{"id":204127,"date":"2016-02-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T18:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=204127"},"modified":"2019-03-12T18:43:02","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T18:43:02","slug":"auto-insert-204127","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-204127\/","title":{"rendered":"Chronological Review of Events\/February 2016 – DPR review"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

\n

\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n

Division for Palestinian Rights<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chronological Review of Events Relating to the<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Question of Palestine<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Monthly media monitoring review<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

February 2016<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/p>\n
\n

Monthly highlights<\/strong><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

• Israel passes law  allowing police to stop and frisk suspects without probable cause. (2 Feb.<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• A survey reveals majority of Israelis support a negotiating process with Palestinians. (2 Feb.<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• Israeli court sentences 2 Israelis to life and 21 years in prison for burning alive a Palestinian teen. (4 Feb.<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• Palestinian source says Fatah and Hamas reconciliation talks reached agreement. (8 Feb.) <\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• Israel PM Netanyahu announces plans to build fence around Israel. (10 Feb.<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• PM Netanyahu says Israel has no choice but to continue its control of the West Bank. (10 Feb.<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• Quartet says current trends on the ground imperilled the viability of a two-State solution. (12 Feb.<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• Nearly 2,500 people left Gaza during a three-day humanitarian opening of the border with Egypt. (16 Feb.<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

• Progress has been made between Israel and Jordan over placing cameras on Al-Haram al-Sharif\/Temple Mount. (28 Feb.<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

1<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A resident of a West Bank village Jamal Hassan Abed aged 19, was shot dead while reportedly trying to stab an Israeli soldier. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Palestinian Security Forces reported the killing of Ahmad Toba, aged 17, near Tulkarm by Israeli forces. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli forces detained at least 17 Palestinians from the districts of Hebron, Tulkarm, Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Qalqilya and Beit Awwa in the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the initiative by the French Government to convene an International Peace Conference in Paris. France would recognize Palestine if this initiative failed, the French Foreign Ministry said. US Secretary of State John Kerry called President Abbas and the two discussed the French initiative and “the tense political situation in the region.” (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Prime Minister Netanyahu called for a more “sober” approach towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while dismissing the French initiative as only encouraging Palestinians to shun compromise. (Reuters<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Government of Italy contributed $1.09 million to UNWRA to support vulnerable Palestinian refugees in Syria. (UNWRA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

USAID contributed 12 million to WFP to support the population of Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian teenager, a resident of East Jerusalem, was arrested after Israeli police forces found a kitchen knife under his clothes. (Ma’an News<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Hunger-striking prisoner Muhammad al-Qiq’s health is in a critical condition. The Palestinian journalist has been protesting his administrative detention for almost 68 days. (Ma’an News<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in a New York Times <\/span>op-ed<\/a> entitled “Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Israel” that “when heartfelt concerns about short-sighted or morally damaging policies emanate from so many sources, including Israel’s closest friends, it cannot be sustainable to keep lashing out at every well-intentioned critic.” (<\/span>www.un.org<\/i><\/a>) <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, Addameer and the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Commission said in a joint report that at least 551 Palestinians had been detained by Israeli authorities in January 2016 alone. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

According to a Haaretz<\/i> report, a fraud squad investigation revealed that 14 of 15 supposed real estate acquisitions in the West Bank for illegal settlements made by Al-Watan, a company run by a pro-settlement activist, were forged. (Haaretz)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

2<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces shot and critically injured a 14-year-old Palestinian during clashes in the Jabal al-Tawil area of Ramallah. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least 34 Palestinians across the West Bank and Jerusalem. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israel’s Parliament passed a law expanding police powers, allowing them to stop and frisk suspects without probable cause. Critics say the law will allow police to racially profile minorities and Arabs. While previously police could only search people suspected of carrying a weapon, under the new measures officers can search anyone in areas declared by district police commanders to be possible settings for “hostile sabotage activity”. (AP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished two Palestinian homes in the village of Sur Bahir in East Jerusalem reportedly built without Israeli permits. Also, Israeli soldiers demolished a home under construction in the Wad Qaddoum neighbourhood of East Jerusalem. (IMEMC, Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished 24 structures in and around the village of Khirbet Jenba, south of Hebron, leaving 12 families homeless. (AFP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Robert Piper said in a <\/span>statement<\/a>: “I am deeply concerned about the continued practice of administrative detention in Israeli jails and detention centres. In particular, I am alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating health of Palestinian administrative detainee, Mohammed Al-Qiq, who is on hunger strike in protest against the arbitrary nature of his detention and ill-treatment. … I reiterate the United Nations’ long-standing position that all administrative detainees – Palestinian or Israeli – should be charged or released without delay. All allegations of ill-treatment must also be independently and promptly investigated.” (<\/span>www.unsco.org<\/i><\/a>) <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

According to a survey by the Israel Democracy Institute, the majority of Israelis, Jews and Arabs support a negotiating process with the Palestinians and would like to see a meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas. About 56.9 per cent of Israeli Jews and 86.7 per cent of Arab Israelis are in favour of talks, according to the study. (EFE<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished 24 Palestinian buildings in a disputed military zone south of Hebron in the West Bank, including 10 funded by the European Union, leaving 12 families of around 80 Palestinians homeless. An EU spokesman denounced the demolitions. Later the Israeli High Court ordered a temporary halt to all demolitions in that location until at least 9 February. (AFP<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Jerusalem Post reported that an Israeli NGO, Regavim, was seeking the demolition of a road built in the newly created Palestinian city of Rawabi, which is located in Areas A and B of the West Bank, under the civilian control of the Palestinian Authority. A section of the road, however, is located in Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military and civilian control, and Regavim claims that this section had not received authorization by the Israeli authorities. (The Jerusalem Post<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israel’s Knesset passed a new law allowing Israeli security forces to stop and frisk “individuals who appear suspicious” to have unlicensed weapons, even without probable cause. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A survey released by the Israel Democracy Institute indicates that some 70 per cent of the Israeli public would support the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas. (Al-Monitor<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

3<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained 23 Palestinians from across the West Bank districts, including Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, and Ramallah. The Israeli Navy also arrested four Palestinian fishermen off Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency, WAFA<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli military bulldozers entered the southern Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis, while opening indiscriminate gunfire, and razed agricultural land. There were no reports of casualties. (WAFA<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Three Palestinians were shot dead after carrying out an armed attack near Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem, which left two Israeli female police officers injured, one of them critically. (Ma’an News Agency, The Times of Israel<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Dozens of right-wing Israelis, as many as 70 according to witnesses, toured the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under Israeli police escort. Israeli police meanwhile prevented a number Palestinian women and men from entering the compound, saying that they were members of the blacklisted Murabitat and Murabitun – Muslim groups that protest what they see as an increasing Jewish presence at the holy site. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli authorities demolished a car repair workshop in Issawiya in East Jerusalem, citing a lack of building permit. (WAFA<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Hadar Cohen, the Israeli police officer critically wounded during the attack by three Palestinians in East Jerusalem, succumbed to her injuries. (Palestine Monitor<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli soldiers arrested eight Palestinians and injured two children in different parts of Jerusalem. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

4<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least 27 Palestinians, including three children, across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Two 13-year-old Palestinian girls were detained after attempting to attack an Israeli security guard at a bus station in the central Israeli city of Ramla. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

An Israeli ex-border guard officer, who had been convicted for beating a laughing Palestinian, lost his appeal hearing. The Israeli judges said that it is important to send a “clear message” to security services not to harm innocent civilians. (The Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The PLO Executive Committee, in a press statement, said that the international peace conference proposed by France must aim to end the Israeli occupation and the establishment of the Palestinian state within a binding time frame. (Xinhua<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Arab-Israeli MK Ahmad Tibi of the Joint (Arab) List, during his visit to the US, met with the US White House and State Department officials. (The Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli High Court suspended demolition orders for the West Bank homes of two Palestinians who allegedly killed five Israelis in twin attacks on November 19 of last year. The court issued the temporary injunctions in response to petitions by the families. (The Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished five homes and four other Palestinian-owned structures in the town of Tammun in the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

An Israeli court sentenced two young Israelis to life and 21 years in prison, respectively, for burning alive a Palestinian teen Abu Khdeir, 16. The defendant sentenced to 21 years, the youngest of the three who was said to have psychiatric problems, was found to have remained in the car when Abu Khdeir was killed. Israeli settler Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, is said to have led the attack on Abu Khdeir but his lawyers say he suffers from a mental illness and was not responsible for his actions at the time. The court has found that he committed the crime but is yet to rule if he is mentally competent. (AFP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation will hold an extraordinary summit to discuss Palestinian independence and the current status of development in Jerusalem in Jakarta next month, the Director General of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Hasab Kleib, said. (Antara News<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

5<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least eight Palestinians and delivered demolition orders to the families of five Palestinian alleged attackers across the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces continued to seal the West Bank village of Qabatiya, the hometown of three Palestinians who were shot dead after carrying out an attack that left an Israeli officer dead in Jerusalem earlier this week. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli soldiers killed a 14-year-old Palestinian and detained another young boy in the West Bank town of Halhul north of Hebron, after the two allegedly tried to throw Molotov cocktails at passing vehicles on Route 60. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein jointly lodged a complaint to the Knesset’s Ethics Committee against three Arab-Israeli MKs for meeting with relatives of Palestinians who carried out attacks against Israelis in recent months. (The Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon rallied outside the UNRWA headquarters in Lebanon to protest the agency’s decision to reduce the health services it provides for the Palestinians. (Palestinin Information Center<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

At least 10Palestinians were injured by live fire when Israeli forces suppressed demonstrations across the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

6<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The European Union, in a <\/span>statement<\/u><\/a>, called on Israel to halt the demolition of Palestinian housing, some of which was EU-funded, and reiterated its opposition to expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. It referred to Israel’s decision on 25 January to declare 154 hectares (380 acres) of land near Jericho as state land, with reported plans to build around 150 new residences for settlers. This was followed by the demolition of several Palestinian residences in the south Hebron hills, which also included EU-funded structures. In the 18 January conclusions of the EU Council, Foreign Ministers from the 28 EU nations had confirmed “the EU’s firm opposition to Israel’s settlement policy” and criticised the actions including demolitions, confiscation and forced transfers. <\/span>(AFP, <\/i><\/span>http:\/\/eeas.europa.eu<\/i><\/a>)<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Jewish Israeli woman was stabbed and wounded in Rahat in southern Israel. The attacker, who fled the scene, was identified as Arab. (AFP)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian was shot and injured with a live round and dozens others suffocated during ongoing clashes with Israeli forces at the entrance of blockaded Qabatya, south of Jenin. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a new health programme aimed at investing US$50 million to increase health access and improve the quality of emergency and essential health services in Gaza. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian worker died when a smuggling tunnel between Gaza and Egypt collapsed. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

7<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians, including three minors, and summoned four others from across the West Bank districts, including Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he would advance legislation enabling the suspension of parliamentarians for “inappropriate conduct” after Arab MPs met relatives of Palestinians killed while attacking Israelis. The only way to currently suspend or disqualify a member of parliament is if he or she is convicted of a crime. (AFP)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli Labour Party unanimously approved opposition leader Isaac Herzog’s plan for separating Israelis from Palestinians as the party’s new diplomatic platform. The plan states that Labour remains committed to the two-state solution and will prevent any slippage towards a single state. Israel must retain control of the West Bank settlement blocks, complete the separation barrier to keep terrorists out of Israel and freeze all building in settlements outside the blocks. In addition, it says Israel should expand the Palestinian Authority’s civilian powers by expanding Area B, the part of the West Bank where Israel has security control but the PA has civilian control, at the expense of Area C, which is under full Israeli control. The plan also says the Gaza Strip must be part of any final agreement. Labour will endeavour to separate dozens of Jerusalem-area Palestinian villages from the city itself. (Haaretz)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

8<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least 22 Palestinians in overnight raids in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, among them four minors. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli military and naval forces shot at Palestinian farmers in the eastern Gaza Strip and fishermen off Gaza City. No injuries or arrests were reported. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli defence establishment is planning to allow 30,000 more Palestinians to work in Israel, despite the escalation in terror attacks in recent months. The Government’s security cabinet has already approved the main provisions of the plan, and it is now under discussion with the relevant government agencies, in preparation for a vote by the full cabinet. Around 58,000 Palestinians have permits to work within Israel proper. An estimated 120,000 Palestinians work for Israelis, including over 30,000 who work in Israel illegally and some 27,000 who work in industrial zones in West Bank settlements. (Haaretz)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli authorities issued a “closure and confiscation” notice for the family homes of four Palestinian teenagers accused of causing an Israeli driver’s death by throwing stones at his car. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Disputes between Israel and Jordan have delayed the installation of cameras on the Temple Mount\/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, more than three months after the sides agreed on the measure to deescalate tensions. The three main points of dissent are: 1. Will the cameras broadcast to Israel, Jordan or a website that anyone can access? 2. Will Israel be able to control the broadcast, or pause or edit the transmission? The Jordanians and Palestinians demand that Israel be prohibited from such actions. 3. Where will the cameras be stationed? Israel wants them throughout the site, including inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock – in part to show that they are used to store weapons or rocks used against Israeli security forces. Jordan and the Palestinians strongly oppose placing cameras in those holy sites. (Haaretz)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinian detainee Mohammad al-Qiq, who is on an open hunger strike, rejected an offer by the Israeli military prosecution to release him on 1 May, maintaining that he will only suspend his hunger strike if Israel ends his detention without charge or trial. Israeli physicians warned that he was showing serious warning signs of a stroke, given the rapid deterioration of his health after over two months of hunger strike. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Detainees and Ex-Detainees Committee said that 450 Palestinian minors were held in Israeli detention centres. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli Government is seeking legal means to enable it to confiscate the property and money of Palestinian attackers prior to any judicial proceeding. The Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee would advance the proposal, despite the fact that the its legal department ruled that such impoundment constitutes a grave violation of the right to property and attempt to punish suspects without a trial, rather than an effort to prevent terror. (Haaretz)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Quartet Envoys met in Oslo in the framework of their continued engagement with key regional and international stakeholders. During their meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Brende and the Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process, Ambassador Tor Wennesland, the Quartet underlined Norway’s role with regard to achieving a two–state solution and strongly condemned any form of terror and violence against innocent civilians. (UNSCO<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross near the West Bank city of Ramallah were shuttered amid protests over Muhammad al-Qiq, a Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli prison. Protesters declared they were rallying against “the silence by international community organizations – namely the ICRC in Palestine – about al-Qiq.” (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

An 11-year-old Jewish boy was stabbed and wounded in an attack in the central Israeli town of Ramle. A 17-year-old Arab youth was arrested a short time later on suspicion of carrying out the attack. (Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israel’s government temporarily suspended from parliamentary meetings three Arab lawmakers who had met with families of Palestinians who carried out deadly attacks. The Arab parliamentarians, Hanin Zoabi, Basel Ghattas and Jamal Zahalk, have said they met with the families to help them get the bodies of their relatives released by authorities. (Associated Press<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian source said that the national reconciliation talks held in Doha between Fatah party and Islamic Hamas movement reached agreement. The understandings are in general terms and both delegations will return to their leaderships for final approvals and the declaration of any agreement. (Xinhua<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinian President Abbas said that the Palestinians are holding dialogue with a number of countries to build pressure for holding an international conference for peace in the Middle East to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces ordered the demolition of 15 corrugated metal homes in Beita, southeast of Nablus in the northern West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

9<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Two 16- and 13-year-old Palestinian girls were detained by Israeli forces in separate incidents on suspicion of attempting to carry out stabbing attacks. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces arrested 22 Palestinians during predawn search and detention raids across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including in Hebron, Ramallah and Tulkarem districts. <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished more than 10 Palestinian homes and structures in Khirbet Tana east of Nablus, where residents have lived for decades in an area declared as an Israeli military “firing zone”. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli Military Forces blocked the village of Nahalin, West of Bethlehem, after a stabbing attack against an Israeli settler near the Neve Daniel settlement. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Government of the State of Palestine expressed its willingness to resign in order to facilitate the establishment of a new Palestinian unity government jointly with rival Fatah and Hamas factions. (Newsweek<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli based non-governmental organizations along with 50 members of the European Parliament submitted an official letter to the Israeli Parliament. They urged its members to reject a bill targeting leftist pro-Palestinian human rights groups based in Israel for transparency requirements with regard to financial aid received from abroad, mainly from the European Union. (Telesur<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israel’s Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said that Hamas’ leaders have been rebuilding a sophisticated network of underground tunnels that Israel targeted during the 2014 war. He said destroying this network is the military’s top priority for 2016. (The Jerusalem Post<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

10<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli Army kidnapped 23 Palestinians, including children from the towns of Sur Baher, Abu Dis, Hebron, Tulkarem, the northern West Bank, Al-Ezariyya, Nahhalin in Bethlehem, Jenin and from Deheishe refugee camp. Israeli soldiers also kidnapped six other Palestinians from Jenin and 18 Palestinians from the West Bank and Jerusalem, including minors, stated the Jerusalem office for Palestinian prisoners. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

According to the Israeli Defence Forces, a 16-year-old Palestinian rioter was shot dead during a protest near the town Al-Arub while trying to throw rocks and firebombs at Israeli forces. (Arutz Sheva<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian 15-year-old, Omar Yousef Madhi Jawabra, was shot by the Israeli Forces after soldiers invaded the Al-Arroub refugee camp north of Hebron. <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Jerusalem District Court prosecuted two Palestinian teenagers – aged 14 and 16 – in connection with last month’s attempted murder of an Israeli teen outside the old city of Jerusalem. (The Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinians are blocking the entrance to Beirut UNWRA office as a protest against current aid cuts. (Albawaba<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A US$571 million funding appeal was launched today by Shukry Bishara, Minister of Finance and Planning of the State of Palestine, and by Robert Piper, UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The funds are necessary to address humanitarian needs in Palestine in 2016. (Relief Web<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

According to Palestinian government official Ghassan Daghlas, Israeli Forces have demolished over 10 Palestinian houses and residential structures in the village of Khirbet Tana, in northern occupied West Bank. An Israeli military spokesperson stated that enforcement steps were taken against illegal settlements. (Alalam<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian man’s truck was attacked with an axe by an Israeli settler outside an Israeli West Bank settlement. No injuries were reported, according to a spokesman from the organization “Rabbis for Human Rights”. (The Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Disagreements between the Israeli prison administration and Army continues over the former’s refusal to take in prisoners from the West Bank or East Jerusalem arrested by the Israeli Army or police in Jerusalem. (MEMO<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The current prisoner and former journalist Mohamed al-Qeiq has completed 76 days on hunger strike and his health is in critical condition. (ABNA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israel’s Prime Minister announced a border project as part of a multi-year plan consisting in building a fence around Israel to protect the country from the citizens of surrounding Arab states. (Business Insider<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian teenager died of his wounds after he was shot in the chest during clashes near al-Arroub, north of Hebron, by the Israeli army. Locals said that both live fire and rubber bullets were fired at rioters. (The Jerusalem Post. Times of Israel<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Prime Minister Netanyahu told a special Knesset debate on the two-State solution that Israel has no choice in the current political reality but to continue its control of the West Bank. Opposition leader Isaac Herzog responded that what was possible at the moment was separation from Palestinians. (Times of Israel<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

11<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Following an investigation into last week’s stabbing attack on an Israeli security guard in Ramla’s central bus station, two 14-year-old Palestinian girls were indicted in an Israeli court, Israeli police said. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The IDF detained 14 Palestinians during raids across the West Bank, locals and Israeli sources said. Three Palestinian youths were injured with live fire. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

In remarks to reporters in Switzerland, Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said that an agreement on a deal that restores full diplomatic relations with Turkey remains elusive so long as the latter does not adequately address Israel’s concerns regarding disengagement from Hamas. (The Jerusalem Post<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

In Ramallah, speaking with a visiting EU delegation, PLO Central Committee Member Nabil Shaath, called on France and the EU to immediately recognize the State of Palestine and to impose significant sanctions on Israel in order to end its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. He explained that Palestine accepts, in principle, the French initiative for an international peace conference. (Israel National News<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

This week, the Knesset Ethics Committee suspended three Arab lawmakers who met with the families of dead Palestinian attackers, whose bodies Israel was holding. It also passed in a first reading the “NGO transparency bill,” albeit without the clause requiring representatives of NGOs that receive foreign funding to wear identity badges. (Haaretz<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces and bulldozers destroyed more than 40 Palestinian homes and structures in the West Bank’s area C district of Tubas. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinians during raids across the Jenin, Hebron and Nablus districts. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces shot and injured three Palestinian youths during a raid into Beit Duqqu village, north-west of Jerusalem. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished a number of structures in Ramallah’s Beit Ur al-Tahta village. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Four Palestinian human rights organizations – the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, Al-Haq and Ad-Dameer – said in a joint statement that they provided to the International Criminal Court in the Hague the evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by high-ranking Israeli military officials in Rafah during Operation “Protective Edge” between 1 and 4 August 2014. (Middle East Monitor<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Makarim Wibisono, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in his final report to the Human Rights Council, called on Israel to investigate what he called excessive force used by Israeli security forces against Palestinians and to prosecute perpetrators. He also challenged Israeli authorities to charge or release all Palestinian prisoners being held under lengthy administrative detention, including children. (Reuters<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The IMF, in a statement concluding a week-long visit to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, said that economic growth in the West Bank slowed to an estimated 2.8 per cent in 2015 and was likely to remain below 3.0 per cent this year. While rebuilding in Gaza after the destruction of the 2014 summer war with Israel gave some boost to Gaza’s economy, the recovery was “hampered by slow aid disbursements and Israeli restrictions on imports of construction materials, and the humanitarian situation remains dire,” according to the statement. (AFP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces arrested four Palestinian civilians for allegedly attempting to infiltrate into Israel from the southern Gaza Strip. (Palestinian Information Centre<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Egyptian military forces destroyed an underground concrete tunnel from the northern Sinai into the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

An Israeli military court sentenced a soldier to seven months in prison for beating and abusing Palestinian detainees on two occasions, as well as electrocuting one of them. (Ynetnews<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

12<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli soldiers seriously wounded a Palestinian youth in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet during a weekly protest against the wall in Ni’lin village. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained four Palestinians, including a minor, from the Jerusalem and Nablus districts. (WAFA) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian farmers east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, forcing them to leave the area. No injuries were reported. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

After meeting in Munich, the Quartet issued a statement expressing its serious concern that current trends on the ground were dangerously imperilling the viability of a two-State solution and reiterating that unilateral actions by either party could not prejudge the outcome of a negotiated solution. (UN press release SG\/2224<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli authorities issued a punitive home demolition order to the family of Ibrahim Allan, a Palestinian from the Ramallah-area village of Beit Ur al-Tahta, who was shot dead on 25 January alongside another Palestinian after stabbing two Israelis in the illegal “Beit Horon” settlement. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A delegation of the European Parliament said in a statement that it had been prevented by the Israeli authorities from accessing the Gaza Strip. The Chair of the delegation, Irish MEP Martina Anderson, said in a press release: “The systematic denial by Israel of access to Gaza to European Parliament delegations is unacceptable. … This raises questions: what does the Israeli Government aim to hide? We shall not give up on the Gazan people.” (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The health condition of Palestinian journalist Mohamed Al-Qiq has reached a life-threatening stage in Afula hospital after he entered the 80th day of his hunger strike, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-detainees. (Palestinian Information Centre<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

 Israeli soldiers shot and injured four Palestinians, one seriously, during clashes near the Ofer Israeli detention centre near Ramallah. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

13<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian girl as she tried to stab a soldier in Hebron. (AFP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli navy boats opened machine gunfire at Palestinian fishermen sailing within the Israeli-imposed six-nautical-mile fishing zone off the northern Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

EU High Representative Federica Mogherini wrote on her blog that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas had agreed to cooperate with the process of compiling a report on the freeze in the peace process. The report had been agreed on by the Quartet members in Munich on 12 February. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

14<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Five Palestinians were killed and another critically wounded while attempting to attack Israelis in four separate incidents in the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to the Israeli police and military. No Israelis were injured in the attacks. (AP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least nine Palestinians in overnight raids across the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i> <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Peace Now <\/span>said<\/u><\/a> that the construction of 1,800 new settlement housing units had begun in 2015. (<\/span>www.peacenow.org.il<\/i><\/a>) <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett called for the annexation of Area C in the West Bank, while giving the Palestinians “autonomy on steroids” in Areas A and B. (Ynetnews)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

15<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

At least 28 Palestinians were shot and injured with live and rubber-coated steel bullets during clashes in Al-Amari refugee camp in Ramallah that erupted after Israeli forces entered the camp. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli Justice Ministry spokesperson said that it had launched an investigation into a border police officer who was filmed tipping over a Palestinian in a wheelchair on 14 February. (AP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained 23 Palestinians in the West Bank. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip, forcing them to return to shore. No injuries were reported. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished 20 Palestinian dwellings in Ein al-Rushrash, south of Nablus, displacing 85 Palestinians. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Committee said that 450 Palestinian minors were currently held in Israeli detention centres, prisons and military camps. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Thirsting for Justice campaign said in a <\/span>newsletter<\/u><\/a> that Palestinians’ access to water was worse in 2015 than it had been in 1995 due to Israel’s discriminatory water regime. (<\/span>IMEMC<\/i><\/span>) <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Guardian<\/i> reported that publicly funded bodies in the UK would be prevented from boycotting Israeli goods under new Government procurement guidelines. Matthew Hancock, the Cabinet Office minister, is set to announce the regulations during a visit to Israel. (The Guardian<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

During a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced new assistance to the Palestinian people totalling USD$78,210,200 through international organizations and Japanese NGOs. (IMEMC)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

16<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces shot and injured a 24-year-old Palestinian in the foot with a live bullet during clashes in Nablus. No arrests were made during the raid. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Yasir Shareef, an 11-year-old Palestinian in Tayasir village in the northern West Bank, sustained first and third-degree burns when an explosive device left by the Israeli army he was playing with exploded in his hands. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained 17 Palestinians during raids in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

French Ambassador to Israel Patrick Maisonnave presented the Israeli Foreign Ministry with its initiative to convene an international peace summit this summer in an attempt to restart the peace process. The initiative is a three-step process: 1) consultations with Israel, Palestine and other countries on the idea of a summit and its contents to take place in February-March; 2) convening a meeting in Paris of the international support group, without the presence of Israelis and Palestinians, in March and April; 3) convening of the international peace summit in Paris in June or July that will restart negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. (Haaretz)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces delivered seven demolition notices against seven “unlicensed” commercial structures in Barta’a Ash-Shaqiya village, south-west of Jenin. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces uprooted 100 olive trees in the Wadi Qana area in the West Bank without prior notice. Soldiers then forced locals out of the area in order to allow Israeli settlers to arrive there, according to witnesses. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i> <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli Jerusalem municipality issued eviction orders to Palestinians living near Ezariya in East Jerusalem to establish a national park to serve Israeli settlers. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Supreme Court of Israel delayed a hearing on whether to release a Palestinian detainee, Mohammad al-Qiq, who has been on hunger strike for 84 days. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli authorities issued renewable administrative detention orders against 56 Palestinians. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Two Palestinian teenagers were caught in possession of pipe bombs and knives by Palestinian Security Forces before they could enter Israel. The two 15-year-olds had planned to carry out a two stage attack – first detonating the pipe bombs, then knifing the survivors. (Ynetnews)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

An Israeli military court sentenced a soldier from an ultra-orthodox unit to nine months in prison for torturing Palestinian suspects by electric shock on two separate occasions in 2015. (The Times of Israel)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Nearly 2,500 people left Gaza during a three-day humanitarian opening of the border with Egypt. According to the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza, 2,439 people left the territory over the three days, while 1,122 entered and 334 were turned back by Egyptian authorities. (The Times of Israel)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces issued home demolition orders on 11 Palestinian Bedouin homes and a mosque in the Jabal al-Baba community in the E1 corridor east of Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israel’s Supreme Court osaid that Muhammad al-Qiq, a Palestinian hunger striker, must stay in the northern Israeli hospital where he is being held. The 33-year-old journalist is reported to be close to death 84 days after starting a hunger strike in protest against his internment without trial under Israel’s administrative detention laws, and has demanded to be transferred to a Palestinian hospital, refusing to be treated in an Israeli facility. (AFP, The Jerusalem Post)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian was shot and injured by Israeli forces during clashes south of Bethlehem. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Tensions rose at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound when some 133 Israelis, including religious students, entered the compound and attempted to perform religious rituals at the site, but were prevented to so by Palestinian youths. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained a total of 20 Palestinians, including at least three minors, during raids in several West Bank districts. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli bulldozers entered the Gaza Strip under military escort and levelled land near al-Breij refugee camp. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli fighter planes flew over the Gaza Strip at low altitude and launched mock raids. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli authorities demolished a number of agricultural and industrial structures in al-Issawiya, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, to establish a national park to serve Israeli settlers. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Coordinator for Humanitarian and UN Development Activities for the occupied Palestinian territory, Robert Piper, called for an immediate halt to the destruction of Palestinian-owned property in the occupied West Bank and for respect for international law. “The number of demolitions for just the first six weeks of 2016 is greatly alarming,” said Mr. Piper. “Over 400 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes – equivalent to over half the total number of Palestinians displaced in all of 2015.” He added that, “International law is clear – Palestinians in the West Bank have the right to adequate housing and the right to receive humanitarian assistance. As the occupying power, Israel is obliged to respect these rights.” (United Nations)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Fatah and Hamas have reached a “tentative agreement” on forming a unity Government, senior Fatah official Abbas Zaki said. The meeting also decided on holding the presidential and parliamentary elections “within six months to one year,” said Zaki. (Gulf News)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

During a news briefing in Gaza, UN Special Coordinator Nikolay Mladenov called on Israel and the Palestinians to end the ongoing wave of violent tension in the Palestinian territories and get back to peace talks. Mladenov had arrived for a two-day visit to check an ongoing reconstruction plan the UN is supervising. (Xinhua)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

18<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces opened fire towards the houses and lands of Palestinian farmers east of the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported. (Alray)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli naval forces shot rockets at the central Gaza coast, locals said, adding that Israeli ground troops entered southern Gaza and levelled land near the border. No injuries were reported. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Two Israelis were wounded and one later died after a stabbing at a West Bank [settlement] supermarket. The two 14-year-old assailants were alive after being shot by passers-by. (Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli soldiers assaulted and injured a Palestinian worker who suffered a broken leg, at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem, according to security sources. (WAFA)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained a total of 18 Palestinians, during raids in several West Bank districts. (Petra)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which represents the Catholic Church in the region, accused Israel of responsibility for the recent wave of Palestinian violence, saying Israeli policy has created despair and frustration among Palestinians. (The Jerusalem Post)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The WHO issued a statement of concern over the life and health of a Palestinian administrative detainee, Mr. Mohamed Qiq.” (WHO)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Amnesty International demanded that Israeli authorities transfer hunger-striker Qiq to a Palestinian hospital in Ramallah. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The BDS movement in South Africa welcomed the reported cancellation of an upcoming water conference featuring Israel’s Ambassador to the country. But Israel’s Embassy in South Africa denied the reported cancellation was BDS-related. (The Times of Israel)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The US government announced that President Obama will sign a trade bill despite it containing a provision that lumps together Israel and “Israeli-controlled territories”. The bill includes a clause that addresses acts to limit or prohibit economic relations with Israel — targeting corporate entities or state-affiliated financial institutions from engaging in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. The bill provoked sharp criticism from Human Rights Watch, which said it “is contrary to the United States policy and obligations in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law.” (The Middle East Monitor)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post<\/i>, the UN Special Envoy Nickolay Mladenov said that anybody who thinks it is possible to get Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and PA President Abbas in a room to negotiate a comprehensive deal is “daydreaming”. As a result, Mladenov said, the goal now is more narrow — to create the conditions that will enable negotiations in the future. To this end, the Middle East Quartet, of which the UN is a member, along with the US, Russia and the EU, is working on an “extensive report on the situation on the ground.” (The Jerusalem Post)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

19<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A 20-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem was shot dead after stabbing and lightly wounding two Israeli border police officers outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. (Haaretz, Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Five Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces during raids across the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Palestinian Detainees and ex-Detainees Committee reported that Israeli authorities are still refusing to allow hunger striking journalist Mohammad Al-Qiq’s family to visit with him Al-Qiq was on a hunger strike for a total of 86 days now. (IMEMC)<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Briefing the Security Council via video teleconference from Jerusalem on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, UN Special Envoy Nickolay Mladenov said that security measures were not enough on their own to halt a spiral of violence that had claimed at least 137 Palestinian and 19 Israeli lives to date. “Against the backdrop of radicalization, terror, sectarian violence, war and tectonic geopolitical shifts in the Middle East, peace and security for Palestine and Israel is imperative, now more than ever,” he emphasized. <\/span>(<\/i><\/span>www.un.org<\/u><\/i><\/a>, Xinhua)<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli security forces shot dead three Palestinians. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabbed two police officers before being killed, police said. In the West Bank, a Palestinian man tried to ram his car into a group of Israeli soldiers who shot him dead, the military said. A third Palestinian man was killed by Israeli soldiers in a clash elsewhere in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. (Reuters<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

20<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank after she allegedly planned to carry out a stabbing attack. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces killed a 15-year-old Palestinian after he allegedly attempted to stab an Israeli soldier near Nablus. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Arabic-language hip-hop film “Junction 48” featuring mostly Palestinian actors and directed by an Israeli director won the Panorama Audience Award for best fiction film at the Berlin International Film Festival. (Reuters<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

21<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli military said a Palestinian tried to stab a soldier at a West Bank checkpoint and was shot dead after security forces disarmed and apprehended two separate potential attackers in a non-lethal manner. (AP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

US Secretary of State John Kerry, during talks with President Abbas, called for lowered tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. The talks included discussions of tensions at the Holy Sites. According to Abbas’ spokesman, the Palestinian President urged Kerry to support the Palestinian bid for a Security Council resolution on settlements, as well as to back the French initiative for an international peace conference. Abbas is to visit eastern Asia, including Japan, South Korea and Thailand, in an attempt to mobilize support for the conference. (Reuters, Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Jordanian civil society groups protested outside the UN headquarters in Amman, demanding action towards the release of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Qiq, being held by Israeli authorities under administrative detention. (Middle East Monitor<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces demolished the sole school in the Abu al-Nuwaar Bedouin community near the town of Al-Eizariya in the West Bank, claiming that concrete structures were forbidden in the area. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and European Union Representative Ralph Tarraf inaugurated the first wastewater treatment plant in the northern West Bank district of Tubas. The $24 million project, expected to be completed in 2017, consists of a wastewater treatment plant, a sewage collection network and an irrigation scheme for the reuse of treated water. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

22<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least 15 Palestinians across the West Bank overnight Sunday and into Monday morning, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli Army and Civil Administration dismantled prefab homes and classrooms in the Abu Anwar community east of Jerusalem near the settlement of “Ma’aleh Adumim”. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Palestinian Performing Arts Network raised concerns about the administrative detention of Mohammad Abu Sakha, a 24-year-old circus trainer and performer, arrested in January of 2016 and sentenced by a military court to 6 months. (Palestine News Network<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinians from the Nablus, Ramallah and Bethlehem districts, bringing up the total number of Palestinians detained overnight to 29. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Education Aid for Palestinians (EAP), a British organization, announced the opening of a project aimed at providing clean and safe water for pupils in refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. (MEMO<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

23<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinian security forces set up checkpoints outside major West Bank cities to prevent public school teachers from attending a major demonstration in Ramallah. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Israeli army continued its blockade on the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, and denied entry and exit of local Palestinians into and out of the town. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least 31 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including a blind man. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces shot and wounded a Palestinian man in his foot east of Gaza City. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Sweden announced an increase in its annual contribution to UNRWA’s budget to $40.6 million, a 15 per cent increase. (<\/span>www.unrwa.org<\/i><\/a>) <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The IDF demolished the West Bank homes of two Palestinian assailants who carried out separate attacks on 19 November, killing five Israelis. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Canada’s Parliament passed a motion calling on the Government to “condemn any and all attempts by Canadian organizations, groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement, both here at home and abroad”. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

At least five Palestinian youths were injured and two others arrested during clashes with Israeli forces in Qabatia, south of Jenin. (ABNA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Italy’s Minister of Environment, Mr. Gian Luca Galletti, and the President of the Palestinian Environment Quality Authority, Mr. Adalah Atteireh, signed in Bethlehem a memorandum of understanding on environmental protection and sustainable development. (ANSAmed<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinian teachers in the West Bank continued their strike and held a demonstration in Ramallah calling on the Government to raise their salaries as promised to them in 2013. (MEMO<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Speaking at a meeting of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby called on Palestinians to “think out of the box” and engage in civil disobedience against Israel in order to put an end the Israeli occupation, also emphasizing the importance of supporting the BDS movement to end Israeli settlement activities. He said that “Israel is trying to break the will of the Palestinian people” amid the great challenges the Arab world is facing. (The Jerusalem Post<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog said that Prime Minister Netanyahu must complete the barrier around the settlement blocs, including Ariel. He said, “The residents of Ariel deserve the same protection as the residents of Tel Aviv… Only in this way will we secure Israel’s existence as a Jewish nation and not an Arab-Jewish State.” (The Jerusalem Post<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

24<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces accidentally killed a 30-year-old Israeli soldier, Eliav Gelman, near the illegal “Gush Etzion” settlement block while opening fire on a 26-year-old Palestinian who attempted to carry out a stabbing attack. The Palestinian was killed. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained 21 Palestinians during raids in the West Bank. (Xinhua<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip, damaging the boats. No injuries were reported. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli police detained two Palestinians carrying two pipe bombs at Herod’s Gate in Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and HaMoked said in a report that dozens of Palestinian detainees at the Shikma interrogation facility run by the Israeli Shin Bet security agency were subjected to mistreatment, which in some cases amounted to torture. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

At the US House of Representatives hearing, Secretary of State John Kerry said efforts to revive the peace process need to take a “slightly different” course than in the past. He said that the French proposal was “a reflection of the frustration the international community feels” about the turmoil in the region, adding, “That is why we remain committed to Israel, to Israel’s stability, committed also, however, to move the process forward and bring the parties to the table.” (The Times of Israel<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

According to The Independent, UK Prime Minister David Cameron at a meeting of the House of Commons underlined that while he was a staunch ally of Israel, the UK does not support illegal settlements. He went on to say, “We do not support what is happening in East Jerusalem and it’s very important that this capital City is maintained in the way that it was in the past.” (The Jerusalem Post<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Jordan’s King Abdullah II met with US President Barack Obama in the White House where they discussed how best to advance prospects for a two-State solution. Mr. Obama said that it was important to provide both sides with hope to resolve the violence. He said Jordan has played a “critical” part in “reducing some of the immediate tensions around the Temple Mount” and called the King a “voice of reason and tolerance.” (AP, Reuters<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

During a visit of Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boiko Borisov in Ramallah, President Abbas called again for the holding of an international conference to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (WAFA<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Fathali said that Iran will provide financial aid to families of Palestinians killed in anti-Israeli protests and violence, or whose homes have been demolished by Israel. A spokesman for Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the announcement. (Reuters<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

US President Obama signed the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, which opposes boycotts of Israel. But Mr. Obama also said he would not apply a segment that extends protections to businesses in “Israeli-controlled territories” [settlements]. (The Times of Israel<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

25<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli soldiers who opened fire at a knife-wielding Palestinian in the West Bank had accidentally shot dead an air force officer who the Palestinian was trying to stab, the Israeli military said. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

According to Issa Ghuneimat, of the Palestinian Mine Action Centre, Israeli forces have been placing “tripwire explosive devices” to prevent Palestinians from approaching areas near settlements. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces shot and injured two Palestinians during a raid into Beit Rima, north-west of Ramallah. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least 33 Palestinians during overnight raids across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A five-year-old Palestinian boy was killed and his six-year-old brother was seriously injured after an unexploded device left by Israel detonated in the Jabalya area of the northern Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli navy ships opened fire on several Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza coast, causing damage and forcing them to return to shore. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erakat expressed his concern over Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to East Jerusalem and settlements in the Jordan Valley in the context of an official visit to Israel. “The visit breaches Kenya’s obligations not to recognize as lawful a situation created through the illegal use of force and other violations of peremptory norms under international law,” Mr. Erakat said. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli bulldozers razed Palestinian agricultural structures in Ni’lin, north-west of Ramallah, under the pretext of their proximity to the nearby settlement of “Na’aleh”. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

26<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

An Israeli man was critically wounded after being stabbed multiple times in a mall in the “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement. The assailant fled the scene. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip, forcing them to return to shore. No injuries were reported. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israel decided to take a series of steps meant to help improve the Palestinian economic situation, including the transfer of NIS500 million in withheld tax money. Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, after consulting Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, also decided to issue thousands of additional work permits for Palestinians to work in Israel. (Ynetnews<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Palestinian prisoner Muhammad al-Qiq ended his 94-day hunger strike after his lawyer reached a deal with Israeli authorities, according to which he would be released on 21 May. (Ma’an News Agency<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A Palestinian tried to stab Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Ramallah and was shot dead. (AFP<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli authorities decided to release half a million Israeli shekels (USD $126 million) to the Palestinian treasury on condition that the Palestinian government stops “incitement” and blaming Israel before international bodies. Israeli also agreed to issue thousands of work permits for Palestinian workers. (Felesteen<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

27<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli navy soldiers opened fire on fishermen’s boats, despite sailing within the six-nautical-mile allowed fishing zone offshore the northwest of Gaza city. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians who crossed the fence bordering Gaza. They did not attempt to perpetrate an attack on Israelis but declared escaping the Gaza strip due to the difficult living conditions there. (Israel National News<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Four Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed and 21, including six children and a photojournalist, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

28<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained at least 27 Palestinians during raids in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Ag<\/i>ency) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian teen in al-Esawiyya, in East Jerusalem, and arrested him. (IMEMC<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Three Palestinians, including a child and a medical professional, were critically injured as clashes broke out in Khader, south of Bethlehem, while a child was detained in Jenin. (ABNA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The Palestinian government said direct financial assistance by Iran to the families of Palestinians killed in a five-month wave of violence would be unacceptable, stating that bypassing the authorities in handing out such funds would constitute illegal interference in internal Palestinian affairs. Instead, Iran should “send this money through official channels to the Martyrs and Prisoners Foundation.” (AFP) <\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Progress has been made in the negotiations between Israel and Jordan over placing surveillance cameras on Al-Haram al-Sharif\/Temple Mount. Senior Israeli and Jordanian officials said that a delegation of technicians from Jordan will visit Jerusalem during the next few days to expedite the final engineering and technical arrangements involved in installing cameras on the various plazas of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The cameras will be installed in the large plazas and in a few other locations but contrary to Israel’s demand, no cameras will be installed in the mosques. The cameras will broadcast simultaneously to Jordanian and Israeli control rooms live, 24 hours a day. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli Attorney General Mandelblit stated that expelling whole families of “terrorists” to Gaza is contrary to both Israeli and international law. (Jerusalem Post<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

29<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinians, including a two-year-old toddler, during predawn raids into a number of West Bank districts. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

A group of Israeli settlers entered the al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy police protection via the Israeli-controlled al-Magharibeh gate. (Palestinian Information Center<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Israeli authorities demolished residential structures and tents which shelter Palestinian bedouins in the northern Jordan Valley, located in Area C in the West Bank, under complete Israeli military and civil control. (WAFA<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The IDF employed the “Hannibal Procedure” after two Israeli soldiers accidentally entered the Qalandiya refugee camp and were attacked, which entails using massive force, irrespective of casualties, to prevent a soldier from being captured. One Palestinian was killed. (Haaretz<\/i>) <\/p><\/div>\n

\n

_________<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Division for Palestinian Rights Chronological Review of Events Relating to the Question of Palestine Monthly media monitoring review February 2016 Monthly highlights • Israel passes law  allowing police to stop and frisk suspects without probable cause. (2 Feb.) • A survey reveals majority of Israelis support a negotiating process with Palestinians. (2 Feb.) • Israeli court […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2665,2589],"document-source":[2173],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2517,1769,1945,1829,2033,5358,1937,2441,1853,2005,2533,2401,2029,1741,5200,1801,1857,2021,2613,2365,1961,2185,2349,2181,1805,1797,1905,3589,2465,2285,2309,1638,3157,2153,2385,2137,2729,1917,2097,2741,2117,2273],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-204127","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-chronology","document-category-publication","document-source-division-for-palestinian-rights-dpr","document-subject-access-and-movement","document-subject-armed-conflict","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-casualties","document-subject-children","document-subject-ClosuresCurfewsBlockades","document-subject-economic-issues","document-subject-education-and-culture","document-subject-environmental-issues","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-health","document-subject-holy-places","document-subject-house-demolitions","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-humanitarian-relief","document-subject-inalienable-rights-of-the-palestinian-people","document-subject-incidents","document-subject-incursions","document-subject-internally-displaced-persons","document-subject-international-presence","document-subject-jerusalem","document-subject-legal-issues","document-subject-living-conditions","document-subject-negotiations-and-agreements","document-subject-occupation","document-subject-peace-process","document-subject-peace-proposals-and-efforts","document-subject-population","document-subject-poverty","document-subject-prisoners-and-detainees","document-subject-protection","document-subject-quartet","document-subject-reconciliation","document-subject-refugee-camps","document-subject-security-issues","document-subject-settlements","document-subject-shelter","document-subject-situation-in-the-opt-including-jerusalem","document-subject-social-issues","document-subject-statehood-related","document-subject-terrorism","document-subject-water","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/204127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/204127\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=204127"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=204127"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=204127"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=204127"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=204127"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=204127"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=204127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}