Chronological Review of Events/November 2013 – DPR review

Division for Palestinian Rights

Chronological Review of Events Relating to the

Question of Palestine

Monthly media monitoring review

November 2013

1

Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erakat denied reports of his resignation following the announcement by Israel of plans to demolish the homes of over 15,000 Palestinians in East Jerusalem in addition to announcing the construction of over 5,000 settler homes. Earlier, Palestinian sources told Ma'an News Agency that Mr. Erakat and his team had submitted their resignation to President Abbas. (Ma'an News Agency, The New York Times, Ynetnews)

South Africa's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, said that her country will “slow down” its ties with Israel because of its continued violation of Palestinian rights. “Ministers of South Africa do not visit Israel currently,” Ms. Nkoana-Mashabane, a member of the African National Congress, said at a South African trade union meeting. (ABNA.co)

Municipality officers escorted by Israeli soldiers issued demolition warrants for 200 Palestinian residential blocks, each consisting of 40 to 70 apartments in the East Jerusalem neighbourhoods Israeli soldiers issued demolition warrants for 200 Palestinian residential blocks, each consisting of 40 to 70 apartments in the East Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Ras Khamis and Ras Shahada, a local Palestinian official said.  More than 15,000 Palestinians live in the buildings slated for demolition and the owners had been given 30 days to submit objections to the demolition orders. (Ma'an News Agency) 

Gaza's only power plant that served almost half of Gaza's 1.8 million residents shut down its generators due to a fuel shortage. (The Jerusalem Post) 

2

Israeli Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni challenged the Labour party to “work up the courage” to join the Government coalition in order to help advance the peace process. (The Jerusalem Post)

On the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Palestinian Ministry of Information issued a statement saying that the Palestinian people were “paying the price of the biggest political crime in contemporary history”, that the declaration was “a mark of shame on humanity”, and called on Britain to apologize for it.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Palestinian refusal to recognize the Jewish people's right to a homeland was the root of the ongoing conflict.  (The Jerusalem Post)

Egyptian authorities re-opened the Rafah crossing after it had been closed for more than a week. (Ma’an News Agency)

3

The Israeli Government had decided to build a security fence on the border with Jordan, a Ma’ariv report said, angering Palestinians ahead of talks with US Secretary of State Kerry. The report said that Prime Minister Netanyahu will have the construction started “immediately upon the completion of the fence on the Egyptian border”.  (AFP, Al-Jazeera)

US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Cairo at the start of an eight-nation trip that is expected to focus on Middle East peace talks, among other issues. Mr. Kerry will be meeting with Palestinian President Abbas and Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu. (Voice of America)

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said that the group had shot down an Israeli drone and had managed to locate it. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) denied the report and instead cited a technical failure.  (BBC)

A number of Israeli military vehicles crossed into the Gaza Strip north of Beit Lahiya and started firing intermittently, according to witnesses.  No injuries were reported. A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said that she had not received reports of the incident. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli Ministry of Housing and the Israel Lands Authority issued tenders for the construction of more than 1,700 new settler homes.  Some 700 homes would be built in Jerusalem, 387 of them in the “Ramat Shlomo”, and 311 in “Gilo”. In addition, land for 380 apartments in “Gilo” and “Har Homa”, which had not attracted bids by contractors, would again be offered.  “The PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] is considering a mechanism to go to the Security Council and the UN against these new Israeli decisions, especially as there are international resolutions that consider settlements illegal,” Wassel Abu Youssef, a senior PLO member said.  Prime Minister Netanyahu and Justice Minister Livni had rejected the Palestinian contention that the measures contravened agreements reached at the outset of negotiations. (Reuters, www.israelnationalnews.com)

Israeli soldiers and settlers threatened residents of Umm al-Khair village, east of Yatta, with eviction, a local anti-settlement committee official said. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli bulldozers razed and dug up agricultural lands near the Palestinian village of Qusra to the south of Nablus. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel’s Deputy Supreme Court President Miriam Naor agreed to hear the appeal of three Palestinian prisoners against a ban on higher education for “security” prisoners.  (The Jerusalem Post)

4

Israeli soldiers raided different parts of the West Bank and arrested at least eight Palestinians.  Two Palestinians were shot and injured near Nablus. (IMEMC)

Israeli military forces fired tear gas and sound bombs at a primary school and another school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Hebron, locals said. Dozens of students suffered from smoke inhalation. (Ma’an News Agency)

Two Palestinian teenagers were shot and injured by live and rubber-coated bullets fired by Israeli soldiers during confrontations in the town of Jaba, south of Jenin.  Dozens also suffered from tear gas inhalation.  (WAFA)

At a meeting with Fatah senior members, President Abbas warned that the linkage Israel had created between freeing Palestinian prisoners and approving settlement construction was liable to blow up the peace talks.  He also said that there had been no progress in negotiations with Israel.  With regard to the Jordan Valley, he said, “The Israelis gain an annual profit of $620 million from the Jordan Valley.  So the claim that they want to protect the eastern border from Iran and others are all lies.”  (Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post)

The Obama Administration will present in January 2014 its own plan for a draft framework agreement on permanent status issues, according to Meretz Party chair Zahava Gal-On.  She said that Secretary Kerry had informed Prime Minister Netanyahu of his intention during their seven-hour meeting in Rome two weeks ago.  Mr. Netanyahu told his Likud faction that Israel will examine any peace proposal but will accept no dictates. (Haaretz)

Israeli settlers, protected by soldiers, took over several Palestinian-owned buildings located near the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron.  They moved in their furniture and tools to rehabilitate the buildings.  (WAFA)

Israeli forces demolished a car repair shop in the village of Ras Karkar, west of Ramallah.  (WAFA)

Israeli forces handed out demolition notices for two Palestinian-owned houses in Ithna, west of Hebron.  (WAFA)

Israeli settlers from “Beitar Illit” cut down 40 olive trees. The landowners got into a fight with the settlers until Israeli soldiers intervened on behalf of the settlers and detained the landowner for several hours. (WAFA)

Israeli bulldozers razed Palestinian land west of Salfit and uprooted 25 olive trees in order to pave the way for the expansion of the “Bruchin” settlement.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Hamas had deviated from the approved school curriculum in Gaza by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and had introduced new textbooks for 55,000 children in the eighth, ninth and tenth grades as part of a required “national education” course.  The texts do not recognize Israel, or even mention the Oslo Accords. (The New York Times)

Shares in Givot Olam, an Israeli oil exploration company, rallied on reports that its “Meged 5” well was sitting on exploitable reserves of as much as 3.53 billion barrels. However, it was unclear how much of the oil wealth belong to Israel as the well sits on the Green Line. (Al-Jazeera)

There was no legal barrier to training exercises by the IDF inside Palestinian villages in the West Bank according to a document prepared by the IDF's Military Advocate General, written in response to a complaint filed by activists from the non-governmental organization Yesh Din, following a series of incidents involving IDF training in villages.   (Haaretz)

An Israeli court rejected a lawsuit by 37 Palestinians, who had demanded compensation for an alleged IDF massacre of their relatives in 2002 during the second intifada, reported Ma’ariv. In addition, the court ordered the Palestinians to pay NIS 210,000 in legal costs.   (www.israelnationalnews.com)

5

The chief of the Palestine Medical Centre in Ramallah, Ahmad Al-Beetawy, said that a Palestinian child, aged 13, was in serious condition after an Israeli rubber-coated metal bullet fractured his skull in a village near Jerusalem.  (IMEMC)

Israeli forces detained eight people in Nablus and Qalqilya, Israel’s army and locals said.  (WAFA, Ma’an News Agency)

At a joint press conference with President Abbas in Bethlehem, the President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, said, “Our position is identical to that of the European Union. … We see in settlements, particularly the new ones, a problem that can keep chances of reaching a settlement far.”  (WAFA) 

Israeli companies had resumed fuel supplies to West Bank gas stations resolving a fuel crisis that had plagued the region for the last few days, the deputy speaker of the union of gas station owners said.  Fuel had originally been cut off after the PA’s accumulated debts to suppliers had exceeded $170 million.  (Ma’an News Agency)

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Fuad Tawwal, protested Israel's demolition of a church-owned property in East Jerusalem, saying that it eroded chances for peace.  (AFP)

The PLO called for an international investigation into the situation of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel following the death of a prisoner due to medical neglect.  Hassan Turabi, 22, who suffered from leukaemia, died in a hospital in Israel after being held in prison for 10 months.  Three other Palestinian prisoners also died due to medical negligence during the year.  (WAFA)

The popular committees of the refugee camps in the northern West Bank will shut down UNRWA offices after the agency decided to end its Money for Work programme in the Jenin district, citing lack of funds.  (Ma’an News Agency)

UNRWA said that it had halted work on all but one of its 20 Gaza building projects as a result of an Israeli ban on importing building materials into the territory, which Israel had imposed after the discovery of a 2.5-km tunnel which it said militants had planned to use for attacks inside its territory.  (Reuters)

6

Palestinian medical sources reported that several residents were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers at the entrance of the Arroub refugee camp in Hebron.  (IMEMC)

The IDF was preparing for an exercise to simulate a seizure of Gaza.  (Ynetnews)

Israeli soldiers and police officers arrested 25 young Palestinian women and men, active on social network sites, for exposing Israeli violations.  (IMEMC)

Prime Minister Netanyahu said before meeting with Secretary of State Kerry in Jerusalem:  “I’m concerned about the progress [of negotiations] because I see the Palestinians continuing with incitement, continuing to create artificial crises, continuing to avoid … the historic decisions that are needed to make a genuine peace.”  Mr. Kerry said:  “There are always difficulties, always tensions. I’m very confident of our ability to work through them. That’s why I’m here.”  (www.state.gov)

Secretary Kerry said that he had a “very, very good meeting” with President Abbas, during which the President assured him that he was “100 per cent committed” to the peace talks.  “The Palestinians believe that the settlements are illegal, the United States continues to believe the settlements are not helpful and are illegitimate,” Mr. Kerry said, adding, “That is not to say that they were not aware or we were not aware that there would be construction but that would be much better off in our judgment limited as much as possible."  (AP)

Ma’ariv reported that the US Administration had relayed a series of messages to Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to which if Mr. Netanyahu made progress in peace talks, it would be easier for the US to support Israel’s position on Iran.  (www.israelnationalnews.com) 

At the conclusion of a visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the newly-appointed British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East, Hugh Robertson, in a statement called for avoiding provocative actions in the holy places. He expressed strong support for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and “a two-State solution based on 1967 borders, with agreed land swaps, with Jerusalem as the capital of two States.” He said that in his meetings with President Abbas and other leaders, “We agreed that, given the particular sensitivities, provocative actions in these holy sites pose a risk to the peace process and must be avoided.” (WAFA)

A two-day conference began in the European Parliament to discuss new ideas and new paradigms to push forward the peace process. The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, opened the event and noted that it came at an appropriate time.  (KUNA)

According to Mahmoud Al-Aloul, a Fatah official, the party had decided to appoint Marwan Barghouti as Vice-President to President Abbas, hoping that the move would trigger his release from Israeli prison.  (Middle East Monitor)

A Swiss forensic team that had carried out an investigation into the 2004 death of Yasser Arafat, had submitted their results to the PA without disclosing the findings.  Palestinian official Tawfik Tirawi said that the results will be studied before they are made public.  The Russian team had handed in their report on 2 November and the French team was also expected to submit their findings soon.  (swissinfo.ch)

Visiting Secretary of State Kerry announced in Bethlehem an additional $75 million in aid for Palestinian infrastructure projects, as he inaugurated a new road financed by the United States Agency for International Development.  (WAFA)

Arab-Israeli members of Knesset were expelled from a Knesset meeting discussing plans to allow Jews to pray in the Al-Haram Al-Sharif [The Temple Mount] compound.  They protested against what they perceive as a desecration of Islam's third holiest site, warning that it would trigger “a third intifada”.  (International Business Times)

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee will hold a meeting on the findings of the Shamgar Committee’s report on prisoner releases, which had recommended against large-scale swaps like the one in the case of Gilad Shalit.  (The Jerusalem Post)

The Palestinian Prisoners Society said that Israel had issued 38 administrative detention orders in October, including 2 against members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.  (Palestine News Network)

7

The IDF shot and killed a Palestinian man after he had fired an “improvised weapon” at a bus stop in the West Bank. Israeli police said that he was launching fireworks. (The Washington Post)

Palestinian witnesses said that eight Israeli vehicles crossed into Gaza near the town of Jabaliya and opened fire at farmers who fled immediately. No injuries were reported. An Israeli army spokeswoman said that she was unfamiliar with reports of shots being fired. (Ma’an News Agency)

A spokesman from the Izz Ed-Dine Al-Qassam Brigade, Hamas’ military wing, said that his men were watching the borders with their fingers on the trigger and their rockets ready for the “great liberation”.   The statement was made at a conference attended by Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh.  Recently, the military group’s intentions were described as continuing to attack Israel, digging new tunnels and fighting against the “occupation”.  At the same time, the IDF Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, had promised continued action against the tunnels, calling them a serious threat. (Israel National News)

During an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 and the Palestinian TV, US Secretary of State Kerry said that both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas were committed to proceeding forward and working through difficulties. He said that the US policy had always been that the settlements were illegitimate, and “we believe this process would be much easier if we didn’t have the tension that is created by settlements”.  He said that there cannot be peace with the concept of a one-State solution. The discussion now was tough; it was about whether there may be land swaps and how much land, ascertaining his conviction that a viable Palestinian State was achievable. He said that he understood Israelis’ opposition to freeing prisoners and the seriousness of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision. He opined that the alternative was worse, asking, “Does Israel want a third intifada?” He cautioned against an increasing isolation and a growing international campaign of de-legitimization of Israel.  (www.state.gov)

US Secretary of State Kerry held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II who praised Mr. Kerry for winning international trust. The King also said that Mr. Kerry’s assurances were critical to ensuring the success of the peace process. The Secretary of State will remain in the region until Saturday for more talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on reviving their stalled negotiations.  (www.state.gov, The Jerusalem Post, Ma’an News Agency, Reuters)

In a speech made at Israel’s Certified Public Accountants Institute, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon rejected the notion that conflict with Palestinians could be solved in the timeframe proposed by US Secretary of State Kerry.  “We are handling an open-ended and ongoing conflict which, from the Palestinian perspective, does not end with the 1967 borders,” he said.  Depicting Palestinian society as unwaveringly attached to Sheikh Munis and Majdal – the Arab names for the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Ashkelon – and Palestinian youth as educated to believe that Akko and Haifa are Palestinian ports, he said, “There’s an incident here that does not have a solution now, but in the long term. We’ll handle it wisely and there’s no need to worry about threats of, yes, a third intifada or not a third intifada.”  (The Times of Israel)

South African Minister in the Presidency, Collins Chabane, said that there was no ban on Government officials travelling to Israel, reacting to International Relations Minister Nkoana-Mashabane who had said that South African Ministers would not visit Israel.  (IOL News)

The Shin Bet, in coordination with the Israeli Police, closed down offices in Jerusalem which were said to be used for Hamas activities, under the auspices of Al-Quds Development and Amrat Al-Aqsa, two groups associated with Hamas.  (Ynetnews)

Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, called for an international inquiry into “the killing” of Yasser Arafat.  Senior party official Amin Maqbul said that the Fatah Central Committee headed by President Abbas was to meet during the day to discuss the latest findings of the Swiss forensic team.  (Ma’an News Agency)

During the Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society in Eilat, Israeli Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom said that he would cut off Israel’s electric supply to the Palestinian Authority if it did not pay its massive debts.  “They have over a billion shekels of debt and they’ll need to pay them,” adding, “We sent them a letter this week and if they don’t give the right response, we will be forced to act.”  (The Jerusalem Post)

In a statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton deplored the latest Israeli announcement on settlements and reiterated the need for bold and decisive leadership for the current peace negotiations to succeed.  (eeas.europa.eu)

Israeli settlers set fire to two cars belonging to two Palestinian brothers in the town of Bani Naeem, east of Hebron, according to local sources.  (WAFA)

A group of Israeli settlers from the nearby settlement of “Kiryat Arba” sprayed anti-Arab graffiti on the walls of a house in Hebron and threatened residents with more vandalism.  (WAFA)

8

The IDF shot Anas Fouad al-Atrash, a Palestinian who attacked soldiers at a West Bank container checkpoint with a knife. Israeli Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that Mr. al-Atrash had tried to stab the soldiers when they opened fire and wounded the man who died shortly afterwards. The family of Mr. al-Atrash rejected the police report and said that he was assassinated in cold blood.  (The Washington Post, Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers went into various parts of the West Bank, searching homes and detaining five Palestinians: two from Hebron, two from Beit Ummar and one from the Kufur Dan village, west of Jenin.  (IMEMC)

Tawfik Tirawi, head of the Palestinian team investigating the death of President Arafat, said at a news conference that Israel was the only suspect in the 2004 death of the late President.  He spoke a day after Swiss scientists said that the Palestinian leader was probably poisoned by radioactive polonium.  (www.dailymail.co.uk)

At a news conference in Ramallah, Palestinian Minister of Justice Ali Mhanna urged France to convey the findings of its investigation into President Arafat's death after Swiss tests suggested he had died from polonium poisoning.   He said, “From the beginning, the French have told us they can't send the results until there's Franco-Palestinian judicial cooperation.”   So far, there had been no information on the French or the Russian test results.  (AFP)

A Palestinian man injured two settlers when he hurled a Molotov cocktail at their car while they drove on road 356 near the settlement of “Efrat”, south of Bethlehem. The settlers were mildly injured but their car was completely burnt after they escaped from it. (IMEMC)

The United States lost its right to vote at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for failing to pay its dues for two years. In 2011, the US ceased its financial contribution to the organization following a vote at UNESCO admitting Palestine as full member. (The New York Times)

9

Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders confirmed during a meeting with President Abbas in Amman that Belgium had raised the status of the Palestinian General Delegation in Belgium to that of “Mission”.  (AFP)

10

Several Palestinians, including high school students, suffered from tear gas inhalation during clashes with Israeli forces in the Jenin area, according to local and security sources.  (WAFA)

Israeli forces detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of northern Gaza after firing upon them, a union official said.  (Ma’an News Agency)

The IDF said that troops had uncovered an explosive device overnight near an army post outside of Ramallah. (Ynetnews)

President Abbas and his Egyptian counterpart, Adly Mansour, met in Cairo and discussed the latest developments, including the ongoing peace negotiations, and Palestinian reconciliation.  Mr. Abbas later held talks with armed forces chief Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi.  The Egyptian President in a statement welcomed the ongoing peace talks under the patronage of the US.  However, Egypt was worried and “suspicious” about the outcome of negotiations in light of ongoing Israeli settlement expansion.   (Ma’an News Agency)

“It cannot be that the Palestinians are forever pampered by the international community,” Prime Minister Netanyahu told Jewish leaders from North America.  He claimed that the world ignored Palestinian incitement and a refusal to accept Israel as a Jewish State, and accepted half-hearted Palestinian attempts to fight violence.  (The Washington Post)

Hamas for the first time appointed a woman, Isra Al-Modallal, as spokesperson.  (CBS News)

The Palestinian Government said that its studies indicated that the West Bank had at least 30 million barrels of oil reserves. “We are seeking international investment firms to drill,” Mohammed Mustafa, the Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister, told Xinhua. “We hope we will publish invitations for tenders in the coming weeks.”  (Xinhua)

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles on a road south of Nablus causing damage to a number of cars, locals said.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli bulldozers razed lands in the northern West Bank village of Deir Istiya near Salfit in order to expand the settlement of “Rafafa”, a local official said.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Jordan voiced its rejection of Israeli “renovation” works at the Western Wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.  (The Jordan Times)

11

An IDF force fired at and wounded two Palestinians attempting to cut through the separation fence near Qalqilya.  (Ynetnews)

The IDF carried out multiple raids across the West Bank overnight, detaining 10 Palestinian men and teenagers.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers clashed with several Palestinian and Australian journalists visiting the Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem.  (IMEMC)

A Palestinian woman approached a soldier in the “Tapuach Junction” in the West Bank wielding a knife. She was subdued.  (Ynetnews)

Israeli forces arrested 13 Palestinians across the West Bank, a military spokesperson said.  (Palestine News Network)

Students and soldiers clashed near Bethlehem.  Several settlers were injured by stones on a road in the area.  (WAFA)

“In the absence of political will from the Israeli side to take the negotiations seriously, we believe that it is better not to reach a deal than to reach a bad deal,” Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayyeh said in a statement.  (Ynetnews)

Thousands of Palestinians participated in processions and rallies in several West Bank cities to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat.  Israeli forces, however, suppressed a procession of students in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.  “I am confident that the investigations committee will reach the truth that will be publicized to our people,” President Abbas said in a recorded speech.  (Ma’an News Agency, WAFA)

Fatah accused Hamas of banning it from commemorating Yasser Arafat’s death in Gaza and arresting several of its members.  Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri blamed Fatah for thwarting the efforts of Hamas to hold a joint ceremony.  (AFP)

Avigdor Liberman was sworn in as Israel’s Minister for Foreign Affairs following his acquittal on fraud charges.  Meretz party leader Zehava Gal-On, along with other Knesset members, voiced resistance to the appointment saying, “Liberman is an explosive that will blow up under the wheels of the peace process”.  (The Jerusalem Post)

Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour met with a delegation from the European Parliament to discuss Middle East peace and the issue of Palestine refugees.  (Jordan News Agency) 

The Head of the [Hamas] Committee for breaking the siege on Gaza, Hamdi Shaath, blamed the PA for the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip, saying that it insisted on getting a high rate of VAT on fuel bought for the Gaza electricity plant.  (Middle East Monitor)

The Israeli settlement outpost of “Havat Ma'on” in the South Hebron Hills had been growing at a phenomenal rate since the beginning of October, a press release by the peace group Operation Dove said.  (WAFA)

Dozens of Palestinian police officers had been operating against criminals in the A-Ram neighbourhood just outside Jerusalem, which was located in Area C, under Israeli security control and normally off-limits to Palestinian police.  Residents of Jerusalem-areas neighbourhoods such as A-Ram, Shuafat and Anata had been complaining of anarchy due to a lack of policing by either Israel or the Palestinians.  (Haaretz)

Families in the Palestinian town of Yabad found notices announcing the Israeli army’s intention to chop down their olive orchards for “security purposes”, locals told Ma'an.    (Ma’an News Agency)

It is difficult to develop the agricultural sector in Palestine due to the presence of the Israeli occupation, Cyril Ferrand, head of the Jerusalem office of the Food and Agriculture Organization, said.   (WAFA)

Zakariya al-Agha, a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, said that “the coming hours will determine the future of Yarmouk camp” as a Palestinian delegation seeks to ensure safe passage for Palestinians displaced by fighting in and around the Damascus refugee camp.  “Practical steps” would be taken within hours to empty militants and weapons from the camp, and allow the delivery of food and medicine.  (Xinhua, Ma’an News Agency)

UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi warned that the Agency was facing a cash deficit of over $40 million that threatened to bring its operations to a standstill. Mr. Grandi appealed to both traditional and new donors to step up support.  (UN News Centre)

Japan donated $6.4 million to UNRWA to help provide 300,000 Palestine refugees with food aid during the second half of 2014.  (WAFA)

Despite Israel’s lack of cooperation with the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices, the body confirmed before the General Assembly Fourth Committee a “number of disturbing trends” and warned of the dangers that could take the recent peace efforts “back to square one”.  (www.un.org)

A B'tselem report casts “grave suspicion” that Ahmad Tazaz’ah, a Palestinian killed in Qabatiya on 31 October 2013, was shot dead with live ammunition fired by Israeli forces, despite their denials.  (Ma’an News Agency, Palestine News Network)

12

The IDF shot tear gas canisters at residents in the Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem, during confrontations with Palestinian residents.  (WAFA)

Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians, including four minors, and summoned one for interrogation, from the towns of Bethlehem and Nablus.  (WAFA)

Palestinian medical sources reported that several Palestinians marking the ninth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat were injured by Israeli army fire in Hebron, in the Arroub and Fawwar refugee camps, as well as in the nearby town of Beit Ummar.  (IMEMC)

Arab magazine Al-Watan Al-Arabi reported that according to Lebanese sources, Hamas members had been detained in recent months by State security forces while trying to enter the Beirut airport with fake documents. They were suspected of transferring a large sum of money from the Beirut Hamas headquarters to an unidentified destination.  (Ynetnews) 

Palestinian official Nasser Al-Kidwa, a nephew of President Arafat, said that Israel was directly behind the assassination of the Palestinian leader, and that although France did not give clear proofs, it gave clear indications that lead to the conclusion that the late President had been assassinated.  (IMEMC)

Egyptian security forces destroyed eight tunnels along the Gaza-Sinai border used for smuggling goods and people.  (Israel Radio)

Palestinian health authorities in the Gaza Strip warned of a “health catastrophe” due to the continuing Israeli blockade which was creating a shortage in vital medicines and medical disposables. In addition, the fuel shortage created by the siege was impacting the Strip's 13 hospitals and 54 primary health care centres. (www.middleeastmonitor.com)

Kamil Basila, 48, a Palestinian man from East Jerusalem, was seriously wounded when he was attacked by Israeli settlers while walking near the Western Wall on the Moroccan Gate road, relatives said. Two settlers threw a large rock at Mr. Basila from a height, hitting him in the back and throwing him to the ground.  Doctors said that he sustained fractures to his chest and spine and was now in a coma. (Ma’an News Agency)

A disclosure that Israel’s Ministry of Housing had commissioned separate plans for nearly 24,000 more homes for Israelis in two areas had raised US concern and drawn Palestinian condemnation. Prime Minister Netanyahu urged Housing Minister Uri Ariel to “reconsider” the plans for construction.  The Ministry also issued a tender to hire an architect to plan the construction of 1,200 housing units in the “E-1” area, which linked Jerusalem and the “Ma'aleh Adumim” settlement.  The tenders were reported to be solely for planning.   (Haaretz, Palestine News Network, Reuters)

Israeli bulldozers demolished two caravans belonging to a Palestinian family in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Beit Hanina under the pretext that they had been erected without permit.  (Alray-Palestinian Media Agency)

The Jerusalem municipality force Palestinians to pay high fees for the demolition of their homes in the Old City which they could not afford to pay forcing family members to demolish their own homes with their own hands.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli settlers demanded in the Knesset that the Israeli Government institute segregated bus systems in the West Bank in light of allegations of theft, violence and sexual harassment by Palestinians. (The Jerusalem Post)

Nur Addin Ibrahim, a senior commander of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, was killed in the Yarmouk Palestine refugee camp in Damascus.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Maariv reported that Jordan had rejected an Israeli request to allow Jews to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.  It quoted Jordan’s Envoy to the Mosque in Jerusalem, Abdel Naser Nassar, as saying that Jewish “extremists” would not be allowed into the compound and that the request was an attempt to divide Al-Aqsa as part of the “Judaization” of Jerusalem.  (Ma’an News Agency)

The Elders, an international group of elder statesmen founded by Nelson Mandela, strongly opposed Israel’s newly announced construction plans for East Jerusalem, and warned that they seriously undermined the current peace negotiations.  (www.theelders.org) 

13

A Palestinian youth killed an Israeli soldier in the northern Israeli city of Afula. Hussein Sharif Ghawadra, a 16-year-old from Jenin who was residing illegally in Israel, stabbed Private Eden Atias in the neck while in a bus. The soldier was rushed to a hospital but later died of his wounds.  (Ynetnews.com)

The IDF raided the Jenin village of Bir al-Basha where the suspected assailant of an Israeli soldier resided, declaring the village a closed military zone. They arrested Mr. Ghawadra's older brother, Tawfik, and detained his father at his workplace in Israel. Both were currently in an Israeli hospital after having being assaulted during the arrest raids. A younger brother and sister were under house arrest, locals said. (Ma’an News Agency, WAFA)

A Palestinian teenager was shot and injured by the IDF during clashes near the Rachel’s Tomb area north of Bethlehem, locals said.  The teenager was shot with a live bullet in the foot.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers arrested overnight 20 Palestinians − 15 from the Hebron area and 5 from the Jenin area.  (WAFA)

The IDF raided the Palestinian towns of Jalama, arresting one person, and Yamoun, arresting a 19-year-old Palestinian.  (WAFA) 

Thousands of Hamas security men staged a massive military parade in Gaza one year after the eight-day Israeli raid of the Gaza Strip on 14 November 2012.  Hamas security forces commander Fathi Hamad called on Arabs in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Israel to unite in a holy war to “uproot the Jews” from Israel.  The smaller Islamic Jihad militant group held its own rally, where 6,000 masked fighters marched through the downtown area. In a display of solidarity, top Hamas military commanders attended the parade.  A day earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu visited troops stationed along the southern border with Gaza, where he declared a roughly 98 per cent drop in militant rocket fire over the past year.  (www.canada.com)

In an interview with Egyptian CBC television, President Abbas said that negotiations would continue even if the Palestinian delegation stuck to its decision to resign.  He said that Palestinian negotiators had resigned due to the lack of progress in the talks and continued Israeli settlement building.  In a statement to Reuters TV, Chief Palestinian Negotiator Erakat said that the sessions with Israel were frozen.  “In reality, the negotiations stopped last week in light of the settlement announcements last week,” he said. (Reuters)

According to Maariv, President Abbas had asked the Palestinian Security Services to prevent a third intifada to avoid deterioration in the political situation. The paper reported said that if an uprising was launched, Israel would target the Palestinian Authority, adding that the PA had already prevented several demonstrations against the occupation.  Palestinian officials believed that there had been many attempts to bring the West Bank into chaos in a way that served various political sides, including the Israeli right wing and Hamas.   The newspaper said that majority of Palestinians were against a third intifada.  (Palestine News Network)

Israeli Defense Minister Ya'alon announced that Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai – who served as the IDF spokesperson up until a month ago – will be the IDF's new Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).   (Ynetnews)

The Ya’abad Municipality in Jenin lodged an official complaint with the Israeli High Court of Justice against the decision of the IDF to uproot hundreds of Palestinian olive trees near the Israeli settlement of “Mabodotan”.  Samer Abu Baker, the Mayor of Ya’abad, said that “Israel targets the olive trees in particular and seeks to destroy as much of this traditional Palestinian plant as possible”. (www.gulfnews.com)

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Erakat warned that the negotiations would be derailed if Israeli authorities moved ahead with plans to build new illegal settlement units. He informed various international actors, including the United States, the Russian Federation, the European Union, the United Nations and the League of Arab States, on behalf of President Abbas, that authorization of new settlement units would derail the negotiations, and demanded a cancelation of the plan. Mr. Erakat also noted that Mr. Abbas would call for a meeting of the Palestinian leadership to discuss the issue and said that there was a possibility of going to the Security Council or other UN agencies.  (Palestine News Network)

A day after forcing the Construction and Housing Ministry to “reconsider” preliminary work toward building 24,000 housing units beyond the Green Line, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that building in settlements would continue, but it had to be done wisely.  (The Jerusalem Post)

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, issued a statement expressing growing concern vis-à-vis the series of recent Israeli settlement announcements.  (www.unsco.org)

A Palestinian home was set on fire at night in the town of Sinjil, north-east of Ramallah, in a suspected “price-tag” attack by settlers. Five Palestinian children suffered from smoke inhalation. Israeli Police spokesman Rosenfeld said that the incident appeared to have come in response to the killing of an IDF soldier by a Palestinian teenager the previous day. (AP, Haaretz)

Israeli settlers dumped toxins in the Al-Baq’an area of the village of Bruqin, only 150 metres away from Palestinian homes. The toxins led to the death of 10 sheep belonging to a Palestinian farmer. Palestinian researcher Khaled Ma’aly said that there were dozens of small and large factories that produce toxins in the “Ariel” and the “Burkan” settlements surrounding the village, and that those settlements frequently flooded lands with wastewater. (IMEMC)

Israel had given the European Union a final proposal for the wording of the agreement governing Israeli scientific cooperation and participation in the Research and Innovation programme for the years 2014-2020 known as the “Horizon 2020” initiative. The participation had become controversial due to new EU guidelines against settlements built beyond the Green Line. In the new proposal, Israel recognizes and accepts the EU’s policy of not transferring funds to bodies in the settlements. (Haaretz)

Twenty-seven Member of the European Parliament (MEPs) across the political spectrum urged the European Commission to reverse or at least soften the settlement-related funding guidelines under the “Horizon 2020” initiative.  (AFP)

14

Two mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip at IDF soldiers as they penetrated the southern part of the Strip accompanied by six military bulldozers and several tanks.  There were no injuries reported.  (AFP, The Times of Israel)

Israeli authorities arrested 70 Palestinian illegal aliens in Israel in an overnight operation in the northern police district. (Ynetnews)    

Israeli warplanes bombed two separate targets in Gaza following the firing of militant projectiles across the border from Gaza. (AFP) 

In a statement issued by the Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department, Palestinian negotiators Erakat and Shtayyeh explained that they would not be able to continue fulfilling their duties as negotiators, and requested President Abbas to relieve them of their positions. “Of particular concern was the Israeli Government’s political use of the release of pre-Oslo prisoners in order to advance its illegal and profoundly damaging settlement enterprise throughout the occupied State of Palestine. This, combined with the false allegation that an agreement between the PLO and Israel was made in order to exchange prisoners for settlements, has demonstrated bad faith and a severe lack of integrity on the Israeli side”, the statement said. (WAFA)

In an interview with Army Radio, Israeli Justice Minister and Chief Negotiator Livni criticized the resignation of Palestinian negotiators, saying that “the resignations are incompatible with the responsibilities that they took upon themselves”. She expressed hope that negotiations would nevertheless continue as planned. (The Times of Israel) 

In remarks to a conference of the Middle East Institute, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice said, “We have seen increased tensions on the ground. Some of this is a result of recent settlement announcements. So let me reiterate: The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity,” adding that the US remained committed to Middle East peacemaking. (Huffington Post)

Samer Abu Baker, the mayor of the town of Ya’abad, near Jenin, said that Israeli soldiers arrived overnight to cut down 100 olive trees located near the “Mevo Dotan” settlement (Ma’an News Agency)

The period since the November 2012 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was said to be the calmest in more than a decade. “Hamas was able to prove to us that it can control rocket fire from Gaza,” said Brigadier General Mickey Edelstein, commander of the Israeli military’s Gaza division.  (The Washington Post)

The Israeli Cabinet ordered that a plan to build a national park on the eastern slope of Mount Scopus be expedited. The area of the park was arguably the only place in which the two Arab villages adjacent to it could be expanded, with reports that there was a dispute over the national park plan between the Prime Minister’s Office and Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz, who opposed it. (Haaretz) 

Reporters Without Borders condemned Israel’s arrest and continuing detention of Palestinian journalist Mohamed Jamal Abu Khdeir who worked for the Arabic-language Al-Quds newspaper in Jerusalem.  Mr. Abu Khdeir was arrested on 6 November on charges of endangering Israeli national security. A gag order placed on coverage of Mr. Khdeir's case in Israeli media would remain in place until 19 November. (AFP) 

15

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man in the Beit Amra neighbourhood of Yatta in Hebron. (Ma'an News Agency)

Following the decision of Catalonia Regional Premier Artur Mas not to meet with any Palestinian officials during his four-day visit to Israel, PLO spokesman Xavier Abu Eid told El Pais that Mr. Mas should not have entered Jerusalem’s Old City if his visit was solely limited to Israel and was purely concerned with economic matters. (El Pais) 

A group of Palestinian activists smashed and cut holes in sections of the separation wall near the Palestinian town of Bir Nabala, north-east of Jerusalem, and had reportedly crossed into Jerusalem. Another group of activists cut tens of metres of barbed wire surrounding Israel’s Ofer detention centre south of Ramallah. (Ma'an News Agency)

16

Hamas leader Haniyeh met with leaders of various political factions in Gaza City to discuss the ongoing siege as well as potential reconciliation among Palestinian political factions. He suggested forming a national committee to discuss the implementation of the 2012 Cairo and Doha agreements. There was no Fatah representative at the meeting. (Ma'an News Agency)

Hamas leader Haniyeh ordered the reopening of a Ma’an News Agency Gaza office that had been ordered closed in July for alleged “false” reporting of Hamas aid to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.  (AFP)

Israeli settlers raided Palestinian agricultural areas in the southern West Bank overnight uprooting 106 olive trees in Quwawees near Hebron. (Ma'an News Agency)

17

The IDF detained five Palestinian teenagers in the Bethlehem district.  (Ma'an News Agency)

Israeli forces shot 40 Palestinians including a large number of university students with rubber-coated steel bullets during a raid on Abu-Dis, east of Jerusalem. The soldiers raided the town and stopped students from Al-Quds University for questioning before clashes erupted.  (Ma'an News Agency)

The Fatah Central Committee said that President Abbas was pushing for an international inquiry into the death of Yasser Arafat.  (Xinhua)

French President François Hollande arrived in Israel for a three-day visit. He said at a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres that he believed both Israel and the Palestinians needed to make gestures in order to push the peace process forward. The French President also met with Prime Minister Netanyahu.  Discussions mainly focused on Iran and Israeli-French ties.  President Hollande was expected to speak at the Knesset during the day.  (The Jerusalem Post) 

Prime Minister Netanyahu said that US Secretary of State Kerry was to visit Israel on 22 November to discuss the Iranian nuclear talks and peace with the Palestinians. Mr. Netanyahu also insisted that the peace process with the Palestinians was not “frozen” and that he was waiting for Palestinian concessions to move the talks forward.  (AFP)

President Abbas said that peace talks will continue for the full nine months as agreed with Washington “regardless of what happens on the ground”.  He also rejected the earlier resignation by his negotiating team.  (AFP, Xinhua)

The Rafah crossing will be opened for three days during week after over 10 days of closure, the Palestinian Ambassador to Cairo said.  Dozens of Gazans demonstrated during the weekend near the closed crossing.  (Ma'an News Agency, Xinhua)

China’s Commerce Vice-Minister, Li Jinzao, welcomed a request to let Palestinian goods and products into Chinese markets during a meeting with Palestinian Minister of Economy Jawad Naji.  (Xinhua)

More than 100 Jewish Israelis accompanied by 30 police officers entered the Al-Aqsa compound through the Moroccan gate led by the religious extremist Yehuda Glick.  (Ma'an News Agency)

18

Prominent Hamas leader Salah Bardawil stated that the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip would be able to hit areas beyond Tel Aviv in case Israel launched a new aggression against Gaza. (alresalah.ps)

Hundreds of Jewish extremists attacked a Palestinian as he was driving through a ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood in West Jerusalem.  (Ma'an News Agency, WAFA)

Clashes erupted between Palestinian students and Israeli forces at a checkpoint south of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.  (WAFA)

French President Hollande urged Israel and the Palestinians to finally make peace, saying that Jerusalem must be the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian State.  Mr. Hollande made the comments in an address before the Knesset.  (Voice of America)

Speaking at a joint press conference with President Abbas in Ramallah, President Hollande said that Israeli settlement expansion was hindering the Middle East peace process.  The two leaders were also scheduled to discuss a budgetary support package worth €10 million, a training programme for Palestinian Government staff, and the opening of a French high school in Ramallah.  (France 24, Reuters, Ynetnews) 

Palestinian and Israeli businessmen, joined by the International Chamber of Commerce, inaugurated in Jerusalem the first centre dedicated for the resolution of commercial disputes between businesses in Palestine and Israel.  (WAFA) 

The IDF prevented residents of Yatta, near Hebron, from constructing a mosque, claiming that the building lacked an Israeli-issued permit.  (Ma'an News Agency, WAFA)

Two Palestinians were shot and injured and several others suffered from tear gas inhalation during confrontations with Israeli forces protecting Israeli settlers who attacked the village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus.  (WAFA)

Senior Israeli politicians from the ruling Likud faction, including Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon, reacted angrily to news that the Palestinian Government had handed out financial rewards to prisoners freed from Israeli prisons as part of the Netanyahu Government’s goodwill gesture prior to the start of peace negotiations.  (The Jerusalem Post)

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held its 355^th meeting approving four draft resolutions on the question of Palestine that will be considered in the coming week by the General Assembly.  It also heard a briefing on the recently-held International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, held in Istanbul on 8 October.  (Division for Palestinian Rights) 

The State of Palestine cast its first vote in the General Assembly for a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).  (webtv.un.org)

19

A mortar shell fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip caused no injuries or damage.  IDF soldiers operate in the area near the Gaza border fence.  (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli navy boats opened fire at fishermen and their boats docked at Gaza City.  No one was hurt in the shooting.  (WAFA)

An Israeli army spokesman said that Israel carried out four air strikes on the Gaza Strip, targeting a weapons workshop as well as two tunnels in the south. No casualties were reported. (AFP)

A Palestinian vehicle broke through a checkpoint north of Jerusalem, escaping gunfire and injuring two guards.  (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces detained an elderly man from Sair village and a Palestinian Preventive security officer from Tarqumiya village, locals said.  (Ma’an News Agency)

“Netanyahu’s call [for President Abbas to address the Knesset] was an exposed manoeuvre to show that he is keen on the peace process,” said PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi. “We do not deal seriously with this invitation and consider it something [for] media consumption,” she added.  (Xinhua)

In a document prepared for the two-day Africa-Arab Summit held in Kuwait, the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-up Committee said that Israel bore full responsibility for “the deep crisis” the peace talks had arrived at, due to its increasing settlement expansions over the last few months, its repeated attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, its destruction of Palestinian homes, confiscation of lands, assassinations and siege on Gaza. The report reiterated the Arab States’ support of the peace initiative, condemned the events behind the death of Yasser Arafat and supported President Abbas’ proposal to form an independent panel to investigate the circumstances. (KUNA)

In an opinion poll conducted by Al-Quds Open University, a majority of respondents, 74.1 per cent, believed that the Oslo [accords] created “political normalization” between Israel and the PA but that the Palestinians had gained nothing in return.  Similarly, 77.4 per cent of the respondents said that the agreement would not enable the Palestinians to establish a sovereign State.  (Ma’an News Agency)

The Permanent Under-Secretary for Britain’s Foreign Office, Simon Fraser, visited the Occupied Palestinian Territory where he met Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and announced a new UK-Palestinian Strategic Dialogue which would focus on UK-Palestinian relations, the prospects for Middle East peace, and wider regional issues.  During his trip, Mr. Fraser also visited the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem and the Ash-Shayyah area where a UK-funded planning project was successfully supporting vulnerable Palestinian communities. (www.government-world.com)

An aid convoy entered the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing for the first time since the 30 June events in Egypt.  The convoy consisted of 100 tonnes of medicine, medical equipment and canned food.  The aid was donated by the International Rescue Committee and was delivered to Gaza under the supervision of the Egyptian Red Crescent Association.  (Ma’an News Agency)

A major waste treatment plant in Gaza City had shut down due to lack of fuel, leading to floods of sewage in the streets.  (IMEMC)

In a monthly briefing to the Security Council, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman warned that four months into the negotiations, strains were growing dangerously between the Israelis and Palestinians.  (UN TV)

A military court in Jaffa sentenced two IDF soldiers from the Golani Brigade to several months in prison for attacking a bound Palestinian in May 2012 after having been captured crossing the border from Gaza into Israel.  (The Times of Israel)

UNRWA Commissioner-General Grandi warned that 19 out of 20 UNRWA construction projects in Gaza had “ground to a halt”.  Mr. Grandi said that since March, UNRWA had “not had any construction projects cleared by the Israeli Government, and for the past month, had been “unable to import building materials.”  (unrwa.org) 

In a joint statement, the popular service committees of Palestine refugee camps in the northern West Bank said that they will shut down, starting the following day, all UNRWA offices and programmes, except clinics and schools, for two days. The move would be part of ongoing protests against “UNRWA’s systematic reductions” in services.  (Ma’an News Agency)

20

The IDF fired steel rubber-coated bullets towards a demonstration protesting the uprooting of olive trees in the town of Yaboud, south of Jenin, injuring two Palestinians and an activist. Forces also arrested a Palestinian youth. (WAFA)

The IDF entered different locales in the West Bank and arrested 25 Palestinian men.  Israeli military vehicles entered the Jenin area village of Yabad arresting eight men; the Nablus village of Beita, arresting nine; the Nabi Saleh village west of Ramallah, arresting two,  two in Arroub refugee camp north of Hebron and one in the town of Dura, south of Hebron. Israeli forces also arrested a man in the town of Anata in East Jerusalem and a 63-year-old man from Sair in Hebron.   (Ma’an News Agency)

Nabil Sha’ath, a senior member of Fatah's Central Committee, said that “the movement's Central Committee instructed the Palestinian negotiating teams, Saeb Erekat and Mohammad Shtayyeh, to oversee the negotiations until a new team is assigned.”  He added: “This comes after they insisted on their resignation because of the recent Israeli violations that manifest in the rapid building of settlements.”  (Ma’an News Agency)

The Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Hassan Khreisheh, said that the ongoing peace talks hindered the prosecution of Israel for its crimes, especially through the International Criminal Court (ICC), for the assassination of Yasser Arafat. He also stated that the Palestinian leadership was committed to the negotiations until the end of their pre-set timeline, but after that, the Government would be free to approach the UN and join organizations such as the ICC.  (Middle East Monitor)

During a meeting in Riyadh with President Abbas, Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud said that the Kingdom would firmly support the Palestinian people until they regained all their occupied territories, including Al-Quds. He condemned Israeli plans to build settlements, saying that they constituted an obstacle to peace, a flagrant violation of the resolutions of international legitimacy, and a blatant attack on the firm legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. (KUNA)

During a meeting with President Abbas in Kuwait, Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, welcomed the request to reopen the Palestinian embassy in Nairobi, saying that it would be considered. He said that Kenya would continue to support the Palestinian cause for an independent State.  He encouraged the peaceful settlement of the dispute based on the road map and the Annapolis Declaration which reaffirmed the commitment to peaceful co-existence of the two States.   (www.nation.co.ke)

Speaking to Radio J, a French-Jewish radio station, French President Hollande said, “The right of return is part of the negotiations, but we cannot ask Israel to accept refugees, all refugees; it would not make sense".  (www.i24news.tv)

Israeli forces handed Palestinians in the town of Bartaa near Jenin seven stop-work orders and two notices to evacuate poultry farms.  (Ma’an News Agency)

The Deputy Mayor of the Nablus area village of Aqraba said that Israeli forces, accompanied by three bulldozers and seven military vehicles, entered the al-Taweel neighbourhood and demolished a water tank and a steel structure.   (Ma’an News Agency)

An IDF soldier was arrested with his older brother on suspicion of puncturing tyres of police car stationed in the West Bank and spraying “Death to Arabs” on buses used to servicing Palestinians.  (Ynetnews)

PA Minister for Prisoners’ Affairs Qaraqe said that Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jail of Ashkelon launched an open-ended hunger strike to protest Israeli “suppressive measures” against them. Violent clashes erupted with the guards, wounding 9 prisoners and 13 transferred to solitary confinement.   (Saudi Gazette) 

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Pierre Krähenbühl of Switzerland as UNRWA’s new Commissioner-General.  (un.org)

21

Abu Ahmad, a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad's military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, said in a statement that Israeli incursions into the Gaza Strip and air strikes against civilian and military sites could mark the beginning of the end of the ceasefire.  (Ma’an News Agency)

President Abbas, in an interview with the Voice of Russia radio, said that he intends to visit Moscow before the end of this year. “We want to inform the Russian administration about the progress of [Israeli-Palestinian] negotiations", he said. (www.voiceofrussia.com) 

PLO Executive Committee member Ashrawi warned that unless Israel ceased all settlement activity and adhered to signed agreements, the two-State solution would come to an end. (WAFA)

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip currently stood at 32.5 per cent compared with 19.1 per cent in the West Bank. Over 100,000 Palestinians worked in Israel, with more than 20,000 in settlements.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met with the members of the British Council in Palestine to discuss continued mutual cooperation in the education sector. (Ma’an News Agency)

Dozens of Israeli soldiers raided the Baten Al-Ma’sy Mountain area, in the Al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, and bulldozed Palestinian land in preparation for the construction of new settlement units.  (IMEMC)

Israeli settlers from “Teqoa” set up a tent near the western entrance of Tuqu village east of Bethlehem while under the guard of Israeli soldiers. The settlers reportedly protested against Palestinians throwing rocks at settler vehicles. (Ma’an News Agency)

One hundred fourteen MEPs of various political groups wrote to EU Foreign Policy Chief Ashton urging strict enforcement of the EU guidelines regarding Israeli settlements.  (WAFA)

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the OPT James Rawley said that in Gaza, “After 12 months, the initial hopes for a significant improvement on the ground have not been realized”, adding that the situation for Gaza’s 1.7 million people was worse than it was before the hostilities a year ago. (AFP)

The “Miles of Smiles” solidarity aid convoy arrived in Gaza carrying humanitarian supplies, crossing through the Rafah crossing from Egypt. (IMEMC)

22

The Government of Japan renewed its commitment to the World Food Programme, contributing the equivalent of $3.4 million in support of the most vulnerable, food-insecure Palestinians in the West Bank. (www.wfp.org) 

Over 200 Israeli settlers from the settlements of “Mevo Dotan” and “Hermesh” gathered outside of Yabad village near Jenin, blocking the road connecting Jenin and Yabad, burning tyres and chanting in Hebrew and waving Israeli flags, while under the protection of Israeli soldiers. (Ma’an News Agency)

Hamas’s economic adviser, Imad al-Daelis, said that talks were underway to increase the volume of electricity Hamas purchased from Israel. The Israel Electric Company provides over one third of Gaza’s electricity. (www.Israelnationalnews.com)

23

Israeli soldiers fired rubber bullets on some 150 Palestinian demonstrators near a refugee camp at Jalazon, north of Ramallah, wounding four, Palestinian medical sources said. The protest was against stone-throwing attacks by settlers on Palestinian vehicles. (AFP, Ynetnews)

Israeli settlers from “Mitzpe Yair” and “Maon Avigal” attacked Palestinian farmers in the town of Yatta, south of Hebron, according a local activist. (WAFA)

The Head of the Census Department of the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees, Abdul-Nasser Farawna, said that there were currently 4,900 Palestinians in Israeli detention, including 190 children. (IMEMC)

24

Israeli forces launched a three-day exercise in the coastal city of Ashkelon, north of the border with the Gaza. (Haaretz)

Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah met with his Jordanian counterpart, Abdullah Ensour, to discuss bilateral ties as well as political and economic issues of mutual interest. (Ma'an News Agency, petra.gov.jo)

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine member Jamil Mizher criticized President Abbas for offering “useless” concessions to Israel during peace negotiations. (Ma'an News Agency) 

Municipal garbage collection in Gaza had come to a halt due to lack of fuel. (Ma'an News Agency)

Muntaha Heeh, 21, who was arrested the previous month at an Israeli army checkpoint outside Hebron, said in an affidavit to Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies that she was severely beaten and tortured during her month-long detention, according to a report issued by the Center. Ms. Heeh, who was from the village of Surief near Hebron was arrested and charged with attempted stabbing, which she had denied, and was released on a $1,500 bail until trial. (WAFA)

Israeli authorities released a Palestinian prisoner, Hani Muhammad Badee Bader al-Sharif, 38, who had been in custody for 16 years, and prior to that, in administrative detention for 4 years. (Ma'an News Agency)

An Israeli court extended the detention term for seven teenagers from Issawiya village of East Jerusalem who were charged with “throwing firebombs” at an Israeli military base. (Ma'an News Agency)

25

Israeli forces arrested 28 Palestinians across the West Bank according to local sources. (WAFA)

Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh expressed a new confidence in international diplomatic efforts after “the success of the international efforts to solve the Iranian issue”. (Ma'an News Agency)

Peace Now said that Israeli authorities had given the go-ahead for the construction of 829 new settler homes in the West Bank. (AFP)

A group of Israeli settlers entered the village of Bruqin in the northern West Bank and uprooted 15 olive trees.  (IMEMC)

The special meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at United Nations Headquarters in New York was addressed by the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), the President of the General Assembly, the Deputy Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council and the UNRWA Commissioner-General. The special meeting was followed by the screening of the documentary “State 194” and a concert featuring Palestinian singers Nai Barghouti and Mohammed Assaf, UNRWA Regional Youth Ambassador and winner of Arab Idol. (Division for Palestinian Rights)

The CEIRPP Working Group officially launched the “UN Platform for Palestine” at unpfp.un.org. (Division for Palestinian Rights)

26

A Palestinian from Gaza was caught by Israeli security forces inside Israeli territory with a grenade in his possession, the IDF said.  (The Times of Israel)

Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians near Hebron.  According to an Israeli police spokesman, the Palestinians in a car fired at security officials, who responded by shooting and killing them.  Explosive devices were found in the vehicle.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Erakat said, after meeting a US congressional delegation at his Jericho office, that Prime Minister Netanyahu was not interested in peace; rather his sole interest was to consolidate an apartheid regime.  (WAFA)

Senior Fatah Central Committee member Sha’ath said that Palestine was prepared to join international organizations after talks with Israel had failed to result in a breakthrough after five months.  “There are 35 conventions that do not need approval to join; on top of them is the Rome Statute”, he said.  (Ma’an News Agency)

PLO Executive Committee member Ashrawi said that Israel was committing twin violations of international law by promoting colonization through all kinds of illegal means, and [legalizing] illegitimate outposts.  She called upon the world to curb such abuses before it was too late. (petra.gov.jo)

Israel should advance the peace process with the Palestinians in order to ensure the best possible deal for it between the P5+1 and Iran, Israeli Justice Minister Livni said.  She pointed out that the six months in which the P5+1 would be negotiating a permanent accord with Iran were, not coincidentally, the same period left in the Kerry peace initiative.  (The Jerusalem Post)

Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs Børge Brende was critical of the continuing expansion of new Israeli settlements. “This is not a good idea. When one is negotiating, one should create the best possible climate for negotiations,” he said.  (The Norway Post)

Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah was scheduled to discuss with Qatari officials possible solutions to end the ongoing power crisis in the Gaza Strip.  (Ma'an News Agency)

British Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem Benjamin Saoul told young Gaza photographers that he saw hope in their future, as he inaugurated a photo exhibition of their works documenting their daily life.  (WAFA)

Unknown assailants threw two Molotov cocktails in a suspected “price-tag” attack at a Palestinian home in the village of Burin, south of Nablus, Israel Radio reported.  Minor property damage was sustained.  (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli settlers raided lands in the northern West Bank with bulldozers in order to level the area to prepare it for the expansion of the nearby “Ariel” settlement block, a witness said.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces handed out a demolition notification to a mosque in the Al-Taweel area, south of Nablus.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli Minister of Defense Ya'alon announced that the Government would form a new division responsible for combating building and planning violations by Palestinians in the West Bank. The new initiative came in response to a High Court petition filed by Regavim, an organization that advocates for Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank. (The Jerusalem Post)

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 Richard Falk called for urgent action to address the power shortage that had left the Gaza Strip in a situation of “near catastrophe”.  He also urged the governing authorities in Gaza to cooperate with the PA.  “Israel must end its illegal blockade and exercise its core responsibility as the occupying Power to protect the civilian population,” the expert said.  (www.ohchr.org)

The EU had rejected an Israeli compromise proposal regarding the EU settlement-related guidelines, an Israeli diplomat said.  Prime Minister Netanyahu had called an emergency cabinet meeting just days ahead of an Israeli decision on whether to participate in the EU-funded “Horizon 2020” programme.  He had instructed the Foreign Ministry and Justice Minister Livni to try to find a last-minute compromise.  An EU spokesman said that negotiations were still ongoing.  (EUBusiness, The Jerusalem Post)

The General Assembly adopted four resolutions under the agenda item “Question of Palestine” on the CEIRPP, the Division for Palestinian Rights, the special programme of the Department of Public Information and on peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, as resolutions A/RES/68/12 to 15.  The voting results were: 110(yes)-7(no)-56(abstain), 108-7-59, 163-7-7 and 165-6-6, respectively.  By the resolution on the CEIRPP, the Assembly proclaimed 2014 the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and requested the Committee to organize activities around that observance, in cooperation with Governments, the UN system, IGOs and civil society.  The text was adopted by recorded vote of 110 in favour to 7 against (Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau and the US), with 56 abstentions.  (UN News Centre, Division for Palestinian Rights)

UNRWA expressed its deep sorrow at the death of its ninth staff member to be killed as a result of the Syria conflict.   (unrwa.org)

27

Israeli forces detained 15 Palestinians in overnight arrest raids across the West Bank.  (Ma’an News Agency)

After talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, Israeli President Peres said, “We agreed that the answer to the conflict should be based on the two-State solution, two States for two peoples. Peace is urgent, I believe, but possible”.  (AFP) 

According to a survey published by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre, 50.5 per cent of the sample surveyed said that the renewed peace talks with Israel was a mistake, while 33.8 per cent said that it was the right decision. (www.jmcc.org)

Palestinian President Abbas met with Quartet Representative Tony Blair in Ramallah where they discussed the latest in the peace talks and the Quartet’s efforts to support the Palestinian economy. (WAFA)

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released a situation report on the Gaza fuel crisis.  (www.ochaopt.org)

Israel’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Ze’ev Elkin said that Israel and the EU had agreed that Israeli institutions that operated in the Occupied Palestinian Territory could apply for funding under the “Horizon 2020” EU research programme, but they would need to ensure that any money they received be spent only inside Israel proper.  “Every Israeli entity will be able to apply.  If it receives the money, it will need to find a mechanism, with the Europeans, that will allow the Europeans to achieve their objective: that their money … will not go beyond the Green Line”, he said.  (Ynetnews)

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said that a 13-year-old Palestinian boy had been subjected to many hours of torture and denied food and water for 18 hours after his arrest by Israeli soldiers.  He said that soldiers had beaten him severely with gun butts and kicked him in the stomach, back and head.  (WAFA)

28

The IDF injured five Palestinians in clashes near the Aida refugee camp north of Bethlehem.  (Ma'an News Agency)

A 28-year-old Palestinian man had died of wounds he sustained eight months ago when Israeli soldiers shot him in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet during clashes near the Qalandiya refugee camp in Ramallah.  (Ma'an News Agency)

A 14-year-old Palestinian girl in a medical emergency died when her ambulance was unable to reach Beit Jala Governmental Hospital in Bethlehem because the Container Road Israeli checkpoint was closed, the girl’s family said. (Ma'an News Agency)

A two-year-old Israeli girl was moderately wounded in Jerusalem when assailants hurled rocks at a car she was riding. (Haaretz)

A Palestinian official denied remarks made by Israeli Justice Minister Livni in an interview with Israel Radio the previous day that peace talks were seeing considerable progress despite scepticism by her Palestinian counterparts. The official said that Ms. Livni’s statements “aim at hiding Israeli obstacles to the negotiations and the increased settlement building that undermines the talks”.  (Xinhua)

Israel opened the Kerem Shalom [Beit Hanoun] crossing with Gaza to allow a delivery of humanitarian aid and fuel into the coastal territory. (Ma'an News Agency)

The IDF entered an old building in the town of al-Samou, south of Hebron, claiming it was an archaeological Jewish site and provoking Palestinians to clash with them. The forces then fired tear gas and acoustic canisters causing several suffocation cases among Palestinians.  (WAFA)

More than 150 settlers threw rocks at Palestinian vehicles passing on a main road east of Bethlehem, damaging car windows.  Israeli soldiers present in the area did not interfere to stop the settlers, said witnesses. (WAFA)

Visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah met with his Lebanese counterpart, Najib Mikati, in Beirut where they discussed the situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, including those who had fled Syria. Mr. Mikati told reporters that his Government was working with various international organizations to provide Palestinian refugees with humanitarian aid.  (The Jerusalem Post)

The United Nations began distributing fuel in Gaza to keep critical infrastructure running as fears of a health crisis had grown over accumulating rubbish and sewage, a UN official said. UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Serry said, “Fuel is actually coming in, as of today, through the Kerem Shalom, purchased by UNRWA and distributed by the UN,” adding, "”That doesn’t resolve the fuel crisis in Gaza, but it does provide a safety net, we hope, for the coming two to three months for those critical installations here,” he added. (AFP)

The Palestinian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in Paris participated in the commemoration of the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People by showing at the public event four films from the Palestinian women cinema group Shashat, produced and directed by Palestinian women. (WAFA)

29

Israeli forces shot and critically injured two Palestinians with live bullets during demonstrations in Al-Ezeriya and Abu Dis near Jerusalem against the death of a Palestinian girl who had died in an ambulance while being held up near a checkpoint.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces shot and injured a 48-year-old Palestinian man and arrested him in Hebron.  Three people were injured with rubber-coated steel bullets and dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces detained two Palestinians in the Jenin area and another in Nablus.  (Ma’an News Agency)

A 22-year-old Palestinian man was shot and moderately injured in the leg during clashes with Israeli forces east of Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip.  (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli soldiers stationed at the border with Gaza fired several rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian farmers working on their land east of Khan Yunis.  (IMEMC)

Commemorating one year after the United Nations granted Palestine non-member observer status, Palestine’s news agency WAFA published comments by President Abbas pledging to do everything possible to establish a Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.  He said that he would “never give up an ounce of the Palestinians’ demands nor sign a peace agreement that failed to meet the aspirations of the people”.  (AFP)

One year after the end of the November 2012 Gaza conflict, the British Minister for the Middle East, Hugh Robertson, issued a statement saying that the ceasefire that had been respected for 12 months needed to continue. He said that priority must now be geared towards addressing the underlying causes of the conflict, including more open access to and from Gaza for trade as well as humanitarian assistance, and an end to the smuggling of weapons. (www.gov.uk)

OCHA released a fact sheet on “The Humanitarian Impact of Israeli Settlements in Hebron”, in which it said that access restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities in H2 (over 20 per cent of Hebron City Israel exercises full control over), compounded by systematic harassment by Israeli settlers, and occasionally by Israeli forces, had resulted in the displacement of thousands of Palestinians and the deterioration of the living conditions of those who stayed.  (www.ochaopt.org)

Germany and Britain would be voting against Palestinian membership to the International Olive Council during the week in Madrid.  Representatives of the European External Action Service said that the membership would give the Palestinians access to technical assistance in an industry vital to their economy.  But British and German representatives were of the view that such membership could sabotage the current Israeli-Palestinian talks. (Haaretz)

Israel denied entry visas to Yemeni, Iraqi, Lebanese and Syrian civil society delegations to enter the Palestinian territory to participate in the annual Transparency Festival organized by the Palestinian organization Aman – also known as the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity. Aman and the other organization are members of Transparency International.  Aman said that the Israeli decision was aimed at isolating Palestinians from the surrounding Arab States.  (www.gulfnews.com)

In his annual message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “I am alarmed by the increasingly dangerous situation on the ground. There has been an escalation of violence and incitement that could threaten the peace talks.”  He said that Israel’s settlement surge in the West Bank was “a cause for very grave concern”.  Mr. Ban also condemned rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and the building of tunnels into Israel by militants.  He said that the Palestinians must overcome “divisions” between Fatah and Hamas to boost the talks.  Mr. Ban said that all parties must act in a responsible way and refrain from actions that undermine the prospects for successful negotiations, adding “We cannot afford to lose the current momentum of opportunity.” (UN press release SG/SM/15499-OBV/1285)

In Jerusalem's Old City, UNRWA opened a photography exhibition entitled “The Long Journey: Digitizing the Palestine Refugee Experience” portraying the life of Palestinian refugees. The photographs exhibit was part of the Agency's larger project of digitizing and archiving some half a million pictures and films of Palestinian refugees.  (Ynetnews.com)

30

An Israeli border police volunteer opened fire and killed near Tel Aviv a 23-year-old Palestinian from Nablus during what was described as a routine search for illegal workers.  (WAFA)

Israeli soldiers attacked dozens of non-violent Palestinian and international activists protesting against Israel’s “Prawer-Begin” plan to displace Bedouins in the Negev, and arrested three.  (IMEMC)

Israeli soldiers prevented farmers in the Hebron village of Um al-Arayes from reaching their land located close to the “Mitzpe Yair” settlement, claiming it was a closed military zone.  (WAFA)

A Palestinian in the Sur Baher neighbourhood in East Jerusalem started to demolish his own home to avoid a heavy fine imposed by an Israeli court.  (WAFA)

Dozens of Palestinian youths demonstrated in Gaza City in protest against Israel’s so-called Prawer Plan to displace Bedouin residents of the Negev.  (Ma’an News Agency)

__________