Year 2020 in Palestine

Dec 31, 2020 08:52 am

2020 has ended leaving unforgettable stops in Palestine, both politically and in the field, that changed the direction of the compass far from the Palestinian cause. It resulted in further Israeli atrocities with the support of the American Administration and some Arab countries. Let us begin with January.

The Deal of the Century

The first few months of 2020 witnessed the martyrdom of 3 children who were shot by the Israeli occupation’s soldiers along the eastern borders claiming they had infiltrated to execute an operation. The Strip also witnessed tension in the field as the occupation bombarded the locations of the Palestinian resistance which in turn fired rockets at the nearby settlements. The month ended with President Donald Trump announcing the Deal of the Century, which was a stab in the heart of the Palestinian cause. The Plan was completely rejected by the Palestinians, and announcement of positions refusing it followed.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Early March, Palestine recorded the first infection with the Coronavirus in Bethlehem in the West Bank. The PA declared a state of emergency in Palestine to face the virus amidst inadequate medical services. Officials in the Gaza Strip closed the borders in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading inside the Strip.

Martyrs and Political Changes

The Palestinians’ blood was shed once again in April as the occupation killed a Palestinian who executed a run-over operation and stabbed one of the occupation’s soldiers near Ma'ale Adumim settlement in occupied Al-Quds. Three other Palestinians were martyred in May; the same month Benjamin Netanyahu’s government took office after a rough round of elections.

The PA stopped its security coordination with the Israeli occupation and suspended its contact with the American Administration in protest against the occupation’s intention to annex parts of the West Bank. Nevertheless, the occupation continued to implement its Judaizational policies to change the geography of the region through intensified settlement expansion in June, when it executed a large-scale demolition operation of Palestinian homes in Al-Quds and the West Bank. 435 houses were destroyed in 2020.

On June 20, the PA announced that the American Administration was no longer a party in the political negotiations due to its unconditional support to the Israeli occupation. On July 24, the Security Council discussed the details of the annexation plan after the huge rejection it had witnessed. On June 27, the occupation once again raided the Gaza Strip.

Official Announcement of Annexation

Early July, the occupation officially declared the initiation of annexation of the West Bank, but due to disputes with America over some details and consecutive waves of anger the occupation withdrew its official discourse on the plan and gradually continued to implement it on the ground.

On August 3rd, the Gaza Strip was targeted and the Palestinians continued to fly burning balloons to the surroundings of the besieged Strip. The occupation exercised increasing pressure on the people of Gaza; it imposed extra sanctions such as the complete closure of the crossings, and prevention of entering fuel into the Strip. These sanctions resulted in life-related and medical crises.

The efforts to restore relative calm succeeded towards the end of August when the first Coronavirus infection was discovered in the Gaza Strip. This discovery added a huge burden to the Strip where the crises continue to increase as the medical potentials continue to be insufficient due to the siege.

Normalization

The real surprise that was waiting for the Palestinians this year was in September when the UAE and Bahrain announced official normalization with the Israeli occupation. Relations in politics, commerce and tourism were initiated among the three.

At the same time, the settlers increased their incursions of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa under the pretext of celebrating ‘Jewish rituals’ under the protection of the occupation which turned Al-Quds into a military post. The soldiers held checkpoints and closed the streets. They even prevented the performers of prayer from accessing Al-Masjid. The occupation took advantage of the fragility of the Arab world, which further weakened when Sudan and Morocco announced normalizing with the occupation as well. 

Amidst a difficult time of crises and in an attempt to restore internal unity, the Secretaries General of the Palestinian factions assembled in Ramallah and Turkey after realizing that reconciliation was the only way to resist the American-Zionist conspiracy to annihilate the Palestinian cause. 

Intensified Settlement

The occupation intensified its settlement projects in the occupied Al-Quds and the West Bank and approved the construction of thousands of settlement units racing time before Donald Trump, their biggest supporter, leaves office. Joe Biden, the new American President, is known for opposing the settlement project.

The registration of Palestinian lands and houses in east occupied Al-Quds started, but the occupation imposed huge taxes on the citizens in an attempt to take over the eastern side of the city and empty it from the Palestinians who are striving to protect their lands there.

As the beginning of Joe Biden’s term approaches, the PA resumed the security coordination with the occupation’s government and announced the resumption of relations with the American Administration.

In the last month of 2020, the news over serious mediation for the conclusion of a prisoners’ swap deal between Hamas and the occupation was circulated although both parties refuse the conditions of the other. The Palestinian reconciliation, however, shows no developments.

Nikolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, is leaving his position after having warned from the dangers of the Israeli settlement project, 50% of which is implemented in the West Bank.

The year ended with the Palestinian bloodshed as a child and a youngster were martyred in Al-Quds – an indication of how the occupation’s oppressive policy against the Palestinians continues. The Palestinian conflict with the occupation remains open for all possibilities as the new year 2021 begins.

 

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