The Palestine Chronology

Israeli-Palestinian clashes abate slightly, though 2 Palestinians are killed. Observers note that Palestinian mortar attacks have tapered off since Arafat's 2d call for a halt on 2/19, though today Palestinians fire 5 mortars at Neve Dekalim settlement and 3 at Gush Katif settlement, causing no damage. The IDF raids the village of Wadi al-Silqa nr. Kefar Darom settlement, ransacks homes, harasses residents, demolishes 1 Palestinian home; directs heavy machine gun fire at al-Sudaniyya, Gaza City. Israel eases the border closing btwn. Egypt, Gaza temporarily but then imposes a 72-hr. closure on the West Bank and Gaza, sealing crossings to Egypt, Jordan and tightening controls on Palestinian movement inside the territories, fearing attacks during Israeli memorial, "independence" days on 4/25-26. (MM, NYT, WT 4/25)

Iran convenes a 2-day conference in support of the al-Aqsa intifada, Palestinians' rights. Delegations fr. 35 Arab, Muslim countries and senior mbrs. of Hamas, Hizballah, Islamic Jihad take part. (BBC 4/24; IRNA, TT 4/24 in WNC 4/25; MM, WT 4/25; Iran Daily, IRNA 4/25 in WNC 4/26; WJW 4/26; IRNA, VIRI 4/26 in WNC 4/27; HJ 4/27 in WNC 4/30; MM 5/2; IRNA 5/2 in WNC 5/3; al-Nahar 5/4 in WNC 5/7)

Claiming Syria is responsible for allowing the 4/14 Hizballah attack, Israel conducts late-night air strikes against a Syrian radar station deep inside Lebanon, killing 3 Syrian soldiers, wounding 4. The State Dept. urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint but refuses to condemn Israeli actions, saying "the primary event in this situation is the fact that Hizballah escalated the situation in what we think was a clear provocation." (BBC, CNN, NYT, USIS Washington File, WP, WT 4/16; JP [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/17; AFP, Interfax, IRNA, MENA, RL 4/16 in WNC 4/17; MA 4/17 in WNC 4/18; MENA 4/17, IRNA, JT, QA 4/18 in WNC 4/19; MM, WT 4/18; WJW 4/19; MEI, WP 4/20; JP 4/27; MA 4/27 in WNC 4/30)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue. The IDF shells residential areas of Hebron, Khan Yunis, Rafah; bulldozes 22 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids in Jama`in, Sawahara al-Sharqiyya. (LAW 4/20)

To protest Israeli raids on Lebanon, Jordanian FM `Abd al-Ilah Khatib cancels his planned visit to Tel Aviv on 4/16. (al-Ra'i 4/15 in WNC 4/16; WP 4/16; NYT, WP 4/17; MEI 4/20)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue at a high level. In Gaza, IDF tanks, bulldozers enter Rafah; demolish the PA military intelligence headquarters, 17 Palestinian homes, 40 stores; damage 13 stores. Over 160 Palestinians are left homeless, 43 are injured. An Egyptian woman on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border is wounded by gunfire. Palestinians fire 2 mortars at Gush Katif settlement, causing no damage. A bomb explodes in the Gaza City home of Muhammad Nassar, a bodyguard for Hamas spiritual leader Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, killing Nassar, injuring 4; the PA says Nassar was preparing a bomb. Israel admits that the car bomb incident in Ramallah on 4/12 was a "failed attempt" on Fatah's Abu Hmeid. Inside Israel, 2 bombs explode in Kefar Saba, destroying 2 cars, injuring 1 Palestinian (the alleged assailant). (AFP, REU 4/14; LAW, NYT, WP, WT 4/15; MENA 4/15 in WNC 4/16; MM 4/17; LAW 4/20)

Hizballah fires a missile fr. s. Lebanon at an IDF tank in the Shaba` Farms area, killing 1 IDF soldier. In retaliation, the IDF carries out air and artillery strikes on Hizballah targets in s. Lebanon. (AFP 4/14; RL 4/14 in WNC 4/16; NYT, WP 4/15; WP 4/16; HJ 4/19 in WNC 4/24; MEI 4/20, 5/4)