The Palestine Chronology

Israel says it will retaliate for the 12/25 PFLP suicide bombing but will not hit Hamas targets, since Hamas has refrained fr. attacks inside Israel for several mos. The IDF demolishes the bomber’s family home in Bayt Furik within hrs. The IDF also fires live ammunition at some 200 Israeli, Palestinian, international peace activists staging a nonviolent protest along the separation wall nr. Qalqilya, wounding 1 Israeli (who had just finished 3 yrs. IDF service), 1 American; fires tear gas at another group of protesters at the separation wall west of Ramallah; fires on a funeral process in nr. Khan Yunis (wounding 5 boys, ages 11–18), residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids nr. Khan Yunis; bulldozes 8 dunams of land in al-Qarara. In Gaza, 10,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral for Islamic Jihad’s Humayid, assassinated by the IDF on 12/25. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 12/25. (WT 12/27; JTA, NYT, PRCS, WP, WT 12/28; CSM 12/29; PCHR, WJW 1/1; MM 1/5; BBC 1/6; JPI 1/8; MEI 1/9)

The IDF pulls troops out of Nablus but continues operations in Balata r.c.; demolishes a 3-story apartment building in Rafah; fires on Palestinians attempting to circumvent roadblocks around Bayt Furik nr. Nablus, wounding 1; fires on Palestinian teenagers on their way to school in Hebron, wounding 2; searches buildings in Khan Yunis; bulldozes 50 dunams of land nr. Abu Huli checkpoint in central Gaza. A Palestinian is killed in Nablus when his car mysteriously explodes; the IDF alleges he was transporting a car bomb. A Palestiniandies of injuries received in Rafah on 12/23. (PM 12/24; NYT, PCHR 12/25)