IDF fatally shoots 3 Egyptian border policemen on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border whom they assumed were armed Palestinians attempting to plant a bomb or infiltrate the border; Israeli PM...
The IDF makes a major raid into al-Bureij refugee camp (r.c.) in central Gaza, shells residential areas, bulldozes at least 200 dunams (d.; 4 dunams = 1 acre) of citrus and olive groves;...
In the morning, a closed military memorial service for Arafat is held on a military base outside Cairo. The Palestinian leadership, Arafat’s family, Egyptian envoy Omar Sulayman then escort Arafat...
The IDF shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, killing 2 Palestinian youths; fires on residential areas of al-Brazil r.c., al-Mughraqa; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c., ‘Ayn...
The Israeli security cabinet, IDF senior cmdrs., Fatah Central Comm., PLO Exec. Comm. hold emergency mtgs. to discuss Arafat’s failing health, after he reportedly slips into a “reversible coma.”...
A PFLP suicide bomber fr. Askar r.c. nr. Nablus detonates a device in a Tel Aviv open-air market, killing 3 Israelis, wounding 32. The PFLP says that the bombing was carried out to warn...
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IDF fatally shoots 3 Egyptian border policemen on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border whom they assumed were armed Palestinians attempting to plant a bomb or infiltrate the border; Israeli PM Ariel Sharon immediately phones Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak, issues a public
statement apologizing for the “tragic” accident, vows an investigation. Nonetheless, Egypt postpones to early 12/04 a visit to Israel by Egyptian envoy Omar Sulayman, FM Ahmad Abu al-Ghayt that was set to begin on 11/24. The IDF raids a Birzeit University dorm, detains 4 students, orders them to collect their belongings, handcuffs and blindfolds them, places them in military detention. The IDF also releases Hamas political leader Hassan Yusuf, who has been held in administrative detention for 2 yrs.; Yusuf—a Ramallah resident and one of the 400 Hamas mbrs. deported by Israel to Lebanon in 1990, became Hamas’s senior West Bank political leader in 8/01 andwas arrested during Operation Defensive Shield in 4/02—advocates Hamas participation in all levels of Palestinian elections and is seen as a leading moderate in the movement. An IDF sniper shoots, seriously wounds wanted Hamas mbr. Ghanim al-Hashash as he leaves a Rafah mosque in an apparent attempted assassination. The IDF rescues, arrests 5 Palestinians trapped in a collapsed smuggler’s tunnel on the Rafah-Egypt border; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Iqsa e. of Jerusalem, Duha nr. Bethlehem, Yatta; fires on residential areas in and nr. Nablus, Rafah. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Dotem settlement ambush, stone Palestinian cars in nearby Tubas. (AP, BBC, MM 11/18; HA, MENA, VOI, VOP 11/18 in WNC 11/20; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/19; VOI 11/19 in WNC 12/4; HA 11/21; CSM 11/22; PR 11/24; PCHR 11/25; PR 12/22)
The IDF makes a major raid into al-Bureij refugee camp (r.c.) in central Gaza, shells residential areas, bulldozes at least 200 dunams (d.; 4 dunams = 1 acre) of citrus and olive groves; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Askar r.c. and Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Jenin r.c., Nablus, Ramallah, Yatta. Unidentified Palestinians fire at a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Kifl Harith in the West Bank, causing damage but no injuries. Some 70 Jewish settlers fr. Itamar throw stones at, beat Palestinian olive harvesters in Awarta nr. Nablus; 50 IDF soldiers intervene to break up the fracas, are also attacked by settlers, detain 15 settlers. (BBC, HA 11/17; VOI 11/17 in WNC 11/19; PCHR 11/18)
In the morning, a closed military memorial service for Arafat is held on a military base outside Cairo. The Palestinian leadership, Arafat’s family, Egyptian envoy Omar Sulayman then escort Arafat’s body by helicopter to Ramallah, where 10,000s of grieving Palestinians overrun the Muqata in an attempt to observe his sunset funeral. Israel executes Operation New Leaf–the Day After to step up Israeli security but ensure that “Palestinians’ dignity is preserved” for3days of mourning: declares a state of emergency, seals the occupied territories until 11/16, pulls out of all West Bank population centers, reinforces the troop presence surrounding Ramallah and leading to Jerusalem, facilitates West Bank Palestinians’ access to Ramallah for the funeral, allows PA security officers to carry weapons for the 3-day mourning period in order to maintain crowd control. The only reported violence of the day is in Rafah, where the IDF fires on, shells residential areas. Meanwhile, massive symbolic funerals are held in Gaza, with (as in the West Bank) the full participation of all political groups, including Hamas. (BBC, CNN, WT 11/12; ATL, DS, Interfax, IRNA, ITAR-TASS, JAZ, JT, MENA, MNR, al-Ra’i, VOI, VOP 11/12 in WNC 11/16; NYT, WP, WT 11/13; HA, MM, PR 11/15; DS 11/17; PCHR 11/18)
The IDF shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, killing 2 Palestinian youths; fires on residential areas of al-Brazil r.c., al-Mughraqa; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c., ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c., Bayt Rima, al-Khadir, Nablus. The IDF also issues a military order prohibiting Palestinians fr. construction 300 m east and 100 m west of the 1948 truce line; moves a checkpoint fr. the Green Line in the n. Jordan Valley south toward Bardala village, well inside the occupied West Bank, raising suspicions that Israel is still actively considering construction of a wall through the Jordan Valley. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron kidnap, hold for 12 hrs. 2 14-yr.-old Palestinians grazing animals nr. a settlement. (VOI, VOP 11/5 in WNC 11/9; NYT 11/6; PRCS 11/11)
The Israeli security cabinet, IDF senior cmdrs., Fatah Central Comm., PLO Exec. Comm. hold emergency mtgs. to discuss Arafat’s failing health, after he reportedly slips into a “reversible coma.” The PLO Exec. Comm. grants PA PM Ahmad Qurai‘ temporary responsibility for urgent matters involving the PA security services and finances. Hamas calls for formation of a collective leadership, in which it would participate, to rule until elections are held. The IDF places troops in the West Bank and Gaza on alert, fearing an upswing in violence if Arafat dies; the PA does the same with its security forces. The IDF also demolishes 4 Palestinian homes in Rafah; fires on residential areas of al-Brazil r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr Hebron. (AFP, BBC, HA, REU, WP, XIN 11/4; AFP, JAZ, MENA, VOI, VOP, XIN 11/4 in WNC 11/6; BBC, CSM, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/5; VOP, XIN 11/5 in WNC 11/9; PRCS 11/11)
A PFLP suicide bomber fr. Askar r.c. nr. Nablus detonates a device in a Tel Aviv open-air market, killing 3 Israelis, wounding 32. The PFLP says that the bombing was carried out to warn Palestinian leaders against being “seduced into talking about ending the resistance and haggling over the national legitimate rights and principles of our people” now that Arafat is out of the West Bank. In the evening, IDF undercover units raid Nablus, assassinate Nablus AMB leader Majdi Mari (whom it attempted to assassinate on 9/15/04), AMB mbrs. Jihad Abu Salah and Fadi al-Sarwan, injure a 4th AMB mbr., 4 bystanders. During the day, the IDF closes the Qalandia checkpoint, declaring the area a closed military zone (see 10/16); fatally shoots 2 Palestinians allegedly attempting to infiltrate Kefar Darom; fires on a group of stone-throwing Palestinian children in Askar r.c., killing a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy; stops, argues with, shoots and wounds 2 Palestinian teenagers walking nr. the separation wall nr. Jayyus; fires on stone-throwing youths in Jenin r.c.; bulldozes 39 d. of olive groves and greenhouses, 1 Palestinian home nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Anza nr. Bethlehem, al-Bireh, Birzeit, Jayyus, al-Khadir, al-Mughayyir, Nur al-Shams r.c., Rafat nr. Nablus, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Otniel throw stones at, harass Palestinians and international peace activists harvesting olives on nearby Palestinian land, forcing them to leave. Jewish settlers in Hebron assault Palestinians, attack Palestinian homes nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. In both cases, the IDF troops observe but do not intervene. (BBC, HA, MM, PM 11/1; HA, JAZ, JP, VOI, VOP 11/1 in WNC 11/3; CSM, MM, NYT, PRCS, WP, WT 11/2; VOP 11/2 in WNC 11/4; PR 11/3; PCHR, WJW 11/4; MEI 11/5; JPI 11/12)
