The Palestine Chronology

The IDF continues operations in Rafah, fatally shooting 8 Palestinians (including 2–3 armed Palestinians), wounding up to 41, destroying 23 Palestinian homes (leaving 765 Palestinians homeless), heavily damaging 16 homes and 2 UNRWA centers, occupying several tall buildings as observation posts, uncovering and demolishing 1 smugglers’ tunnel. The IDF also intensifies operations in Balata r.c. (ongoing for 8 days), expands crackdown to all of Nablus, imposing a 24-hr. curfew, demolishing 1 Palestinian home, dividing the city in half with roadblocks. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Nisanit settlement, lightly injuring 2 settlers, damaging a building; 1 at Sederot inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries. (AFP, BBC, HA, NYT, PCHR, PRCS 12/23; VOP 12/23 in WNC 12/25; NYT, PR, WP, WT 12/24; PCHR, WT 12/25; PR 1/7)

The IDF continues operations in Balata r.c. for the 5th day, firing on residential areas and stone-throwing youths (wounding 5), demolishing 1 Palestinian home; conducts arrest raids nr. Bethlehem; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. Palestinians fire a mortar at Gush Katif settlement in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. (PM 12/20; YA 12/21 in WNC 12/23; PR 1/7; PCHR 12/25)