a week ago on their way from a seminary class. Israel had blamed Hamas for the abduction. Although the militant organization praised the kidnapping, it didn't take responsibility.
Israel Launches Airstrikes in Syria in Response to a Cross-border Attack in Golan Heights
In a new dimension of Syrian civil war's international escalation, a cross-border shelling on June 22, 2014 killed an Israeli teenager on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. However, it was not confirmed who were responsible for the cross-border shelling. A day later (June 23), Israel pounded Syrian targets with punishing airstrikes that had killed four people and wounded nine others.
Bodies of Teenagers Found
Almost three weeks after three Israeli teenagers--Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel, both 16--disappeared on June 12 during their hitchhike from seminaries to their settlement near Hebron, their dead bodies were found on June 30, 2014. Their disappearance led to one of the largest Israeli crackdown in West Bank in recent years, nabbing at least 400 Hamas supporters. They were buried side by side at a central Israeli town, Modiin, on July 1, 2014 amid presence of high-ranking Israeli officials such as Premier Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and Finance Minister Yair Lapid.
Tit-for-tat Killing Inflames the Region
In a revenge attack, a Palestinian teenager was kidnapped near his home in East Jerusalem on July 2, 2014 and was taken off in a vehicle. Later in the day the burned body of Mohammed Abu Khdeir was found in a Jerusalem forest, kindling anger and animosity among Palestinians. Khdeir's horrible killing came two days after bodies of three Israeli teens---Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel, both 16---kidnapped on June 12, 2014 were found.
On July 3, 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to calm the situation that took a more serious turn after July 2, 2014, horrific tit-for-tat burning death of an Arab boy, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and said that "we don't know yet the motives or the identities of the perpetrators, but we will. We will bring to justice the criminals responsible for this despicable crime, whoever they may be". Meanwhile, Israel rushed armored carriers and military personnel towards Gaza borders as Israeli Air Force carried out several airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza. At least 40 rockets, mortars and missiles were fired off Gaza on July 3.
On July 4, 2014, thousands of angry Palestinians attended the funeral of Mohammed Abu Khdeir in East Jerusalem, and many of the participants fought pitched battles with Israeli security forces. Meanwhile, Israel launched several punishing airstrikes against targets in Gaza, and at least 14 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza.
Israel Detains Six on Burning Death of Palestinian Boy; Netanyahu Promises Justice
Israel on July 6, 2014 announced that it had detained six Jews in relation to burning death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir on July 2, 2014. Meanwhile, Israel said on July 6, 2014 that it had carried out airstrikes in response to more than two dozens rocket attack on Israel from Gaza Strip.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu on July 7, 2014 called up the boy's father, Hussein Abu Khdeir, and expressed outrage. Netanyahu promised to take appropriate actions against the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the mother of one of the Israeli kidnapped teenager, Naftali Frankel, came out openly against the burning death of the Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir. Racheli Frankel said on July 7, 2014 that her family was distressed by the event.
Middle East Plunges to a New Low as Israel Begins a New Offensive
Late July 7, 2014 (US Time)/early July 8, 2014 (Local Time), Israel began a new offensive, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge, in Gaza Strip as Israeli airstrikes killed five Hamas fighters in a tunnel. Earlier in the day on July 7, 2014 Hamas upped the ante too by firing an avalanche of rocket and mortars on Israel, with more than 80 landing on Israeli soil and some of them deep inside the country. In the early morning of July 8, 2014, Israeli Defense Forces announced the beginning of Operation Protective Edge on a Twitter posting.
Israeli Air Attacks Shake Gaza
On July 8, 2014, Israeli air assaults targeted more than 150 sites in Gaza Strip, including 10 tunnels, 90 concealed rocket launchers and 18 weapons storage and manufacturing sites, according to Israeli military. Gaza health officials reported 24 deaths and more than 152 injuries in Israeli attacks. Among the dead were seven people, including three children, who were killed as Israeli airstrikes hit a three-story building at Khan Younis in Gaza. Militants also fired more than 150 rockets from Gaza into Israeli territory. Meanwhile, Israel might be preparing for a possible ground invasion as its cabinet on July 8, 2014 approved call-up of up to 40,000 army reservists, and massing troops to the Gaza borders.
Israeli Offensives Continue amid Mounting Civilian Casualties
Israel said on July 9, 2014 that it had carried out airstrikes overnight against 160 targets in Gaza Strip as Gaza health officials said that 53 people were killed in Israeli attacks since July 5, 2014, including 45 since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on late July 7, 2014 (US Time)/early July 8, 2014 (Local Time). Out of 53 Palestinians killed, Gaza Health Ministry said, 18 were children and 9 were women. Meanwhile, militants continued firing off rockets from Gaza at an alarming rate with range far from what was thought previously of limited capability of the existing arsenals. Some of the rockets landed close to Haifa, about 100 miles north of Gaza borders, sending panic in the region. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system shot down five rockets over Tel Aviv early July 9.
Hamas-Israeli Clashes Raise Specter of Catastrophe in the Region
As Israel's pounding of Gaza raised the death toll on the Palestinian side to more than 85, including dozens of civilians, since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, international community got into action to broker a cease-fire on July 10, 2014. U.S. President Barack Obama called up Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on July 10, and while supporting Israel's right to defend, he called for avoiding civilian deaths and formulating a cease-fire along the line of a similar one that was crafted in 2012 with the help from Egypt and the then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In an emergency session at the UNSC, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on July 10 that it was necessary to avoid civilian casualties irrespective of the sides and create an atmosphere for a cease-fire immediately. Meanwhile, militants from Gaza Strip launched more than hundred rockets and mortars against Israeli population centers. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system was able to destroy scores of projectiles against targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Death Toll on Palestinian Side Rises as Israel Turns on Heat on Gaza
After a punishing series of airstrikes over the past four days since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, the Palestinian death toll surpassed triple digit on July 11, 2014. Health Ministry in Gaza announced that by the evening of July 11, 2014 the Palestinian death toll stood at 106, many of whom were children and women. One of the latest victim was a 3-year old child, Saher Abu Namous, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military said on July 11 that it had carried out airstrikes against more than 1,100 locations in Gaza Strip, including targets in Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Khan Yunis and Rafah. Hamas and other militant groups launched more than 600 rockets, including 140 on July 11, 2014.
Israel Made Ground Incursion in Gaza
In turning up the heat on Hamas, Israeli ground forces made brief incursion into northern Gaza Strip in the early hours of July 13, 2014 to dismantle a rocket launching site. Earlier on July 12, 2014, Israeli government announced that it would hit northern Gaza "with great force" and asked residents to leave their homes "for their own safety". During the day (July 12), Israel carried out several airstrikes against targets, including the Al-Tawfeeq Mosque in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, south of Gaza City, a center for disabled Palestinians, Mabaret Palestinian Society, in northern Gaza, and a house of a police commander, Hamas police chief Gen. Tayseer al-Batsh. The attack on the house of the police commander killed 18, highest death in a single airstrike during the current Israeli air campaign, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge that had begun on July 8, 2014, At least five people were killed in the airstrike on the center for disabled Palestinians, Mabaret Palestinian Society, in northern Gaza. Palestinian officials said on July 12, 2014 that the death toll rose to at least 156. Militants fired at least 90 rockets during the day (July 12). Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council issued a statement on July 12, 2014, calling for a cease-fire in line with the one in 2012 and "respect for international law including protection of civilians".
Many Fleeing Northern Gaza
Despite Hamas' call for the residents of northern Gaza to stay back, thousands of Palestinians on July 13, 2014 fled their homes on foot, donkeys and vehicles, heeding the Israeli warning of an impending attack. Many of them took refuge at U.N.-run schools in Gaza Strip. As of July 13, 2014, at least 17,000 Palestinians were housed in 20 U.N.-run schools. Meanwhile, more than 130 rockets were fired off Gaza, out of which 22 were intercepted by Israeli missile defense system. Meanwhile, international outrage had mounted over Israeli airstrikes on July 12, 2014 against a center for disabled Palestinians and Hamas police chief Gen. Tayseer al-Batsh that had killed scores of civilians. Meanwhile, the ruling head of Gaza Strip, Governor Abdallah al-Frangi, an official appointed as part of Hamas-Fatah unity government, on July 13, 2014 called for American intervention to resolve the crisis.
An Egyptian-brokered Truce Rejected by Hamas
A truce proposed by Egypt was accepted by Israel on July 15, 2014, but rejected by Palestinian group Hamas, setting off another barrage of Israeli airstrikes on numerous Gaza targets. The Egyptian-brokered truce provided a narrow window of hope for middle east violence to end before the holiest Islamic festival of Eid. However, the truce proposal offered by Egyptian regime was not palatable to Hamas, underlining the tense relationship between the current Abdel Fattah el-Sissi government and Hamas, an offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood, target of severe crackdown by the current Egyptian regime. During the day, at least 120 rockets and mortar were fired off the Gaza, and the first Israeli casualty took place near Erez Crossing amid soaring deaths on Palestinian side. As of July 15, 2014, 197 Palestinians were killed and about 1,500 wounded. Since the Israeli air campaign, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge, had begun on July 8, 2014, Israel carried out close to 1,700 airstrikes and militants from Gaza fired more than 1,200 rockets at Israel. Israel issued warning on late July 15, 2014, asking tens of thousands of residents in northern and eastern Gaza to leave their homes by Wednesday (July 16) morning. Israel issued the warning via text messages, automated telephone calls and leaflets. Hamas, to the contrary, asked the residents to stay put, describing the Israeli warning as psychological warfare on Palestinian population.
Israel Pounces Northern Gaza; Announces a Five-Hour Pause in Aerial Campaign
Hours after warning more than 100,000 residents of northern and eastern Gaza to leave their homes by 8AM on July 16, 2014, Israeli military pounded more than 60 targets in Northern Gaza on July 16, 2014. By the evening of July 16, 2014, Palestinian death toll stood at least 214, including the eyebrow-raising, international attention grabbing deaths of four Palestinian children during the day as Israeli airstrike took their lives as they were playing in seashore. Although informally rejecting an Egyptian-crafted truce proposal a day earlier, Hamas made it official on July 16, 2014 that it would reject the Egyptian proposal, and instead offered its own truce proposal that called for 10 years of quiet in exchange for full reopening of all Gaza border crossings and release of 50 Palestinian prisoners who had been released under a 2011 deal, but rearrested later. Meanwhile, nodding to the appeal of special U.N. envoy to the Middle East, Robert Serry, Israel on July 16, 2014 announced that it would pause its aerial campaign on July 17, 2014 for five hours from 10 AM to 3 PM for humanitarian aid.
Israel Makes Ground Invasion in Gaza to Destroy Tunnels
After a failed infiltration and instant attack using a underground tunnel by 13 Palestinians at around 4:30 AM on July 17, 2014, Israeli cabinet took decision to carry out ground invasion in Gaza with aims at destroying the tunnels. The ground invasion began late in the evening after a five-hour pause in fighting between 10 AM and 3 PM during the day (July 17) as per request by the U.N. in order to provide humanitarian relief. However, immediately after the pause was over at 3 PM, Israel resumed its airstrikes and militants took to firing rockets at Israel. By the end of the day on July 17, 2014, the Palestinian death toll stood at close to 250 and more than 120 rockets rained on Israel. Among the Palestinian deaths, there were four young children killed by an Israeli airstrike as they were playing on the rooftop, mirroring the death of four boys, all of them were cousins, a day at a Gaza sea beach. Meanwhile, Israel's ground offensive in Gaza drew sharp rebuke by the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who called July 17, 2014 the Israeli move a serious escalation.
Israeli Boots on Gaza Soil Roils the Region
On July 18, 2014, Israeli soldiers took their presence along a larger stretch of border, but refrained from getting deeper inside. Instead Israeli ground operation was focused on finding, exposing and destroying the underground tunnels. Meanwhile, the death of an Israeli soldier overnight brought the Israeli death toll to two as of July 18, 2014, while the Palestinian death toll neared 300. During the day, dozens of rockets rained down on Israel amid a looming humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip with 47,000 Palestinians now housed in 43 U.N. shelters. U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had talks during the day over phone in which Obama, though supporting Israel on its right for self-defense, expressed concern over rising civilian casualty in Gaza.
Israel Continues Ground and Aerial Offensives Amid Israeli Border Breach by Militants
As Israel pushed deeper into Gaza two days after beginning a ground invasion on July 17, 2014, there were three purported, separate infiltration attempts by Palestinian militants to breach Israeli borders on July 19, 2014. The first infiltration attempt occurred in the morning as eight Palestinians with Israeli military uniform appeared at the Israeli border using an underground tunnel fired against Israeli military, killing two Israeli soldiers. One of the attackers was killed as the remaining soldiers had retreated through the tunnel. Two militants separately breached the Israeli borders either through tunnel incursion or scaling border fence. One militant was killed. Late in July 19, 2014, a lone Palestinian militant used underground tunnel to breach Israeli border, but killed by Israeli troops. During the day (July 19), 48 Palestinians were killed. Meanwhile, an Egyptian-backed truce plan failed more due to division in regional power politics than just Hamas-Israeli intransigence. While the Egyptian plan was accepted by Israel, it was rejected by Hamas. The Egyptian plan was backed by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, while opposed by Qatar-Hamas-Turkey axis. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri on July 17, 2014 night went so far to castigate the trifecta (Qatar, Hamas and Turkey) for "trying to abort Egypt's role, which is the region bulwark in the face of a plot aimed at fragmenting the region into rival mini-states".
Fatal Sunday Turns Region into Killing Field
July 20, 2014 marked the most fatal day since the Israeli operation, dubbed the Operation Protective Edge, had begun on July 8, 2014, and subsequently bolstered by Israeli boots on ground in Gaza was launched on July 17, 2014. During the day (July 20, 2014), 87 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers were killed, including two Americans--Nissim Sean Carmell and Max Steinberg--who were serving in the Israeli Defense Force. Most of Palestinian deaths took place in Israeli missile strike against the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, while the Israeli military deaths were an outcome of deeper and deadly involvement of Israeli troops in Gaza Strip. Late in the day, military wing of Hamas claimed that it had captured one Israeli soldier. The casualty and catastrophe in the region spurred the international community to push for diplomatic initiative as evidenced by an emergency session by the U.N. Security Council on July 20, 2014 night at the request of Palestinians. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was in Doha, Qatar on July 20, 2014 and was scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas at Doha late in the evening was pointed in his criticism against excesses by both sides, but took swipe at Israel because of "atrocious" bombardment of Shijaiyah. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called the situation in Gaza "intolerable" as he made a televised address at Doha. He dubbed Israeli action in Gaza Strip "crime against humanity". Even U.S. President Barack Obama chipped in on July 20, 2014 with a telephone conversation with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, second time in two days, with a message that the USA wanted to see cessation of hostilities as the mounting death toll was of paramount concern. The only good piece of news during the day was Israel's declaration of military pause for two hours from 1:30 to 3:30 PM so that dead and wounded could be evacuated from Shijaiyah, and subsequent extension of the pause twice first until 4:30 PM and then until 5:30 PM.
Situation Spinning out of Control Amid Stalled Diplomacy
In what could be best described as an impending onset of human catastrophe in Gaza Strip, neither side is willing to cede an inch, and the Palestinian toll has passed 560 as of July 21, 2014. Israel shelled a hospital in central Gaza, and an airstrike brought a high-rise tower crumbling, killing at least 11 people. At least 565 Palestinians have been killed and more than 3,000 wounded since the Israeli air campaign, dubbed as Operation Protective Edge, had begun on July 8, 2014. On the Israeli side, seven more soldiers were killed on July 21, 2014 as the Israeli ground operation in Gaza got deeper and more intense, bringing the Israeli military deaths to 25 in addition to two civilians killed in militant rocket fire. Amid mounting death toll and destruction, diplomacy remained stalled, but intense, and now centered at Cairo as both the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N.S.G. Ban Ki-moon on hand on July 21, 2014 at Cairo. A Cairo-sponsored truce proposal was accepted by Israeli government last week, but rejected by Hamas. However, Ban after meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri on July 21, 2014 made it clear that UN stood behind the Egyptian proposal, and asked all parties to stop violence. However, effort of diplomatic solution fell flat as Hamas' top civilian official in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said on July 21, 2014 that Gaza Strip's 1.7 million residents shared Hamas' goal of resistance and cease-fire would be possible if all the blockades by Egypt and Israel were withdrawn. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Cairo on July 21, 2014 and met with Ban during the day, announced $47 million in humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
International Flights to and from Israel Suspended amid the Fear of Hamas Rocket Attack
In the backdrop of July 17, 2014, downing of the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 in Eastern Ukraine, allegedly by a SA-11 surface-to-air missile fired by pro-Moscow rebels, Federal Aviation Administration didn't take any chance on July 22, 2014 after a rocket fired from Gaza landed at Yehud, in central Israel close to Ben Gurion International Airport, ordering all U.S. flights to be suspended immediately. European airlines such as Britain's EasyJet, Air France, Lufthansa, Dutch KLM as well as Air Canada, Turkish Airlines and Greece's Aegean Airlines suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv. The incident showed Hamas' ability to disrupt Israel's economy significantly by hurting travel, tourism, trade and high-tech sector. Meanwhile, Israel announced during the day that two more soldiers were killed overnight on July 21, 2014, bringing the total Israeli military toll to 27, and admitted that one of its soldiers was missing from July 20, 2014. Hamas announced on July 22, 2014 that it had Sgt. Oron Shaul as hostage. Meanwhile, Israel continued to push ground offensive deep inside Gaza to destroy underground tunnels, which were found to be more extensive than known earlier, and pound Gaza with naval shelling and aerial strikes. Meanwhile in the face of rising anti-Semitism in Europe, foreign ministers of three important European countries with large Muslim population issued a joint statement on July 22, 2014 decrying "anti-Semitic rhetoric and hostility against Jews". German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his French and Italian counterparts, Laurent Fabius and Federica Mogherini, issued the joint statement at Brussels, where European foreign ministers were huddling to discuss on possible tightening of sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian crisis.
FAA Lifts Flight Suspension as Kerry Makes Whirlwind Rounds in the Region
Late July 23, 2014, Federal Aviation Administration withdrew its suspension of US-based flights to and from Israel after receiving a security update from Israeli officials and reevaluating the flight safety situation in the region. Meanwhile, on diplomatic front, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Israel to hold discussion with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at Ramallah. U.N.S.G. Ban Ki-moon and Kerry also held talks to revive the Egyptian-backed truce proposal, which Israel had accepted, but Hamas rejected. Hamas' stand remained steadfast on July 23, 2014 as its chief of Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal, reiterated the group's stand in Qatar that cease-fire was possible only if all the blockades imposed by Israel and Egypt were completely withdrawn. Meanwhile, during the day, some of the fiercest clashes took place in the Shijaiyah neighborhood, Beit Hanoun in the north and Khan Younis in the south. At least 74 Palestinians were killed on July 23, 2014 and early July 24, 2014, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 702 since the current conflagration had begun on July 8, 2014. On the Israeli side, three more soldiers were killed on July 23 and one Thai worker was killed as a rocket landed near the southern city of Ashkelon, raising the Israeli death toll to 32 for military personnel and three for civilians. In Gaza City, Wafa Hospital was struck by Israeli bombing on July 23, 2014 in the afternoon and evening. Israel accused Hamas of using the hospital as command and control center for attacks against Israel.
Meanwhile, U.N. Human Rights ombudsman Navi Pillay said on July 23, 2014 that Israeli action in Gaza might lead to charges of war crimes. She was also critical of Hamas' rocket attacks on Israel.
FAA Flight Suspension Draws Political Ire from Sen. Cruz
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took the partisan political battle against Obama administration to a new high with arguments laced middle-east crisis theme. Sen. Cruz put confirmation of various Obama administration nominees on hold demanding an inquiry whether White House was involved in any way in the FAA's July 22, 2104, decision to suspend American carriers' flight to and from Israel. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf on July 24, 2014 called Cruz's move "just perplexing".
Change of Hands of Israel's Presidency Amid Worst Single Day of Palestinian Fatalities
As Israeli elder statesman Shimon Peres handed over presidential powers to Reuven Rivlin on July 24, 2014, Palestinians in Gaza suffered worst single-day casualty as at least 119 Palestinians were killed during the day, raising the total Palestinian death toll to at least 803 since Israeli campaign had begun on July 8, 2014. An explosion rocked a U.N. school in Gaza where dozens of Palestinian families sought refuge, killing at least 15 civilians and leaving blood-splashed belongings such as bed covers, pillows, clothes and other stuffs. This marked the fourth time a U.N. facility was hit since the current conflagration had begun on July 8, 2014. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for immediate end to killings, denouncing the attack on the U.N. school. Israel said that it was not Israeli shelling, but Hamas' rockets, that had hit the U.N. school.
Israel Rejects Kerry's Cease-Fire Proposal; Missing Israeli Soldier Pronounced Dead
Israel on July 25, 2014 rejected John Kerry's weeklong cease-fire proposal as it didn't want to discontinue its ground operation in Gaza Strip to identify, expose and destroy underground tunnels and rocket launch sites. Meanwhile, anti-Israeli protests on July 25, 2014 spread to more areas in the West Bank in camaraderie with their fellow brethren in Gaza. At least five demonstrators were killed in fighting with security forces in various parts of West Bank. After spending five days in the region, Kerry said on July 25 that he would head to Paris to enlist European support, but didn't mince his frustration at the Israeli rebuff of his cease-fire proposal. Kerry had hoped for helping to come up with a cease-fire prior to his leaving the region and run-up to a major Muslim festival, Eid ul-Fitr. Also on July 25, 2014, Israeli Defense Forces announced that Sgt. Oron Shaul, reported missing since July 22, 2014, was "killed in action whose burial site is unknown".
Pause in Fighting at the Urging of U.N.
Both Hamas and Israel held their guns on July 26, 2014 for twelve hours at the request of U.N. During lull in fighting, aid workers and residents scoured the mounds of debris created by Israeli bombardment and shelling (of Gaza Strip) to look for dead and wounded, provided food and medicine to an exasperated population and evacuated people trapped in neighborhoods. Rescue workers and medics recovered 147 bodies. Later Israel extended the pause for an additional four hours just before the initial 12-hour pause was about to expire at 8 PM local time. Later in the night, Israel extended the pause for additional 24 hours, but warned that Israeli forces reserved the right to strike back if attacked. Israel also made it clear that during lull in fighting its troops won't withdraw from Gaza. Meanwhile, on the Palestinian side, death toll reached 1,047 as of July 26, 2014 since the
Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014. So far, 42 Israeli military personnel were killed in addition to two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker.
No Let-up in Fighting a Day Before Eid
Despite public announcement of pause in fighting both sides, Israel and Hamas continued their fighting on July 27, 2014 amid rising death tolls, anxiety among international community and likelihood of plunging the region to a more lasting political turmoil. The 20-day fighting (July 8-27, 2014) took heaviest toll on Palestinian population in Gaza Strip, killing almost 70 percent civilians among nearly 1,050 killed so far. On the Israeli side, as of July 27, 2014, 43 military personnel, two civilian and one Thai worker were killed. The U.N. Security Council approved a statement late July 27, 2014 calling for "an immediate and unconditional humanitarian cease-fire" into the "Eid period and beyond". President Barack Obama during the day talked to Israeli P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu over phone, and supported Israel's right to defend itself. But the president was also unambiguous in expressing his concern over rising death toll of Palestinian death toll in Gaza Strip. Also on July 27, 2014, Israeli Defense Forces spokesman during the current conflict, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, admitted that the July 24, 2014, explosion at a U.N. school in Gaza was caused by an errant "single mortar" round.
Unbridled Violence Takes the Region into Downward Slide
An informal cease-fire supposed to take hold on the holy day of Eid gave way to a day of deadly violence on July 28, 2014, with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for "patience and determination" to root out Hamas infrastructure of tunnels and (rocket) launch sites in Gaza Strip. An explosion rocked the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip in the afternoon, killing 10 Palestinians, mostly children who were playing outside. Another blast shattered an outside wall of Gaza's main hospital, Shifa Hospital, during the day. Hamas blamed--and Israel denied--Israeli hands behind the attacks on the both Shati Refugee Camp and the main hospital. During the day (July 28), mortar rounds fired from Gaza Strip killed four Israeli soldiers at a staging ground near Gaza borders. A fifth U.S. soldier was killed in combat in southern Gaza Strip, raising the total Israeli military death toll to 48 as of July 28, 2014. Beside 48 military deaths, two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker were also killed in mortar and rocket attack.
Gaza's Power Plant Struck, Brings Darkness to Entire Strip
Israel on July 29, 2014 has broadened its aerial campaign to include more targets, including a power plant in Gaza Strip that is the lifeblood for Palestinian economy and on which 1.8 million Gaza Strip residents depend on for electricity to keep lights on, sewage flowing and water running. Aerial strikes on July 29, 2014 included targets such as home of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, offices of Hamas' satellite TV station, Al-Aqsa, and Jebaliya Refugee Camp. During the day, at least 128 Palestinians were killed, according to Gaza's health officials, raising the death toll on the Palestinian side to at least 1,229. During the day, a daring attack by a team of eight Palestinian gunmen using a underground tunnel to appear on the Israeli side of borders near a military watch tower, then opening fire on Israeli soldiers and retreating to the Palestinian side of the borders through the tunnel raised the specter and seriousness of a prolonged fight in the region. During July 29, 2014, tunnel infiltration and attack near kibutz Nahal Oz, five Israeli soldiers were killed, raising the Israeli military death toll to 53.
Israeli Artillery Strikes a U.N. School; U.N. Accuses Israel of Violating International Law
At least 17 people were killed and more than 90 injured in shelling of a U.N. school at the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip that was filled with displaced Palestinian families in the early hours of July 30, 2014 when most of the people inside were sleeping. This was the sixth such hit of U.N. schools in Gaza Strip and also the deadliest one. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which operated the school, where 3,300 people sought refuge, said in a statement later in the day that it had collected evidence that pointed to Israeli shelling. UNRWA's Commissioner-General Pierre Kraehenbuhl said on July 30 that the attack on the school constituted "serious violation of international law by Israeli forces". U.N.S.G Ban Ki-moon was more pointed in his criticism of the attack, saying on July 30 that "nothing is more shameful than attacking sleeping children". The U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson referred to the Geneva Convention that prohibits attacking schools and hospitals. The White House also deplored the attack on the U.N. school at the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip. However, Israeli military spokesman Col. Peter Lerner called the incident "a true tragedy" and was under investigation. Israel regularly blames Hamas for storing and firing mortars, projectiles and rockets from civilian areas, hospitals and schools. During the day (July 30, 2014), at least 116 Palestinians were killed, raising the Palestinian death toll to 1,361 since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014. Three Israeli soldiers were killed as they, searching for an underground tunnel, raided a house in Gaza Strip that was booby-trapped. The Israeli military death toll stood 56 as of July 30, 2014. Two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker were also killed during the current conflict.
A 72-Hour Humanitarian Truce Reached Amid Continuing Violence
A joint statement issued separately on July 31, 2014 at New Delhi, where U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had arrived for a state visit, and the U.N. headquarters in New York brought a ray of hope as both Hamas and Israel had accepted a 72-hour humanitarian truce starting at 8AM on August 1, 2014. However, Kerry was cautious about any possible lasting truce that this 72-hour pause would yield in. Palestinian and Israeli delegation will head to Cairo for negotiation aimed at ending the conflict. The Palestinian delegation will include Hamas representatives, and they will talk to Israeli representatives via Egyptian officials. Under the deal jointly announced by the US and UN on July 31, 2014, Israeli forces will stay in Gaza Strip and Palestinians will receive food, medicine and other necessary supplies. As of July 31, 2014, at least 1,441 Palestinians were killed since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, surpassing the Palestinian death toll of 1,410 during the last major Israeli invasion in 2009. The Israeli military death toll stood at 56, larger than 13 during the previous major campaign. Three-quarters of the Palestinian deaths were of civilian. During the current conflagration, record number of rockets were fired from Gaza and some of their reach was deeper than during any previous conflict. At least 2,850 rockets were fired at Israel, and many of them landing near major cities. Israel also carried out some 4,000 strikes to root out underground tunnels and rocket launching infrastructure in Gaza.
A 72-Hour Humanitarian Truce Fails to Take Hold
A 72-hour humanitarian truce announced simultaneously with much fanfare a day earlier at two different places of the world turned out to be an abject failure as before the start of the cease-fire an Israeli soldier was abducted and two soldiers were dead in an operation in southern Gaza on August 1, 2014. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of flagrantly violating the truce while Hamas said that the operation took place before the start time of the proposed truce. Hamas also denied any responsibility for abducting 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin. Meanwhile, world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, called for Goldin's unconditional release.
Soldier Suspected to be Captured Declared Dead
A soldier thought to have been captured in Rafah a day earlier leading to a plan for a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire crafted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to collapse even before the pause in fighting had begun to take a foothold was declared dead on August 2, 2014 by Israeli Defense Forces. The soldier, 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin, 23, whose alleged abduction a day earlier became a rallying cry for world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, for his immediate release, was instead killed during a fight in southern Gaza city of Rafah. Hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once more vowed to go forward with both aerial and ground operation to dismantle and destroy Hamas' extensive tunnel networks and rocket launching infrastructure. However, Israel also made a small degree of tactical retreat on August 2, 2014 in face of intense international criticism as some Israeli forces returned to the borders from inside Gaza. On August 2, Israel pounded Gaza Strip, especially Rafah, with airstrikes, killing at least 72 people. Netanyahu is facing twin challenges of political clamors: one from the international community to help end the conflict that had as of August 2, 2014 killed at least 1,712 Palestinians and wounded more than 9,000. The second is from a restive domestic population as this time Hamas' rockets had reached deep inside Israel near the population centers and ferocity of resistance in Gaza Strip had killed 64 Israeli soldiers, maximum number since 2006 war with Lebanon's Hezbollah. Later in the day, Israel informed Palestinians in Beit Lahiya and al-Atatra that it was safe for them to return homes.
Israel Pulls Ground Troops out of Gaza Strip
Bulk of Israeli ground troops returned to Israel on August 3, 2014 after destroying some 30 tunnels used by militants for surprise attack on the Israeli side of the border. Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll crossed 1,800 since the current conflagration had begun on July 8, 2014. Amid withdrawing from Gaza, Israel's action on August 3, 2014 drew sharp rebuke from its natural ally USA as an Israeli airstrike near a U.N. shelter during the day killed at least 10 people. The U.S. State Department said that it was appalled by this "disgraceful attack" on a U.N. facility that housed about 3,000 refugees. The U.N.S.G. Bank Ki-moon lashed out against Israel, calling the attack on the U.N. facility "a moral outrage and criminal act". In Cairo, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators continued talking at the behest of Egyptian hosts.
Deal Emerges in Cairo, Hope Arises Across Globe
Ray of hope emerged from the negotiating tables at Cairo as a new 72-hour truce was being agreed on August 4, 2014 that might lead to reaching at a more sustainable peace to end the current conflict in Gaza Strip that had begun on July 8, 2014, killing nearly 1,900 Palestinians and 64 Israeli soldiers in addition to deaths of two Israeli civilians and a Thai worker. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama signed a bill on August 4, 2014 that would allocate $225 million for Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense system, credited for intercepting several inbound rockets launched from Gaza.
An Uneasy Calm Takes Hold in Gaza amid an Egyptian-brokered Cease-Fire
As a 72-hour cease-fire began at 8AM on August 5, 2014, an unusual scene for the past month took hold in Gaza and Israel: no rocket fire, no airstrike. Israel completed the withdrawal of its ground forces from Gaza Strip before the start of the pause period at 8AM. Israeli troops dismantled 32 tunnels, including 14 that stretched into Israel, since the ground operation had begun on July 17, 2014. Israeli and Palestinian delegations are heading to Cairo for talks scheduled to start on August 6, 2014.
Diplomacy in Full Swing at Cairo amid Efforts to Extend the 72-Hour Cease-Fire
As Egypt's Intelligence chief Mohammad Farid al-Tohamy held separate discussions with Palestinians and Israeli negotiators at Cairo on August 6, 2014, there was hope that the 72-hour humanitarian truce would be extended beyond its August 8, 2014, last day of the truce. USA sent Frank Lowenstein, the acting special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiation, to Cairo to facilitate talks. Meanwhile, Robert Serry, U.N.'s special envoy to the Middle East, and Tony Blair, representative of the so-called Quartet--US, EU, UN, and Russia--were also on hand at Cairo. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri on August 6, 2014 hoped that the humanitarian cese-fire would be extended as the negotiation progressed slowly. However, the second top leader of Hamas, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that there were no talk about a potential extension of cease-fire.
Hamas Rockets Greet the Expiry of 72-hour Cease-Fire
As soon as 72-hour cease-fire expired at 8AM on August 8, 2014, rockets were fired from Gaza Strip toward Israel. Israel responded by carrying its own air strikes. Although the Israeli delegation left Cairo, saying that Israel won't negotiate under the threat of fire, Palestinian delegation had stayed back.
Hope Rises as Parties Accepts Another 72-Hour Lull in Fighting
Both Palestinians and Israel on August 10, 2014 accepted another Egyptian-backed 72-hour truce set to begin past midnight (12:01AM local time of August 11, 2014). However, no side seemed to back down before the pause time was about to start as more rockets landed in Israel as a mark of final countdown and continuing Israeli airstrikes killed 7 more Palestinians. Since Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, at least 1,900 Palestinians and 67 on the Israeli side, all but three were military personnel, were killed. In the run-up to the beginning of a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire, Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on August 10, 2014 that parties would use the lull in fighting to pursue a lasting cease-fire, provide relief to people in Gaza Strip and try to start the process for reconstruction of devastated infrastructure of the strip. However, the gulf between Israel and Egypt on one side and Palestinians on the other sides for future direction of negotiation remains wide. Palestinians demand for an immediate lifting of blockade of Gaza Strip, free flow of people between Gaza Strip and West Bank, construction of a seaport in Gaza and re-construction of the Gaza Airport. However, both Israel and Egypt insist for an unconditional cease-fire as the first step to begin discussion on other issues. The leader of the Palestinian delegation, Azzam al-Ahmad, said on August 10 that the Palestinian demands were not new and Israel shouldn't "waste the time" during lull in fighting. However, one of the Palestinian factions attending the Cairo talks, Democratic Front for Liberation of Palestine, was more emphatic as its leader Qais Abdel-Karim said during the day that it would be farce to return from Cairo with a truce and nothing else.
Negotiation Resumes at Cairo as 72-Hour Truce Begins
As a 72-hour humanitarian truce began on August 11, 2014, negotiators in Cairo were in the midst of an intense negotiation process.
Truce Extended for Five More Days
As nerves in the region were showing sign of stress and people started to prepare for another bout of rocket and aerial attacks, the ray of hope became brighter in Cairo as both sides on August 13, 2014 accepted another five-day truce that would begin at 12:01AM local time on August 14, 2014 when the present 72-hour truce would expire.
Truce Extended for 24 Hours
A five-day truce set to expire 11:59 PM on August 18, 2014 was renewed for 24 hours just few hours before the expiry of the deadline at the request of Egypt.
Rocket Attacks Shatter the Truce, Israel Walks Off the Talks in Cairo, Pummel Gaza with Airstrikes
Rockets were launched from Gaza Strip on August 19, 2014, shattering the truce and forcing the Israeli government, who had said earlier that it won't negotiate under fire, to withdraw country's delegation to Cairo talks. At least eight rockets were fired, with two intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and six having landed near the cities of Ashdod, Beersheba and Netivot. There was no injury in the rocket attack. However, in the subsequent Israeli airstrikes, five people, including three children, were injured in Gaza Strip.
Hamas' Military Chief Targeted
An Israeli airstrike late August 19, 2014 targeted head of Hamas' military wing, Qassam Brigades, by attacking a Gaza apartment, but missed Mohammed Deif instead killing one of his wives, Widad, 28, and their infant son along with three other residents. This marked the latest of a series of unsuccessful Israeli attempts to assassinate Deif, but only to end up lending an aura of invincibility to the Palestinian leader. Thousands of mourners attended the August 20, 2014, funeral of Deif's wife and son.
Israel Ups the Ante on Hamas
In an early morning attack, an Israeli airstrike on August 21, 2014 killed three Hamas military commanders as they had just emerged from a Rafah tunnel on the Gaza side of the border. The deaths of three Hamas military commanders were among at least 26 Palestinians killed during the day in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza Strip that had killed more than 2,000 Palestinians since the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014. Also in an indication of renewed escalation, Israeli cabinet on August 21, 2014 authorized to call up to 10,000 more reserve soldiers. Meanwhile, in an explosive revelation, an exiled Hamas official, Saleh Arouri, on August 21, 2014 said at a Turkish conference that Hamas had kidnapped three Israeli teens in June to stoke Palestinian uprising in the West Bank. As violence returned to the region, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on August 21 met with his Hamas rival Khaled Mashaal on August 21 in Qatar as part of an effort to revive peace talks with Israel.
Suspected Collaborators Executed
About 18 suspected Palestinian collaborators, who were under Hamas detention since before the Operation Protective Edge had begun on July 8, 2014, were executed on August 22, 2014. Meanwhile, a 4-year-old boy was killed on August 22, 2014 in a mortar shell attack on a Jewish kibbutz, raising the death toll on the Israeli side to 68, all barring 4 were military personnel.
Uncertainty Hangs over Open-Ended Cease-Fire
After almost 50 days of fighting that took more than 2,100 Palestinian lives, Hamas achieved very little to show with an open-ended cease-fire announced on August 26, 2014 that would return the parties to the same political plateau as was at the end of an eight-day war in 2012. Although Hamas immediately claimed victory, its main demands for lifting of blockade by Israel and Egypt as well as unhindered fishing rights and reopening of an airport in Gaza were only partially met. An hour before the beginning of the cease-fire at 7PM, a mortar fell on a kibbutz just outside the Gaza borders, killing two Israeli civilians and raising the death toll on the Israeli side to 70, all but six were military personnel. The deal related to the open-ended cease-fire that went into effect at 7PM (local time) on August 26, 2014 calls for:
* Opening of the Israeli-controlled border crossings to facilitate entry of relief supplies and construction materials for rebuilding of homes and infrastructure in Gaza
* Allowing Palestinian fishermen access to 6-nautical miles of coastal waters off Gaza
However, Israeli demand for demilitarization of Gaza was not included in the agreement.
Abbas Accuses Hamas of Prolonging the War
In a direct criticism of Hamas, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on August 29, 2014 that Hamas acted in a way that had prolonged the war with Israel, adding to the misery of Palestinian people in Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Children Start Late School in Gaza
About 230,000 Palestinian students made late start on September 14, 2014 in Gaza Strip where most of the schools were partly or totally destroyed by Israeli aerial campaign. Still as many as 50,000 people are in temporary shelters at various schools.
Abbas Calls for UN to Set a Date for Ending Israeli Occupation
Taking the podium of UN General Assembly, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on September 26, 2014 called on the UN to set a date for Israel to end its occupation. He also called the 50-day Israeli air campaign in Gaza as war crimes and genocide.
Netanyahu Lashes Back at Abbas; Links Hamas to Islamic Group
Lashing back at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29, 2014 addressed the U.N. General Assembly with a vigorous defense of his country's handling of 50-day war with Hamas this summer. Netanyahu called the Hamas and Islamic State as two branches of the same poisonous tree.
Sweden to Recognize Palestine State
In a major diplomatic victory for Palestinian Authority and its President Mahmoud Abbas, Sweden's new government of Social Democrats and Greens on October 3, 2014 announced that it would recognize the Palestinian state. Although newly sworn-in PM Stefan Lofven was short of saying when his government would recognize the Palestinian state, his action marked the first for an EU nation to join more than 130 countries which had already recognized Palestinian state. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki welcomed the Swedish announcement, and urged other EU nations to follow suit.
Aid to Flow for Gaza Reconstruction
An one-day conference held at Cairo on October 12, 2014 pledged to raise $5.4 billion, out of which nearly half, or $2.7 billion, would be dedicated for reconstruction of Gaza Strip. Co-chairing the conference, Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, however, didn't explain how the other half of the $5.4 billion fund would be spent.
Unprecedented Visit by Israeli President to the Massacre Site
Israel's nominal president, Reuven Rivlin, made history on October 26, 2014 by paying a visit to Kfar Kassem, a site that came to stir world conscience nearly sixty years ago by brutal killing of 47 Arab civilians by Israeli security forces. In 1956, Israel imposed a nighttime curfew on its Arab citizens as tension with Egypt was rising high. A group of Israeli Arabs returned to Kfar Kassem from work unaware of nighttime curfew. 47 of them were killed as Israeli security opened fire on them.
Attack on A Settler Rights Leader Triggers Closure of Religious Jerusalem Site
A failed attack on a pro-settler Jewish activist, Yehuda Glick, on October 29, 2014 led to a massive Israeli manhunt for Palestinian attacker, eventually ending with a stand-off and killing of Muataz Hijazi on October 30, 2014. As a collective punishment, Israel on October 30, 2014 closed off the third holiest shrine in Islam, Noble Sanctuary, for the first time in decades, a move that had irked Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas called for a "day of rage" to be observed on October 31, 2014. On October 31, 2014, during the "day of rage", young Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in East Jerusalem and West Bank as authorities re-opened Noble Sanctuary, limited the access to men over 50 years, women and children.
Attack on Pedestrians Kill One, Inflames Jerusalem
In an ugly turn of events on the heel of an already combustible situations in Jerusalem, a Palestinian used a vehicle to mow down three Israeli border policemen near a Jerusalem light-rail station, killing one of the border policemen on November 5, 2014. The attacker then drove the car towards the light-rail station, and struck against a group of civilians and wounding at least 11. The attacker was subsequently shot dead. A 17-year-old Israeli, Shalom Aharon Baadani, succumbed to his injury on November 7, 2014 at the hospital, raising the total death toll in November 5, 2014, vehicle attack to 2 beside the attacker.
Meanwhile, in a separate diplomatic move, Jordan, who is the official overseer of the Muslim holy places in East Jerusalem, on November 5, 2014 recalled its ambassador to Israel for discussion on volatile issue of the Israeli right-wing demand for increased access to Noble Sanctuary. Both Jews and Muslims consider the controversial East Jerusalem religious site as holy site as Judaism's two revered ancient temples were believed to have existed here, according to Jewish scriptures, and Muslims worldwide believe that Prophet Muhammad went to heaven off the Al-Aqsa Mosque situated inside the Noble Sanctuary.
Israeli Premier Assures Jordan of East Jerusalem Religious Place's Status Quo
Over a phone conversation, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on November 6, 2014 assured a rattled Jordanian King, King Abdullah II, that he would continue the current status quo in the Noble Sanctuary. Under the existing convention, Jews are allowed to visit, but not pray, at the Noble Sanctuary. There is an increasing chorus among right-wing Jews for more access to the sanctuary and permission for prayer.
Israeli Restriction to Muslim Prayer Site Relaxes a Little
A week after barring all men and boys below 50 from entering the Noble Sanctuary during Friday prayer, Israel on November 7, 2014 allowed all men over 35 beside women and girls to enter the Muslim holy site in East Jerusalem.
Fatal Shooting Death of Inflames Arabs in Israel
A fatal shooting by Israeli police at an Arab-dominated northern Israeli village, Kfar Kana, on November 8, 2014 killed an Arab youth, raising the specter of violence and religious hatred in Israel. According to police, as police entered the village with arrest warrant, the man wielded knife in a menacing way and police shot him dead. In protest against the shooting, Israeli Arabs called a strike on November 9, 2014 and vowed to continue their protest.
Complete Success in Strike in Arab Towns and Villages in Israel
A strike called to protest alleged killing of an Israeli-Arab at the village of Kfar Kana a day earlier, Arab businesses shuttered their storefronts and Arab residents stayed indoor on November 9, 2014, making the protest strike a complete success.
Two Israelis Killed in Separate Attacks
One Israeli woman was stabbed to death in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut on November 10, 2014, hours after an Israeli soldier was fatally stabbed near a Tel Aviv rail station in a separate incident.
Restrictions on Entry to Jerusalem Religious Sites Lifted
Israeli authorities on November 14, 2014 allowed Palestinians of all ages to enter the Noble Sanctuary in East Jerusalem for the Friday prayer for the first time in several weeks, a move that triggered wide-spread criticism in the Arab world and stoked anti-Israeli violence in the West Bank and Israel.
Bold Attack on Synagogue Outrages Israelis
Two Palestinians armed with knives attacked ultra-Orthodox congregants at a West Jerusalem synagogue on November 18, 2014, and killed 4 members of the congregation before being shot dead. A Druse traffic officer displayed heroism by fighting against the attackers, and was killed too.
Israel Takes Steps to Become Jewish Nation
In a controversial move lampooned by many inside and outside Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political pandering to the right-wing supporters prior to the party primary, Israeli cabinet on November 23, 2014 approved a measure by 14-6 vote to declare Israel as "Jewish Democracy". Now, the measure advances to the full parliament. A veteran Israeli-Arab lawmaker, Ahmed Tibi, speaking from New York blasted the measure.
Israeli Coalition Falls Apart, Early Polls Likely
After months of dissention and difference of opinion over a wide range of issues from the right-wing effort to declare Israel a Jewish state to expansion of settlements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 2, 2014 took a rash decision to fire his Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the ground of insubordination and obstructionism, thus all but ensuring early elections to Knesset. Netanyahu's five-party coalition took office in early 2013, but ideological fissures had opened since the very beginning, with Lapid's Yesh Atid, which rose to prominence pledging economic uplift of middle-class, and Livni's Hatnuah, whose platform emphasizes on reaching peace with the Palestinians, opposing ever belligerent stand taken by other coalition partners, namely Netanyahu's Likud Party; Jewish Home, a political party rooted in the settlement movement in the West Bank; and Yisrael Beitenu, a right-wing party that wants to redraw Israel's borders to rid the country of many Arab citizens.
French Parliament Recognizes Independent Palestine
In an ever-growing support of independent Palestine state, lower house of French parliament on December 2, 2014 voted 339-151 to recognize an independent Palestinian state. This came after Swedish government on October 30, 2014 recognized the state of Palestine, becoming the first European country to recognize an independent Palestinian state. Lawmakers in Britain, Spain and Ireland already passed non-binding motions recognizing an independent Palestinian state.
Early Elections to be Held in March
As the early elections to elect a new Knesset were announced, the bitterness and brick-batting between former coalition partners became more intense and personal. Sacked Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's push to declare Israel a Jewish state more as a sign of protecting the Balfour Street, where the official residence of premier is located, than Balfour Declaration, a 1917 British statement of support for a Jewish state. Many political observers came to regard March 17, 2015, elections as a referendum on the premier himself.
Israeli Parliament Officially Dissolves Itself
Israeli lower house of parliament, Knesset, on December 8, 2014 voted 93-0 to dissolve itself two years ahead of its normal time. Now all eyes are set in the March 17, 2015, polls to elect a new 120-member Knesset.
Palestinian Authority Official Dies During Demonstration
A Palestinian Authority official in the rank of a cabinet official was pronounced dead on December 10, 2014 after what video records showed shoving and pushing by Israeli security forces during a demonstration in the West Bank. Ziad Abu Ein, who was in charge of struggle against the Israeli West Bank barrier and the settlements, a role equivalent to a cabinet portfolio in the Palestinian Authority, was leading a demonstration participated by Palestinians and an Israeli peace group, Yesh Din, as part of a campaign to plant olive trees near an unauthorized West Bank outpost, Adei Ad. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing an "intolerable crime". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for calm and assured proper investigation into the incident.
Israel Arrests 10 Jewish Extreme Right-Wingers
After a 10-month undercover investigation, Israeli police on December 16, 2014 arrested 10 members of a radical Jewish group, Lehava, that relentlessly campaigned against Arab-Israeli dating. Among the arrested was the group's leader Benzion Gopstein, who is a disciple of late Jewish ultranationalist leader Meir Kahane, whose Kach party was banned from parliament in 1988. Kahane was assassinated in New York City in 1990 by an Arab gunman.
Conference on Geneva Convention Rebukes Israel, EU Court Gives a Setback Ruling to Israel
Israel on December 17, 2014 received back-to-back political and diplomatic setback, implying growing isolation of the country on settlement expansion and treatment of Palestinians. A conference on the Fourth Geneva Convention issued a rare rebuke to Israel for its settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that was tantamount to violating the letter and spirit of the convention as an occupier. Speaking at the periphery of the conference at Geneva, Swiss Ambassador Paul Fivat said that Israel should take the rebuke as an unmistakable "signal". On the same day, an unrelated ruling issued by the Luxembourg-based European Court ordered EU to drop Hamas from the official terrorist list.
A U.N. Resolution to End Israeli Occupation Fails
A resolution calling for end of Israeli occupation introduced by Jordan on behalf of the Arab world failed to garner necessary nine votes at the U.N. Security Council. Only eight nations voted for the resolution on December 30, 2014. Israel and USA opposed any solution to the middle-east problem taking recourse to the UN. Instead the solution would have to come, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said, through tough compromises at the "negotiating table". USA had made it clear that even if the measure got nine votes, it would have vetoed. The resolution introduced by Jordan's UN Ambassador Dina Kawar called for:
* A "just, lasting and comprehensive" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within a year
* Ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory by December 31, 2017
* Creation of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders
* "Just solutions" to other vexing issues such as Palestinian refugees, water rights, economic opportunity and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails
Palestinians Join the International Criminal Court
Eight months after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas stunned the world by signing off applications to join 15 international treaties and conventions, he stunned the world again on December 31, 2014 by signing the Rome Statute that would help the Palestinians pursue war crimes charges in The Hague-based International Criminal Court against senior Israeli leaders on cases such as their role in 50-day war in Gaza this summer and expansion in settlement in the West Bank. At present, 122 member nations signed and ratified Rome Statute that had created the International Criminal Court. However, neither the USA nor Israel had signed the statute. Rome Statute was one of several agreements Abbas signed on December 31 that spanned across a spectrum of issues such as organized crime, safety of U.N. workers, biodiversity, hazardous waste, international waterways, nuclear weapons and cluster munitions.
Israel Withholds Disbursing Tax Revenue to Palestinian Authority
A day after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed the Rome Statute to join the International Criminal Court, a furious Israeli cabinet led by premier Benjamin Netanyahu on January 1, 2015 decided to block $127 million in tax revenue owed Palestinian Authority. On January 3, the day Israeli cabinet decision of withholding Palestinian tax revenue was publicly announced, senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called the Israeli action "piracy" and "collective punishment". The revenue to be withheld is more than three-quarter of Palestinian Authority's monthly operating budget of $160 million.
Confusion over Expulsion of Top Hamas Leader from Qatar
An Israeli foreign ministry statement issued on January 6, 2015 saying that it welcomed the Qatari decision to expel exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to Turkey created an air of confusion in the middle-east as Hamas authorities in both Gaza and Qatar rushed to quash the veracity of the statement.
International Criminal Court Opens Abuse Examination against Israel
The Hague-based International Criminal Court on January 16, 2015 opened a preliminary examination into Israel's conduct of summer 2014 war in Gaza and any possible human rights abuses that might have been perpetrated. The lead prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that her examination would be fair and impartial. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the ICC examination on January 16, saying that it was all the more despicable as it had been launched days after the Paris attacks in which four Jews were killed at a kosher market. For Palestinian Authority, which had become the 123rd member of the ICC, the examination scored a symbolic political victory in international arena although it's highly doubtful whether the examination would translate into a formal investigation.
Hezbollah Strike Kills Two Israelis
In the worst flare-up since 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, Hezbollah militants fired missiles on January 28, 2015, destroying Israeli military vehicles and killing two Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military vehicles were part of a convoy that was traveling along a disputed tract of land at the northern tip of Israel adjacent to Golan Heights and Lebanese borders near Mount Dov and Chebaa Farms. In response, Israel fired back, killing a U.N. peacekeeper, Cpl. Francisco Javier Soria Toledo. Spain's UN Ambassador Roman Oyarzun Marchesi later in the day had some harsh words for Israel in the death of Cpl. Soria Toledo. Hezbollah defended its action as a natural response to January 18, 2015, Israeli airstrikes within Syria that had killed 6 Hezbollah militants and one Iranian general.
Premier's Planned Address to Congress Ruptures Bond between US and Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned address to the joint session of the Congress over Iran's nuclear talks on March 3, 2015 has inserted a great deal of uncertainty and tension in the relations between the allies. The way Netanyahu has been invited by the House Speaker John Boehner is unprecedented as the speaker has flouted norms and protocol by keeping the White House in the dark and extending invitation to Netanyahu directly. The fact that Netanyahu has accepted the House Speaker's invitation just three weeks before the national elections talks volume about premier's motive and mindset. Netanyahu's personal relations with Obama is also strained over a host of issues such as Palestinian-Israeli talks, Jewish settlement in the West Bank and, lately, ongoing nuclear talks with Iran. President Obama has already announced that he will not see Netanyahu during premier's upcoming visit to Washington, a diplomatic snub to a trusted ally.
Egyptian Court Labels Hamas a Terrorist Organization
An Egyptian court on February 28, 2015 ruled that Hamas was a terrorist organization, leading to the possible rupture in relations between the rulers of Gaza and Egypt on the political level and likely end of Egyptian role as a primary mediator in Palestinian-Israeli talks on the diplomatic level. The same court earlier labeled the military wing of Hamas, Izzidin al-Qassam Brigade, a terrorist organization.
Netanyahu Addresses Congress, Blasts International Talks on Iran's Nuclear Program
A day after saying before a packed audience of American Israeli Political Action Committee that he had deepest respect for President Barack Obama and the presidency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on March 3, 2015 at the invitation of House Speaker John Boehner, and blasted the ongoing talks between P5+Germany and Iran on Iran's nuclear program. The address by Netanyahu marked the lowest point of Israeli-American relationship since the founding of Israel as the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu, never cordial, took nosedive after House Speaker John Boehner bypassed the White House and invited Netanyahu to address the joint session of Congress. Many Democratic lawmakers stayed away from attending Netanyahu's address.
Palestinian Attacks Israel's Border Police using a Vehicle, Wounds Five
A Palestinian from the Arab-dominated East Jerusalem used his car as a vehicular weapon and lunged it against the Israeli border guards at Jerusalem on March 6, 2015, wounding five people. The attacker, who later emerged from the vehicle with a knife, was shot and wounded. The attack on the Jewish holiday of Purim marked third such attack in the past six months.
The first one took place in October 2014 when a Palestinian from the East Jerusalem drove his car straight into a crowd at a light-rail station in Jerusalem, and killed a 3-month-old baby and wounded eight others before fatally shot.
The second attack was carried out by a Palestinian with allegiance to Hamas in November 2014 when he rammed his vehicle at a Jerusalem train station, killing two people. He was shot dead too by security forces.
Netanyahu's Party Rejects Two-State Policy
The Likud Party issued a statement on March 8, 2015, nine days before parliamentary polls, saying that the party now didn't support an independent Palestinian state.
Netanyahu Wins an Upset Victory, Rhetoric Likely to Haunt Government
An epic election battle that seemed down-the-wire and razor thin even few days ago turned out to be a big win for incumbent premier Benjamin Netanyahu and right-wing political parties.
Backdrop of the Israeli Parliamentary Polls
Prior to the March 17, 2015, parliamentary polls, Netanyahu faced a concerted challenge from an inspiring campaign of the center-left Zionist Union alliance led by Isaac Herzog. Netanyahu also angered the Obama administration by accepting the invitation for an appearance before the U.S. Congress from the U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, who even didn't inform, left alone the consent from, the White House prior to sending the invitation and denouncing the ongoing west-Iran nuclear talks during a March 3, 2015, address to the joint session of the Congress.
Campaign Rhetoric
As many pre-election opinion polls were showing a definite popular tilt toward the center-left Zionist Union alliance led by Isaac Herzog, a desperate Netanyahu invoked some of the worst rhetorical tactics in order to excite and prod his right-wing, religious voter base. However, two of his remarks were not only offensive, but they also struck at the root of close bond between Israel and its most trusted ally, USA. His vow that there won't be any Palestinian state on his watch tore apart the basic foundation of long-held U.S. policy toward middle-east: a negotiated settlement for a two-state solution. However, his comments at the eleventh hour that Israeli Arabs were voting "in droves" invited a scathing rebuke from world capitals, including Washington. Obama administration condemned the comment as racist.
Poll Results
According to YNet news site reported on early morning of March 18, 2015, Likud Party might have won around 30 seats, Herzog's Zionist Union 24 and the Joint List of Arab Parties might have won 13, making it the third-largest political bloc. In the last election, Joint List of Arab Parties' four political parties had received a combined of 11 seats. The unity among the Arab parties in this election catapulted the Israeli Arab voters to make the Israeli-Arab voter turnout the heaviest since 1969, according to the List of Arab Parties' leader Ayman Odeh. However, Netanyahu is likely to receive support from other small right-wing parties, including:
* Newly formed Kulanu, led by former Likud Party leader Moshe Kahlon, who broke ranks with Netanyahu and left the party. Kulanu campaigned on Israelis' pocketbook issues, and might have won 10 seats.
* Jewish Home Party, led by Naftali Bennett
* Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman
Netanyahu Backpedals on Two-State Issue, Receives Chastise from the White House
Two days after winning a bitterly fought poll, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 19, 2015 backtracked on his campaign time provocative statement that there won't be any Palestinian state on his watch, and now said that he favored a two-state solution. Meanwhile, the White House continued its strong critique of Israeli premier. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on March 19, 2015 that Netanyahu's "backing away from a commitment" from the known stand of two-state solution put the time-tested relations between the allies to the current state of less than fully trustworthy level.
Obama Unsparing on Netanyahu with Sharp Rebuke
The Huffington Post on March 21, 2015 released an interview in which the U.S. President Barack Obama didn't mince any word to show his displeasure with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said that he had called Netanyahu to congratulate on his election victory, but told him that the Israeli leader had hurt the peace talks badly.
Netanyahu Apologizes for His Anti-Arab Comments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 23, 2015 met with the leaders of country's minority communities, including Muslim, Bedouin and Christian, at his official Jerusalem residence, and apologized to them for his anti-Arab election comments, alluding to the remarks that Israel's Arabs were voting "in drove".
Spying Allegation against Israel Throws Mud on Relations with Washington
A report carried by The Wall Street Journal that Israel spied on the U.S. negotiation on Iran's nuclear weapons program couldn't come at worse time as the bilateral relations between two close allies had reached a new nadir in recent days. Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief and head of military intelligence, said on March 24, 2015 that no way his country would do such dastardly thing.
Israel to release Tax Funds to Palestinian Authority
As a token of goodwill, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 27, 2015 decided to release the tax fund that was held up since Palestinian Authority had announced on December 31, 2014 its decision to join the International Criminal Court.
Palestinians Formally Join ICC
On April 1, 2015, Palestinian Authority officially became the 123rd member of the International Criminal Court that was established in 2002. Israel, which a day ago announced the release of frozen Palestinian revenue, decried the move as "political, cynical and hypocritical".
Palestinians Ask UN Security Council to Set a Date
Palestinian Authority's UN representative Riyad Mansour on April 6, 2015 challenged the U.N. Security Council to weigh on setting a date for the end of Israeli occupation.
Israel Carries out Airstrike in Syria
In the seventh airstrike since the civil war had begun in Syria more than four years ago, Israeli Air Force on April 25, 2015 struck Syrian and Hezbollah military targets near the town of Qateyfah in the Qalamoun Mountains. The reports of airstrike were broadcast by Arab media, but neither admitted nor denied by Syria and Israel.
Israel Launches Second Attack in Two Days in Syria
Israeli military said on April 26, 2015 that it had to attack Syrian Army from the air in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as the army personnel were carrying weapons. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that four Syrian soldiers were killed in the airstrike.
Racial Tension Rises in Israel over Treatment of Ethiopian Jews
Migrant Jews from Ethiopia have been venting their angst in recent years against the step-motherly attitude by the government. Their collective disappointment and frustration came out as a violent outburst on May 3, 2015 at Tel Aviv when hundreds of Ethiopian origin youths blocked a major highway in the city, hurled stones and bottles at the police and vandalized several areas. Police had to use tear gas, water canons and stun grenades to disperse the mob. At least 60 people were injured and 40 were arrested following the violence. The violence followed after a video was widely circulated showing an Israeli soldier of Ethiopian origin being beaten up by Israeli police without any apparent provocation. The outburst exposed what Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on May 4, 2015 called "an open, bleeding wound in the heart of the Israeli society". On May 4, 2015, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu met the leaders of the Ethiopian Jewish community that numbered 120,000 out of country's more than 8 million Jews and the wounded soldier on May 4, 2015.
Netanyahu Props up a Coalition, Barely
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 6, 2015 was able to coalesce a group of 61 lawmakers to form a coalition that signals a further, and a much steeper, rightward shift.
Vatican Concludes Treaty to Recognize Palestinian State
In an earth-shattering, but expected, move, the Vatican on May 13, 2015 concluded a treaty to recognize Palestinian state, thus giving new legitimacy to the nationalistic aspirations to Palestinians of both Muslim and Christian lineage. The recognition was published on a Vatican news website, and a formal approval and signing ceremony would come later.
Abbas Dissolves Unity Government
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on June 16, 2015 dissolved a unity government of Fatah and Hamas that never took an effective hold since the moment it was formed in June last year (June 2014).
Netanyahu Rejects French Proposal for International Peace Talks
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on June 21, 2015 told the visiting French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that his government rejected a French initiative to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian talks and get a UN mandate to promote them. Earlier in the day, Fabius met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, and warned that lack of progress would lead to explosion in the region, according to official Palestinian mouthpiece WAFA.
Israel, Hamas Refute the UN Report of Abuse
A UN report issued on June 22, 2015 said that both Israel and Hamas had committed gross violations of human rights during the 50-day war in Gaza last summer. The U.N. Human Rights Council report took Israeli government to the task for the killing of more than 2,000 Palestinians, including 1,462 civilians, with the American Judge Mary McGowan Davis, who had led the investigation, saying that "we must remember that victims are not just numbers or collateral damage". The report also blamed Hamas for using population centers to launch rocket attacks against Israel and targeting the Israeli civilians. The reaction to the report was along the expected line: both Hamas and Israel refuted the report.
Series of Attacks by Jewish Extremists Roil Nerve in Israel
First it was a gay pride parade in Tel Aviv on July 30, 2015 that an ultra-orthodox Jew attacked and stabbed six people only three weeks after he was released from jail for a similar stabbing at a gay pride parade in 2005. Overnight a group of Jewish settlers firebombed a house in the West Bank town of Duma, killing one toddler, Ali Dwabsheh, and injuring his 4-year-old elder brother and parents with serious burn injury. On July 31, 2015, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu called the overnight firebombing a "terrorist act", and on a personal note, visited the hospital to see Dwabsheh family.
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Firebombing Death of a Palestinian Toddler Evokes Strong Criticism from Israelis
In a rare gesture of bipartisan outrage against the firebombing of a Palestinian house in the West Bank town of Duma in which a toddler, Ali Dwabsheh, was burnt to death, thousands of Israelis held rallies in protest against the so-called settler "terrorism" on August 1, 2015. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on August 1, 2015 called the firebombing Dwabsheh family home as "blatant disregard for rule of law, for human dignity". On the other end of political spectrum, Palestinians observed a day of rage on August 1, 2015, with sporadic unrests reported from various areas. Major escalation erupted at Jalazoun Refugee Camp on August 1, 2015 following funeral of a Palestinian teenager, Latih al-Khaldi, 17, who succumbed to his wounds overnight after being shot by Israeli security forces on July 31, 2015.
Father Critically Injured in Firebombing Dies in Hospital
The July 31, 2015, firebombing of Dawabsheh family home at the West Bank town of Duma that had earlier killed a toddler, Ali Dawabsheh, took one more life on August 8, 2015 as the 32-year-old father, Saad Dawabsheh, succumbed to his injury at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
Israeli Prosecutors to Charge Main Suspect in Firebombing of a Palestinian Home
Israel's state prosecutors on December 30, 2015 notified a court that the main suspect in the July 30, 2015, firebombing of Dawabsheh family home at the West Bank town of Duma would be indicted the following week. The case shed light on the hitherto unknown dark side of the conflict: long overlooked Jewish extremism. The same court on December 30, 2015 extended a gag order in this case for an additional two weeks. The incident that had killed a toddler Ali Dawabsheh on that night and his parents days later drew a rare rebuke and full force of prosecution from the Israeli authority. The only surviving member of the Dawabsheh family, 4-year-old Ahmed, who has been badly burned, is now being taken care of by the relatives.
Israel Charges Two Jews in Firebombing Deaths of Three Members of a Palestinian Family
Israel on January 3, 2016 charged two Jewish extremists on charges of arson deaths of Ali Dwabsheh, a Palestinian toddler, and his parents after attacking the Dwabsheh family home with firebomb in the night of July 30, 2015.
Dawabsheh Boy Returns Home
After being treated for severe burn at a Israeli hospital, the lone survivor of the family, 5-year-old Ahmad Dawabsheh returned home on July 22, 2016 to relatives. The firebombing a year ago had killed his toddler brother, and eventually his parents succumbed to injuries. The July 30, 2015, firebombing of the Dawabsheh home generated international outrage and shed a rare spotlight on the so-called Jewish extremism.
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Jewish Extremist Arrested
In toughening of its stand against a growing Jewish, especially settler, extremism, Israeli government began to crack down on the extreme fringe, and the August 3, 2015, arrest of Meir Ettinger, 19-year-old grandson of the U.S.-born Jewish extremist Meir Kahane, whose ultranationalist party was banned from Israeli parliament in 1988 for its extreme views and who was assassinated in New York in 1990 by an Arab gunman, was testament to it. Ettinger was produced before an Israeli court on August 4, 2015. However, authorities were not sure that Ettinger was directly involved in the July 31, 2015, firebombing at the West Bank village of Duma that had killed a toddler, Ali Dwabsheh.
Israeli Defense Minister Invokes Special Law to Detain Jewish Extremist without Charges
A much hated law widely used against Palestinians to jail them indefinitely is now being also used against some of the hardened Jewish extremists. On August 4, 2015, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon signed an administrative detention to jail an extremist, Mordechai Meyer, from the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim, without charges for six months. Shin Bet said on August 4, 2015 that Meyer and four others were arrested in connection with burning of a well-known church in northern Israel in June 2015. Although two of his accomplices were charged in that burning, Meyer himself was not charged.
Israel Places Administrative Detention on Pair of Ultranationalists
Israeli authorities on August 9, 2015 used administrative detention to Meir Ettinger, 19-year-old grandson of the U.S.-born Jewish extremist Meir Kahane, and Eviatar Slonim, another Jewish extremist, arrested last week for stoking anti-Arab hatred.
Reconstruction of Gaza Limping at Best
After the August 26, 2014, cease-fire ended a summer of bloody fighting between Israel and Hamas, there was a ray of hope for better civic administration, a meaningful peace initiative and beginning of reconstruction projects in the Gaza Strip. However, in the year since the cease-fire none of it came even distant close to reality, leave alone satisfactory. A fraction of 18,000 homes destroyed in the 2014 Gaza War were reconstructed or in the process of reconstruction. After the August 26, 2014, cease-fire, the reconstruction fund, dubbed the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, was created by the U.N., Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Only 12 percent owners have so far been approved for the funding by the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, and just under 4 percent, or 719 families, bought construction materials as of August 22, 2015.
Palestinian Flag to Fly at the U.N.
The U.N. General Assembly on September 10, 2015 overwhelmingly voted to let Palestinian flags hoisted later this month at the U.N. 119 member nations voted "YES", eight--including the USA and Israel--voted "NO" and 45 abstained.
Abbas Won't Comply with Oslo Accords; Raises Palestinian Flag at the U.N.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas scored a significant political and diplomatic victory on September 30, 2015 as he hoisted the Palestinian flag at the U.N. in New York City. During the day, Abbas delivered an impassioned speech at the U.N. General Assembly, saying that Palestinians won't follow the Oslo Accords. Responding to Abbas' speech at the U.N. General Assembly, the office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called Palestinian leader's speech full of "lies" that encourage "incitement and unrest in the Middle East". In his speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Abbas also slammed Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu for trying to change the status quo of Noble Sanctuary, third-holiest place in Islam.
Israel Rips Iran Accord
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the U.N. General Assembly on October 1, 2015, blasted the Iran nuclear deal reached among the Persian Gulf nation, USA, Russia, China, France, Germany and the UK. Although the deal was negotiated by "well intentioned" people from the west, it won't prevent the worst outcome, according to Netanyahu.
Violence Spirals Out of Control
Since July 31, 2015, firebombing of Dawabsheh family home at the West Bank town of Duma that had killed a toddler, father and mother, the Palestinian-Israeli relationship has taken nosedive with the past one month of daily Palestinian protest against Israeli government's action to let Jewish leaders to visit Noble Sanctuary, a holy site to Muslims, thus disrupting a delicate balance in East Jerusalem. On October 3, 2015, a Palestinian teenager fatally stabbed two ultra-Orthodox Jews as they went to pray at the Western Wall before being shot to dead.
More Stabbings in Israel
The recent spurt of lone-wolf stabbings by Palestinian youths randomly targeting the Israeli security personnel and people began as a Palestinian response to Israeli government's effort to change the status quo at the Noble Sanctuary last month. The violence, including stabbings and rock-throwing, continued on October 7, 2015 for the sixth-straight day, rousing the possibility for a new round of uprising.
Netanyahu Bans Israeli Officials from Visiting Muslim Holy Site in Jerusalem
In an effort to contain the ongoing violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 8, 2015 banned Israeli lawmakers and government ministers from visiting East Jerusalem's Noble Sanctuary, third-holiest shrine in Islam, a move that was sure to anger right-wing and religious Israeli political parties. Meanwhile, spurt of stabbings continued on October 8, 2015, with a Palestinian stabbing four Israelis at Tel Aviv before a soldier had shot him to dead. In the latest round of violence that had erupted since October 2, 2015, four Israelis and 7 Palestinians--including four attackers--were killed.
Six Palestinians Killed in Gaza
The situation in middle-east had all the potential to turn for the worst as six Palestinian protesters were killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza Strip near the Israeli border fence on October 9, 2015 as officials on both sides ratcheted up the brinkmanship to a new dangerously high level. This marked the first time that stabbings which had become a menace in the West Bank and Israeli cities in recent days had spilled over to Gaza in terms of anti-Israeli violence as Palestinian youths had resorted to stone-throwing and scaling the border fences. Meanwhile, Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh declared during the day "the start of a new intifada", and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon asked called for usage of lethal force against Palestinian assailants at a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Four Killed in Continuing Violence
Two Palestinians launched stabbing attacks, now a regular occurrence in Jerusalem and West Bank, on October 10, 2015, before being shot dead by police. Separately, two more Palestinians were killed during the day near the Israeli borders in Gaza.
Airstrike Kills a Pregnant Palestinian Woman
Responding to an overnight rocket fire, Israeli aircraft carried out airstrikes in Gaza Strip on October 11, 2015, killing a pregnant Palestinian woman and a toddler. So far this month, at least 20 Palestinians were killed and four Israelis were slain in a rash of stabbings, a shooting and a stoning attack in West Bank and Jerusalem. The bloody campaign of stabbings by Palestinians targeting Israeli citizens and security personnel in October 2015 capped a month-long (September 2015) agitation by Palestinians over what they alleged--and Israel had refuted--Netanyahu regime's plan to alter the balance on oversight of Noble Sanctuary, host to the third-holiest Muslim shrine Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall, the holiest site of Judaism.
Rash of Stabbings in Jerusalem Heightens Tension in Israel
Three stabbing attacks by Palestinians took place in Jerusalem on October 12, 2015, critically injuring an Israeli boy. Two Palestinian attackers, both teenagers, were killed. As of October 12, 2015, five Israelis were killed in stabbings, a shooting and a stone throwing attack that had taken place since the recent wave of stabbing campaign by Palestinians had erupted. Meanwhile, in Israeli counterattacks and at hands of Israeli security forces, at least 25 Palestinians, including 10 attackers, were killed. Meanwhile, addressing the parliament, premier Benjamin Netanyahu on October 12, 2015 accused the Israel's Arab leaders of inciting violence.
Israel Implements New Security Measures, Army Fans out Across the Israeli Cities
Israeli security cabinet in the early hours of October 14, 2015 adopted extreme preventive measures in order to contain a spate of stabbings and attacks by Palestinians. As an unprecedented measure, Israeli army were deployed in several cities within hours to shore up defense and bring a sense of normalcy to an edgy population. Also the measures include some of the toughest action such as revoking the residency rights of the assailants and demolishing their homes.
Firebombing of Jewish Shrine Condemned
An overnight firebombing of Tomb of Joseph, outside the West Bank city of Nablus on October 16, 2015 not only drew condemnation from Israel, but also from Palestinian Authorities. Palestinian Authorities are in charge of overseeing the security of the tomb that is visited by Jews from all over the world. Meanwhile, violence continued on October 16, 2015 with at least 4 Palestinian deaths. During the day, the US President Barack Obama called both the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, and urged them to work towards tamping down the tension.
Four Assailants Killed in Stabbing Incidents in Israel
A nervous nation on October 17, 2015 faced more incidents of violence and stabbings that bore no resemblance with past Palestinian uprisings. Five separate incidents, or purported attempts, of stabbings took place in Jerusalem and West Bank on October 17, 2015. Four Palestinian assailants involved in those incidents were killed. Over the past month, eight Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, most of them were stabbings, and 40 Palestinians were killed, including 19 alleged attackers.
Israeli Soldier Killed at an Israeli Bus Station
An Arab assailant armed with a gun and a knife entered a bus station in the southern Israeli town of Beersheba on October 18, 2015 evening, and began shooting and stabbing people, killing an Israeli soldier and wounding 10 others. The assailant was shot dead, but not before his mayhem took the life an Israeli soldier. In the aftermath of attack, a mob gathered at the bus station, chanting slogan "death to Arabs". In a public display of rage and senseless revenge, the mob beat up an Eritrean, Habtom Zerhom, to death. Apparently Zerhom, in his late 20s, ran toward the bus station to seek cover from violence, and an Israeli security guard mistook his as an accomplice of the assailant and shot him. The mob jumped up on him, beating, spitting and kicking.
Killing of Eritrean Migrant Draws Criticism, Evokes Soul-Searching
The October 18, 2015, vigilante killing of an Eritrean migrant, Habtom Zerhom, at a bus stop in Beersheba, where minutes earlier an assailant killed an Israeli soldier, drew sharp rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on October 19, 2015 called the killing "a disgrace to Israeli society". However, critics blamed Israeli political leaders, including Netanyahu, for raising the decibel of political rhetoric to a new high, leading to a tragedy such as the one that occurred on October 18. In the past one month, at least nine Israelis were killed in a spate of stabbings and other mode of violence, while at least 41 Palestinians, including 20 Israel claimed to be the attackers, were killed. The latest violence erupted a month ago after Israeli leaders, including cabinet members, had begun a month ago to visit Noble Sanctuary, host to the third-holiest shrine in Islam, al-Aqsa Mosque, with increased frequency, leading to the suspicion that Israel might be planning to change the status quo of the Jerusalem religious site. At present, Jews can visit, but not pray, at the Noble Sanctuary.
Netanyahu Distorts History, Calls out a World War II-Era Palestinian Mufti for Holocaust
In a massive and ridiculous distortion of historical facts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on October 20, 2015 that Jerusalem's then-Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, a known Nazi sympathizer, had pleaded with Adolf Hitler during his November 1941 meeting to annihilate Jews. Netanyahu made those ridiculous statement during a speech to the World Zionist Congress, saying that "Hitler didn't want to exterminate Jews at the time, he wanted to expel Jews". However, al-Husseini persuaded Hitler to carry out the "Final Solution". Leading historians, Holocaust scholars and academics slammed Netanyahu for his irresponsible remarks aimed at floating an unfounded, revisionist version of Holocaust to advance his political goals.
Israel Lifts Age Restrictions for Prayers at Jerusalem Holy Site
Israeli authorities on October 23, 2015 loosened age restrictions imposed in the aftermath of eruption of the current round of violence. As a result, Palestinians of varying ages could go and pray at the al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday October 23, 2015 for the first time in several weeks. Meanwhile, the quartet--USA, Russia, European Union and United Nations--issued a statement during the day on the sideline of Syria talks being held at Vienna that called for utmost restraint and reining in on provocation on the both sides.
Kerry Meets King Abdullah, Netanyahu; Suggests Video Monitoring
On October 24, 2015, US Secretary of State John Kerry flew from Vienna, where he had been pre-occupied with the Syria talks, to middle-east to confabulate with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jordan, which manages the Noble Sanctuary through Waqf, has proposed to install video cameras at the Jerusalem holy site for round-the-clock monitoring, according to Kerry, and Israel has accepted the proposal. However, most of the Palestinians are leery about video cameras as they suspect the measure as a ploy to spy on them.
American Succumbed to Death
An American educator who had moved to Israel and advocated peaceful co-existence between Palestinians and Israelis sustained knife injuries in an attack in Jerusalem on October 13, 2015. Richard Lakin, 76, originally from Newton, Massachusetts, succumbed to his injuries two weeks later on October 27, 2015.
Two Palestinians Killed after Stabbing Attacks
Two Palestinian youths were killed by Israeli security forces on October 29, 2015 at Hebron after they were involved in stabbing attacks.
100,000 Remember Rabin
Former US President Bill Clinton urged a 100,000-strong crowd, who showed up on October 31, 2015 at a Tel Aviv square, where the former Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist, Yigal Amir, on November 4, 1995, to respect the former commander-turned-peacemaker on the 20th anniversary of his assassination, to stick to the path of peace and reconciliation as espoused by the late leader and even sacrificed his life to further it.
Israel Shuts Down a Palestinian Radio Station
Israeli troops conducted an overnight raid on November 3, 2015 at Al Hurria radio station in Hebron, confiscating equipment and shutting it down. Israeli authorities accused the radio station of inciting the current round of violence that had erupted in mid-September 2015, resulting in the killing of 11 Israelis and 69 Palestinians, including 43 whom Israel accused of orchestrating attacks against Israelis. Meanwhile, violence continued unabated, with a stabbing incident on November 2, 2015 in central Israel that had seriously wounded a 70-year-old Israeli man. This incident took place hours after a Palestinian knifed several people in Tel Aviv, including an 80-year-old woman.
Netanyahu Re-Considers His Choice for Diplomacy Chief
No sooner had he named November 4, 2015 Ran Baratz as his administration's diplomacy chief, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced incessant call from various quarters to withdraw Baratz because of the West Bank settler's past and recent controversial comments such as US President Barack Obama was "anti-Semite" and "anti-Israeli" and US Secretary of State John Kerry had intellect of a 12-year-old. Within 24 hours of naming Baratz as his diplomacy chief, Netanyahu tried to distance himself by saying that he didn't share Baratz' views.
Three Israeli Teens Hurt; A Palestinian Woman Shot Dead
In separate incidents in the West Bank city of Hebron on November 6, 2015, three shots have been fired at Israelis, injuring three Israeli teenagers. In the third incident of the day, a 73-year-old Palestinian woman was shot dead in Hebron as she had careened her vehicle towards the soldiers. The woman, Tharwat Sharwai, was widowed in 1988 when her husband had died in a burst of tear gas outside a mosque. Since mid-September, 11 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, most of them were from stabbings, and 72 Palestinians, including 45 alleged attackers, were killed in the spiraling violence.
Netanyahu's Washington Visit to Mend the Fence between Trusted Allies
Frayed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unilateral action, over the Iran nuclear deal, to ignore diplomatic decorum by bypassing the White House and address the joint session of Congress, U.S.-Israeli relationship slid in recent days to a new low, with a contentious Republican primary often making it politically unpalatable to both sides. In this backdrop, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited White House and met with President Barack Obama on November 9, 2015. Part of Netanyahu's visit was focused on mending the fence with Obama White House. Both leaders discussed on a range of issues, including Israeli-Palestinian peace process, regional conflict, and more than anything else, kick-starting an arduous negotiation process to renew a 10-year bilateral defense package set to expire in 2017.
Palestinian Teenagers Accused of Orchestrating Knife Attack
After a two-week lull in violence in Jerusalem, during which much of the violence was centered in and around West Bank, knife attacks made its full fledged return to the pre-historic city on November 10, 2015 with two Palestinian teenagers, 11 and 14, mounting knife attack on a security guard inside an Israeli train. The guard responded by opening his gun, wounding one of them. Separately, Israeli security personnel shot dead two Palestinian knife attackers during the day in Jerusalem.
*********** EU REQUIREMENT ON LABELING SETTLEMENT PRODUCTS **********
EU to Require Product Label for Imports from "Settlement"
In a slap to Israel on contentious settlement issue, 28-nation European Union on November 11, 2015 finalized rules that would require any import from Israeli settlements from East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and West Bank to be labeled clearly the source of the import. The labeling requirement will clearly give European shoppers the means to make a conscious decision whether to buy any settlement products. However, the settlement products account less than 2 percent of all Israeli exports to EU. Responding to the EU guidelines, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on November 11, 2015 that EU should be ashamed of its action, and Israeli Foreign Ministry called the move politically motivated.
Israel Freezes Key Contacts with EU over Product label
Israeli Foreign Ministry said on November 29, 2015 that Israel would freeze some key contacts with EU pending reassessment of relations after the 28-nation bloc had finalized rules to label and differentiate products made in the West Bank from that of Israel.
France Publishes "Anti-settlement" Rules for Retailers
More than a year after the November 11, 2015, publication of European Union rule guiding the labels of products made in the Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and West Bank, France on November 24, 2016 published its first official rules in the French Official Journal advising retailers to put clearly the labels bearing "made in the Israeli settlement" instead of "made in the West Bank" on the products imported from the Israeli settlements. It's not clear whether the November 24, 2016, publication of the rules in the French Official Journal is a recommendation or mandatory.
*********** EU REQUIREMENT ON LABELING SETTLEMENT PRODUCTS **********
Secret Raid at a West Bank Hospital Kills One
Special Ops personnel from Israel's domestic agency Shin Bet carried out a Hollywood-style raid during pre-dawn hours of November 12, 2015 at a Hebron hospital, Al Ahli Hospital. They arrived at the hospital in two vans, as per hospital's video footage, and were seen escorting a pregnant woman inside. Their apparent target was a 20-year-old Palestinian, Azzam Shalaldah, who was accused of stabbing an Israeli in West Bank late last month. The Israeli open fire, and Shalaldah had fled with injury. The Israeli commando arrested Shalaldah, and killed his cousin, 28-year-old Abdullah Shalaldah.
Ambush Kills 2 Israelis in West Bank
A Palestinian gunman on November 13, 2015 sprayed bullets on a van carrying an Israeli family of seven near Hebron in the West bank, killing a father, Rabbi Yaakov Litman, 40, and his 18-year-old son, Netanel Litman. The gunman fled after the ambush that took place near the Jewish settlement of Otniel, south of Hebron. Soon after, Israeli security forces mounted a massive manhunt to nab the gunman. Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Hebron, a Palestinian was killed on November 13, 2015 in a clash with Israeli security forces. A second Palestinian was killed too in the city of Ramallah during the day. Since the current round of violence had erupted two months ago, 14 Israelis and 81 Palestinians, including 51 accused by Israel to be attackers, were killed in the ensuing violence.
Israeli Security Forces Nabs the Gunman behind the Killing of a Father and Son
Israeli authorities on November 15, 2015 announced that they had arrested the gunman, 28-year-old Palestinian Shadi Ahmed Matua, who had ambushed a van two days ago near Hebron, killing a father , Rabbi Yaakov Litman, 40, and his 18-year-old son, Netanel Litman.
Razing of a Palestinian's Home Turns Violent
As Israeli troops arrived at the home of a Palestinian gunman overnight on November 16, 2015 at a Palestinian refugee camp, Qalandiya, just outside Jerusalem, with heavy equipment and bulldozers to raze his home, a large crowd assembled there, and began throwing projectiles, rocks and firebombs. Israeli security forces had to resort to fire, killing two Palestinian youths. The home in question was that of gunman Abu Shaheen, who was accused of ambushing an Israeli motorist in the West Bank this summer, leading to the motorist's death. Shaheen is now in Israeli prison. Amid the rising tide of violence, Israel has brought back so-called collective punishment measures such as razing the perpetrator's home. After the latest round of violence had begun in early October due to a tense environment over the status of a holy Jerusalem landmark, Noble Sanctuary, since mid-September, 14 Israelis and 83 Palestinians, including 51 Israel accused of being involved in attacks, were killed.
Israel Bans an Arab Group
Israel on November 17, 2015 carried out raids at offices of the northern branch of Islamic Movement in Israel (IMI), confiscated computers and files, and shut down the operation. The government also banned the northern branch of Islamic Movement in Israel. accusing it, beside other Palestinian groups, of inciting the violence that had killed 14 Israelis and at least 78 Palestinians, including 47 accused by Israel of involvement in attacks. IMI provides education, health and other basic services to Arabs in Israel, and its moderate southern branch has representatives in Israeli parliament. Its northern branch is more aggressive and its leader, Sheikh Raed Salah, is about to serve jail time for a fiery sermon in 2007.
Five Killed in Violence
Violence ensued on November 19, 2015, spilling blood in a pair of attacks that continued the last two-month downward spiral of mayhem and killing. A Palestinian from the West Bank town of Dura, who had a permit to enter Israel for work, attacked people at a makeshift synagogue in Tel Aviv with a knife, killing two Israelis. The attacker was overpowered by a shoe salesman. In a separate incident, a Palestinian launched drive-by shooting and vehicular attack at a bus stop in south West Bank, killing two Israelis, including an American, before being killed. The 18-year-old American, Ezra Schwartz from Sharon, Massachusetts, was studying in Israel after graduating from high school and before heading to college. Schwartz was in a program at a yeshiva in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh.
An Israeli Woman Stabbed to death, Attacker and Two Other Palestinians Killed
Two days before a scheduled trip of the US Secretary of State John Kerry to the region, violence continued unabated on November 22, 2015 as a Palestinian attacked a young Israeli woman with knife. The Israeli woman was killed. The Palestinian attacker was also killed. In two other separate incidents, a couple of Palestinians were also killed.
Kerry Visits the Region After More than a Year Amid Continuing Violence
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on November 24, 2015 strongly defended Israel's right to take whatever measures it would deem fit against a wave of Palestinian campaign of stabbing attacks in Israel and West Bank. Kerry's strong support for Israel came amidst a downward spiral of violence involving a Palestinian campaign of stabbing attacks that so far had killed 19 Israelis, 89 Palestinians--out of whom 57 Israel accused of launching attacks--and an American Jewish student, Ezra Schwartz. Later in the day, Kerry held talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at Ramallah for two hours.
Two Palestinians Killed as They Ram Vehicles against Soldiers in West Bank
On November 27, 2015, two Palestinian drivers were shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they had rammed, in two separate incidents in West Bank, Israeli soldiers, injuring eight soldiers. Reflecting the mood of fear and suspicion, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, addressing a conference at Red Sea resort of Eilat on November 27, 2015, asked Israelis to brace against Palestinian attacks for long haul. In the current wave of violence, 19 Israelis and an American Jewish student, Ezra Schwartz, were killed as were at least 96 Palestinians, including 61 Israel accused of participating in anti-Israeli attacks involving stabbing, sniping and vehicular slaughtering.
Two Jewish Teens Found Guilty in Palestinian Boy's Death
A Jerusalem District Court on November 30, 2015 found two teenaged Jews guilty in the July 2, 2014, kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir. The sentencing hearing will be held in mid-January 2016. Because of the age, Jewish teenagers were not identified. A Jewish man, Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, is the main defendant in this case, but the court delayed verdict on him pending a psychiatric evaluation. Ben-David mounted an insanity plea.
Palestinian Female Lawmaker Gets Jail Term
A rising Palestinian politician and lawmaker from the West Bank, Khalida Jarrar, whose fiery and secular stand against Israeli occupation raised inspiration among Palestinian progressives was sentenced to 15 years in prison by an Israeli military court on December 8, 2015. Ms. Jarrar, in her early 50s, was arrested in April 2015 for violating travel restrictions. She was also accused of inciting Palestinians to kidnap Israeli soldiers to seek release of Palestinian prisoners. Khalida Jarrar is a member of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a secular and leftist faction that had opposed peace with Israel, and is known for her bold stand. Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian official, reacting to the sentencing said that the punishment had "no legal basis" as Jarrar enjoyed parliamentary immunity.
Israeli Arab Released from Egyptian Prison, Welcomed by Netanyahu
An Arab Bedouin, Ouda Tarabin, who was accused of illegally crossing into Egypt in 2000 and spying for Israel, was released on December 10, 2015 after spending last 15 years in Egyptian jail, and was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon return. Tarabin always maintained his innocence. Israel freed two Egyptians as part of Tarabin's release, but didn't divulge any more information about it. Former Israeli Ambassador to Egypt, Itzhak Levanon, worked over the years toward seeking the release of Ouda Tarabin, including meeting the then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Bethlehem Looks Festive on Christmas Eve
The Palestinian city of Bethlehem and surrounding communities wore a different look on December 24, 2015 as pilgrims from all around, though significantly smaller in numbers this year, the world descended on the birthplace of Jesus. Palestinian vendors made brisk business in the main plaza at Manger Square. The region took a break from almost daily cycle of violence, including stabbings carried out Palestinians, brick-batting and clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians.
Stabbings Resume after a Lull during Christmas
After a lull in violence in and around Christmas, the violence again reared its ugly head on December 27, 2015 as a pair of Palestinians stabbed an Israeli soldier at a gas station near a West Bank checkpoint at Hawara, south of the city of Nablus, before being shot to death.
************************************** EHUD OLMERT ***************************
Former premier Acquitted on the Count of a Serious Bribery Charge
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (2006-09) was cleared of a serious count of bribery on December 29, 2015 by the Israeli Supreme Court that would shorten his stay behind the bar from six years to 18 months. The charges related to bribery over the construction of a housing complex in Jerusalem known as the Holyland while he was the mayor of the city. Olmert served as Jerusalem Mayor for a decade until 2003, when he joined the national politics and, subsequently, served as the minister of industry and trade. Olmert, now 70, became the premier in 2006. Although Israeli Supreme Court has overturned the serious count of bribery charges, Olmert still faces a minor bribery charge unrelated to Holyland. Ehud Olmert was convicted in March 2014 partly based on testimony and cooperation provided by the then-financier of the Holyland project, Shmuel Dechner, but the financier had died in 2013 prior to deposition by Olmert's lawyers. Ehud Olmert is scheduled to begin sentencing on February 15, 2015.
Former Premier Begins His Sentencing
At the nadir of his public life from the zenith of premier's office, Ehud Olmert on February 15, 2016 arrived at the gate of Maasiyahu Prison, southeast of Tel Aviv, to begin serving his 19-month term on corruption charges. Calling his fall as "painful and strange", Olmert said that nobody was above the law.
Parole Board Shortens Olmert's Sentence
An Israeli parole board on June 29, 2017 cut the 27-month sentence handed down to Ehud Olmert, paving the way for his freedom as early as July 2, 2017.
************************************** EHUD OLMERT ***************************
Tel Aviv Shooting on the New Year Day Rattles the Nerve of Israelis
A gunman, spectacled and dressed black, created a sense of panic and fear among the residents of easy-going city of Tel Aviv on the New Year Day as he opened fire on a café, a sushi restaurant and a pub, Simta pub, his main target, on the busy Dizengoff Street, killing two people and wounding at least 7. An intensive manhunt went underway immediately after the January 1, 2016, shooting rampage at Tel Aviv. The gunman was later identified as Nashat Milhem, an Israeli-Arab.
Israel Returns Remains of 23 Palestinians
Israel on January 2, 2016 handed over remains of 23 Palestinian attackers to Palestinian authorities. Israel began to withhold the bodies of Palestinian attackers since October 2015 as a modus of punishment to deter a campaign of stabbings, shooting and ramming vehicles since late summer that had killed 21 Israelis, not including the two killed a day earlier at Simta pub in Tel Aviv, and at least 131 Palestinians, including more than 90 Israel accused of attacking. Bodies of many Palestinians returned on January 2, 2016 were from Hebron area, and a large number of Palestinian mourners turned in to pay their respect.
U.S. Slams Israeli Settlement Expansion
U.S. State Department Spokesman John Kirby on January 8, 2016 condemned Israel's late December 2015 move to expand the boundary of the West Bank settlement of Gush Etzion, near Jerusalem. Kirby said that "continued settlement activity and expansion raises honest questions about Israel's long-term intentions and will only make achieving a two-state solution much more difficult".
Tel Aviv Shooter Killed
A week after opening fire at a pub, Sinta pub, in Tel Aviv, killing two patrons and then, fleeing the scene that followed a massive manhunt by the Israeli security forces, Nashat Milhem on January 8, 2016 was shot dead by Israeli security forces as they tried to nab him. Beside killing two patrons at the pub, Milhem wounded six others in the pub, and shot dead an Arab cab driver later.
A Pair of Palestinian Attackers Killed
A pair of Palestinians armed with knives came to a West Bank checkpoint in the early hours of January 9, 2016, but before they could launch attacks, they were shot dead by Israeli security forces.
A Settler Killed at Her Home
An assailant intruded into a settlement home near Hebron on January 17, 2016, killed a woman in her late 30s and fled away.
Open Disagreement between USA and Israel over Settlement Emerges Once More
In a continuing trend that had become all too familiar of criticizing Israel's settlement activity by its closest ally, the USA, and subsequent angry response, USA's Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, addressing to the annual conference of a top Israeli think tank, Institute for National Security Studies, had some harsh words for Israel on January 18, 2016. He termed Israel's continuing settlement activity "perplexing" and counterproductive to the peace process. Shapiro also accused Israel of violating its pledge to USA of not carrying out any construction activity at some of the outlying settlement outposts. The open airing of dissent by the top American envoy to Israel drew a sharp condemnation from the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Settlers Occupy Empty Palestinian Building
In flagrant violation of political status quo, about hundred Israeli settlers on January 21, 2016 occupied a building that used to include several Palestinian stores near a settlement close to Hebron.
A 13-Year-Old Palestinian Girl Killed in Failed Attack
A 13-year-old Palestinian girl went after an Israeli security guard on January 23, 2016 at the entrance of an West Bank settlement, Anatot, leading to the opening of fire by the guard that had killed the attacker, later identified by the Palestinian news agency WAFA as Ruqayya Eid Abu Eid from the nearby West Bank village of Anata.
Two Palestinians Killed after Stabbing Women
Two Palestinian attackers breached the security of a minimarket in the West Bank settlement of Beit Horon on January 25, 2016, and began stabbing women. A security guard shot them dead outside the store.
Israeli Woman Dies of Wound
An Israeli woman, Shlomit Krigman, 23, who was stabbed a day earlier at a minimarket in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Beit Horon succumbed to her injury on January 26, 2016.
U.N. Leader's Comment Riles Israeli Premier
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on January 26, 2016 that the natural reaction to Israel's settlement activity in West Bank was to resort to violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the U.N.S.G's comment deplorable and to provide "tailwind to terrorism".
Three Palestinian Attackers, One Israeli Guard Killed in Jerusalem
In an audacious assault, three Palestinians, armed with weapons, explosive devices and knives, on February 3, 2016 attacked two Israeli security officers at Jerusalem, killing one of them and seriously injuring the second one. All three attackers were subsequently fatally shot by Israeli police.
Five Palestinians Killed on Bloody Valentine Sunday
Valentine Day was transformed into a day violence in Israel on February 14, 2016 with Palestinian youths launching attacks on Israeli targets in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Five Palestinians were killed in four separate incidents during the day. Two Palestinians were killed by security forces near the Jerusalem's Damascus Gate as the duo had opened fire on the Israeli security personnel. Two 15-year-old Palestinian boys were shot dead by security forces near the West Bank town of Jenin as they resorted to stone-throwing at the passing vehicles. In the third incident of the day, a 17-year-old Palestinian lunged toward Israeli security personnel with a knife at a checkpoint on the outskirt of Jerusalem, leading to security personnel to open fire and kill the boy. In the fourth incident, a 21-year-old Palestinian woman tried to stab an Israeli border police at a border checkpoint near Hebron, leading to Israeli security to open fire on and critically injuring her.
Palestinian Teenagers Kill an Israeli Security Officer
Two Palestinian teenagers on February 18, 2016 stabbed two Israeli security guards at a West Bank supermarket, killing one of them and wounding the other. A civilian opened fire on the Palestinian teenagers, wounding both.
Palestinian Journalist on Hunger Strike on the Verge of Death, Wife says
A Palestinian journalist, Mohammed al-Qeq, employed by Saudi state-owned satellite TV Almajd for the past six years, stopped taking food since his arrest in November 2015, and he was lying on a bed at an Israeli hospital, Emek Medical Center at Afula, awaiting death, according to al-Qeq's wife, who also alleged on February 19, 2016 that Israeli security forces had kidnapped al-Qeq from his Ramallah home in November 2015 and placed him under "administrative detention", a measure under which prisoners can be held indefinitely without any charge. At present, some 660 Palestinians out of a total of more than 6,800 are being held under "administrative detention".
Palestinian Journalist Ends His 94-Day Hunger Strike
Palestinian Journalist Mohammed al-Qeq, 33, ended his 94-day hunger strike on February 26, 2016 after reaching a deal with Israeli authorities that would set him free in about three months. As soon as the news of the deal reached his West Bank village of Dura, near Hebron, an air of victory and celebrations gripped the residents who stood steadfastly in support of al-Qeq since he had begun the hunger strike on November 25, 2015. Israel accused al-Qeq of association with recent violent activities and being part of a conspiracy to incite in recent months a spate of stabbings, shootings and vehicular onslaught.
VP Biden's Visit Marred by American's Killing
As the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden set his feet on Israel on March 8, 2016 for a two-day official visit, violence broke out in the port city of Jaffa. As Joe Biden was in the midst of a meeting with former Israeli President Shimon Peres at the Peres Center for Peace, nearby a Palestinian attacker launched a stabbing spree, killing an American tourist and wounding six Israelis before the attacker was killed by Israeli security forces. Later in the day on March 8, 2016, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos identified in a message on the school website the American tourist killed earlier in the day at Jaffa as Owen Graduate School of Management student Taylor Force. Three other Palestinian attackers were killed during the day.
Biden Rebukes Palestinians for Violence
Instead of giving a try to smooth an already abrasive contour of US-Israel relationship, Vice President Joe Biden's two-day (March 8-9, 2016) Israel trip marked anything but what he had aspired to do because of the stabbing death of Vanderbilt University MBA student and Lubbock resident Taylor Force. Force graduated from West Point, served in Iraq, and last fall enrolled in Vanderbilt University as an MBA student. Force was with other Vanderbilt students in a university-sponsored trip to study the start-up business climate in Israel when he was stabbed to death by a Palestinian attacker on March 8, 2016. Meanwhile, on the second day of his trip, Joe Biden, standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had some harsh words for Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas. Biden said that "let me say in no uncertain terms: the United States of America condemns these acts and condemns the failure to condemn the acts". Later in the day on March 9, 2016, Biden met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who had expressed deep condolences over Force's murder at Jaffa a day earlier.
Israel Toughens Stand on Golan Heights
In view of Syrian President Bashar Assad's push to include the future of Golan Heights in the indirect talks being hosted by Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy for Syria, at Geneva, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on April 17, 2016 traveled to the occupied highlands and reiterated that the strategic plateau would never be returned. Israel seized Golan Heights in 1967 Arab War, and essentially annexed it in 1981 by extending the Israeli civil law to the conquered plateau, an action none in the international community had recognized. Israel's premier Benjamin Netanyahu held his cabinet meeting on April 17, 2016 in Golan Heights, and said that "the Golan Heights will forever remain in Israel's hands". Netanyahu also said that "after 50 years, the time has come for the international community to finally recognize that the Golan Heights will remain under Israel's sovereignty permanently". The U.S. quickly criticized the statement by Netanyahu and said that Golan Heights were not "part of Israel". Germany, EU, Arab League, 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation and U.N. Security Council followed suit and swiftly criticized Netanyahu's comments.
Israeli Convicted in Kidnapping, Murder of Palestinian Boy
An Israeli court on April 19, 2016 convicted a 31-year-old Israeli man, Yosef Haim Ben-David, of abducting and murdering a Palestinian teen after the July 2, 2014, kidnapping of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. Yosef Haim Ben-David carried out the heinous crime in collaboration with his two teenage nephews to take revenge on kidnapping and murder of three Israeli hitchhikers days earlier. One of the nephews was sentenced in February 2016 to life in prison, and another to 21 years in jail. The Jerusalem District Court rejected Yosef Haim Ben-David's late-hour insanity plea. In a country where killings and revenge-killings are way of life, the murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir attracted unusual press coverage as well as condemnation from the both aisles of the political spectrum.
Israeli Security Forces Kill Two Palestinians
Israeli security forces on April 26, 2016 opened fire and killed a 23-year-old Palestinian mother of two, Maram Salih Hassan Abu Ismail, and her 15-year-old brother Ibrahim Taha at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah. With the deaths of Maram Salih Hassan Abu Ismail and Ibrahim Taha, 28 Israelis, 2 Americans and nearly 200 Palestinians were killed in the latest escalation of stabbing, shooting, vehicle-ramming and sniping campaign that had erupted in September 2015.
Escalation in Gaza Raises Alarm of a New Fighting
The Egyptian-brokered truce that brought the 50-day fighting in 2014 to an end after deaths of 71 Israelis, most of them soldiers, and at least 2,100 Palestinians, including about 500 children and 250 women, was put to serious test as renewed fighting began on May 4, 2016 after the Israeli troops had entered Gaza to destroy underground tunnels being constructed by militants. Hamas militants launched mortar attacks immediately, and Israel responded in kind by aerial strikes on the coastal peninsula. On May 5, 2016, a 53-year-old Palestinian woman, Zeina al-Amour, was killed in an Israeli missile strike near Khan Younis. The fighting continued for the third day on May 6, 2016 as Hamas militants launched a new round of salvos on Israel and the Netanyahu regime carrying out airstrikes deep inside Gaza Strip.
General's Comment Throws Israel into Vortex of Debate
Israel's Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan's speech last week on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day drew kind of response that reflected the identity of a nation that was still evolving and emerging with newer senses of purpose. On one hand, Yair Golan's comment touched a chord among people who had suffered immeasurably under the persecution of Nazi-era autocracy, a "revolting trend" that the Major General could see these days among many Israelis. In his address at the Massuah Institute for Holocaust Studies, Golan said that it was easy "to hate those who are different; there is nothing easier than to sow fear and terror; there is nothing easier than to behave like animals". As expected, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan's comment immediately drew condemnation from hawkish elements of Israeli society, including premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who on May 8, 2016 stepped into this controversy rather gracelessly by denouncing his speech "outrageous" and "unfounded". To many in Israel, Yair Golan's comment could not have come at a better time as the recent event surrounding the charges leveled against an Israeli army sergeant, Elor Azaria, who was seen on video turning his gun on a Palestinian lying on the ground and subsequent rally by thousands of Israelis in Tel Aviv in support of Azaria. The Israeli opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog called Yair Golan courageous.
Netanyahu's Risky Overture to Ultra-Nationalist Hawk
In a high-risk political game of Russian roulette, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on May 18, 2016 invited ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman to join his cabinet. Induction of Liberman, a former foreign minister known for his provocative comments and a lightning rod for Palestinians, will tilt the Netanyahu administration further to the extreme right. Apparently, the premier has offered Avigdor Liberman the defense ministry as the current office holder, Moshe Yaalon, who has in recent days defended the Israeli military officials, including Israel's Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan against the criticism from hawkish Jewish leaders, is at loggerheads with his Likud compatriot Netanyahu.
Israeli Defense Minister Resigns
In an expected outcome stemming from Benjamin Netanyahu's shameless embrace of ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party and its leader Avigdor Liberman, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on May 20, 2016 stepped down as country's defense minister.
Netanyahu Inducts a Far-Extreme Leader in the Cabinet
In a further extreme move, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu inducted Yisrael Beitenu in his shaky coalition, thus increasing the strength from a wobbly 61 to 66 in 120-seat Knesset, and rewarded the far-right party's leader, Avigdor Liberman, known for his provocative and threatening remarks, with the defense portfolio. The ministry shuffle on May 25, 2016 came five days after Moshe Yaalon had called it quits.
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Ex-Commanders Slams the Government for Inaction on Peace
A group of more than 200 of Israel's former army officials and commanders, Commanders for Israel's Security, on May 27, 2016 blasted the Netanyahu regime for the moribund state of the peace process with the Palestinians, calling for immediate freeze in settlement building, acceptance in principle of the Arab Peace Initiative and recognition of East Jerusalem as part of future Palestinian state. The group sways tremendous influence among Israelis because of its link to former commanders, who are no dove, and is headed by a fabled Israeli commander, Ammon Reshef, who decried the fear mongering climate promoted by the government. Meanwhile, in a sign of building international pressure to jumpstart the peace talks, stalled since 2014, France is planning to host a conference in June 2016.
Group Formally Presents Peace Plan
Reflecting a growing decoupling with Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing administration, a group of former commanders from Israeli Army, police, Shin Bet security service and Mossad spy service, formally called as the Commanders for Israel's Security, on June 28, 2016 made public a plan to bring an end to decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Under the plan submitted, Israel will unilaterally withdraw from 90 percent of West Bank and there will be an immediate and complete freeze on settlement construction. The group's founder Retired Major General Ammon Reshef said that the "things are getting worse and worse" and posed some hard questions such as "what kind of future do we have" if the plan would not get at least a serious consideration.
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First Couple Slapped with Fine
An Israeli labor court on May 31, 2016 ordered PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, to compensate a former employee of their official residence with a lump sum payment of $30,000 in back dues. There are already numerous complaints about spending habits of the first family, and Israel's state comptroller published a harsh report in February 2015, accusing the first family of excessive spending.
Paris Hosts a Meeting to Find a Solution to Mideast Crisis
French government on June 3, 2016 hosted a meeting of EU, the US, Arab League and the U.N. at Paris to brainstorm into the mess that was currently the state of affairs in Israeli-Palestinian relations and figure out a way forward. Diplomats, including the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, issued a communique at the end of day-long meeting, where neither Israel nor Palestinians were not invited, that emphasized on "a just, lasting and enduring peace, with two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security". To further the goals of achieving a two-state solution, the leaders decided to hold an international conference by the end of the year. Israel strongly criticized the June 3, 2016, Paris meeting, with the country's public security minister, Gilad Erdan, calling the meeting a "borderline delusional" exercise.
Four Israeli Soldiers Slain in Shooting
Two Palestinians on June 8, 2016 evening entered into a shopping complex, Sarona, in Tel Aviv across the headquarters of Israeli military, and opened fire, killing four Israelis in one of the most brazen attacks. The sprawling shopping and restaurant complex is a symbol of Israel's vibrancy and open lifestyle, and often frequented by young soldiers and visitors. Opening fire at Sarona symbolized an assault on the country's security apparatus and its vicious boldness. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency national security meeting and resolved to respond this "cold-blooded" murders with an iron hand. Hamas didn't claim the responsibility for the Sarona attack, but nonetheless praised the two attackers, who hailed from the same family in the West Bank village of Yatta, close to Hebron, for their "heroic works" in the month of Ramadan. Hours after Hamas' praise, the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took Hamas to task for their support for the heinous attack. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemned the "horrific terrorist attack" in Tel Aviv.
Israel Displays Defiance in Face of Brazen Attack
A day after two Palestinians dressed in black suits and ties killed four Israeli civilians--identified as Ido Ben Ari, 42; Ilana Naveh, 39, a mother of four girls; Michael Feige, 58, a Sociologist and Anthropologist at Ben Gurion University; and Mila Mishayev, in her early 30s--the prevailing mood was one of defiance and courage, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman paying visit to Sanoma as well as Labor Party lawmaker Shelly Yacimovich shifting all her day's meeting to the restaurant itself on June 9, 2016. One of the two Palestinian attackers was already in custody while the other was being treated at the hospital. On June 9, 2016, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement, condemning the attack. In response to the attack a day before, Israeli government went ahead to suspend 83,000 special travel permits granted to the West Bank Palestinians as well as the permits for Palestinians from Gaza who would go to Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers. Authorities also revoked a total of 204 work permits for the relatives of two Palestinian shooters, meting out the collective punishment as a response to terrorist attack.
Israel Bans Palestinians from West Bank
In the light of June 8, 2016, Palestinian attack on a restaurant complex, Sanoma, across the street from the country's defense department headquarters at Tel Aviv that had killed four Israelis, the authorities on June 10, 2016 imposed a blanket travel ban on Palestinians from West Bank for three days until the end of Jewish holiday of Shavuot. The only exemption to this ban included "humanitarian and medical" cases and visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Travel for Gaza residents had already been impossible after the June 8, 2016, attack as the trip to Al-Aqsa from the coastal strip had immediately been suspended in the aftermath of the attack. Responding to the harsh measures by Israeli authorities, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on June 10, 2016 that the decision to "revoke tens of thousands of entry permits could stoke tension which could yield to a risk of escalation".
Former Defense Minister Blasts Netanyahu
The ousted defense minister Moshe Yaalon ripped through premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies on June 16, 2016 in an address at a security conference in Herzliya. Calling out his bluff and fear mongering tactic, Yaalon said that there was no existential threat to the state of Israel now and Netanyahu's pandering of right-wing extremists was shameful, and vowed to challenge Netanyahu in the next election slated to be held in 2019. Meanwhile, another former premier, Ehud Barack, called during the day for ouster of Netanyahu.
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Israel, Turkey Emerge from Six Years of Near Freeze in Ties
Israel and Turkey on June 27, 2016 took a big diplomatic leap in reviving their full-scale bilateral relationship after a gap of six years when Israeli commando boarded a Turkish-flagged ship trying to breach a naval blockade to deliver relief supplies to Gaza that had led to death of 10 pro-Palestinian activists and torrent of international condemnation against Israel. However, the civil war in Syria and the resulting political volatility in the region had pitted Bashar Assad, a nemesis of Israel, against Turkish regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and changed all the political calculation as far as relationship among the regional powers were concerned. Under the changed circumstances, it was a matter of when, rather than if, Turkey and Israel would come around and embrace with full diplomatic relationship. The day turned out to be June 27, 2016, and the venue was Rome. Under the reconciliation agreement, Israel will give Turkey $20 million in compensation for the 10 pro-Palestinian activists' death. Turkey will build a 200-bed hospital, residential and infrastructure projects in Gaza Strip. Relief supplies and raw materials meant for Gaza will be offloaded by Turkish ships at the Israeli-control port of Ashdod, from where the Israeli authorities will take control and ship them to Gaza. As the details of the deal emerged over the weekend (June 24-26, 2016), Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot published a blistering frontline article wondering what Israel got in return as there was no promise of returning the remains of two Israeli soldiers as well as two Israeli civilians who had been presumed to be held hostage by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the deal on June 27, 2016 at a Rome conference, saying that it was of "strategic importance to Israel". Also, he pointed out to opening of Turkish market for Israeli natural gas export, leading to more marketing opportunity in Europe.
First Supply Ship Arrives at Gaza
The result of June 27, 2016, détente arrived at Rome by Turkey and Israel to restitute their relationship back on normal track was borne fruit as the first Turkish ship carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid docked at the Israeli port of Ashdod on July 3, 2016 after nearly 35 hours of voyage that the ship, Lady Leyla, had begun from the Turkish port of Mersin on late July 1, 2016.
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Settler Girl, 13, Stabbed to Death
A 19-year-old Palestinian man scaled the fence of a West Bank settlement, Kiryat Arba, in the morning of June 30, 2016, entered a settlement home, and stabbed a 13-year-old girl, Hallel Yaffa Ariel, 13, a dual Israeli-American citizen, on her bed. As the teenager's father found her body, a search ensued for the killer, and Mohamad Tarayreh, 19, was subsequently shot dead. Tarrayreh hailed from a nearby West Bank town, Bani Naim.
An Israeli Man Shot Dead, Wife and Kids Injured
A day after a 19-year-old Palestinian youth stormed a settler home and knifed a Jewish girl to death on her bed, a Palestinian sniper opened fire on a car near Hebron on July 1, 2016, killing its male driver, later identified by the Israeli media as Miki Mark, a 48-year-old Jew who had headed a Jewish seminary in the nearby Otniel settlement. Mark's wife and his two teenage children were wounded in the shootout. After the shooting, a huge contingent of Israeli security forces entered into Hebron in the largest security operation in two years, and closed most of the roads to and from Hebron. The security was notched up at the Hebron's contested religious shrine, known to Tomb of Patriarchs to Jews and Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslims. Also, the Israeli administration of premier Benjamin Netanyahu announced that it would reduce the revenue reimbursement to Palestinian Authority in response to the recent spurt in attacks.
Quartet Expresses Doubt in Future of Peace Process
The so-called Quartet--U.N., USA, Russia and EU--issued a report on July 1, 2016, painting a gloomy picture on the state of affairs Palestinian-Israeli relationship. The report condemned Israeli authorities for their continued expansion of settlements in West Bank and Jerusalem, defying all international norms and protocols. The settlement activity, according to the report, posed a significant hindrance to pushing the peace process forward. The Quartet Report also took Palestinians to task for glorifying the attackers as martyrs.
Palestinian Martyr Fund Attracts Renewed Scrutiny, Condemnation
A long-ago established fund created by PLO to compensate Palestinian martyr families drew harsh condemnation from the Israeli authorities in light of families of some of the Palestinian attackers in the approximately year-old campaign of violence, involving sniping, knifing and vehicular attacks, receiving compensation from the fund that was created in 1967. According to a report carried by The Associated Press on July 11, 2016, the fund pays about 35,000 Palestinian families and growing, and has a budget of $170 million this year. In comparison, Israel transfers $125 million a month, or $1.5 billion a year, to Palestinian Authorities in revenue that belongs to Palestinians anyway.
Netanyahu Sorry for Anti-Arab Comments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 26, 2016 apologized for anti-Arab comments he had made at the height of the last year's keenly contested elections. His infamous comment at that time that Arabs were going to polling stations in "droves" to help increase Jewish voter turnout drew rebuke from various groups and political parties. On July 26, 2016, Netanyahu offered his apology to Israeli Arabs and called for their increased integration with the Israeli society.
Netanyahu Invites Abbas to Address Israel's Parliament
In a political grandstanding of sort and choosing the U.N. General Assembly as a platform, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 22, 2016 tried to perform a regional statesman as he exhorted Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to address Knesset and offered to do the same at the Palestinian parliament. Prior to Netanyahu's speech, Chairman Abbas took the podium to call for the U.N. to declare 2017 as the "international year to end the Israeli occupation of our land and our people". He also questioned the sincerity of any Israeli leader to see through any peace deal with Palestinians. He took swipe at Netanyahu for evading a special conference on the middle-east conflict that France wanted to host.
Settlement Expansion Continues with New Building Permits
In another setback to hope for reviving the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, Israel's military planning commission on okayed permit for 463 housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Haaretz reported on August 31, 2016 that of the 463 units, 51 would be newly built, 178 would be retroactively legalized although they had been built decades ago and 234 would be exclusively built for senior citizens. What is most disconcerting and what has been pointed out clearly by the White House press secretary Josh Earnest during the day is Israel's decision to put a legal stamp of approval for unauthorized and illegal settlement activities carried out decades ago violating Israel's own laws.
Moscow Inserts itself in Palestinian-Israeli Conflicts, Invites Both Sides
Russia's foreign ministry issued a statement on September 8, 2016, saying that Moscow had offered to host a meeting between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and both leaders had accepted the invitation. However, the statement did not say when the meeting would be held, or what would be agenda.
Abbas a Former KGB Agent?
An Israeli TV station reported on September 8, 2016 that two Israeli researchers had come across a convincing set of dossier implicating Mahmoud Abbas to be a paid KGB agent in the 80s when he had lived in Syria. Palestinian officials called the report an Israeli dirty ploy to discredit Abbas.
Rights Groups Call the Israeli Inquiry into 50-Day 2014 Conflict a "Whitewash"
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem that often sheds light on Israeli excesses on Palestinians has issued a report on September 20, 2016, criticizing the Israeli military of not adequately investigating the allegations documented during the 50-day Gaza Conflict in 2014. B'Tselem called the Israeli inquiry a "whitewash protocol". A U.N. Commission of Inquiry had found both Israel and Hamas guilty in war crimes. The 50-day Gaza Conflict (July 8-August 26, 2014) had killed about 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis.
SHIMON PERES
Shimon Peres, former President, premier and quintessential public servant, passed away on September 28, 2016 at the age of 93. Peres' life chronicled the events and evolution of Israeli society since the birth of the Jewish nation.
Shimon Peres was also the last of the founding fathers of Israel and one of the most outspoken elder statesmen in the region. His political life of more than seven decades can not be separated from the nation of Israel itself. His life--along with his evolving political position over the years--has come to epitomize the changing landscape of middle-east.
Shimon Peres has held all possible public offices and numerous government portfolios--including premiership and presidency--in a span of 70-plus years of public service. It was Peres who was the chief advocate and champion of Israel's nuclear weapons program. His hawkish stand in 60s, 70s, and 80s was a source of much of Arab indignation. Peres was also a leading voice of Israel's settlement building and expansion plan in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Many Arab leaders still harbor animosity against Peres because of his past hawkish stand, and they have expressed strong displeasure over Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' decision to attend the state funeral of Peres on September 30, 2016.
However, Shimon Peres and his then-Labor ally Yitzhak Rabin seized a rare opportunity to explore peace with PLO in early 90s. Prodded by the U.S. President Bill Clinton, Peres spearheaded an intense negotiation with the Palestinian side that led to signing of Oslo Accord in 1993. In 1994, three key figures of the Oslo Accord--Peres, Rabin, and the PLO leader Yasser Arafat--received the Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, Shimon Peres played the role of an elder statesman, emphasizing time and again the significance and benefit of a two-state solution. He was seen as the only remaining powerful voice for middle-east peace since the November 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin at hands of a Jewish extremist.
Shimon Peres sensed the shift in the attitude of international community toward Jewish settlement activity, occupation of Palestinian land and Israeli step-motherly policies against its own Arab citizens. Peres tried to do his best to counter the adverse international opinion by constantly and consistently advocating for peace and reconciliation with the Palestinians. As former U.S. President Bill Clinton said of Shimon Peres, the beloved Israeli elder statesman was first a bright student of Israel, then a bright teacher of his country and eventually the best dreamer of Israel. His vision for peace and two-state solution will serve as a beacon of hope to both Palestinians and Israelis for their common pursuit of the dream to have an independent Palestine thriving alongside its neighbor, a secure and prosperous Israel.
Two Israelis Killed in a Palestinian Shooting Rampage
A Palestinian, identified later in the day as 39-year-old Musabh Abu Sbaih, opened fire near Israel's national police headquarters in Jerusalem on October 9, 2016, killing a police counterterrorism personnel, Yosef Kirma, 29, and a 60-year-old woman, Lavanah Malichi. The U.S. State Department strongly condemned the attack and the continuous glorification of such violent acts as Hamas described Sbaih in the aftermath of the attack that the gunman, killed in the subsequent exchange of gunfire, was "one of ours".
Qatar Mediates between Palestinian Factions
Amid the peace process stuck in the mud and Palestinian unity in a disarray, the best chance for the Arab world to become a player in any future peace talks is to push for bridging the current rift that has afflicted, and to some extent harmed, the Palestinian interest. Qatar in recent years took the onus to lead the Arab effort to bring Fatah and Hamas closer. As part of that continuing effort, the latest intra-Palestinian talks were held at Doha on October 27, 2016, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas premier of Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, and Khaled Meshal, Hamas' chief political adviser, among others participating.
Netanyahu Declines to Join Paris Conference
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 7, 2016 rejected French President Francois Hollande's invitation to join the upcoming conference at Paris to revive Israel-Palestinian peace talks.
U.S. Refrains from Vetoing U.N. Resolution Condemning Israel's Settlement Activity
In the waning days, Obama administration sent a very clear message to Netanyahu administration on its drive to expand settlement activities by abstaining from vetoing a measure at the U.N. Security Council that condemned Israel's settlement activity. The measure, sponsored by New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal, was passed by 14-0 vote on December 23, 2016. Obama administration vetoed a similar measure in 2011, and since then, Israeli settlement activity had only increased. Obama administration made it clear that it would be almost impossible to veto a measure like this in light of universally condemnable settlement expansion. Israel's Ambassador to the USA, Danny Danon, denounced the measure, and Netanyahu called it a "shameful anti-Israeli resolution". U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan called it "shameful" too.
Netanyahu Blasts Obama, U.N.
A day after Washington refrained from vetoing a U.N. resolution that condemned in no uncertain terms Israel's settlement activities, Israel's premier Benjamin Netanyahu on December 24, 2016 did not hide his displeasure against Obama administration, and poured out the venom against Obama personally as well as the U.N. Netanyahu vowed to correct the situation once his "friend" Donald Trump was inaugurated the U.S. President. Separately, Trump tweeted condemning the U.N resolution as well as the U.S. action.
Kerry Rips Israel
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry used his farewell address on December 28, 2016 at the State Department to chastise Israel for its pro-settlement policy, and firmly reminded Israel that either it could be a Jewish State, or a Democratic state, but could not be the both at the same time. The tone of the speech reflected the souring relationship between the two allies in the waning days of Obama administration.
British Premier Chides Kerry
In an unusual departure of protocol, British Prime Minister Theresa May took issues with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on December 30, 2016 and criticized Kerry's December 28, 2016, speech at the State Department in which Kerry called out Benjamin Netanyahu regime as the most right-wing regime in Israel's history driven by the most right-wing elements.
Israeli Soldier Convicted of Shooting an Wounded Palestinian Attacker
An Israeli soldier, Sgt. Elor Azaria, seen on a video tape of shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker was convicted of manslaughter by a three-judge panel at Tel Aviv on January 4, 2017. The three-judge panel ruled the shooting of Abdul Fattah al-Sharif as needless. Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, and another Palestinian youth, Ramzi al-Qasrawi, attacked Israeli soldiers with knives at a Hebron checkpoint on March 24, 2016, leading to soldiers opening fire. Ramzi al-Qasrawi was immediately killed, but as Abdul Fattah al-Sharif was laying on the ground and groaning with pain, Sgt. Elor Azaria approached the Palestinian youth and opened fire.
Truck Plows Soldiers, Kill 4
A truck driven by a Palestinian drove into a group of Israeli soldiers at Armon Hanatziv Promenade, a prominent tourist spot joining eastern and western parts of Jerusalem, killing 3 female and one male soldiers on January 8, 2017. Premier Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident an Islamic State-inspired terrorist incident.
Soldier Receives 18-Month Term
Sgt. Elor Azaria, convicted on January 4, 2017 on charges of murdering a wounded Palestinian attacker, Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, on March 24, 2016, was on February 21, 2017 sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment by a panel of military judges.
Conference on Israel Poised to End up as a Political Flop
As leaders and diplomats from more than 70 states are scheduled to meet at Paris on January 15, 2017 to rejuvenate the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestinians, chances of its success are at best slim as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu refused to attend the talks and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had postponed his trip to Paris in the last minute.
Palestinians Open Embassy at Vatican
One more flying color to Palestinian Authority's diplomatic cap as on January 14, 201 its President Mahmoud Abbas officially opened its embassy in Vatican. Abbas also met with Pope Francis during the day, and a communique issued after the Pope-PA leader's meeting reiterated Vatican's long-standing demand that the "holy places for believers of all three of the Abrahamic religions" must be safeguarded.
Israel Okays Settlement Growth in the First Week of Trump Presidency
Sensing a possible shift in the U.S. policy after Donald Trump became president, Israel on January 23, 2017 approved construction of 566 new housing units in East Jerusalem that was delayed because of strong objection by the Obama administration. A day later, January 24, 2017, Israel doubled down on settlement activity by announcing an additional 2,500 units to be built in the West Bank.
Trump Recalibrates Stance on Israel
Days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to make his first official visit to Trump White House, U.S. President Donald Trump tried to lower the expectation on radical departure from the years-old American policies. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, owned by casino magnet Sheldon Adelson, that carried it on February 10, 2017, Trump said that the Jewish settlement didn't help the peace process and moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was not a sure-thing as it was a complex issue.
Harsh Enforcer to Become Hamas' New Leader
Hamas made it official on February 13, 2017 that its new leader for Gaza was chosen after a secret two-week meeting. Yehya Sinwar, in his mid-50s, served almost two decades in Israeli prison and was known for his ruthlessness in enforcing the militant organization's command structure.
Trump Off-tracks Long-held U.S. Policy on Israel
As he greeted the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 15, 2017 at the White House, President Donald Trump seemed to have thrown away, willingly or unwillingly, the long-held U.S. policy toward Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At a joint press conference, Trump hinted that he would be comfortable either way with a one-, or a two-state, solution. U.S. and much of the international community have been strong advocates of a two-state solution for years, and Trump's comments have added a new complexity and uncertainty to this volatile issue.
Haley Re-affirms U.S. Support for a Two-State Solution
A day after President Donald Trump's news conference that had sown confusion over Washington's policy toward Israeli-Palestinian conflict, USA's U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on February 16, 2017 tried to walk back and reiterate Washington's long-term commitment to find a two-state solution.
Trump Administration Warns against West Bank Annexation
After a novice lawmaker, Miki Zohar, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party floated the idea of annexing the West Bank and giving approximately 2 million Palestinians limited autonomy, but no voting privilege, Trump administration communicated very clearly against any unilateral imposition of "one state solution" by Israel as the policy would be sure to flame the Middle-East, according to a speech given by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on March 6, 2017 to the country's parliament. Trump administration's admonition against any unilateral step is more in line with the traditional U.S. policy toward the region and a welcoming break from his campaign rhetoric.
Arab Leaders Revives Palestinian Statehood Issue
Sensing an opportunity to score brownies with Trump administration with the U.S. President's desire for a grand bargain, a summit of Arab leaders at Dead Sea in Jordan on March 29, 2017 tied the issue of normalization of Arab World's relationship with Israel to recognition and eventual creation of Palestinian statehood. The summit was significant in the sense that it was held days before three key Arab leaders were to meet with the U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. Those three leaders--Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah--met separately amongst themselves on the sidelines of the summit.
Israeli Plan to Build the First New Settlement in Two Decades Stirs Controversy
Complication the Trump White House's drive and zeal for a "Grand Bargain" in the Middle East, Israeli security cabinet on March 30, 2017 announced plan to build the first settlement in the West Bank in almost two decades to compensate for demolishing an illegal outpost, Amona, in February 2017 under the Israeli Supreme Court order.
Joint U.S.-Israeli Missile Defense System Becomes Operational
A joint U.S.-Israeli missile defense system, formally called the David's Sling System and jointly built by Israeli firm Rafael and U.S. firm Raytheon, became operational on April 2, 2017. Noting the importance of the David's Sling System, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the anti-missile system would help the nation fending off the incoming rockets and missiles launched by Hezbollah. Israel's other missile-defense systems are Arrow and Iron Dome.
Hamas' New Leader Likely to Deteriorate Palestinian-Israeli Relations
Hamas on May 6, 2017 chose a former premier of the coastal strip as its new international leader, replacing the militant group's long-time ideologue Khaled Mashaal. However, selection of Ismail Haniyeh sends a strong signal to Israel and beyond that the group's strident anti-Israeli stand and struggle are here to stay for longer run.
Trump Disappoints Ultra-right Jewish Lobby
U.S. President Donald Trump, who had toyed over the idea of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, refrained from stirring the hornet's nest after all. On June 1, 2017, President Trump signed an order to stay put where the U.S. embassy of Israel was: Tel Aviv. President's action is sure to bring tremendous disappointment to several right-wing groups both in Israel and USA.
Ex-Hamas Inmates Miss June 2017 Monthly Stipends
Former Hamas inmates, who had been released by Israeli authorities in a 2011 prisoner swap program, were reported to have missed this month's monthly stipends from the Palestinian Authority, according to a June 4, 2017, report by The Associated Press. Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas is under increasing pressure from Israel and the USA to stop giving such stipends to former Palestinian prisoners as these handout, according to officials from both nations, glorifies the violence against Israel.
Israel Breaks Grounds for New Settlement
A day before U.S. President's new envoy for Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jared Kushner, was scheduled to arrive for mediation, Israel broke grounds for the first time since 1990s on a new West Bank settlement, called Amichai, on June 20, 2017.
Hamas' New Leader Wants Reconciliation with Abbas
Hamas' new leader Ismail Haniyeh gave his view on the group's policy first time on July 5, 2017 since assuming the helms of affairs in May 2017. Haniyeh railed against Trump administration for extorting "Islamic and Arab powers" to benefit Israel while extending an olive branch to Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas. Haniyeh stressed broader unity among Palestinians.
Jerusalem City Council to Approve 800 New Homes
Escalating an already deteriorating tension, Jerusalem's local government announced on July 5, 2017 that it would approve 800 new Jewish homes in the existing settlements in East Jerusalem.
UNESCO Decision Rattles Israel
UNESCO on July 7, 2017 voted 12-3 to declare a contested holy site in the West Bank as the World Heritage site. The vote came during the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee meeting at Krakow, Poland at the urging of Palestinians. The site at Hebron, known as the Ibrahimi Mosque to Palestinians and the Tomb of Patriarchs to Jews, witnessed many violent clashes between settlers and Israeli security on one side and Palestinians on the other. Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu called the decision "delusional". U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley chimed in too, saying that the UNESCO's decision "does not do any good and causes much harm".
Newcomer Elected to Lead Israel's Labor Party
Avi Gabbay, 50, beat Amir Peretz, former Defense Minister, in a Labor Party runoff held on July 10, 2017.
Escalation in Tension Grips Old City and Key Religious Site
The most recent escalation in violence erupted on July 14, 2017 as three Palestinian gunmen emerged from Nobel Sanctuary of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and opened fire on the Israeli security personnel at the holy site, killing two of them. Israeli police pursued the attackers into the complex, and shot them dead. In the aftermath, Israel installed pervasive metal detectors at the entrance of and around the Nobel Sanctuary, angering the Palestinians. Since then, a silent diplomatic communication among Israel, Palestinians, Trump administration and Jordan were going on to find the impasse. Meanwhile, a tragic incident on July 23, 2017 at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan helped find a path forward for the impasse that had plagued the Al-Aqsa Mosque since July 14, 2017. On July 23, 2017, an Israeli security guard at the embassy opened fire and killed two Jordanians after one of them attacked the embassy security personnel with a screw-driver. Next day, July 24, 2017, Jordanian King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a phone conversation, leading to the Israeli guard's release followed by dismantling of metal detectors around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Two days later, an Israeli cabinet meeting on July 26, 2017 decided to replace the metal detectors with a $29 million high-resolution cameras and sensors.
Peaceful Prayers Held inside Al-Aqsa Mosque
For the first time in more than two weeks, prayers were held on July 28, 2017 inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound since the killing of the two Israeli guards by Palestinian gunmen on July 14, 2017. For the past two weeks, Palestinians refused to enter the mosque in protest against installation of metal detectors. Waqf Board, overseer of the mosque, demanded that the security be returned to pre-July 14, 2017, level. After Israeli security forces removed the metal detectors, a key demand by Palestinians, normalcy returned on July 27, 2017.
U.S. Ambassador's Comments Draw Ire
Putting the Trump administration in a soup, president's former bankruptcy attorney and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said on September 28, 2018 during an interview with Israel's Walla news site that Israelis were occupying only 2 percent of the West Bank, a figure that came almost nowhere. Friedman's comments immediately drew fire from the Palestinians, with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' aide Nabil Shaath calling the comments an "absolute ignorance of facts of law and of the position of the United States". To clear a diplomatic mess, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heath Nauert later in the day responded that ambassador's remarks "should not be read as a change in U.S. policy".
Jordan's King Visits West Bank in a Rare Diplomacy
Jordanian King Abdullah whose Hashemite Dynasty is the custodian of Old Jerusalem's Muslim establishment and religious sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on August 7, 2017 arrived at Ramallah to a red-carpet welcome from Palestinian Authority and its Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. King Abdullah was in the Palestinian Authority headquarters to accelerate a diplomatic effort to diffuse tension stemming from the July 14, 2017, attack on two Israeli security guards at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Netanyahu Rails against Media
Under investigation on charges of corruption, an irate Benjamin Netanyahu on August 9, 2017 blasted Israeli media for provoking unrest as he spoke to thousands of Likud Party surrogates at Tel Aviv Convention Center.
Hamas Repairs Relations with Iran; Netanyahu Meets U.N. Chief
Gaza Strip's Prime Minister Yehiyeh Sinwar met for the first time with reporters on August 28, 2017 after becoming Gaza Strip's administrative head in February 2017. During his four-hour meeting with journalists, Sinwar, who had spent two decades behind bar in Israeli prison on charges of instigating violence and murder of two Israeli soldiers, said that Hamas had repaired relations with its old benefactor Iran and the relations were in upswing now. In 2012, Hamas downgraded its once intimate relations with Teheran over the Shiite state's support for Bashar Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu poured his frustration with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was visiting the region. His August 28, 2017, meeting with Guterres touched on several thorny issues including an overt bias against Israel in U.N., failure of U.N. peacekeeping mission, or UNIFIL, from weapons smuggling by Hezbollah and buttressing the enforcement mandate of the mission with renewal of its authority after the mandate was over at the end of August.
Netanyahu's Comments Draw Ire from U.N.S.G., Palestinians
Hours after meeting visiting U.N. chief, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a very provocative speech on August 28, 2017 night at a West Bank settlement, Barkan, where Netanyahu vowed never to withdraw from "Judea and Samaria" and keep up the momentum of settlement activity. As Netanyahu's Barkan speech sank in overnight, murmur of protest emerged on August 29, 2017. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres challenged Netanyahu's comment while Palestinians called for U.N. intervention.
Celebration, Condemnation over 100 Year Anniversary of Balfour Declaration
A historic declaration made 100 years ago on November 2, 1917 by the then-British Foreign Minister Lord Arthur Balfour to address the concern and marginalization of Jewish people in Europe was thought to have set the stage for creation of Jewish nation, and being hailed by the Jewish population around the world as the turning point for the national identity and statehood for Jews, but at the same time marked as harbinger of the so-called Nakba, or the Catastrophe, for the Palestinian population. The 67-word original declaration written by Balfour and addressed to Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild, a British financier and Zionist leader, was meant to assist Jewish people to create a homeland. The Balfour Declaration reads: "His majesty's government views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object". However, the same declaration provided safety net for the Arab and non-Jewish people of Palestine, saying that "It being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine". The Balfour Declaration served as the founding rock for the British Mandate of Palestine, which was approved by the League of Nations in 1920, leading to the wave of migration of Jews to Palestine and eventually helping establish the first homeland for Jewish people.
Hamas Leader Calls Abbas to Assume Authority of Gaza
Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh upon his return to Gaza City after talks with Egyptian officials called on Palestinian Authority on September 19, 2017 to work out the "practical steps" to bring Gaza Strip under its jurisdiction, underscoring the message of unification of Palestinian factions.
Palestinian Factions Sign Agreement to Rule as one Entity
At the behest of Arab World and with the full backing of Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Authorities and Hamas negotiators on October 12, 2017 signed a deal at Cairo that was mediated by Egypt to begin the process of bringing the Gaza Strip and West Bank under the single administrative umbrella of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
PLO Office in Washington to Shut down under U.S. Law
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson late November 17, 2017 determined that Palestinians had violated a U.S. law when Palestinian Authority in September 2017 asked International Criminal Court to prosecute Israeli soldiers. Under the law, PLO office in Washington has to close until President Trump determines that Palestinians are engaged in the peace process. Reacting to U.S. move, Palestinian leader Hanan Ashrawi said on November 18, 2017 that U.S. was disqualifying itself as a peace broker.
Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Capital; Plans to Move US Embassy
Torpedoing the delicate balance of Middle-East politics in general and Israeli-Palestinian relationship in particular, Donald Trump on December 6, 2017 recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and announced that his administration would begin the work to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump's announcement immediately drew rebuke from European and Arab allies, and Palestinian Authority all but dismissed any role of Trump administration in future mediation. Fatah and Hamas called for days of rage, and Hamas called for a third Intifada.
Protests Erupt through out Middle East
Large and small protests erupted across the region, and violence broke out near Gaza boundary and other West Bank towns on December 7, 2017. Daily protests were being held across the globe to condemn Donald Trump's December 6, 2017, move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Protest Continues for Fourth Day; Two Killed
Israeli airstrike on December 9, 2017 in Gaza killed two Hamas militants after rocket was launched from the strip on an Israeli town, Sderot. Meanwhile, the political fallout from Donald Trump's December 6, 2017, decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv was prompt, with Palestinian Authority announcing on December 9, 2017 that its President Mahmoud Abbas would not meet with the U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to the region. Egypt's Coptic Church said during the day that its pope would not meet with Pence either.
Macron, Netanyahu Spar amid Growing and Expanding Violent Protest
A visiting Benjamin Netanyahu faced his moment of diplomatic justice as his host, French President Emmanuel Macron, standing beside Israel's premier condemned on December 10, 2017 the U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move there the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv. Netanyahu has retorted by saying that just like Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for the past 70 years and the historic link of the city to the Jews goes back to 3,000 years. Netanyahu's next moment of uncomfortable confabulation comes on December 11, 2017 as he meets with EU Foreign Ministers at Brussels.
Meanwhile, the violence continued unabated in the region during the day. On December 10, 2017, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli soldier in Jerusalem, severely wounding him and bringing the violence to the contested city for the first time. Demonstrators clashed with security forces near the U.S. embassy in Beirut during the day. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Arab League Foreign Ministers Demand Withdrawal of Trump's Order on Jerusalem
Meeting at Cairo, Arab League foreign ministers on December 10, 2017 demanded that the December 6, 2017, U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital be rescinded.
Hezbollah Leader Denounces Trump's Decision
Addressing tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters at Beirut on December 11, 2017 from an unknown location, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called Trump's December 6, 2017, decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move U.S. embassy there a "foolish decision" that would rather accelerate Israel's downfall.
Islamic World Rails against Trump's Jerusalem Stand
A summit of 57-member Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) took a unified stand at a meeting at Istanbul, Turkey on December 13, 2017 against Donald Trump's December 6, 2017, declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. In a communique issued at the end of a one-day summit on December 13, 2017, Islamic world called Trump's move "unilateral" and "dangerous declaration". The host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was among more than 30 heads of state, including Jordanian King Abdullah, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and emirs of Qatar and Kuwait. The leaders also declared East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state from the Istanbul OIC summit.
Trump Administration's First U.N. Security Council Veto Shots down U.S' Jerusalem Decision
An Egyptian-tabled resolution that condemned, without directly naming, Trump administration's December 6, 2017, declaration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there was vetoed by U.S. on December 18, 2017. U.S. stood isolated at the U.N. Security Council as other 14 member nations had lent support to the resolution that called any unilateral decision on the final status of Jerusalem as "null and void".
U.S. Stands Isolated on Jerusalem Issue
In a significant loss of diplomatic leverage and prestige on international stage, Trump administration on December 21, 2017 received a severe jolt as U.N. General Assembly voted 128-9 for a resolution demanding that U.S. withdraw its December 6, 2017, decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital and move the U.S. embassy there. Thirty five nations abstained from voting.
Trump's Tweet Angers Palestinians
President Donald Trump's January 2, 2018, tweet that despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from the U.S., Palestinians showed no "appreciation" evoked strong response from the Arab World. To double down on president's threat to Palestinians to cut off future payments, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said on January 3, 2018 that Washington would cut funding to U.N. Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA), a primary monetary source for development work in Palestinian areas, if Palestinian Authority did not return to negotiating table. U.S. is biggest donor to UNWRA, and has given more than $360 million, more than 40 percent of the organization's budget last year.
Israel Publishes List of Groups to Denied Entry to the Country
Israeli government on January 7, 2018 officially published a list of 20 organizations whose members would be prohibited from entering the nation for the groups' ties to an international movement for boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against Israel. The list includes a U.S.-based organization, Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that claims to have 70 chapters and more than 15,000 dues-paying members. The so-called blacklist, compiled by Gilad Erdan, minister of strategic affairs, is set to be effective March 1, 2018.
Israel Publishes List of Groups to Denied Entry to the Country
Israeli government on January 7, 2018 officially published a list of 20 organizations whose members would be prohibited from entering the nation for the groups' ties to an international movement for boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against Israel. The list includes a U.S.-based organization, Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that claims to have 70 chapters and more than 15,000 dues-paying members. The so-called blacklist, compiled by Gilad Erdan, minister of strategic affairs, is set to be effective March 1, 2018.
Mike Pence Heckled at Knesset by Arab Lawmakers
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on January 22, 2018 gave a bold, but divisive, speech to Israeli lawmakers, saying that U.S. embassy would be moved to Jerusalem by the end of 2019. His speech was greeted with applause by the Jewish lawmakers. However, at the beginning of his speech, Arab lawmakers stood up and unfurled banners that read: "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine". Arab lawmakers were subsequently removed from the Knesset. Reflecting the Arab anger, the leader of the main Arab party, Ayman Odeh, vowed to not lend a "silent backdrop" to a man that he had called a "dangerous racist".
Pence Wraps up Middle-East Trip with a Visit to Judaism's Holiest Place
Vice President Mike Pence on January 23, 2018 concluded a four-day middle-east trip with a visit to Western Wall, a powerful message in support of Jews and Israel, but after rankling the Palestinians. Palestinians Authority snubbed Pence as Mahmoud Abbas refused to meet with the U.S. Vice President, and Pence received a lukewarm reception from his hosts at two earlier stops in Egypt and Jordan.
Trump Blasts Palestinians for the Slight to Pence
President Donald Trump, attending the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, fired the fusillade on January 25, 2018 by threatening the Palestinians to cut off aid in response to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' refusal to meet with Mike Pence as a protest to U.S. decision in December 2017 to move the embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital.
Israel Loses Its First Warplane in Decades
The civil war in Syria suddenly turned into a regional escalation on February 10, 2018 with Israel sucked into it as an Iranian drone was alleged to have penetrated into Israeli airspace in the early morning. Israeli defense forces downed the drone, and followed up by upping the ante by attacking the command-and-control center in Syria where the Iranian drone had been launched from. After the mission was complete, one of Israel's F-16 jets on its way back crashed in northern Israel, reportedly under the hostile Syrian fire. Israel then sent sorties over Syrian skies to launch strikes against Syrian and Iranian targets, including three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian facilities that were part of what Israel described as "Iran's military entrenchment in Syria". However, the F-16 crash in northern Israel was marked by jubilation in both Damascus, where Syrians were seen distributing sweets, and Lebanon. Lebanese Hezbollah went a step ahead to describe it (downing of Israeli F-16) as the "start of a new strategic phase". Last time that Israel lost a warplane was decades ago in early 1980s.
Netanyahu Fumes; Threatens Adversaries
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on February 11, 2018 that Israel had struck severe blows against numerous Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria a day earlier after an Iranian drone had entered into Israeli airspace although one of the country's F-16 fighter jets had been shot down too.
Putin Hosts Palestinian Leader; Relays Trump's Greeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 11, 2018 greeted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the Kremlin, moments after he was off a phone call with the U.S. President Donald trump. Putin conveyed Trump's good wishes to Abbas, who in turn retorted that "we refuse to cooperate with Americans" in Palestinian-Israeli peace process, underscoring the shift in fulcrum of political balance in facilitating the peace process.
************************ CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST BIBI **************
Israeli Leader May Become the First Sitting Head of State to Face Indictment
After many months of investigation, Israeli police on February 13, 2018 recommended that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu face prosecution on charges of bribery and corruption, including about $300,000 in gifts in exchange for favorable government treatment of his benefactors and action to mete out public largesse to a newspaper, Yediot Ahronot, in lieu of portraying the premier, his family and policies in positive light. The recommendation now goes to Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, a one-time confidante of Netanyahu, who will now decide whether to prosecute Netanyahu. If Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit files formal charges against Benjamin Netanyahu, this will be the first time that a sitting president will face indictment.
On February 14, 2018, Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the police inquiry as "full of holes, like Swiss cheese".
A Second Scandal in a Week Hits Netanyahu
A week after Israeli police recommended that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stand in trial on corruption charges, another allegation--reported by The Associated Press and The New York Times--surfaced on February 20, 2018, implicating a longtime Netanyahu aide, premier's media adviser Nir Hefetz, trying to bribe a judge, Judge Hila Gerstel, through a middleman in 2015 that involved an offer for the judge to be appointed as Israel's Attorney-General in exchange for action to drop charges against Netanyahu's wife, Sara Netanyahu, related to household spending. Both Hefetz and the middleman were being held in custody. Netanyahu denied the allegation. In Fall of 2017, Israel's current Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit recommended indictment against Ms. Netanyahu.
A Third Scandal Pops up Involving Country's Telecom Giant
In addition to scandals related to attempted backroom deal with the publisher of Yediot Ahronot for favorable coverage and trying to bribe a judge in order to drop charges against his wife, Israel's embattled premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, now faces a third serious charge in which one of his former confidantes is even ready to become a state witness and testify against the prime minister. The aide, Shlomo Filber, or "Momo", taken to custody this week, on February 21, 2018 agreed to become a state witness. Filber was the Director General of the Communications Ministry from 2015 to 2017, reporting to Netanyahu. He was sacked few months ago as Israel Securities Authorities zeroed in on him over providing undue financial incentives and other largesse to Israel's largest telecommunication company, Bezeq, for favorable coverage of Netanyahu on its online news site. The largest shareholder of Bezeq, Shaul Elovitch, and many of his family members were arrested too this week besides Filber.
Netanyahu Quizzed by Police for the Eighth Time
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu was questioned by Israel's police on March 2, 2018 in his Jerusalem's official residence on the Balfour Street. The questioning was linked to the third corruption case involving telecommunication giant Bezeq and marked the eighth time in the last fourteen months that Netanyahu had faced such police interrogation.
Netanyahu's Wife Indicted
Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara Netanyahu, on June 21, 2018 was indicted on fraud and breach of public trust. The Office of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed the charges in the Jerusalem District Court.
Israeli Police Recommends Netanyahu's Indictment
Israeli police on December 1, 2018 recommended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be indicted in the bribery charges linked to the favorable coverage by Bezeq, Israel's largest telecom company and controlled by the country's billionaire entrepreneur Shaul Elovitch. Now, it's up to Israel's Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, a Netanyahu appointee, to formally charge the premier, who dismissed the probe as a "political witch hunt".
Netanyahu Becomes the First Sitting Premier to be Indicted
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the only sitting government head in Israel's history to be indicted as Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on November 21, 2019 unveiled charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust against the premier. The indictment adds another several layers of uncertainty to already fluid political landscape of Israel which is reeling off two key leaders unsuccessfully trying to form a coalition government and may be headed to the third parliamentary election in a year. Its' not yet clear whether Netanyahu will resign as a prime minister is not required to resign following an indictment, but other ministers do. The Catch-22 situation is that Netanyahu also runs other portfolios, giving opposition to demand that he resign.
Hours after the indictment was unveiled by the attorney-general, a defiant Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to fight the charges and called them as work of political opponents.
Netanyahu Doesn't Need to Resign, A-G Says
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on November 25, 2019 said that Benjamin Netanyahu could continue as prime minister.
Charges Formally Submitted to Speaker of Knesset
Eleven days after charging a sitting prime minister for the first time ever, Israel's attorney-general, Avichai Mandelblit, submitted the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust against Benjamin Netanyahu to the parliament's speaker on December 2, 2019.
Trial not to be Delayed, Israeli Court Rules
An Israeli court on March 10, 2020 rejected a plea by lawyers of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay the start of corruption trial.
Netanyahu Appears on the Opening Session
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, having already set a record of serving as Israel's premier for the longest streak, on May 24, 2020 set another record as he appeared before a Jerusalem court during the day on the opening session of a trial against a sitting head of state for the first time in Israeli history. Netanyahu faces charges on bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Netanyahu Becomes the First Sitting Premier to be Indicted
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the only sitting government head in Israel's history to be indicted as Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on November 21, 2019 unveiled charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust against the premier. The indictment adds another several layers of uncertainty to already fluid political landscape of Israel which is reeling off two key leaders unsuccessfully trying to form a coalition government and may be headed to the third parliamentary election in a year. Its' not yet clear whether Netanyahu will resign as a prime minister is not required to resign following an indictment, but other ministers do. The Catch-22 situation is that Netanyahu also runs other portfolios, giving opposition to demand that he resign.
Hours after the indictment was unveiled by the attorney-general, a defiant Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to fight the charges and called them as work of political opponents.
Netanyahu Doesn't Need to Resign, A-G Says
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on November 25, 2019 said that Benjamin Netanyahu could continue as prime minister.
Charges Formally Submitted to Speaker of Knesset
Eleven days after charging a sitting prime minister for the first time ever, Israel's attorney-general, Avichai Mandelblit, submitted the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust against Benjamin Netanyahu to the parliament's speaker on December 2, 2019.
Trial not to be Delayed, Israeli Court Rules
An Israeli court on March 10, 2020 rejected a plea by lawyers of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay the start of corruption trial.
Netanyahu Appears on the Opening Session
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, having already set a record of serving as Israel's premier for the longest streak, on May 24, 2020 set another record as he appeared before a Jerusalem court during the day on the opening session of a trial against a sitting head of state for the first time in Israeli history. Netanyahu faces charges on bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
********* ANOTHER POTENTIAL SCANDAL BREWING AT
BIBI’S DOORSTEP
Netanyahu-Gantz
Rift Gets Wider with Announcement of an Investigative Panel
The
uneasy coalition of Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz that had
been sharing the same political bed since May 2020 received another jolt on November
22, 2020 as the defense minister announced the formation of an
investigative committee to probe whether there was any violation of rules or
procedures in the $2 billion, 2015 purchase of submarines and warships
from German defense contractor Thyssenkrupp. Seven businessmen,
including some of Netanyahu’s confidantes, were named involved in this daily
evolving scandal. The panel has four months to report the finding. Likud Party has
criticized the probe, accusing the defense minister of trying to shore up his
base in the run-up to a possible vote in early Spring of 2021 in case the
ruling coalition fails to come up with a budget and pass that by Knesset before
December 23, 2020.
********* ANOTHER POTENTIAL SCANDAL BREWING AT BIBI’S DOORSTEP
Netanyahu
Bribery Trial Resumes amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
corruption trial resumed on February 8, 2021 at an Israeli courtroom.
Last month, the trial was suspended amidst Coronavirus spread. Last year,
Netanyahu was indicted on fraud, breach of trust and bribery on three separate
cases. Netanyahu appeared at the court on February 8, 2021 with facemask.
He had called the trial a sham. His trial few months before the general
election can be damaging to his political prospect to extend his 12-year rule
if more adverse, evidentiary documents are introduced in the proceeding.
Lapid Points at Netanyahu’s Corruption in Testimony
At one of the three corruption trials that Israeli Premier Bejamin
Netanyahu is facing, Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Yair
Lapid on June 12, 2023 testified that he had to say “NO” at least twice to
the then-premier Netanyahu and once to representatives of Hollywood mogul
Arnon Milchan when he—Lapid was a finance minister in 2013—had been
approached in a scheme to further the financial interests of the Hollywood baron.
Netanyahu received favors and gifts from Milchan. Netanyahu is facing charges
related to fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
Powerful Hollywood Producer Testifies in Netanyahu Corruption Trial
In one of the three cases of bribery, corruption and breach of trust, a Hollywood
producer of great renown, Arnon Milchan, on June 25, 2023
appeared via video from Brighton in England. Milchan testified that he
had frequently given expensive cigars, champagnes and other gifts to Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara. In exchange, Netanyahu
pushed his contacts in the U.S. for the renewal of Milchan’s U.S. visa. Arnon
Milchan has several bumper productions under his belt, including Pretty
Woman, 12 Years a Slave, and The Revenant.
************************ CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST BIBI **************
Netanyahu Wields Remnant of Iranian Drone, Threatens Tehran
In a not so diplomatic speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 18, 2018 upped the ante at Munich Security Conference, wielding a component of an Iranian drone that had penetrated into Iranian airspace on February 10, 2018 before being shot down, and issued a not so subtle threat, pointing to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif, who was in the audience, if he could "recognize this", by taking harsh steps "not only against Iranian proxies, but against Iran itself". Taking to the podium hours later, Zarif dismissed Israeli threat and called Netanyahu's behavior at the conference as a "cartoonish circus".
Abbas Blasts U.S. in U.N. Security Council Address
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on February 20, 2018 slammed Trump administration in an address before the U.N. Security Council, with two administration aides--Ambassador Nikki Haley and administration's Middle East adviser Jared Kushner--looking on and called for re-opening of peace talks between Israel and Palestinians under the auspices of the U.N., not the U.S. Before Haley got her turn to rebut Abbas, the Palestinian leader left the council.
Egypt to Open Rafah Crossing for Four Days
In a humanitarian gesture, Egypt will open its borders with Gaza Strip at Rafah for four days (February 21-24, 2018), according to the Palestinian Embassy at Cairo that has confirmed the report on February 20, 2018.
Palestinian Premier Greeted with Blast in Gaza
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, a soft-spoken former dean of a university, arrived at Gaza Strip to inaugurate a sewage plant on March 13, 2018 when a bomb went off, creating panic, but injuring none. The ribbon-cutting went as usual, and he reiterated that the explosion would not deter the reconciliation between Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Abbas Blasts U.S. Ambassador, Hamas
Addressing the Palestinian officials on March 19, 2018 at the seat of powers in Ramallah, West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, known for his connection with West Bank settlement movement and its leaders, as a "son of a dog". Abbas also condemned Hamas for the March 13, 2018, explosion of the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah who had gone to Gaza to inaugurate a sewage plant.
*********************************** AHED TAMIMI ******************************
Palestinian Teenager Gets 8 Months
A 15-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, whose video of slapping an Israeli soldier in December 2017 had gone viral, on March 21, 2018 pleaded guilty to four of the 12 charges. She was sentenced to eight-month term in Israeli jail, paving the way for her freedom in August 2018.
Tamimi Arrives at Her Native Village with a Queen's Welcome
The 17-year-old Palestinian teenager who had earned international fame by kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier and become an instant symbol of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation was released on July 29, 2018 from an Israeli prison. After Ahed Tamimi arrived at her West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, she was given a heroine's welcome, and she took that in stride, vowing to study hard and become a lawyer in future to defend Palestinian rights in the court of law.
*********************************** AHED TAMIMI ******************************
Israel Acknowledges Bombing of Syrian Nuclear Plant more than Ten Years Ago
For the first ever admission by any Israeli official, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 21, 2018 that "IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] and Mossad prevented Syria from developing nuclear capability" and bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor on September 6, 2007. As the censorship of the bombing of the North Korea-supplied nuclear reactor lifted at 5AM during the day, Israelis woke up to the dramatic video of the bombing of the site.
********************** SIX-WEEK MARCH OF RETURN MOVEMENT ***************
Hamas Holds Large Demonstration in Preparation of Weekly Border Protests
Hamas on March 25, 2018 held a big, militant protest march in Gaza City with overt display of fire-arms, projection of missiles and machine-gun fire and announced that it would hold Friday protests along the border walls with Israel to:
* Demand right of return
* Protest continuous blockade of the coastal region by Israel and Egypt since 2007
The weekly border protests will culminate in mid-May 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of so-called naqba, or the catastrophe, that forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians out of their own homes 70 years ago when the nation of Israel was established in 1948.
During March 25, 2018, Hamas demonstration, Israel's Iron Dome defense missile was activated by the machine-gun fire, but no missile or fire was aimed at Israel.
First Friday Protest near Border Walls Turns Bloody
Tens of thousands of Palestinians on March 30, 2018 participated in demonstrations near the Gaza Strip's border walls with Israel. The demonstrations turned violent at several places, and Israeli security forces opened fire, killing at least 15 demonstrators. More than 30,000 demonstrators arrived early in the morning at numerous encampments set up on the Gaza side of the border walls as part of weeks-long protest against forcible displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at the time of Israel's founding in 1948 and continuous blockade of the coastal strip by Egypt and Israel. However, some of the demonstrators turned violent, throwing rocks, Molotov cocktail, slingshot projectiles and burning tires.
U.N. Chief Expresses Concern over Border Violence, Israel Vows Strong Response
A day after border clashes, which had occurred on the first Friday of a six-week demonstration that would culminate on May 15, 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of naqba, or the Catastrophe, killed 15 Palestinians and injured more than 750, Israel on March 31, 2018 vowed to protect its borders. Israel's chief military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said during the day that Israel had restrained its response near the border, but would be forced to go after Hamas operatives deep into Gaza if the situation so warranted. Meanwhile, worldwide reaction to the disproportionate use of force was one of condemnation and criticism. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 31, 2018 expressed "deep" concern over the violence and called for an independent and transparent investigations into the incidents.
Second Friday Protest near Border Walls Resembles the First Week's Violence
On the second Friday of the so-called "March of Return" movement, thousands of Palestinians massed along the border walls in Gaza on April 6, 2018, and violence had erupted. Israeli police had to resort to live-fire, killing 10 people. The April 6, 2018, protest was smaller compared to March 30, 2018, sit-in and protest in which at least 21 Palestinians had been killed. Palestinian Health Ministry said that an additional 491 were wounded.
Hundreds Attend Journalist's Burial
A Palestinian journalist, Yasser Murtaja, who was shot by Israeli fire while filming the violence near Gaza wall a day earlier, was laid to rest on April 7, 2018. Hundreds of Gaza residents attended Murtaja's burial as condemnation had begun to pour in from various parts of the world for Israel's high-handed response to the six-week long planned Palestinian movement, dubbed the March of Return, that had so far taken at least 31 Palestinian lives.
Fourth Friday of "March of Return" Turns Violent, Four Die, including a 15-year-old
After a week of relative calm, violence stalked the border walls between Gaza and Israel on April 20, 2018. Although a much smaller crowd, estimated to be 3,000, showed up during the day at five demonstration sites along the wall, significantly lower than 30,000 on the first Friday, March 30, 2018, but that did not help in either reining in provocation or lethal response. Four demonstrators, including a 15-year-old boy, Muhammad Ayoub, were killed in the clash in which Israeli security forces were accused of using deadly force. The U.N. special coordinator handling the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Nickolay Mladenov, decried the killing of the 15-year-old Palestinian, saying it was "outrageous" response by the Israeli troops. However, Israel remained unapologetic during last three weeks of violence since the March 30, 2018, beginning of March of Return protest movement that had so far killed at least 37 Palestinians. However, barring the U.S., the world reaction to the Israeli response with strong-armed tactic was mostly critical. The latest black eye that Israel received on April 20, 2018 was the last-minute cancellation of the Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman in an award ceremony in Jerusalem.
Three Palestinians Killed as Hundreds Return to Walls along Israel-Gaza Borders
On the fifth Friday of the "March of Return" movement, hundreds of Palestinians flocked to five designated sit-in places near the border walls. The protest turned violent on April 27, 2018 as dozens of Palestinians took to brick-batting, slingshot and flying kites attached with flames into Israeli territory and Israeli troops responded with live fire. Gaza health officials reported that three Palestinians were killed and 138 injured during the day, raising the death toll to at least 38 and injuries to more than 1,600 since the "March of Return" movement had begun on March 30, 2018.
Three Incidents of Wall Breaches Reported, Three Palestinians Killed
Three separate incidents of wall breaches occurred on April 29, 2018, sending shudders in Israel as those incidents had happened on Sunday instead of usual protest day of Friday. In one incident, two Palestinians were able to sneak into Israeli territory and attacked Israeli soldiers with explosives. Both were shot to death by Israeli security forces. In the second incident, one Palestinian breached the border wall at a separate place in Gaza, and was killed by Israeli troops. His accomplice was detained. In the third incident, two Palestinians trying to illegally cross the Gaza-Israeli border were nabbed by Israeli forces.
70 Palestinians Injured, Fuel and Gas Pipelines at the Key Cargo Crossing Damaged
On May 4, 2018, the sixth Friday since the beginning of the "March of Return" movement on March 30, 2018, hundreds of Palestinians tried in vein to scale the border walls, leading to Israeli soldiers to open fire and tear gas, At least 70 Palestinians were injured, a milder toll compared to dozens of deaths in preceding Fridays. Dozens of militant Palestinian youths set in fire the main cargo crossing, Kerem Shalom Crossing, used to transport aid and shipments from Israel and Egypt, damaging the fuel and gas pipelines.
One Dead, Close to 200 Injured on Friday Days before U.S. Embassy Move to Jerusalem
Violence returned to the border walls along Gaza as 15,000 Palestinian protesters demonstrated on May 11, 2018 at five tent camps set up along the Gaza-Israeli border wall. A section of protesters fought against Israeli soldiers, leading to opening of live fire by Israeli troops that had killed one demonstrator and injured 176 others. Later in the day, some Palestinian youths vandalized a fuel complex on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing, and damaged a conveyor belt, inflicting an estimated damage of $9 million.
U.S. Holds Embassy Opening in Jerusalem amid Splurge in Violence in Gaza
As Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Sheldon Adelson, dozens of GOP politicians, donors and religious leaders attended a festive unveiling of embassy plaque at Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, unprecedented violence swept through Gaza that had left a trail of death and destruction which were worst since the 50-day Gaza War between Hamas and Israel in 2014. Several Gaza mosques blared over loud speakers to urge Palestinians to rush to walled area and thousands followed that call. The protest centers along the wall grew from five to 13 during the day, fierce fighting broke out along the wall. Israeli security personnel adopted disproportionate amount of force to quell Palestinian uprising along the border wall, killing at least 58 Palestinians. Thousands of Palestinians were injured in the day-long fight on May 14, 2018. By midafternoon on May 14, 2018, the walled area in Gaza bore a look of warzone with blood, body parts, mangled objects, black smoke and putrid air of tear gas allover. Deputy chief of Hamas, Khalil al-Hayya, during the day held USA responsible for the day's violence and bloodshed, saying that the Trump "administration bears the responsibility for all consequences following the implementation of this unjust decision" of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Death Toll Rises to Sixty, Turkey Expels Israeli Ambassador
A day after unprecedented violence filled the walled border of Gaza with Israel, families and friends on May 15, 2018 buried their loved ones as the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that at least 60 Palestinians--including at least six teenagers--were killed a day earlier in the protest against opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The Ministry also disclosed that more than 2,700 people had been injured, almost half of them having sustained live bullet injuries. During the day, though, the protest was thinner as diplomatic effort was in full swing on behalf of Egypt to bring peace to the region and urge Hamas to prod its supporters back home. At least one Palestinian was reported killed during the day as Turkey swung into diplomatic action by recalling its envoys to the U.S. and Israel while ordering the Israeli ambassador to be out of the country. The day earlier violence consumed part of the U.N. Security Council's diplomats on May 15, 2018 as the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley defended the action of Israel by telling the Security Council that no other nation would behave with "more restraint than Israel" under similar circumstances.
U.S. Vetoes Arab Draft at the U.N. Security Council
A U.N. Security Council resolution drafted by Kuwait that condemned Israeli use of "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against "Palestinian civilians" in the weeks-old "March of Return" demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel borders and called for halt of such actions was vetoed on June 1, 2018 by the USA. The resolution was favored by 10 nations and four nations abstained from voting. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley called the resolution one-sided that condoned the militant group Hamas. A second resolution tabled by Haley, condemning the Hamas aggression on Israel, was voted down too as only U.S. voted for it, three against it and 11 abstained. For any U.N. Security Council resolution to pass, it needs nine YES votes and no veto by permanent security council members.
Israeli Killing of Palestinian Paramedic Draws Criticism from U.N.
That the Palestinian paramedic, 21-year-old Razan Najjar, shot to death by Israeli security forces, was wearing her medical attire while tending to injured on the 10h Friday of Palestinian demonstration, dubbed as "March of Return", along the Gaza-Israel wall on June 1, 2018 raised outrage in the region and drew rebuke from the U.N. Razan Najjar's death marked only the second woman death among the total of 115 Palestinians killed since the "March of Return" was launched on March 30, 2018. U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the region, Jamie McGoldrick, said that the "killing of a clearly identified medical staffer by security forces during a demonstration is particularly reprehensible". The killing of Razzan Najjar was the only fatality of the day, June 1, 2018, the 10th Friday of the "March of Return" movement.
On June 2, 2018, thousands of Palestinian mourners buried Najjar's body, and vowed to continue their struggle. Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued a statement on June 2, 2018, saying that its troops had operated "in accordance with standard operating procedures".
Violence Returns to Gaza-Israel Borders on Jerusalem Day
Large-scale violence broke out on June 8, 2018 as thousands of Palestinians marked the Jerusalem Day, an annual event begun by Iran, near the border wall that separated Gaza from Israel. Palestinian youths hurled rocks, flew flaming kites and burning balloons into Israel, and Israeli security forces opened fire on the demonstrators. Four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, Haitham al-Jamal, were killed during the day and more than 100 injured, including a photographer from the Agence France-Presse. Although the demonstration near the Gaza-Israel border wall was initially supposed to run for six weeks, the organizers had extended it indefinitely after unprecedented violence on the day of inaugurating the plaque of new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in Mid-May. As of June 8, 2018, at least 120 Palestinians were killed and about 3,800 injured.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem Day, begun in 1979 by Iran, was observed with full vigor on June 8, 2018 in Iran, Iraq and other countries in Middle East.
********************** SIX-WEEK MARCH OF RETURN MOVEMENT ***************Violence Returns to Gaza-Israel Borders on Jerusalem Day
Large-scale violence broke out on June 8, 2018 as thousands of Palestinians marked the Jerusalem Day, an annual event begun by Iran, near the border wall that separated Gaza from Israel. Palestinian youths hurled rocks, flew flaming kites and burning balloons into Israel, and Israeli security forces opened fire on the demonstrators. Four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, Haitham al-Jamal, were killed during the day and more than 100 injured, including a photographer from the Agence France-Presse. Although the demonstration near the Gaza-Israel border wall was initially supposed to run for six weeks, the organizers had extended it indefinitely after unprecedented violence on the day of inaugurating the plaque of new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in Mid-May. As of June 8, 2018, at least 120 Palestinians were killed and about 3,800 injured.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem Day, begun in 1979 by Iran, was observed with full vigor on June 8, 2018 in Iran, Iraq and other countries in Middle East.
Migrants Issue: Israeli Hawks Rule the Day
In a topsy-turvey chain of events that had begun with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing on April 3, 2018 that his administration would help settle about 35,000 African migrants, many of whom had arrived at Israel years ago in the hope for better living conditions, in collaboration with the U.N., Netanyahu himself became a hostage of political right on April 4, 2018 as angry right-wing parties in his coalition had forced him to backtrack on his promise to re-settle half of the migrants in Europe and absorbing the rest within Israel itself. On April 4, 2018, Netanyahu, under pressure from hard right, did a political somersault and vowed to expel the migrants to Africa. According to reports, Netanyahu regime had reached a secret agreement with Uganda and Rwanda about re-settling tens of thousands of migrants who had come from various parts of Africa to look for jobs and economic opportunities. The U.N. then persuaded Israel into deal-making, and plucked in Europe for its help to resettle half of the migrants in Europe. The April 4, 2018, about-face by Benjamin Netanyahu put cold water into the U.N. plan.
Netanyahu Rescinds Mass Deportation Plan
After coming under withering criticism by a court that had recently taken up a case from human and migrants rights groups, Benjamin Netanyahu government on April 24, 2018 backtracked on a plan to mass-deport tens of thousands of African migrants to, most likely, Rwanda and Uganda, forcing them into an uncertain future. Netanyahu tweeted during the day that he intended to re-open Holot, a large remote detention facility in Negev Desert, to house the migrants.
Netanyahu Brags about Intel Agency, Blasts Iran for Befooling the World
In a presentation on April 30, 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed a voluminous set of records that had been seized from a Teheran warehouse in a covert Mossad mission in January 2018 to cast doubt on the very assumption of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement, or JCPOA. Netanyahu stressed during the day that Iran all along had been cheating the international community by furtively working on its nuclear program and deceived inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Refuting the deceit allegation hurled by Netanyahu, a top Iranian negotiator of the 2015 nuclear deal, Abbas Araghchi, called the Israeli prime minister's action "a very childish and even a ridiculous play". The New York Times reported on April 30, 2018 that Mossad had been surveilling the targeted warehouse since February 2016 and broke into it one night in January 2018 to seize the document.
Abbas Addresses Full Palestinian Parliament, Hints Unspecified Steps against U.S., Israel
Addressing the opening session of the four-day Palestinian National Council, or Palestinian parliament, in Ramallah, President Mahmoud Abbas on April 30, 2018 thundered that he would soon take stern steps, without specifying what they would be, against USA and Israel for conspiring to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Abbas, who had also spat out some anti-Semitic comments such as Jews' money-lending business to be one of the factors of Europe's anti-Jewish fervor during the World War II, also declared that Washington would play no role as arbiter to the middle-east peace process anymore. The PNC is meeting for a full session for the first time since 1990s.
Palestinian President Draws Wrath for His Anti-Semitic Comment
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' April 30, 2018, address to Palestinian parliament in Ramallah in which he had castigated Jews' money lending business as one of the factors that had contributed to the hatred against Jews in Europe during World War II and establishing a homeland that was not necessary drew immediate and sharp condemnation from home and abroad. On May 2, 2018, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial issued a statement, calling Abbas' speech a text book example of "blatantly falsifying history to the point of accusing the Jewish victims as being responsible for their own murder". The U.N. Special Middle East Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov issued a statement, criticizing the speech of Abbas and stressing on the need for the leaders to have "an obligation to confront anti-Semitism everywhere and always, not perpetuate the conspiracy theories that fuel it".
Under Pressure, Abbas Apologizes
As he was facing all-round criticism for the April 30, 2018, anti-Semitic-laced speech at the Palestinian parliament, diverting the international attention from the lethality in response and subsequent loss of lives in the ongoing "March of Return" movement along the Gaza's border walls, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on May 4, 2018 issued an unconditional apology for the hurt he might have inflicted by his comments.
Israel, Iran Wage Proxy War
Israel on May 10, 2018 launched missile strikes and mortar fire on Iranian targets at a Syrian airbase after Israel alleged that Iran had launched missiles from the airbase aimed at Israel, but failed to reach.
Palestinians Press for ICC Inquiry
Palestinian Authority on May 22, 2018 took a hard line against Israel's policy of suppression by asking The Hague-based International Criminal Court to launch a full investigation into Israeli policies of treating Palestinians since 2014 and settlement activities in the West Bank. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki hand-delivered the referral letter during the day at the court's headquarters in The Hague. In 2015, ICC launched a preliminary inquiry into 2014 Gaza Conflict between Israel and Hamas, focusing on the gross violations on the both sides. Palestinian Authority's May 22, 2018, action will ramp up pressure on Israel and deepen its isolation on the international stage. Israel during the day blasted the Palestinian action of seeking ICC's involvement and internationalizing the regional conflict, calling it "legally invalid".
Rocket Attacks, Counterstrikes Inflame Gaza
After three of the Islamic Jihad members were killed by Israel on May 27, 2018, Islamic Jihad militants launched dozens of rockets and projectiles toward Southern Israel on May 29, 2018. Although Israel's Iron Dome missile defense intercepted most of them, few also landed in Israel, injuring three soldiers and a civilian. Israel later blamed military wing of Hamas and Islamic Jihad for about 70 rocket attack on Israel, and carried out airstrikes against 35 militant targets in Gaza Strip. On May 29, 2018, U.S. called for an emergency U.N. Security Council session to discuss attack on Israel, a stand most of the international community came to loathe with.
Hamas, Israel Seek Avoiding Full-blown Conflict
At the behest of Egypt, Hamas and Israeli officials are trying to avoid the situation from hurtling out of control as Islamic Jihad and military wing of Hamas are now getting enmeshed in the border conflict that had begun in late March 2018 with the so-called "March of Return" movement. A day after Israel carried out airstrikes targeting several Hamas facilities, but largely avoiding populated areas and thus sparing mass casualties as was the case in 2014, Egyptian officials on May 30, 2018 got in action to sustain and preserve truce between the sides.
******* Palestinian Health Worker Martyred during Evacuation of Wounded Demonstrators
Israeli Killing of Palestinian Paramedic Draws Criticism from U.N.
That the Palestinian paramedic, 21-year-old Razan Najjar, shot to death by Israeli security forces, was wearing her medical attire while tending to injured on the 10h Friday of Palestinian demonstration, dubbed as "March of Return", along the Gaza-Israel wall on June 1, 2018 raised outrage in the region and drew rebuke from the U.N. Razan Najjar's death marked only the second woman death among the total of 115 Palestinians killed since the "March of Return" was launched on March 30, 2018. U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the region, Jamie McGoldrick, said that the "killing of a clearly identified medical staffer by security forces during a demonstration is particularly reprehensible". The killing of Razzan Najjar was the only fatality of the day, June 1, 2018, the 10th Friday of the "March of Return" movement.
On June 2, 2018, thousands of Palestinian mourners buried Najjar's body, and vowed to continue their struggle. Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued a statement on June 2, 2018, saying that its troops had operated "in accordance with standard operating procedures".
Israeli Investigation Concludes Najjar's Death Accidental
After only few days of investigation that, by itself, raised suspicion on the thoroughness of the probe, Israeli military on June 5, 2018 concluded that Razzan Najjar's June 1, 2018, death was accidental.
******* Palestinian Health Worker Martyred during Evacuation of Wounded Demonstrators
Israel Hits Hamas Targets in Escalation of Tension
A fragile informal truce cobbled together by Egypt might be in jeopardy as militants from Gaza launched rockets and projectiles, some of which were intercepted by Iron Dome missile shield while others landed inside Gaza, and Israel carried out strikes against 15 Hamas targets in Gaza on June 3, 2018 early morning. Meanwhile, low-cost attacks by Gaza militants, using flammable balloons and kites with burning tails, are creating havoc in Israel's dry pastures starting grass and forest fires and forcing Israel to spend massively to extinguish dozens of such fires.
******* Jerusalem Day
Violence Returns to Gaza-Israel Borders on Jerusalem Day
Large-scale violence broke out on June 8, 2018 as thousands of Palestinians marked the Jerusalem Day, an annual event begun by Iran, near the border wall that separated Gaza from Israel. Palestinian youths hurled rocks, flew flaming kites and burning balloons into Israel, and Israeli security forces opened fire on the demonstrators. Four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, Haitham al-Jamal, were killed during the day and more than 100 injured, including a photographer from the Agence France-Presse. Although the demonstration near the Gaza-Israel border wall was initially supposed to run for six weeks, the organizers had extended it indefinitely after unprecedented violence on the day of inaugurating the plaque of new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in Mid-May. As of June 8, 2018, at least 120 Palestinians were killed and about 3,800 injured.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem Day, begun in 1979 by Iran, was observed with full vigor on June 8, 2018 in Iran, Iraq and other countries in Middle East.
Burning Kites and Balloons Pose Threat to Ranchers and Farmers
Palestinians are launching low-cost attack on Israel in recent months by flying burning rags tailed to kites and flammable balloons that can set off wildfire and destroy parched agricultural land. The Associated Press, meanwhile, reported on June 17, 2018 that at least 120 Palestinians were killed in the weeks-long conflict that had erupted in late March 2018 and more than 3,800 wounded.
Most Intense Day time Air Assault on Gaza since 2014
Israel on July 14, 2018 launched the most fearsome campaign of airstrikes against Hamas and other militant targets in Gaza Strip since the bloody war with Hamas in 2014. Hamas and Islamic Jihad did not sit idle either, and instead launched rocket attack on Israeli communities near Gaza, injuring three Israelis. In July 14, 2018, Israeli airstrikes, two Palestinian teenagers were killed in Gaza City.
**************************** NATION-STATE OF JEWISH PEOPLE *****************
Netanyahu Pushes for "Basic Law" to Enshrine Jewish Character
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 19, 2018 introduced a new legislation, a "basic law", akin to a constitutional amendment, that would declare Israel as the "nation-state of the Jewish people", built on national self-determination "unique to the Jewish people". The "basic law" prioritizes Jewish buildings and downgrades "Arabic" from an "official" language alongside Hebrew to one with a "special status". However, Netanyahu said that the law also called for respecting the "rights of all of its citizens".
Druze Feels Betrayed by Israel's "Basic Law"
Druze, which broke off Islam about 1,000 years ago, has flourished in parts of middle-east, and its people have been serving in Israeli military for years. Many of the Druze soldiers were killed fighting for Israeli security forces. Unfortunately, their world changed in July 2018 as Israeli parliament pushed through the "Basic Law" that had enshrined the supremacy of Jewish people in Israeli constitution. At least two high-ranking Druze officials had quit Israeli military in recent days. Sensing further desertion, Israel's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot wrote a rare letter to his troops on July 31, 2018, urging them to leave politics out of their job. Dozens of former high-ranking police officials, including eight former police commissioners, signed a letter, calling for modification to the law to give appropriate expression to the status of minorities to effectively protect the country.
**************************** NATION-STATE OF JEWISH PEOPLE *****************
Israel Shots Down a Syrian Sukhoi Warplane
For the second time since Syrian Civil War had begun in 2011, Israel on July 24, 2018 had shot down a Syrian Sukhoi 24 warplane by firing two Patriot surface-to-air missiles. The first time that Israel shot down a Syrian plane it was in 2014. The plane had crashed on the Syrian side of Golan Heights. One crew member was reported to have been killed, while the fate of the second one was not known. The Sukhoi 24 took off from a base near Palmyra and veered into Israeli airspace when Israeli missiles were launched. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the breach of Israeli airspace as "a gross violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement with Syria".
Israel Carries out Broad Strikes in Gaza
The border clashes between Israel and Hamas-led Gaza are entering into a critical stage where any further escalation will have potential for a full-blown war such as what has happened in the summer of 2014. Israel on August 9, 2018 carried out airstrikes against at least 150 targets in Gaza Strip that had killed three Palestinians. The strong-handed Israeli response came as a retaliation against a barrage of projectile and rocket attacks from Gaza that either were destroyed by Israel's missile shield or fell on the sparsely populated areas.
Israel Reopens a Key Cargo Crossing
After several weeks of being closed, Israel on August 15, 2018 re-opened only cargo crossing, Kerem Shalom Crossing, for Gaza after stepped up mediation by Egypt.
U.S. to Cut Palestinian Funding
Trump administration on August 24, 2018 nixed more than $200 million in funds earmarked for Palestinian humanitarian cause in Gaza and West Bank. Last week, the administration cut $230 million in aid to stabilize Syria. The recent cuts were part of an estimated $3 billion in foreign aid that had been listed in chopping block. Instead, Trump administration is planning to redirect parts of the funding to needed areas such as helping Rohingya refugees. Reacting to Trump administration's funding cuts in Palestinian areas, a liberal U.S.-based Jewish group, J Street, called it a "moral outrage and a major strategic blunder".
Palestinians Decry the U.S. Funding Cuts
On the top of August 24, 2018, U.S. decision to cut $200 million in aid to Palestinians, U.S. on August 31, 2018 carried out an earlier threat to cut an additional $300 million to U.N. Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA for Palestinians' refusal to return to negotiating table. In an accompanying statement, U.S. said that UNRWA was an "irredeemably flawed operation" and "exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries". UNRWA was established in 1948 to serve the humanitarian need of about 700,000 Palestinians left homeless and nationless in the aftermath of founding of Israel. Today it supports some 5 million Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
On September 1, 2018, Palestinian Authority's one of the senior most leaders, Saeb Erekat, criticized the Trump administration's decision, saying that it "is undermining the moderate forces in Palestine and Israel".
U.N. General Assembly: Israeli Leader Accuses Iran of Pursuing Secret Nuclear Program
Holding a poster board, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 27, 2018 addressed the U.N. General Assembly and showed the attendants what he had described a secret underground atomic warehouse. Netanyahu alleged that Iran had amassed 300 tons of nuclear "equipment and material" in a walled property just outside Tehran. Iran denied Israel's allegation, with the country's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, taking to tweeter, lampooning Netanyahu for presenting an "arts and craft show". Zarif added that it was Israel which had to come clean.
Violence Breaks out in Gaza-Israeli Borders
The weekly Friday clash along the Gaza-Israeli border escalated this week as Israeli live fire on September 28, 2018 killed 7 Palestinians, including two teenage boys, and wounded several dozens.
Israel Carries out Airstrikes in Response to Border Violence
As part of continuing Friday border protest, Palestinians on October 26, 2018 massed on the Gaza-Israeli border at five locations that didn't take long to turn violent, and clashes with Israeli security forces left at least four Palestinians dead, including three in Khan Younis and one in northern Gaza. After the day's violence, came rocket attack from Gaza, this time claimed by Islamic Jihad as it said that the group "can no longer stand idle before the continued killing of innocents and bloodshed by the Israeli occupation". Israel, in response, carried out dozens of airstrikes targeting several rocket launch sites and militant positions in Gaza in the early hours of October 27, 2018. The escalation is a serious setback to the Egyptian effort to bring reconciliation and truce in Gaza that had seen weekly border protests since the Spring of 2018, leading to more than 160 Palestinian deaths and killing of an Israeli soldier in July 2018.
Israel Blames Iran for Ordering Palestinians to Carry out Rocket Attack
Israel on October 27, 2018 pointed finger at Teheran for the latest escalation in conflict along the Gaza-Israeli borders, and Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Cornicus went as far as suggesting that a day earlier barrage of rocket attacks had been orchestrated at the order of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force.
Israel Allows Qatar to Deliver Cash to Hamas
Upon receiving Israeli permission, Qatari officials on November 8, 2018 delivered suitcase load of cash, first installment, approximately $15 million, of $90 million pledged by Doha, to help Hamas pay backlog of salaries for the public servants and fund the Hamas-led government in Gaza Strip. Many Israelis, including many of the ruling coalition members, were incensed by the news that Benjamin Netanyahu government had allowed funding of Hamas administration in Gaza, calling the move an abject surrender to terrorism. However, Netanyahu justified it on November 11, 2018 before he had left for Paris to attend the centennial of the end of World War I as buying peace for Israelis living near Gaza and averting "a humanitarian crisis" in Gaza. Hamas is demanding unhindered access to fishing rights off the coast of Gaza, free flow of goods and shipping of fuel to Gaza to help in chronic electricity shortage.
Israel Sends Undercover Commando Team to Kill Qassam Brigades Commander
An undercover Israeli commando team on November 11, 2018 sneaked into Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip in a "hot pursuit" against the top local commander of the military wing of Hamas, Qassam Brigades, but was identified by the Hamas militants, leading to a fierce gun battle that had killed at least eight people, including an Israeli soldier and Nour el-Deen Baraka, Qassam Brigades' local commander for Khan Younis. Israeli Defense Force later issued a statement that its forces were back in Israel.
Rockets, Airstrikes Follow Botched Israeli Undercover Raid
Hours after an Israeli undercover operation was exposed, leading to a gun battle that had killed at least seven militants and an Israeli soldiers, rockets were fired at Israel, and Israel, in turn, carried out dozens of airstrikes against Hamas targets. In the early November 12, 2018 flare-up that had cast doubt on Egyptian and U.N. effort to avert a 2014-style serious escalation, at least three Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that had targeted Al-Aqsa TV, a Hamas-run TV station, military compounds, observation posts and weapons storage facilities. The U.N. Mideast envoy's office tweeted during the day: "Rockets must STOP, restraint must be shown by all!"
A Egyptian-mediated Cease-fire Agreed
After two days of barrage of rockets at the southern Israel and hundreds of Israeli airstrikes, an Egyptian-mediated cease-fire took hold on November 13, 2018, thus narrowly averting a disastrous situation reminiscent of 50-day war in 2014 between Hamas and Israel. Hamas and other militant groups issued a joint statement on November 13, 2018, accepting the agreement, but Israel had not said anything about the truce. After a November 11, 2018, botched commando raid, Hamas had launched about 460 rockets, targeting southern Israel, and Israel had carried out airstrikes, hitting more than 160 Hamas targets, including its main TV station, weapons depots, observation towers and military compounds, in Gaza that had killed seven Palestinians, including five militants, and wounded more than 26.
Israeli Defense Minister Resigns over Netanyahu's Surrender to Terrorists
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who had at loggerheads with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over several issues, could not take it anymore after the premier had allowed Qatar to deliver November 8, 2018 $15 million--first installment of a $90 million package--in cash to Hamas for paying the overdue salary to the employees of Gaza's Hamas administration, and resigned on November 14, 2018 and withdrew his party's--Yisrael Beiteinu's--support to the coalition, rendering the ruling coalition from 66 seats to 61 seats in 120-seat Knesset. Meanwhile, another hawkish member of the cabinet, Naftali Bennett, the education minister and leader of the pro-settlement Jewish Home Party, emerged as a strong contender of the defense portfolio. If Bennett withdraws support to the government, Netanyahu's coalition will collapse and the country will go through a snap poll.
Netanyahu Coalition Survives as a Partner Backtracks
Hectic political negotiation and possibility of electoral perils if snap polls are called have forced a recalcitrant pro-settler political party, Jewish Home Party, and its leader, Naftali Bennett, to see the light of reasoning and backtrack from earlier threat to quit the coalition if Bennett is not offered the defense portfolio. The November 19, 2018, move helped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu barely avert his government's collapse.
A Pair of Israeli Soldiers Killed in West Bank
A Palestinian gunman on December 13, 2018 opened fire on Israeli soldiers at a bus stop near Ramallah, and killed two Israeli soldiers. The drive-by shooting created an explosive situation that could lead to violent escalation and bring the weekend Gaza protests along the borders to the West Bank. Hamas praised the shooting, without claiming responsibility. Israeli security forces began a massive manhunt to nab the gunman. The December 13, 2018, drive-by shooting that had killed two Israeli soldiers came hours after an operation by Israeli security forces overnight that had killed two Palestinian men, who had been sought after for the killing of two Israelis at a West Bank factory by one of them in October 2018 and a drive-by shooting on December 9, 2018 that had killed a 3-day-old Jewish newborn at a West Bank settlement.
Violence Reins in West Bank
A day after two Israeli soldiers were shot dead near Ramallah, unprecedented violence swept through the West Bank on December 14, 2018 that had led to death of a Palestinian teenager. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers resorted to violence too, attacking Palestinian targets, including a mass attack on a Palestinian bus driver that left him seriously injured.
*********************** ISRAELI PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 2019 ***************
Netanyahu Calls Snap Polls
Faced with uncertainty in his coalition and possibility of being indicted on corruption charges, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took an easy way out on December 24, 2018 by calling an early parliamentary election in April 2019.
Former Military Chief Enters in Election Fray
A respected former military chief, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, on December 27, 2018 has registered Israel Resilience, the political party he leads, in the April 2019 parliamentary election, posing a respectable challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party.
Netanyahu Coalition Ministers Form a New Party
Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked on December 29, 2018 broke away from Jewish Home Party, and formed a new right wing political party, The New Right, to contest the April 2019 parliamentary election.
Netanyahu Wins a Narrow Victory, Deepens Divide
As the night wore on hours after the April 9, 2019, parliamentary vote closed, an economic and a social divide emerged in the voting patterns. Middleclass and affluent Tel Aviv voted largely with opposition leader Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party, while the working class towns and rural areas poured their votes in favor of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud political party. The next government will be more right-wing, more settlers friendly and anti-Palestinians, raising the prospect of an entrenched violence in the region as the peace process is all but dead.
*********************** ISRAELI PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 2019 ***************
Israel Knocks out Arms Depot in Syria
Israeli warplanes on December 25, 2018 targeted three arms depot south of Damascus, and bombed them. The arms depot were thought to be under control of Hezbollah.
First Casualty of 2019 in Gaza Border Protest
A Palestinian woman became the first casualty this year in the weekly border protest in Gaza. Amal al-Taramsi, 43, was shot by Israeli forces on January 11, 2019 as part of Friday protest along the Gaza-Israeli border. Hundreds of Palestinians attended her funeral on January 12, 2019.
Abbas Meets U.N.S.G. a Day Before Becoming the Head of G-77
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on January 14, 2019 met with the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the U.N. headquarters in New York City a day before he became the head of G-77, an umbrella group of mostly developing nations, assuming the mantle from Egypt. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated Abbas on his new role of being head of G-77, and emphasized the need for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Sophisticated U.S. Missile Defense Deployed in Israel Days before Parliamentary Polls
Days before Israel goes to a key parliamentary election that will decide the fate of Benjamin Netanyahu and the direction the country will take in the aftermath, the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system has been deployed in Israel, according to a March 4, 2019, joint announcement by the U.S. military and Israeli military. Israeli premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, hailed the deployment as a "testament of strength" between two nations.
Mass Protest in Gaza: Is it a Likely Forerunner of a Brewing Political Storm against Hamas?
The Associated Press reported on March 19, 2019 that hundreds of frustrated Palestinians took to streets in recent days to protest lack of government services and opportunities to Gaza residents, heralding--may be--a new potentially new era of discontent, this time against their own rulers from Hamas. This is the boldest internal challenge that Hamas faces during its 12-year rule.
Trump Changes U.S. Stance on Golan, now Says It's Part of Israel
In a tectonic shift in the 52-year U.S. policy toward Golan Heights and a week after a U.S. state department's report on the global state of human rights in which a reference [to Golan] of "Israel-occupied" was replaced by "Israel-controlled", U.S. President Donald Trump on March 21, 2019 pronounced in a tweet that it's time to "fully recognize" Israel's sovereignty over Golan Heights. Currently the security of Golan Heights is being overseen by a U.N.-mandated force that's coming under renewal at the end of June 2019 and nobody knows the fate of U.N. mandate in the wake of Trump's March 21, 2019, tweet. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complimented Trump's move as a "miracle" on the Jewish holiday of Purim and it will definitely provide a boost to the premier in the upcoming election to Knesset.
Trump Issues Official Proclamation to Cement Golan with Israel
President Donald Trump on March 25, 2019 signed an official proclamation that would give U.S. recognizance to Golan Heights as an integral part of Israel.
Syria Asks for a Special Security Council Session, France Warns U.S. of Unilateral Approach
Two days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an official proclamation to recognize Golan Heights as parts and parcels of Israel, Syria on March 27, 2019 requested a special U.N. Security Council session. Meanwhile, France's U.N. ambassador, Francois Delattre said during the day that unilateral approach to "turn one's back on the agreed framework" of 25-year-old Oslo Accord would yield no results in middle-east crisis. Any deviation of "two-state" solution will eventually lead to no solution, according to Ambassador Delattre.
Gaza Borders with Israel Afflicted with Violence
On May 3, 2019, sniper fires during Friday demonstration near the Gaza border with Israel injured two Israeli soldiers, leading to a punishing streak of airstrikes that had killed three Palestinians, including two militants. Although Israel blamed smaller Islamic Jihad responsible for sniper fire, it held Gaza's ruling Hamas accountable.
Gaza Situation Escalates; Diplomacy Begins in Cairo
A day after three Palestinians were killed in Israeli retaliatory strikes, more than 250 rockets were fired by militants in Gaza towards southern Israel on May 4, 2019. Israel retaliated by pummeling Gaza with airstrikes and bombing that had targeted various buildings, rocket launchers and bomb-making factories in Gaza Strip. Six Palestinians, including a mother and her baby, were killed during the day. Meanwhile, at the prodding of Egyptian government, representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad met at Cairo on May 4, 2019 to find an end to the violence.
Israel, Hamas Edging to Worst Escalation in Violence since 2014
May 5, 2019 marked the worst day of escalation between militants based in Gaza and Israel as hectic diplomatic activity was ongoing at Cairo to find a negotiated end to the latest escalation. On May 5, 2019, Palestinian militants fired at least 600 rockets in southern Israel, killing four Israelis. Israeli security forces struck more than 300 targets in retaliation, killing at least 23 Palestinians.
Uneasy Truce Takes Hold
After a day of ferocious fighting that had killed four Israelis and dozens of Palestinians, an uneasy truce took hold on May 6, 2019 after an intense mediation effort by Egypt and the U.N. at Cairo with representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Palestinians Mark 71st Anniversary of "Nakba"
Palestinians on May 15, 2019 observed the 71st anniversary of forced displacement from Gaza Strip and West Bank, officially dubbed as "Nakba", or "Catastrophe".
Israeli Parliament Dissolves itself
After his one-time ally Avigdor Lieberman refused to budge on any exemption to ultra-Orthodox Jews from serving in the country's military, it was clear that Benjamin Netanyahu didn't have the numbers in his favor to form the government. The difference also went deeper as Netanyahu was facing corruption charges and tried to push for his immunity. After Avigdor Lieberman refused to join Netanyahu's cabinet, ruling Likud Party voted for dissolution of parliament. May 30, 2019 was the deadline for Netanyahu to form a government failing which the opposition politician Benny Gantz was expected to be called to form the government. Sadistically, instead of giving any chance to opposition, premier preferred to dissolve the Knesset. In a vote in the early hours of May 30, 2019, Knesset voted to self-dissolve. Now, the election will be held on September 17, 2019.
********************** SECOND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN 2019 ***********
Netanyahu Vows to Annex Breadbasket of West Bank
Facing one of his toughest election challenges, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted the politics of inflammation which he is good at, this time vowing on September 10, 2019 to annex a critical part of West Bank. Benjamin Netanyahu's September 10, 2019, annexation plan of Jordan Valley immediately drew fire from Arab nations and Palestinians.
Trump Backs Netanyahu
Days before the Knesset poll, U.S. President Donald Trump on September 14, 2019 has extended his support to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been locked in one of the tightest races in his lifetime that will not only determine the fate of Israel, but also his political and personal future in the backdrop of corruption scandals that have gripped his political orbit, by lauding the leadership of Israeli premier in advancing a mutually beneficial defense treaty.
Desperate Netanyahu Promises to Annex West Bank Settlement
Amid tightening of the poll, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was leaving no stone unturned, and in an outlandish promise, he on September 16, 2019 vowed to annex all the West Bank settlements. The promise came six days after his first annexation promise of making the Jordan Valley as part of Israel. In defiance, Palestinian Authority on September 16, 2019 held its cabinet meeting at the Jordan Valley village of Fassayil.
Another Hung Parliament; More Uncertainty
The September 17, 2019, parliamentary election--second in a year--had yielded anything, but certainty for Israel's political landscape and parliamentary majority. Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party garnered 33 seats in 120-member Knesset, while Netanyahu-led Likud won 31 seats. On September 19, 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Gantz to join his cabinet, a gesture immediately rebuffed by the former military chief to be derogatory as being Netanyahu's junior colleague.
Arab Parties Back Gantz
In a historic move, the Joint List bloc, composed of Israeli-Arab political parties, that has won 13 seats in the September 17, 2019, Knesset election on September 22, 2019 threw its support behind the Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz. The announcement of Ayman Odeh is of historic proportion and unprecedented in nature.
Netanyahu given Chance to Form a Coalition in the First Try
After President Reuven Rivlin's futile September 25, 2019, meeting with two primary claimants of premiership, Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli premier was asked to form a government.
Gantz Throws the Towel after Trying to Form a Coalition
After a 28-day deadline of trying to forge a coalition, opposition leader Benny Gantz on November 20, 2019 called it quits, leading to continuation of acting premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu and most likely the third general election in a year.
Knesset to be Dissolved
Lawmakers on December 10, 2019 filed a bill that would dissolve the parliament and hold the third parliamentary election in less than a year on March 2, 2020.
Trump Backs Netanyahu
Days before the Knesset poll, U.S. President Donald Trump on September 14, 2019 has extended his support to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been locked in one of the tightest races in his lifetime that will not only determine the fate of Israel, but also his political and personal future in the backdrop of corruption scandals that have gripped his political orbit, by lauding the leadership of Israeli premier in advancing a mutually beneficial defense treaty.
Desperate Netanyahu Promises to Annex West Bank Settlement
Amid tightening of the poll, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was leaving no stone unturned, and in an outlandish promise, he on September 16, 2019 vowed to annex all the West Bank settlements. The promise came six days after his first annexation promise of making the Jordan Valley as part of Israel. In defiance, Palestinian Authority on September 16, 2019 held its cabinet meeting at the Jordan Valley village of Fassayil.
Another Hung Parliament; More Uncertainty
The September 17, 2019, parliamentary election--second in a year--had yielded anything, but certainty for Israel's political landscape and parliamentary majority. Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party garnered 33 seats in 120-member Knesset, while Netanyahu-led Likud won 31 seats. On September 19, 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Gantz to join his cabinet, a gesture immediately rebuffed by the former military chief to be derogatory as being Netanyahu's junior colleague.
Arab Parties Back Gantz
In a historic move, the Joint List bloc, composed of Israeli-Arab political parties, that has won 13 seats in the September 17, 2019, Knesset election on September 22, 2019 threw its support behind the Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz. The announcement of Ayman Odeh is of historic proportion and unprecedented in nature.
Netanyahu given Chance to Form a Coalition in the First Try
After President Reuven Rivlin's futile September 25, 2019, meeting with two primary claimants of premiership, Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli premier was asked to form a government.
Gantz Throws the Towel after Trying to Form a Coalition
After a 28-day deadline of trying to forge a coalition, opposition leader Benny Gantz on November 20, 2019 called it quits, leading to continuation of acting premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu and most likely the third general election in a year.
Knesset to be Dissolved
Lawmakers on December 10, 2019 filed a bill that would dissolve the parliament and hold the third parliamentary election in less than a year on March 2, 2020.
********************** SECOND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN 2019 ***********
Golan Settlement Adorned with Trump's Name
Convening the cabinet at a settlement in Golan Heights, Bruehim, a hamlet that existed for the past 30 years and now had only ten residents, Israeli cabinet on June 16, 2019 rechristened the hamlet as Ramat Trump, or Trump Height. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman unveiled a sign at the settlement. Israel seized Golan Heights in 1967 war, and annexed it in 1981, although most of the international community considered the annexation and continuing occupation as illegal. During a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington D.C., President Trump signed a proclamation in late March 2019 to recognize Golan Heights as part of Israel.
********************************* BAHRAIN CONFERENCE **********************
U.S. to Unveil Economic Package for Palestinians
U.S. is going to lay out a comprehensive economic booster proposal for Palestinians in Gaza Strip and West Bank at a conference in Bahrain on June 25 and June 26, 2019. Before details are even laid out, Palestinians have rejected the package as it strips out key political elements such as status of Jerusalem, refugees and status of Palestinian state from the package. A solely economic package is insulting to Palestinian community, according to many Middle-East experts. President Trump's son-in-law and middle-east adviser Jared Kushner has developed the package and will unveil it at the Bahrain conference.
U.S. Package Unveiled
Three days before a key conference at Bahrain on Palestinians, White House on June 22, 2019 unveiled key points of the package on its website. The package lacks any political element, making it doomed to failure from the outset. The 10-year, $50 billion package is aimed at funding infrastructure, job creation and other development projects in West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. $27.5 billion will be earmarked for projects in Gaza and West Bank, while $9.1 billion for Egypt, $7.4 billion for Jordan and $6.3 billion for Lebanon, respectively. The Bahrain Conference on Palestinians' future is set to yield all but a complete failure as neither Palestinians nor Israelis are attending.
U.S. Plan Fails in Bahrain Conference
Despite a desperate try to sell his Palestinian plan, dubbed as "Peace to Prosperity", Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's middle-east adviser and son-in-law, was unable to sway anyone in the two-day Manama conference held June 25-26, 2019. What's terrible about Kushner's plan, "Peace to Prosperity", it pivots on Palestinians' economic prosperity as an essential pre-condition for political solution. IMF chief, Christine Lagarde, disputed Kushner's focus on Palestinians' economic prosperity as a precondition of a political solution, stressing on the need of a "satisfactory peace" for prosperity.
********************************* BAHRAIN CONFERENCE **********************
Israeli Action Criticized
Israeli move on July 22, 2019 to demolish about 80 to 100 Palestinian apartments in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi al-Hummus stokes anger among Palestinians and invited rebuke from the European Union, which called Israeli action as the one that "undermined the viability of two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace". Also, Israeli action violated the central tenets of 1993 Oslo Accord as the neighborhood, Wadi al-Hummus, was designed to be under the control of Palestinian Authority under the accord.
Two U.S. Muslim Lawmakers Barred from Entry into Israel
Under pressure from Trump administration, Benjamin Netanyahu's government on August 15, 2019 denied Democratic U.S. House members Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib permission to visit Israel. This is the first time a U.S. president asked a foreign government to denigrate people's representatives of his own nation. In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump early in the day tweeted that if Israel allowed the two lawmakers to visit, that would "show great weakness". Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both outspoken critics of Israel and supporters of BDS (Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions) Movement, were invited by a Palestinian group to visit East Jerusalem and West Bank next week.
Rashida Tlaib Granted Permission to Visit West Bank, but Declines
On August 16, 2019, Israeli Interior Ministry granted permission to Rashida Tlaib to visit her grandmother in the West Bank, but the release of a signed letter by the Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri that included a pledge by Tlaib that "I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit" led to cancellation of the visit by Rashida Tlaib.
Israel Kills a Key Islamic Jihad Leader
Israeli air strikes targeted two top commanders of Islamic Jihad, a potent hardline Palestinian group often more militant than ruling Hamas, killing one of them and missing another one in Syria. Following the killing of Bahaa Abu El-Atta and his wife earlier in the day in eastern Gaza, a number of rockets were launched on November 12, 2019 from Gaza that had landed in southern Israel. Israeli authorities said that November 12, 2019, airstrikes were days in planning, and ratcheted up the tension in the region.
Violence Continues for the Second Day and Overnight
Islamic Jihad launched rockets into southern Israel, drawing ferocious airstrikes against dozens of Gaza targets on November 13 and November 14, 2019. At least 34 people were killed in the latest streak of assaults, including 16 civilians. Also, on November 14, 2019, International Criminal Court in The Hague opened a preliminary investigation into Israel's battlefield aggressiveness.
U.N. Condemns U.S. Stand on Settlements
Two days after the Trump administration veered from the age-old norm of not giving any moral support to Israel's settlement activity and, instead, considering the Israeli settlements as not inimical to international laws, U.N. Security Council on November 20, 2019 condemned the U.S. move, saying it as an encouragement to further settlement activity and destabilizing the middle-east. U.S. government's November 18, 2019, announcement that Israeli settlements don't violate international laws is contrary to the established stand of the international community.
"Day of Rage" Observed in Palestinian Territory
Tens of thousands of Palestinians on November 26, 2019 participated in the "Day of Rage" called by West Bank's ruling Fatah to voice their collective outrage against Trump administration's November 18, 2019, decision that U.S. would no longer treat Israeli settlement as violating international laws. Palestinian Authorities announced the day off, and all schools, colleges and offices were closed throughout West Bank. Tens of thousands of Palestinians participated in demonstrations throughout West Bank.
Netanyahu Crushes Likud Opponent in Internal Party Poll
Likud members had a choice to elect a new leader to lead their party to the third general election in a year with a brighter chance of victory, but stuck to the old horse Benjamin Netanyahu, the first sitting indicted premier with an uncertain political future. In December 26, 2019, internal poll of the Likud Party, the challenger, Gideon Saar, received 15,885, or 28%, votes, while Netanyahu received 41,792, or 72%, votes.
Leaders Attend 75th Anniversary of Liberation of Concentration Camp
In a competing event, world leaders from 45 nations on January 23, 2020 attended the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Concentration Camp at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel. This year, Poland is hosting a competing event with a competing narrative that does little to convey a collective message of importance of Holocaust and why the younger generation should never forget its significance. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid the wreath at the memorial and participated in the three-hour event as did Prince Charles, Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Emmanuel Macron of France and other dignitaries. Russian President Vladimir Putin sang the praise of Red Army in the January 27, 1945, liberation of Auschwitz Camp, and took aim at Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia for their roles during World War II.
Parallel Anniversary Held at Auschwitz
Four days after the main event to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps was held, a competing event was held on January 27, 2020 at Auschwitz in Oswiecim in Poland. Polish President Andrzej Duda and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended the event.
*************************** TRUMP'S ONE-SIDED PEACE PLAN *******************
Trump Unveils Peace Plan Criticized for Handing out What Israel Wants
President Donald Trump on January 28, 2020 unveiled a peace plan for Israel and Palestinians which was a no-go from the get-go for Palestinians and much of the international community. The plan allows Israel to annex a large section of settlement communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, making a future Palestinian state nothing but a mix of disjointed communities. The plan allows Israel to continue expanding settlement in the areas to be annexed and calls for the freeze of expansion of the communities which will be outside the boundary of Israel, but still under the Israeli rule. The plan also gives Israel the carte blanche over the Jordan Valley. The 181-page document unveiled in Washington on January 28, 2020 gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a bragging right weeks before the March 2020 parliamentary polls. Lest it appears to be shamelessly siding with Netanyahu, Trump administration gave a veneer of political neutrality by having president met with Netanyahu and his political rival at home, Benny Gantz, in Washington in the wake of the release of the peace plan. Other salient features in the January 28, 2020, peace plan include:
* A $50 billion economic aid package for Palestinian Authority
* Palestinians to eventually establish their own state, with East Jerusalem as the capital although Trump administration has already declared its unconditional support for Israel to have full sovereignty over all of Jerusalem
* Israel to control over airspace and borders with eventual Palestinian state
* Overall security to be retained under the auspices of Israel
* 10 Arab towns, north of Tel Aviv, known as "the Triangle", which are home to 350,000 residents to be pushed out of Israel and brought under the rule of Palestinian Authority, diluting further the say of Arab electorate in Israel
Addressing reporters at his headquarters in Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the "Deal of the Century" a "nonsense" and his response to this plan was "a thousand nos". European Union's foreign policy chief, Joseph Borrell didn't extend his support to the Trump plan, instead calling for re-launching the "urgently needed efforts towards a negotiated and viable solution".
Peace Plan's Annexation Put on Hold
A day after Trump administration's middle-east peace plan was unveiled, Israeli cabinet on January 29, 2020 put on hold one of the most controversial measures in the peace plan: annexation of a large swath of settlements in the West Bank.
Arab League Denounce Trump's Peace Plan
Arab League met at Cairo on February 1, 2020 for an emergency session to discuss threadbare a disastrous peace plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 28, 2020. Arab League unanimously denounced the plan, and in a statement issued afterward said that the plan "does not meet the minimum rights and expectations of the Palestinian people". Arab League reiterated its commitment to the two-state solution and 2002 Arab Peace Initiative to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in his address threatened to cut off security ties with Israel over the one-sided peace proposal.
Moroccans Take to Streets against Trump's Peace Plan, against their Own Rulers
Tens of thousands of Moroccans rallied in the streets of Rabat on February 9, 2020, decrying the one-sided Israel-Palestinian peace plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 28, 2020. The demonstrators took special exception to their own government for not raising its voice in the support of Palestinians. Their special ire was reserved for Morocco's foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, who had expressed "appreciation" for the Trump's peace plan and who had urged the Moroccans not to behave more Palestinians than Palestinians themselves. Many opposition political parties, including Unified Socialist Party of Morocco, participated in the rally.
Abbas Requests to Revive a Peace Plan that He Has Rejected More than a Decade Ago
History is unforgiving, and many time it teaches the lessons with political cruelty of unparalleled nature. That happens to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in view of Donald Trump's January 28, 2020, Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that has given all the things Israel has asked and more. In 2008, the then-Israeli premier, Ehud Olmert, offered a peace plan that included near-total withdrawal of Israel from the West Bank, establishing a free Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, international control over Jerusalem's religious sites and opening of negotiations covering thorny issues such as right to return and water rights. Mahmoud Abbas at that time didn't accept the Olmert's proposal, and Olmert resigned in July 2008 as corruption charges had been looming over him. Ehud Olmert, later, was sent to 16 months in prison on those corruption charges. On February 11, 2020, both Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas appeared side by side at the United Nations, and embraced each other with words such as "dear friend" and "a man of peace". Ehud Olmert said that it was a mistake in 2008 on the part of Abbas not to seize on his peace proposal. Abbas himself called for revival of 2008 peace plan as he called the January 28, 2020, Trump administration's peace plan nothing short of a "preemptive plan in order to put an end to the question of Palestine".
Palestinian Premier Blasts Trump Peace Plan at an International Security Conference
Using the broad audience of Munich Security Conference, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on February 16, 2020 took aim at President Trump's peace plan, lampooning it "no more than a memo of understanding between Netanyahu and Trump".
*************************** TRUMP'S ONE-SIDED PEACE PLAN *******************
Israel Kills a Key Islamic Jihad Leader
Israeli air strikes targeted two top commanders of Islamic Jihad, a potent hardline Palestinian group often more militant than ruling Hamas, killing one of them and missing another one in Syria. Following the killing of Bahaa Abu El-Atta and his wife earlier in the day in eastern Gaza, a number of rockets were launched on November 12, 2019 from Gaza that had landed in southern Israel. Israeli authorities said that November 12, 2019, airstrikes were days in planning, and ratcheted up the tension in the region.
Violence Continues for the Second Day and Overnight
Islamic Jihad launched rockets into southern Israel, drawing ferocious airstrikes against dozens of Gaza targets on November 13 and November 14, 2019. At least 34 people were killed in the latest streak of assaults, including 16 civilians. Also, on November 14, 2019, International Criminal Court in The Hague opened a preliminary investigation into Israel's battlefield aggressiveness.
U.N. Condemns U.S. Stand on Settlements
Two days after the Trump administration veered from the age-old norm of not giving any moral support to Israel's settlement activity and, instead, considering the Israeli settlements as not inimical to international laws, U.N. Security Council on November 20, 2019 condemned the U.S. move, saying it as an encouragement to further settlement activity and destabilizing the middle-east. U.S. government's November 18, 2019, announcement that Israeli settlements don't violate international laws is contrary to the established stand of the international community.
"Day of Rage" Observed in Palestinian Territory
Tens of thousands of Palestinians on November 26, 2019 participated in the "Day of Rage" called by West Bank's ruling Fatah to voice their collective outrage against Trump administration's November 18, 2019, decision that U.S. would no longer treat Israeli settlement as violating international laws. Palestinian Authorities announced the day off, and all schools, colleges and offices were closed throughout West Bank. Tens of thousands of Palestinians participated in demonstrations throughout West Bank.
Netanyahu Crushes Likud Opponent in Internal Party Poll
Likud members had a choice to elect a new leader to lead their party to the third general election in a year with a brighter chance of victory, but stuck to the old horse Benjamin Netanyahu, the first sitting indicted premier with an uncertain political future. In December 26, 2019, internal poll of the Likud Party, the challenger, Gideon Saar, received 15,885, or 28%, votes, while Netanyahu received 41,792, or 72%, votes.
Leaders Attend 75th Anniversary of Liberation of Concentration Camp
In a competing event, world leaders from 45 nations on January 23, 2020 attended the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Concentration Camp at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel. This year, Poland is hosting a competing event with a competing narrative that does little to convey a collective message of importance of Holocaust and why the younger generation should never forget its significance. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid the wreath at the memorial and participated in the three-hour event as did Prince Charles, Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Emmanuel Macron of France and other dignitaries. Russian President Vladimir Putin sang the praise of Red Army in the January 27, 1945, liberation of Auschwitz Camp, and took aim at Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia for their roles during World War II.
Parallel Anniversary Held at Auschwitz
Four days after the main event to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps was held, a competing event was held on January 27, 2020 at Auschwitz in Oswiecim in Poland. Polish President Andrzej Duda and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended the event.
*************************** TRUMP'S ONE-SIDED PEACE PLAN *******************
Trump Unveils Peace Plan Criticized for Handing out What Israel Wants
President Donald Trump on January 28, 2020 unveiled a peace plan for Israel and Palestinians which was a no-go from the get-go for Palestinians and much of the international community. The plan allows Israel to annex a large section of settlement communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, making a future Palestinian state nothing but a mix of disjointed communities. The plan allows Israel to continue expanding settlement in the areas to be annexed and calls for the freeze of expansion of the communities which will be outside the boundary of Israel, but still under the Israeli rule. The plan also gives Israel the carte blanche over the Jordan Valley. The 181-page document unveiled in Washington on January 28, 2020 gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a bragging right weeks before the March 2020 parliamentary polls. Lest it appears to be shamelessly siding with Netanyahu, Trump administration gave a veneer of political neutrality by having president met with Netanyahu and his political rival at home, Benny Gantz, in Washington in the wake of the release of the peace plan. Other salient features in the January 28, 2020, peace plan include:
* A $50 billion economic aid package for Palestinian Authority
* Palestinians to eventually establish their own state, with East Jerusalem as the capital although Trump administration has already declared its unconditional support for Israel to have full sovereignty over all of Jerusalem
* Israel to control over airspace and borders with eventual Palestinian state
* Overall security to be retained under the auspices of Israel
* 10 Arab towns, north of Tel Aviv, known as "the Triangle", which are home to 350,000 residents to be pushed out of Israel and brought under the rule of Palestinian Authority, diluting further the say of Arab electorate in Israel
Addressing reporters at his headquarters in Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the "Deal of the Century" a "nonsense" and his response to this plan was "a thousand nos". European Union's foreign policy chief, Joseph Borrell didn't extend his support to the Trump plan, instead calling for re-launching the "urgently needed efforts towards a negotiated and viable solution".
Peace Plan's Annexation Put on Hold
A day after Trump administration's middle-east peace plan was unveiled, Israeli cabinet on January 29, 2020 put on hold one of the most controversial measures in the peace plan: annexation of a large swath of settlements in the West Bank.
Arab League Denounce Trump's Peace Plan
Arab League met at Cairo on February 1, 2020 for an emergency session to discuss threadbare a disastrous peace plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 28, 2020. Arab League unanimously denounced the plan, and in a statement issued afterward said that the plan "does not meet the minimum rights and expectations of the Palestinian people". Arab League reiterated its commitment to the two-state solution and 2002 Arab Peace Initiative to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in his address threatened to cut off security ties with Israel over the one-sided peace proposal.
Moroccans Take to Streets against Trump's Peace Plan, against their Own Rulers
Tens of thousands of Moroccans rallied in the streets of Rabat on February 9, 2020, decrying the one-sided Israel-Palestinian peace plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 28, 2020. The demonstrators took special exception to their own government for not raising its voice in the support of Palestinians. Their special ire was reserved for Morocco's foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, who had expressed "appreciation" for the Trump's peace plan and who had urged the Moroccans not to behave more Palestinians than Palestinians themselves. Many opposition political parties, including Unified Socialist Party of Morocco, participated in the rally.
Abbas Requests to Revive a Peace Plan that He Has Rejected More than a Decade Ago
History is unforgiving, and many time it teaches the lessons with political cruelty of unparalleled nature. That happens to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in view of Donald Trump's January 28, 2020, Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that has given all the things Israel has asked and more. In 2008, the then-Israeli premier, Ehud Olmert, offered a peace plan that included near-total withdrawal of Israel from the West Bank, establishing a free Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, international control over Jerusalem's religious sites and opening of negotiations covering thorny issues such as right to return and water rights. Mahmoud Abbas at that time didn't accept the Olmert's proposal, and Olmert resigned in July 2008 as corruption charges had been looming over him. Ehud Olmert, later, was sent to 16 months in prison on those corruption charges. On February 11, 2020, both Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas appeared side by side at the United Nations, and embraced each other with words such as "dear friend" and "a man of peace". Ehud Olmert said that it was a mistake in 2008 on the part of Abbas not to seize on his peace proposal. Abbas himself called for revival of 2008 peace plan as he called the January 28, 2020, Trump administration's peace plan nothing short of a "preemptive plan in order to put an end to the question of Palestine".
Palestinian Premier Blasts Trump Peace Plan at an International Security Conference
Using the broad audience of Munich Security Conference, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on February 16, 2020 took aim at President Trump's peace plan, lampooning it "no more than a memo of understanding between Netanyahu and Trump".
*************************** TRUMP'S ONE-SIDED PEACE PLAN *******************
U.N. Lists 112 Businesses for Supporting Economy in Settlement
U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva on February 12, 2020 issued a report, naming 112 firms with clear link of supporting the economy and financial lifeline of Israeli settlements. Many of the firms, including General Mills, are included in the list after a 2016 U.N. resolution initiated by the Arab nations, leading to the U.N. Human Rights Council to launch a process to compile this report. U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said that the job was "thankless" and it was initiated when he was not the U.N. official.
********* THIRD PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR*********
Netanyahu Again Came Short
In the March 2, 2020, parliamentary election, third in a little over a year, the political landscape of Israel remained stuck to the same murky picture that had plagued the earlier two rounds of polls. Likud Party led the slate with 36 seats, and Benny Gantz-led Blue and White Party won 33 seats. The notable victory was secured by Arab-dominated Joint List that had won 15 seats and secured the formidable third slot in 120-member Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his own pompous style, slapped on his own back, saying the country had given him more votes. Joint List leader Ayman Odeh exuded encouragement by Arab turnout as "our public feels its power and it wants to exert that power".
********* THIRD PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR*********
Israel Swears in the New Knesset Members
Maintaining the social distancing protocol, Israel on March 16, 2020 swore in the newly elected members of parliament.
Parliament Speaker Adjourns the House; Helps Netanyahu
Exploiting the situation on ground due to rapidly spreading novel coronavirus, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein on March 18, 2020 adjourned the parliament, thus boosting his political boss, Benjamin Netanyahu, to buy additional time and cling to power as the premier was facing a corruption trial. Speaker's action drew condemnation from opposition political parties as well as President Reuven Rivlin, who implored the speaker to open the parliament as "we must not let the crisis, as serious as it is, harm our democratic system".
Parliament Speaker Adjourns the House; Helps Netanyahu
Exploiting the situation on ground due to rapidly spreading novel coronavirus, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein on March 18, 2020 adjourned the parliament, thus boosting his political boss, Benjamin Netanyahu, to buy additional time and cling to power as the premier was facing a corruption trial. Speaker's action drew condemnation from opposition political parties as well as President Reuven Rivlin, who implored the speaker to open the parliament as "we must not let the crisis, as serious as it is, harm our democratic system".
Opposition Leader to Become Speaker, Leading to Fracture of the Opposition Bloc
Opposition leader Benny Gantz on March 26, 2020 was elected the Knesset Speaker, paving the way for Benjamin Netanyahu to continue as premier. The action led the opposition Blue and White Party to erupt in rumble, pitting at least two factions of the opposition party to oppose Benny Gantz's decision to take speakership job as it allowed Netanyahu to continue as the head of the government.
President Extends Deadline; Parties in Hard Negotiation Process
As President Reuven Rivlin on April 13, 2020 extended the deadline for forming a national emergency government in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz met in the night at a session that lasted through early hours of April 14, 2020 and both leaders had touted "progress" in the talk, but not sure that the timeline of April 15, 2020 could be met. The contour of the talk is based on the concept of rotating premiership. If nothing works out, Israel will head to an unprecedented fourth parliamentary election in over a year.
After Leaders Fail to Reach Deal, President Gives a Three-week Deadline to Knesset
Hours after a midnight April 15, 2020, deadline to come up with an agreement passed without any progress, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on April 16, 2020 pushed the ball to the parliament's court, issuing a stern ultimatum to Knesset to help elect a premier within three weeks or get ready to be dissolved and face fourth election in a little over a year. However, the negotiation between the Blue and White Party led by Benny Gantz and Likud led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to reach a compromise.
Leaders Reach Compromise
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz on April 20, 2020 signed a compromise agreement that would avert a fourth general election in a little over a year and steer the country, hopefully, with a unified response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Under the April 20, 2020, agreement, many of the portfolios will go to Blue and White Party, but Netanyahu will have significant veto power if key portfolios such as attorney-general, who will oversee his corruption trial, are not to the liking of either party. The three-year deal calls for the first stint of 18 months under Netanyahu, making it all but certain that he will be at the helms of affair while his trial will proceed, followed by a rotating 18-month stint by Gantz.
However, what is concerning about the April 20, 2020, Gantz-Netanyahu agreement is a provision that allows Israel to annex West Bank land that includes Jewish settlements effective July 1, 2020.
EU Warns Israel against Unilateral Annexation
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borrell on April 23, 2020 issued a stern warning to Israel against any annexation effort of Palestinian land in response to an April 20, 2020, agreement between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz that called for beginning of annexing the West Bank settlements starting July 1, 2020.
Israel Swore Its Government, at Last
After nearly 500 days of political uncertainty, three divisive elections, a much ridiculed compromise between two political rivals and a mini-revolt in Likud Party that delayed swearing-in for three days, Israeli parliament on May 17, 2020 swore in the largest cabinet in Israeli history, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heading a team of 36 cabinet ministers and 16 deputies. His political rival, Benny Gantz, a former military head, will be the "alternate prime minister and future prime minister". Opposition leader Yair Lapid mocked the new cabinet as a completely out of touch with people and a cover to allay political dissension in the cover of fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the portfolios such as "community development" are created to make Likud's smaller allies and Likud dissenters happy.
First Known Official Flight Brings Aid for Palestinians
What international leaders couldn't do for decades, coronavirus made it happen. United Arab Emirates didn't have any formal relationship with Israel, and there was no flight between the countries. However, coronavirus pandemic, and COVID-19, the illness it causes, have changed everything. On May 19, 2020, an Etihad Airways cargo plane brought 14 tons of aid supply--including medical devices, protective gears and other necessities--to Israel for shipment to, according to a UAE press statement, "occupied Palestinian territory".
Two-State Solution No More Possible, Expert says
An American expert on the middle-east who earlier held a firm line on a two-state solution as part of longer-lasting peace deal between Israel and Palestinians had changed stance in recent days, sending shock waves through western policy-makers, West Bank settlements and Israeli officials. In a July 8, 2020, Op Ed in The New York Times, Peter Beinart, and influential voice on the middle-east and editor at large of the Jewish Currents, proposed to forego a two-state solution as it's no more a viable concept with Israeli occupation of West Bank and Palestinians pushed into a corner, and instead, argued for a democratic entity where Jews and Palestinians would live side by side and exercise equal basic rights, including right to vote. Peter Beinart's change in stance put progressives at an awkward situation as a long-time backer of their two-state goal has withdrawn support while the hawkish Jews, especially in Israel, are at best lukewarm to this idea as someday in future Jews may become minority in their own homeland and Palestinians will play more prominent political and policy roles with their rights at par with Jews.
Palestinian
Authority to Restore Ties with Israel
Palestinian
Authority on November 17, 2020 announced that it would re-establish diplomatic
relationship with Israel, paving the way for Israel to resume sharing hundreds
of millions of dollars with Palestinian Authority. In May 2020, Palestinian
Authority snapped relations and communication with Israeli authorities after
Israel had announced to annex some areas in West Bank. Israel, in retaliation,
has stopped sharing the revenue that it collects on behalf of Palestinian
Authority. The change in Palestinian stand has come as a new reflection of shifting
political and diplomatic landscape in view of Donald Trump’s defeat in the U.S.
presidential election. Meanwhile, the normalization of relationship between
Israel and UAE as well as between Israel and Bahrain has also taken the
contentious issue of annexation off the table, making it easy for PA to restore
ties with Israel.
Pompeo
the First U.S. Top Official to Visit a West Bank Settlement
In
the waning days of his administration, President Donald Trump and his
cabinet officials are hell-bent on deepening the deeply polarizing policies on
the international political and diplomatic landscape, with the latest coming
from the middle-east where Mike Pompeo has become the first U.S.
official to visit a West Bank settlement. On November 19, 2020,
America’s top diplomat had lunch at the “scenic Psagot Winery” at a
settlement near Jerusalem. Pompeo visited the settlement unaccompanied
by journalists. Mike Pompeo later announced that products made in the
settlements would be labeled as “made in Israel”. He also threatened that
Palestinian Authority-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions)
movement would be officially labeled as “anti-Semitic” and any group
participating in the BDS movement would be deprived of U.S. government funding.
Later, on November 19, 2020, Mike Pompeo visited Golan Heights.
MBS,
Netanyahu Hold Clandestine Talks
In
the first ever direct negotiation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on November 22, 2020 flew to Neom in Saudi Arabia and met with Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammad bin-Salman and visiting U.S. Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo. Hours later, the private jet brought Netanyahu back to Tel
Aviv airport. The Israeli news site Walla first spilled the bean on November
23, 2020. Flightradar24.com recorded a Gulfstream IV private
jet taking off from Tel Aviv and flying to Neom and returning to
Tel Aviv hours later. Mossad chief Yossi Cohen accompanied Netanyahu in
this secret mission. Although regional archenemies for decades over Palestinian
rights and other Arab issues, Saudis and Israelis along with Trump
administration now share a common concern over growing influence of Iran.
************************* FOURTH PARLIAMENTARY POLL IN
TWO YEARS *****************
Israel Nearing to Fourth Poll in Two Years
As the ruling coalition between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz is about to rip apart over disagreement of a budget deal as a deadline looms large, The Associated Press has reported on December 22, 2020 that it is all but certain that Israel is heading towards the fourth election in a little over two years.
Netanyahu, Allies Fail to Win a Majority of Seats
Benjamin Netanyahu-led Likud and its allied political parties failed to win a majority in the March 23, 2021, Knesset election, throwing further uncertainty over the future of the country amidst a corruption trial looming over Netanyahu.
Arab-Israeli Leader Suddenly Becomes Political Cynosure
That a small party with four only four lawmakers can exert so much of political influence is displayed on fast-moving Israeli political drama as country's media and political class has pivoted on Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Unified Arab List. In a nationally televised address in fluent Hebrew on April 1, 2021, Abbas urged Arabs and Jew to live side by side in harmony and peace.
President Invites Opposition Politician to Form Government
After the four-week window for forming a coalition government ended at midnight on May 4, 2021 for the incumbent, time might be ripe for the first time in 12 years for a government not headed by Benjamin Netanyahu. On May 5, 2021, President Reuven Rivlin invited the opposition leader Yair Lapid to try "to form a government that will earn the confidence of the Knesset". Lapid, leader of Yesh Atid political party, said that he would try to form a government where "our differences are a source of strength".
A Broad Opposition Coalition Likely to Oust Netanyahu
That the politics of power can change in weeks, if not in days, is clearly evident with the rapid pace of developments that, first with the outset of the 11-day Hamas-Israeli War (May 10-20, 2021) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has looked politically invincible, but has within days turned out to be a political loath to many Israelis as Hamas has seemed to become stronger than ever by the Egyptian-led truce. On May 30, 2021, there is a clear picture of a broad-based opposition unity emerging as Yair Lapid and former Netanyahu defense minister, Naftali Bennett, have agreed on a workable framework of governance under which Bennett will head the coalition government as premier and, at a later unspecified date, Lapid will assume the premiership. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sulking in the ignominy of a truce lampooned by many in Israel as an escape strategy instead of a clear-cut victory, called the opposition alliance as the "fraud of the century". Yair Lapid will likely to meet with President Reuven Rivlin on May 31, 2021 to stake claim in forming a coalition government.
12-Year Reign of Power Likely to Come to an End
Eight opposition parties, spanning across Israel's ideological and political divides, on June 2, 2021 reached an agreement, paving the way for the longest-serving premier in Israel's history likely to be ousted. The deal reached between the two key opposition leaders, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, to lead a government headed by Bennett in the first two years and then followed by a second two-year stint by Lapid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been ruling uninterrupted since 2009 and, before that, has been prime minister for few years in late 1990s, will try his best to cling to power as he will be tried on charges related to fraud, bribery and breach of trust as for not being in power will become riskier for Netanyahu once the privilege of premiership is gone. Yair Lapid entered politics after a successful career as a newspaper columnist, TV anchor and author. His Yesh Atid party entered Knesset in 2013, and Yair Lapid became Netanyahu's finance minister. Soon the fallout began, and Yesh Atid became an opposition political party since 2015. Yair Lapid on June 2, 2021 called on Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin, a fellow Likud member, to convene a parliamentary session to prove the majority of the new coalition. Yesh Atid party is a centrist and secular party, and has backing of a significant section of middle-class people. To the contrary, Naftali Bennett's Yamina Party derives its strength and support from right-wing and nationalist electoral base. Naftali Bennett was a successful high-tech entrepreneur and leader of settlers movement before jumping into politics. In addition to Naftali Bennett's Yamina Party and Yapir Lapid's Yesh Atid party, the eight-party coalition includes Defense Minister Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party, dovish Labor Party led by Merav Michaeli, United Arab List led by Mansour Abbas and three other small parties. The most to gain from the June 2, 2021, agreement is the United Arab List and its leader Mansour Abbas as the party will be the first Arab political party in any Israeli government and the deal has secured $9.2 billion to invest in Arab cities and towns, a five-year plan to combat violence in Arab communities and legal recognition of Bedouin villages in southern Israel. The deal was clinched 30 minutes before the deadline to form an opposition coalition was about to expire.
Netanyahu Ousted after a Dozen Years
Israeli parliament on June 13, 2021 voted out the country’s longest-serving premier with a razor-thin margin of 60-59 votes as 60 Knesset members rallied behind an eight-party coalition, as diverse as left wing parties to right-wing parties and as diverse as an Arab political party to a settlers’ political party, led by Naftali Bennett. However, Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to “topple this dangerous government” soon.
************************* FOURTH PARLIAMENTARY POLL IN TWO YEARS *****************
International Criminal Court Rules in Favor of Chief Prosecutor
In 2019, International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said that there was a "reasonable basis" to open a war crimes probe against Israel for its war on the people of Gaza Strip as well as its support and aid to settlement activities in the West Bank. However, Fatou Bensouda went ahead and asked the court whether she had the territorial jurisdiction to begin a probe for excesses in Gaza and the West Bank. On February 5, 2021, ICC has ruled that Bensouda has territorial jurisdiction to open a probe in the occupied territories.
*********************** 11-DAY ISRAELI-HAMAS WAR (MAY 10-20, 2021) ***********************
Barrage of Rocket Attacks, Airstrikes Push Middle East to Brink
As continuing daily clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians near the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other parts of Jerusalem wounded several hundreds of Palestinians and destroyed the festive mood of Ramadan, situation went out of control on May 10, 2021 as more than 150 rockets had been fired in a span of several hours through midnight from Gaza Strip, with half a dozen reaching as far as Jerusalem, first time the historic city had been targeted since 2014 Israeli-Hamas War. Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense System has been activated and it has captured dozens of incoming rockets. Israel, in response, unleashed a brutal campaign of airstrikes, hitting several Hamas targets. At least 20 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes, including seven from a single family in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the top security officials and said that the conflict could drag on, but threatened to force the Palestinian attackers "pay a heavy price". U.S. and E.U. called for calm.
Conflict Intensifies; Dozens, including Two in Israel, Dead; Government Formation Complicates
On May 11, 2021, the Israel-Palestinian conflict descended into a full-blown war, with militants in Gaza Strip launching more than 500 rockets into Israel, specially in the southern parts Israel. Hamas pledged continuing its campaign of rocket strikes in response to Israeli security forces' desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque by fighting with Palestinians and Arab visitors and congregants in the Holy Month of Ramadan. Israeli defense forces unleashed a barrage of punishing airstrikes throughout the day and into night of May 11, 2021, hitting about 500 Hamas targets. Gaza hospital authorities said later on May 11, 2021 that 35 Palestinians had been killed, including 10 children. At least 200 Palestinians were injured. Video posted online illustrates the scale of devastation that had inflicted the Shati refugee camp near the Gaza City. Egypt was reported to have sent a security delegation to Gaza Strip during the day to negotiate with Hamas officials in efforts to bring the conflict to an end. Meanwhile, people in Israel scrambled to take protection in bomb shelters. One Indian caregiver from the state of Kerala, Soumi Santosh, 32, was killed in one rocket attack during the day in Ashkelon. The elderly woman that Santosh was caring for was critically injured. Another resident of Ashkelon died of rocket strike too. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 11, 2021 has met with his security cabinet, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Army Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman and National Security Council chief Meir Ben Shabbat. The cabinet decided to deploy eight battalions of reservists.
Meanwhile, the talks over a possible government formation that will likely to include Left, Right and Arabs and replace the government of Benjamin Netanyahu have all but grounded to a screeching halt because of the escalation.
Middle East Convulses in Spate of Violence
On the third day of the conflict, May 12, 2021, the conflict took an uglier turn and it resembled lot more like the 50-day war in 2014, this time things though were looking uglier as Arabs and Jews in Israel turned against each other and battling it out on Israeli streets. In the morning hours of May 12, 2021, a deafening streak of bombings struck Gaza Strip and the punishing air campaign continued throughout the day. At dusk, Gaza looked like a ghost strip of land in contrast to lively and joyful evenings punctuated by feasts and celebration customary during the evenings of Ramadan. Gaza's Health Ministry said during the day that so far at least 65 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes, including 16 children and five women. Israeli authorities said that there were seven fatalities on their side as Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants had been pounding the southern parts of Israel as well as population centers such as Tel Aviv incessantly. Four people were killed on May 12, 2021 itself, including a soldier who had been hit by an anti-tank missile and a six-year-old child. Islamic Jihad acknowledged that seven of their commanders were killed, while Hamas admitted that one of its top commanders was killed too. However, Israeli military informed the press that the death toll for Palestinian commanders and military wing members were far higher. Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Jonathan Conricus said during the day that the military had information of deaths of at least 30 militants, including "10 members of top management of Hamas". As the situation on ground is getting from bad to worse by the hour, there is no tangible diplomatic initiative although the U.N. and Egypt have said that an effort to pull off a cease-fire has been underway amidst Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with the security cabinet later in the afternoon to go for an expansion of Israeli military offensive. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Hamas' launching of rocket attacks targeting Israeli villages, towns and cities, including Jerusalem, and he also asked Israel to show the "maximum restraint".
The genesis of the current crisis began at the beginning of Ramadan when Israeli security forces obstructed the movement of Palestinians to and from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, leading to daily fight on the streets of Jerusalem. To add fuel to the fire, Palestinian families faced evictions from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Meanwhile, Israeli security forces continued their presence in the Mosque compound. That gave an opportunity for Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders to take an upper hand over Palestinian Authority by making an audacious move to launch seven rockets late May 10, 2021 to strike Jerusalem by citing the rationale that they were defending Jerusalem. Many political observers believe that the current conflagration will politically strengthen Netanyahu on the Israeli side and Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar on the Palestinian side.
Conflict Intensifies as Israel within Faces Communal Upheaval
On the fourth day of Israeli-Hamas battle, rockets rained down uninterrupted, and Israel responded with punishing airstrikes. The day, May 13, 2021, is marked this year as the day of Eid ul-Fitr, holiest day for world's Muslims. In a normal year, a joyous atmosphere reigns across the Gaza Strip, streets become full of people and an air of celebration punctuates the Palestinian life in Gaza on the day of Eid. But not this year as the Gazans woke up to the deafening sound of bombardment and airstrikes. Gaza Health Ministry stated during the day that at least 109 Palestinians, including 28 children, were killed as of May 13, 2021. The number of injured people is a staggering 621. Israeli authorities announced that there would not be any incoming flights indefinitely at the Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "extract a heavy price from Hamas". Israel also massed three brigades of Israeli Defense Forces along the Israeli-Gaza border in an indication of possible invasion of Gaza by ground forces for the first time in 7 years. As the spiral of violence is wreaking havoc in the region, the diplomacy is yet to produce any tangible results. Egypt sent a delegation to Tel Aviv on May 13, 2021, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr was reported to be en route to Israel. In an alarming trend, the internal fabric of communal harmony in Israel is now at the brink of being torn apart as internecine fight Arab Israelis and nationalist Jews rocked several cities for the fourth-straight night. Mixed Arab-Jewish city of Lod has become the epicenter of the Arab-Jewish clash.
Deaths, Chaos, Destruction, Bloodbath Mark the Friday after Eid
On May 14, 2021, non-stop barrage of airstrikes on Gaza and rocket attacks on Israel left a bloody trail of destruction and a chaotic descent of the region into a deeper geopolitical turmoil. Overnight about 160 Israeli warplanes intensely bombarded every nook and corner of the Gaza Strip, targeting widely constructed underground tunnels. Israeli ground forces also participated in the offensive, but didn't cross the border. Israeli military said that about 2,000 rockets were fired by Hamas militants, with about 400 falling short and landing in Gaza itself, since May 10, 2021, eruption of the conflict. Nine Israeli residents have been killed so far. What's more problematic for Israel is not the fighting against Hamas, it's the internecine Arab-Jew fighting that has been going on in the mixed Israeli cities of Lod, Haifa and Acre. In a nationally televised address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 14, 2021 bemoaned the Arab-Jew strife as putting Israel "fighting a campaign on two fronts". U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres again called during the day for "immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities". The violence has spread during the day to West Bank as Palestinian demonstrators fought against security forces in Ramallah, Nablus and Bethlehem. At least 10 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank. As the night fell and Jews began the marking of Sabbath, protesters had set cars and tires on fire in Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
Middle East Pulverized by another Day of Barrage of Rocket Fires and Avalanche of Airstrikes
Throughout May 15, 2021 and early May 16, 2021, Israel continued a hours-long punitive and pulverizing airstrikes that had tumbled high-rises, targeted several high-level Hamas officials and left a trail of destruction across Gaza Strip. Among the targets was 12-story al-Jalaa high-rise, housing local offices of The Associated Press and al-Jazeera TV, which collapsed under the fury of three successive airstrikes. Israeli authorities sent warning an hour before the attack and the building was evacuated. The AP had broadcast a very robust coverage of earlier Israel-Hamas fighting, including the 2014 fighting. With a reliable independent source now gone, nothing remained in Gaza that would have credibility of an international organization such as The Associated Press to report on the ground situation and Palestinian miseries in Gaza Strip. The Associated Press President and CEO Gary Pruitt issued a statement on May 15, 2021, saying that "we are shocked and horrified" that Israeli military would target media buildings. He further added that the "world will know less about what is happening in Gaza". Israeli aircraft bombed the home of one of the senior political leaders of Hamas, Khalil-al Hayeh, on May 15, 2021, but it was not known if the Hamas leader had survived the attack. As of May 15, 2021, at least 145 Palestinians--including 41 children and 23 women--had been killed and several hundreds were injured. On the Israeli side, one Israeli soldier and seven civilians, including one 5-year-old child, were killed.
Meanwhile, protests against Israeli campaign in Gaza Strip mounted across the world on May 15, 2021, marked as the Day of Nakba, or the Day of Catastrophe, to observe the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948 coinciding with the declaration of Israel's independence. Large, raucous crowds participated in rallies in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Paris, Brussels and other cities to denounce Israeli bombing of Gaza Strip and demand for Palestinian independence. Palestinian-American supermodel Bella Hadid participated in the New York City protest.
Deadliest Day in Middle East as Israel Pulverizes Gaza with non-Stop Airstrikes
May 16, 2021 marked the deadliest day in the week-old Israel-Hamas fighting as Israeli aircraft carried out intense, non-stop airstrikes for hours from south to north, killing at least 42 Palestinian people, worst single day toll since the latest conflagration had begun on May 10, 2021. Israeli airstrikes intensified again in the early hours of May 17, 2021, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened in a TV address, flanked by his defense minister and political bete noire, Benny Gantz, to "levy a heavy price" on Hamas and vow continuing with the airstrikes on Gaza Strip for "some time". As of May 16, 2021, at least 188 Palestinians were killed, including 55 children and 33 women. More than 1,230 Palestinians were wounded since Israel began its air campaign on May 10, 2021. On the Israeli side, eight people were killed, including a child and a soldier, amidst more than 3,100 rockets launched from Gaza Strip since May 10, 2021. On May 16, 2021, Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza's extensive underground network of tunnels, uprooting homes and apartment buildings like house of cards. Among those found dead in the debris is Dr. Ayman Abu Al-Ouf, head of the internal medicine at Shifa Hospital and a senior member of the hospital's Coronavirus task force.
On the diplomatic side, efforts are undergoing on May 16, 2021 at the U.N. Security Council and 57-nation bloc of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to bring the conflict to an end. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on May 16, 2021 that USA was trying very hard through various channels to bring a cease-fire. OIC called for cessation of Israeli air campaign in Gaza. OIC leaders met via video conferencing. Some nations which have recently normalized relations with Israel have faced criticism from the fellow members. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu joined Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to rail against UAE, Bahrain and Sudan "who have lost their moral compass and voiced their support for Israel".
U.S. Blocks a U.N. Security Council Resolution as Israel Continues to Destroy Hamas Tunnels, Buildings
On May 17, 2021, Israel unapologetically continued airstrikes, targeting extensive tunnels and high-rises used by militants. During the day, Israeli aircraft destroyed five-story Religious Affairs Ministry building that Israel alleged to have been used by Hamas militants. However, Gaza City Mayor Yahya Sarraj disputed the Israeli narrative, accusing Israel of destroying Gaza City's infrastructure instead. The U.N. warned during the day that Gaza's sole power plant was facing fuel shortage. On the diplomatic front, US blocked a U.N Security Council resolution on May 17, 2021 that called for an end to the "crisis related to Gaza" and protection of civilians, especially women and children. In the week-long offensive, at least 200 Palestinians, including 59 children and 35 women, were killed, and more than 1,300 wounded. So far on the Israeli side, 10 people have been killed.
U.S. Pushes Israel to Find an "End Game", Israel Attacks Tunnels, Palestinian Protests Expand in the West Bank
The Associated Press reported on May 18, 2021 that Biden administration was more involved in pushing the Netanyahu regime to find an "end game". However, it does not seem to be resonating with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his military has undertaken massive strikes against underground tunnels in Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the rockets are raining down into southern Israel, and two Thai workers there [southern Israel] were killed during the day, raising the death toll on the Israeli side to 12 since the conflagration had erupted on May 10, 2021. Meanwhile, on May 18, 2021, Palestinians protested throughout towns and cities in the West Bank against Israeli aggression in Gaza . Confrontations with Israeli security forces led to live fires at several demonstration sites, killing three Palestinians.
No Emergence of Any Semblance of Truce after Biden-Netanyahu Phone Call; Israel Vows to Press
On May 19, 2021, President Joe Biden held a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and imploring that he would expect "a significant de-escalation" by the end of the day. After the phone conversation, Prime Minister Netanyahu remained adamant, and vowed to "continue this operation until its aim is met".
Cease-fire Takes Effect; Hamas Celebrates Victory
Under international pressure, especially from Biden administration's prodding for Israel to find an "end game", an Egyptian-mediated cease-fire took effect at 2AM local time on May 21, 2021 [U.S. time May 20, 2021]. Hours earlier on May 20, 2021, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet unanimously approved the Egyptian cease-fire deal. The 11-day barrage of ferocious airstrikes and rocketing had left at least 232 Palestinians, including at least 65 children, dead and 12 on the Israeli side killed. In the aftermath of the cease-fire taking hold around 2AM local time on May 21, 2021, Palestinians emerged from homes in Gaza, East Jerusalem, Ramallah and other West Bank towns, villages and cities to celebrate the victory of their resistance that had seen more than 4,000 rockets and projectiles launched from Gaza Strip towards Israel. A Hamas political leader in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, told a Hezbollah-run TV station that Hamas had won two key concessions from the "occupation": one related to the Israeli security apparatus' hands to be off from the reach of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the other related to Israeli settlers desisting from continuously harassing, hurting and threatening Palestinian families in an effort to oust them from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. These twin issues--Israeli security clampdown at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jewish settlers' effort to displace Palestinians from Sheik Jarrah--triggered the Hamas rocket attacks on Jerusalem on May 10, 2021, leading to a pulverizing streak of Israeli airstrikes against Hamas targets and tunnels in Gaza and Hamas' retaliation with thousands of rocket attacks against Israel, targeting especially the southern parts of the country. However, Israel was categorical that no such conditions were granted and the cease-fire was "unconditional". Israel also said that their main military goal of degrading Hamas infrastructure, including a vast network of underground tunnels, had been achieved. U.S. President Joe Biden on May 20, 2021 hailed the Egyptian-mediated cease-fire as the "real opportunity" for both Israel and Palestinians.
Tension Flares up on the First Day of Cease-fire
Hours after an Egyptian-mediated cease-fire went into effect at 2AM local time on May 21, 2021, a throng of Palestinians prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday (May 21, 2021) morning, but some of them also displayed Palestinian flags and gave shout-out for Hamas' victory in the 11-day battle (May 10-20, 2021) that had pulverized Gaza Strip with incessant Israeli airstrikes and shut down most of Israel with hundreds of rockets launched from Gaza. The display and defiance of Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound led to brawl with Israeli security forces. Meanwhile, Israeli security forces fired rubber-coated bullets against stone-hurling Palestinian youths across occupied West Bank. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on May 21, 2021 said in a televised address from Doha, Qatar that Palestinians "will witness many victories" and emphasized on resistance instead of "failed talks". Now, the gargantuan task of reparations and salvation will begin in Gaza. United Nations allocated $18.6 million in emergency aid. Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 243 Palestinian deaths, including 66 children. At least 1,910 people were wounded in the 11-day fighting. On the Israeli side, 12 people were killed. On the political front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under withering criticism from right-wing politicians such as Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of far-right Jewish Power Party, and Gideon Saar, an one-time ally of premier's. U.S. President Joe Biden pledged support for the cease-fire and also called for pursuing a "two-state" solution. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Palestinians and Israelis to go "beyond the restoration of calm to start a serious dialogue to address the root causes" of the problem. The U.N. envoy for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, thanked Egypt and Qatar for helping craft the cease-fire and stressed that now "the work of building Palestine can start".
Blinken to Rally Support for Truce
Days after an Egyptian-mediated truce ended an 11-day war between Hamas and Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on May 25, 2021 visited the region and met both Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Although Blinken is staying clear of committing any U.S. involvement in reviving the peace talks between Israel and Palestinians to avoid repeated failures of such efforts under Obama administration, he vowed to take a more balanced view compared to Trump administration, which has consistently taken Israeli side. Secretary Anthony Blinken vowed to "rally international support" for the cease-fire that took hold at 2AM local time on May 21, 2021 and rebuilding Gaza Strip. After meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken said that the Biden administration was eager to pursue "rebuilding the relationship with Palestinian Authority and Palestinian People". He announced $38.5 million in additional aid to Palestinians through Palestinian Authority. Biden administration also wants to reopen and upgrade the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem that has worked as a de factor liaison office with the Palestinians. Trump had downgraded the functions of the consulate office after deciding to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, downgrading the functions of the consulate office and bringing them under the purview of U.S. Embassy.
Blinken Wraps up Middleeast Trip after Winning Monetary Pledge, Support for Truce
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on May 26, 2021 wrapped up his two-day trip (May 25-26, 2021) through the region, winning monetary pledge to rebuild Gaza Strip and support a truce that had ended an 11-day Israeli-Hamas war. On May 26, 2021, he met with leaders of two regional powerhouses, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah II. Meanwhile, Qatar pledged a $500 million aid to rebuild almost destroyed Gaza Strip.
Human Rights Council Takes Israel to Task
On May 27, 2021, U.N. Human Rights Council based in Geneva passed an OIC (Organization for Islamic Conference) resolution to condemn Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Hamas' military tactic, but most of the resolution's blatant words were reserved for Israel. The resolution calls for creating a "Commission of Inquiry" with an "ongoing" mandate to assess human rights scenario in Israel, Gaza and West Bank. The resolution was passed by 24-9 votes, with 14 abstentions.
Fuel to be Delivered to the Gaza Power Plant for the First Time since 11-day War
The U.N. special envoy for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, said on June 27, 2021 that Qatari-funded fuel would be shipped to the sole power plant in Gaza Strip beginning June 28, 2021 as part of the agreement between the Israeli government and Gaza's Hamas rulers that ended the 11-day war between Netanyahu regime and the militant group.
*********************** 11-DAY ISRAELI-HAMAS WAR (MAY 10-20, 2021) ***********************
First Test of Political Resolve for Naftali Bennett Government
The brand new government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett faces its first litmus test on June 15, 2021 as it has given permission on June 14, 2021 to Jewish nationalists to march through East Jerusalem's Damascus Gate. The new police minister, Omer Bar-Lev, on June 14, 2021 reviewed the security planning and said that at least 2,000 security forces would be deployed along the march route on June 15, 2021. The march by the nationalist Jews is to observe the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel in 1967. Palestinians see the annual march by Jewish nationalists as provocation. On June 14, 2021, Hamas issued a statement, calling Palestinians to put up resistance.
Violence
Tests the Cease-fire and New Israeli Government
The
June 15, 2021, ultranationalist Jewish parade to commemorate the
annexation of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War raised
passion on both sides as many of the rally participants had raised racist and
anti-Palestinian slogans. The rallyists stopped at the Damascus Gate without
crossing into a Palestinian neighborhood, but not before raising enough
political temperature. Militants from Gaza Strip sent inflammable balloons across
the border in response that lit fires in the parched Israeli lands. On June
16, 2021, Israeli aircraft carried out several strikes against militant
positions in Gaza. Egypt is in the middle of a hectic diplomatic engagement
swing to hold the tenuous cease-fire.
Boycott-Divestment-Sanction Movement Receives Boost from Ben & Jerry's
That one of the most renowned iconic brands' decision to stop sales in occupied territory could have chilling effect if other corporations followed suit was borne out by the official reaction from the Israeli government itself as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on July 20, 2021 vowed to take action against the boycott decision. He even spoke with CEO Alan Jope of Unilever, Ben & Jerry's parent company. The desperation leads one to gauge Israel's nervousness due to increasing social and corporate activism as the company in this case has stated that its sales in occupied territories "is inconsistent with our values".
Israel-Hezbollah Fighting Poses Threat to Region
That both Israel and Hezbollah want to avoid a full-scale escalation is evident after a three-day border clash (August 4-6, 2021) has centered around Lebanese militia group's focus on a small parcel of enclave at the borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Shebaa Farms is controlled by Israel, but claimed by Lebanon. On August 6, 2021, at least 19 rockets launched by Hezbollah landed in "open fields" in northern Israel. Sirens blared and ambulances rushed, but no one was injured. Israel responded with artillery fire. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has called a cabinet meeting to discuss the evolving situation, but regional experts believe that none wants this small-scale border melee to become a conflagration.
Biden-Bennet First Summit Overshadowed by Troops Casualties in Afghanistan
In the first summit between Joe Biden and Naftali Bennett, if the Israeli leader did have any plan going to the meeting to change the heart of the U.S. president by dissuading him from rejoining the JCPOA, it clearly didn't succeed. President Biden told his visitor on August 27, 2021 that the U.S. would like to give diplomacy a chance before exploring other options. The meeting, originally scheduled on August 26, 2021, was pushed by a day because of worst terrorist attack in Afghanistan on the U.S. military personnel in a decade.
Nighttime Protest Rocks Gaza-Israel Borders for the Second Night
As part of a nightly protest for the entire week, Palestinians inspired by Hamas began demonstrating along the Gaza-Israeli border on August 28, 2021 night. For two consecutive nights on August 28 and August 29, Palestinians threw inflammable objects over the wall, targeting Israeli troops. Israeli troops responded with live fires and airstrikes. However, no deaths were reported as of August 29, 2021. Hamas is demanding that Israel and Egypt ease the border restrictions that they had put in place after Hamas had ousted Fatah in 2007 and Israeli authorities had tightened them further after an 11-day war in May 2021. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said on August 29, 2021 that Israel bore "all the repercussions and consequences of the tightening of the siege on Gaza".
Israel to Give more than $150 million Loan to Palestinian Authorities
In the first such high-ranking meeting since 2014, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on August 30, 2021 met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as part of easing the tension that was a common-place event under the Netanyahu regime and aiming to promote the Palestinian Authority as a bulwark against Hamas. The Gantz-Abbas meeting happened three days after Joe Biden had met with Israel's new premier, Naftali Bennett, in the White House. Among the items agreed between Benny Gantz and Mahmoud Abbas are a $155 million loan to Palestinian Authority, additional work permits for more than 15,000 Palestinians and clarifications to the residency status for thousands of spouses of Palestinians who now reside in the West Bank.
Abbas Threatens to Withdraw Recognition of Israel if Occupation Does not End in a Year
Using the backdrop of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on September 24, 2021 addressed the U.N. General Assembly in a virtual speech. Abbas, 85, used unusually harsh words, and called the Israeli occupation as "apartheid" equivalent to "ethnic cleansing". He threatened to withdraw recognition of Jewish state if Israel didn't end its occupation within a year. Abbas, though, expressed his willingness to participate in the negotiation of the final status talks. Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, issued a statement, saying that Mahmoud Abbas had proven one more time that "he is no longer relevant" and criticizing the harsh tone of threatening "delusional ultimatums from the U.N. platform".
******************************* WOMEN OF THE WALL *****************************
Ultra-Orthodox Protest Erupts over Women's Right to Pray with the Men at the Western Wall
That the internal friction between the Liberal strain of Judaism and ultra-Orthodox viewpoint is far from over and has been kept under the rug has emerged on November 5, 2021 with a full-throttle exposure to the world as a large number of ultra-Orthodox protesters have swarmed around a weekly protest site at the Western Wall where women's rights activists have been holding demonstrations for decades under the banner of the Women of the Wall. The day's event had added significance as an Israeli lawmaker from the Labor Party, Gilad Kariv, a reform rabbi announced to bring a Torah scroll to the demonstration site, inviting a strenuous objection from ultra-Orthodox leaders, including Aryeh Deri, head of Shas Party. Deri called the ultra-orthodox protest for November 5, 2021. Eventually, Gilad Kariv avoided visiting the Women of the Wall demonstration site at the request of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. However, dice has been cast for a militant counter-demonstration by the ultra-Orthodox protesters. The appearance of a far-right lawmaker, Itamar Ben Gvir, added fuel to the fire, inviting slogans such as "Ben Gvir Go Home" from the supporters of the Women of the Wall.
******************************* WOMEN OF THE WALL ****************************
Israeli
Defense Chief’s Housekeeper Arrested over Espionage
That
a worker at the house of Israel’s defense minister is arrested on the suspicion
of having connection to a hacking ring backed by Tehran is raising a multifold
alarm about the security vetting process by Shin Bet, Israel’s internal
security agency. Shin Bet arrested the man, identified as Omri Goren,
on November 18, 2021. Omri Goren has extensive criminal records.
Despite that, how he has been employed at the home of Benny Gantz is
raising plenty of questions related to the security clearance and vetting
process.
First
Hamas-Israeli Violence in Months
On December
29, 2021, Hamas militants shot and wounded an Israeli civilian near the Gaza-Israel
fence, leading Israeli army to launch fire from tanks targeting Hamas militant
sites in Gaza and marking the first flare-up since September 2021. On January
1, 2022, Hamas launched two rockets that landed in Mediterranean Sea off
the Central Israel. Hamas often test-fires missiles and rockets that often land
in the Mediterranean Sea. In response to two rocket launches into Mediterranean
Sea, Israel hours later in the wee hours of January 2, 2022 launched a
punishing streak of air assault on Gaza sites often used by Hamas militants for
arms manufacturing.
Israel not to Cooperate with U.N. Probe
Israel on February 17, 2022 announced that it would not cooperate
with a three-member commission, Commission of Inquiry, appointed by the U.N.
Human Rights Council to investigate into human rights abuses committed
during 11-day war in 2021 between Hamas and Israel. A letter sent to Navi
Pillay, the commission head, by Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. and the
international organizations in Geneva, Meilov Eilon Shahar, explains
Israel’s position that “there is simply no reason to believe that Israel will
receive reasonable, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment from the
Council, or from the Commission of Inquiry".
Israel, Four Arab Nations Meet to Expand Ties; Blinken Calls the Meet
Unprecedented
On March 28, 2022, Israel hosted a foreign ministerial level
meeting at the resort of Sde Boker in the Negev Desert with the top
diplomats from the U.S. and four Arab nations—Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco and
UAE—to firm up the bond on environmental, security and trade matters. U.S.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the meeting unprecedented and
unthinkable even few years ago. The meeting is the result of the so-called Abraham
Accord signed under the Trump administration to float a regional platform
against Iran. However, to reflect that all is not well with the existing
equation between Israel and the Arab World, Jordan stayed away from the
meeting. Instead, King Abdullah II paid a visit during the day to the
West Bank to show support for the Palestinian cause. Israeli Foreign
Minister Yair Lapid took a victory lap in the presence of the press corps,
adding that the meeting would become an annual ritual.
Gunman Kills Five People in Israel
Days before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, a gunman on a
pillion on March 29, 2022 opened fire on passersby at an
ultra-orthodox-dominated town, Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, killing five
people.
Israeli-Palestinian
Clashes at the Holy Shrine Injure at least 150
In
an effort to avert last year’s catastrophic repeat of 11-day war between Israel
and Hamas, this year, Israeli security forces and Palestinians took measures to
avoid any conflict from descending into an escalation. On April 15, 2022,
Israeli security forces briefly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque premise as
Palestinians threw rocks and bottles at police. The esplanade outside the
mosque became a war zone. At least 150 Palestinians were injured in
scuffles on April 15, 2022. None of the injuries is life-threatening. However,
situation was quickly brought under control.
Israeli
Police Briefly Enters the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
Israeli
police personnel on April 22, 2022 briefly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque
compound to arrest scores Palestinian youths on the ground that they were
accumulating large stockpiles of rocks and hurling them against security
forces. However, the security forces exited the compound shortly, and Friday
prayers were held subsequently, with large number of people praying on the
second-last Friday of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
An
Israeli Security Guard Shot Dead by Palestinians
Late
April 29, 2022, two Palestinians in a car came at the entrance of a West
Bank settlement, Ariel, and opened fire, killing a security guard. The
suspects fled the Ariel Settlement immediately after shooting. There was a major manhunt undertaken
immediately after the killing at Ariel to locate the vehicle and pair of
suspects. A string of attacks over the past two months had killed 14
Israelis.
Two Palestinians were detained on April 30, 2022 in the shooting death of a security officer at Ariel settlement.
************************* PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN JORNALIST KILLED
Veteran Palestinian-American Journalist Slain
A veteran journalist working for Al Jazeera TV network was killed
on May 11, 2022 as she was covering an Israeli raid at a Jenin refugee
camp in the West Bank. Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu-Akleh’s
death is shrouded in mystery as Israel first has claimed that she has been shot
by a stray bullet from the Palestinian side. However, by the day’s end, Israeli
Defense Minister Benny Gantz promised that there would be a transparent
inquiry into 51-year-old Palestinian-American’s death. Shireen Abu-Akleh’s
body was carried by Palestinians on the streets of Jenin and later brought to
Ramallah where there was an outpouring of spontaneous Palestinian support.
Israel Acknowledges Its Possible Role in Palestinian Journalist’s
Killing
The killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh
has sent a message of unity and resolve throughout Palestinian communities
across the globe and drawn condemnation from the international community. Palestinians
have begun to view the 51-year-old Al-Jazeera journalist as a glorious
martyr. On May 12, 2022, Israeli Defense Forces said that the
fire which had killed Shireen Abu-Akleh might have been triggered by one
of its soldiers, bolstering the notion that it might be a deliberate act of killing.
Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein Al Sheikh on May 12, 2022
called the killing an “assassination” perpetrated by Israel.
An International Consortium’s Research Shows Israeli Culpability behind
Journalist’s Death
On May 15, 2022, a Netherlands-based consortium of researchers, Bellingcat,
published a report based on audio- and video-based research that analyzed and
dissected the circumstances and activities related to the killing of Al-Jazeera
correspondent Shireen Abu-Akleh and concluded that the Palestinian-American
journalist had been killed in Israeli bullet.
U.N. Says that Israelis Might have Killed the Journalist
The U.N. Human Rights Office said on June 24, 2022 that eminent Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh was shot by "seemingly well-aimed bullets" and it might be the work of Israeli soldiers.
Palestinians on July 2, 2022 handed over the bullet that killed Abu-Akleh to U.S. investigators.
************************* PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN JORNALIST KILLED
Israeli Nationalists Raise Anti-Palestinian Hate Slogans
Israeli ultra-orthodox groups on May 29, 2022 marked the Jerusalem
Day and marched through the Damascus Gate, Muslim Quarters and Old Town in
a provocative show of nationalism. Many in the march raised hateful slogans
such as “death to Arabs".
Bennett Government Dissolves Parliament; Fifth Election in Three Years
to be Held in Fall
The eight-party coalition began to hit roadblocks from the very
first day. On June 20, 2022, Naftali Bennett government announced
that it would dissolve the parliament, paving the way for the fifth election in
three years that might very well bring back Benjamin Netanyahu to the
helms of government.
Lapid to Become Premier as Knesset Votes to Dissolve
Israeli parliament on June 30, 2022 voted to dissolve the Knesset,
setting up for the fifth election in just over three years. Also, on July 1,
2022, Yair Lapid is to become the premier of Israel, taking over the reign
from Naftali Bennett.
10 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza
After the arrest of two Islamic Jihad leaders in West Bank
earlier this week and subsequent questioning, Israeli authorities claimed, they
uncovered an “imminent threat” of attack against Israel. That led to Israel
launching a ferocious streak of airstrikes in Gaza Strip on August 5, 2022.
10 Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes, including a
Palestinian woman and a five-year-old girl. Islamic Jihad, in response,
launched barrage of rockets towards Israel. In Israeli airstrikes. An Islamic
Jihad commander in northern Gaza, Taiseer al-Jabari, was killed. Reacting
to Israeli airstrikes, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah told the Al-Mayadeen
TV from Iran that “fighters of Palestinian resistance have to stand
together” to defeat the aggressor. U.N. Special Envoy Tor Wennesland said
that he was “deeply concerned by the ongoing escalation".
Airstrikes, Rocket Attacks Continue on the Second Day of Escalation
On August 6, 2022, Israel continued with a second day of punishing air strikes, targeting Islamic Jihad group's infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad militants responded by sending dozens of rockets towards Israel. The casualties on the Palestinian side mounted too, with Palestinians killed in the two-day Israeli airstrikes totaling 24, including six children. Israeli military contended on August 6, 2022 that an errant Palestinian rocket had hit the northern Gaza city of Jabaliya, killing scores of children. An Israeli attack on Rafah during the day killed Ziad al-Mudalai, son of a local Islamic Jihad leader, and at least another Palestinian as well as wounded dozens.
Detente in Fighting between Islamic Jihad and Israel
An Egyptian-brokered cease-fire took hold before midnight on August 8, 2022 (Dallas time 3:30 PM August 7, 2022), but not before punishing Israeli airstrikes had pulverized the communities all across Gaza Strip and Islamic Jihad militants launched hundreds of indigent rockets into Israel. A second Islamic Jihad commander, Khaled Mansour, was killed late August 6, 2022 in an Israeli airstrike on the Rafah refugee camp. In the first hours of Israeli airstrikes on August 5, 2022, Taiseer al-Jabari, an Islamic Jihad commander in northern Gaza was killed.
Israel Blames more than one-third Palestinian Deaths on Errant Rockets
Israeli military on August 8, 2022 blamed errant rockets launched by Islamic Jihad for some 14 of the total 47 deaths in three-day escalation (August 5-7, 2022) that had been brought to an end by an Egyptian-brokered truce. There was no reported casualty or injuries on the Israeli side.
Palestinian Gunman Injures Eight Passers-by, including Americans
A Palestinian gunman on August 14, 2022 opened fire on civilians
at a Jerusalem bus station, wounding eight people. U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides
later tweeted that there were unspecified number of Americans injured in the
attack.
Palestinian Activist Dismisses Israeli Threat
An Israeli rights group leader on August 21, 2022 ignored Shin Bet's threatening message for him to report to a West Bank military prison for interrogation. Shawan Jabarin, the director of the Palestinian rights group Al Haq, on August 21, 2022 told reporters that a five-minute threatening call was made by Shin Bet warning him against defying the order to report to Ofer military prison in the West Bank. The threatening message came after Israeli security forces on August 18, 2022 had raided the offices of five Palestinian rights groups, including that of Al Haq, and partially damaged the offices. Israeli army's raid against five Palestinian groups' offices in Ramallah drew condemnation from Palestinians, Arab World, nine European nations and various international agencies. U.S. also pushed back against the Israeli tactics, including how it was dealing with Shawan Jabarin, who had made it clear that he would not obey Shin Bet's threatening order. Israel last year outlawed all these five rights groups, and accused Al Haq and its leader Jabarin of nurturing ties with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP, a charge denied by Shawan Jabarin. In a unifying voice to stand for the equity and rights of the Palestinian people, 45 Israeli advocacy and human rights groups on August 21, 2022 issued a joint statement supporting the five Palestinian groups targeted by Israeli government.
Palestinian Hunger Striker in Critical State, Doctor Reports
Palestinian activist Khalil Awadeh, 40, is observing hunger strike since March 2022 in protest against inhuman Israeli practice of detaining Palestinians indefinitely without charges and without holding trials. Awadeh's lawyers appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court, seeking his release, but Israel's apex court on August 21, 2022 rejected the filing of Khalil Awadeh's lawyers. On August 22, 2022, Dr. Lina Qasem-Hassan of the Physicians for Human Rights group, who had visited Khalil Awadeh days earlier at a hospital, said that Awadeh's health was very bad and he could die any time.
Palestinian Activist to End Hunger Strike after Reaching Agreement
Palestinian activist Khalil Awadeh said in a widely circulated video on August 31, 2022 that he was ending his epic hunger strike, leading to international outcries, after reaching an agreement with Israeli authorities that would set him free on October 2, 2022. An emaciated Khalil Awadeh called the agreement as a resounding victory for Palestinian people, without divulging the agreement details.
798 Palestinians Languish in Israeli Prisons without Charges
An Israeli rights group, HaMoked, said on October 2, 2022
that at least 798 Palestinians were being jailed now under the so called
administrative detention, meaning that they had yet to face formal charges.
The number is the highest since 2008.
Israel, Lebanon Reach Maritime Deal on Energy Exploration
At the behest of the United States, Israel and Lebanon, who had been officially
at war since 1948, reached a deal on sharing eastern Mediterranean’s underwater
energy resources, including the strategic reserve of “Qana” natural gas
field, that could be boon to both nations’ economies, according to the White
House. President Joe Biden told reporters on October 11, 2022 that he
spoke with Lebanese President Michael Aoun and Israeli Premier Yair Lapid
by phone and both men agreed to move forward with this maritime agreement. Both
nations have contested maritime boundaries of about 330 square miles in Eastern
Mediterranean.
Australia Reverses Its Embassy Decision
Australia on October 18, 2022 reversed its 2018 decision to move the embassy to West Jerusalem taken under the conservative Scott Morrison government. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in the aftermath of a cabinet meeting that Canberra remained committed to a "two-state solution" and, as part of that commitment, Australian embassy would be in Tel Aviv, not in Western Jerusalem. Australian Embassy never physically moved from Tel Aviv to Western Jerusalem. Reacting to Australian announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on October 18, 2022 that "Jerusalem is the eternal undivided capital of Israel".
At least Five Killed in Israeli Raid Targeting a Weapons Site in Nablus
An early morning raid by Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, on October 25, 2022 targeted the headquarters and "explosives manufacturing site" of Lion's Den, a Palestinian militant group, in Nablus, West Bank, according to an Israeli military statement. The October 25, 2022, raid is an escalation of months-long conflict that had been continuing in East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza Strip since Spring 2022. The social media videos show several armored personnel moved into Nablus and surrounded the home of Wadee al-Huh, a leader of the upstart militant organization called the Lion's Den. Wadee al-Huh and four other Palestinians were reported killed in Nablus. Palestinian protesters swarmed the streets of Nablus and burned tires and threw rocks at Israeli soldiers. A drone strike against Palestinians was even reported during the day, marking a new escalation if it turned out to be true.
The assassination of Wadee al-Huh came two days after a targeted assassination of a separate Lion's Den's commander, Tamer al-Kilani, on a Nablus street on October 23, 2022 when a motorcycle had been blown up. During October 25, 2022, Nablus raid, a weapons lab operated by Lion's Den, which had been formed a year ago, was destroyed. Since Spring 2022, at least 19 Israelis and more than 125 Palestinians were killed in almost daily violence in East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip and West Bank.
*****************************FIFTH PARLIAMENTARY POLLS IN THREE YEARS ************
Netanyahu Poised to Return to Power
Benjamin Netanyahu is all set to become Israel’s next premier in the November 1, 2022,
election for Knesset, thanks to an opportunistic alliance with an
extreme right-wing religious party. Religious Zionism is well-placed to
be one of the top three winners. Religious Zionism’s leader, Itamar Ben-Gvir,
is provocative, a strident anti-Palestinian and bellicose. This marks the fifth
general election in four years. The Likud alliance of ultra-orthodox and religious parties appeared to have won 64 seats, and the coalition of Acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid was reported to have won 51.
Israeli Premier Calls for Unity
After a poll rout, the outgoing premier of Israel, Yair Lapid, on
November 6, 2022 called for national unity. Marking the death of Yitzhak Rabin at a memorial,
Lapid warned against the current deep division in Israeli society and took pain
to explain that Judaism didn’t stand for intolerance, or cleavage in the society, as the third-largest party in the recently concluded Knesset election,
Religious Zionism, was trying to just do that.
Netanyahu, Biden Speak over Phone
On November 7, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden
congratulated the incoming Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, and both leaders
expressed optimism over the strong bilateral relation. However, the
relationship will not be without its fair share of hurdles as Netanyahu’s
stubborn opposition to Iran Nuclear Agreement and any effort to restore
it as well as a more complex situation that had arisen from the outcome of the
recently concluded election as an extreme right-wing political party, Religious
Zionism, known for their strident anti-Palestinian viewpoint, had won the
third-largest number of seats and would now sit in the Netanyahu cabinet.
25th Knesset Sworn in Hours after a Palestinian Attacker
Kills Three Israelis
The most right-wing parliament in Israel’s history was sworn in on November
15, 2022 hours after a Palestinian rampaged in an Israeli-controlled
industrial park in the West Bank and killed three Israelis before being shot to
death.
Major Portfolios, including one over Settlement Expansion, for Extreme
Right-Wing Party
Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu on December 1, 2022 said that the shape
and portfolio distribution of a “right-wing, national government” was almost
done. The extreme right-wing Religious Zionism party has received some
of the plum portfolios, including an official rank within the Defense
Department that would have authority to oversee the settlement expansion in the
West Bank.
Election of Netanyahu Ally as Speaker Raises Concern over Political
Integrity
A staunch Netanyahu supporter was elected on December 13, 2022 as
the new Knesset speaker. The election of Yariv Levin is seen by
many as heralding of a new era of pushing laws to ensure that some of the
allies of Benjamin Netanyahu get berth or obtain more power in the
cabinet of the most extreme right-wing government in Israeli history. One such
ally is Aryeh Deri, who is now prohibited from holding a ministry for violation
of probation on tax offenses. Yariv Levin may also push legislations to
grant broader powers on West Bank settlement expansion and police control to
two ultra-nationalist leaders, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Air Force Veterans Raise Serious Concerns over Netanyahu Cabinet
Nearly 1,200 Air Force veterans on December 26, 2022 wrote
an open letter to the chief justice of the Supreme Court and other officials in
the legal and judicial circle to get tough against the incoming administration
of ultra-rightwing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu as the “final
line of defense” as “what we have in common today is the fear that the
democratic state of Israel is in danger”. Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition
will be the most rightwing government in Israel’s history, and it will, the
letter alleges, undermine the very democratic fabric of the nation. The letter
requests the legal officials to “do everything in your reach to stop the
disaster”. Among the signatories are several military luminaries such as Dan
Halutz, former Israeli military chief from 2005 to 2007; Avihu Ben-Nun,
a former commander of the Air Force; and Amos Yadlin, a former head of
military intelligence.
Coalition Framework Agreement Puts Netanyahu at Crosshairs with U.S.
A day before the most rightwing coalition government takes office in
Israel, a framework that binds the Likud Party with ultra-Orthodox and other
religious coalition partners is made public. The package, made public on December
28, 2022, calls for the annexation of settlement outposts and other
illegally constructed structures outside main West Bank settlement areas, provisions
that will discriminate against LGBTQ community, judicial reform to enable
coalition members and ministers to skirt prosecution and financial incentives
to ultra-Orthodox men.
*****************************FIFTH PARLIAMENTARY POLLS IN THREE YEARS ************
Minister's Visit to Holy Site Escalates Tension
A settlers’ leader and anti-Arab politician who had begun his political
career in West Bank by championing the rights of settlers and heaping tirade
against Palestinians riled up Palestinian passion and invited condemnation from
the Arab world and the allies such as the U.S. by visiting the courtyard of Al-Aqsa
Mosque. Visiting the courtyard on January 3, 2023, five days after
the most right-wing coalition government assumed power, National Security
Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—with the backdrop of Islam’s third-holiest shrine,
Dome of the Rock—spewed venom, saying that the “Israeli government will
not surrender to a murderous organization, a vile terrorist organization”,
referring to Hamas. He also lamented the discrimination against Jews’ right to
visit the site known to Jews as Temple Mount and Nobel Sanctuary to
Muslims. A Hamas spokesman, Hazem Qassem, labeled the January 3,
2023, visit by Itamar Ben-Gvir as “a continuation of the Zionist’s
occupation aggression on our sacred places and war on our Arab identity".
********************************** NETANYAHU'S JUDICIAL OVERHAUL
Massive Demonstrations Held to Protest against Netanyahu Government’s
Actions
The very plan to undermine and undercut the judicial system to benefit the
leaders of the most ultra-rightwing government in Israel’s history has now become
a lightning rod for ordinary Israelis as they see in those measures a subtle
and not-so-covert ploy to shield Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other
coalition partners from prosecution. On January 21, 2023, at least
100,000 people rallied in Tel Aviv to protest Netanyahu cabinet’s plan for overhaul
the judiciary. Similar large protests were held on January 21, 2023 at
Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba.
Knesset Passes Controversial Judicial Overhaul Package
A controversial judicial overhaul bill pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing political parties sailed through Knesset on February 20, 2023 by 63-47 votes. This is first of three readings.
Israeli President Calls for Dialogue
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on February 21, 2023 urged the government
of Benjamin Netanyahu to open dialogue with political opposition over a
pair of controversial legislation. The legislation was passed after an hours-long emotional debate. The
legislation calls for consolidating authorities in the ruling coalition in
Israel’s parliament, Knesset, in appointing judges and curbing the ability
of Supreme Court to review the legality of major legislation known as the “Basic
Laws".
Netanyahu Rejects President’s Suggestion for Reconciliation on Judicial
Reform
That Israeli society is fractured since Benjamin Netanyahu had formed
the most right-wing government in the nation’s history became evident this week
as the titular head of state, President Isaac Herzog, pleaded with parties to
come to terms and requested the government to find a compromising ground.
However, President Herzog’s appeal did make no difference as Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on March 15, 2023 said before leaving for Germany that
coalition partners would not agree to the president’s suggestions. Almost daily
demonstrations are being held in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other Israeli cities
and towns in protest against what Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli called a “judicial
overthrow”. Netanyahu government is pushing legislative initiatives through
parliament to undermine Supreme Court’s authority and provide the cabinet
members, including the premier himself, the legal immunity from prosecution on
corruption and other charges. The present political imbroglio in Israel is
taking such an unprecedented turn in terms of bitterness and viciousness that
it has all the elements to affect not only the internal politics of Israel, but
adversely impact broader relationship between the state of Israel and overseas
Jewish population. As a manifestation of that growing tension, a delegation of
Jewish Federations of North America arrived at Israel on early March 15, 2023 to help push for reconciliation, underlining a direct intervention by a foreign group in Israel's internal affairs.
President and CEO of Jewish Federations Eric Fingerhut said that his delegation
was unable to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, but met with other ruling coalition
members, President Isaac Herzog and opposition party leaders.
Biden Holds Talks with Netanyahu on Judicial Reforms
U.S. President Joe Biden on March 19, 2023 expressed hope, in a
telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
that Israel would take appropriate measures to facilitate “broadest possible
base of popular support” when carrying out the judicial reforms. Scores of
Israelis are protesting Premier Netanyahu’s push to pass measures by Israeli
parliament that will take away significant degree of authority from the nation’s
judicial system.
Likud Leader Calls for Suspension of Judicial Reform Plan
Showing the first crack in the ruling coalition and reflecting deep
fissures in the Israeli society over a controversial judicial reform plan being
pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu-led coalition, the most
right-wing government in Israel’s history, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant said in a televised address on March 25, 2023 that the
legislative process to push forward with the plan should stop immediately.
Government should reach out to the opposition, according to the senior Likud
leader, to formulate an amicable solution out of this domestic political crisis
for the “sake of Israel’s security”, acknowledging that the controversial
reform plan had roiled the country’s non-partisan military establishment too.
Israel’s Defense Minister Fired
A day after asking the government to pause on a package of judicial
reform, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant faced the wrath of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu fired Gallant on March 26, 2023.
Netanyahu Hits a Pause Button on Judicial Overhaul
Bowing to incessant daily protests over the past two months and calls
for negotiation with opposition from President Isaac Herzog, U.S.-based
Jewish organizations and even his own cabinet minister, Yoav Gallant,
who had been fired a day ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 27,
2023 announced that he would delay the judicial reform and use the time to “prevent
a rift in the nation”. The air of resistance against Netanyahu’s judicial
reform plan spread to one of the country’s most prestigious institutions:
military. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is leading the most extreme right-wing
coalition government in Israel’s history, has tried to push the controversial
judicial reforms since his first days in office. Critics accuse Netanyahu of
trying to shield himself from burgeoning corruption inquiries, usurp the powers
of the Supreme Court, grab powers for the ruling coalition to appoint judges
and undermine the checks and balances of the democratic process.
Netanyahu Dismisses Biden’s Criticism
President Joe Biden on March 28, 2023 retorted that he hoped that Israeli premier
would walk away from the controversial judicial reforms. On March 29, 2023,
Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu appreciated the U.S.-Israel bilateral
relationship, but said that the judicial reform was Israel’s internal affairs.
Mossad Encourages Revolt against Netanyahu's Judicial Reform Plan
According to a recently leaked U.S. intelligence document, The Washington Post reported on April 9, 2023, Mossad's leadership in February 2023 advocated the agency personnel to "protest new Israeli Government's proposed judicial reforms", implying that the strictly non-partisan security agency was now stepping in deeply polarized domestic politics. Netanyahu government is mum on the report as is Biden administration because it will be deeply embarrassing for Washington to acknowledge that it has spied on one of the most trusted allies.
Dismissed Defense Minister Reinstated
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 10, 2023 reinstated Yoav
Gallant, circa 15 days after being dismissed from the cabinet.
Tens of Thousands of Israelis Rally against Judicial Overhaul
A controversial plan to undermine the Supreme Court and the judiciary
that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been forced to set
aside in March 2023 under the pressure from civil society, veterans,
active-duty military personnel and Jewish diaspora overseas was being given a legislative
push by the ruling coalition after maintaining a strategic silence for almost
three-and-half months. The measure was passed early July 11, 2023 in Knesset.
Two more rounds of approvals are needed for the measure to become law. Tens of
thousands of people across Israel on July 11, 2023 rallied to show their
displeasure against the judicial overhaul. About 10,000 demonstrators staged a
rally at the Ben-Gurion International Airport. Protesters blocked a key
highway connecting Tel Aviv and Haifa. Police used water canons to disperse
protesters in areas close to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Israelis Protest En Masse against Judicial Usurpation by Netanyahu
Tens of thousands of Israelis turned out in cities and towns on July
18, 2023 in protest against extreme right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu regime’s naked
encroachment of judicial authorities as first of the three bills in the
judicial overhaul package was destined to become law as soon as next week.
Protesters blocked highways and railroads as the opposition to the government’s
undermining of the judiciary heightened to a new elevation of outrage.
Doctors Strike for Couple of Hours to Protest Bibi’s Judicial
Undermining Measure
That the judicial revamp undertaken by the Netanyahu regime has stirred a
hornet’s nest by impacting a broader swath of the Israeli society is no more a
hypothetical, but is being played out every day in Israel via strikes, work
actions and demonstrations. The latest such protest was on July 19, 2023
when Israeli doctors adopted a two-hour strike—once unthinkable—to demand that Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu desist from undermining the country’s
judiciary. Israeli Medical Association Chairman Dr. Zion Hagay wrote a
letter a day ago on July 18, 2023 to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
requesting him to preserve Judiciary’s authority of checks and balances to the
government decisions such as politicians-made “significant decisions regarding
infectious diseases, epidemics, clinic and hospital closures".
A Tel Aviv to Jerusalem March Decries Ruling Coalition’s Judicial Revamp
An unprecedented four-day march (July 19-22, 2023) ended on July
22, 2023 with the sea of protesters flocking to the main Jerusalem
square. The 45-mile march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was greeted by
tens of thousands of people who stood patiently in summer heat in the
communities, villages, and cities in-between to give a hero’s welcome to the
rallyists. As the march wound down the historic city Jerusalem’s main square on
July 22, 2023, thousands of people waiting there greeted the marchers
amidst a festive atmosphere. Organizers have set up tents near Knesset, where a
crucial vote on judicial reform will take place on July 24, 2023. At Jerusalem’s
main square, there was an all-pervading atmosphere of defiance and boldness
among the demonstrators who numbered tens of thousands. On July 22, 2023,
an additional hundreds of thousands of demonstrators participated in rallies in
Tel Aviv, Beersheba, Haifa, and Netanya.
Also on July 22, 2023, more than 100 former security chiefs wrote
a joint letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to
suspend the legislative process to push the judicial revamp. The anger over the
government’s push to reform the judiciary by dismantling many checks and
balances has spilled over to the country’s military as reservists vowed not to
report to the duty.
Dueling Groups Hold Rallies over Reform before a Key Vote amidst Premier’s
Hospitalization
Tension is running high as supporters and opponents are holding dueling
rallies on July 23, 2023, a day before the Knesset is to vote—and
most likely to approve with a final vote—on July 24, 2023 the first bill
of a legislative package to enact judicial reform. The first bill pertains to
eliminating the authority of judges to void government decisions on the ground
of being “unreasonable”. Proponents of the bill—including Likud Party members
and allied ultra-religious groups—blame the judiciary for misusing the so-called
provision of “reasonability” to undermine the government. Opponents, including
professionals and people from various walks of life, argue just the opposite:
the entire political theatrics is designed to protect corrupt politicians and
undermine the independent judiciary.
The night before, many of the opponents who have participated in the
four-day, 45-mile trek from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem are staying overnight at
tents near the Knesset. The historic four-day (July 19-22, 2023) trek drew
spontaneous support from Israelis and made the issue [of judicial overhaul] very
visible on the global stage. On July 23, 2023, overhaul supporters held a rally
at Tel Aviv.
Compounding the political situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
was hospitalized on July 23, 2023 for cardiac procedures. In a video message,
Netanyahu told that he would be at the Knesset the following day.
Protesters Out on Streets after First Bill of the Reform Package to Become
Law
The ruling coalition unanimously passed the first bill of a
controversial judicial overhaul package on July 24, 2023, exposing a
deepening fissure in Israeli society and worsening an already deep political gap.
The opposition walked out of the Knesset before the vote. The bill takes
away authority from judiciary related to “reasonability” provision, a
linchpin of checks-and-balances that prohibited a convicted tax evader from becoming
a cabinet minister even after being named by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. The “reasonability” provision has been used by courts to
void numerous hyper-partisan political appointments to various agencies and
organizations of national repute.
There was a side drama and uncertainty that loomed large over a tense
scenario in the Knesset as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was released from
the hospital with a pacemaker prior to the vote, adding to an air of confusion.
After the bill was passed, protesters demonstrated at Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and
other cities.
Israel Hurting from the Summer of Discontent over Judicial Overhaul
A day after the approval of the first measure of a radical and
far-reaching judicial overhaul package amidst an opposition boycott, Israeli
Medical Association observed a strike on July 25, 2023, barring emergency
and critical functions. Israel’s largest labor union, Histadrut, is
mulling over calling a strike in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s undermining of nation’s judiciary. Separately four prominent
newspapers published the day’s publication with the frontpage colored black,
with the words at the bottom: “A black day for Israeli democracy".
During the day, Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut and five other
justices returned from a foreign trip to Germany early to deal with the political
crisis and inevitable lawsuits to be filed against the measure.
Netanyahu Hints of a Possible Concession
For the first time, Israelis hear the voice of reasonableness and
reconciliation from a belligerent prime minister. In an interview with the Bloomberg
TV on August 6, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has said that he will stop with reform of the process that creates the judge
selection committee. Netanyahu added that “we should not legislate” other
controversial issues. The backtracking of Netanyahu occurred after a sustained
resistance movement by the Israeli people and professional organizations.
Supreme Court Tosses First of Netanyahu’s Judicial Overhaul
In the midst of the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli Supreme Court on January
1, 2024 struck down first of the “Basic Laws” that had been passed by
Knesset in July 2023. The bill [first of the “Basic Laws”] strips the
country’s judiciary of authority to reject any law on the ground of failing the
so called “standard of reasonability”. As a shocked nation in the post-10/7
era almost forgot this notorious bill with ramification of undermining the so
called gold “standard of reasonability”, Israeli Supreme Court by 8-7
margin on January 1, 2024 rejected the law on the ground that it would create
“severe and unprecedented harm to the core character of the State of Israel as
a democratic country”. The apex court also ruled 12-3 that the justices
had the authority to overturn the “Basic Laws”, major pieces of
legislation known to influence the bedrock of the constitution. The Israeli
Supreme Court’s verdict came on the very last day of Chief Justice Esther
Hayut on the bench.
********************************** NETANYAHU'S JUDICIAL OVERHAUL
Netanyahu Forced to Fire the Controversial Minister
The endgame was near, but not eventually fulfilled. The right-wing lawmakers, who are in majority, changed an Israeli law that bars a convict from serving the cabinet, paving the way for Shas leader Aryeh Deri to become a coalition member of the most right-wing Israeli government. That didn't sit well with the Israeli Supreme Court that ruled last week, ordering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire Deri, who was convicted on tax fraud and other charges. On January 22, 2023, Prime Minister Netanyahu told Deri during a cabinet meeting that he was removing him from the ministry of Interior and Health "with a heavy heart". However, the episode only sharpens the fight between Netanyahu regime and Supreme Court in particular and the judiciary in general. This may give further impetus to right-wing push to undermine the judiciary's independent streak of working, thus diluting the strong push to prosecute and convict Netanyahu himself. The leader of the third-largest political party in Knesset is not new to controversy. Aryeh Deri served 22 months behind the bar when he was convicted on bribery, fraud and breach in 2000 during his stint as Interior Minister in late 90s. He later reclaimed the leadership of Shas party.
Israeli Raid at Jenin Refugee Camp Kills Nine, Triggers Major Escalation
A daytime raid by Israeli security forces at the Jenin Refugee Camp on
January 26, 2023 led to a bloody conflict between Palestinians and Israeli
security personnel. Nine Palestinians were reported to have been killed,
including a 61-year-old woman. The violence in West Bank is the worst in
almost two decades and has the potential to plunge the Middle East to political
chaos days before U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to the
region. Hamas militants launched at least five rockets toward Israel from Gaza
Strip, three of which were intercepted by Israeli defense shield. One fell in
an open area, and another didn’t even cross the Gaza boundary. In a sharp
rebuke, Palestinian Authority announced on January 26, 2023 that
it would snap all security cooperation with Israel and formally file complaint
to the U.N. Security Council, International Criminal Court and other world
bodies. The top U.S. diplomat for the region, Barbara Leaf, said that
human lives lost in Jenin were quite regrettable, but at the same
breath, she added that going to international community and cutting off
security cooperation with Israel was also not a step in the right direction.
As of January 29, 2023, the death toll rose to 10.
Deadliest Attack against Israelis in 14 Years Kills Seven
A Palestinian youth opened fire on people near a synagogue in East
Jerusalem on January 27, 2023, killing seven people before being shot to
death. The attack on the Holocaust Remembrance Day marked the deadliest
single attack against Israelis since 2008. Five people were also injured.
A Palestinian Teenager Injures Two Israelis in East Jerusalem
A 13-year-old Palestinian boy on January 28, 2023 shot and wounded two Israelis in East Jerusalem.
Blinken’s Middle East Visit Overshadowed by Violence
As the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is to start his state
visit to Israel on January 30, 2023, the visit is already seen as
ineffective as a bloody January has engulfed Palestinian land and Israel.
Blinken Begins Israeli Trip as Palestinian Deaths in January 2023 Soar
to 35
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on January 30, 2023 met with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his visit was enmeshed with one of the
bloodiest month in Israeli history. Hours before Blinken met with Netanyahu, Israeli
security forces killed a Palestinian in Hebron, raising the Palestinian death
toll in January 2023 to 35. Blinken urged for calm and de-escalation. U.S’ top
diplomat is slated to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on January
31, 2023.
Five Palestinians Killed in Israeli Operation in Jericho
Among all the Palestinian cities, it's the sleepy town of Jericho where Israeli security forces have carried out their deadly raid on February 6, 2023. At least five Palestinians were killed in February 6, 2013, Israeli raid that was focused on around the Aqbat Jabar refugee camp, a sprawling refugee camp of 13,000 people.
Attack at a Settlement Bus Stop Kills Two
A Palestinian in his 30s rammed his car into people standing at a bus
stop at the East Jerusalem settlement of Ramot, killing two and
injuring several others. Among the two dead in the February 10, 2023,
attack was a six-year-old boy. The attacker, whom Palestinian media had
identified as 32-year-old Hussein Quraqa, was shot dead too.
U.S. Mediation Averts a Diplomatic Crisis in the Last Minute
On February 19, 2023, U.S. secured pledges from both Israel and
Palestinian Authorities not to take any unilateral action for the next six
months as a Palestinian-pushed resolution at the U.N. Security Council
condemning heightened-up settlement activities was scheduled to be taken up for
discussion on February 20, 2023. As a result of the U.S. mediation, the
resolution will not be discussed, a saving grace for Israel as well as the
United States. On February 20, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s Office said that it would not approve any new settlement outposts
in the West Bank beyond nine such outposts, which had already been built
without authorization, but given the stamp of approval earlier this month. However, the statement from premier’s office
was silent on additional new houses in the existing West Bank settlements.
Daytime Raid in Nablus Spills Blood, Kills 10 Palestinians
Reminding the specter of violence from the dark days the Second
Intifada, a daytime Israeli military raid in the militant-strong city of Nablus
on February 22, 2023 led to fierce fighting between soldiers and Palestinians that
had killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured several others. The century-old
central marketplace in Nablus turned into charred ruins after the operation.
The dead included a 72-year-old Palestinian man and another 61-year-old
man as well as a 16-year-old boy. Israeli military was on the hunt for three
members of Lion’s Den militant group, an independent militant group that
had emerged recently in the West Bank and become magnet for many Palestinian
young militants, and Israeli military had located them to a building at the century-old
central market in Nablus. One of the militants was linked to the October
2022 shooting death of an Israeli soldier. Palestinian Health Ministry said
that at least 10 people were killed in the Israeli operation. Lion’s Den
claimed that six of the dead were their members. Hamas issued a statement that
its “patience is running thin".
Conflict Expands to Gaza a Day after Nablus Raid; Oman Opens Airspace
Hours after the fatal Nablus raid that had killed at least 10
Palestinians, militants from Gaza Strip launched six rockets and two
anti-aircraft missiles in the early hours of February 23, 2023,
attracting a barrage of airstrikes by Israeli military that targeted several
areas in the coastal strip. Five rockets were intercepted by the anti-missile
defense system and one rocket fell on the open field.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on February 23, 2023 said that Oman would
allow Israeli commercial aircraft to fly through its airspace, cutting travel
time to many Asian destinations significantly and following the footstep of
Saudi Arabia which had opened its airspace for Israel a year ago.
Settler Killings, Revenge Attacks Spill Blood in West Bank
A day of blood, unnecessary loss of life, escalation, and a close
flirtation with regional destabilization!! First, two settlers were killed near
northern West Bank town of Hawara on February 26, 2023. That
triggered an immediate vigilante violence on the Palestinian areas in Hawara
by armed and menacing settler militants. Palestinian officials said that at
least one Palestinian was killed and several others were injured. Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the settlers-orchestrated
violence and their perpetration of Palestinian communities with the support of occupation
forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for calm as the
army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzl Halevi, rushed to the scene.
Israeli Motorist Killed
A day after settlers burned down Palestinian businesses and homes in northern
West Bank following killings of two settlers, a motorist was shot dead on
February 27, 2023.
Israeli Military Kills Three Palestinian Militants in West Bank
On March 12, 2023, Israeli military killed three Palestinian militants who belonged to Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
Israel Reverses 2005 Law on West Bank Settlements
On March 21, 2023, Knesset voted to roll back a 2005 law that had
led to Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements.
Under the law, Israelis can’t return to those four West Bank settlements. On March
21, 2023, Israeli lawmakers voted 31-18, with remaining lawmakers
abstaining, to vacate that moratorium, paving the way for settlers to return to
those four northern West Bank settlements. The March 21, 2023, vote came
on the heels of Netanyahu regime’s recent action to increase settlement
activities and return to nine wildcat outposts in the West Bank.
Clashes Mar Ramadan, Passover
Tension began rising at the familiar spot in Jerusalem in this Ramadan
too, and for the second day on April 5, 2023, clashes erupted at the
entrances of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinians accused Israeli security
forces of using batons, rifles, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse
Palestinians. Many Palestinian youths were detained. Israeli security forces
blamed Palestinians for fomenting trouble at Islam’s third-holiest shrine.
Rockets were also fired from Gaza.
Three Killed, Scores Wounded in Israel, West Bank
The escalation that erupted earlier in the week at the Al-Aqsa Mosque
had spread into other areas and turned into a broader conflagration. On April
6, 2023, a barrage of rockets was fired from Lebanon. On April 7, 2023, a
Palestinian attacker used his car to ram into cyclists at a scenic Tel Aviv
site, killing one Italian and wounding several Italian and British nationals.
Separately, two British-Israeli citizens were killed at a West Bank
settlement in Palestinian gunfire on April 7, 2023.
At least Half a Dozen Rockets Launched from Syria Land in Israel
There is a new fearful turn in the latest escalation that has erupted early
last week with the Israeli police entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
third-holiest shrine in Islam. The conflict is not limited within Israel, Gaza,
and West Bank. Increasingly and alarmingly, it has spilled over to Lebanon, and
now, to Syria. Beginning on April 8, 2023, at least six rockets were
fired from Syria toward Israel. The last three were fired in the wee hours of April
9, 2023 and claimed to have been fired by a Syria-based Palestinian group, Al-Quds
Brigade, a separate group from the Islamic Jihad’s military wing of the
same name. There was no official casualty report yet from the rocket attacks
from Syria. This year (2023) is shaping up as a deadly year from the
perspective of Israeli-Palestinian violence, with at least 90 Palestinians
and 19 Israelis killed this year as of April 8, 2023.
Thousands of Settlers March to an Evacuated Outpost
In a direct challenge to Palestinians and the West and in an ominous
sign of what’s awaiting in the broader region, thousands of settlers on April
10, 2023 marched to a Northern West Bank evacuated outpost of Eviatar.
At least seven cabinet ministers—including Finance Minister Benzalel
Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—and more than 20
Knesset members participated in the march to the outpost that had been
evacuated in 2021. Many settlers pointed out the presence of Benjamin Netanyahu
cabinet members in the march as a protest against the U.S. and E.U. too.
Palestinian’s Death from Hunger Strike Triggers Violence
An Islamic Jihad leader, who had earned fame by highlighting the potency
of hunger strike as a tool to protest administrative detention, succumbed to
death on May 2, 2023 after days of hunger strike. Khader Adnan, 45, was
arrested in February 2023. He led hunger strikes in 2015 for 56 days and
in 2018 for 58 days, respectively. As soon as Khader Adnan’s death reached the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, spontaneous protests spilled onto the streets. Young
Palestinians in the West Bank used slingshot to hurl stones and rocks at the
Israeli security forces. Dozens of rockets were launched from Gaza Strip,
inviting Israeli airstrikes on Palestinian targets.
*********** ISRAEL-ISLAMIC JIHAD CONFLICT
Israeli Airstrikes Target Islamic Jihad Leaders, Kill at least 13
Israel in the early hours of May 9, 2023 carried out targeted
airstrikes in Gaza Strip, including an apartment and a house in Gaza
City and a third house in Rafah. Israel’s targets included three senior Islamic
Jihad leaders—Khalil Bahtini, commander of the group in northern Gaza Strip; Tareq
Izzeldeen, Islamic Jihad’s liaison between Gaza Strip and West Bank; and Jehad
Ghanam, secretary of Islamic Jihad’s military council. Israel blamed them
for recent spurt of rocket attacks, and accused Tareq Izzeldeen of
trying to set up a rocket manufacturing shop in the West Bank. The barrage of airstrikes
that also killed wives and children of two targeted leaders, among 10 civilians
and bystanders killed in Israeli air attacks, stopped at the daybreak on May
9, 2023. However, Israeli carried out attack on a vehicle after detecting
that it was transporting anti-tank missile to Khan Younis. Two people
were killed in that airstrike.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called up reserves for anticipated escalation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after a security briefing
session on May 9, 2023 that Israel’s mission “is clear: Whoever harms us,
we will strike at them and with great force”. In the other side of the rival
spectrum, Palestinian Authority’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh
condemned Israel’s unprovoked airstrikes as did Jordanian Foreign Ministry and
Arab League. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that Israel would “pay a
price”. An official of Islamic Jihad, Dawood Shahab, vowed that there
would be a “unified Palestinian response".
Israel Pummels Gaza for the Second Day, Dozens of Rockets Hit Israel too
Palestinian militants, mostly the members of Islamic Jihad,
launched dozens of rockets on central and southern Israel on May 10, 2023.
Israel retaliated by launching a ferocious and punishing streak of airstrikes
that had killed 21 people, including 10 civilians. Egypt is trying to broker a
truce. Meanwhile, Israel claimed that its newly deployed David’s Sling
missile defense was able to capture an oncoming Palestinian rocket. David’s
Sling will add another component of protection to the Israeli missile
defense shield in addition to Iron Dome.
Air Sirens Blare in Jerusalem as Islamic Jihad Fires Missiles towards
Jerusalem
On May 12, 2023, Palestinian militants fired several rockets,
including some towards Jerusalem, leading to blaring of air sirens that’s
reminiscent of the 11-day Hamas-Israeli war in 2021. Israel carried out
airstrikes, attacking Islamic Jihad targets. Israeli military said that it
carried out a targeted assassination of an Islamic Jihad leader, Iyad
al-Hassani, marking the sixth high-ranking commander of the second-most
powerful Palestinian group in Gaza Strip targeted since the recent escalation
erupted on May 9, 2023. In the afternoon of May 12, 2023,
separate airstrikes killed two more Palestinians. Since the recent escalation
erupted on May 9, 2023, at least 33 Palestinians and an 80-year-old
Israeli woman in central Israel were killed.
Truce between Israel, Islamic Jihad Ends Five-day Bloody Kerfuffle
An uneasy truce was reached on May 13, 2023 at the behest of
Egypt that had aimed at stopping hundreds of rocket attacks from Gaza Strip on
the central and southern Israeli communities and punishing airstrikes by Israel
against Islamic Jihad targets. Since the conflagration erupted on May 9,
2023, at least 33 Palestinians—including at least 13 civilians—and
two Israelis were killed. After the beginning of cease-fire at 10PM local
time on May 13, 2023, Gaza City and other cities witnessed outpouring of
joyous people, waving Palestinian flags.
Truce Seems to be Holding
The fragile truce that went into effect a day earlier seemed to be
holding on May 14, 2023 as best as possible despite provocations from
both sides. The crossing between Israel and Gaza Strip reopened, bringing some
degree of normalcy to the daily lives of Gaza residents.
*********** ISRAEL-ISLAMIC JIHAD CONFLICT
Controversial Right-wing Minister Visits Holy Site
As if there is not enough provocation in the midst of a fragile truce between Israel and Islamic Jihad, Israeli leaders threw twin political grenades on May 21, 2023 into a volatile political landscape. Israeli National Security Minister and former West Bank settlers leader Itamar Ben-Gvir visited a hill-top site that's host to the third-holiest shrine in Islam and holiest place in Judaism. In addition, Israeli cabinet met in Old Jerusalem, sending an implicit message that Israel did possess an unquestionable right over all of Jerusalem.
Settler Violence Plunges West Bank into a Deadly Spiral
In response to Palestinian gunmen killing four Israeli settlers a day
earlier in the northern West Bank, hundreds of militant settlers on June
21, 2023 torched Palestinian vehicles and homes in a town in the northern West
Bank, Turmus Ayya. In response to four settler deaths on June 20,
2023 allegedly by Palestinian gunmen, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu announced building 1,000 new settler homes in West Bank, a step
to provoke and escalate an already volatile situation. In addition, a day-long military raid on June 19, 2023 near Jenin killed seven Palestinians, including two teenagers.
Netanyahu Government Approves 5,700 New Homes in West Bank
In a slap to the peace prospect, Israeli Defense Ministry planning
committee that oversees the settlement building has on June 26, 2023
approved building 5,700 new houses in West Bank settlement. According to the Peace
Now, an anti-settlement Israeli rights group, which has been tracking
settlement activity since 2012, has said that with more than 13,000 houses
approved this year alone, 2023 is turning out to be a record settlement
activity year. Biden administration is increasingly vocal against the new
settlement homes, with State Secretary Anthony Blinken saying recently
that settlement activity poses “an obstacle to the horizon of hope".
Jenin Operation Turns Bloody, Scores Dead
In one of the bloodiest operations in decades, Israeli army just past
midnight July 3, 2023 launched ground and aerial attacks on one of the
bastions of West Bank’s Palestinian militant movement. The military operation
lasted several hours and continued into dusk on July 3, 2023. Jenin
refugee camp, a sprawling place of ramshackle and dense houses for tens of
thousands of Palestinians who have been made refugees on their own land, looked
a ghost town as the sun set on July 3, 2023, with tires and garbage cans
burning on its narrow alleyways and black plume of smoke billowing upward. As
of the end of the day on July 3, 2023, at least eight Palestinians were
reported killed in Israeli military operation that involved tractors, military
vehicles, drones, and other advanced military weapons.
In response to the Israeli military campaign in the Jenin refugee camp, Palestinian
Authority late July 3, 2023 held an emergency meeting, and announced
suspending already emaciated security contacts with Israel. They vowed to raise
the issue at the United Nations. Palestinian Authority didn’t spare the U.S
too, minimizing their contacts with Washington. Israel’s three Arab neighbors with
diplomatic relations—Jordan, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates—condemned the
military campaign in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu
justified the military crackdown on the “safe haven for terrorism” without
saying when the operation would end.
Israel Wraps up Unprecedented Military Operation in Jenin
Israel on late July 4, 2023 was reported to be wrapping up a
scorched-earth military campaign in Jenin. Israeli military was
withdrawing military vehicle, drones, heavy equipment and personnel from a
sprawling refugee camp, Jenin refugee camp, a hotbed of Palestinian
militant activities. During the two-day (July 3-4, 2023) military
operation in Jenin refugee camp, the military used heavy equipment to tear
apart narrow alleyways, buildings, shops, houses, and other structures. A large
cache of weapons was seized. At least 13 Palestinians were killed as well as
one Israeli soldier. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early in the day
said that Israeli army had achieved its military objectives, and didn’t rule
out similar operations in future.
However, in an indication that the crisis may open a second front,
militants launched five rockets from Gaza Strip towards Israel. All the
incoming rockets were intercepted by Israel. Hours earlier, a Palestinian
rammed a vehicle at a crowd in a Tel Aviv bus stand, and began stabbing people
before being taken out by an armed bystander.
Abbas Visits Jenin Refugee Camp
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority president, on July 12, 2023 visited the
Jenin refugee camp, a week after Israel carried out the most intensified
campaign in almost two decades, killing 13 Palestinians in a two-day (July 3-4,
2023) operation targeting militant-dominated Jenin refugee camp. Abbas vowed to
rebuild the sprawling refugee camp.
Condemnation of Jayapal’s Israel Comment Pours in as Israeli President
Meets with Biden
The leader of the House Progressive Caucus on July 15, 2023 said
at a Chicago gathering that Israel was a “racist state”. Although Rep.
Pramila Jayapal tried to walk back on her comment on July 16, 2023,
the die had already been cast and Republicans seized the opportunity to
denounce antisemitism. On July 18, 2023, Israel’s titular president, Isaac
Herzog, met with President Joe Biden at the White House. Mr. Herzog
assured President Joe Biden that Israel would remain a democratic state amidst
growing concern in the U.S. over Netanyahu regime’s policy to ramp us
settlement housing and weaken Israel’s judiciary. Isaac Herzog will
address the joint session of Congress on July 19, 2023, marking only the
second time that an Israeli president will address the Congress, after the
address of the current president’s father—Chaim Herzog—to Congress.
Reconciliation Effort Between Hamas, Fatah Yields Photo Ops, no Unity
Hamas and Fatah leaders met at the Mediterranean coastal city of El-Alamein
in Egypt on July 30, 2023 at the behest of Cairo to begin talking with each
other with the aim at bridging the gap that had been exposed and subsequently worsened
since the Hamas’ violent takeover of Gaza Strip in 2007. Participating in the
session were Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Hamas
leader Ismail Haniyeh. Abbas said that the meeting marked the “first and
significant step” to bring an end to fraternal Palestinian rivalry.
Israeli Father, Son Duo Killed at a Car Wash Facility in West Bank
A father-son duo—Shay Silas Nigreka, 60 and Aviad Nir, 29—from
the southern Israeli city of Ashdod were shot to death at a car wash facility
on August 19, 2023 in the northern West Bank town of Hawara.
Underlining the severity of the situation, Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt.
Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the murder scene. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu vowed to track down and punish the perpetrators. According to a
running tally updated by The Associated Press, nearly 180 Palestinians
and 29 Israelis were killed since the beginning of the year.
An Israeli Woman Killed
A suspected Palestinian attack on August 21, 2023 killed an Israeli woman and wounded a man in the south of West Bank, two days after a father-son duo were killed in the West Bank.
Secret Talks Trigger Violence in Libya
That a mere appearance with an Israeli official may lead to bloody
street demonstrations in many of the Arab world capitals turns out to be true
as the news of a Rome meeting between foreign ministers of Libya and Israel has
become public. On August 27, 2023, Israeli Foreign Ministry
issued a statement that Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen had met with
his Libyan counterpart, Najla Mangoush, at a secret meeting last week in
Rome. Israeli Foreign Ministry went public before an Israeli media outlet was
about to make public the meeting between Cohen and Mangoush. No sooner had the
news spread than the protesters flooded the streets of Tripoli and other Libyan
coastal cities to demand that Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah resign.
The protest continued on August 28, 2023 with reports of sporadic
violence. The situation was so volatile that Najla Mangoush was forced
to resign and flee the nation to seek refuge in Turkey.
Israel to be Admitted into U.S. Visa Waiver Program
In a boost to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Homeland
Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to announce this week
that Israelis don’t need visa to enter the U.S., paving the way for Israel to
become part of an exclusive club of about 40 nations who enjoy the U.S. Visa
Waiver Program, according to the September 25, 2023, edition of The
Dallas Morning News.
Hamas Launches Surprise Attack on Israel; Hundreds Killed
In a startling attack on Israel, hundreds of Hamas fighters infiltrated
across the borders by land, sea and air (using paragliders) on early morning of
October 7, 2023 that had stunned venerable Israeli security forces and
shocked the world. The ensuing hours were testament to a bloodbath on Israeli
streets, with more than 250 Israelis killed by Hamas fighters. The unprecedented
border breach was backed by barrage of hundreds of rockets. Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Hamas would pay an “unprecedented
price” for the deadliest attack on Israel. Israel struck back with massive
lethality of air power targeting Gaza City, Rafah, and other Palestinian refuges
camps in the coastal strip. Palestinian Health Ministry said that at least
232 people in Gaza Strip had been killed by Israeli airstrikes.
Hamas militants took several Israelis hostage, complicating the response
of Israel. Israel pounded the Gaza City, leading to thunderous explosions that damaged
many residential buildings as well as Hamas targets. In a televised address, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to extract an apt “revenge for this black
day”, though he cautioned Israelis that “this war will take time”. In the Hamas
attack, a senior leader of an Israeli infantry unit, Nahal Brigade, was
killed. The death of Col. Jonathan Steinberg on October 7, 2023
marked a huge blow to Israeli prestige and prowess. The suddenness and scale of
the coordinated Hamas attack exposes Israeli security failure to anticipate the
sophistication of Hamas’ attack preparation even remotely. The shadowy leader
of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, described the Hamas attack as
people’s response to years of blockade against the Mediterranean coastal strip
of 3.2 million people. Deif said in the recorded message that “enough is enough”
and urged Palestinians to join “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm”. President Joe
Biden said that “Israel has the right to defend itself and its people. Full
stop".
Israel Declares War on Hamas
A day after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel in
land, water and air, Israeli security cabinet on October 8, 2023
endorsed the “significant military steps”, giving Israeli Defense Forces,
or IDF, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the necessary leeway and
freedom to prosecute the war on Hamas. During the day, Israel formally declared
war on Hamas. According to reports, Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants took more
than 130 people hostage and brought them to Gaza Strip, complicating the war
effort by Israel.
A day after Hamas inflicted one of the most fatal strikes on Israel and
exposed the vulnerability of its intelligence apparatus, the scale of
devastation and death became clear. At least 700 people were killed in
Israel in the hours-long incursion by Hamas militants—numbering more than 1,000—on
land, sea, and air. The October 7, 2023, Hamas-led incursion would
change Israel’s approach to Gaza Strip as a ground counteroffensive looked all
but certain, but might end up a long-drawn grinding.
Israeli military, meanwhile, is fighting to free few Israeli communities
still held hostage by Hamas fighters. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on October 8, 2023 talked over phone, during which Biden
offered to help Israel. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on October 8,
2023 had separate conversation with his counterparts from Egypt, UAE and
Turkey, and urged them to stay engaged. Defense Secretary Llyod Austin
on October 8, 2023 ordered USS Gerald R. Ford, Navy’s newest and most
sophisticated aircraft carrier to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Since the sudden incursion by Hamas into Israel on October 7, 2023,
Israeli military targeted at least 800 targets throughout Gaza Strip. At least
400 Palestinians were reported dead. Thousands of houses were damaged, or
destroyed, forcing some 123,000 people from their dwellings. Israeli
unpreparedness and slow response to lightning attack by Hamas, in which heavily
armed militants roamed on the Israeli streets for hours, hunting and killing civilians
at will, turning scores of Israeli communities into killing fields, kidnapping civilians
and soldiers, and turning a techno music festival into a hellacious condemned
site of hundreds of dead people, exposed glaring failure of Israeli
intelligence. Iranian media reported during the day that Iranian President
Ebrahim Raisi had spoken by phone with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and
Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah.
Israel Announces Complete Siege of Gaza as Death Toll Rises on Both
Sides
Israel on October 9, 2023 announced a complete siege of Gaza
Strip as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered cutting off all supplies
of food, fuel and electricity to the Mediterranean coastal strip of 2.3 million
people. Israel struck more than 500 targets in the Gaza Strip during the day as
the death toll from the lightning attack by Hamas militants on October 7,
2023 rose to at least 900. On the Palestinian side, the death toll is
rising every hour, and it has now exceeded 680. President Joe Biden said that
at least 11 Americans were among those killed by Hamas.
At least 150 people—most of them are Israelis—are held hostage by Hamas
and Islamic Jihad militants in the Gaza Strip. Israel mobilized 300,000
reservists in the past 48 hours as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
vowed to destroy Hamas. Israeli military fought for the third night to free various
small communities in southern Israel from the stranglehold of Palestinian
militants.
In vitriolic political moves, few Republican leaders—including Senator
Ted Cruz—are blaming Biden administration for unfreezing Iran’s $6
billion in foreign assets as part of a recent prisoner swap deal that might
have funded Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. Biden administration pushed back
against this vile propaganda as the unfrozen asset was supposed to be transferred
to a fund in Qatar. Doha will fund and monitor various projects to help common
Iranians.
Israel Forms a Wartime Unity Government as Death Tolls on All Sides
Mount
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 11, 2023 accommodated one of
his fiercest domestic political rivals, Benny Gantz, to form a wartime
unity government as the popular demand in Israel increased for crushing and
destroying Hamas. Israel mobilized an unprecedented 360,000 reservists for a
possible ground offensive in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, Hamas attack
on Israel that had killed at least 1,200 people, including 189 soldiers, in
Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu government had carried out hundreds of
devastating airstrikes and bombing in Gaza, killing at least 1,100 people
in the coastal strip of 2.3 million people. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu on October 11, 2023 described the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre
of Israelis in gruesome details, without any corroborating evidence. According
to the U.N., more than 339,000 Palestinians have been displaced by
Israeli air offensive in Gaza Strip as Israel has cut off electricity, food,
fuel, and medicine to its 2.3 million people on October 9, 2023. The
complete siege of Gaza imposed by Israel on October 9, 2023 has already forced
the closure of hospitals and health clinics there. The largest Gaza hospital, Al-Shifa,
can be closed at any time.
U.S. President Joe Biden on October 11, 2023 met with Jewish
leaders in the White House and called the Hamas attack on Israel four days
earlier as manifestation of cruelty and antisemitism. President Joe Biden said
during the day that the American death toll in the October 7, 2023, Hamas
attack rose to 22 and 17 more remained unaccountable. There are few
Americans among circa 150 people who had been brought as hostage to the Gaza
Strip by militants. Israel also said that 1,500 or so Hamas and Palestinian
militants had been killed in Israel since the October 7, 2023,
unprecedented attack by Hamas against Israel on land, at sea and in the air. Meanwhile, on October 11, 2023, U.S. military said that they were sending a second aircraft carrier--USS Dwight D. Eisenhower--to the region to support the operation and function of the USS Gerald R. Ford.
Israel Gives 24-hour Deadline for 1.1 million Palestinians to Leave
Northern Gaza
In a dire warning reflecting that a ground offensive is imminent, Israel
on October 12, 2023 has issued a 24-hour deadline for Northern Gaza
Strip’s 1.1 million people to leave the region, an onerous endeavor that the
U.N. has described “impossible”. Israel, meanwhile, continued to pulverize the Gaza
Strip. Their airstrikes destroyed entire neighborhoods. According to The
Associated Press, the death toll in Israel from Hamas’ sudden multipronged
attack on October 7, 2023 and subsequent rocket attack rose to more than
1,300 as of October 12, 2023. The Israeli air campaign in Gaza Strip
since October 7, 2023 killed at least 1,530 people in the coastal
strip of 2.3 million people. In addition, 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed
in Israel. 150 Israeli hostages were taken to Gaza, and they were being used as
a bargaining chip by Hamas.
In a strong show of support for Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony
Blinken on October 12, 2023 stood alongside Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and vowed to support Israel “as long as America exists”.
Blinken is also scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas. There is a complete siege of Gaza Strip with no food,
fuel, electricity, medicine, and other supplies. The hellacious situation has
attracted appeals from international agencies and Egypt to let essential
supplies to get in from the Egyptian side of Rafah. The U.N. reported on October
12, 2023 that at least 423,000 people in Gaza Strip had been
displaced since the October 7, 2023, deadly attack on Israel.
Media reports disclosed that Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo
informed the Democratic lawmakers on October 12, 2023 that the U.S. and
Qatar had suspended the Iranian access—in response to the October 7, 2023,
terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas—to $6 billion in unfrozen asset transferred
to the Qatari banking system from South Korea as part of a deal to free five
American hostages.
Exodus Begins in What U.N. Calls a “Calamitous” Evacuation of 1.1 million
Palestinians
In anticipation of an Israeli ground offensive in northern Gaza Strip,
hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in vehicles, donkey carts and on feet
began to move towards southern Gaza Strip on October 13, 2023. Israel
extended the timeline of evacuation by 12 hours until the morning of October
14, 2023. The U.N. called the Israeli evacuation order calamitous and U.N.
spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called during the day for Israel to rescind
the evacuation order. Hamas has described the Israeli order as psychological
pressure and asked Palestinians to ignore the evacuation edict.
Since the October 7, 2023, lightning attacks by Hamas by sea,
land and air had overwhelmed Israel and shocked the world, at least 1,300 people
were killed in Israel and hundreds more injured. The non-stop air campaign conducted
by Israel since then killed 1,900 Palestinians, according to the
Palestinian Health Ministry’s October 13, 2023, estimate. About 1,500
Hamas fighters who had attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 were killed
too. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once more on October
13, 2023 vowed to “destroy Hamas”. Meanwhile, U.S administration officials
are making rounds the region during the day. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin met his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, during the day as
part of the continuing support for the U.S. to have Israel’s back. Secretary of
State Anthony Blinken, who met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continued
with a whirlwind trip through the Middle East capitals during the day. He met
with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Blinken then stopped at Doha, Amman,
and Bahrain. He will end up his trip this weekend with visits to Saudi Arabia,
UAE, and Egypt. Jordanian King Abdullah pressed Blinken to open a humanitarian
corridor to bring supplies to Gaza Strip.
Also, the settler-orchestrated violence in West Bank killed 16
Palestinians on October 13, 2023, raising the total death toll in West Bank to
51 since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Miseries Pile up in Gaza as Hundreds of Thousands Forced from Their
Homes
In a telltale sign of an absolute disaster and catastrophe, hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians are fleeing Northern Gaza by whatever means they
could avail. On October 14, 2023, Israeli national security chief Tzachi
Haneghi reiterated the same vow that other Israeli leaders had expressed
since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel: “complete victory”
over Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the day visited the border
communities that took the brunt of Hamas attack.
The World Health Organization issued a statement on October 14,
2023 that Israeli evacuation order for 1.1 million Northern Gaza residents
was “tantamount to a death sentence” for more than 2,000 patients in the
region. Meanwhile, approximately 35,000 Palestinians have sought shelter
at courtyards, under trees and inside crammed hallways of the main Gaza City
hospital in hope that al-Shifa Hospital would be spared from Israeli
offensive.
Biden against Israel’s Reoccupation of Gaza, Biden Names Special Envoy
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed the most pointed reservation as of
date on October 15, 2023 against any Israeli move to reoccupy Gaza
Strip. Appearing on CBS’ 60 Minutes on October 15, 2023,
Biden said that “it would be a mistake” if Israel occupied Gaza. Meanwhile,
Gaza hospitals are reeling under crisis as supplies are dwindling and emergency
rooms are cramped with gravely injured patients.
On October 15, 2023, Biden administration’s national security
adviser, Jake Sullivan, said that Former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey
David Satterfield would be the new U.S. special envoy for Middle East on
humanitarian issues.
Aid Shipments Strand at Rafah as Gaza Hospitals Inch Close to Collapse
A throng of trucks stood idle at Rafah Crossing on the Egyptian
side with relief supplies as hectic negotiation continued on October 16,
2023 to let the vehicles roll in the Gaza Strip. The chief of U.N.
Relief and Work Agency, the U.N. agency for Palestinians, said that “Gaza
is running out of water”. UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini called for the immediate
removal for the siege imposed by Israel.
Gaza Hospital Explosion Kills More than 500
In what could be the one of the worst possible massacres in the Middle
East in recent memory, an explosion at a crowded Gaza City hospital killed at
least 500 people on October 17, 2023. The explosion, most likely from a
missile strike, at Al-Ahli Hospital occurred barely 24 hours before U.S.
President Joe Biden was to travel to the region to meet with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and show solidarity with Israel and
attend a summit with trio of Arab leaders—Jordanian King Abdullah II,
Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi and Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas—at Amman. After the explosion at the Gaza City hospital, Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas returned to Ramallah, leading to
cancellation of the summit at Amman. Israel blamed Islamic Jihad for the awry missile
strike at the hospital while Hamas blamed Israel. No sooner had the news of the
hospital attack spread than protesters poured on the streets of Arab capitals
and West Bank cities and towns.
Biden Lends Support to Israel, Israel Vehemently Denies Hospital Strike, Limited Aid to Flow in Gaza
That the refrain which says that as long as the United States stands, it
has Israel’s back, with full commitment and unconditionally, is proven one more
time as President Joe Biden has paid a whirlwind visit to Tel Aviv
for more than seven hours on October 18, 2023 to show support and
empathy for the USA’s most trusted ally in the Middle East. President Joe Biden
made it clear that, to his administration, Hamas was not representative and reflection
of Palestinian people and their aspirations. He also advised Israelis not to be
consumed by what had happened on October 7, 2023. Biden reminded
Israelis that he had met every single prime minister during his five decades of
public life. President Joe Biden also prodded Israel not to block the movement of relief trucks crossing Rafah Crossing into Gaza Strip with food, water, fuel and medicines. On his flight home, President Joe Biden had a telephone conversation with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt and secured a pledge of relief shipment to Gaza. The first 20 trucks of about 200 relief trucks stranded at the border are expected to move into Gaza on October 20, 2023.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on October
18, 2023 morning that the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital a day
earlier was the handiwork of Islamic Jihad. Hamas and Islamic Jihad both
refuted Israeli charges and held Israel responsible for the deadly strike on Al-Ahli
Hospital. Meanwhile, protests spread to many of the Arab capitals on October
18, 2023. Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem Hosam Naoum said during the
day that prior to October 17, 2023, explosion that had reportedly killed
more than 500, Israel had issued evacuation orders three times for the hospital
run by the Episcopal Church.
Biden Calls Congress to Fund Ukraine, Israel; Israel Bombs Church
A day after President Joe Biden secured a pledge for the relief
shipment to be brought to besieged Gaza Strip, Egypt, Israel and U.N. were on October
19, 2023 were working out the logistics for much-delayed, but critically
needed, relief supplies to be shipped to the hundreds of thousands of suffering
Palestinians in Gaza. Under the agreement reached by Israel, the U.N. and
Egypt, U.N. monitors will inspect the trucks before crossing into Gaza Strip.
U.N. monitors alongside Palestinian and Egyptian Red Crescents will also make
sure that the relief supplies go only to Palestinian civilians.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during the day gave a fiery address to
thousands of Israeli troops massed at the Gaza borders, urging them to get
ready for ground invasion. On October 19, 2023, Israel continued bombing
not only northern part of Gaza, but also the southern part of Gaza where it had
asked 1.1 million Palestinian residents of Northern Gaza to flee to avoid
attack. There was an explosion at a Greek Orthodox Church on late October
19, 2023. The Church of Saint Porphyrios was housing scores of
Palestinians during the time of explosion. A U.S. intelligence assessment
shared with the Congress reported that the October 17, 2023, explosion at
Al-Ahli Hospital had killed in the lower range of 100 to 300 people and
Israel might not likely be attacker.
President
Joe Biden on October 19, 2023 delivered
a prime-time address to the American people from the Oval Office. He laid out a
case for aid to Ukraine and Israel as “vital for America’s national security”.
He calls for Congress to pass a $105 billion measure to aid Israel and
Ukraine. Although the Biden administration didn’t divulge the breakdown of the $105
billion aid package for Israel and Ukraine, The Associated Press on October
19, 2023 made public the breakdown, a day before the administration’s
scheduled allocation details, of the $105 billion aid package:
·
$60
billion for Ukraine
·
$14
billion for Israel
·
$10
billion for humanitarian efforts
·
$14
billion for managing the U.S-Mexico border
$7 billion for
Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan.
However, GOP’s failure to elect a speaker can complicate Biden’s request
for aid to Ukraine and Israel. The agreement that Former House Speaker Kevin
McCarthy crafted with the White House that had averted the government shutdown
stripped $24 billion of the Ukraine aid package.
Two American Hostages Released by Hamas, U.N. Chief Visits Rafah
In a diplomatic victory, Qatari government on October 20, 2023
secured the release of two American women—Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old
daughter, Natalie. They were at a kibbutz of Nahal Oz, near Gaza
Strip, to celebrate Jewish Holidays when they were among about 200 people
kidnapped by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023 and brought to Gaza. President
Joe Biden couldn’t resist his joy and excitement after hearing the news of the
two Americans’ release, saying that he was “overjoyed".
On October 20, 2023, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez
visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing where he had seen a fleet of
200 aid trucks stranded on the Egyptian side. The roads on the Gaza Side had
been badly damaged and Israeli airstrikes were continuing, making it impossible
for the aid relief supplies to enter the Gaza on October 20, 2023. The U.N.
chief couldn’t hide his exasperation as there was not an iota of relief that
went to Palestinians yet, calling the situation grim that had made him “heart-broken".
Meanwhile, violence is expanding and spilling over to Israel-Lebanon
border as potent Hezbollah launched several rocket attacks on a new frontier,
leading the Israeli Defense Ministry to announce on October 20, 2023
an evacuation plan for an Israeli border community of Kiryat Shmona of
population 20,000. On the other hand, Palestinians fought pitched battles in
West Bank towns and villages against Israeli security forces and settlers.
Since the Hamas’ worst attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, at least 80 Palestinians
were killed.
During the day, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant walked the
lawmakers through his vision and execution strategy to defeat Hamas. He laid
out a three-stage plan: (1) Stage 1: Airstrikes and “maneuvering”—reflecting
potential ground operation—to degrade and root out Hamas; (2) Stage 2: Carrying
out low-intensity operation to destroy the pockets of resistance; (3) Stage
3: Putting a “security regime” at the helms of Gaza Strip to remove “Israel’s
responsibility for the life in Gaza Strip".
White House Unveils $105 billion Package to Seek Approval from Congress
The White House
on October 20, 2023 sent a $105 billion off-cycle funding request to
Congress for Ukraine and Israel that included:
· · $61.4 billion for Ukraine
· · $14.3 billion for Israel
· · $9.15 billion for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, Gaza Strip, Israel and other places
· · $14 billion for managing the U.S-Mexico border
· $7.4
billion for Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan
First Fleet of Aid Trucks Rolls in as Demand for Two State Solution
Rises
After days of delay-dallying, about 20 trucks carrying aid on October
21, 2023 entered Gaza Strip from the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing.
The supplies are meager compared to gargantuan nature of the need on the ground.
Meanwhile, Arab leaders on October 21, 2023 met at Cairo along
with western leaders—mostly foreign ministers—and urged for a two-state
solution to the vexing crisis.
Meager Relief Pours in, U.S. Fears Expansion of Conflict as Israel
Readies Ground Invasion
On October 23, 2023, an additional 14 truckload of relief
supplies rolled into Gaza Strip from Egypt. Since the beginning of relief
trucks entering Gaza, the supplies are vastly inadequate as 20 trucks
have entered on the first day (October 21, 2023) followed by 14
trucks on October 22, 2023 and 14 trucks on October 23, 2023. The U.N. is
calling for a minimum of 100 trucks daily to bring food, medicines, and water
to Gaza. However, Israel barred fuel from being shipped to Gaza, leading to
possible massive disruptions of the barely functioning hospitals in the
besieged coastal territory of 2.3 million people.
On October 23, 2023, U.S. National Security Council Spokesman John
Kirby expressed apprehension of “the possibility for any significant
escalation” after Israel traded daily fire with Iran-backed Lebanese militant
group Hezbollah and a day after it carried out airstrikes on two airports in
Syria and bombed a mosque in the West Bank. U.S. troops can be targeted in
Syria and Iraq if escalation happens, according to the U.S.
Also, on October 23, 2023, Hamas released two elderly Israeli
women—Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85—although they kept
their husbands in captivity in Gaza. Hamas militants seized at least 222
people as hostage and brought them to Gaza Strip, according to a revised
Israeli estimate on October 23, 2023. Hamas-run Palestinian Health
Ministry on October 23, 2023 said that more than 5,000 Palestinians—including
at least 2,000 minors and 1,100 women—were killed in the Israeli offensive
in the fifth and the most lethal war with Hamas since the militant group had
ousted PLO from the Mediterranean coastal strip in 2007.
Israeli Indiscriminate Airstrikes Kill Hundreds
In one of the worst single day death toll involving Israel-Hamas fight, Hamas
Health Ministry reported on October 24, 2023 reported that at least 704
Palestinians were killed in the past day by the Israeli bombing campaign.
Although there is serious doubt about the Hamas-issued death toll, the scale of
airstrikes against the civilian targets in central and south Gaza, where people
from the North Gaza Strip have been earlier told by Israel to flee to, are
likely to kill hundreds of civilians.
Biden Decries Settler Violence
President Joe Biden on October 25, 2023 had some pointed
criticism at the West Bank settlers for unleashing violence on the Palestinians
in the occupied territories. Biden said at a White House news conference that
Israelis and Palestinians deserved to “live side by side in safety, dignity and
peace”. Since October 7, 2023, Hamas rampage that had killed—according to
a new estimate issued by Israeli authorities on October 25, 2023—1,106
Israelis, including 798 civilians and 308 soldiers, mounting violence in
the West Bank killed dozens of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, on the 19th day of Hamas-Israel war, the ground
situation in Gaza Strip looked grim as Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry
added an additional 756 people to the death roster, raising the total
Palestinian death toll in the Mediterranean coastal strip to at least 6,546
as of October 25, 2023. President Joe Biden expressed serious doubt on the
numbers provided by Hamas. Irrespective of whether the Hamas-led Gaza Health
Ministry’s numbers are believable or not, one thing is clear, and it has been
pointed out by the Palestinian Authority-led Palestinian Health Ministry based
in the West Bank that the healthcare system in Gaza had collapsed.
Israel meanwhile on October 25, 2023 lambasted the U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his comment a day earlier that Hamas
attack had not happened in vacuum as well as for his appeal to Israel for a
cease-fire as the Israeli war on Gaza Strip, according to the U.N. chief, was
tantamount to “collective” punishment of the Palestinian people. Israeli
cabinet minister Benny Gantz said on X that “terror apologists cannot
speak on behalf of the world”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
October 25, 2023 blasted Israel and defended Hamas calling the organization as
a “liberation group".
During the day, the trio of regional power players met at Beirut and
reiterated their pledge to stay strong for the “resistance of Gaza and
Palestine”. The meeting among Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Islamic
Jihad (Palestine) head Ziad al-Nakhleh and Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri was
a significant development as it marked an open display of three strident
anti-Israeli groups backed by Iran coalescing around championing the cause of “oppressed
and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank".
Airstrikes Cripple Gaza Communication Services, General Assembly Calls
for a Ceasefire
Israel on October 27, 2023 carried out devastating airstrikes on
Gaza Strip, taking out the communication system, including cell services and
internet services. Paltel, the Palestinian telecom services provider, said
that most of the communication system in the Gaza Strip had been crippled,
making it impossible for people and aid workers to contact with paramedics and
emergency services whatever little were still existing. Israeli authorities
during the day upped the estimate of the death toll from October 7, 2023,
Hamas attack to around 1,400 again, a day after giving a precise estimate of 1,106
deaths. Lynn Hastings, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the
occupied territories, said that because of total disruption of communication
system in Gaza, ambulatory and other aid services would be screeching to a halt
in a day or two. People in Gaza Strip are cut off from each other as well as
from the outside world.
On October 27, 2023, an Arab-drafted proposal was approved by an
emergency session of the U.N. General Assembly. The non-binding resolution calls
for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza Strip. The emergency session of the U.N.
General Assembly began on October 25, 2023 after the U.N.
Security Council failed to pass a single resolution in four tries. The
Arab-drafted resolution received 120 votes, while 14 member nations opposed
it and 45 nations abstained. Palestinian Ambassador to the U.N. Riyad
Mansour said that the General Assembly action was “more courageous, more
principled” than its privileged counterpart—U.N. Security Council—that had
remained deeply divided. Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, called
the U.N. General Assembly vote an event of “infamy”. UAE’s U.N. Ambassador
Lana Nusseibeh, Arab representative to the U.N. Security Council, described
the Arab-drafted resolution receiving 120 votes a major victory. Jordanian
Ambassador to the U.N. Mahmoud Hmoud, speaking on behalf of 22-nation
Arab League, urged to contain the escalating situation in Gaza Strip. The
most impassionate speech might have been delivered by the Pak Ambassador to
the U.N. Munir Akran. Before the Arab-drafted resolution was passed by the
U.N. General Assembly, an alternative Canadian resolution that condemned Hamas terrorist
attack on Israel failed to receive a two-thirds majority, a threshold for a
resolution to be passed. The Cana-backed resolution received 88 votes with 55
votes against it and 23 abstentions. Canadian U.N. Ambassador Robert Rae
called out the body of what had happened on October 7, 2023. U.S.
Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the Arab-drafted
resolution “outrageous” for not mentioning October 7 attack.
Ground Invasion Launched; U.N. Warehouses Looted; Largest Relief Convoy Enters
Gaza
Though sporadic ground incursions happened since October 7, 2023,
Hamas attack on Israel, the mission in each time was brief and close to South
Israeli borders. However, tens of thousands of troops massed along the Gazan
borders since brutal Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 that had killed 1,400
people in Israel. On October 28, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the nation, declared the “second phase” of the Israeli
campaign that involved ground invasion of Gaza Strip. Israel during the day
launched scorched-earth attacks by land, on sea and in air. The October 28,
2023, ground invasion of Gaza opened a new frontier and an unchartered future
for both Israel and Palestinians as the toll was expected to increase.
That the civil order is breaking down in Gaza is evident on October
28, 2023 as frustrated Palestinians stormed four U.N.-run warehouses during
the day. UNRWA Gaza Director Thomas White described the situation as the
one where “people are scared, frustrated and desperate”. On October 29, 2023,
the largest convoy with relief supplies entered the besieged coastal area. 33
trucks with water, food and medicine entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. The
U.N. World Food Program called for at least 40 truckloads of daily aid shipments
for the Gaza Strip. President Joe Biden on October 29, 2023 stressed in a phone
call with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu on enhanced aid shipment for
Palestinians. The head of civil affairs of COGAT, the Israeli defense
body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said on October 29, 2023
that two main water lines for southern Gaza were restored. Elad Goren’s
comment was a welcome reprieve for more than 2 million Palestinians from the continuous
disasters that they were facing over the past three weeks.
Israel Pushes Deep into Gaza, Frees a Soldier from Captivity
On the third day of the ground offensive in Gaza Strip, Israeli army and
armors pushed deeper in the Gaza City and other areas of northern Gaza Strip.
They on October 30, 2023 freed an Israeli female soldier, Ori
Megidish, who had been taken hostage by Hamas among 240 Israelis on October
7, 2023. A day after the severed communication system was restored on October
29, 2023, cell phone services and emergency communication system were
working better on October 30, 2023. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on October 30, 2023 rejected appeals from various
quarters for a cease-fire.
Israeli Airstrikes Hit Apartments at a Refugee Camp, Lew Confirmed as
Ambassador
On October 31, 2023, Israel expanded its ground operation in Gaza
further. It also lost two of its soldiers, first time Israeli soldiers were
killed after Israel launched a much anticipated and waited ground invasion of Gaza
Strip on October 28, 2023. As its ground operation was pushing deeper from
the north, a barrage of airstrikes collapsed apartment buildings at the
Jabaliya Refugee Camp on the outskirt of Gaza City, most likely, killing
dozens, if not hundreds. Gaza Health Ministry said during the day that at least
8,500 Palestinians—mostly women and children—were killed in Israeli
attack on Gaza since October 7, 2023. On October 31, 2023,
Bolivia severed diplomatic relationship with Israel, citing its inhuman war on Palestinians
in Gaza.
On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jack Lew 53-43 as
the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Israel Besieges Gaza City; Gaza Death Toll Exceeds 9,000; Blinken En
Route to Middle East
Gaza Strip is facing the worst humanitarian crisis as the total death
toll in Israeli war on Hamas crossed 9,000 on November 2, 2023. Israeli
soldiers tightened the noose around Gaza City, portending a scorched-earth
military campaign that might kill tens of thousands of civilians. An Israeli
airstrike on November 2, 2023 crumbled a residential complex at Bureij
refugee camp at the edge of Gaza City. Nearly 1 million of 2.3 million
Palestinians in Gaza Strip had been displaced in Israeli air campaign—that began
on October 7, 2023—and a ground offensive formally launched last week.
Many of those displaced Palestinians sought shelter at U.N. facilities and U.N.
schools. Even those U.N.-run schools-cum-shelters are not immune from Israeli
airstrikes. Airstrikes hit four such U.N.-run schools in the past 24 hours,
UNRWA Secretary-General Philippe Lazzarini said on November 2, 2023,
killing at least 24 people. Gaza Health Ministry run by Hamas reported on November
2, 2023 that at least 9,061 Palestinians were killed and more than
32,000 people were wounded.
On November 1, 2023, the first day of the qualified Gaza
residents allowed to cross into Egypt, at least 335 people with foreign
passports as well as 76 injured and their companions crossed into Egypt via
Rafah crossing. On November 2, 2023, an additional 342 Palestinians with
foreign passports and 21 injured along with 21 companions entered Egypt via
Rafah crossing. Among some 800 people allowed to enter Egypt, there were about
79 people holding the U.S. passports. About 400 American passport holders are thought
to be in the Gaza Strip and there is a concerted effort to bring them in to
Egypt.
President Joe Biden on November 1, 2023 called for a pause—not necessarily
a cease-fire—to the fighting so that adequate relief supplies could be
transported to Gaza Strip. He is sending his top diplomat, Secretary Anthony
Blinken, to the region to seek a truce and prevent any spillover to the
broader theater.
Call for a Cease-fire Grows as Gaza Reels under Destruction, Hezbollah
Leader Threatens
In his third visit to the region since Hamas’ October 7, 2023,
rampage in Southern Israel that had killed more than 1,400 Israelis and led to about
240 hostages taken to Gaza Strip, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on
November 3, 2023 met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Secretary Blinked echoed President Joe Biden’s call for a “pause” to fighting
in Gaza to facilitate the flow of aid and secure the release of about 240
hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the call for any “pause”
to fighting, emphasizing that the cease-fire would not be agreed to until all
the hostages were released.
On the ground, Israeli Army had tightened the leash on various corners
of Gaza City. Also, airstrikes had killed dozens of people near three hospitals
in northern Gaza on November 3, 2023. Israeli airstrikes targeted ambulances
too. According to the U.N., more than 1.5 million Palestinians, or roughly 70%
of 2.3 million Gazans, were displaced in nearly month-long Israeli campaign in
Gaza Strip. The Palestinian death toll is rising on the hourly basis and now
stands at 9,200 and counting.
On November 3, 2023, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a
fiery video speech to his followers in the region, including in Lebanon,
Palestinian areas, and Iraq, saying straight to the U.S. that further
escalation would happen if the Israeli aggression in Gaza didn’t stop
immediately.
Blinken Shuttles between Capitals in Middle East as More Palestinian Deaths
Reported
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is currently
shuttling among Arab nations to seek support for President Joe Biden’s “intermittent
humanitarian pauses” to the fighting in the Gaza Strip. However, Israeli
Premier Benjamin Netanyahu on November 3, 2023 rejected any cease-fire, or
even a pause, until Hamas released all the hostages, thus complicating the U.S.
diplomacy.
On November 4, 2023 Secretary Anthony Blinken dashed to Amman
where he had met with Arab foreign ministers, who demanded that a cease-fire be
immediately called and implemented. Blinken was not supportive of a cease-fire.
Instead U.S. pushed for intermittent “humanitarian pauses” to facilitate aid
delivery.
On November 5, 2023, America’s top diplomat met with Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. Later in the day,
Blinken flew to Baghdad to talk with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia
al-Sudani as drone and rocket attacks on the U.S. bases in Eastern Syria
and Iraq had increased since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The same day Secretary Anthony Blinken was in Ramallah, Israeli war
planes struck two Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza Strip, killing at least 53
people. The strike at Maghazi refugee camp killed at least 40 and
wounded 34, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Another strike at Bureij
refugee camp killed at least 13 people.
Palestinian Death Toll Crosses 10,000
The month-long Israel-Hamas war has very premium cost for the human
lives lost. Gaza’s Health Ministry on November 6, 2023 said that the
Palestinian death toll had crossed 10,000.
Army Deep Inside Gaza City, Israel Claims
Israel on November 7, 2023 claimed that Israeli soldiers were
battling in the depth of the largest city of Gaza Strip, a military feat
achieved almost 10 days after the ground offensive was formally launched.
Simultaneously, a punishing streak of airstrikes continued against various
targets in the coastal strip. As of the day, the Palestinian death toll reached
10,300, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry. The key
challenge for Israel is to pass on the security responsibility of Gaza to
parties that would ensure the safety and security of Israel. The reoccupation
of Gaza Strip is not a sustainable goal for Israel, a point made by President
Joe Biden on November 7, 2023.
Fighting Inside Gaza City Intensifying as Tens of Thousands Flee to the
South
On November 8, 2023, Israeli army is operating deep inside the
largest city in the Gaza Strip as fighting is getting more brutal on narrow streets
and alleyways of Gaza City. As tens of thousands of Gaza City residents who had
earlier stayed put were now finding it difficult to sustain a penury of food,
water, electricity, and fuel. At least 15,000 Palestinians on November
8, 2023 were headed to the south on the main thoroughfare from Gaza City to
the south. Adults were seen walking, with kids and whatever remainder of the stuff
was left being carried on shoulders, wheel carts and other means, on Salah
al-Din Street.
On November 8, 2023, G-7 group of the world’s most industrialized
nations issued a statement, defending the rights of Israel to self-defend and
run military campaign against Hamas, but it also called for “unimpeded” access
to Gaza Strip for the aid to flow in.
Israel to Begin Daily Pauses, Gaza Aid Conference Held, Hostage Talks in
Doha Reported
Prodded and pushed by President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu acquiesced to a four-hour daily humanitarian pause.
The November 9, 2023, Israeli decision to implement a four-hour daily
humanitarian pause coincides with a separate call from the Biden administration
to have a three-day pause to fighting to facilitate the talks to release the
remaining 239 hostages remained under Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. So far,
four hostages were released.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Palestinians on November 9, 2023
continued egressing out of Gaza City towards south. During the day, Israeli
authorities opened a second route for the Palestinians to flee to South.
Israeli military is now operating about 2 miles from Al-Shifa Hospital,
the largest hospital in Gaza that the Israeli authorities had blamed Hamas to run
a command center inside and underneath it. Hamas and Al-Shifa authorities
denied the Israeli allegation.
On November 9, 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron
organized a Gaza aid conference. Macron called for humanitarian pause and
pressed Israel to follow international laws and rules even when fighting
against the terrorists. Israel was not invited to the November 9, 2023,
Gaza aid conference. The U.S. delegation included U.S. Undersecretary of
State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, Special Envoy
David Satterfield and Sarah Charles, head of USAID’s bureau for
humanitarian assistance.
As efforts are being made overtly for humanitarian pauses and aid to
Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, a parallel secret negotiation is
happening in Doha to seek the release of 239 hostages. On November 9, 2023,
CIA Director Williams Burns was in Doha for talks with Qatari
Premier Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Mossad head
David Barnea.
Fighting Near the Largest Hospital Reported
On November 12, 2023, Israeli army was reported to be operating
near the Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza Strip. Israel
accused Hamas of running their command center from inside and under the
hospital, an allegation refuted both by Hamas and the hospital staff. The fuel
of the last generator at the hospital was exhausted on November 11, 2023,
leading to the deaths of three premature babies and four patients, according to
the Gaza Health Ministry. There are about 1,500 patients, 1,500 medical staff
and between 15,000 and 20,000 people—who are sheltering from the Israeli attack—at
the hospital complex now. As of November 12, 2023, Palestinian death
toll stands about 11,000 and counting. Israeli authorities downgraded
again the Israeli death toll to circa 1,200 from 1,400. The Israeli death toll
marks the worst Jewish massacre since the Holocaust.
Hundreds of Thousands Rally to Support Israel, Israeli Soldiers Enter a
Key Hospital
Reminiscing the massive rally at the Washington D.C. attended by 250,000
in 1987 to protest against the oppression of the then-Soviet Union against its
Jews and a 100,000-strong rally at the Capitol in 2002 to show support for
Israel amidst the then-Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hundreds of thousands of
people on November 14, 2023 turned up at the National Mall to
show support for the state of Israel, pray for the release of about 240 Israeli
hostages and lend moral backing to the IDF that’s in the midst of an intense battle
with Hamas in Northern Gaza Strip. The rally on November 14, 2023 was
organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The rally also demanded
that Congress pass $14 billion aid for Israel. That package is now ensnared in
a political haggling over $9 billion in humanitarian aid to Gaza and $61
billion Ukrainian aid package. Speakers at the rally included, among others, Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson and U.S. Envoy to Monitor and
Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt.
In the wee hours of November 15, 2023, Israeli army entered the Al-Shifa
hospital, largest in the Gaza Strip, and launched a “precise and targeted
operation” at the hospital that IDF had accused Hamas of housing its command
center inside and underneath the complex. On November 14, 2023, Israel
approved long-withheld permission for fuel to be shipped into Gaza Strip for
humanitarian purpose.
Talks in Qatar Opening up Possibilities for Longer Pause; First Shipment
of Fuel to Gaza
Media reports on November 15, 2023 indicated that the ongoing
talks among the U.S., Israeli officials, Qatari authorities and Hamas leaders at
Doha might yield to the release of about 50 or 60 hostages in exchange for a
longer pauses such as three to four days of pause to fighting to facilitate
smoother aid relief operation in Gaza Strip and accelerated talks on hostage
release.
On November 15, 2023, Israeli troops throughout the day carried
out “precise and targeted operation” in Al-Shifa Hospital. They have yet to
discover any Hamas command center or military presence inside or underneath the
hospital.
On November 15, 2023, the first shipment of fuel was allowed into
Gaza Strip as 6,340 gallons of fuel were brought in. The fuel will only be used
by U.N. Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, the U.N. arm for aid to
Palestinians for carrying out relief and aid distribution. UNRWA Director
for Gaza Strip Thomas White said during the day that the fuel amount was
paltry and would satisfy only 9% of the demand.
U.N. Suspends Relief because of Fuel Scarcity
On November 17, 2023, the U.N. stopped bringing in relief and
other supplies to Gaza as internet and other communication services cratered
due to lack of fuel. Without communication services, appropriate distribution
of relief supplies is nearly impossible. Israel during the day, though, allowed
two tanker-trucks to bring fuel to Gaza Strip for U.N. operations, the amount
that the U.N. said vastly inadequate.
During the day, Israeli troops found body of another hostage, Cpl.
Noa Marciano, at a building adjacent to Al-Shifa Hospital, a day
after the body of Yehudit Weiss was found at an adjacent building.
Israeli army continued their sweep at Al-Shifa Hospital, but had yet to come
out with any evidence that Hamas had run a command center inside and underneath
the hospital. Israel justified attacks on civilian targets and hospitals by
alleging in general that Hamas operated in population centers, including
medical facilities, and in particular, Hamas command center inside and underneath
the Al-Shifa Hospital.
Israel Forces Hospital Evacuation, Refugee Camp Hit, Biden Calls for Rule
under PA
Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital was evacuated on November 18,
2023 under disputable circumstances as hospital authorities and
Hamas-linked Gaza Health Ministry said that Israeli troops ordered hundreds of
civilians to leave the hospital. Israeli military said that the evacuation was
voluntary. Only people who are left behind in the largest hospital in the Gaza
Strip are a handful of doctors, a skeleton of other medical staff and few dozen
patients.
On November 18, 2023, an Israeli airstrike collapsed a building
at the Jabaliya refugee camp, killing dozens of people. Since October 7,
2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel that had killed about 1,200 Israelis,
Israeli campaign in Gaza killed more than 11, 500 people. An additional 2,700
Gazans are reported missing, and feared to be buried underneath the crumbled
buildings. About 240 Israelis were taken hostage and brought into Gaza.
U.S. President Joe Biden on November 18, 2023 called for, in an
Op-Ed published in The Washington Post, Gaza Strip and West Bank to be governed
under a “revitalized Palestinian Authority” while the world leaders worked for
a two-state solution.
Hospital Hit by Israeli Shell, 28 Premature Babies Evacuated, Jordan to
Deploy Field Hospital
On November 20, 2023, Israel continued its military operation in Jabaliya
refugee camp, northeast of Gaza City, forcing many Palestinian civilians to
flee the camp and seek shelter in the nearby Indonesian Hospital. An
Israeli shell hit the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing close to
two dozen people.
Palestinian Health Ministry, attached to the West Bank-based Palestinian
Authority, said during the day that 12,700 Palestinians had been
killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip and an additional 4,000 people
remained missing, many of them were feared buried underneath the rubble of the
buildings fallen by Israeli airstrikes and shelling. On the Israeli side,
about 1,200 people were killed by Hamas’ lightning-pace, coordinated attack
on South Israel on October 7, 2023 and about 240 people were held
hostage and brought into Gaza by the Palestinian militants.
The condition in Gaza’s largest hospital continued to deteriorate on November
20, 2023. 28 premature babies were evacuated during the day from Al-Shifa
Hospital and taken to Egypt. Meanwhile, a convoy of truck carrying medical
equipment and personnel entered Gaza through Rafah Crossing on November 20,
2023 as part of a Jordanian plan to set up a field hospital in Khan
Younis.
A Four-day Cease-fire and More Aid Flow into Gaza Paired with Hostage
Release Announced
Israeli cabinet which met on late November 21, 2023 continued its
deliberation early into the morning of November 22, 2023 and approved a
four-day temporary cease-fire in exchange for some 50 hostages—mostly women and
children—to be released by Hamas and other militant groups. A separate
statement issued by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said on early November 22, 2023
that there would be more aid flow into Gaza Strip and an unknown number of
Palestinian prisoners would be freed from the Israeli jails as part of the
agreement.
Four-day Pause to Fighting to Begin a Day Later
On November 22, 2023, Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi
Hanegbi, said that the four-day cease-fire announced separately by Qatar
and Israeli cabinet earlier in the day (late November 21, 2023 U.S. time)
would go into effect on November 24, 2023, a day later than the original
implementation date. This is a minor, but manageable, hiccup in the
implementation of a complex deal that would see about 50 hostages to be freed
by Hamas in exchange for a four-day cessation of fighting, a huge influx of aid
to Gaza Strip and about 150 Palestinian prisoners to be freed from the Israeli
jails.
The four-day humanitarian cease-fire is also a political and
diplomatic reprieve for Biden administration as the current Israel-Hamas war
had torpedoed Washinton’s priorities to focus more on Indo-Pacific theater and
shifted the attention of the West from the Russia-Ukraine war. President Joe
Biden remained in close touch during the negotiation process in Doha with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamid Al Thani.
President Biden carved out time from the APEC summit in San Francisco to call Emir
Al Thani to press for prodding and pushing Hamas to accept the deal. Biden
administration’s chief envoy for the region, Brett McGurk, has been
shuttling among Arab capitals and Tel Aviv to give finishing touches to a
delicate six-page agreement which remained work-in-progress at best and
uncertain at worst. McGurk had met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad bin
Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on November 19, 2023 for plugging some of the
existing gaps in the existing framework that had emerged after weeks of secret
and not-so-secret negotiations at Doha.
Truce to Begin 7AM Local Time on November 24, Qatari Foreign Ministry
Says
After a day delay, the four-day truce will go into effect at 7AM
local time on November 24, 2023, according to the Qatari Foreign
Ministry. The ministry’s spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, said on November
23, 2023 that 13 hostages would be freed by Hamas in the afternoon. It’s
not known how many Palestinians will be freed, but it’s largely three
Palestinian prisoners for each hostage.
On November 23, 2023, Israeli airstrikes and ground operation in
Northern Gaza continued unabated. An airstrike fell a building at Nuseirat
refugee camp in Central Gaza, killing at least 12 people. Hamas-backed Gaza
Health Ministry that stopped reporting casualties after November 11,
2023 reported during the day (November 23, 2023) that at least 13,300
Palestinians were killed in the Israeli military offensive in Gaza since October
7, 2023. An additional 6,000 people remained missing, many of them were
buried underneath the rubble. Hamas said that at least 200 trucks with relief
supplies would enter Gaza Strip daily after truce was implemented.
Hostage Release Marks a Ray of Hope in the 49-day War between Israel,
Hamas
November 24, 2023 marked an important day in the Middle East as it heralded in a new
chapter of hope and optimism—and the world hopes that they are not wrong about
it—that the four-day truce could be extended. On the first day, 24 hostages
were released by Hamas. However, out of them, the release of 11 were
separately negotiated as they constituted 10 Thai hostages and one Filipino
hostage. 13 Israeli hostages were out of Gaza by nightfall. Meanwhile, 39
Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel, and they were given hero’s
welcome in the West Bank. Hamas and other Palestinian groups are to release 50
prisoners overall, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put a
condition that the truce will be extended an extra day in exchange for the
release of 10 additional hostages.
Initial Snag in Hostage Release Resolved, Second Round of Swap Goes
Forward
There was drama over hostage release on November 25, 2023 as
Hamas accused Israel of violating the four-day truce rules and provisions.
The delay in hostage release brought the region again to the brink of
escalation, leading U.S. President Joe Biden to call Qatari Emir
Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Premier Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al
Thani to remove the “hurdles” that had unnecessary held up hostage release.
Later in the evening, 17 hostages—13 Israelis and four Thais—were released
by Hamas. Among the 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas, seven were children
and six were women. Combined on two days—November 24, 2023 and November 25,
2023—41 hostages were released, including 26 Israelis, 14 Thais and
one Filipino hostage.
Spurred by Hamas’ release of 13 Israeli hostages that had led to cheers
and joys among Israelis from Tel Aviv to Dead Sea, Israel on early November
26, 2023 released 39 Palestinian prisoners. A large crowd of Palestinians
patiently waited for the Palestinian prisoners to arrive at their respected
communities. No sooner had these prisoners arrived at their communities than
the throngs erupted in joyous screams.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the lull in the fighting, the United
Nations delivered enhanced relief supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents,
including the delivery of fuel for the first time since the war broke out on October
7, 2023. However, the amount of fuel delivered on November 25, 2023
was only 34,078 gallons, circa 10% of the pre-war daily volume of fuel
needed in the Gaza Strip.
17 Released on the Third Day of Truce
Hamas on November 26, 2023 released 17 hostages, including
the first American, and Israeli government, in turn, released 39
Palestinians, all ages 15-19. Abigail Edan, 4, holds the dual
Israeli and American citizenship. Abigail’s parents were killed on October
7, 2023. In addition, Hamas released three Thai hostages and a
Russian-Israeli man in response to President Putin’s effort.
On November 26, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
was reported to have visited troops in Gaza Strip although the exact location
was not known.
Truce Extended for Two Additional Days
That Israel is agreeable to extend the existing four-day (November 24-27,
2023) truce by a day for every 10 Israeli prisoners’ release has helped to
pave the way for reinvigorated diplomacy to take place in Doha. Qatari
authorities late on November 27, 2023 announced that the truce would be
extended for two additional days. Hectic diplomatic activities are continuing
at Doha, pushed and prodded by the U.S. and Egypt, to work for further
extension of the cease-fire. The truce allows aid shipments to flow into Gaza
Strip to maximum possible amount. However, 150 to 200 trucks of aid are still
not enough as the U.N. is pressing for twice as many truckloads of relief
supplies. On November 27, 2023, cooking fuel was first distributed among
the residents, following the recent relaxation by Israeli authorities to allow
the commercial fuel to enter Gaza.
On November 27, 2023, Hamas released 11 Israeli women and
children. Late on November 27, 2023, they had arrived at Israel. In the early
hours of November 28, 2023, Israel released 33 Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinian prisoners arrived at Ramallah to a hero’s welcome.
10 Additional Hostages Released by Hamas on the First Extended Day of Truce
On the first day—November 28, 2023—that the truce is extended
beyond the original four-day (November 24-27, 2023) timeline, Hamas
released 10 Israeli and two Thai hostages, bringing the total
hostages released by the militant groups to 81, including 60 Israelis, 19
Thai nationals, one Filipino and one Russian-Israeli. Later in the
day, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners, raising the total number of
Palestinian teenagers and women freed over the five-day period to 180.
Hostage Release, Prisoner Swap Continue as Diplomacy Picks up to Extend
Truce
On November 29, 2023, Hamas carried out two batches of hostage
release, one involving 10 Israeli children and women plus four Thai
nationals, and a separate release involving two Russian-Israeli
nationals. Israel on early November 30, 2023 followed up with the
release of 30 Palestinian prisoners, including Ahed Tamimi, now 22, who had
earned international media coverage after a video had gone viral for slapping
an Israeli soldier in December 2017. Ahed Tamimi was arrested on November
6, 2023 after Israel had accused her of inciting violence on the social
media. Tamimi’s mother said that her social media account had been hacked.
Palestinian prisoners received a hero’s welcome in the early morning of November
30, 2023 as they had arrived at Ramallah.
Since the hostage release began on November 24, 2023, 73
Israeli citizens—including a handful dual citizens—as well as 23 Thai
nationals and one Filipino national have been released. Out of a total 97
hostages released, 210 Palestinian prisoners were released for 70 Israeli hostages.
Three Russian-Israeli hostages were released separately and were not part of
the prisoner swap. Prior to the cease-fire, Hamas released four hostages and
Israeli army rescued one hostage. Two other hostages were found dead in Gaza
Strip.
Truce Extends for a Day as Hamas Releases Eight Israelis
Hamas and Israel extended the truce, scheduled to end on November 29,
2023, by a day. So, at the end, November 30, 2023 came as a welcome
relief to 2.3 million Gazans, of whom three-fourth had been uprooted from their
domiciles by the Israeli campaign to crush Hamas. During the day (November
30, 2023), Hamas released eight hostages in two tranches: first, six
Israeli hostages, and later, two Israeli women. They had been handed over to the
Red Cross. Israel demanded the release of at least 10 hostages for each day of
the cease-fire’s extension, but settled on the release of eight hostages on
November 30, 2023 as a day before, Hamas had released 12 hostages, including
two Russian-Israeli citizens. In the early hours of December 1, 2023, a
busload of 30 Palestinian prisoners entered Ramallah to hero’s welcome.
Truce Ends, Israel Resumes Attacks on Hamas
After a week-long truce when Gaza’s 2.3 million residents relatively
more freely moved without fear, fighting resumed in earnest on December 1,
2023. Israeli troops were engaged in high-intensity ground battle with
Hamas and Israeli ground campaign was being propped up an incessant air assault
on the Gaza Strip. At least 173 Palestinians were reported killed during
the first day of the resumed fighting, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Hamas resumed launching rocket attacks on Israel, and Hezbollah began to
militarily engage with the IDF.
Israeli Army Enters Second-largest Gaza City, U.S. to Ban Extremist
Settlers
On December 5, 2023, Israeli ground forces were operating inside
the second-largest city of Gaza Strip. The operation in Khan Younis
makes the areas available for Palestinian civilians to live with an air—irrespective
of how elusive it’s—of safety even narrower. According to Gaza’s Health
Ministry, the death toll in Gaza now stood more than 15,000 since
the fighting began on October 7, 2023. The U.N. aid shipment had grinded
to a halt for most parts of Gaza, barring Rafah in the far south. Also on December
5, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that
Israel might never abandon Gaza, a stance directly contradicted by the Biden
administration’s policy against reoccupation.
On December 5, 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken drew
a red line on the sand, stating that the Biden administration won’t tolerate
settler violence on Palestinians in the West Bank. There will be travel ban on
settlers who will attack on Palestinians. The December 5, 2023,
announcement came just a month after the U.S. included Israel to the U.S.
Visa Waiver Program.
U.N. Chief Invokes Rare Article to Call Attention
Israel on December 7, 2023 is ravaging the Palestinian targets in
Gaza Strip, including engaging in ground battle in Khan Younis.
The U.N. relief supplies are not reaching most of Palestinian civilians. The
situation on the ground is so alarming that U.S. State Secretary Anthony
Blinken on December 7, 2023, facing the correspondents at Washington D.C. alongside
British Foreign Minister David Cameron, urged the Israeli government to
place a premium on saving the Palestinian civilian lives.
Also, on December 7, 2023, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
invoked a rarely used provision, Article 99 of the U.N. Charter, to notify the
U.N. Security Council on the alarming situation in Gaza. Normally, Article 99
used when international peace and security is at peril.
Viral Video of Stripped Men Raises Outrage, U.N.S.C. Resolution Defeated
A viral video that shows several men kneeling on the streets, bowing
their heads with their hands tied behind and stripped down to the underwear is
generating outrage throughout the world. This humiliating treatment took place
at the northern Gazan town of Beit Lahiya on December 7, 2023. As
Israel is expanding its ground operation to central and southern Gaza, the U.N.
aid operation in the coastal territory has reached a “breaking point”,
according to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. U.N.
Humanitarian Chief Martin Griffith admonished that the relief even in
southern Gaza, which was supposed to be a safe haven, was in “tatters”.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 17,400 people in
Gaza have been killed since the October 7, 2023, pernicious attack on
Israel, at least 40,000 injured and many have remained missing. Israeli
military said that 83 of its soldiers had been killed since the beginning of the
Israeli ground war against Hamas. On December 8, 2023, the U.S. vetoed a
resolution at the U.N. Security Council that called for an immediate
humanitarian cease-fire. The vote was 13-1, with the U.K. abstaining.
Biden Admin Bypasses Congress to Aid Israel amidst Growing Palestinian
Toll
A day after the U.S. veto of an immediate humanitarian cease-fire resolution
at the U.N. Security Council, Israeli military on December 9, 2023
intensified attack on Gaza Strip, without any exception to whether it’s
northern or southern Gaza. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip reached a
catastrophic situation with the growing death toll of 17,700 and
counting. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 133 people were killed
during the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, World Food Program said on December 9,
2023 that the entire Gaza was facing severe and acute food security crisis.
At least 2,500 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attack since the brief
pause to fighting [during November 24-30, 2023, cease-fire] had ended. Hundreds of hostages and Palestinian prisoners
had been freed during a week-long humanitarian truce. Still, there are about 137
Israeli hostages under the Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. 97 Israeli
soldiers had been killed during Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza.
By vetoing a cease-fire resolution a day ago, U.S. became a target of
mocking, despise and ridicule from the Arab World and beyond. Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the U.S. for not supporting the “Universal
Declaration of Human Rights”. On the top of failure to stand up for avoiding
further bloodshed, Biden administration bypassed the Congressional approval to
ship 14,000 rounds of munitions to Israel. Late December 8, 2023, the
State Department notified Congress that it would go forward with shipping 13,981
120-mm High Explosive Anti-Tank Multipurpose with Tracer tank
cartridges to Israel by bypassing the traditional Congressional approval
process after State Secretary Anthony Blinken determined that “an
emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the munitions to help support
the U.S. national security interests. This is a rare step, and there are only a
few precedents in the past to skirt Congressional approval process. In May
2019, then-State Secretary Mike Pompeo determined that it’s for the best
possible protection of the U.S. national security interest that an $8.1 billion
in arms sale to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and UAE should proceed over Congressional
objection to Riyadh’s and Abu Dhabi’s instigation and involvement in Yemen’s
civil war.
White Phosphorous Used by Israel, Investigation Shows; Israel Dismisses
Cease-fire Appeal
The Washington Post reported on December 11, 2023 that Israel had used the U.S.-supplied
White Phosphorous in Lebanon. The newspaper showed video and other material
evidence that Israeli military had used WP in the Lebanese village of Dheira
on October 16, 2023. Human rights groups and arms control groups are
demanding that a thorough probe should be conducted to uncover the scope, scale,
and severity of WP use by Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on December
11, 2023 defended the open-ended nature of the Israeli military campaign in
Gaza. He also dismissed the talks of humanitarian cease-fire. At least 17,700
Palestinians were killed in Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. The plight
of Palestinian civilians is one of hopeless and pessimism.
Ambush Kills Nine Israeli Soldiers
Puncturing the myth and Israeli claim that they had broken the back of
Hamas, an ambush on December 12, 2023 killed 9 Israeli soldiers in Gaza
Strip.
Three Hostages Killed by Israeli Troops
In a disastrous and tragic turn of events, Israeli security forces on December
15, 2023 shot three Israeli hostages to death at Shijaiyah
neighborhood in Gaza City. The news came as a thunderbolt to Israelis as
hostage families were demanding that the Benjamin Netanyahu regime take
decisive action and steps to return all the remaining 130+ hostages to their
families. The hostages killed were later identified as Yotam Haim, 28; Samer
al-Talalka, 25; and Alon Shamirz,26, respectively. Premier Benjamin Netanyahu
said of the accidental killing of the three hostages an “unbearable tragedy”,
but vowed to destroy Hamas and bring remainder of hostages home.
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held
high-level meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
other cabinet officials on December 14, 2023 and December 15, 2023.
Sullivan on December 15, 2023 also met with Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas pressed the U.S. official for an immediate
cease-fire and ramped-up aid to Gaza Strip. U.S. is prodding Israel to scale
down its military campaign in Gaza Strip from the current high-intensity battle
to a low-intensity, more targeted operation.
The situation is Gaza is becoming grimmer by the hour. According to Gaza’s
Health Ministry, the death toll in Israeli operation in Gaza that has begun on October
7, 2023 now stands 18,700 and counting. Several thousands have been buried
under the rubble and are feared dead. 80% of the Gaza’s population have
been displaced and there is apparently no safe place in Gaza as places in the far
south communities of Khan Younis and Rafah—where Israel has asked Palestinian
civilians to flee to—are coming under daily shelling, airstrikes, and bombing.
Since Israel launched its ground operation in Gaza Strip on October 27,
2023, 116 Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Hostages Killed Waved White Flag, IDF Says; U.S. Military Officials en
route to Region
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a nationwide
address on December 16, 2023 expressed regret over the deaths of three
hostages in mistaken identity a day earlier. Netanyahu said that his heart was
broken and the “nation’s heart is broken” too. However, Netanyahu vowed to
continue aggressive military action in Gaza Strip. Reports circulated in the
Israeli media said that the hostages either fled from, or were abandoned by,
their captors. They emerged bare bodied from a building at the Shijaiyah
neighborhood in Gaza City, waving the white flag to show that they were
unarmed. However, the IDF personnel mistook them for Hamas militants and opened
fire. The neighborhood saw some of the fiercest fights earlier in the week,
with nine soldiers killed in an ambush.
The U.S. is sending the administration’s two top military leaders to the
region to pick up the political and military strategy thread that National
Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is leaving off as part of the Biden
administration’s effort to prod Israel to shift their military campaign
strategy from a high-intensity campaign to a more nuanced and targeted low-intensity
campaign. On December 14, 2023, Jake Sullivan urged Israel to pursue a
low-intensity military campaign in Gaza Strip to evade the collateral deaths of
thousands of Palestinian civilians. However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant pushed back, saying that the ongoing high-intensity battle would
continue for quite some time. U.S. Defense Secretary Llyod Austin and Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown are well versed in the military
strategy shift as both have played key roles in shepherding the U.S. military
strategies in Afghanistan and Iraq towards a more targeted low-intensity
campaigns.
Award Ceremony Delayed over Controversy surrounding Writer’s Article
A Russian-American writer supposed to be felicitated at a prestigious award
ceremony in Germany became the epicenter of a political controversy as Masha
Gessen’s recently published article in the New Yorker compared Gaza
to ghettos under the Nazi Germany. Masha Gessen was scheduled to receive
the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought on December 15, 2023
at the city of hall of Bremen, in northwest Germany. However, the award
ceremony was delayed by a day.
Commercial Vessels Targets of Houthi Attacks as Israeli-Hamas War Roils Middle
East
The U.S. and the U.K sent aircraft carriers and military vessels to
protect the key shipping routes in Red Sea region as commercial vessels came
under increasing attacks from another Iran-backed proxy, Houthi rebel group,
since the beginning of Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 2023. On December
16, 2023, the U.S. Central Command said that the USS Carney “successfully
engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems” launched from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen.
Meanwhile, the U.K. Navy shot down a suspected object over the Red
Sea in the first such encounter since 1991 Persian Gulf War. U.K.
Defense Minister Grant Shapps said on December 16, 2023 that HMS
Diamond’s crew launched a Sea Viper missile to destroy a drone over
Red Sea.
Diseases Spreading in Gaza as First Convoy of Aid Enters Gaza from
Israel
For the first time since October 7, 2023, relief supplies and aid
deliveries entered Gaza from Israel on December 17, 2023. 79 trucks
carrying relief supplies entered through the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Prior
to the war, about 500 trucks used to cross Kerem Shalom into Gaza daily.
Separately, circa 120 trucks entered Gaza through Rafah Crossing.
As Israel’s military campaign continued unabated, the WHO is warning against
a potential for deadly diseases sweeping through Gaza Strip and creating a
petri dish of epidemic for the enclave’s 2.3 million people.
CIA Chief in Warsaw to Talk on Hostage Release, Austin Presses Israeli
Officials
In a sign that some of the staunchest supporters of Israel such as the
U.K., Germany and France are losing patience with Israel, CIA chief William
Burns on December 18, 2023 met with Mossad chief and Qatari premier at
Warsaw to talk on restarting the hostage swap. However, the message that has
emerged from the Warsaw meeting is not encouraging.
Also, there is visible difference in what U.S. Defense Secretary Llyod
Austin has in his agenda and what his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, has told
the reporters at a joint news conference at Tel Aviv on December 18, 2023. The
mission of Austin’s Israel visit was to prod Israel to shift the war on Hamas
from a high-intensity one to a more targeted, low-intensity one. Austin seems
to have failed in his objective as Gallant has stressed that Israel’s focus now
is to continue with the current campaign to crush Hamas.
As of December 18, 2023, at least 19,400 Gazans have been killed,
several thousands are buried under the rubble and about 1.9 million Gazans have
been displaced from their homes.
Israel Shows Reporters a Vast Network of Underground Tunnel in Gaza City
On December 20, 2023, Israeli army took the Israeli reporters on
a guided trip to a discovered web of underground tunnel and a command center in
the Gaza City. IDF claimed that the tunnel was spread throughout Gaza Strip and
claimed its discovery and continuing destruction as a major victory. Israeli
military also identified a wheelchair as the one that belonged to Hamas’
shadowy commander Mohammad Deif. Israeli military took select reporters
on a tour of the underground tunnel at the Palestine Square of the Gaza City.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on December 20, 2023
arrived at Cairo for talks aimed at finding a road forward towards a truce.
Circa 25% Gazans Starving, U.N. Says
The United Nation’s World Food Program said on December 21,
2023 that at least one out of four Gaza residents were starving. Issuing a
report on the catastrophic situation in Gaza, World Food Program’s Chief
Economist Arif Hussain said that “I have never seen something” like it.
Gaza Death Toll 20K and Counting, Security Council Passes an Aid
Resolution
That the staggering human toll of the Israeli campaign in Gaza since October
7, 2023 inflicted a significant and long-term cost on the coastal strip
came to a biting reality for the global community as the official death toll there
exceeded 20,000, nearly 1% of the pre-war population. Gaza’s Health
Ministry on December 22, 2023 reported that 20,057 people in Gaza
Strip had been killed by Israeli ground and air assault since October 7,
2023 when Hamas had launched lightning attacks in the south Israeli border communities
and a desert music festival, renowned for its avant-garde theme, killing circa
1,200 Israelis, and taken about 240 people hostage back to Gaza Strip. Gaza’s
Health Ministry added that about 50,000 people were injured too. One caveat,
though, in the estimates issued by Gaza’s Health Ministry. It doesn’t break
down between militant and civilian deaths. Nearly 80% of Gaza residents have
been displaced from their homes, and Israel is pushing more and more to the
south, leading to a suffocating living condition for millions of Palestinians
in a narrow sliver of land in and around Rafah. Israeli military said that they
had lost about 139 IDF soldiers in the ground offensive. On December
22, 2023, Israeli military issued an evacuation order for thousands of
Palestinians in Burej refugee camp and surrounding areas in Central Gaza.
At the United Nations, the Security Council on December 22, 2023
eventually approved a resolution that called for “safe, unhindered and expanded
humanitarian access” with immediate effect and “creating the conditions for
sustainable cessation of hostilities”. The text in the resolution was a
watered-down version of an earlier draft that the U.S. was opposed to. At the
end, the resolution was passed by 13-0 vote, with the U.S. and Russia
abstaining for poles opposite reasons. The U.S. evaded a third U.N. Security
Council veto by abstaining, thus saving the day for the United Arab Emirates
which led the Arab World in tabling the resolution that had morphed and evolved
through several iterations as the U.S. veto threat pushed the vote every day since
initially scheduled December 18, 2023. Earlier, the U.S. vetoed a
Russian amendment that called for “urgent suspension of hostilities to allow
safe and unhindered humanitarian access” and “urgent steps towards a
sustainable cessation of hostilities”. Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vassily
Nebenzia called the U.S. veto “shameful, cynical and irresponsible conduct”.
However, the diluted version of the U.N. resolution gave UAE’s U.N. ambassador,
Lana Nusseibeh, to strike an optimistic note that the resolution was
still a “miracle we were all hoping for".
Egyptian Plan Receives Very Cool Reception from Hamas, Israel
An Egyptian plan that called for a phased release of some remaining 100
hostages and forming an internationally acclaimed Palestinian experts-led
administration in Gaza and West Bank received a shrug on December 25, 2023
from both Netanyahu regime and Hamas. Addressing his Likud Party members,
Netanyahu on December 25, 2023 vowed to press ahead with the military campaign in
Gaza Strip until Hamas was finished off. In the Christmas Day message, Pope
Francis called for peace in the Middle East and denounced the arms industry.
Overnight Israeli airstrikes killed at least 106 people in the Maghazi
refugee camp, raising the total Palestinian death toll to 20,600. Netanyahu is
also facing call for bringing back the hostages and criticism for swelling
death toll of IDF personnel in the ground offensive. As of December 25, 2023,
156 Israeli soldiers were killed.
Thousands of Palestinians Displaced for the Third Time, Israeli Warning
to Hezbollah
The Israeli-Hamas war is about to turn in its third month in 10 days,
and there is yet any ray of hope for truce to emerge. Thousands of families, in
the meantime, have been displaced thrice. First, they were displaced from
Northern Gaza as Israel launched ground offensive on October 28, 2023,
and sought refuge in Gaza City. They were then forced out for the second
time as Gaza City came under the ground attack of the IDF. Many of them
fled to Bureij refugee camp and surrounding areas, swelling the pre-war Bureij
population of 90,000 by an additional 61,000. On December
26, 2023, Israel issued an evacuation order for Bureij and
surrounding areas, leading to third displacement for tens of thousands of
Palestinians. Waves of Palestinians have arrived on December 27, 2023 at
Deir al-Balah, which is now only the second areas of refuge in addition
to Rafah left for about 2.3 million Palestinians to seek shelter. With most of
the Northern Gaza laying ruined, a similar fate awaits for Khan Younis where
the Israeli forces have expanded a ground offensive to in early December 2023.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Palestinian death toll is 21,100 and
counting.
Rafah Overwhelmed by Palestinians Displaced in North, Central Gaza
As there is less and less safe areas every day for 2.3 million
Palestinians, the southern sliver of the tiny Mediterranean enclave is
being overwhelmed by the human waves as 85% of Gaza’s pre-war population
are now displaced from home. Israel expanded its military operation to include
central Gaza refugee camps of Bureij, Nuseirat and Maghazi while
continuing its scorched-earth military tactic in Northern Gaza. On December
29, 2023, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini accused Israel of blocking
access to outside supplies of food, medicine and water. The Palestinian death
toll since that October 7, 2023, coordinated Hamas attack on southern
Israeli communities that has killed 1,200 Israelis along with more than 240 people
taken hostage and sparked the latest crisis now stands 21,500 and
counting, according to Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry doesn’t break down
the figures between civilians and combatants.
************************ GENOCIDE COMPLAINT AGAINST ISRAEL
South Africa Calls Israeli Campaign Genocide, Files Case before World
Court
In growing Israeli isolation, South Africa on December 29, 2023
filed a case at The Hague-based International Court of Justice, saying
that Israeli campaign had all the “genocidal features” and requested the court
to issue an interim order to Israel for cessation of hostilities. Israel
denounced the South African case and accused Pretoria of supporting Hamas. It’s
not sure whether South Africa will press the case by using the Genocide
Convention of 1948, to which both South Africa and Israel are signatories. Although
the ICJ’s ruling is binding, there are instances where the parties involved have
defied its orders. Most notable among them was an order issued by the International
Court of Justice in March 2022, asking the Kremlin that it stop hostilities
against Ukraine, only to see Russia completely ignoring its ruling.
Israel to Defend against Genocide Allegation
Israel normally ignores international forums as it accuses them of Pro-Palestinian
bias. However, as serious an allegation as genocide under a very 1948
convention that had been established as a response to the genocide of millions
of Jews by Nazi perpetrators was too serious for Israel to ignore. On January
2, 2024, Israel announced that it would robustly and vigorously defend
itself in the International Court of Justice against the complaint
lodged by South Africa.
Two-day Hearing Begins in Genocide Charges
That it takes the “genocidal” charges seriously is evident as Israel is
defending itself at, instead of boycotting, one of key U.N. organizations
tasked to play an arbiter of such cases. A two-day hearing began on January
11, 2024 at The Hague-based International Court of Justice as South
African government lawyers argued that court had to order Israel to stop the
ongoing genocide in Gaza. South African lawyer Adila Hassim told the
judges and a packed room of audience at the Peace Palace that the court “has
the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a
pattern of conduct” that amounted to “genocidal acts”. Israel will defend
itself on January 12, 2024. A provisional judgment is weeks—if not
months—away and a final ruling is months—if not years—away.
Israel Argues Campaign in Gaza as a Self-defense
It was Israel’s turn on January 12, 2024 as its legal adviser Tal
Becker told the judges and a packed room of audience at the Palace of Peace
in The Hague that Israel was fighting a “war it didn’t start and didn’t want”. Israel
defended its action as legitimate in defense of its own people.
International Court Issues Six Provisional Orders, Short of a Cease-fire
The world’s judicial conscience, International Court of Justice,
on January 26, 2024 issued six provisional orders, urging Israel to take
all measures to prevent genocidal acts. The Hague-based court was conspicuous
by its omission of any language regarding a cease-fire. The six provisional
orders include two to which an Israeli judge is also a signatory: (1) an
order for humanitarian aid and (2) prevention of inflammatory speech. The other
four provisional orders touch on an array of issues, including Israel—(3) must
do all it can to prevent genocide, including refraining from harming or killing
Palestinians, (4) must urgently get basic aid to Gaza Strip, (5) should punish
any incitement to genocide, among other measures, and (6) should preserve
evidence of genocide and to submit a report to it, within one month, of all
measures taken in line with its order.
************************ GENOCIDE COMPLAINT AGAINST ISRAEL
Israel Strikes Two Refugee Camps in Central Gaza, U.S. Sends Military
Aid to Israel
Israel overnight struck two refugee camps—Nuseirat and Bureij—in
Central Gaza, Gaza Health Ministry reported on December 30, 2023. The
Ministry reported that more than 21,600 Palestinians were
killed—including circa 165 in the past 24 hours—since Israel launched military
campaign after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, lightning, coordinated attack on
the southern Israeli communities that had led to killings of 1,200 Israelis and
about 240 people taken hostage and brought to Gaza. In the ensuing air assault
and ground offensive about 85% of the Gaza residents were forced out of their
dwellings. Now, they were confined to a small sliver of land in the southern
tip of the enclave in and around Rafah while Israeli ground offensive expanded
from the north to the central Gaza, including the enclave’s second-largest
city, Khan Younis. Meanwhile, the U.N. shipment to Gaza has dwindled
despite a December 22, 2023, U.N. Security Council resolution that
called for “safe, unhindered and expanded humanitarian” access to the flow of
aid. The border crossing at Kerem Shalom at Israel-Gaza border reopened on December
29, 2023 after remaining closed for four days due to security risk and fear
of aid convoy to be overrun by hungry, exhausted Palestinians. On December 30,
2023, only 81 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip through Kerem Shalom and
Rafah crossings, a fraction of more than 500 daily trucks that used to
enter pre-October 7, 2023.
Meanwhile, Biden administration on December 30, 2023 bypassed
Congress, second time this month alone, to take steps for $147.5 million
in the emergency military sales to Israel. During the day, Secretary of
State Anthony Blinken notified Congress that he had approved of $147.5 million
in sales of military equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, needed
for 155 mm shells that Israel had purchased earlier.
Israeli Airstrikes Kill 35 in Central Gaza
Israeli military on December 31, 2023 was operating in the Gaza Strip’s
second-largest city, Khan Younis, as airstrikes in Central Gaza,
including Zweida, Deir al-Balah and other towns built with the inhabitants
displaced after 1948 creation of Israel and their descendants, killed at least
35 people. As of the end of the year, the Palestinian death toll stood at more
than 21,800 and at least 56,000 people were wounded. 85% of
2.3 million Gazans were displaced and almost all of them had sought shelter
in myriads of tents in the southern sliver of the enclave and U.N-run
facilities. More than a quarter of Palestinian people in Gaza are facing
hunger, according to the U.N. Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel
Hagari said on December 31, 2023 that Israel would withdraw some
troops from Gaza Strip as part of the “smart management” of its war on Hamas.
Meanwhile the humanitarian toll and regional escalation seem to be
spinning out of control as Israel-Hamas war is continuing unabated with no
cease-fire in sight. There are smattering of talks which are concerning. Israeli
Finance Minister Bexalel Smotrich floated a dangerous idea on the Army
Radio, saying on December 31, 2023 that if Gaza had 100,000 to
200,000 Palestinians, there would not be any problem. The underlying message
from Israel’s far-right finance minister is not lost as his comment implies a
whole population purge. On the regional escalation front, U.S. military claimed
opening fire on Houthi rebels as they attacked commercial vessels sailing
through regional waters, killing a scores of rebels.
War Strategy to Transform into a “Low-Intensity” Model
Maybe it’s the pressure of Washington. Maybe it’s the economic burden
that Israel is feeling now. Maybe it’s the combination of both, and a few more
things. Israeli Defense Force on the New Year’s Day of 2024 gave a flicker
of optimism to the rest of the world. IDF said on January 1, 2024 that
it would withdraw two brigades of soldiers from Gaza Strip this week, to be
followed by the withdrawal of three additional brigades in the coming weeks as
the Palestinian death toll reached 21,978 people and 57,697 people were
injured in the Mediterranean enclave, according to Gaza Health Ministry.
About 2 million Gazans were displaced from their homes. IDF Spokesman Rear
Admiral Daniel Hagari said on January 1, 2024 that the withdrawal of five
brigades were meant to “ease the burden on the economy and allow them to gather
strength for the upcoming activities in the next year” without acknowledging any
pressure from the U.S. Israel mobilized massive number of reservists, thus
creating pressure on the national economy as many high skilled professionals were
deployed. The mobilization of 300,000 reservists has cost in lost productivity
and put a significant stress on the economy. The Washington Post
estimated that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war had cost the Israeli government circa
$220 million per day, or about $18 billion. However, the net effect of
incoming withdrawal of five brigades from Gaza Strip will be a shift of battle
strategy from a high-intensity model to a low-intensity model as pushed by the
U.S.
Israeli Strike Kills Number Two Hamas Political Leader in Beirut
An alleged drone strike on an apartment on January 2, 2023 in the
Beirut suburb of Musharafiyeh killed one of the key deputies to Hamas
leader Ismail Haniyeh and founder of the Hamas’ military cell, marking a
clear escalation in Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Hamas said that Saleh Arouri and six others—including two Hamas
commanders—were killed in the Beirut strike. Hezbollah threatened to take
revenge against what the Shiite militant group called a “serious attack on
Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance”. Hamas vowed to
continue the resistance.
Blinken Heads to Middle East as Israeli Defense Minister Unveils Gaza
Plan
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is to set out for
his fourth Middle East trip in three months to explore ways to deescalate a
growing volatile political scenario, compounded in the past 48 hours by a
targeted assassination of Hamas’ deputy political leader in Lebanon and twin
bombings in Iran. Blinken’s key goals are to goad Israel to facilitate more
relief supplies to besieged Palestinians in Gaza, prod Israel to a post-war
transition plan for the enclave and push Arab neighbors to ensure continuing security
of the U.S. interests in the region.
In the hours prior to Secretary Blinken’s official visit to Middle East,
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on January 4, 2024 released a plan
to phase down the war and post-war Gaza status. The “Vision for Phase 3”,
Gallant has emphasized on January 4, 2024, is his personal plan and is
yet to be approved by the war cabinet and security cabinet. The statement lays
out a lower-intensity operation for Northern Gaza Strip, implying a campaign
involving destruction of tunnels, targeting Hamas leadership, “air and ground
activities and special operations” and the erosion of Hamas infrastructure. The
“Vision for Phase 3” calls for continuing the intense fighting in the
southern and central parts of Gaza Strip.
The [Gallant] vision statement rejects some of the extreme rhetoric of
the ultra-nationalists and far-right leaders to re-populate the Mediterranean
enclave with settlers. However, it doesn’t grant the authority transfer to
Palestinian Authority as called for by the Biden administration. To the
contrary, Yoav Gallant’s “Vision for Phase 3” calls for the Israeli
military to have continuing authority as far as Gaza’s security is concerned
while handing over the administrative responsibility to the Palestinians for
the self-rule with active and collaborative guidance from Israel.
Hezbollah, Allied Militia Group Launch Attack; Intense Diplomacy in
Regional Capitals
On January 5, 2024, Hezbollah’s supreme leader Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah threatened Israel of revenge for the targeted assassination of
one of the senior Hamas leaders, Saleh Arouri, three days ago. Israeli
attack in one of the Beirut’s suburbs marked the first time since 2006 that
Israel had launched attack on any target in and around Beirut. Nasrallah said
that failure to attack Israel would be a greenlight for Israel to violate the
sovereignty of Lebanon.
On January 6, 2024, Hezbollah launched 62 rockets
targeting an Israeli surveillance base on Mount Meron and two army posts near
the border. According to the Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel
Hagari, no one was injured in Hezbollah rocket attack. Israel struck back
on the border village of Kouthariyeh al-Siyad and other areas vicinity
to the border. Six Hezbollah militants were reported to have killed during the
day, taking the death toll of Hezbollah fighters since the beginning of the
Israel-Hamas war to 150. Another militant group, Islamic Group in Lebanon,
the local franchise of Muslim Brotherhood, on January 5, 2024 launched
rocket attack on the Israeli border community of Kiryat Shmona in revenge for the
targeted killing of its two fighters who were among Saleh Arouri and six others
killed.
Meanwhile, Israel is scaling down its military offensive in Northern
Gaza Strip while intensifying assault by land, on sea and in air as far as
Central and South Gaza are concerned. On January 6, 2024, Hamas-run Gaza
Health Ministry issued the latest estimate of death toll since the Israeli
offensive had begun in the aftermath of October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on
Israel: 22,722.
Diplomacy is also peaking up as the world is demanding an immediate
cease-fire to the Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has forced 85% of
Palestinians from their homes. Secretary Anthony Blinken is in the
Middle East now, and on January 6, 2024, he has met with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in
Istanbul. Blinken urged the Turkish leaders to leverage their influence to
ensure that the conflagration didn’t spill out to broader region and help shape
the future of Gaza Strip once the military campaign was over. European Union
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in Beirut during the day that it’s
absolutely necessary that Lebanon stayed outside the conflagration.
Blinken Presses Israel to Work Collaboratively with Palestinians
After visiting Arab capitals, it’s U.S. State Secretary Anthony Blinken’s
turn to visit Israel and to have some candid and straight-forward talks with
Israeli leaders. On January 9, 20, he implored the Israeli officials to work
collaboratively with Palestinian Authority to rebuild, revitalize and renew the
destroyed Gaza Strip.
On the Eve of 100-day Mark, Netanyahu Remains Defiant; Day of Action
Marked Worldwide
As the Israel-Hamas war approaches the 100-day mark on January 14,
2024, Hamas has remained more or less intact and the war is nowhere close
to an end. On the eve of the 100-day mark, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address on January 13, 2024 that
Israel would continue the war until Hamas was crushed and all the tunnels between
Rafah and Egypt were plugged. Referring to the genocide case filed by South
Africa in the International Court of Justice, Netanyahu dismissed any
notion that Israel would obey the order of the World Court if it issued a
verdict to stop the war in Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, protesters filled the streets in London, Washington D.C., and
other world capitals on January 13, 2024, demanding that Israel stop the
war in Gaza.
U.S. for Reduced Military Operation in Gaza Strip as 100th
Day Marked with More Bloodshed
There is a clear difference between the allies—Israel and the U.S.—on how
to prosecute the war in Gaza Strip. While Israel continues with shock-and-awe
strategy that has killed close to 24,000 Palestinians, displaced circa 85% of
the enclave’s 2.3 million residents and led to a quarter of the Gaza’s
residents to go hungry, the U.S. on January 14, 2024 called for Israel
to transition the war in Gaza Strip to a low-intensity, targeted model.
Appearing on the CBS’ Face the Nation, U.S. National Security
Spokesman John Kirby said that “we’re talking to them about” the transition.
On January 14, 2024, families, friends, and other Israelis ended
their 24-hour demonstration at Tel Aviv’s “Hostages Square” by demanding that
Israeli government do its best to bring back about 100 hostages still under the
Hamas captivity. The 100th day of the Israeli-Hamas war is marked by
tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators taking to streets in Middle
East and Europe during the day.
Agency Chiefs Demand More Aid for Gaza
As the
situation in Gaza Strip is becoming more horrendous on daily basis, heads of
three key U.N. agencies—WHO, UNICEF and World Food Program—on January
15, 2024 appealed for three provisions to hasten the relief supplies:
·
More
border crossings to be made operational
·
More
vehicles with supplies to be allowed to roll into Gaza Strip
·
Accelerating
the vetting process for U.N. employees and relief recipients
Barrage of Rockets Fired from Gaza amidst New Deal of Aid, Medicines to
Gaza
Even after more than 100 days of fighting, resistance against Israel is
still present. It may be weakened, but not eliminated. On January 16, 2024,
fierce fighting broke out between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces in
Northern Gaza, including Gaza City and Beit Lahiya. Israeli military
claimed that they had found more than 100 rocket installations and more than 60
rockets in Beit Lahiya, adding that scores of militants were killed in
Beit Lahiya. During the day, barrage of rockets was fired from the Bureij
refugee camp in Central Gaza into Israel.
On January 16, 2024, France and Qatar unveiled a plan under which
medicines for hostages and more aid for Palestinians would be shipped to Gaza
Strip. Both nations said that they reached agreements with Israel and Hamas to
this effect.
French-Qatari Plan Moves Forward; Medicines, Aid on Their Way to Gaza
A joint French-Qatari plan to supply medicines to hostages in
Gaza inched closer to reality as medicines and aid materials were being readied
on January 17, 2024 in Egypt for transportation across the border. According
to a Hamas source, for one box of medicine for hostages, there will be 1,000
boxes of medicines for Palestinians and, also there will be more aid in general
to millions of Palestinians uprooted by more than 100 days of military
offensive by Israel.
Growing Division between U.S., Israel over War Scale-back, Post-war Plan
Israeli Prime Minister on January 18, 2024 struck a defiant
tone in a nationally televised news conference, vowing that Israel would
continue the military offensive in Gaza Strip with the same vigor until Hamas
was finished off and all remaining hostages were freed. Earlier this week, the
White House contended that it’s the right time to “scale back” the war in Gaza
Strip.
Also, Netanyahu dismissed any suggestion on handing over Gaza to the Palestinian
Authority, a key post-war transition model pushed by Biden administration. Benjamin
Netanyahu also rejected call for U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said
that Israel would not get a real security creation of a Palestinian state, a
day after without Palestinian independence.
Fissure Appears in Israeli War Cabinet, Protester Sits outside Premier’s
Residence
One of the members of the five-minister Israeli war cabinet vented out
against the current Israeli strategy for hostage release. Gadi Eisenkot,
a former army chief, said on January 19, 2024 that that the hostage
release could be possible without a complete “cease-fire” was an “illusion”.
The comment by an influential cabinet member reflects growing frustration over Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage situation.
Also on January 19, 2024, Eli Shtvi, father of 28-year-old
hostage Idan Shtvi, who had been seized from the Tribe of Nova music
festival on October 7, 2024, began a hunger strike outside Premier
Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence at Caesarea. Eli decided to
eat only a quarter of pita a day—reported daily meal for hostages—until the premier
met him. Dozens of demonstrators joined Eli Shtvi as the day wore on.
Meanwhile, telephone and internet services are being restored, although
sporadically, on January 19, 2024 after a streak of eight days, longest
such period without communication services.
Palestinian Death Toll Crosses 25K
The unimaginable death toll of 25,000 is now a reality as the Gaza
Health Ministry on January 21, 2024 has reported that gruesome figure as
Israeli military campaign is driving an entire population into a point of
catastrophe. During the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
told that he had rejected, during a conversation with President Joe Biden
two days ago, a U.S. proposal for a future two-state solution. Premier
Netanyahu’s audacious comment brought a quick condemnation from U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
During the day, Israeli military said that an Israeli military
personnel, Sgt. Shay Levinson, 19, belied to be held hostage had died on
October 7, 2024, but his body had been taken to Gaza.
Netanyahu Faces Pressure in Home and from Abroad
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in an unenviable
situation as the Israeli war on Hamas is unable to finish off the militant
group after razing most of the Gaza Strip, displacing 85% of 2.3 million
Palestinians, killing more than 25,000 people, wounding tens of thousands Gazans
and forcing almost a quarter of the population to go hungry. On January 22,
2023, a group of family members of the hostages stormed a Knesset committee
meeting as European foreign ministers called on Israel to support a post-war
two-state solution.
On the ground, thousands of Palestinians were on the move again from Khan
Younis as the city came under a punishing attack from Israel.
RPG-Induced Blast Kills 21; Israeli Ground Forces Encircle Khan Younis
Israel on January 22, 2024 faced the bloodiest outcome in terms
of soldier deaths since the Israeli-Hamas War erupted after Hamas on October
7, 2024 had attacked Southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people in
addition to taking some 250 people hostage and bringing them to Gaza. On January
22, 2024, according to Israeli military account given on January 23,
2024, Israeli soldiers were laying explosives to bring down two buildings
with controlled explosion outside the Central Gaza refugee camp of Maghazi
when a militant-launched rocket propelled grenade, or RPG, landed in the area,
setting off explosions that collapsed both the two-story buildings. At least 21
Israeli soldiers were killed under the rubble of collapsed buildings, and
several dozens wounded. Separately, three Israeli soldiers were killed on January
22, 2024. As of January 23, 2024, at least 217 Israeli
soldiers were killed since the worst conflict in the Middle East in recent
memory broke out on October 7, 2024. On the Palestinian side, the tally
is gruesome and horrendous, to say the least with 25,490 people killed and
counting as well as 63,354 people
wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
On the ground, mass exodus of Palestinian civilians in Gaza continued on
January 23, 2024 as Israeli army laid a siege on Gaza Strip’s
second-largest city, Khan Younis.
Qatar Criticizes Netanyahu’s Negative Remarks on Hostage Talks
Qatar on January 24, 2024 condemned Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s comment to a group of family members of the hostages during a
recent meeting where Israeli leader raised a question of trust related to
Qatari intention. The premier’s comment was leaked a day before by the Israeli
media.
************************** ALLEGATION OF UNRWA-HAMAS COLLUSION ****************
U.N. Agency Hit by Hamas Attack Collusion Allegation; U.S. Suspends
Funding
As the Palestinian death toll in Gaza Strip exceeds 26,000, the very
agency, UNRWA, upon which millions of Palestinian civilians depend on the daily
need is ensnared by serious allegation that some of its staffers had colluded
with Hamas and other militant groups in the October 7, 2023, attack in
southern Israel in which militants had killed more than 1200 Israels and
abducted some 250. After Israel had presented evidence, UNRWA chief Philippe
Lazzarini said on January 26, 2024 that the agency had terminated
several staffers. The U.S. State Department said that 12 UNRWA staffers had
been terminated. UNRWA employs about 13,000 staffers, most of whom are
Palestinians. An investigation will be launched soon, according to Lazzarini,
to ensure that any employee involved in the October 7, 2023, attack “will
be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution”. The Biden
administration on January 26, 2024 decided to suspend the funding to the
UNRWA. The U.S. is the largest donor to the UNRWA, with $340
million in aid provided in 2022.
Other Nations Cut off Funding for Palestinians; “Significant Gaps”
Remain in Cease-fire Talks
On January 28, 2024, the office of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement, saying that “significant gaps” had
persisted in the ongoing talks in Qatar. However, the statement was conspicuous
by absence of any details.
Meanwhile, following the footsteps of the U.S., Britain, Germany and six
other nations suspended funding UNRWA, main U.N. agency for the
Palestinians.
U.N. Finds no Concrete Evidence of Accused UNRWA Employees’ Hamas
Connection
In January 2024, Israel dropped a bombshell accusing UNRWA
of harboring Hamas activists who might have participated in the October 7,
2023, attack on Southern Israel. In the immediate aftermath, the U.N. fired
12 UNRWA employees implicated by Israel. Donor nations, including the
largest donor United States, cut off funding to the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), an
agency of more than 13,000 staffers. The U.N. began an internal investigation
by its U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services. U.N. Spokesperson
Stephan Dujarric said on April 27, 2024 that based on the internal
investigation so far, one person was cleared and cases against three cases were
suspended because of inadequate evidence. Inquiries against eight staffers are
continuing.
Subsequently Israel filed complaints of Hamas collusion against seven
additional staffers of UNRWA. The U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services is
conducting investigations into those seven staffers, who have been put on leave.
************************** ALLEGATION OF UNRWA-HAMAS COLLUSION ****************
Paris Framework of a Tentative Deal Reported
The Washington Post and other media, including many in Israel, on January 30, 2024
reported that two days ago—January 28, 2024—Israeli spy chief David
Barnea of Mossad; Ronen Bar, head of Shin Bit, Israeli internal security agency;
CIA Director William Burns; Egyptian Intelligence chief Abbas Kamel; and Qatari
Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani—met at Paris and
had a tentative 6-page framework that called for a six-week pause of fighting,
release of Israeli and other nations’ civilians who had been hostage since
October 7, 2023, repositioning of Israeli troops in Gaza Strip from the densely
populated areas and increased supply of food, medicine, water and other relief
materials to millions of besieged Gazans. Al Thani later flew to Washington
D.C. to meet with Foreign Secretary Anthony Blinken on January 29, 2024 and
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on January 30, 2024. According to
Israeli estimate, Hamas had taken hostage about 253 people in an audacious raid
on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel. In a November 2023 prisoner-to-hostage
swap, about 105 hostages from Israel and of nationalities were released. Still,
there are 109 hostages are in captivity alongside 27 dead hostages.
Hamas not on Board on the Prolonged Pause to Fighting
Hamas is reported to be studying the new proposal crafted by Israel,
Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. that calls for prolonged pauses to fighting and
swaps of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, according to a February
2, 2024, report carried by The Associated Press. Hamas has serious
misgivings on the proposed framework. Hamas’ senior political leader Ismail
Haniyeh said in a statement that the talks should aim at achieving a
complete cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza Strip, demands
that Israel would not even entertain. Another Beirut-based Hamas leader, Osama
Hamadan, demanded release of several Palestinian prisoners who had been
serving long prison sentences, including Marwan Barghouti, a popular
West Bank-based uprising leader, and Ahmed Saadat, head of Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Hamadan also accused Israel of
creating a buffer zone within Gaza and demolishing all Palestinian structures
within the buffer zone. Israel is yet to acknowledge such allegations, but
recent satellite photos clearly show a half-a-mile swath of land inside Gaza
along the Israeli borders that has been cleared out.
On the battle front, Israel attacked Palestinian Red Crescent headquarters
at Khan Younis’ Amal Hospital on February 2, 2024, killing four
people, including one Red Crescent staffer. Israeli soldiers surrounded the hospital
for the past 12 days. As of February 2, 2024, at least 27,000
Palestinians were killed in Gaza Strip and more than 66,000 wounded,
according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israeli military offensive in Gaza
displaced 85% of 2.3 million Gazans and forced 25% of the enclave’s population
into starvation.
Israeli Military Move to Rafah May Destabilize the Region
Disproportionately
A mere flirting with the idea that Israeli army is considering expanding
its military offensive to Rafah may have chilling effect on the Israeli-Egyptian
relationship, to a great extent, and Israeli-U.S. relationship to some degree.
Rafah is a delicate pivot in Israeli-Egyptian bilateral relationship as Egyptian
government is in full control over the border crossing at Rafah and any Israeli
offensive in Rafah will be construed to disrupt the Egyptian authority at the
crossing. On February 3, 2024, Gaza Health Ministry reported that at
least 17 people—including women and children—were killed in a pair of overnight
Israeli strikes in Rafah. As of February 3, 2024, 27,238 people
were killed in Gaza Strip, more than 66,000 were wounded, more than 85%
Gazans had been displaced and more than 25% were forced to starvation,
according to Gaza Health Ministry. During the day, Israel warned Hezbollah not
to provoke as Israel didn’t want, but nonetheless was prepared, to strike
Hezbollah targets anywhere in the region.
Far-right Israeli Minister’s Comment Invites Ire, condemnation
Far-right Israeli cabinet minister and Jewish settlers’ rights leader Itamar
Ben-Gvir raised widespread scorn and severe criticism for his comment
during an interview with The Wall Street Journal that if Donald Trump
were the president now, it would have been easier for Israel to conduct the war
on Hamas. Several Israeli officials on February 4, 2024 blasted the
national security minister’s comments. Benny Gantz, member of Israel’s
war cabinet, said that Itamar Ben-Gvir was doing tremendous damage to the
Israeli-U.S. relationship. Opposition leader Yair Lapid dismissed Itamar
Ben-Gvir’s comment as drivels coming form a politician with no understanding of
foreign policy.
Blinken in Middle East for the Record Fifth Visit, Goals Remain Elusive
As at least 113 people were killed in the past 24 hours, raising the
Gaza death toll to 27,478, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
arrived at Saudi Arabia on February 5, 2024 for the fifth official visit
to the region since the Israel-Hamas War had begun on October 7, 2024.
Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to discuss,
among others, three major U.S. goals—(1) exploring a truce in Gaza, (2)
reconstruction of Gaza Strip and (3) prevention of tension spilling over to the
broader Middle East.
On February 5, 2024, videos, widely circulating on the social
media, showed Hamas gunmen reemerging in Northern Gaza after Israeli troops had
withdrawn from some areas in the region, controverting the central tenet of the
Israeli argument for ground offensive in Gaza—crushing Hamas.
Hamas’ Response to Qatari-Egyptian Proposal Hinges on Its Own
Three-Phase Plan
In response to
a joint proposal by Qatar, Egypt, Israel, and U.S. for a limited
cease-fire in exchange for hostage release and accelerated aid to besieged
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Hamas on February 7, 2024 responded with
its own three-phase plan that’s published in Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar
newspaper, known for its proximity to Hezbollah. The three-phase, four-and-half-month
plan calls for:
· First Phase: 45-day period during which Hamas will release all women and children in exchange for an unspecified number Palestinian prisoners, enhanced aid supply to besieged enclave, cessation of aerial operation, withdrawal from population centers and permission to displaced Palestinians to return homes, including in Northern Gaza
· Second Phase: Release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for release of all Palestinian prisoners over 50 years of age
· Third Phase: Exchange of remains of hostages and prisoners
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 7, 2024 rejected the Hamas’ three-phase plan, hours before U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived at Tel Aviv. Secretary Blinken has broader regional peace plan in mind that will eventually rope in Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations to undertake a post-war reconstruction of Gaza and a normalized relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel. However, Saudi Arabia put a “clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state” as a condition for normalizing relations with Israel. That sentiment was expressed during a meeting between Blinken and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on February 5, 2024 in Saudi Arabia.Airstrike Kills 13 in Rafah, An American Arrested by IDF in West Bank
An overnight airstrike killed at least 13 civilians in Rafah, southernmost
town in Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands of Gazans had flocked to for
safety, and injured many, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s report
on February 8, 2024. Meanwhile, an impending ground operation in Rafah
is raising a specter of potential devastation and disaster in the entire
region, with Arab neighbors warning Israel of any possible mishap that this
rash action could bring to the entire region. Egypt had gone as far as snapping
the diplomatic relations that it had continued with Israel for more than four
decades if Israel went forward with ground offensive in Gaza.
The Washington Post reported on February 7, 2024 that an American citizen, Samaher
Esmail, had been taken into custody after IDF soldiers broke into her home
in the West Bank on February 5, 2024 night. IDF told The Washington
Post on February 7, 2024 that Esmail had been detained for “incitement
on social media".
Netanyahu Orders Evacuation Plan for Rafah, Biden Calls Israeli Plan “Over
the Top”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 9, 2024 ordered the Israeli
military to chalk up a twin plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah and
begin ground offensive there to crush and destroy Hamas. Israeli premier’s
office vowed to destroy Hamas cells in Rafah, but was vague on how Israel could
possibly carry out an elaborate evacuation involving 1.5 million people, most
of whom had taken refuge at the southernmost city of the enclave on the
Egyptian border after being displaced from other parts of Gaza Strip. The ground
offensive of Rafah is likely to destroy whatever fragile stability still left
in the region. Netanyahu’s order of Rafah evacuation plan came a day after President
Joe Biden [on February 8, 2024] called Israel’s plan for a ground
offensive in Rafah “over the top”. White House National Security spokesperson
John Kirby said that Israel’s likely Rafah ground offensive was not “something
that we would support”. U.N. is also warning of a possible meltdown and ominous
outcome if Israel goes forward with its ground offensive in Rafah. UNICEF
chief Catherine Russel predicted disaster if Israel proceeded with what it
had said that it would do.
Countries Warn Israel of Ground Offensive in Rafah
More nations joined on February 10, 2024 in condemning Israeli
plan to launch a ground offensive in Rafah. Egyptian Foreign Minister
Shamey Shoukry said that the possible ground offensive in Rafah
would have “disastrous consequences”. Qatar warned, too, against any potential
plan to invade Rafah. Saudi Arabia said that the ground offensive in Rafah
would have “serious repercussions”. German Foreign Minister Annalena
Baerbock said that people of Gaza just couldn’t disappear into thin air.
Israeli soldiers opened fire on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis
during the day. Overnight the airstrikes killed dozens of people in Gaza Strip,
raising the death toll to 28,064 and injuries to more than 67,000,
according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Biden Frustration with Netanyahu Mounting as Two Hostages Rescued
The Dallas Morning News reported on February 12, 2024 that President
Joe Biden was getting very frustrated with Israeli Premier Benjamin
Netanyahu although the president was still not at a point to make public his
private frustration. In the early hours of February 12, 2024, Israeli
security forces rescued two Israeli hostages—Fernando Simon Marman and
Louis Har—from an apartment in Rafah.
Truce Talks Continue in Egypt amidst High Death Toll during Rescue of
Two Hostages
A day after the Israeli rescue of two hostages—Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har—in a military operation that
had also killed an additional 74 or more Palestinians at Rafah, talks among the
U.S., Qatar, Egypt were held on February 13, 2024 at Cairo.
Israeli Troops Raid the Main Hospital in Khan Younis as Talks Stalled
in Cairo
After besieging Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and intermittently firing
on the hospital complex for a week, IDF soldiers on February 15, 2024
stormed the Nasser Hospital, leading to another heart-breaking scenario
where patients on ventilator were hurriedly shifted to another area of the
hospital as the Israeli soldiers searched for Hamas fighters and remains of dead
hostages. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari [spokesman of the Israeli
Defense Forces] said during the day that there was credible evidence that
remains of dead hostages were stored in the hospital. Nasser Hospital
became a shelter for tens of thousands of Gazans who had been displaced from
other areas of the enclave. Meanwhile, cease-fire and hostage release talks at
Cairo had been reported to have been stalled.
Israeli Defense Chief Vows Rafah Offensive
Despite growing calls from the U.S., European nations and Arab World,
Israel is steadily moving ahead with preparation to launch ground offensive in
Rafah, where circa 1.4 million Gazans are now sheltering in squalid camps, or
at relatives’ dwellings, or under open sky. On February 16, 2024, Israeli
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that preparations were in full swing to
carry out a ground offensive in Rafah.
Meanwhile, IDF soldiers searched Gaza Strip’s largest hospital,
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, on February 16, 2024, and so far, had
detained 70 Hamas militants, including 20 who had participated in the October
7, 2023, attack in southern Israel.
Key Israeli Leader Issues Deadline for Hostage Release to Avert Rafah
Offensive
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 18, 2024
vowed to “finish the job”, rejecting growing international call for a
cease-fire, Benny Gantz, one of the three members of Netanyahu’s war
cabinet, issued a deadline—beginning of the Ramadan around March 10, 2024—for
Hamas and allied other militant groups to free the Israeli hostages to avoid
Israeli ground offensive in Rafah.
Rafah is now the Ground Zero of Palestinian suffering in the Gaza
Strip. Meanwhile, the WHO chief said that the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis
became non-functional after Israeli troops stormed the hospital last week.
********************* U.N. COURT'S HEARING ON PALESTINIAN HOMELAND ************
U.N. Court Hears Palestinians’ Argument against Occupation
The International Court of Justice on February 19, 2024 held a hearing
on Israeli occupation of Palestinian land since 1967, weeks after the court
heard a separate case of genocide brought by South Africa on the current
Israeli military offensive in Gaza Strip. The February 19, 2024, hearing—stemming
from a U.N. General Assembly request for a nonbinding advisory from the U.N.’s
premier court—encompasses around Palestinian aspiration for their own
independent state, a theme emotionally put forward by Palestinian [Authority’s]
Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Malki before the 15 judges
highlighting the grueling living condition and economic deprivation of 2.3
million Palestinians in Gaza Strip and 3.5 million Palestinians in the West
Bank and East Jerusalem. Riad Malki urged the U.N. court to rule that “the Israeli occupation is illegal
and must end immediately, totally and unconditionally". International law expert Paul Reichler,
representing the Palestinians in the International Court of Justice, called the
Israeli policy aligned with settler interest to an “unprecedented extent".
Palestinian Authority’s U.N. Envoy Riyad Mansour overcame with
emotion as he had pleaded at the tail end of the hearing to “guide the
international community in upholding” the international law, Palestinian rights,
and freedom to choose their own destiny. The issue of settlement was as
prominent during the first day of hearing as Israeli discrimination of
Palestinian people over the past 57 years. According to Peace Now, a renowned
watchdog, Israel has built 146 settlements in the West Bank where 500,000
settlers now live in the midst of 3 million Palestinians. In East Jerusalem,
circa 200,000 settlers live amidst 500,000 Palestinians. 51 nations and three
international organizations will address the court over the next several days.
U.N.’s Top Court Should Stay out of Giving Advisory on Israeli
Occupation
On February 21, 2024, the U.S. State Department’s legal
adviser Richard Visek made a strong plea to the 15-judge International
Court of Justice that it should not rule in a way that would provide “advisory
opinion addressed to questions focusing on the acts of only one party”. Instead,
Visek implored, the U.N. court should allow the “ongoing efforts of all those
working to achieve a durable peace".
ICJ Issues Two Provisional Orders to Facilitate Aid to Gaza
The International Court of Justice on March 28, 2024 issued two provisional orders to Israel. South Africa, which filed a genocide complaint at the U.N. court in The Hague, recently asked for more provisional orders so that there was an unimpeded flow of aid, food, water, medication, and other supplies into Gaza. In the first provisional order, the ICJ asked Israel not to put any restrictions on the flow of relief and aid to Gaza. The second provisional order stressed on the Israeli compliance with the convention against genocide. Israel reiterated that it didn’t put any blockade on relief supplies.
********************* U.N. COURT'S HEARING ON PALESTINIAN HOMELAND ************
29,000 Mark Crossed in Palestinian Death Toll
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on February 19, 2024 that the
death toll in Gaza Strip had crossed once unthinkable 29,000-mark.
Humanitarian Aid Collapses in Gaza, U.S. Vetoes an Arab Cease-fire Plan
In a stark reminder of the scale of devastation awaiting, World Food
Program on February 20, 2024 announced a pause to aid delivery to Northern
Gaza, citing the lack of civil order and safety of aid personnel. In a separate
report, UNICEF rued that 1 in 6 children in Northern Gaza were acutely malnourished.
Meanwhile, at the U.N. Security Council, U.S. on February 20,
2024 vetoed a third cease-fire resolution since the Israel-Hamas War had
erupted on October 7, 2024. The latest cease-fire resolution was drafted
by Algeria and it was voted 13-1, with the U.K. abstaining. U.S.
Envoy to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield argued that Algeria-backed draft
resolution would disrupt the current negotiation brokered by Egypt and Qatar
for a temporary 6-week truce in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu’s Post-war Gaza Plan Rejected by Palestinians, Runs Counter to
U.S. Vision
As the negotiation on a possible truce is gaining traction with the
U.S., Egypt, and Qatar to unveil some concrete outlines in the weekend at
Paris, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not helping the situation.
Worse, his post-war Gaza proposal is set to stoke another round of tension as the
two-page proposal envisions an open-ended Israeli presence for the enclave and
rejection of Palestinian statehood. The proposal calls for an Israeli
handpicked Palestinian administrator for Gaza. Netanyahu submitted his proposal
to his security cabinet late February 22, 2024. Palestinians rejected
the proposal on February 23, 2024. The proposal runs foul to the U.S.
objective of pursuing a two-state solution for the region.
On the ground, overnight airstrikes that spanned through the February
23, 2024, morning killed at least 92 people in Central and South Gaza
Strip. An additional 24 people were reported to be buried under the rubble. The
Gaza death toll is now 29,500 and counting, with additional 70,000
injuries.
*************************** PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SHAKE-UP *************************
Palestinian Authority Premier Resigns
In an internal trouble for the Palestinian Authority that’s ruling the
West Bank, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on
February 26, 2024 tendered the resignation of his cabinet to pave the way
for President Mahmoud Abbas to have a free hand to appoint a new leader.
Abbas Names a U.S.-educated Economist as New Premier
Ostensibly under the U.S. pressure, Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas on March 14, 2024 appointed his long-time economic
adviser Mohammad Mustafa as the Palestinian Authority’s new prime
minister.
*************************** PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SHAKE-UP *************************
Aid Convoy Reaches Northern Gaza for the First Time in Weeks
Israeli military’s office for Palestinian affairs, known as COGAT
by its acronym, said on February 28, 2024 that at least 30 trucks with
aid entered the North Gaza, marking the first time in several weeks that relief
supplies had reached, now-devastated and -forlorn, northern sliver of Gaza.
Hundreds of thousands of people are thought to have stay-put in Northern Gaza
despite scorched-earth ground offensive by Israeli military and evacuation
order.
On the other noteworthy news, hundreds of Israelis on February 28,
2024 began their march to Jerusalem from Re’im, Israel, demanding
the release of about 130 prisoners, including a fourth of them thought to be
dead. Their destiny is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence
in Jerusalem after a four-day march from Re’im to Jerusalem.
Biden Announces Airdrop of Aid in Gaza
A day after Israeli troops opened fire as Palestinian crowd had rushed
to a relief convoy, killing at least 115 people, U.S. President Joe
Biden, standing alongside Italian Premier Georgia Meloni, said at
the White House on March 1, 2024 that U.S. would soon airdrop aid in
Gaza. Biden also complained that not enough relief were not flowing to the
enclave.
Israel Tentatively Nods to Truce Deal; U.S. Airdrops Meals; EU Calls for
Inquiry into Firings
The Dallas Morning News reported on March 3, 2024 that Israel
had tentatively agreed to, according to the U.S. sources, a still-nebulous deal
that would set in a six-week cease-fire in exchange for the release of
vulnerable hostages such as sick, elderly, women and children. According to The
Dallas Morning News, the ball is now in Hamas’ court. With a probable
cease-fire set in the backdrop, stakeholders such as Qatar, Egypt and the U.S.
are resuming their talks at Cairo on March 3, 2024.
Meanwhile, European Union’s diplomatic service on March 2, 2024
called for an international inquiry into the killing of 118 Palestinians on February
29, 2024 when the Israeli security personnel had opened fire as the crowd
swelled near an Israeli-organized relief convoy.
Separately, the U.S. Air Force and Royal Jordanian Air Force jointly
dropped 38,000 packets of meals into Gaza Strip on March 2, 2024, beginning
a new avenue of providing relief to millions of desperate Palestinians.
Public Disagreement with a Prominent War Cabinet Member Emerges
The Associated Press reported, based on the ruling Likud Party sources, on March 3, 2024
that one of the Israel’s war cabinet member’s visit to Washington D.C. and meetings
with the U.S. officials were not authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. Benny Gantz, a moderate leader of the National Unity Party, is
scheduled to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Adviser
Jake Sullivan on March 4, 2024 and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
on March 5, 2024.
Test Run by Open Arms to Send Aid to Gaza via Sea Route
As the 2.3 million Gazans face catastrophic situation in the tiny
enclave, the U.S. and other nations are becoming more innovative in pursuing
other avenues to go around the Israeli security blockade to deliver aid. Airdropping
of aid packets is undergoing on daily basis. Now, Spanish Open Arms Group
is going to send its ship with aid for a two-day voyage from Larnaca Port in
Cyprus to Gaza, testing a sea route that can be used with more frequency by
the U.S. military as aid deliveries are to be scaled up in the Month of
Ramadan. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on March 8,
2024 visited the Larnaca Port and met with Cyproit President
Nikos Christodoulides. The Open Arms vessel is being loaded with food
and other supplies from World Central Kitchen, a food kitchen charity founded
by U.S. celebrity chef Jose Andres, that runs circa 60 food kitchens
throughout Gaza. President Joe Biden announced on March 7, 2024 that the
U.S. military would build a temporary pier at Gaza’s coast to deliver aid via
sea.
The food shortage is acute throughout Gaza, but Northern Gaza, where an
estimated 300,000 people have stayed back, is facing a famine-like situation
with people reportedly eating animal fodder.
Israel, U.S. Tension Rising
Two of the closest allies in the world are now going through metastasis
of relationship degradation over Israel’s prosecution of war in Gaza, according
to the March 12, 2024, edition of The Dallas Morning News. Last
week, President Joe Biden was heard on a hot mic of telling a lawmaker on March
7, 2024, the day the President had delivered the State of the Union
address, he planned to have a “come-to Jesus” meeting with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Last week, too, Biden demanded that Netanyahu
better “pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost”, and added that
the Israeli leader “is hurting Israel more than helping Israel”. The following
day, Netanyahu fired back in an interview with Politico’s Axel Springer
that the president was “wrong on both counts”. This is the first time in recent
history that the world is seeing an overtly strained relationship between the
closest allies.
Sea Route Test Begins, Schumer Calls for New Polls
Spanish aid group Open Arms Group-operated vessel on March 12,
2024 left Cyprus for Gaza, carrying food, water and other aid as part of a
test run to explore a sea route that U.S. might separately use in the coming
days to transport aid to Gaza. Simultaneously, U.S. is air-dropping aid packets
in Northern Gaza, where circa 300,000 people were reported to be living under a
dire circumstance.
Meanwhile, in the severest denunciation of Israeli Premier Benjamin
Netanyahu, the U.S. Congress’ most powerful Jewish member called for an
early election in Israel. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer added
that a two-state solution was the only path for a secure and peaceful Middle
East. Sen. Chuck Schumer delivered the harshest speech to date, criticizing
the handling of Gaza War, from the Senate floor on March 14, 2024. Sen.
Schumer’s speech marked a broader expression of frustration among Biden
administration officials and reflection of a growing schism between the closest
allies.
First Test Sea Route Successful in Delivering 200 tons of Supplies to
Gaza
The voyage of Open Arms and its hauling of a barge laden with 200 tons
of supplies, including food, medicine, and water, tested a sea route from
Cyprus to Gaza as the vessel operated by a Spanish aid group reached Gazan
coast on March 15, 2024. Israeli military, in charge of Mediterranean water off
the coast of Gaza Strip, said that aid had been unloaded off the barge and
reloaded on the trucks destined for Northern Gaza.
Truce Talks to Resume at Qatar, Hamas Offers a Three-Stage Plan
After an unfulfilled expectation that a truce would go in effect before
the Holy Month of Ramadan that had begun on March 11, 2024, talks
were to resume on March 17, 2024 in Qatar where both Israeli and Hamas
negotiators were to participate indirectly. A notable point of interest is a three-stage
proposal offered by Hamas. According to many reports published on March 16,
2024, the first stage will involve a six-week cease-fire,
release of 35 female hostage—mostly sick and elderly—in exchange for release of
350 Palestinian prisoners, withdrawal of Israeli troops from two key roads in
Gaza, letting unhindered flow of relief into Gaza and allowing Palestinians to
return to their homes in Northern Gaza Strip. Hamas will also release at least
five female soldiers in exchange for release of 50 Palestinian
prisoners—including some serving long prison sentences on terrorism charges—for
each soldier.
In the second stage, according to the Hamas proposal, there will
be a permanent cease-fire, and the militant group will release the remaining
hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.
In the third stage, Hamas will hand over the bodies of deceased
hostages in exchange for lifting the Israeli blockade of the enclave and the
reconstruction endeavor to begin.
According to a U.N. estimate released on March 15, 2024, 1 in 3
children in Northern Gaza ages two and below are suffering from acute
malnutrition. As the talks are scheduled to resume in Qatar, there is no
respite from Israeli bombardment in Gaza as a strike early March 16, 2024
flattened a building at the Nuseriat refugee camp, killing at least 19
people, including nine children. Gaza Health Ministry reported that at
least 31,553 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli military campaign
in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu Rails against Early Election Call
In response to a growing chorus of opposition to Premier Benjamin
Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza War, including a scathing speech by U.S.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for an early election to
choose a new leader, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March
17, 2024 dismissed the notion of holding an election in the midst of an
ongoing war. He characterized Sen. Schumer’s speech as “wholly inappropriate".
Israel, U.S. to Talk on Rafah Operation, Half of Gaza Faces Famine,
Hamas Leader Killed
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had their first talk
in a month on March 18, 2024. The U.S. has serious misgivings on the Israeli
plan to launch a ground offensive in Rafah where currently more than a million
Palestinians have taken refuge. As per Biden-Netanyahu telephone conversation
on March 18, 2024, Israel is to send a delegation of Israeli officials to the
U.S. to talk to their American counterparts on a potential Rafah offensive. U.S.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated on March 18, 2024 that it
would be mistake for Israel to carry out a major ground operation in Rafah.
Separately, on March 18, 2024, a collection of international
charities and aid organizations—known officially as Integrated Food Security
Phase Classification, or IPC, Initiative—issued a damning report on the
state of Gaza, with 1.1 million people at risk of facing famine before July
2024. Since 2004, IPC has issued a five-tier classification of the state of
various hot spots of the world. Its most severe tier is the fifth tier which
represents “famine”. IPC Tier 3 and IPC Tier 4 represent “crisis”
and “emergency”, respectively. Food and Agriculture Organization
Deputy Director Beth Bechdol recently told The Washington Post that
Gaza’s 1.1 million people faced a situation like IPC Tier 5 and that was
unprecedented and wholly manmade. U.N. officials and the Famine Review
Committee, a U.N.-affiliated expert panel, define a famine when: (1)
at least 20% of the households are facing extreme lack of food, (2) at least
30% of the children are facing acute malnutrition and (3) two people per 10,000
are dying every day in outright starvation or disease. The situation in Gaza
Strip has raised ire in Europe and the U.S. over Israel’s handling of the war
against Hamas. Now, the U.S. and European officials are expressing overt
criticism of Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and strategic
goals in leading the campaign for “total victory” over Hamas. The latest voice
of rebuff came from European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrel,
who said in an unvarnished manner on March 18, 2024 that Israel was
using starvation as a “weapon of war".
On March 18, 2024, the U.S. confirmed the death of Hamas military
wing’s deputy commander, Marwan Issa, in an airstrike in early March
2024.
Severe Fighting for the Second Day Continues in and around Gaza’s
Largest Hospital
Israeli army entered the Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza Strip’s largest
hospital, in the early hours of March 18, 2024. The Gaza City and the
Northern Gaza were supposed to be Hamas-free if one were to believe Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The hospital was the epicenter of a
fierce fight in November 2023. In recent days, it resumed working
partially. Israeli military’s repeat raid in the early hours of March 18,
2024 at the heart of Gaza City only shows the hollowness of the Israeli
claim that it has successfully eliminated Hamas from Northern Gaza. About
30,000 people sought shelter at the Shifa hospital before the Israeli raid on March
18, 2024. The fighting between Hamas and Israeli troops continued in and
around the hospital for the second day on March 19, 2024. Israeli
military claimed on March 19, 2024 that it had killed circa 50 Hamas militants
in the two-day fighting.
Rafah Ground Operation “Unnecessary”, Blinken Says
In his sixth visit to the region since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel
on October 7, 2023, U.S. State Secretary Anthony Blinken on March 21,
2024 told reporters at Cairo that the Biden administration didn’t support
ground operation in Gaza and that was “unnecessary”. The comment by Blinken,
who was flanked by his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, further
reflected growing schism between the U.S. and Israel.
Netanyahu Rejects Blinken’s Entreaty to Eschew a Ground Operation in
Rafah
On March 22, 2024, Secretary Anthony Blinken wrapped up his sixth
trip to the Middle East without much to show for. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu sharply told Blinken that Israel would carry out ground
operation in Rafah, if needed even without U.S. consent.
U.N. Chief Visits Rafah, Warns of Aid “Surge or Starvation”, U.S.
Measure Vetoed in the U.N.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 23, 2024 visited the Egyptian
side of Rafah, and issued a stark warning as a long line of trucks was
stranded on the Egyptian side of the Crossing while hundreds of thousands of
hungry people were eagerly and empty-handedly waiting for the aid to flow in:
either to facilitate the aid “surge or starvation".
The U.N. chief’s visit to Rafah came a day after a U.S.-sponsored
resolution was vetoed by Russia and China at the U.N. Security Council on the
ground that the measure was not strong enough with the content of denunciation
against Israel. The U.S. resolution, vetoed by Beijing and Moscow at the United
Nations Security Council on March 22, 2024, condemned the Hamas’ October
7, 2023, attack on Southern Israel and called for cease-fire for humanitarian
aid to Gaza.
U.S. Abstention at U.N. Security Council Leads to Israeli Call-off of
Delegation
For the first time in the recent memory, the U.S. didn’t have Israel’s
back at the U.N. Security Council, and many political commentators,
observers and diplomats said that the U.S. action was long overdue. On March
25, 2024, a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an immediate
cease-fire during the remaining two weeks of Ramadan was passed with 14-0
votes, with the U.S. abstaining. The resolution also stated that the Ramadan
cease-fire should lead to a more “sustainable cease-fire” in future and release
of hostages, although hostage release was not directly linked to the crux of
the measure: “Ramadan cease-fire”. Later in the day, an irate Benjamin
Netanyahu called off a trip by an Israeli delegation to the Washington D.C.
to hold discussion on a potential Rafah ground operation. The Israeli
delegation—led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National
Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi—was expected to leave on March 25, 2024
evening. Amar Bendjama, the U.N. ambassador from Algeria, currently the
head of 22-nation Arab League, and Palestinian Authorities’ U.N. envoy Riyad
Mansour expressed satisfaction that the U.N. Security Council was finally
coming to the terms to addressing the grim situation in Gaza Strip.
U.N. HRC Special Rapporteur Calls Israeli Operation in Gaza a Possible
Genocide
Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories,
submitted a report on March 25, 2024 to the 47-nation Human
Rights Council, the chief international human rights body based in Geneva,
saying that there was a growing evidence that Israel was carrying out military
campaign in Gaza Strip that’s akin to genocidal activities.
Airstrike Kills at least 38 in Aleppo, Netanyahu Meets Relatives of Soldiers
Held Hostage
Reuters reported on March 29, 2024 that an airstrike early in the
morning killed at least 38 people, including a number of Hezbollah and
Syrian soldiers, in Aleppo. Although nobody claimed the responsibility,
there was a widespread belief that it had been conducted by the Israeli Defense
Forces.
Separately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the day met
relatives and loved ones of the Israeli soldiers under Hamas captivity.
Netanyahu insisted that the only route to bring the hostages back was to pursue
the military option, including ground offensive in Rafah.
Second Tranche of Aid Headed to Gaza from Cyprus
A second tranche of three aid ships on March 30, 2024 departed
the port city of Larnaca for Gaza Strip. The ships were carrying 400 tons of
food. The World Central Kitchen said that the inventory in the three-ship
flotilla would help prepare for 1 million meals.
Fissure Emerges over Netanyahu’s Handling
A sizable number of Israelis might have reached their inflection point over
Premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war and failure to seek
release of more than 100 hostages. Protesters on March 31, 2024 held the
largest protest since the war had begun on October 7, 2023. The
demonstration near the Knesset spanned a few blocks, with participants raising the
demand for a cease-fire and early elections. In Tel Aviv, protesters returned
to the streets for a second day.
Israel Withdraws from the Largest Hospital, Second Aid Shipment Arrives
via Sea
Israel on April 1, 2024 withdrew from Al Shifa Hospital in
the Gaza City after a two-week military battle inside and peripheral neighborhoods
around the hospital. Israeli military claimed that they had killed around 200 Hamas
militants. Israel also decided to shutter Al-Jazeera.
Meanwhile, the second shipment—a flotilla of three ships—of aid via
newly tried shipping route in Mediterranean Sea.
World Central Kitchen Aid Workers Killed in Israeli Airstrikes
Seven aid personnel for World Central Kitchen were killed late April
1, 2024 as their convoy came under Israeli airstrike. World Central
Kitchen was supposed to oversee distributing the relief supplies from a three-ship
flotilla that had arrived at the Gaza coast just a day ago. Circa 100 tons of
aid were unloaded, but after the deadly airstrike that had killed seven aid
workers tied to the World Central Kitchen and led to the suspension of
the charity’s work in the coastal enclave, the vessels turned around and headed
to Cyprus carrying the remaining aid supplies. Cyproit President Nikos
Christodoulides vowed, though, to continue sending aid through the newly
opened sea route. The slain aid workers were of different nationalities. The U.S.,
U.K., Poland, Australia, and Canada demanded an answer from Israel. President
Joe Biden was stark in his criticism for the failure to safeguard the relief convoy.
Biden Presses Netanyahu Hard on Airstrike on WCK Convoy
As the faces and the names of the aid workers killed in an Israeli
airstrike in the Central Gaza city of Deir Al-Balah are emerging, there is a story embedded in the life
of each of those victims that has touched several people in their family, community,
and organization. On April 4, 2024, the world has seen the faces of the victims
of Netanyahu regime’s irresponsibility—and cruelty, to many—as President Joe
Biden in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has insisted on immediate steps to “address civilian harm, humanitarian
suffering and the safety of aid workers”. The World Central Kitchen workers
killed in the April 1, 2024, Israeli airstrike are Palestinian
Saifeddin Issam Ayyad Abutaha, Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom of Australia, Damian
Sobol of Poland, John Chapman of Britain, James Kirby of Britain and Jacob
Flickinger, a dual Canadian-American citizen.
Swift Inquiry Leads to Dismissals of Two Israeli Military Officers,
Reprimand of Three Others
That the Israel at least gave a premium on the lives of foreign aid
workers was evident as it launched an immediate investigation into the April
1, 2024, drone strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy at the Central
Gaza city of Deir Al-Balah and concluded the inquiry with findings within
72 hours. The inquiry report released on late April 4, 2024 pointed out
critical lapses on the Israeli army side, leading to dismissal of two IDF
officers. Three others were reprimanded. However, the swift inquiry is too
little, too late of a strategy to mollify an exasperated international
community which is demanding an immediate cease-fire.
Pressure Mounts on Netanyahu as Dead Body of a Hostage Found
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing pressure
inside and outside amidst mistaken drone strikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy
on April 1, 2024 at Deir Al-Balah that had killed seven aid workers,
most of them were foreigners, and recovery of the body of a hostage, Elad
Katzir, a farmer from Nir Oz, a border community. Elad Katzir’s body
was recovered on April 6, 2024.
On April 7, 2024, a new round of talks will resume at Cairo aimed
at agreeing on a cease-fire. Hamas is sending a team to Cairo. Biden
administration is sending CIA Director William Burns to attend the talks.
Palestinians Return to Khan Younis only to See a Ravaged City
Israel on April 7, 2024 announced that it would withdraw troops
from the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city, Khan Younis, after invading it
in December 2023. On April 8, 2024, scores of Palestinian
families—many of them sought refuge in Rafah—returned to Khan Younis,
but what they had experienced was a gruesome air of heartbreak, ravaged
buildings, mangled concrete, and silence of a death-valley. The city is now
unlivable, and its main hospital, Nasser Hospital, had been damaged severely.
As a Israeli negotiators are in Cairo for exploring a possible truce, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 8, 2024 is continuing his bellicose
posture by vowing to launch a ground offensive in Rafah in a video message.
Austin Heckled by Protesters during Senate Testimony
There is no place for the Biden administration officials to hide from
pro-Palestinian protesters. Not even the hallowed chamber of the U.S. Senate.
Dozens of demonstrators chanted slogans urging Defense Secretary Llyod
Austin and the new military chief of staff, Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr., to stop
giving military aid to Israel. On April 9, 2024, Pentagon’s top civilian
and uniformed leaders told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing
on Pentagon’s nearly $850 billion budget request that China still posed the
Republic’s main strategic adversary. Secretary Austin said that after the U.S.
had put pressure on Israel after its fatal strike on an aid convoy, Israel had
eased its stranglehold on Gaza Strip and aid had started to flow in at an
accelerated pace.
Three of Hamas’ Top Political Leader Killed
A drone strike on April 10, 2024 killed three sons of Ismail
Haniyeh, Hamas’ top political leader. The drone struck a vehicle that was
carrying Hazem, Amir and Mohammad Haniyeh. In addition to three sons,
the drone strike killed three granddaughters and a grandson of the Hamas leader.
Three sons of Ismail Haniyeh lived in Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. Ismail
Haniyeh, exiled in Qatar, reacted to the killings with resolve and determination
to continue fighting for Palestinian people.
Israeli Military Urge Palestinians not to Return to Northern Gaza
In recent days, scores of Palestinians returned to Northern Gaza after
rumor swirled that Israeli troops were allowing people to return to their
forlorn homes. On April 14, 2024, a throng of Palestinians were
returning to Northern Gaza when Israeli soldiers opened fire at a crossing at Wadi
Gaza, official demarcating line between Northern part and rest of the
enclave, killing five Palestinians and wounding 54.
On April 15, 2024, Israeli military urged displaced Palestinians
not to return to Northern Gaza Strip yet. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister
Yoav Gallant held a strategy session during the day with military planners on
possible invasion of Rafah.
****************************** STUDENT PROTEST IN THE U.S. ***********************
Student Protests Spread across Ivy League and Other Campuses
Pro-cease-fire protest movement in the U.S. is catching wildfire and spreading
from one campus to others. Many demonstrators are holding encampment and urging
the school authorities to divest from the firms who are aiding Israeli military
as well as to call for a ceasefire.
On April 17, 2024, the day Columbia President Minouche Shafik
faced grilling at a testimony in the House of Representatives, encampments
sprouted at the Columbia campus in protest against the Israeli war in Gaza and in
demand for an immediate ceasefire. Eventually, the NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters.
On April 22, 2024, President Shafik ordered all classes to be held
virtually as a de-escalation strategy. Meanwhile, pro-ceasefire movement has
spread to other campuses, notably Yale, Harvard, and Stanford as well as
numerous other universities across the U.S.
More than 20 Arrested at U.T. Austin, Protests Held at UTD, Arlington Campus
Pro-Palestinian protest was organized at the University of Texas, Austin
on April 24, 2024. The protest was peaceful, and the students were chanting
demands such as U.T. divest from firms supplying arms to Israel. There was no
provocation. Unfortunately, horse-ridden state troopers, local police personnel
and other DPS security personnel were there as Governor Gregg Abbott asked the
DPS to deploy its personnel. Governor Gregg Abbott lambasted the student
protests, calling them antisemitic and would not be tolerated in Texas
campuses. He said that the protesters “belong in jail”. After repeated urging from
security personnel to disperse fell on deaf ears, officers began arresting
demonstrators. More than two dozen protesters were arrested.
At UTD, more than 100 students held a sit-in demonstration in the
corridor leading to the office of the university president on April 23, 2024.
The demonstrators demanded, in addition to divestment of the university funding
in firms helping Israel’s war effort and immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip,
revocation of an early April 2024 gubernatorial executive order which called
for Texas schools to update their free speech policies and guidelines to fight
antisemitism. In that executive order, Governor Gregg Abbott asked the
universities to discipline organizations such as Palestine Solidarity Committee
and Students for Justice in Palestine.
UT Faculty Members Protest Security High-handedness
As many of the 55 people, who had been arrested a day earlier at a pro-Palestinian
protest event at the U.T. Austin campus, were released from the Travis
County Prison on April 25, 2024, with charges against many of them dropped,
U.T. Austin put out a statement, defending their action a day earlier
and emphasized that out of 55 arrestees, 26 were outsiders. Meanwhile, faculty
members led another protest event on April 25, 2024, criticizing
Governor Gregg Abbott and UT President Jay Hartzell for escalating a peaceful
protest into violence.
The pro-Palestinian protest movement continues to spread throughout campuses.
The protests are also taking nastier turns and leading to more low-level
kerfuffle with law enforcements. A night after scores of arrests, the USC on April
25, 2024 cancelled their main commemoration event.
Columbia Leads Campuses across the U.S. in Encampment Protest Movement
Students across the U.S. campuses—Ivy League institutions and beyond—are
intensifying their protest movement, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip
and calling for their institutions to divest from companies responsible for
funding Israel’s war campaign. The leadership in the newest protest format is
laid out and led by Columbia students with months of behind-the-curtain
planning and executing on a start date that coincided with the university President
Minouche Shafik’s April 17, 2024, testimony at the House of
Representatives. The encampment protest began at Columbia campus on April
17, 2024 as Shafik was being assailed by questions and criticisms from the
Republican members of the House of Representatives. The following day, April
18, 2024, President Shafik called New York City Police to the campus
to address the “harassing and intimidating environment” stemming from the
encampment. NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters. That only emboldened the student
protesters and fueled the fire of the student discontent across nation’s
campuses. Soon, encampment demonstration began to emerge college campuses at UC
Berkley, UC Southern California, MIT, Northeastern University, and other
campuses. During a controversial visit to Columbia, House Speaker Mike
Johnson on April 24, 2024 called for Minouche Shafik’s resignation.
More than 900 Arrested in Student Protest Movement
Inspired by the Columbia University encampment protest that had erupted
on April 17, 2024, students across nation’s campuses are intensifying their
protest movement, with encampments sprouting in many campuses in support of the
demand for a ceasefire in Gaza Strip and divestment from the funds and firms fueling
the Israeli war. Since the April 18, 2024, crackdown by the NYPD on the Columbia
campus, at least 900 protesters have been arrested in the nationwide campus
protest movement, according to an April 28, 2024, report by The
Associated Press.
Dozens of Protesters Arrested at UT Austin
As the anti-Israeli protest had spread to more campuses, campus police
and Texas DPS on April 29, 2024 moved on to dismantle the new encampment
at the University of Texas Austin campus that demonstrators had erected
earlier in the day and began arresting protesters. Meanwhile, daily protests
and more encampments were witnessed across the nation at universities and
colleges on April 29, 2024.
****************************** STUDENT PROTEST IN THE U.S. ***********************
Israel’s Military Intel Chief Resigns
Taking the full responsibility for the colossal failure of the Israeli
security apparatus on October 7, 2023 when Hamas and Islamic Jihad
militants had startled Israelis and the rest of the world by breaching the
borders at a lightning speed, rampaging the border communities for hours,
killing at least 1,200 people and taking circa 250 people hostage to Gaza, Israeli
military intelligence chief Major General Aharon Haliva on April 22, 2024 submitted
his resignation. This marks the first high-level shake-up in the Israeli
security hierarchy at a time when Israel is facing attacks on multiple fronts—including
a recent barrage of missile and drone attacks from Iran and regular rocket
assault by Hezbollah—and its campaign in Gaza is in the seventh month that has
killed more than 34,000 people.
Pressure Mounts on Netanyahu after Video of an Israeli-American Appears
Hamas played a shrewd psychological game, according to many political
observers, after a video of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin was
circulated widely on April 26, 2024, implying that the Israeli-American
hostage was alive. The video added pressure on Premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s
administration to work on a cease-fire to secure the release of the hostages.
Meanwhile, massive demonstration demanding that the Israeli government do more
to secure the release of hostages resumed on April 26, 2024 both in
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Hamas Reported to be Reviewing Israel’s Latest Ceasefire Proposal
Mindful of any Rafah ground operation that will have devastating
consequences on Egyptian society and economy with the flood of Palestinians refugees
forced into Egypt, Cairo is trying its best to find a compromise between Hamas
and Israel. As part of its latest push, Egypt sent a high-level diplomatic
corps to Israel on April 26, 2024 to look afresh at possibilities for a
workable truce that could be a bedrock for further negotiation and a
longer-lasting ceasefire. On April 27, 2024, Egyptian delegation wrapped
up the negotiation with Israeli officials.
Within hours, Hamas issued two statements. The first statement was
attributed to a senior Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, who told that
the group was reviewing the Israeli ceasefire proposal. A second statement
issued by Hamas said that three militant groups active in Gaza were in
discussion to find a path forward to the end of war, without saying anything
about the ceasefire proposal.
Biden, Netanyahu Speak over Phone, World Central Kitchen to Resume Gaza Operation
The White House issued a statement on April 28, 2024 after
President Joe Biden and Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu had
spoken over phone for a little under one hour. Biden called for “sustained and
enhanced” relief operation in Gaza Strip and reiterated opposition to ground
invasion of Rafah. However, both leaders expressed a common ground that after
Israel had proposed its latest ceasefire proposal, according to the White House
statement, the onus was on Hamas.
During the day, World Central Kitchen announced that they would
resume the relief operation in Gaza after a pause of four weeks. World
Central Kitchen suspended its operation after an Israeli drone strike had
killed seven of its aid workers.
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