The Palestine Chronology

The IDF shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, killing 1 Palestinian; attempts to assassinate senior AMB mbr. Mahmud Abu Khalifa by firing a missile at his car as he drives through Jenin, missing it and hitting a nearby building, injuring a 9-yr.-old Palestinian girl; imposes curfews on villages around Jenin; fires on an ambulance waiting to cross Mahatin checkpoint nr. Khan Yunis, seriously injuring a doctor and a paramedic; fires rubber bullets at Palestinians in Budrus w. of Ramallah to disperse their nonviolent protest against the construction of the separation wall. Late at night, Israel border police raid and search homes in the Dahiyat al-Salam neighborhood of Anata in East Jerusalem, take all men ages 16–80 to a nearby base for ID checks, warn those without blue Jerusalem IDs that they could be arrested, detained, possibly sent to the West Bank if they are caught staying in the village overnight again. The IDF also removes a group of Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba who attempt to set up an unauthorized outpost along the route to the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. Palestinian gunmen fire on a crane doing construction work in Neve Dekalim, lightly injuring an Israeli construction worker. (VOI, VOP 8/30 in WNC 9/1; VOP 8/31 in WNC 9/2; PR 9/1; PCHR 9/2)

The IDF sends troops into Bethlehem, seals and searches a hospital for 3 hrs., detains 2 Palestinians (apparently not patients). The IDF also stages a major incursion into Askar r.c., rounding up more than 300 Palestinian men for questioning at an UNRWA school (the UN protests); fatally shoots a Palestinian farmer, wounds a 2d in al-Qarara; demolishes 1 Palestinian home, searches 3 in al-Qarara; fires on residential areas of Rafah (breaking windows in a hospital). Palestinians across the West Bank, Gaza observe a general strike in solidarity with hunger striking Palestinian prisoners; 80 child prisoners join the strike. (AP, JTA, XIN 8/24; VOP 8/24 in WNC 8/26; WT 8/25; PCHR 8/26)

In Rafat, the IDF opens fire on several Palestinians removing belongings fr. a home that the IDF earlier warned would be demolished, seriously wounding 1 Palestinian, firing on an ambulance that attempts to reach him, allowing him to bleed to death. The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; demolishes a Palestinian home in alQarara; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Araqa and Qabatya villages nr. Jenin, Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, Balata r.c., Surif nr. Hebron, Tulkarm. Israel announces plans for another 533 new housing units in the Adam, Emmanuel, Har Adar, Har Gilo settlements in the West Bank. The PA announces that security forces have recently arrested 6 suspected collaborators in Gaza. ( JP, MM 8/23; DS, NYT, WP, WT 8/24; VOP 8/24 in WNC 8/26; PR 8/25; PCHR 8/26)

An AMB gunman ambushes, fatally shoots a Jewish settler security chief patrolling around Itamar settlement in the West Bank, is then shot dead by other security guards; the IDF later blows up the gunman’s home in nearby Bayt Furik. The IDF also continues operations in Gaza City, bulldozing 700 dunams of land, demolishing several Palestinian homes, firing on Palestinians, wounding 4 before withdrawing later in the day; fires on residential areas of Aida r.c., Bayt Furik, Tal al-Sultan, Yatta; raids, fires on stone-throwing youths in Balata r.c., Tulkarm r.c. and town; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Khadir, Bayt Sahur; shells an electricity tower in Rafah, cutting electricity to some neighborhoods and Brazil r.c. The IDF also fires warning shots at a Spanish emb. vehicle at the Abu Huli checkpoint in Gaza; Spain lodges a formal complaint, saying it had received Israeli approval for the trip. (NYT, WP 8/14; PCHR 8/19) The 20th summer Olympics opens in Athens. Palestine is represented by 2 track and-field athletes, 1 swimmer. The International Olympic Comm. (IOC) 1st recognized Palestine in 1934, but rescinded recognition in 1948, when it recognized Israel. After the signing of the Oslo Accord in 1993, the IOC recognized Palestine again. Palestinian teams have competed in the summer Olympics in Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000). (PR 8/18, 8/25)

Overnight, the IDF sends troops, military vehicles into Rafah, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes, firing on residential areas. The IDF also sends troops into al-Qarara under heavy shelling, injuring 4 Palestinians, bulldozing 5 dunams of land; expels to Gaza fr. Jericho a Palestinian woman married to a Jericho resident, their 2 children, arguing that her Gaza residency card means that she has been living in the West Bank illegally. (XIN 8/8; PCHR 8/12)