The Palestine Chronology

The IDF attempts to assassinate senior Hamas military leader Jamal Jarrah, firing 2 missiles at his car as he drives in Gaza City, wounding 1 of his passengers, 10 bystanders; the attack marks Israel’s 1st targeting of a Hamas figure since 10/20 and comes soon after the IDF’s 12/26 declaration that it would not target the group. The IDF fires on farmers nr. Morag settlement (killing 1 Palestinian), Palestinian workers laying a sewage channel (seriously wounding 1), Palestinians passing nr. an IDF patrol in Ramallah (wounding 6), residential areas of Dayr al-Balah and Rafah (injuring 3); bulldozes 25 dunams of land nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts house-to-house searches in Nablus, arrest raids in Jenin. A Jewish settler driving nr. Hebron hits, injures a 5-yr.-old Palestinian boy. (HA 12/30; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 12/31; PCHR 1/1)

The IDF sends additional tanks, troops into Nablus, making the incursion begun on 12/18 (now dubbed Operation Still Water) the largest into the city in over a yr., firing on stone-throwing youths, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 17; closes all roads leading to Tulkarm; erects a number of new roadblocks at entrances to villages around Tulkarm; tightens existing checkpoints, erects 3 new ones around Jenin; demolishes a Palestinian home in Balata r.c.; bulldozes 85 dunams of olive groves east of al-Bureij r.c.; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding a Palestinian toddler in her home; conducts arrest raids in Dayr al-Balah. The IDF also bars 2 bus-loads of international peace activists fr. reaching a 2d day of separation wall protests (see 12/26) in Qalqilya, where 1,000s of Palestinians demonstrate, throw stones at IDF troops. Jewish settlers place mobile homes on the 2 sites of unauthorized settlement outposts previously removed by the IDF nr. Hebron. (NYT, WP, WT 12/28; PM 12/29; PCHR 1/1)

The IDF assassinates a senior Islamic Jihad military leader, Muklid Humayid, firing a missile at his car as he drives in Gaza City, also killing another Islamic Jihad mbr. traveling with him, 3 Palestinian bystanders, wounding 15. Soon after, a PFLP suicide bomber detonates a device at a bus stop in Tel Aviv, killing 4 IDF soldiers, 1 Israeli civilian, wounding 15 Israelis; the PFLP says the attack is in retaliation for the IDF assassination of 2 PFLP mbrs. on 12/18. The IDF also sends troops back into Nablus, imposing a 24-hr. curfew; bars all vehicular traffic btwn. the occupied territories and Israel; conducts arrest raids in Jenin, Wadi al-Silqa; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; bulldozes 1 Palestinian home and 3 dunams of land in Dayr al-Balah, 4 dunams of land in Khan Yunis. (NYT, WP, WT 12/26; HA 12/28; PCHR 1/1; MEI, PCHR 1/9)

Overnight, the IDF conducts arrest raids in Hebron; raids Jenin, searching homes, firing on residential areas. During the day, the IDF delays a Palestinian woman in labor at a Nablus checkpoint for over 1 hr., causing the death of her twins; imposes a curfew on parts of Hebron; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Nablus; fires on Palestinians waiting to cross the Abu Huli checkpoint nr. Dayr al-Balah, wounding 5; fires on UNRWA workers repairing waterlines nr. Khan Yunis, wounding 3; conducts arrest raids nr. Ramallah, bringing to 22 the number of alleged Hamas mbrs. arrested in the area over the past wk. In the evening, 2 AMB gunmen ambush, fatally shoot 2 IDF soldiers nr. Dayr al-Balah before being shot dead; 5 Palestinian bystanders are wounded by the IDF return fire. Shortly afterward, the IDF demolishes 7 Palestinian homes, bulldozes 37 dunams of land in nearby Wadi al-Silqa; sends tanks, troops into Rafah to search for smugglers’ tunnels, clashing with residents, leaving 2 Palestinians dead. Palestinian gunmen also ambush 2 Jewish settler vehicles traveling fr. Kiryat Arba settlement to Cave of the Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, wounding an Israel border patrol officer escorting the settlers, escape unharmed. A Palestinian dies of injuries received last wk. (PM 12/22; HA, VOI, VOP 12/22 in WNC 12/24; BBC, HA, NYT, WP, WT 12/23; VOP 12/23 in WNC 12/25; WP 12/24; PCHR 12/25; HA 1/8)

Overnight and early this morning, the IDF demolishes 22 Palestinian homes in Khan Yunis that allegedly provided cover for mortar attacks, leaving 178 Palestinians (25 families) homeless; another 6 Palestinian homes housing 40 Palestinians (6 families) are heavily damaged. The IDF also erects several new roadblocks in the Jenin area; fires on residential areas of Brazil r.c., Hebron, Nablus. The IDF also removes 1 uninhabited unauthorized settlement outpost nr. Nablus, scuffling with Jewish settlers who attempt to block the move. (BBC, PCHR 12/15; NYT 12/16; PR 12/17; PCHR 12/18; MEI 12/19)

The IDF places a closure on al-Khadir village nr. Bethlehem; erects a new checkpoint outside Jenin; conducts arrest raids nr. Ramallah, fatally shooting wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. Riyadh Fakhri Khalifa, wounding and arresting 2 other wanted men; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. Late in the evening, the IDF fires on 6 Palestinian laborers attempting to sneak across the Gaza border into Israel, killing 2, arresting 1. (PRCS 12/14; VOP 12/14 in WNC 12/16; PCHR 12/16; PR 12/17; PCHR 12/18)

The IDF removes sand barriers blocking the main road linking Hebron to Bethlehem that have been in place since the start of the intifada in 9/00, replacing them with a single iron gate and observation tower to control Palestinian traffic; fires on residential areas of Jenin (where a curfew is still in place), Wadi Gaza (on the e. border of the Strip). A group of Jewish settlers attempts to visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus but comes under fire fr. AMB, Islamic Jihad gunmen, who wound 7; the IDF arrests another 8 settlers for illegally entering a Palestinian area without its knowledge. Jewish settlers also fence off 1,750 dunams of Palestinian land outside Ramallah, belonging to Turmus ‘Ayya village, fire guns at Palestinians who attempt to reach their olive groves on the land. (AP, HA, BBC 12/12; VOI, YA 12/12 in WNC 12/16; PR 12/17; PCHR 12/18)

Bush signs the Syria Accountability Act, which recommends immediate sanctions on Syria. (WT 12/13; SANA, Syrian Arab Television Network 12/13, THWR 12/14 in WNC 1/16; JT, MENA 12/14 in WNC 12/16; al-Dustur 12/14 in WNC 12/17; THRW 12/14 in WNC 1/17; MM 12/16)

The IDF sends 20 tanks, troops into Rafah to arrest senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Khalid Qadi, sparking a gun battle that leaves 6 Palestinians dead (including 2 Hamas mbrs., 3 bystanders, 1 medic evacuating the wounded), 20 injured; the IDF captures Qadi, demolishes his plus 8 other Palestinian homes. The IDF also issues orders barring Israeli citizens fr. entering Palestinian villages in area B (technically, parts of the West Bank under PA civil and Israeli security control) as of 12/21; demolishes another Palestinian home nr. Hebron; places a curfew on Jenin, fires on residential areas. (MM, NYT, WP 12/11; VOP 12/11 in WNC 12/13; PRCS 12/12; VOP, YA 12/12 in WNC 12/16; PR 12/17; PCHR 12/18; MEI 12/19)

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian outside Ramallah who throws a Molotov cocktail at soldiers; fatally shoots a 2d Palestinian in an exchange of fire in Jenin; fires on residential areas of Nablus, Rafah, Ramallah; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Jenin, 1 in East Jerusalem, 1 in Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Jenin, Nablus. Israel approves construction of 1,720 new housing units in West Bank, Gaza Jewish settlements, raising to 2,819 the number of units approved since the road map was announced. (MM 12/2; NYT, PR, WP12/3; LAW, PCHR 12/4)

Israel says it would only seriously consider resuming peace talks with Syria if Damascus “renounces terror” (including halting all aid to Hizballah and Palestinian groups) and agrees to resume talks “without preconditions” (i.e., without starting talks fr. the point at which they left off in 3/00). (HA 12/2) (see 12/1)

Before dawn, the IDF launches a major raid on al-Amari r.c. in Ramallah that lasts 16 hrs., sending in nearly 100 armored vehicles supported by helicopters to attack Hamas targets; the IDF warns the PA before entering Ramallah, promises that no operations will take place nr. PA head Yasir Arafat’s headquarters. During the raid 3 Hamas mbrs. and an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy are killed, 29 Hamas mbrs. are arrested, 9 youths who throw stones at troops are wounded, 2 Palestinian homes (1 in al-Amari r.c., 1 in Ramallah) are demolished. The IDF also conducts arrest raids in Jenin, Qalqilya, Rafah, Tulkarm town and r.c., and villages around Nablus. Israel begins construction of a new Jewish settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem called Golden View. (AP, JP, MM, NYT 12/1; VOI, VOP, YA 12/1 in WNC 12/3; NYT, WP 12/2; LAW, PCHR 12/4; MEI 12/5)

In Geneva, some 150 Israelis and Palestinians involved in the drafting of the unofficial Geneva Accord hold a formal unveiling of their peace initiative at a ceremony attended by fmr. U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter and addressed byfmr. Polish pres. Lech Walesa, fmr. South African pres. Nelson Mandela. Arafat does not endorse the details of the plan, but issues a statement declaring it a “brave and courageous initiative.” Sharon continues to denounce it as “subversive.” (BBC, HA, MM, NYT 12/1; MENA, QA, VOP 12/1 in WNC 12/3; HA, JP, MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/2; ITAR-TASS, Le Monde, XIN 12/2 in WNC 12/4; PR 12/3; QA 12/3 in WNC 12/6; MM, WJW 12/4; MEI 12/5; PR 12/10; JPI 12/12)

In an extensive New York Times interview, Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad urges the U.S. to support the resumption of Israeli-Syrian peace talks. The U.S. brushes off the overture. (NYT 12/1; VOI, YA 12/1 in WNC 12/3; SANA 12/1, 12/2 in WNC 1/6; MM, WT 12/2; MM 12/3; MA 12/3 in WNC 12/4; MM 12/4; THWR 12/5, THWR, Tishrin 12/6 in WNC 1/9; MM 12/8, 12/10)