Chronological Review of Events/June 2014 – DPR review

Division for Palestinian Rights

Chronological Review of Events Relating to the

Question of Palestine

Monthly media monitoring review

June 2014

1

Prime Minister Netanyahu called an emergency Cabinet meeting ahead of the unity Government announcement. The Ministers agreed to halt negotiations with Palestinians, lower the amount of funds transferred to the PA, and deny entry of 3 prospective Ministers from Gaza to Ramallah. “I call on all responsible elements in the international community not to rush to recognise a Palestinian Government which has Hamas as part of it and which is dependent on Hamas,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet. US Secretary of State Kerry had promised that America will not immediately recognize the new Government, he said, according to 2 Ministers at the meeting. (Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post)

President Abbas told Secretary Kerry in a phone conversation “the coming Government will be formed of independents and will represent the political agenda of the President,” WAFA said. Kerry “expressed concern about Hamas’s role in any such Government and the importance that the new Government commit to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of the State of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements,” the State Department said. (Ynetnews)

The State Department denied reports that Secretary Kerry was slated to meet President Abbas this week. (The Jerusalem Post)

Rateb Jabour, coordinator of the Popular and National Committee against Settlements and the Wall in Hebron, stated that the settlers brought bulldozers and construction materials, and started preparation work on Palestinian lands, to expand the “Abigail” outpost. (IMEMC)

Dozens of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strikes have been checked into hospitals, the IPS said. (Ynetnews)

Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups appealed to EU High Representative Ashton to try to broker a solution to the problem of hunger-striking Palestinians under administrative detention in Israel. (Haaretz)

The Shin Bet and Israel Prison Authority had foiled 11 attempts by Palestinian prisoners to orchestrate, from inside Israeli jails, kidnappings of Israelis, to secure their own release in a prisoner exchange deal, it was announced. (Ynetnews)

2

Israeli military vehicles carried out two separate cross-border military incursions into the southern Gaza Strip on 1 June, witnesses told Ma’an. (Ma’an News Agency)

The IAF struck 2 targets in Gaza after 2 rockets were fired into Israel hours earlier. (The Jerusalem Post)

President Abbas swore in in the new Cabinet. “We hail the national consensus Government, which represents all the Palestinian people,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP. Rami Hamdallah will remain as Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, while Ziad Abu Amr will be the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture. Muhammad Mustafa will be deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy and Shukri Bishara was named as Minister of Finance and Planning. Riyad Malki will remain as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salim al-Saqqa, from Gaza, will be Minister of Justice, and Adnan Husseini will be Minister of Jerusalem Affairs. Rula Maya is Minister of Tourism and Jawad Awad, of Health; Khawlah Shakhshir of Education; Mufeed al-Hasayna, of Public Works; Allam Mousa of Telecommunications and Transportation; Shawqi al-Ayasa of Agriculture and Social Affairs; Hayfaa al-Agha is Minister for Women, Mamoun Abu Shahla is Minister of Labour, Nayif Abu Khalaf is Minister of Local Governance and Yousif Ideis is Minister of Waqf. The Prisoners Ministry functions are to be folded into the PLO. (AFP, Ma’an News Agency)

Left undecided for now is whether Hamas would allow the new Government to run the security forces in the Gaza Strip and whether the group would be allowed to operate more freely in the West Bank. (The Washington Post)

Israeli Finance Minister Lapid said: “In the upcoming weeks we will have to learn more about this Government and see where things are going. This is not the time for incitement, but rather restraint.” His comments were echoed by many in the Cabinet. However, Economy Minister Bennett declared it “a Government of terrorists in suits.” (Ynetnews)

Following the swearing-in of the new unity Government, Israel’s security Cabinet decided to hold the PA responsible for any rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. (Haaretz)

A law that would prevent negotiators from releasing Palestinian prisoners during peace talks was delayed on 1 June by Prime Minister Netanyahu and deferred to the Cabinet for approval, just before a Knesset vote was expected to pass the law. (Ynetnews)

Palestinian student movements in Israel have organized two separate rallies in solidarity with hundreds of Palestinian hunger strikers inside Israeli jails. (MEMO)

PLO factions in Jenin decided to organize a march and declared a strike in which all stores and shops of the city will be closed to support prisoners on hunger strike. (Ma’an News Agency)

A Palestinian man was killed by Israeli security forces after allegedly opening fire at Israeli security personnel at the Tapuah Junction, in the northern West Bank. (The Jerusalem Post)

The US State Department said that it had no intention of cutting off financial aid to the new Palestinian Government, noting that the Ministers “appear to be technocratic…” The US “will be judging this Government by its actions.” (The Jerusalem Post)

Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer posted a message on his Facebook page expressing the Israeli Government’s “deep disappointment” with the US Government’s stance on the new Palestinian Government. (The Jerusalem Post) 

Israel’s Deputy Minister of Defence Danny Danon called on the US Congress to cut aid to the Palestinians. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Israeli Government announced that it would bar members of the new Government from moving freely between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It decided to act against the participation of “terrorist organizations” in elections, to authorize the Prime Minister to impose additional sanctions on the PA, to hold the PA responsible for attacks originating in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to “form a team to consider ways of action given the new reality.” (Haaretz, www.pmo.gov.il)

The Turkish Government issued a statement noting that “the unity of the Palestinian people is essential for permanent peace in the region. Therefore, we call on the international community to support the new Government in Palestine”. (Alray)

Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh said Hamas “…will work hard to ensure success for the unity Government,” …adding that “reconciliation does not mean ending the split, but it means partnership and building a Palestinian leadership for all the Palestinians.” (Xinhua net)

The EU issued a statement welcoming the new Palestinian Government, noting that the EU’s engagement with it will be based on its adherence to the two-State solution, to the recognition of Israel’s legitimate right to exist, to non-violence and to the respect of previous agreements. “The process of Palestinian reconciliation faces many challenges but it also creates new opportunities for the peace process,” said the statement. (eeas.europa.eu)

China welcomed the new Palestinian Government. (People’s Daily Online)

US Congressman Eric Cantor, the number two Republican in the House of Representatives, said that the US Government and Congress should suspend aid to PA, while they assess the new unity Government. (Ynetnews)

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov announced that President Abbas was planning on visiting Moscow in June for meetings with Russian officials, including President Putin. (The Voice of Russia)

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal is expected to visit Russia in June, the group said. (The Middle East Monitor)

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society sixty Palestinian prisoners in Israel’s Eshel prison, who are currently on hunger strike, were being held in solitary confinement. (Ma’an News Agency)

According to an article in the Financial Times, a UK Government-funded watchdog will investigate G4S, one of the world’s leading security contractors, on suspicion of having profited from Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. (The Jerusalem Post)

The newly sworn in Palestinian Minister of Public Works and Housing Mufeed al-Hasayna announced that new housing projects would be launched in the coming weeks. (Alray)

At the meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Committee’s Chairman Amb. Abdou Salam Diallo congratulated the Palestinians on their unity Government and pledged the Committee’s support. (www.un.org)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed “on the basis of assurances provided both publicly and to the United Nations, the announcement by President Mahmoud Abbas of the formation of a Government of national consensus headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah”. (UN Spokesperson)

3

On 3 June, Israeli naval boats fired rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City while fishing within the permitted zone imposed by Israel. Several boats were damaged but no injuries were reported. (WAFA)

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said, “We welcome yesterday’s announcement on the formation of a new interim technocratic government for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a government committed to peace is a necessary condition for resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict.” (www.gov.uk)

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said, “Switzerland welcomes the formation of the Palestinian National Consensus Government of independent personalities, on the basis of the reconciliation agreement between the PLO and Hamas reached on 23 April 2014. Switzerland has consistently underlined that Palestinian unity is a necessary condition for a just and lasting peace and the creation of an independent, viable, contiguous and democratic Palestinian state.” (www.eda.admin.ch) 

Italy’s Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini assured that Italy would “fully support” the new Palestinian Government led by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. (www.esteri.it)

PLO Executive Committee member Hanna Amirah said Israel had officially notified the Palestinian Authority that it had put into effect sanctions against the Palestinians in response to the swearing-in of the unity government, including the invalidation of VIP cards of PA officials, reduction of tax revenues to be delivered to the PA and prevention of visits between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli army demolished several structures in Hizma, east of Jerusalem, and in Silwan in East Jerusalem. (IMEMC) 

Israeli forces arrested six Palestinians, including a minor, in Hebron, Salfit and Jenin. (WAFA)

Haaretz reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu had instructed the security cabinet to speed up discussions on the bill that would allow the force-feeding of Palestinian hunger strikers. (Haaretz)

4

Prime Minister Hamdallah received several delegations from Europe, Arab countries, Latin America and Africa, as well as the head of the office of the Quartet Representative at his office in Ramallah. He renewed the Palestinian Government’s call on the international community to intervene and exert pressure on Israel to hold elections in East Jerusalem, stressing that the Government would not be able to guarantee free and democratic elections without East Jerusalem. (WAFA)

President Abbas handed an official letter to the head of the Central Elections Commission, Hanna Nasser, calling on the Commission to prepare for holding presidential and legislative elections after six months. (WAFA)

Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza after it had been open for three days. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli authorities embarked on building new housing units to expand the “Eliezer” settlement, south of Bethlehem. (WAFA)

Israeli settlers severely beat up a Palestinian youth in East Jerusalem. He sustained bruises all over his body and was injured in his eye. (WAFA)

Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog called the US and EU recognition of the new Palestinian Government an “avalanche against Israel’s foreign policy,” reflecting Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Liberman’s failure to understand the international arena. (The Jerusalem Post)

EU Representative John Gatt-Rutter, stressed the EU’s support for the new Palestinian unity Government during a meeting with Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. (MEMO)

The Bureau of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People issued a statement welcoming the formation of the Government of national consensus of the State of Palestine. (un.org)

The Australian Government will no longer refer to East Jerusalem as an occupied territory; this decision emerged in a statement released by Attorney-General George Brandeis after a Senate hearing. (Haaretz) 

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), FAO, UNRWA and WFP issued a joint press release stating that food insecurity in Palestine remained at very high levels, with a third of Palestinian households, or 1.6 million people – food insecure. (PNN)

Desmond Tutu, and several other notable figures including film directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, philosopher Noam Chomsky and prominent lawyer Michael Mansfield, wrote an open letter to G4S management, published in the Guardian, demanding the company stop supplying equipment to Israeli prisons. (The Guardian)

5

Senior diplomatic sources told NY-based news website BuzzFeed that the US has held secret talks with Hamas for the past six months. The US Administration denied the allegations as unfounded. (Ynetnews)

Hamas handed control of two Ministries in Gaza to the new unity Government. (The Jerusalem Post)

President Abbas will seek to secure an Egyptian role in supervising reconciliation with Hamas in an upcoming trip to Cairo to attend President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi’s inauguration. (Ma’an News Agency)

The EU contributed €15.5 million to the PA for the payment of salaries and pensions for almost 70,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the month of May. (eeas.europa.eu)

160 settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Mughrabi Gate protected by Israeli police. (Alray)

Palestinians demanded that Washington take “serious steps” against Israeli settlement building, after Israel announced plans to build 1,500 new settler homes. PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat called on the international community to boycott settlement products, divest from companies involved in the Israeli occupation and to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. (The Jerusalem Post, Voice of Russia) 

US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro voiced Washington’s opposition to Israel’s plans to approve construction of thousands of new settlement units. (The Jerusalem Post)

The EU, expressing its deep disappointment, recalled that the “EU Foreign Affairs Council has reaffirmed its commitment to fully and effectively implement existing legislation in relation to settlements.” (Haaretz)

Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog responded to Israel’s settlement decision saying Prime Minister Netanyahu was gambling with the future of Israel. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said the new tenders were “a diplomatic mistake”. (The Jerusalem Post)

The UN Secretary-General called on Israel to heed the calls of the international community to freeze settlement activity and abide by its commitments under international law and the Road Map. (UN Spokesperson)

The PLO is to appeal to the Security Council over Israel’s settlement construction, said PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli Cabinet held a meeting to discuss recommendations of the Shamgar commission regarding possible prisoners swap deals in the future. The Shamgar commission was formed by Ehud Barak in 2010 to propose a specific policy on future prisoners’ exchange deals. (Alray)

Gravely concerned about the reported worsening health of more than 75 Palestinian detainees on hunger strike now in hospital protesting Israel’s continued use of administrative detention, the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices urged Israel to end the practice and heed the “desperate plea” of prisoners to be told what they are accused of so they can mount a defence. (UN News Centre)

B’Tselem issued a statement explaining that Israel exploits the Oslo Accords to over control West Bank lands. (btselem.org) 

The Elders group of former world leaders welcomed the Palestinian unity Government, said a press release. (WAFA)

There were scuffles in Gaza after the unity Government paid May salaries to the pre-June 2007 PA employees, but not to the thousands of Hamas authorities’ employees. Banks had to close and the police had to intervene. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP that “discrimination” had taken place. Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said that he had secured a pledge from the leader of Qatar to temporarily fund the payments. (BBC, Ma’an News Agency, MEMO, Xinhua)

Jerusalem has been picked as the capital of Islamic tourism for 2016 by the OIC, a Palestinian minister said. Mahmoud Habbash, Minister of Religious Affairs, said the decision was another step towards breaking Israel’s siege of Islamic holy sites. (Haaretz)

France condemned the Israeli authorities’ decision to issue calls for tenders for the construction of almost 1,500 homes. (diplomatie.gov.fr)

Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to unfreeze planning for 1,800 housing units in the settlements that had been frozen the last three months, in addition to the 1,500 tenders announced earlier. (Haaretz)

Nabil Rudeineh, spokesman of Palestinian President, said in a press release that Israel must realize that its settlement activities are rejected, warning of an unprecedented response to such policies. (Xinhua)

6

Israeli police raided the East Jerusalem studios of Palestine TV and briefly detained three staff for questioning, a spokeswoman said. Israeli Public Radio said police suspected Palestine TV of broadcasting “incitements to violence.” (The Daily Star)

 “Israel came to the same decision as [US] did – that there is an interest in continuing to deal and work with this interim Government on a practical level,” US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said. Shapiro, in an Israel Radio interview, stressed that Israel transferred NIS 500,000 in tax revenue to the PA on the very day that the interim Government was sworn in. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli Defence Minister Ya’alon told foreign military attaches: “Abbas cannot control Gaza after signing the reconciliation agreement with Hamas, we are demanding that he disarm it … If he fails to do so, then this reconciliation is just a hoax, meant to delude public opinion.” (IMEMC)

Prime Minister of Turkey Erdogan congratulated President Abbas on the formation of the unity Government and invited him to visit Turkey. (WAFA)

Prime Minister Netanyahu will convene a team of Ministers on 8 June to discuss additional countermeasures against the unity Government. They will discuss new sanctions against the PA as well as political alternatives such as the annexation of settlement blocs, advocated by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett. (Haaretz)

“The German Government is very worried about this [settlement expansion] report,” spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz said. (The Jerusalem Post)

“I deplore the decisions taken by the Israeli authorities on 4 June to expand a number of illegal settlements, many of which are deep within the West Bank, and in East Jerusalem,” said UK Foreign Secretary William Hague. (www.gov.uk) 

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is to formally sign the EU-Israel Horizon 2020 scientific research agreement during his upcoming visit to Israel. After lengthy negotiations, it was agreed the EU would append an agreement to stop research funds serving settlement institutions, while Israel would add its own appendix stating non-recognition of the new settlement guidelines. (The Daily Star)

Some 70 hunger-striking prisoners from Nafha prison were sent to several different jails recently in what they say is an attempt to isolate them from each other and the rest of the prisoners, the Prisoner’s Society told Ma’an. (Ma’an News Agency)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about reports regarding the deteriorating health of Palestinian administrative detainees who have been on hunger strike for over a month. He reiterates his long-standing position that administrative detainees should be charged or released without delay. (UN Spokesperson)

In cooperation with the General Union of Palestinian Communities in Europe and Palestinian Prisoner Club, the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs is holding an international conference on Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli prisons in Budapest. (WAFA)

The Israeli Medical Association has urged members not to participate in force-feeding prisoners. (The Times of Israel)

At least ten protesters were injured across the West Bank and East Jerusalem when Israeli authorities sought to disperse dozens of Palestinians engaged in demonstrations marking the 47th anniversary of the Nakba. (IMEMC)

Under the protection of Israeli police approximately 160 settlers marched through the courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque. (IMEMC)

Several Palestinians sustained injuries and/or suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation after clashes with Israeli soldiers in front of the Ofer Israeli Prison, west of Ramallah. (IMEMC)

7

Israeli Navy boats opened fire at Palestinian fisher boats in the al-Sodania area, northwest of Gaza. (IMEMC)

Israeli gunboats stopped and then detained three fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

Several residents of Silwad town, near Ramallah, managed to force Israeli soldiers out of their home, which the army had broken into on 6 June. (IMEMC) 

Israeli forces briefly detained the Governor of Hebron, Kamel Hmaid, in Hebron. (IMEMC, WAFA) 

Israeli soldiers invaded Zabbouba town, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hurling gas bombs and as a result causing several family members to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation. One elderly Palestinian man was detained. (IMEMC)

Palestinian officials announced that they would ask Arab and Muslim countries to re-evaluate relations with Australia after Canberra had dropped the term “occupied” when referring to East Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency) In addition, on 8 June the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs summoned the Australian Representative to Palestine Tom Wilson over recent remarks by Australian Attorney-General George Brandis in which the latter said that the country would stop referring to East Jerusalem as “occupied.” (The

Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon called on the Israeli Government to assert its control over the Gaza Strip and disarm the Hamas movement, along with other armed resistance groups. (IMEMC)

The Executive Committee of the Fourteenth session of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (AIPU) affirmed its robust support for the inter-Palestinian conciliation and the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to establish an independent state. (Alray)

A Palestinian suffered a serious head injury after Israeli soldiers opened fire at non-violent protesters in the al-Eesawiyya town. (Ma’an News Agency)

8

A top Egyptian, government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Egypt was willing to permanently open the Rafah crossing provided the Palestinian National Unity Government supervised it. (Ma’an News Agency)

A Palestinian fisherman, who had been shot by the Israeli navy two weeks ago, died of his wounds. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces arrested six Palestinians across the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to witness accounts. (WAFA)

Palestinian Authority security forces detained 16 Hamas supporters and issued summons to seven others across the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian university student as he sought to pass a checkpoint in the northern West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

Pope Francis hosted a joint peace prayer in the Vatican with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a symbolic gesture aimed at fostering dialogue. (The Jerusalem Post, Ma’an News Agency)

President Mahmoud Abbas called for a “comprehensive and just peace” with Israel at a joint prayer with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Pope Francis. (Ma’an News Agency)

During a meeting in Rome President Mahmoud Abbas and his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano discussed the latest developments in the Middle East peace process. (WAFA

President Mahmoud Abbas concluded an official two-day visit to Egypt, during which he attended the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. (WAFA)

Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid threatened to bring down the Israeli Government should Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyuhu’s attempt to annex Jewish-only West Bank settlements. (Ynetnews)

Banks in the Gaza Strip remained closed as a result of a financial dispute, which began earlier in the week. The dispute threatened to undermine confidence in the newly formed Palestinian Unity Government. (Ma’an News Agency)

A spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of supporting terrorism by encouraging Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian civilians and property. (WAFA)

In a speech during the 14th annual international conference on security and policy in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, the President of the European Commission Manuel Barroso noted that Palestinian unity deal with the Hamas movement must be supported. (Ma’an News Agency)

The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories issued a statement urging Israel to respond to the “desperate plea” of the 120 hunger striking prisoners by either charging them with a crime or releasing them. (IMEMC)

Jawad Bolous, chief attorney for the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society warned that the health condition of at least thirteen hunger-striking prisoners had deteriorated immensely. They suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Government of Japan expressed concern over newly published Israeli tenders for the construction of 1500 housing units in in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. (WAFA)

The Israeli cabinet approved an amendment to a law that would give Israeli courts power to prevent Israel’s President from granting clemency or shortening the jail term of anyone imprisoned for murder. The amendment, still needs to be approved by the Israeli Parliament before becoming law. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Government of Norway announced that it had transferred the second of three tranches of its general budget support to the Palestinian Authority for 2014. (WAFA)

International Media Rights group Reporters Without Borders said it was “outraged” by an Israeli police raid on the offices of a Palestinian media agency last week. (Ma’an News Agency)

A one-day strike by shops across the West Bank in support of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike was widely observed in Tulkarem and Ramallah. (Ma’an News Agency)

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry held a joint meeting in Gaza City with Palestinian Minister of Women’s Affairs Haifa al-Agha, Minister of Labor Mamoun Abu Shahla, Minister of Justice Salim al-Saqqa, and Mufeed al-Hasayneh, the new minister of public works and housing. (The Jerusalem Post, Ma’an News Agency)

European Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso said during a speech at the Herzliya Security Conference in Jerusalem: “In the interest of a future peace deal and of a legitimate and representative government, intra-Palestinian reconciliation under the principles set out in President Abbas’ speech in Cairo in May 2011 … should be supported. … Palestinian reconciliation, if undertaken in accordance with these principles, must not be considered a hindrance to continued negotiations. On the contrary, reconciliation is actually a condition for the successful implementation of a two-state solution.” (http://europa.eu)

9

According to security sources, Israeli forces arrested ten Palestinians in the West Bank governorates of Hebron, Tulkarem and Jenin. (WAFA) 

Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned two-story house in the town of Far’un, south of Tulkarem, displacing a family of 13 members. (WAFA, Ma’an News Agency)

In its Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 29 May-04 June 2014, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) noted that Israeli forces had killed a Palestinian civilian at Za’atrah checkpoint, south of Nablus, and wounded two Palestinian civilians in occupied Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency)

According to Israeli media reports, a Palestinian rocket, which had been fired from Gaza, landed in an open area next to the beach in Ashkelon. No injuries were reported. (The Jerusalem Post)

According to witness accounts, Israeli forces opened fire on the central Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Palestinian Government vowed to appeal to the UN Security Council over Israel’s settlement construction, after the Israeli Government invited tenders for another 1,500 settler homes. (Hurriyet Daily News)

Israel launched an international diplomatic campaign aimed at putting pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the new Palestinian Unity Government to assert its control over the Gaza Strip. (Haaretz)

The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman noted that factions within the Israeli Government were at odds over how to move forward with regard to the West Bank. He stressed the need for the Government to adopt a common policy in that regard. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israel’s Shin Bet security service urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to negotiate with hunger-striking Palestinian administrative detainees. (Ma’an News Agency)

According to the Israeli Justice Ministry, Israeli prosecutors charged two young Israelis with a racially inspired attack in 2013 on dozens of Palestinian-owned vehicles in a village just outside Jerusalem. (Ynetnews, Ma’an News Agency)

The deaths of two Palestinian teenagers during a protest last month in the West Bank might constitute an Israeli war crime, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah commended the efforts undertaken by UNRWA in support of Palestinian refugees, particularly in the Gaza Strip. (WAFA) 

The Knesset gave initial approval to a law to enable the force-feeding of Palestinian prisoners on a hunger strike. (Reuters)

Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinians in Hebron, Tulkarm and Jenin. (WAFA)

The two-day International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East was opened in Tokyo. (UN News Centre)

Legislation that would permit authorities to seek a court order to force medical treatment on prisoners whose health was at serious risk passed the first of the four Knesset votes needed to become law. The measure, which is opposed by the Israeli Medical Association representing doctors, is backed by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Government. (Ynetnews)

10

MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) was elected Israel’s 10th President. (Haaretz)

Israeli soldiers attacked and detained Palestinians, including summer camp children, trying to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque. The soldiers used pepper-spray against employees of the Waqf and Islamic Endowment Department. (IMEMC)

Israeli military bulldozers razed large areas of Palestinian-owned land in the Wadi Al-Joz neighbourhood in Jerusalem. (WAFA)

Israeli forces detained four Palestinians during overnight arrest raids in Jenin and Hebron. (Ma’an News Agency)

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip fell on an open area in Israel. No injuries or damages were reported. (Ynetnews)

President Abbas condemned the rocket fire and demanded that all Palestinian factions comply with the December 2012 Gaza ceasefire. He called on those responsible “not to give Israel any pretext to continue its attacks on Gaza.” (The Jerusalem Post) 

Israeli soldiers attacked a solidarity march with Palestinian hunger strikers; one Palestinian was injured with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the head. (Alray)

A delegation of European diplomats headed by John Gatt-Rutter, the EU representative to the West Bank and Gaza, travelled to the Gaza Strip to meet the Gaza-based Ministers of the new unity Government. The meeting was also an opportunity to send “a political message that we support the national consensus Government,” an EU official said. (dailystar.com.lb)

Speaking in a meeting in Gaza, Hamas’ senior leader Moussa Abu-Marzouq said that his movement would overcome all obstacles in the way of Palestinian national unity. He reiterated that the main goal of the reconciliation was to form a Government that represents all Palestinians. (middleeastmonitor.com)

President Abbas appealed to members of the UN Security Council calling on them to intervene in the crisis over the Palestinian administrative detainees who have been on a hunger strike for nearly two months. The letter was also delivered to countries in the EU, Brazil, South Africa and India. The letter states that Israel use of administrative detention clearly violates international law and strongly objects to proposed Israeli legislation allowing the force-feeding of hunger strikers. (Haaretz)

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said that his Government is committed to all the agreements signed with the international organizations and is ready to facilitate the UN work in Palestine. During a meeting with UNODC Executive Director Yuri Fedotov, Hamdallah expressed his hope that the new UN anti-crime programme achieves success. (Alray)

Banks in the Gaza Strip reopened, after being closed for 6 days following protests by civil servants demanding unpaid salaries. The unity Government formed a committee to solve the crisis between Hamas and Fatah concerning the unpaid salaries of thousands of Hamas-hired civil servants. Hamas security forces meanwhile confiscated credit-card facilities from businesses in the Gaza Strip in protest, impacting the operations of banks. (The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah expressed gratitude at a Cabinet meeting to all States that welcomed the formation of the new Government of national consensus and confirmed their position to work with and support it. He also criticized the Israeli Government’s insistence on opposing the will of the international community regarding the new Government. (WAFA)

11

An autopsy performed on the body of a Palestinian teenager killed last month during Nakba Day clashes near the Ofer Prison concluded that the 17-year-old had been killed by live fire. (Ma’an News Agency)

“The International community is unable to lift the iniquity against Palestinian people,” Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi said before the Third EU-LAS Foreign Affairs Ministerial meeting. He added, “the world has to make efforts to end the Israeli occupation,” stating that it was the last illegal colonial occupation of the 21^st century. The Ministerial held in Athens 10-11 June, concluded with a joint declaration stressing the importance of finding a just solution to the Palestinian question. (Alray, eeas.europe.eu) 

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture is taking steps to protect Palestinian farmers and ensure their ability to sell products but has no intention to ban the sale of Israeli products, a ministry official said. (WAFA)

Adalah-Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel sent a letter to State Attorney Shai Nitzan demanding that he orders the Israel Prison Services to allow hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners to have family visits and greater movement rights per day. (The Jerusalem Post) 

Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon told the Knesset that the army plans to continue expelling Palestinians from military firing zones in Area C of the West Bank, which is under total Israeli control. (Haaretz) 

Gaza’s public sector union suspended protests that had paralyzed the local economy and threatened the deal on the Palestinian unity Government but said it would resume. (The Jerusalem Post)

Operation Dove, the Nonviolent Peace Corps of the association Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII launched the 12^th annual ten-day Summer Camp for children living in the South Hebron Hills villages. (WAFA)

Adverts from a local non-profit group, Ads Against Apartheid, highlighting Israeli violations of Palestinian rights have gone up in Boston’s subway system. (MEMO)

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu declared that the BDS movement against Israeli products and universities was a new anti-Semitic activity. (PNN) 

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said that the association would continue to mediate to find a solution to the dispute regarding Israeli travel restrictions on players of the Palestinian Football Association. (Ynetnews)

Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon blasted Israel’s chief negotiator, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni for reportedly meeting in London with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki despite Israel’s decision not to continue negotiations with the new Palestinian unity Government backed by Hamas. Walla news! website posted an exclusive photo showing Livni and Malki conversing in London on the side-lines of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence. The website reported that the two discussed options for the renewal of the peace talks, as well as the recent announcement of plans to build additional 1,500 housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The report further stated that Livni had also conducted phone conversations with several Palestinian officials recently, including head of intelligence services Majed Farag, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and Fatah official Jibril Rajoub. (The Jerusalem Post, xinhuanet.com)

The exhibition, “People, Book, Land: The 3500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People with the Holy Land” telling the history of the Jewish People in the Middle East, from the biblical patriarch Abraham to the present-day State of Israel was officially opened at UNESCO Headquarters, after being postponed in January due to claims by Arab member countries that exhibition could hinder peace negotiations. Israel, Canada, United States and Montenegro co-sponsored the exhibition. (Ynetnews.com)

West Bank-based Al-Ayyam news group announced that it stopped printing Falastin, Al-Resala and Al-Istiqlal after the IDF threatened to close its offices. The army had no immediate comment. Israeli soldiers on 28 May had raided Al-Ayyam’s offices and issued similar threats. (Ynetnews.com)

12

An autopsy was due to be performed today on the body of a Palestinian teenager killed last month in an incident that a human rights group said constituted an Israeli war crime. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as well as unrest in the Middle East will be the focus of the third meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the EU and the Arab League taking place in Athens. (voiceofrussia.com) 

The Israeli Health Ministry last week placed stringent restrictions on visits to hospitalized detainees by private doctors, rejecting dozens of requests from Doctors for Human Rights. (Haaretz)

Hamas’ Deputy Political Bureau Chief Moussa Abu-Marzouq said that the PA had crossed all red lines when its security forces in the West Bank broke up [Hamas-sponsored] protests attended by the families of prisoners on hunger strike, and 2 members of the PLC. (middleeastmonitor.com)

The twenty-second International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East organized by DPI concluded today in Tokyo, with two interactive panel discussions that explored Japanese media coverage of events in that region, as well as the use of innovative visual tools to tell stories conveying the stark realities faced by Palestinians and Israelis alike. (www.un.org)

The Gaza Strip is facing a fuel shortage due to the bank shutdown and the failure to transfer the required funds to Ramallah. (Alray)

Khalid Abu Ghali, a spokesman for the Palestinian Environmental Authority, reported that over 50 percent of beaches along the Gaza Strip are not fit for swimming, mainly due to the lack of quality sewage treatment. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel has refused to grant prominent Palestinian businessman Munib al-Masri a permit to visit the Gaza Strip, to oversee arrangements for a conference scheduled to be held in November, whose goal is to encourage Palestinian and other Arab investment in the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

According to a survey by the Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion, more than half of Palestinians oppose new talks with Israel, while 59% of respondents believe the Hamas-Fatah unity will last this time. (Ynetnews)

The South African chapter of the global BDS campaign has welcomed a decision by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to divest $184 million of its holdings in G4S, a British security firm contracted by Israel. (middleeastmonitor.com)

The town of al-’Eesawiyya, in East Jerusalem, remains under tight siege by Israeli military and police for the fifth day. Several Palestinians have been arrested and many assaulted. (IMEMC)

The Palestinian Presidency condemned in a statement the Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip last Wednesday night, which resulted in the killing of a Palestinian and the serious injury of two others. Commenting on the event, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said that Israel would always work to protect its citizens. The IAF struck Gaza targets in reaction to a rocket that was fired into Israel the day before, causing no injuries. (The Jerusalem Post, WAFA)

French President Francois Hollande stressed in a phone call with President Mahmoud Abbas, his country’s support to the new Palestinian consensus Government. He said President Abbas’ decision to hold general elections next autumn will boost the Palestinian position at all different levels, stressing that “it would strengthen their position with the whole international community.” (WAFA)

A Palestinian ministerial committee tasked to examine how to join international conventions is scheduled to convene by the end of June in Ramallah to study submitting letters of accession to more multilateral international treaties. (Ma’an News Agency) 

Head of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Aziz Dweik said that it was a national must for the Palestinian unity Government to obtain the confidence of the PLC. (Alray)

The Israeli Medical Association said it will not be able to offer legal defense to medical doctors accused of force-feeding hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners. (Haaretz) 

Shops in East Jerusalem remained closed in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. (The Daily Star)

Israel decided to freeze some of its settlement expansion plans amid criticism by Western diplomats. According to Haaretz, the Israeli civil administration, the body in charge of operations in the OPT, will only go ahead with the construction of 381 out of the 1,800 housing units that the Israeli Government decided to advance last week, after the plans were shelved for several months. (Haaretz)

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in a statement upon the UN and the Security Council Members to pressure Israel to stop its “judaization” of Area C. (WAFA)

Dr. Mohammed Dajani, a Palestinian professor who touched off a maelstrom of controversy by taking a group of students to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in Poland is now at odds with Al-Quds University after the school accepted his resignation. (Ynetnews)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas must dismantle terror groups in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the day after the IAF executed a limited strike on the Strip, killing a Global Jihad-affiliated militant and wounding two civilians. (The Jerusalem Post, WAFA)

Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah, acknowledged in an interview to the New York Times that he still lacked any authority in the Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip and that nothing had yet changed on the ground since the establishment of the new unity Government 10 days prior. Hamdallah, who has been Prime Minister for a year, said he was dissatisfied with his new cabinet, which was selected through negotiations between the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas, the militant Islamic faction that has ruled Gaza since 2007. Asked when he would visit Gaza, Mr. Hamdallah he replied that no specific time had been set yet. (The New York Times)

President Shimon Peres welcomed the establishment of the new Palestinian unity Government, distancing himself from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Government has blasted the move. “Hamas is not part of the Government and it is clear that if they had entered this Government, nobody would have supported it,” said Peres. (Ynetnews.com) 

Russian President’s Envoy for the Middle East and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stated that his country pledges to continue to work with all international actors in order to reach a just solution for the Palestinian question based on internationally-binding resolutions and international law. (WAFA)

A bipartisan group of 88 US Senators expressed their concern to US President Barack Obama over the recent formation of the Palestinian unity Government, saying it represented “a serious setback to efforts to achieve peace.” The Senators also expressed grave concern that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ “renewed effort to upgrade the status of the Palestinians within international organizations will jeopardize direct negotiations with Israel to achieve a two-State solution,” and urged Obama to call on Abbas to cease any alliance with Hamas and resume peace talks with Israel. (Haaretz)

President Mahmoud Abbas stated that the Palestinian leadership maintains close liaison with relevant international actors to save hunger-striking prisoners and end their suffering. “We have instructed our diplomatic missions at the UN and UN Human Rights Council to pressurize Israel to stop the prisoners’ suffering,” stated Abbas during a meeting for the Fatah Advisory Council held at the Presidential headquarters in Ramallah. (WAFA)

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah called upon the international community to exert serious and considerable pressure on Israel to release the administrative prisoners who have been on hunger strike for fifty consecutive days. Hamdallah made these statements during a meeting with Swedish Consul General Axel Wernhoff on the occasion of the end of his official duties at the Prime Minister’s Office in Ramallah. (WAFA)

The Israeli military has sent a large number of military reinforcements to the Hebron district in search of two missing Israeli settlers they fear may have been kidnapped, sources reported. Israeli forces raided a number of homes in the Sanjar area of Dura, a city southwest of Hebron. The Israeli media has apparently still not reported on the incidents, but unofficial sources said that the two settlers disappeared. (Ma’an News Agency)

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Monique Barbut and urged her to increase the UN support to the Palestinian people, especially in water desalination and wastewater reclamation projects aimed at developing the field of irrigation. (WAFA)

Diplomats from countries including Indonesia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia protested to Australia’s Foreign Ministry over its announced policy change to stop referring to East Jerusalem as “occupied.” (The Jerusalem Post)

The Palestinian Presidency expressed deep appreciation, in a statement for a decision made by the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) regarding the formation of an independent committee to monitor the Israeli violations against Palestinian sports. (WAFA)

Palestinian journalists urged the newly-formed national unity Government to respond to Israel’s decision to prohibit the printing and distribution of Gaza-based newspapers in the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

13

Israel this week advanced plans for 1,083 settler homes in the West Bank as part of its response to the newly formed Palestinian Government that is jointly sponsored by Fatah and Hamas. The move follows a Housing Ministry’s publication last week of tenders for 1,500 homes over the pre-1967 lines in West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem. (The Jerusalem Post)

Qatar pledged to transfer $20 million to the Palestinian national unity Government in a bid to offer a short-term solution to a crisis over wages that has plagued the administration since a banking crisis in Gaza last week. (Ma’an News Agency)

Twenty-eight Palestinians were injured and eight detained during clashes that broke out after Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City after Friday prayers. Israeli forces stormed the holy compound after worshipers began marching in support of more than 125 Palestinian administrative detainees who have been on hunger strike for more than 50 days. (Ma’an)

The International Press Institute (IPI) has criticised the Israeli authorities for raiding the studios of a Palestinian broadcaster. Israeli security forces entered the East Jerusalem studios of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) on 6 June and demanded that journalists presenting a segment on hunger-striking Palestinian detainees stop their live broadcast. Two members of staff – director Nader Bebers and cameraman Ashraf Abu Shaweeshand – and a guest on the programme, Ala’ al-Haddad, were arrested. After questioning, the three were later released. “This type of police search represents serious harassment that greatly affects the ability of a media company to cover sensitive issues of public interest,” said IPI’s press freedom manager Barbara Trionfi. (The Guardian)

The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) of The United Methodist Church, which manages an investment portfolio of over $20 billion, has instructed its investment manager to sell immediately all shares in G4S, due in part to concerns about the company’s involvement in human rights violations in the Israeli prison system and the military occupation of Palestinian territories. (IMEMC)

The EU issued a statement expressing great concern about the deteriorating health condition of the Palestinian administrative detainees who have been on a hunger strike for several weeks. The statement also called for the full respect of international human rights obligations towards all Palestinian detainees and prisoners. (eeas.europe.eu)

14

The IDF confirmed that one rocket fired from the Gaza Strip fell in Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned in a statement the abduction of three Israeli students, including two minors, in the West Bank. He expressed solidarity with the families of the abducted and called for their immediate release. (un.org)

A Hamas spokesman said Israel will bear responsibility for any escalation against the Palestinians and their leadership in the West Bank. The Palestinian unity Government condemned Israel for the waves of arrests and the air raids on the Gaza Strip. (Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post)

The Israeli Government is weighing whether to expel senior Hamas officials from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip as a way of pressuring the organization following the kidnapping of the three Israeli teens, officials said. (Haaretz)

The IDF Spokesman’s Office said that during an arrest operation against members of Hamas and other groups in Jalazone, near Ramallah, Palestinians hurled concrete blocks and rocks at soldiers from rooftops and alleys. A soldier shot and killed a Palestinian. (The Jerusalem Post)

Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Abbas in a phone conversation: “I expect you to assist in returning the abducted youths and in apprehending the kidnappers. The Hamas kidnappers came from territory under Palestinian Authority control.” President Abbas condemned the kidnapping. (The Jerusalem Post, WAFA)

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott played down the backlash over Australia’s decision to refer to East Jerusalem as “disputed” rather than “occupied” territory, saying the Government had made only a “terminological clarification” and made no change in policy. He added that Australia strongly supported a two-State solution. He also acknowledged it was an “extremely sensitive” topic, specifying that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop would meet Ambassadors of countries that had raised objections. (The Guardian) 

A number of hunger striking Palestinian prisoners, held in Israeli jails and who are currently hospitalized, were recently moved to an intensive care unit following a grave deterioration in their health condition, reported Jawad Boulos, director of the legal unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs. (WAFA)

A poll, conducted annually for the past six years by a settlers’ organization, showed that support for settlements was dropping, its authors said. Fifty-nine percent of Israelis believe that settlements harm Israel’s relationship with the US. Half of those polled agreed that the budget for the settlements comes at the expense of education and social welfare, and 40 percent believe that settlements are a waste of money. While 12 percent support perpetuating the status quo, 31 percent would support a partial or full annexation of the West Bank, and 51 percent would support a partial or full disengagement as part of an agreement with the Palestinians. (Haaretz)

Eighty percent of gas stations in Gaza are out of fuel and the other 20 percent have enough for only half a day, following the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing by Israel, the director of the local Gas Station Owners Union said on 14 June. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Presbyterian General Assembly, gathering in Detroit through next week, will consider withdrawing its investments from some companies whose products are used in the Israeli occupation. (Ynetnews)

15

IDF soldiers arrested 140 Palestinians in the West Bank on 14-15 June, including senior Hamas members and Palestinian lawmakers, including Abdel Aziz Dweik (Hamas), PLC speaker, and placed a closure on Hebron and Bethlehem. (Ynetnews)

US Secretary of State John Kerry published a statement on saying that the kidnapping of the 3 Israeli teens was likely undertaken by Hamas: “We are still seeking details on the parties responsible for this despicable terrorist act, although many indications point to Hamas’ involvement.” The US was working with Israel and the PA to try to defuse the latest crisis, the State Department said. (Ynetnews)

Israeli Home Front Defense Minister Gilad Erdan told Channel 2 that PA security forces were “willingly” helping in the search for the three Israeli students. The PA acknowledged the cooperation, drawing Hamas’ censure. (The Jerusalem Post)

Four rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Ashkelon. The Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted two of the rockets; the other two hit open areas. The IAF struck five “terror targets” in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. (The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)

The Egyptian authorities announced that the Rafah crossing will be open from Sunday to Wednesday for pilgrims and humanitarian cases only. (Alray)

16

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met with Representative of Austria to Palestine Leonhard Moll at his office in Ramallah, on the occasion of the end of his official duties. Hamdallah thanked Moll for his efforts in strengthening the diplomatic relations between the two countries and commended his country’s role in supporting developmental projects, especially in the water sector. He added that difficulties preventing Palestinians from investing in “Area C”, undermined the chances of economic progress. (WAFA)

The Israeli Knesset has in recent days been dealing with a new bill to limit the Government’s authority to decide freely on releasing security prisoners. The bill takes away from the Government the option of “freeing terrorists” – an issue that drew harsh criticism during the four-stage release that Israel approved last year as part of diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinians. MK Stern said that, in its history, Israel had handed over 7,500 prisoners for 14 living Israelis and six bodies. Several MKs criticized on 16 June US Secretary of State John Kerry for his role in pressuring Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and Hamas members as part of the recently suspended diplomatic process, resulting in the kidnapping of three Israeli teens,. (The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)

Dozens of international, Israeli and Palestinian activists and doctors held a demonstration outside the Knesset building, in West Jerusalem in protest of the new bill which promotes force-feeding of hunger-striking Palestinian detainees. (IMEMC)

The Israeli Health Ministry claimed that it is not responsible for the decision to tie the hands and feet of hunger-striking prisoners hospitalized in Israel, to the beds around the clock. The Ministry made no reference to a complain earlier submitted by the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah) against not allowing prisoners being hospitalized to leave their beds to use toilets, alleging that it had no knowledge about them. Adalah Attorney said: “tying the hunger-striking prisoners to their beds in hospitals is a form of torture and a degrading treatment”. (WAFA)

The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council held a meeting on the EU financial support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and in its conclusions the Council welcomed the report of the Court of Auditors published in December 2013 on EU Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority through the PEGASE mechanism. The Council welcomed in particular the Court’s Conclusion that the Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) services have succeeded in implementing direct financial support in spite of difficult circumstances, and stated that the financial procedures put in place are robust and that there is no evidence of corruption, mismanagement or diversion of funds. The Council underlined that it is politically important to continue supporting the Palestinian Authority’s decision to pay its workers in the Gaza Strip as a key element of maintaining the PA’s presence in Gaza and the unity of a future State of Palestine. The Council also agreed that, in line with the EU’s objectives in the Middle East Peace Process, PEGASE has fulfilled the aim of making a tangible contribution to the preparation of a two-State solution. (consilium.europa.eu)

17

Israeli forces continue their “Operation Bring Back Our Brothers”, now in its fifth day, with over 200 Palestinians arrested, 41 of which overnight, as the search for the three Israeli teenagers continues. A senior IDF source said forces were now focusing their efforts on Nablus. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said that 46 have been detained in Hebron, 23 in Nablus, 16 in Ramallah, 12 in Jenin, four in Bethlehem, five in Tulkarm, five in Qalqilya, five in Jerusalem, six in Tubas, and two in Salfit.” (Ynetnews, WAFA)

Israeli forces have detained more than 40 Hamas members, the military said, in a West Bank crackdown conducted in tandem with a search for three missing teenagers. Hamas has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for the kidnapping. A retired Israeli General, said the chances of finding them were dwindling, but added that the abductions had provided an opportunity to target Hamas in operations that could sabotage the new Palestinian unity Government. (The Guardian)

Six Palestinians were injured including one critically in clashes with Israeli forces at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah. Israeli forces fired live and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters who threw rocks at Israeli forces deployed near the checkpoint, injuring six of them. Yazan Yacoub, 17, was shot in the chest and abdomen with a live bullet. Hundreds of Palestinians marched toward the checkpoint to protest the killing of young Palestinian from al-Jalazun refugee camp. The injured were taken to hospitals for treatment. (Ma’an)

The Palestinian Ministry of Information in a statement called upon the international community and international human rights organizations to protect the Palestinian people against the “Israeli collective punishment”. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that around 1000 Israeli soldiers participated in the arrest campaign in the West Bank last night. (WAFA, Palestine News Network)

The EU released an official statement condemning the kidnapping of the three Israeli youth in the West Bank and calling for their immediate release. “Such acts can only undermine international efforts to encourage a resumption of peace negotiations. The EU encourages continued close cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian security.” (eeas.europa.eu)

The Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the Gaza Strip overnight after a rocket was launched towards Israel, but failed, on Monday evening. The IAF attack targeted four weapons storage and manufacturing sites, the IDF Spokespersons Office said. No damage or injuries were reported. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Norwegian Government has cancelled a conference of Palestinian Authority donor countries slated to take place in Oslo next week, after Israeli FM Avigdor Liberman asked it to postpone the event due to the tense situation on the ground. (Ha’aretz).

Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded Jenin, violently broke into and searched homes, seized 8 Palestinians and confiscated a vehicle belonging to UNRWA, locals said. (IMEMC)

Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said that the UN has no concrete evidence that the three Israelis were taken captive. He explained that the UN does not have an independent investigation team that can confirm this. (Alray)

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said that regional developments in the Middle East should not overshadow the Palestinian issue. At a meeting with UN Special Coordinator Robert Serry, Judeh reviewed developments in the Middle East and obstacles facing the peace process. (Petra)

The Israeli Cabinet decided to worsen the conditions of Hamas members in Israeli jails. It decided to wage a diplomatic campaign to delegitimize the unity Government. (Haaretz)

The Israeli Cabinet decided to wage a diplomatic campaign to delegitimize the unity Government. (Haaretz)

State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters there was “no change” in the US position on working with the unity Government. (www.state.gov)

Israel’s massive arrest campaign, closure of large parts of West Bank cities, and the recent killing of a Palestinian youth in Jalazone refugee camp constitute collective punishment, Palestinian rights groups said. (Ma’an News Agencies)

18

“Those who carried out the kidnapping want to destroy us,” President Abbas said. Speaking at the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, he made it clear that he has no interest in returning to the days of an intifada. He said Prime Minister Netanyahu took advantage of the kidnapping to operate in PA territories and lay the entire blame on it, despite the fact that the kidnapping was committed in an area not under Palestinian control. (Ynetnews)

Hamas criticized President Abbas for his expressed willingness to cooperate with Israel in locating the abductees. (Ynetnews)

Israel has arrested 64 Hamas members, including 50 released in the Shalit deal. Hamas said 20 of those arrested were PLC members. (The Jerusalem Post)

The IDF raided the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa radio station offices, in Ramallah and Hebron. (Ynetnews)

“The Israeli military has committed crimes against Palestinian civilians under the pretext of the disappearance of three settlers,” said Saudi Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz after meeting President Abbas in Jeddah. The world, he added, should “take responsibility” due to the “dangerous” nature of the escalation. (MEMO)

Israeli military officials said the normal easing of security measures during Ramadan was “liable to be suspended.” (Haaretz)

Israeli Foreign Minister Liberman stated that diplomatic discourse with African nations brought about condemnations of the kidnapping and calls by African leaders for closer cooperation with Israel against terrorism. (The Jerusalem Post)

The petition against shackling hunger striking prisoners to their hospital beds filed by human rights organizations has reached the Israeli Supreme Court. (WAFA)

“The [Jerusalem] municipality approved this morning the construction of 172 apartments in Har Homa,” Jerusalem city councillor Yosef Pepe Alalu of the Meretz party told AFP. The Palestinian Presidency condemned the decision. (AFP, WAFA

Israel informed the PA that it will reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza, according to reports. (Ma’an News Agency)

Prime Minister Netanyahu urged the international community to call on President Abbas to dissolve the unity Government backed by Hamas. Speaking at a press conference alongside Quartet Representative Tony Blair, Netanyahu said, “The brutal abduction of three Israeli teenagers shows the true face of Hamas.” Blair condemned the “wicked and terrible” abduction. (MEMO, The Jerusalem Post)

Fatah official Mahmoud al-Aloul said the kidnapping story was full of inconsistencies and was used by Israel to foil the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian Labour Minister Ma’moun Abu Shahla said his Government will pay the former Gaza Government employees a partial salary before Ramadan. (Alray)

The UAE Red Crescent is to carry out aid projects in the Palestinian territory worth $80 million in 2014 and 2016, a senior official said. (MEMO)

Irish singer Sinead O’Connor is attempting to back out of a scheduled performance in Israel, saying that she was unaware pro-Palestinian groups had called on her to boycott Israel. O’Connor added that she would pull out only if there is no financial penalty. (Haaretz)

Israeli forces shut down two major checkpoints in the northern West Bank, cutting traffic between Nablus and Ramallah while the army continued to deploy heavily across the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

Two rockets fell in Israel. The IDF could not confirm the exact location of the hits, or any damage or injuries. The IAF attacked a number of “terror targets” in the Gaza Strip. According to a Palestinian report, one person was wounded. (The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)

The General Assembly’s Fourth Committee elected on 18 June Mordehai Amihai of Israel as one of its three Vice-Chairs for the upcoming 69^th session. The Palestinian Ministry for Foreign Affairs expressed its “deep disappointment”. (Kuwait News Agency, Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces demolished seven houses in the village of Khallet Forem in the southern Hebron Hills. (IMEMC)

19

The IDF arrested 30 Palestinians in the West Bank, two of whom were former prisoners released in the Gilad Shalit swap. IDF troops also combed 100 homes and public institutions affiliated with Hamas, mostly in the Hebron area, according to Israel Radio. (The Jerusalem Post)

The IDF traded gunfire with Palestinians in Jenin. According to the military there were no reported Israeli casualties. (The Daily Star)

A senior Hamas official, Salah Bardawil, said that the group was capable of starting an intifada, warning of the consequences of continuing pressure on the Palestinians. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni lauded the Palestinian President’s condemnation of the kidnappings of the three Israeli teens. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that President Abbas had to rescind the reconciliation agreement with Hamas to prove his sincerity. (Alray, The Jerusalem Post)

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned statements made by Israeli Deputy Minister of Defence Danny Danon, in which he, along with other Israeli officials, called for further escalation, oppression and brutalization of the Palestinian people. (WAFA)

Foreign ministers from 57 Islamic nations are considering a statement of condemnation over Australia’s apparent decision to refer to East Jerusalem as “disputed” rather than “occupied,” and a call on their Governments to “take necessary action” in response. Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop assured that her Government’s position had not changed, despite the Government changing its description of East Jerusalem. (The Guardian, Ynetnews)

The legal advisor for the Israeli Ministry of Public Security, Yoel Adar, said on 18 June during a meeting of the Knesset Interior Committee that medical practitioners can anaesthetize and force-feed the hunger striking Palestinian prisoners, currently being hospitalized in Israeli hospitals. Recently the Israeli Medical Association warned its members not to force-feed the prisoners on hunger strike, since it violates international treaties. (WAFA)

Qadura Fares, Palestinian Prisoners’ Club Head, urged the international community to uphold its political and legal obligations and to take a strong stance against administrative detention (MEMO, WAFA)

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah called on the Chinese Government to immediately intervene and exert pressure on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, especially those on hunger strike. (WAFA)

Qatar-donated diesel fuel, used to fuel the Gaza Strip’s sole power plant, is to run out on 21 June, officials said. (Alray)

The Palestinian Prime Minister’s Office denied allegations that the Palestinian Government refused to receive the money Qatar promised in order to pay the salaries of Gaza employees. (Alray)

Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip. They had opened it for four days to allow pilgrims and humanitarian cases to cross. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Presbyterian Church USA is set to vote on a resolution recommending divestment from three companies linked to the Israeli military, after its Middle East Issues Committee backed the call and sent it to plenary. The vote calls to divest holdings worth $21 million from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions. (MEMO)

Twenty New York human rights advocates protested at NBC’s Today Show and NBC’s headquarters at Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan, chanting and holding signs calling on NBC to stop filming its new archaeological drama DIG in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem with support and funding from the Israeli Government. (WAFA) 

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon signed a decree banning [UK-based] Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) from operating in the West Bank, accusing it of funnelling cash to Hamas. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Israeli ambassador to Italy attacked the European Union for supporting the Palestinian government of national unity in light of the disappearance of three Israeli youths last week, accusing them of supporting “kidnapping.” Ambassador Naor Gilon said in a statement published by several Italian media that “the European Union is ignoring the conditions it placed on itself in recognizing Hamas.” (Ma’an News Agency)

Some three hundred Palestinians threw stones at IDF soldiers and burned tires in the West Bank city of Tulkarm. The soldiers used riot dispersal methods on the crowd and fired warning shots in the air during the clash. (The Jerusalem Post)

Flanked by the Defence Minister and IDF Chief of Staff, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would continue with “Operation bring back our Brothers” until the three missing teens were returned, and again said it viewed Hamas as behind the abduction. Meanwhile, Hamas held a press conference of its own and promised to “rain hell on Israel,” should the operation continue, slamming Abbas for aiding Israel in its search for the missing teens. (Ynetnews)

In a statement released the Egyptian Foreign Ministry renewed its condemnation of the IDF operations and expressed deep concern about the repercussions of its continuity, affirming its full support for the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership. It said it held the Israeli authorities responsible for any consequences that may result from the military operations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (middleeastmonitor.com)

Israeli MK Ahmed Tibi responded to the ongoing IDF operation to find the three missing boys in the West Bank and the death of a Palestinian teenager overnight, saying that “the Israeli government is exploiting a tragic event and committing ongoing war crimes in the occupied territories.” (The Jerusalem Post)

An accidental explosion killed six members of Hamas, in a tunnel under the Israeli border, Palestinian officials said. (Ynetnews) 

Israeli opposition MKs support a bill to ensure that prisoners released in negotiations and prisoner exchanges in the past or slated to be released in the future will not be considered pardoned if they are convicted of new crimes, according to legislation submitted by Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman.

At least five Palestinians were injured, one seriously, by Israeli soldiers invading the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. The soldiers also arrested around 25 Palestinians. (IMEMC)

20

A Palestinian youth succumbed to his wounds sustained in overnight clashes with security forces, according to Palestinian news agency Ma’an. A fifteen-year-old wounded during overnight raids was also pronounced dead earlier this morning. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Israel Air Force struck five sites in Gaza overnight for the second time in 24-hours in retaliation for rockets fired earlier in the evening by Palestinian terrorists in the Strip. A Gaza health official said six Palestinians were wounded in the strike, according to Palestinian news agency Ma’an. (The Jerusalem Post)

Two rockets launched from Gaza fell in Palestinian territory, the IDF said. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki accused Israel of overreacting in its response to three missing teenagers and demanded Israeli prime Minister Netanyahu to present evidence that Hamas was behind their disappearance.(Ynetnews)

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, in a statement, expressed his deep concern about reports that Israeli security operations in the West Bank since the abduction of three Israeli students have resulted in over 300 Palestinians arrested, many injured, and three Palestinians killed. The Special Coordinator is concerned that without restraint from all sides in these dramatic circumstances, it will become even more difficult to address an already critical security situation on the ground. (www.un.org)

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) and the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in separate statements that electing Israel to the Vice-presidency of the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee which addresses political decolonisation issues contradicts the Commission’s principles. (middleeastmonitor.com)

The village of Battir south of Jerusalem, renowned for 2000-year-old terraced plots and ancient olive trees, has been named a “World Heritage Site in Danger“ by a UNESCO committee meeting today in Qatar. The status will disrupt Israeli plans to divide the occupied village with the separation wall (mondoweiss.com, unesco.org)

Israel’s public prosecution transferred seven Palestinian prisoners released in a 2011 swap deal to Haifa’s central court for re-trial, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said. (Ma’an News Agency)

The police decided to limit the entry to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, following information that there would be disruptions. Throughout the day, only Muslim worshipers over the age of 50 with Israeli IDs were permitted to enter the holy site. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Council (PHROC) in a statement condemned Israel’s disregard for its obligations under international law and its use of reprisals against the Palestinian population in carrying out its investigations into the disappeared youths. PHROC calls upon High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to uphold their obligation to ensure respect for the Conventions as established under Common Article 1, by taking concrete measures to pressure Israel to halt its violations of international law. (IMEMC)

The President of the Union of European Football Associations Michel Platini decided on 11 June to form a neutral committee to monitor Israeli violations against the Palestinian football team, Deputy Director of International Relations at the Palestinian Federation of Football Muna Dabdoub said in an exclusive interview with the Anadolu news agency. The committee will submit its report during FIFA’s executive committee meeting in December. (middleeastmonitor.com)

Three young Palestinian men were shot and seriously injured by Israeli army fire during clashes that had broken out after soldiers invaded the Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem. (IMEMC)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon conveyed to Prime Minister Netanyahu on the telephone his sympathy for the abducted Israeli teenagers and deep solidarity with their families. The Secretary-General also expressed concern over the increased violence, mass arrests, and restrictions on movement in the West Bank. (UN News Centre) 

The Israeli military demolished the home of a Hamas political bureau member, Saleh al-Arouri, in the village of Aroura, north of Ramallah. (IMEMC)

Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said OHCHR continued to follow closely the situation of Palestinian hunger strikers protesting Israel’s ongoing practice of administrative detention. She also said the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner had repeatedly stated that administrative detainees should be charged or released without delay. (www.unog.ch)

21

Israeli troops shot and injured two Palestinian teenagers and physically assaulted a female reporter during raids in several neighbourhoods in Nablus. (Ma’an News Agency)

Three rockets from Gaza exploded in open areas in southern Israel. No one was hurt. (Ynetnews)

The Israeli Air Force launched a series of air strikes across the Gaza Strip targeting four Palestinian militant bases. There were no injuries. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers stationed in military towers at the northern Gaza border opened fire into an area east of Jabalia, wounding two Palestinians. (IMEMC)

A 17-year-old Palestinian boy died after stepping on a landmine in the northern Jordan Valley. (Ma’an News Agency)

A Palestinian man in his 60s died of a heart attack during an argument with Israeli troops who had broken into his house in the village of Haris in the northern West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said UN Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry could be declared persona non grata for offering to help transfer Qatari funds to the Gaza Strip. Mr. Serry rejected the allegations in a statement. (Ynetnews, www.unsco.org)

22

Israeli border police shot to death a 26-year-old Palestinian man in a refugee camp near Nablus after he allegedly charged at the troops. A senior IDF official said later that the man was mentally unstable. During a clash in Ramallah, Israeli troops shot to death a Palestinian man, who was standing on a rooftop. (Haaretz)

The Israeli Justice Ministry circulated a new law to make it possible to convict and punish suspects of throwing rocks at passing cars even if the State could not prove they had intended to damage cars or injure passengers. (Haaretz)

The Israeli army stormed the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem and sprayed waste water into a mosque and on homes, provoking clashes. Soldiers fired tear gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at the residents. No injuries were reported. (WAFA)

Israeli planes launched a series of air strikes targeting several locations in the Gaza Strip, causing property damage but no injuries. (WAFA)

Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians in Al-Bireh near Ramallah and injured one as they gathered for the funeral of a man killed by Israeli forces earlier in the day. In another incident, settlers opened fire at Palestinians working at a quarry north-west of Ramallah, without causing injuries. (Ma’an News Agency)

23

Israeli military vehicles entered the Al-Shajaiya neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City and opened fire, without causing injuries. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli army said it had detained 37 Palestinians in the West Bank overnight as it searched for the three missing teenagers. The army also said it had detained 361 people since the teenagers went missing on 12 June. (Reuters)

Settlers punctured the tires of 12 Palestinian vehicles in Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem. They also sprayed “Death to Arabs” and “Revenge” on a school bus and another vehicle. (Ma’an News Agency) 

The IDF plans to issue about 200 new administrative detention orders to Palestinians detained during the operation to find the three missing teenagers. There are about 200 prisoners in Israeli prisons today under administrative detention, 80 of whom are conducting a hunger strike in protest over their detention. (Haaretz)

Israeli security services figures indicate that 55 Palestinians who had been released in exchange for Gilad Shalit have been arrested since the start of the operation in search for the missing Israelis. (Haaretz)

A Turkish pathologist claimed in an expert opinion submitted to an Israeli court that Arafat Jaradat, who died in Israeli detention in February 2013, had been beaten before dying. (Haaretz)

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman briefed the Security Council on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. (UN News Centre)

British Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed his deep concern over the death of two Palestinians in West Bank. (WAFA)

Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed President Abbas’ condemnation of the kidnapping for the first time, saying that if President Abbas really condemned the kidnapping, he was obligated to end his ‘pact’ with Hamas. (ynetnews)

The Palestinian Minister for Foreign Affairs Riyad Malki stated that the Israeli offensive in the West Bank was aimed at unsettling security and stability in the Palestinian territories and may lead to a collapse of the Palestinian Authority. He called on the international community to do its part to stop the recent Israeli aggression. (xinhuanet, WAFA)

Due to objections of some political parties, the Israeli Knesset postponed voting on a bill, which if passed, would facilitate the force-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners. (IMEMC)

37 Members of the European Parliament called on EU Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton and Council President Herman Van Rompuy to publicly condemn Israel’s use of administrative detention and to demand that Israel applies international law and human rights law that protect the rights of the hunger strikers and Palestinian prisoners in general. (Palestine News Network)

In a letter to the heads of the Israeli military security establishment and military commanders, a number of Human Rights Organizations which are active in the West Bank, called for an end of the collective punishment of the Palestinians. (IMEMC) 

During the 83rd session of UNESCO’s world heritage committees, the latter adopted a resolution to protect the heritage of occupied East Jerusalem. (Alray)

24

Quartet Representative Tony Blair said that he was ‘deeply troubled by the ongoing events in Israel and the Palestinian territories, including the deaths of Palestinian civilians, and the wide-scale arrests. Israel must act with restraint when operating in populated Palestinian areas – including Gaza – and ensure that civilians are not harmed. Steps must also be taken to limit restrictions on movement and access in the West Bank”. (www.quartetrep.org, The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli soldiers invaded various Palestinian communities in the northern West Bank district of Nablus and detained dozens of Palestinians. (IMEMC) 

According to witness accounts Israeli naval boats opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of As-Sudaniya to the northwest of Gaza. (WAFA)

While applauding the apparent kidnapping of the three Israeli settlers, Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal denied Hamas’ involvement or having information about their whereabouts. (Dailystar, The Jerusalem Post)

The head of Hamas’s political bureau Khaled Meshaal blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the alleged kidnapping of the three Israeli settlers, saying that the latter had ignored the suffering of Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails. (Middle East Monitor)

For the first time since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the kidnapping of three Israeli teens last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed appreciation of his words. (Haaretz)

During its weekly meeting, the Palestinian Council of Ministers condemned Israel’s ongoing aggression and ‘collective punishment’ against the Palestinian people. (WAFA)

The Palestinian Minister of Economy Mohammad Mustafa said that Israel breached international law by extracting oil from Palestinian lands without coordinating with the Palestinian Government.(Alray)

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein issued a request to re-incarcerate all seven Palestinian prisoners from Jerusalem who were released in the 2011 swap for captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit. The seven were taken into custody over the last week within the framework of Israel’s “Operation Brother’s Keeper”. (Ma’an News Agency)

French MFA Laurent Fabius issued a statement to strongly deplore the incidents that led to the death of two young Palestinians in the West Bank on 22 June in the context of the operations launched following the kidnapping of three young Israelis. (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr)

It was reported that IDF’s Operation Brother’s Keeper appeared to be winding down in the Hebron area despite decisions to continue searching for the three abducted Israelis. (Ynetnews) 

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon stated, “We are not scaling back our operations in the West Bank,” in response to speculations that the IDF was winding down Operation Brother’s Keeper. (The Jerusalem Post)

Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said that his movement was now capable of firing rockets at any city inside Israel any time it wanted. (The Jerusalem Post)

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed in open territory in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council shortly after two previous rockets were launched toward southern Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian medical sources reported that a three-year-old girl was killed and three of her family members wounded after a rocket fired at Israel failed to hit its target and landed in Gaza. The rocket was one of four fired at Israel on that day. (Ynetnews)

It was reported that Israeli lawmakers were pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lift what they called unjustified secrecy over opaque — and rising — funding for settlements in the West Bank. (Ynetnews) 

Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights NGO, hailed an unprecedented court order for Israel to pay compensation to Palestinians prevented from farming their land by a wildcat Jewish settlement. (Ynetnews) 

The Egyptian Army destroyed two tunnels on the Egyptian-Gazan border, bringing the total number of tunnels ruined to 1,736. (MEMO)

24 June marked the eighth year of Israel’s blockade against the Gaza Strip that led to a sharp economic decline, as well as high levels of poverty and unemployment. Many observers have been calling for an end of this “collective punishment.” The blockade is the longest ever imposed on a territory in modern history said Robert Turner, UNRWA Head for Gaza Operations. (Xinhua)

The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that the number of Palestinians arrested by the Israeli army in the ongoing campaign, started less than two weeks ago, reached a total of at least 540. (IMEMC)

The Knesset will vote on a bill allowing hunger-striking prisoners to be force-fed as planned on Monday, despite the end of the most recent hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners. “This bill is a deterrent,” MK Miri Regev said. (The Jerusalem Post) 

The Human Rights Council held a general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. Israel was not present in the room to take the floor. At the session, the pro-Israel NGO UN Watch organized a speaking intervention from the mothers of the three missing Israelis who stated it was important to engage global public opinion. (www.unog.ch, Ynetnews)

25

Palestinian medical sources reported that the 24-years-old Palestinian who was shot last Friday during clashes that erupted in Qalandiya refugee camp, north of Ramallah, died from his injury in the hospital. (PNN)

A sick Palestinian elderly woman, who was on her way to the hospital for sharp chest pains died after being delayed by Israeli forces at a checkpoint erected by Israeli troops at the eastern entrance of Beit Dajan near Nablus. (PNN)

The IDF arrested 17 Palestinian security suspects, including Khaled Ibrahim, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and a senior Hamas member, who was taken into custody in Bethlehem. (The Jerusalem Post)

A top Palestinian diplomat in Australia said that Canberra would not be punished by trade sanctions from Islamic countries if there are no more inflammatory words about the status of Jerusalem. (Xinhua)

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman is expected to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris on Thursday, where they would discuss the aftermath of the kidnapping and the Fatah-Hamas unity Government deal. (The Jerusalem Post)

The French Government issued a warning to its citizens not to engage in financial activity or investments in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights. The French Foreign Ministry wrote in its warning that the settlements were illegal according to international law, and so doing business with them involved legal risks. (Haaretz)

Palestinian MFA called on the Arab and Islamic world to take immediate actions to protect and support Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and other holy sites. It said “condemnation statements” are not enough and that urgent action is immediately needed to protect the holy sites. (WAFA)

Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs Shawki al-Issa said that the two-month hunger strike by dozens of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails was suspended and marked a victory for the prisoners. He said that the strike had not been completely stopped but merely frozen and that some of the hunger-striking prisoners’ demands had been met. The Palestinian Presidency and the Israeli Prime Minister welcomed the agreement in separate declarations. (The Jerusalem Post, WAFA)

The High Court of Justice rejected an emergency petition by six recently rearrested Palestinians released in the Gilad Shalit deal to cancel their temporary arrest until sufficient evidence was brought justifying the arrest. (The Jerusalem Post)

United Nations Special Rapporteurs on torture and the right to health urged the Knesset not to amend the Prisons Act to authorize the force-feeding and medical treatment of prisoners on hunger strike against their will. (www.unog.ch)

The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of air strikes in the Gaza Strip, injuring two Palestinians. (IMEMC)

The OIC Group at the UN met at the Ambassadorial level and issued a statement expressing “its strong condemnation of the continuing grave breaches and violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.” (www.oic-oci.org)

Israeli warplanes struck five targets across the Gaza Strip, without causing injuries. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces arrested 12 Palestinians in the West Bank. In Yatta, Israeli soldiers severely beat up six Palestinians, including a disabled 13-year-old. In Jerusalem, Israeli police detained four Palestinian children at the Al-Aqsa Compound. (Ma’an News Agency, WAFA)

26

An 18-year-old Palestinian was shot in the abdomen by Israeli forces during clashes in Kharsa, south of Hebron. In the town of Al-Samu, south of Hebron, Israeli soldiers shot and injured a 44-year-old Palestinian man in the foot at a checkpoint. (Ma’an News Agency)

A 78-year-old Palestinian woman died after suffering a heart attack during a raid by Israeli soldiers in the Arroub refugee camp north of Hebron. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinians during raids in the West Bank and an elderly man in the Al-Aqsa Compound. (WAFA)

Two Palestinian navy officers were injured in Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight. (Ma’an News Agency) 

Israeli forces demolished the walls of a mosque under construction in the Shu’fat refugee camp in East Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency)

A lawyer for the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners Affairs said the number of Palestinian children in Israeli jails had increased to 250. It also said 23 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council were currently being held in Israeli jails, 12 of whom were detained during the last two weeks. (IMEMC)

OCHA said in its weekly report that the total number of administrative detainees in Israeli prisons had increased since the beginning of the current Israeli operation from approximately 190 to at least 340. (www.ochaopt.org)

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will convene the United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People at the United Nations Office in Nairobi on 1 and 2 July, under the theme “Fostering Active International Solidarity with the Palestinians: Solidifying the Economic Underpinnings of an Independent State”. (UN News Centre)

The Shin Bet revealed the identity of the two chief suspects wanted for their involvement in the alleged kidnapping of three Israeli youths earlier this month. Both Marwan Kawasme and Amar Abu Aysha are from Hebron and longstanding Hamas members. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli Security forces arrested nine Palestinians and searched 49 sites across the West Bank as part of the operation to locate three allegedly abducted Israeli youths. (Ynetnews)

The OC Southern Command dismissed the deputy company commander of a desert patrol battalion after it emerged that an armed Palestinian had been able to infiltrate Israel from Gaza earlier in the week. (The Jerusalem Post)

Several representatives of Arab and Muslim States at the UN announced that they would ask the Security Council to condemn Israel’s actions in the West Bank, which they called an overreaction. (The Jerusalem Post)

In a press release, the Spanish Foreign Ministry voiced its concern over the recent escalation in the West Bank, which had an adverse impact on the Middle East peace process. (WAFA)

Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett termed a statement attributable to Israel’s President-elect Reuven Rivlin’s as ‘horrible’. On the margins of the Jewish Media Summit in Jerusalem, President-elect Reuven Rivlin had said that he had met President Abbass on a number of occasions in the past and would be ready to meet with him again in future. (The Jerusalem Post)

In an interview with Israel Radio Hatnua MK Amram Mitzna slammed his coalition partners from the Bayit Yehudi party, noting that “If you take Hamas without the terror activity — that I of course completely oppose — then there is an organization that operates with similar objectives to those of Hamas right within the Israeli Government.” Mr. Mitzna went on to wonder “whether the Prime Minister, who demands the Palestinians and Hamas to recognize the three principles of the Quartet …, makes the same demand of Bayit Yehudi? Recognizing a Palestinian State?” (Ynetnews)

Mr. Laurent Fabius, France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development met with his Israeli counterpart, Mr. Avigdor Liberman to discuss the current situation in the OPT. (diplomatie.gouv.fr)

IDF proceedings began against the 23 rearrested Palestinians who had been released by Israel in the Schalit deal in 2011. (The Jerusalem Post)

More than 50,000 civil servants in the Gaza Strip went on strike by closing all the ministries in protest for not having received their monthly salaries for two months. (Xinhua net)

Israeli authorities announced preliminary plans to facilitate Palestinian movement and visits to Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on 28 June. (Ma’an News Agency)

Leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) said that the church was “committed more than ever” to working with the Jewish community. This followed the church’s vote to divest from companies doing business with Israeli security forces in the West Bank. (The Jerusalem Post) 

27

According to newspaper reports, the wide-scale military operation dedicated to finding the three Israeli youths allegedly abducted in the West Bank switched gears this week, with the IDF phasing out nightly mass arrests of Hamas members in favor of focusing on responding to intelligence developments. (The Jerusalem Post)

According to medical officials, at least six Palestinians were injured, including a pregnant woman, after Israeli tanks fired into the southern Gaza Strip in response to an explosive device that detonated near the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported. (Ma’an News Agency, The Jerusalem Post)

The EU’s ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen said that many European nations were losing patience with the Israeli Government due to the continued expansion of settlements beyond the Green Line. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Spanish and Italian Governments issued a warning to their citizens against doing business with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in East Jerusalem, and in the Golan Heights. The Foreign Ministries of both countries announced that companies engaging in economic activity in the settlements would be making themselves vulnerable to a series of risks. (Haaretz, The Washington Post)

The Israeli Government has agreed to compensate six Palestinian landowners whose land had been expropriated by the state and was now part of the Amona settlement in the West Bank. The Palestinians will also be paid for loss of earnings due to their inability to access the property. (The Jerusalem Post)

Two Palestinian detainees were continuing their hunger strike despite the understanding which had been reached between representatives of the detainees and the Israeli authorities. (Ma’an News Agency)

Two Palestinian men suspected of being militants were killed in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza, according to the military and witnesses. Israel’s Minister of Defense warned that he would not tolerate rocket fire from Gaza against Israel or any other attempt to harm Israeli civilians and soldiers. (The New York Times)

The US State Department said that Martin Indyk, who led the yearlong American effort to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, was resigning from his position as special envoy. (The New York Times)

Head of the Environmental Quality Authority ‘Adala Al-Atira stated that sustainable development could not be achieved under the Israeli occupation that controls Palestinian land and natural resources. (WAFA)

The Israeli Export Institute and the Central Statistical Office revealed data indicating that exports from goods produced in Israeli settlements have dropped significantly. The decline during the first four months of 2014 was 35 percent compared with the same period last year. (MEMO)

ICRC’s spokesman, Nasser al-Najjar, said in a statement that the Israeli authorities informed the Red Cross that the visit, to which the prisoners from the Gaza Strip are entitled to and which was scheduled for today through the Beit Hanoun crossing, was cancelled due to the Israeli decision to close all border crossings. (Petra)

Jewish Voice for Peace organized a protest outside the Israeli consulate in New York City against Israel’s West Bank mass raids and arrests. (Alray)

It was reported that Israeli MFA Avigdor Liberman recently criticised Israeli Arab demonstrators who took to the streets in solidarity with Palestinians saying that they “should be treated as terrorists in every sense of the word.” (MEMO)

The Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People condemned in a statement the continuing Israeli military raids in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, which escalated into a massive onslaught on the civilian population after three Israeli settlers went missing on 12 June in the West Bank. (www.un.org) 

28

The IDF arrested 18 Palestinians in continued West Bank operations aiming to retrieve the three missing Israeli teenagers. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian officials in the Gaza Strip said that shortly after a rocket attack that struck a factory in Sdeort, Israeli tanks had fired back into the northern part of the coastal strip, causing no injuries. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Gaza branch of the Arab Bank refused to receive a Qatari grant to pay salaries to Government employees in the Strip, fearing Israeli sanctions. (Anadolu, MEMO)

The Palestinian MFA welcomed a series of recent statements from major European countries warning their citizens from doing business in Israeli settlements. (Ma’an News Agency)

Palestinian prisoner Ayman Itbeish entered his fifth month of hunger strike in protest against his administrative detention. (Ma’an News Agency)

OHCHR and the EU urged Israel and all relevant actors to exercise restraint amid a crackdown on Palestinians during a hunt for three missing Israeli teenagers who were in the West Bank. (Ynetnews)

29

The IDF detained 25 Palestinians from several districts in the West Bank. (Alray)

The IDF flattened numerous agricultural lands in the Palestinian town of Kufr al-Deek, east of Salfit. (Alray)

The Israeli authoritiesallowed Palestinians from Hebron to travel through the Allenby border crossing after banning them from travelling for almost two weeks. (WAFA) 

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met with the IMF Deputy Division Chief, Christoph Duenwald, in Ramallah, where they discussed the latest developments in the political and economic situation. (WAFA)

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu declared in a hard-hitting policy speech that under any future peace agreement with the Palestinians, Israel would insist on maintaining security control of the West Bank “for a very long time.” (The New York Times)

Deputy Hamas Chief Mousa Abu Marzouk sent a threatening message to President Mahmoud Abbas about the fragility of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. (Ynetnews)

A Hamas official called on four Gaza Strip Ministers to resign from the Unity Government as a move to protest against the neglect of Gaza people’s needs, as well the failure to improve their living conditions. (Xinhua)

The Israeli cabinet approved a USD 90 million socio-economic development plan for East Jerusalem which focuses on increased security and police presence in the area, the municipality said. (Ma’an News Agency)

The “Miles of Smiles 28” aid convoy arrived in Gaza Strip through Rafah crossing. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egyptian authorities exceptionally reopened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow Palestinian pilgrims to cross. Palestinian authorities have confirmed. (The Daily Star)

It was reported that the IDF was preparing for a possible significant offensive in Gaza, a year and a half after Operation Pillar of Defense. Armoured Corps brigades have been instructed to prepare for the possibility of being transferred to the Gaza Division, while the Air Force has deployed additional Iron Dome batteries. (Ynetnews)

Israeli MFA Avigdor Liberman said that the recent escalation along the Gaza frontier should prompt Israel to consider reoccupying the coastal enclave. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Gaza Chamber of Commerce, an independent body, said that around 30 percent of the residents of the Gaza Strip were left without a daily income during the fasting month of Ramadan. (MEMO)

30

Dozens of Israeli military vehicles continued extensive military operations and raided homes into the southern West Bank district of Hebron. Two Palestinians were arrested. (IMEMC) 

The IDF arrested six Palestinian suspects in the West Bank including five Hamas members. (The Jerusalem Post)

The IDF dropped hundreds of anti-Hamas lollipops in Nablus and Ramallah, in what Ma’an News Agency deemed “a renewed attempt to incite Palestinian popular opinion against the Islamist political group.” (IMEMC)

According to Ynetnews it was the first time since the end of the IDF Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012 that the Hamas military wing was behind rocket strikes on Israel, with a wave of attacks overnight Sunday and early Monday emanating from central Gaza refugee camps completely under Hamas control. (Ynetnews)

The IDF is checking to see whether the Palestinian killed in Gaza in an Israeli air strike on Sunday night belonged to Hamas, a senior security source said. Hamas has announced that the casualty was a member of its military wing. (The Jerusalem Post)

More than a dozen rockets fired from the Gaza Strip slammed into Israel. Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said that Israel would take action if Hamas does not stop. (The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)

The bodies of the three Israeli teenagers that have been missing for 18 days in the West Bank have been found north of the Palestinian town Halhul, just north of Hebron. Economy Minister Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu just met before the security cabinet meeting to discuss possible action. (Haaretz) 

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a statement that the Islamist movement rejected the EU’s biased criticism of Hamas for praising the disappearance of the three Israelis. (Xinhua)

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat published an op-ed in Haaretz newspaper stating that as the “predicted death” of the two-State solution has not caused any concerns for the Israeli coalition and public, the international community is requested to take decisive action to hold Israeli accountable and to empower those in Israel who seek peace rather than colonization. (WAFA)

The Palestinian Coca-Cola-producing company won the international group’s second award for sustainability and community empowerment. (WAFA)

Around 30 Israeli settlers raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound this morning guarded by the Israeli police. The group entered from the Moroccan Gate and tried to perform prayers. (PNN)

A three-year-old Palestinian boy was run over and seriously injured by a car driven by an Israeli settler south-west of Bethlehem. In the Jaber neighbourhood in Hebron, a 28-year-old Palestinian man was run over by a car driven by an Israeli settler. Witnesses said the settler had deliberately hit him. (WAFA)

Israeli settlers chopped down 15 olive trees north of Beit Ummar in Hebron. (WAFA)

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon proposed that Israel’s response to the murder of the three teenagers include a wave of settlement construction and the establishment of a new settlement in memory of them. (Haaretz)

Israel placed 24 Palestinian prisoners under administrative detention. (WAFA)

The Spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued the following statement: “The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the murder of the three Israeli teenagers abducted on 12 June in the West Bank. There can be no justification for the deliberate killing of civilians. He hopes Israeli and Palestinian authorities will work together to bring the perpetrators swiftly to justice, and extends his deepest sympathy to the families of the victims. The Secretary-General believes this heinous act by enemies of peace aims to further entrench division and distrust and to widen the conflict. It must not be allowed to succeed. He calls on all parties to abide by their obligations under international law and to refrain from any actions that could further escalate this highly tense situation.” (UN News Centre)

The IDF used explosives to demolish part of a home in Hebron that belonged to one of the key suspects in the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers. (Ynetnews)

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