Chronological Review of Events/September 2015 – DPR review

Division for Palestinian Rights

Chronological Review of Events Relating to the

Question of Palestine

Monthly media monitoring review

September 2015

1

Israeli forces detained at least 17 Palestinians across the West Bank. (WAFA)

A group of Israeli settlers under army escort took over an empty building in Silwan in East Jerusalem. Dozens of Palestinians were hurt in clashes that broke out after the takeover. (Ma’an News Agency) 

Israel has allocated four hours a day for Israelis to access Al-Haram Al-Sharif (Temple Mount) to pray, during which Palestinians are forbidden to enter. (Gulf News)

Israel announced that it wold close the Ibrahim Mosque in Hebron’s Old City to Muslim worshippers for six days for Jewish celebrations. (PNN)

In a report on assistance to the Palestinian people, UNCTAD said that Gaza could become uninhabitable by 2020 due to ongoing de-development, eight years of economic blockade and three military operations in the past six years. (www.unctad.org)

2

Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian man who crossed the border with Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces detained 16 Palestinians, including two teenagers, across the West Bank. (WAFA)

An Israeli soldier was suspended from his duties after beating a Palestinian detainee throughout the night. (Haaretz)

The Office of the Israeli Prime Minister said, “Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that he cannot accept a situation in which stones and firebombs are thrown along a main route – and within – Jerusalem and said, ‘The policy is zero tolerance for stone-throwing and zero tolerance for terrorism.’ … Since the legal system is finding it difficult to deal with stone-throwing by minors, changing open-fire orders regarding the throwing of stones and firebombs will be examined, as will be the imposition – by law – of minimum sentences for those who throw stones and firebombs.” (www.pmo.gov.il)

Referring to a General Assembly draft resolution on raising the flags of non-member observer States at the United Nations, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ron Prosor said in a letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly: “As the gatekeeper of this institution, I call on you to reject this aggressive behaviour at the UN. The United Nations has longstanding traditions, symbols and protocols that have become an essential and integral part of its legacy. We must not allow them to be turned into mere recommendations, and we cannot surrender to the arbitrary changes that are imposed solely for narrow, cynical and political purposes of certain groups.” (http://embassies.gov.il)

Israeli authorities confiscated a stretch of land belonging to an Islamic cemetery outside the eastern walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli settlers vandalized a transmission tower providing electricity to the northern West Bank village of Kafr Qaddum, causing a power outage across the village for several hours. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces detained nine Palestinians inside of Israel after the group attempted to cross the border east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses said a young man, two women, and six children were detained after sneaking into Israel. Earlier, Israeli forces had shot and injured a Palestinian man near the Gazan border after he crossed into Israel via the sea. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian Authority security officer and his 10-year-old son at a military checkpoint in Nablus, the second incident of its kind in 24 hours. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces shot and detained a 15-year-old Palestinian boy after allegedly having thrown a Molotov cocktail near Aida refugee camp in west Bethlehem. (Ma’an News Agency)

United States Secretary of State John Kerry said he believes Middle East peace talks can be relaunched, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was ready to resume direct talks with the Palestinians. (The Times of Israel)

In a press statement, PLO Executive Committee member Saeb Erekat said that the conditions proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in order for Israel to re-open peace negotiations would constitute “actions that would destroy the two-State solution and impose a perpetual occupation”, referring to the conditions Netanyahu reportedly posed on leaving the issues of Jerusalem and the refugees outside of the negotiations, and keeping a military presence along the Jordan River and in the central mountains. (Middle East Monitor)

Two Palestinian prisoners joined a hunger strike protest of several detainees held in Israeli jails. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

3

The Israel Air Force struck a Hamas facility where training occurs in northern Gaza, in response to the firing of bullets from the site at Israeli homes in the village of Nativ Ha’asara, near the Gazan border. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces detained four Palestinians and summoned two others from Jerusalem and Jenin districts, said security sources. One of the detainees is a young Palestinian man who had been protesting inside Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound against groups of Jewish settlers who forced their way into the holy site. (WAFA)

The new “Terror Act”, proposed by Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, passed a first reading in the Knesset, with 45 MKs voting in favor and 41 against. If it passes, convicted terrorists will face up to 30 years imprisonment. Equally, administrative detentions will be legalized, terror supporters – including those posting praise online, waving flags, etc. – will receive up to three years’ imprisonment. Additionally, accomplices will receive the same punishments as perpetrators. (Ynet News)

Israeli authorities published a blacklist banning 40 Palestinian women from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque for periods between 10 and 60 days. The Israeli Jerusalem police commander, Avi Bitton, said that the blacklist is made up of women who “cause trouble and damage” at the site. Israeli authorities have prevented women from entering the mosque between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. during the past two weeks. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli government has erased 65 per cent of the debts of 36 Jewish communities in the West Bank and Golan Heights that are owed to the World Zionist Organization’s settlement division, forgoing NIS 300 million ($76.5 million) of the NIS 360 million these communities owe. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli soldiers demolished four Palestinian homes and three sheds in Taybeh village, east of Ramallah. (IMEMC)

The spokesman for the Palestinian President, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, in an official statement said that Palestinian President Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State Kerry agreed to meet at the United Nations in New York in October. During a phone conversation, Secretary Kerry asked President Abbas not to make any critical decisions during the forthcoming Palestinian National Council meeting, in order not to create a political vacuum of which extremists could take advantage. (Ynetnews)

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian woman, her five-year-old child, and five Palestinian young men, after raiding the village of Al-Eizariya in East Jerusalem and erecting checkpoints in the area. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was received by Pope Francis for the first time. The Vatican said that Pope Francis stressed the “urgency of promoting a climate of trust between Israelis and Palestinians” as well as “the resumption of direct negotiations” for “an agreement respecting the legitimate aspirations of the two populations”. (AFP)

A resolution on raising the Palestinian flag at the United Nations will be adopted next week in time for President Abbas’ visit to New York, Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said on 3 September. The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on 10 September, after which, if the resolution is adopted, the UN will have 20 days to carry out the decision. (AFP)

Two weeks before leaving its factory in the “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement in the West Bank in favour of one in the Israeli Negev desert, SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum heavily criticized the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The SodaStream factory has been a central target for the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement, which claimed the decision to remove it from the West Bank as its victory, while Birnbaum said that the decision was strictly business, adding that the factory’s presence in the West Bank was good for Palestinians (The Jerusalem Post)

A group of political factions in the Gaza Strip met to declare their opposition to the Palestinian National Council meeting expected to convene on 14 and 15 September. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

A Palestinian man arrested by Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp earlier this week was released after a military judge said there was nothing in the file against him despite the military prosecution asking the court to extend his detention by eight days. (Haaretz)

4

Five US tourists who mistakenly entered the West Bank town of Hebron and were attacked by Palestinians were given refuge in the home of a Palestinian local, who believed the five to be Israeli settlers running away from a group of Palestinians. The Israeli police, called by the local Palestinian, picked the tourists up from his home. Israeli forces reportedly raided the area afterwards and clashes broke out. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

A young Palestinian man was injured and four others were detained in a raid by Israeli forces in the Qalandiya refugee camp. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian child near the beach of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, while he was with his fisherman father. (Ma’an News Agency)

Palestinians protested as hundreds of Israelis, mostly from settlements nearby “Halamish” in the central West Bank, gathered at the entrance of Nabi Saleh. The IDF and Border police fired tear gas to keep the activists back. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli Forces detained two Palestinians inside the Jerusalem Old City. (IMEMC)

5

Israeli soldiers invaded various Palestinian villages and towns, in the northern West Bank district of Jenin, installed several roadblocks and invaded a local elementary girls’ school. (IMEMC)

A student at Hebron’s Palestine Polytechnic University was severally beaten up and pepper-sprayed by settlers. (WAFA)

Israeli forces detained four Palestinians, including a minor, from across the West Bank, and assaulted a youth in Jordan Valley. Also, Israeli forces raided al-Araka village triggering clashes with locals where several Palestinians suffocated from tear gas. (WAFA)

Israeli police found four magazine clips with bullets inside a Palestinian taxi at a checkpoint; three were detained. The next day, the IDF with the assistance of Shin Bet intelligence, found army uniforms and guns in the West Bank during raids. Three Palestinians were detained. (The Jerusalem Post)

6

Israeli police assaulted a group of Palestinian women who attempted to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. For two weeks now, Israeli police has been imposing strict restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers. (WAFA)

French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron, on a two-day visit to Israel and the OPT, said that while France backs EU plans to label products from settlements, it opposes any boycott of Israel. (Ma’an News Agency)

7

The mother of the Palestinian toddler killed in the 31 July arson attack in Douma died of her burns, the third fatality after her husband succumbed to his injuries last month. Clashes erupted in East Jerusalem. Six Palestinians, including a young woman, were injured by troops. (Reuters, Ma’an News Agency)

UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov, said he is concerned by the lack of progress in identifying and prosecuting the perpetrators of the 31 July terrorist attack in Douma village. (UNSCO)

PLO Executive Committee member Ahmad Majdalani said that President Mahmoud Abbas will tell the upcoming UN General Assembly that the Palestinian leadership is no longer bound by the Oslo Accords due to Israel’s lack of commitment to the 1993 agreement. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli authorities handed notices to demolish three water wells, two prefab homes and five other residential units in different southern Hebron areas. (WAFA)

The two-day International Meeting on the Question of Palestine was opened in Brussels, under the theme “Israeli settlements as an obstacle to peace – possible ways forward”. The Meeting was jointly organized by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States. In a message delivered on his behalf by Rima Khalaf, Executive Secretary of ESCWA, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Israel’s illegal settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory directly ran counter to its stated objective to realize a two-State solution. “The continuing policy of settlement expansion and the climate of impunity relating to settler activity are a root cause of the escalating violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” he said. (UN Press release GA/PAL/1343)

8

Israeli forces detained at least 13 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli military vehicles crossed the border into the southern Gaza Strip and levelled Palestinian land. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers, accompanied by armoured bulldozers, invaded Palestinian farmlands in the Rashayda village, east of Bethlehem, and placed sand barriers blocking an agricultural road. (IMEMC)

According to an OCHA report , 13,000 Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank are currently under Israeli demolition orders. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Palestinian Presidency has been making contacts with the UN, EU and other relevant actors, urging them to pressure the Israeli Government to allow displaced Palestinian refugees back into the OPT, especially refugees fleeing the war in Syria. (WAFA)

Israeli settlers assaulted and injured three Palestinians near the “Shave Shomron” settlement in northern Nablus while they were returning from a visit to the grave of Riham al-Dawabsha, the third victim of the arson attack in Duma. (Ma’an News Agency)

9

Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of olive trees in the village of Burin, south of Nablus, after an Israeli settler woman was lightly injured when she was shot at while driving near the “Yitzar” settlement. (Ma’an News Agency)

Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli forces in the Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah after the forces stormed the camp. One Palestinian was arrested. (Jordan News Agency)

A Palestinian youth was seriously injured after an unexploded device left behind by the Israeli army in Shujayea, east of Gaza City, detonated. According to OCHA, over 7,000 unexploded devices were left throughout the Gaza Strip during the 2014 aggression. (WAFA)

Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (WAFA)

The Israeli army razed Palestinian-owned agricultural land and damaged an irrigation network in Al-Baqa’a, east of Hebron. (WAFA)

Israeli State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan released new orders for the enforcement of penalties for stone throwers, beginning with the policy of requesting administrative detention pending investigation for all suspects regardless of age. (Haaretz)

The chair of the Palestinian National Council, Salim Zanoun, confirmed that the Council’s session scheduled for 14 and 15 September had been postponed. He added that senior Palestinian officials would meet to prepare for the session to take place within three months. (Ma’an News Agency)

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said in a statement on the postponement of the meeting of the Palestine National Council: “This shows leadership and wisdom in giving adequate time for consultation with all factions in preparation of a regular session, which should strengthen unity and chart the way forward. … I urge all Palestinian leaders and factions to seize this opportunity to take constructive steps towards achieving genuine Palestinian unity on the basis of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) principles, and to strengthen the PLO as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. This would be an important step forward towards ending the occupation and realizing a just and lasting solution on the basis of two states – Palestine and Israel, living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition.” (www.unsco.org)

Israeli extremists spray-painted racist graffiti on the walls of the Al-Rahma Islamic cemetery outside the Old City of the Jerusalem. (WAFA)

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon announced that he had outlawed two Muslim groups, Murabitat and Murabitun, active at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in confronting Jewish visitors to the site. (AFP)

The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the number of settler homes built in the West Bank had increased 54.8 per cent in the first half of this year compared to the first six months of last year. (The Jerusalem Post)

Envoys of the Quartet met in Riyadh, as part of their outreach to Arab States. The Quartet said in a joint statement that the Envoys had met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir and the Secretary-General of the GCC Abdul Latif Al Zayani to discuss how to preserve the two-State solution, and how to create conditions that would enable the parties to return to meaningful negotiations. (www.unsco.org)

10

Israeli naval boats fired gunshots at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, forcing them to sail back to the shore. No injuries were reported. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers detained four Palestinians in the West Bank and a teenager in Jerusalem. (IMEMC)

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki met with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius in Paris. Speaking to a local radio station, Mr. Malki said that the Palestinian delegation would sign five political and financial agreements, including those on projects that would support the water and education sectors in Palestine. He added that Palestinian and French officials would discuss the latest developments regarding the French proposal to draft a Security Council resolution setting a deadline for ending the Israeli occupation. (WAFA)

Israeli Defense Minister Yaalon said: “The perpetrators of the Douma attack are known to the Israeli security services and some are locked up…. We have not brought charges for the time being so as not to divulge our sources, but we are continuing our efforts to bring them to justice”. (AP, The Times of Israel)

Palestinian President Abbas and Egyptian President Sisi met in Cairo to coordinate ahead of the UN General Assembly session in New York later this month, said President Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh. (The Jerusalem Post)

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution deciding that the flags of non-member observer States shall be raised at Headquarters and offices following the flags of the Member States. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 119 in favour to 8 against, with 45 delegations abstaining. (UN News Centre)

Following the adoption of the GA resolution on raising the flags of non-member observer States at the United Nations, Israeli Permanent Representative to the UN Ron Prosor said, “The goal of this resolution is a photo op. The Palestinians want to bring together world dignitaries and the media to gather around and watch as Abu Mazen raises a flag. They plan to use the prestige of the UN as a backdrop for this charade”. (The Jerusalem Post)

The European Parliament approved a decision calling for the labelling of settlement products, with a vote of 525 for and 70 against. (Ynetnews)

Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that it allowed 852 trucks of construction materials, fuel and food into the Gaza Strip. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

At a meeting with British Prime Minister Cameron in London, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “I am ready to resume direct negotiations with the Palestinians with no conditions whatsoever to enter negotiations, and I’m willing to do so immediately”. He repeated the message later in the day at his meeting with British lawmakers. (The Times of Israel)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) pledged $7 6 million to UNRWA for a series of works in Jordan to upgrade and equip health centres and schools for Palestine refugees throughout the country, as part of an overall package of $35 million for the Agency. (WAFA)

The Israeli Prison Authority renewed the administrative detention order against a hunger striking Palestinian detainee, Nidal Abu Aker, 46, for three additional months, without charges or trial. (IMEMC)

11

Israeli military forces raided the house of PA Police Chief in Nablus Abd Al-Latif Al-Qaddumi and turned it into a military outpost after evicting his wife and children. He was not present at the time of the incident. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Responding to a petition by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the Israeli High Court of Justice issued a restraining order in which it ordered the state to explain within 90 days its intention to demolish the buildings in the Bedouin village of Khirbet Zanuta, south of Hebron, before finding a reasonable solution for the villagers. (Haaretz)

Dozens of Palestinians, mostly elderly, were injured by inhaling tear gas fired at them by Israeli police during clashes in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan. The clashes broke out after an Israeli settler assaulted a Palestinian child. (WAFA)

12

The president of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, condemned the Israeli Defence Minister Ya’alon’s decree which banned the entry of Murabitun and Murabatat Islamic activist groups to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, saying that is illegal and they are not obliged to obey it. (ALRAY)

The Gaza Energy and Natural Resources Authority shut down the sole power generation plant due to a fuel shortage. (Palestine News Network)

Members of the Knesset proposed a bill whereby foreign supporters of anti-Israel boycotts will automatically be denied entry to Israel or the OPT. (Gulf News)

13

Israeli soldiers violently suppressed a peaceful anti-wall protest in the town of Beit Jala near Bethlehem. (WAFA)

Israeli forces detained two Palestinians in the district of Jericho after raiding a refugee camp and ransacking homes. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli authorities closed al-Jalama checkpoint, north of Jenin, for two days, under the pretext of the Jewish New Year Holiday. As a result of the closure, Palestinian living in the West Bank will be denied access to Israel. (WAFA)

Israeli police discovered pipe bombs during what they said was a preemptive operation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. After the raid, clashes erupted when Israeli police allowed the entry of Israeli settlers into compound while attacking Palestinians using teargas and stun grenades. Israeli forces denied all worshipers, except for a small number of men over 50, entry to the holy site. (The Times of Israel, Ma’an News Agency, WAFA)

President Abbas and the Governments of Jordan and Egypt strongly condemned the Israeli police attack against Al-Aqsa Mosque and worshipers. (WAFA, The Times of Israel)

UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov declared his concern about the provocations and violence in and around the Holy Sites of the Old City of Jerusalem. (UNSCO)

Israeli forces exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen in the town of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip, and detained two Palestinians who tried to cross the border fence into Israel. (Ma’an News Agency)

14

Clashes continued on a second day after Israeli police attacked Palestinians with rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas and physically assaulted some of the worshipers, including journalists, elderly, and women. At least seven worshipers were reportedly detained by the police during the clashes. (WAFA)

The Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Kingdom of Morocco strongly condemned the Israeli police attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the second consecutive day. (WAFA)

Prime Minister Netanyahu will convene an emergency meeting to discuss “the war of stone throwing and fire bombs in Jerusalem and its vicinity,” after a deadly car crash in Jerusalem, which police suspect took place after stones were thrown at the vehicle. (Haaretz, Israel National News)

Israeli authorities closed the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings with the Gaza Strip for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the UN to act against the Israel’s “breach” of Al-Aqsa Mosque, a presidency source said. In a phone conversation with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Erdogan described Israel’s actions as “unacceptable” and a cause for “serious indignation” in the Muslim world, according to the source. (Alray)

15

Israeli forces shot and injured a member of Hamas’ military wing in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office announced that he would fast-track legislation to set a minimum sentence for stone and firebomb throwing. (Haaretz)

The Palestinian leadership has decided to withdraw from central aspects of the Oslo Accords following the example of Israelis who abused the deal and implemented the parts of accord that suited them, confirmed Nabil Shaath, a member of Fatah Central Committee and a key aide to President Abbas. This will be announced by the Palestinian President at the UN General Assembly this month. Shaath, however, declined to define those parts. (Gulf News)

A WAFA correspondent reported that Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa compound via al-Maghariba (Moroccan) Gate and assaulted Palestinian worshippers, and fired stun grenades, tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets at them. (WAFA)

“The reported violence and escalation constitute a provocation and incitement” ahead of important Jewish and Muslim holy days, European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters in Brussels. “It is crucial that all parties demonstrate calm and restraint and full respect for the status quo of the holy sites,” Kocijancic said. (AFP)

PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi said, “Israel is playing with fire… in preparation for the total annexation and transformation of Al-Haram Al-Sharif.” “We call on the international community, including Arab countries and Muslim States, to intervene immediately before Israel succeeds in launching a global holy war.” (PNN)

“The Israeli escalation on the Temple Mount is a declaration of war,” said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. (The Times of Israel)

Dozens of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip held demonstrations for the third straight day to protest the ongoing power crisis. In Rafah, protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah’s Government. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israeli authorities issued administrative detention orders against 29 Palestinian political detainees of between three to six months, reported the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC). PPC said while nine prisoners received administrative detention orders for the first time, the remaining 20 received renewed orders. (WAFA)

In a statement, Hamas said that the PA security forces arrested one of its members released by the Israelis and summoned another for interrogation. (MEMO)

The EU has adopted a package of new aid worth €88 million to support Palestine on some of the most pressing issues in the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, as well as to support directly the PA. In line with the EU pledges at the Cairo Conference, the EU keeps contributing in 2015 to the recovery of the Gaza Strip, through four development programmes totalling €40 million (ReliefWeb)

UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East. (UNSCO)

Israeli soldiers opened fire at a car in Al-Issawiya in East Jerusalem, injuring a 17-year-old Palestinian in the car. His friend riding in the car was arrested. (IMEMC) 

Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a 13-year-old Palestinian girl in the neck with a rubber-coated steel bullet in Al-Issawiya in East Jerusalem. (IMEMC)

Israeli forces destroyed the main gate of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and several ancient windows believed to be more than 1,000 years old. (Gulf News)

Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Al Momani renewed Jordan’s strong condemnation of Israeli forces’ raids into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and demanded that Israel immediately cease provocations at the site. (Petra) 

Israeli authorities closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to Palestinians for a second consecutive day during the Jewish New Year. (WAFA) 

Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine Riyad Mansour told reporters that the Palestinian flag would be raised at UN Headquarters on 30 September, the day when President Abbas addresses the General Assembly. (AP)

The City Council of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, has adopted a motion to boycott Israeli-made goods. According to the motion, the boycott will be in place “as long as the occupation of Palestinian territories continues”, and it is “a symbolic act” intended to show the City Council’s support for Palestinian statehood and its condemnation of “the Israeli policy of apartheid”. (Haaretz)

Following the Reykjavik’s Council approving a motion to halt the city’s purchase of Israeli products until the occupation ends, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said “A volcano of hatred is erupting in the Reykjavik city council”. (AFP)

16

Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian taking part in a demonstration in Tulkarm in the northern West Bank against Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers arrested at least five Palestinians in Hebron and Jerusalem. (IMEMC)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that penalties for stone throwers would be toughened. “A modification of the rules of engagement will be examined as well as the establishment of a minimum penalty for those who throw stones,” he said, adding that there would be “significant fines” for minors who commit such offences, as well as for their parents. (AFP)

Israeli police assaulted with clubs two Islamic Waqf guards and a number of women at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound when they attempted to confront Jewish visitors. (WAFA) 

Twelve Palestinian journalists said that they had been beaten by Israeli police in Jerusalem’s Old City over the past three days, some requiring medical attention. (Haaretz)

Israeli authorities rearrested a former Palestinian hunger striker, Mohammed Allan, after he was discharged from an Israeli hospital. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces raided the Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital in the Al-Tur village in occupied East Jerusalem in search for Palestinian youths who took part in clashes with Israeli police. Two Palestinian youths were detained. (IMEMC)

Israeli forces detained four Palestinian children and two young men in different neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem after ransacking their homes. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers clashed with residents of Al-Issawiya in East Jerusalem and shot and wounded a young Palestinian man in the leg with a live bullet. Many others were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets. (IMEMC)

The White House announced that US President Barack Obama will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on 9 November. (Haaretz)

Israel gave a final approval for the construction of 153 housing units in the “Ramot” settlement in East Jerusalem. (Xinhua)

Israeli authorities ordered two Palestinians families to leave their land in the Salfit district in the northern West Bank within 48 hours. (IMEMC)

The Israeli army notified Bedouins in Khirbet Um al-Jamal in the Jordan Valley of its intention to confiscate all of their agricultural equipment if they refuse to evacuate the area. (WAFA)

Israeli forces handed to Palestinians in Massafer Yatta in Hebron notices to demolish three houses and a residential tent belonging to them. (WAFA)

Israeli forces allowed 500 Palestinian farmers to access hundreds of acres of land along the Gaza border with Israel for the first time in 15 years, as a result of talks between Palestinians and Israelis mediated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. (Ma’an News Agency)

IDF detained a Palestinian teen charged with stabbing an Israeli soldier near Zaatra checkpoint south of Nablus. An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed an arrest was made in Balata refugee camp. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

In a telephone conversation on, Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil El-Araby reportedly told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the Arab League rejects the “Israeli brutal assault” on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, urging the UN to take necessary actions. (EFE)

Al-Jazeera has reported that the Egyptian army has begun pumping sea water into the border area between Sinai and Gaza in an attempt to flood the tunnels in the area. (Ynetnews)

17

Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinians, including two minors, in Hebron. (IMEMC, Ma’an News Agency,)

Israeli soldiers detained eight Palestinian children in East Jerusalem after storming their homes. (IMEMC)

Israeli media reported that Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein had approved the use of sniper fire against Palestinian stone throwers who protest against Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (WAFA)

In an interview with Arab media, President Abbas said that his General Assembly speech on 29 September would focus on the Oslo Accords and the alleged Israeli violations of the agreement, such as the destruction of Palestinian structures in Areas A and B. (Ynetnews)

Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud has appealed to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Members of the Security Council for “urgent measures” at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. “He called for serious and speedy international efforts and for the intervention of the Security Council to take all urgent measures to stop these violations,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. (AFP)

More than 60 Israelis, the majority of whom were youths affiliated to the Likud party, toured the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of Israeli forces and police officers, while dozens of Palestinian worshippers were denied entry. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egyptian authorities allowed 500 Muslim pilgrims to cross through the Rafah terminal into Egypt. The pilgrims, all from families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, were invited by the Saudi King to make a Hajj journey. (Ma’an News Agency)

An official statement by the Government of Palestine condemned Israel’s approval of the use of sniper fire against Palestinian stone-throwers, and called upon the international community to intervene and stop violations of international law. (WAFA)

A Palestinian teenager was shot and injured by Israeli soldiers during clashes in Bethlehem. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

An Israeli bus was set on fire in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Ras Al-Amud as a result of a firebomb hurled at the vehicle by Palestinian youths. No injuries were reported. Israeli media reported that the driver of the bus was Palestinian, and fled the vehicle before it caught on fire. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

The UN Security Council, in a statement, expressed “grave concern regarding escalating tensions in Jerusalem, especially surrounding the Haram Al-Sharif compound, including recent clashes in and around the site. The members of the Security Council called for the exercise of restraint, refraining from provocative actions and rhetoric, and upholding unchanged the historic status quo at the Haram Al-Sharif — in word and in practice. The members of the Council underscored that Muslim worshippers at the Haram Al-Sharif must be allowed to worship in peace, free from violence, threats and provocations. They further underscored that visitors and worshipers must demonstrate restraint and respect for the sanctity of the area and for maintaining the historic status quo at the Holy Sites. (www.un.org, AP, Haaretz)

Following the UN Security Council statement on the escalating tensions in Jerusalem, Israeli Permanent Representative to the UN Prosor said that “When the Palestinians set the Temple Mount ablaze, Mahmoud Abbas fuels the fire, and the Security Council fans the flames, it is a recipe for a regional explosion.” (The Jerusalem Post)

Turkish President Erdogan and French President Hollande discussed over the phone the recent escalation of the situation at Al-Aqsa Mosque. (Palestinian Information Center)

At a press-conference in Gaza, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolay Mladenov said “I am very happy to be able to report today that the reconstruction effort has visibly accelerated within the last two months”. The UN-supervised program has reportedly approved applications from 3,400 families, and of them, 1,400 have already received cement, steel and gravel to start rebuilding. However, Mladenov noted that faster reconstruction requires the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority to take full control and responsibility in the Hamas-run territory. “We are very far from reaching the goal of restoring normal life to Gaza,” Miladenov said. (AP)

18

Dozens of Palestinians were injured by IDF during protests across the West Bank in support of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Three Palestinians were injured at the Qalandiya military checkpoint after being shot by rubber-coated bullets. In Bilin, Palestinian and international activists suffered tear gas inhalation as IDF suppressed a weekly march in the village. In Kafr Qaddum village in Qalqiliya at least three children sustained gunshot wounds during a weekly Friday march, witnesses said. (IMEMC, Ma ‘an News Agency)

An Israeli army spokesperson said that a firebomb was thrown at an Israeli army patrol in the eastern Nablus area, near the settlement of “Itamar”, with Israeli soldiers responding by shooting and seriously wounding a Palestinian suspect and arresting another. (Ma ‘an News Agency, Ynetnews)

Amid Palestinian calls for a “day of rage” in Jerusalem following Friday prayers, Israeli police have pre­emptively deployed some 800 extra officers to patrol the Old City and neighbourhoods throughout the capital, and will bar Muslim men under the age of 40 from ascending the Haram Al-Shatif. (The Jerusalem Post)

IDF raided the Sur Baher village, south of Jerusalem, and detained two children. (IMEMC)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said that Palestinian prisoner Muhammad Allan suspended his hunger strike following consultations about his health and legal status. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israeli forces raided the village of Anin, west of Jenin in the West Bank, and fired tear gas canisters toward the locals, causing many of them to suffer from suffocation, including 7-year-old. (WAFA)

In a statement, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) called upon the international community “to act collectively and forthwith to compel Israel, the occupying power, to cease its destructive and illegal practices and to abide by all of its obligations under international law, including humanitarian and human rights law.” (WAFA)

19

Twenty-seven Palestinians between the ages of 14 and 38, accused of throwing rocks and firebombs at officers in flashpoint Arab neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem, were arrested during an overnight police sweep. The crackdown brought the total number of arrests over the trailing 48 hours to 39, including 11 children. (The Jerusalem Post, Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israeli forces shot and injured a 14-year-old Palestinian boy with live fire during a protest in the village of Kafr Qaddoum in the West Bank district of Qalqilia. (IMEMC)

The United States called for calm in Jerusalem after riots broke out in five Arab neighbourhoods during a “day of rage” on Friday. “All of us join together in urging everybody to keep the calm, to keep the peace,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said in London as he met with his British counterpart, Philip Hammond. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli settlers opened gunfire at a Palestinian car near the village of Beit Daj an, east of Nablus, according to security sources, while the occupant was driving, along with his two daughters. Nobody was injured. (WAFA)

Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes targeting different locations in the Gaza Strip, injuring at least one Palestinian and causing destruction to Palestinian property. (WAFA)

Egyptian security sources announced that Egyptian army border guards recently discovered and destroyed 12 “new” tunnels running under the Gaza-Egypt border in the northern Sinai Peninsula. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Despite rocket fire on southern Israel over the weekend and Israeli forces reprisals in Gaza, an Egyptian security source said that neither the Israelis nor Palestinians have intimated that the truce between them has ended. (The Jerusalem Post)

20

Israeli soldiers invaded several Palestinian communities in the districts of Jenin and Ramallah, searched homes and arrested four in Jenin, and two in Ramallah. One of the arrested was shot by army fire. (IMEMC)

Israeli forces blocked the main entrances to the towns of Al-Isawiyya, located in the centre of Jerusalem, and Al-Ram, located in the north of Jerusalem, with large cement blocks. Local sources said that police’s surveillance aircraft continuously flies around the area and Israeli snipers are stationed in the town’s cemetery in order to shoot any individuals protesting against the constant attacks on them and Al-Aqsa Mosque. (Middle East Monitor)

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has transmitted messages to Israel expressing she not would give the “agrement” to the appointment of Dani Dayan, former head of the Yesha Council, as Israeli ambassador to Brazil because of Dayan’s ties to West Bank settlements. (Ynetnews)

Israeli party Yesh Atid’s chairman Yair Lapid said that Israel must accept the Arab peace initiative as a basis for negotiations with the Palestinians and moderate Arab states. He called for the convening of a regional conference in the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative in view of a comprehensive regional arrangement and as the way to normalize relations with Arab States. (Haaretz)

Seven Palestinian prisoners joined an open hunger strike to protest their administrative detention, bringing the total number of Palestinian hunger strikers to fourteen, the Palestinian Authority Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs said in a statement. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

The Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem approved a decision to replace the original names of several streets and districts in and outside Jerusalem’s Old City with Hebrew names that carry Talmudic connotations. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli decision, adding that it comes as part of Israel’s attempts to change the cultural and historical identity of the city, aimed at changing the status quo there. (WAFA)

A seven-year-old child was the victim of a hit-and-run incident by an Israeli settler near the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron. The child sustained wounds and was rushed to the Hebron hospital. (Palestine News Network)

Jordan’s King Abdullah urged the European Union to take a firm stand against Israel over clashes at Occupied Jerusalem’s Al Haram Al Sharif, as he met the EU president. The king, quoted by the royal palace, warned that Al Haram Al Sharif would have “serious consequences,” especially in the absence of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians that have been stalled since April 2014. (Gulf News)

Fifty Jordanian members of Parliament asked the Jordanian government to expel the Israeli ambassador from Amman immediately and recall the Jordanian ambassador from Israel, “in protest against the surge in attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque. The parliamentarians also called on the government to review the Jordanian-Israeli peace agreement signed in 1994. King Abdullah said to parliamentarians that Al-Aqsa Mosque is open for Muslims only and cannot be shared: “I’ll say once and for all, there is no partnership, no division, Al-Aqsa is a Muslim place of worship.” (Middle East Monitor, Haaretz)

The United Nations Secretary-General condemned the recent rocket attacks by extremist Palestinian militants on Israel from Gaza. He added that such indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas risk a dangerous escalation and must stop. (www.un.org)

21

Israeli police said that thousands of officers would be deployed in Jerusalem ahead of the Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha holidays after three days of clashes rocked the Al-Aqsa mosque compound last week. (The Daily Star Lebanon)

An Israeli soldier sustained injuries overnight as clashes broke out during a visit to Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, Israel’s army said. Around 60 Palestinians hurled rocks, Molotov cocktails, and rolled burning tires at a group of Israelis visiting the site under armed guard, an army spokesperson said. Israeli media reported that up to 2,000 Israelis took part in the visit. (Ynetnews, Ma ‘an News Agency)

Several Palestinians who rallied in support of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound suffocated by teargas fired at them by Israeli army during confrontations that broke out near Bethlehem. (WAFA)

Bulldozers of the West Jerusalem municipality demolished a Palestinian-owned home under construction in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Ras al-Amoud, citing the lack of permit for the building. (WAFA)

A senior European Union official told Army Radio that labelling of products manufactured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank will begin effective 1 October. According to the official, the EU was set to finalize by mid-October remaining legal and technical issues regarding the settlement labelling, such as how exactly to mark the products and how to execute the process. The official added that Brussels will consider further punitive measures if the Israeli government announces plans for more construction beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. (The Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian prisoner held by Israel on criminal charges in the Nativot prison, died due to circumstances and conditions that remain unknown. Israel said it would be conducting an autopsy to determine the causes of death. Palestinian officials demand a thorough investigation. (IMEMC)

Israel will close the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip on 22 September afternoon and 23 September due to the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, the Palestinian liaison department said. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israeli military vehicles crossed the border fence into the northern Gaza Strip and levelled private Palestinian agricultural land, according to witnesses. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israel Police informed that their officers would suspend the use of the Ruger sniper rifle after it was used over the weekend against stone-throwers in East Jerusalem. The strict ban will be imposed until the officers receive appropriate training. (Haaretz)

Israeli authorities detained a Palestinian woman near the town of Dura, southwest of Hebron, and detained three minors for hours in Hebron. (WAFA)

Israeli forces arrested 19 Palestinian minors in Jerusalem and six Palestinian adults in the West Bank. (Middle East Monitor)

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that Israel would allow Gaza to export ironware, furniture and textiles to Israel for the first time since 2007. The new rules will go into effect on 7 October. (Haaretz)

The Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research published the results of a poll which found that 51 percent of Palestinians oppose the two-State solution, while 78 percent think the chances of getting their own State in the next five years are “slim to non-existent”. (The Jerusalem Post, Israel News)

22

Clashes broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron. Israeli forces fired teargas canisters and stun grenades causing several cases of suffocation. (WAFA)

Israeli forces detained one Palestinian in Nablus. During the arrest, clashes broke out leaving at least two Palestinians injured by rubber-coated steel bullets and one youth suffering suffocation by teargas. (WAFA)

A Palestinian youth was killed after Israeli forces opened fire on him, near the village of Kharsa, south of Hebron, according to Palestinian sources. According to Israeli forces, the youth attempted to throw an explosive device which apparently detonated prematurely. After the death, clashes broke out during which Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades. (WAFA, Jordan News Agency, The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian woman at a military checkpoint in the southern West Bank near Hebron. According to the Israeli forces she attempted to carry out a stabbing attack there. (WAFA)

Israeli authorities announced that they would close completely the West Bank and Gaza for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Israeli authorities also denied access for Palestinians under the age of 40 to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (WAFA)

Kuwait donated $15 million to support UNRWA. The donation will help UNRWA to expand its operations in the region and to meet the basic needs of the Palestinian refugees. (Kuwait News Agency)

23

The Palestinian young woman who had been shot by Israeli forces at a checkpoint in Hebron on 22 September, died from her injuries. Following her funeral, clashes broke out between Palestinian youths and Israeli forces. The Palestinian Government demanded that the UN form a committee to investigate the shooting. According to the Israeli army, the woman attempted to stab a soldier. However, local activist groups and Palestinian media released videos and photos of the incident that show her unarmed. (Ma’an News Agency) (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian carrying an explosive device in the Jordan Valley. (The Times of Israel)

Israeli youths threw stones at moving vehicles near the entrance to the “Har Homa” settlement in East Jerusalem and on the Hebron Road in south Jerusalem. A Palestinian boy was lightly wounded in one incident. At least seven Israelis youths were detained. (Haaretz)

Israeli authorities closed the main entrances to several East Jerusalem neighbourhoods with cement blocks and barricades. Many residents reported they were unable to leave to buy the necessary items to prepare for Eid al-Adha. (Ma’an News Agency)

A group of extremist settlers wearing priestly garments forced their way into the Al–Aqsa Mosque compound protected by Israeli police officers. Meanwhile, Israeli police severely restricted access to Palestinians and deployed large reinforcements across Jerusalem and shut if off from the West Bank. (WAFA)

President Abbas during a speech in Moscow condemned Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. He also called for the protection of the holy site and ensuring the Palestinians’ freedom of worship in Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency, WAFA)

The Israel Police announced that the Al-Aqsa Compound would be closed to Jews and other non-Muslim visitors during Eid al-Adha. Muslim worship at the site will be unrestricted and Palestinians from the West Bank will be permitted access. (Haaretz)

The World Bank announced that had transferred $25 million to the Palestinian Government. (Middle East Monitor)

UNRWA announced the plan to rebuild 1,100 homes that were completely destroyed during Israel’s incursion into the Gaza Strip last summer. (Middle East Monitor)

24

Israeli forces detained 14 Palestinians in East Jerusalem, including one of the guards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, and 9 minors. (Israel News, IMEMC, Ma’an News Agency)

Hamas accused Egypt of flooding the border area to the south of Gaza. Palestinians believe this is intended to flood the last remaining tunnels between Gaza and the Sinai. (AFP)

The Israeli security cabinet voted unanimously in favour of authorizing police to use live ammunition against people throwing stones and Molotov cocktails “when the life of a third person is threatened and no longer only when a police officer is threatened”. Israel will impose a minimum four-year jail term on petrol bombers and rock throwers, will ease open-fire regulations, and impose harsher fines. (Reuters, The Times of Israel)

Israeli Prime Minister’s Office refused to comment on a spate of reports that Jordan’s King Abdullah II is refusing to take phone calls or meet privately with Prime Minister Netanyahu because of the tensions around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (The Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian man, shot and critically injured by Israeli forces last week at a military checkpoint in eastern Nablus near the settlement of “Itamar”, died from his wounds. (IMEMC)

Around 50,000 Palestinians performed prayers for Eid Al-Adha at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Dozens of youths marched after prayers, raising the flags of Arab states and calling for the protection of the holy site. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Husam Society for Detainees and Ex-Detainees reported that the Israeli Prison Authority placed nine Palestinian detainees in solitary confinement, and denied their right to family and lawyers’ visits for two months. (IMEMC)

26

The Israeli military said that the soldiers who had assaulted two journalists working for AFP in the West Bank smashing their equipment will face disciplinary measures. The incident had been caught on camera and publicized by Palestinian journalists. (Xinhua)

The Shin Bet and police forces arrested four Palestinian teens (16-19) suspected of playing a role in the stone-throwing attack that had killed an Israeli driver. (The Jerusalem Post)

Egypt’s President al-Sisi said in an interview that efforts should be renewed to solve the Palestinian issue and expand Egypt’s peace with Israel to include more Arab countries. (Ynetnews)

Secretary-General of the PLO Saeb Erakat denounced the new Israeli decision to use live ammunition against Palestinian demonstrators in Jerusalem. In a statement, Erakat said that Palestine will report this to the relevant institutions, including the ICC. (WAFA)

Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian teen was shot and injured by Israeli army fire, after several military vehicles invaded Beit Furik town, east of Nablus. (IMEMC)

27

Many Palestinians suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation after several Israeli military vehicles invaded Teqoa town, east of Bethlehem. Soldiers also arrested a teen in Jerusalem. (WAFA)

Deputy Chief of the Islamic Movement in Israel Sheikh Kamal Al-Khatib called on Palestinians and Arabs to head for Al-Aqsa Mosque to undermine the plans of Israeli settlers attempting to desecrate the holy site, the Anadolu Agency reported. (MEMO)

Egyptian President al-Sisi said that the flooding of the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt is being carried out in coordination with the PA. He stressed the need for the PA to return to the Gaza Strip and to supervise the border crossings, saying this will have a significant impact on Gaza being open. Hamas accused President Abbas of conspiring to strangle the Gaza Strip. (Middle East Monitor)

28

The Israeli authorities announced that the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as Cave of the Patriarchs, will be closed to Muslim worshippers on 29-30 September for the Jewish holidays, said the Ministry of Islamic Waqf. (WAFA)

US Secretary of State Kerry prevented a meeting from taking place between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas, according to senior Palestinian and Israeli officials. Earlier this month Abbas was reportedly encouraged by a non-US official to meet with Netanyahu to discuss the stalled peace process. The State Department denied the report. (Haaretz)

President Abbas told Palestine TV that he had told world leaders in a series of meetings on the side-lines of the [UN SDGs Summit] that “the whole world” should be aware of what is happening at the mosque compound. Abbas told leaders that Israel is seeking to change the nature of the conflict from a political to religious one. (Ma’an News Agency)

Clashes continued to shake Jerusalem’s [Al-Haram Al-Sharif] for the second day, with security forces confronting a group of Palestinians they claim attacked them after setting up makeshift fortifications at the Al-Aqsa Mosque to prevent Jewish visitation to the holy site. The entry of Muslim worshippers onto the complex was severely restricted. (Haaretz)

A joint study by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) has revealed that the Palestinian investments outside Palestine outweigh foreign investment in Palestine. (WAFA)

Around a third of the West Bank is closed to Palestinians as Israeli military zones, according to a new report “Walled Garden – Declaration of Closed Areas in the West Bank” published by Israeli NGO Kerem Navot. (MEMO)

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said the EU intention to publish guidelines for the labelling of settlement goods is “the epitome of boycott.” Countries that do decide to label settlement products will no longer be considered by Israel to be significant players in the Middle East conflict, she warned. Hotovely, who functions as de facto head of the Foreign Ministry, plans to travel to Spain, France and Germany in a bid to halt these countries from enacting the guidelines. The Knesset is also sending parliamentary delegations to nearly a dozen European countries. Exports from the settlements make for less than one percent of Israel’s total exports to the EU. (The Times of Israel)

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Centre for Studies issued an urgent call for action on 17 hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners, who are protesting their detention without trial. At least five of the prisoners have been on hunger strike more than 40 days, while at least seven were in urgent need of medical attention. (Ma’an News Agency)

Tony Blair’s mediation to reach a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel had failed and a new mediator has taken up the mission, member of Hamas’ Political Bureau Ziad Al-Zaza said. He said that the current “active” mediator is the UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov who is “highly respected” by Hamas. (MEMO)

President Abbas “has briefed the Arab nations, the American Government and European countries on the outline of his [UN] speech, which received support from all Arab nations,” said Mahmoud Habbash, Abbas’s confidant and a former Minister of religious affairs. Sources in Ramallah told The Times of Israel that Abbas plans to give Israel a “deadline” — as yet unspecified — for “meeting its obligations” lest the Palestinians announce the Oslo Accords null and void. (The Times of Israel, Ynetnews)

The Human Rights Council held a general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. Palestine and Syria spoke as countries concerned. Israel was not present to take the floor. (www.unog.ch)

Israeli soldiers arrested four Palestinian children in Al-Tur in East Jerusalem. (JMEMC)

PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Saeb Erakat expressed his disappointment in US President Obama’s General Assembly speech which he said had ignored the Palestinian question. (WAFA)

Speaking at the General Assembly, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said that establishing a Palestinian State on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital would remove a central factor in regional instability and would also eliminate one of the pretexts for extremism and terror. (Ynetnews)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II told the General Assembly that it was the world’s obligation to find solutions and provide relief for the millions of refugees in the Middle East, including Palestinian refugees. He also referred to the recent tensions and violent clashes on the Temple Mount [Al-Haram Al-Sharifj in Jerusalem, saying, “Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian sites is a sacred duty. … We join Muslims and Christians everywhere in rejecting threats to the Arab character of this holy city.” (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli authorities closed the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings for the Jewish Sukkot holiday. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

29

Israeli police said that they have arrested seven Palestinians over suspected involvement in the previous day’s violence at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount [Al-Haram Al-Sharif]. (AP)

Palestinian youths rioted and clashed with the IDF in multiple locations across the West Bank. In Ramallah, between 200 to 300 Palestinians took part in a march towards the settlement of “Bet El”, hurling rocks at Israeli vehicles and soldiers. In Hebron, 50 Palestinians hurled rocks at soldiers at an IDF position, hitting a foreign tourist. The IDF responded by firing stun grenades. In Tulkarm, the IDF fired stun grenades at Palestinians hurling rocks at soldiers. One Palestinian sustained an injury in his leg from a rubber bullet. At Rachel’s Tomb, north of Bethlehem, some 150 Palestinians hurled rocks as well as two Molotov cocktails at security forces. Border Police deployed non-lethal crowd control measures, and one officer was lightly wounded in the clash. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces denied Palestinians entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for a third consecutive day, while dozens of Jewish visitors entered the site in celebration of a Jewish holiday. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

An Israeli settler assaulted and pepper-sprayed a Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City, who was transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment. (WAFA)

The World Bank said in a report to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee that reduced donor aid, war, suspension of revenue payments and ongoing restrictions by the Government of Israel have had a severe impact on the Palestinian economy. “Real GDP per capita has been shrinking since 2013 due to the weak economy in the Palestinian territories. Unemployment remains high, particularly amongst Gaza’s youth where it exceeds 60 per cent, and 25 per cent of Palestinians currently live in poverty,” it added. (www.worldbank.org)

Israeli police detained three Palestinians, including two minors, in East Jerusalem for reportedly throwing stones at an Israeli bus and other vehicles, slightly injuring two tourists. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

The Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, said during a press briefing: “We note with concern allegations that Israeli security forces may, in some cases, have used excessive force against Palestinian protesters in East Jerusalem in recent days. We also call for restraint following the authorization granted by Israeli authorities on Sunday on the use of live fire in life-threatening situations in East Jerusalem. […] We urge the Israeli authorities to ensure that security forces only employ force as a last resort and in full accordance with the standards laid out under international law for maintaining public order, including detailed guidelines governing the use of live ammunition.” (www.ohchr.org)

30

The Israeli Air Force struck a number of targets in the Gaza Strip overnight in response to a rocket fired from Gaza at the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. The rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system, and no damage or casualties were caused. (Haaretz)

Israeli military vehicles crossed into the southern Gaza Strip and levelled Palestinian land. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Israeli forces detained 13 Palestinians in East Jerusalem and 23 others in the West Bank overnight. (Ma ‘an News Agency)

Palestinian President Abbas wrote in an op-ed in The Huffington Post: “A peaceful, fair and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict exists. But the peace process must be multilateral. The same pattern of negotiations imposed for years will not work because Israel is the occupying power. […] We cannot directly negotiate with a power that has this level of control and exhibits such contempt for the rights and existence of our people. That is why a collective, multilateral peace process is necessary. Such processes have made significant progress in difficult negotiations for the Balkans, Libya and Iran.” (The Huffington Post)

During his speech at the General Assembly, Palestinian President Abbas renounced the political and security accords with Israel, saying it must now resume its responsibilities as occupying Power, due to its continual violations of the 20-year-old agreements. “They leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them,” he said, referring to the Oslo accords to set up a Palestinian State alongside Israel, with interim terms governing security and economic cooperation. (UN News Centre)

In his remarks at a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee at United Nations Headquarters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “For Gaza to flourish, it will need to be able to trade with Israel, with the rest of Palestine and with the world. Lasting progress can be realized only through the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1860 in all its elements, building on a full calm and a lifting of the closure. Progress in Area C is also essential. The World Bank has estimated that if restrictions on Area C were lifted, the combined direct and indirect economic benefit could total $3.4 billion, which would yield $800 million a year in additional tax revenues. We need to take the steps that would make such progress possible.” (SG Spokesperson’s Office)

President Abbas told the General Assembly that Palestine welcomed global and European peace efforts, including the French initiative. He asked the UN to provide international protection for the Palestinians in the meantime.  Referring to various interim agreements, he said that as long as Israel violated them, Palestine could not continue to be bound by them. (gadebate.un.org)

The flag of the State of Palestine was raised at United Nations Headquarters for the first time. Speaking at the flag-raising ceremony, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that it was a day of pride and hope for Palestinians around the world and urged renewed efforts to achieve the two-State solution. “I sincerely hope that a successful peace process will soon yield a day when we unfurl the Palestinian flag in its proper place — among the family of nations as a sovereign Member State of the United Nations,” he said. General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft also stressed the need to implement the two-State solution. “On this day, we are of course keenly aware of the urgent need for real improvements on the ground and a peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — one that fulfils the vision of an independent, sovereign, democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel,” he said. (UN News Centre)

Two Israeli soldiers were wounded in rock-throwing incident in Beit Ummar, near Hebron. Also, Israeli troops reported rock throwing and the use of firebombs by demonstrators in several locations across Hebron and Jerusalem. (The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel)

Prime Minister Netanyahu met EU High Representative Federica Mogherini in New York to discuss the stalled peace process. (The Times of Israel)

Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing to allow 580 Palestinian pilgrims to return to Gaza from Saudi Arabia following the hajj. (Ma’an News Agency)

The EU announced that it would provide EUR 30 million to support Palestinian refugees through UNRWA. (WAFA)

The Quartet, meeting in New York said its envoys “will engage directly with the parties in order to explore concrete actions both sides can take to demonstrate their genuine commitment to pursuing a two-State solution.”  It agreed to consult with Egyptian, Saudi and Jordanian Foreign Ministers and the LAS Secretary-General.  (UN Press Release)

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