The Palestine Chronology

The IDF shoots, gravely wounds anIsraeli Palestinian driving nr. Qalqilya, believing that his car, bearing Israeli license plates, must have been stolen; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dayr al-Balah. The IDF says that PA security officers may continue to carry weapons in the immediate vicinity of the Muqata only (see 11/12). In Gaza, some 20 armed AMB mbrs. storm the mourning tent where Abbas is accepting condolences for Arafat’s death; 2 PA security officers are left dead, 2 gunmen are detained; outside, 3 cars in fmr. PA security head Dahlan’s convoy are also torched. (VOI 11/14 in WNC 11/16; BBC, Financial Times, MM, WP 11/15; VOP 11/15 in WNC 11/17; BBC, Guardian, Gulf News 11/16; HA, PCHR 11/18; NYT, WT 11/19; JPI 11/26)

The PA sets 1/9/05 as the date for PA presidential elections. ( JAZ 11/14 in WNC 11/16)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians who enter a closed military zone nr. the Israeli border fence east of Gaza City; fires on stone-throwing youths and market areas in Nablus, killing a 14-yr.-old Palestinian; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Jenin; blows up a Palestinian home nr. Nablus; bulldozes 20 d. in Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids in Beitunia, Jenin (also sealing 4 offices of Islamic charities). Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket into s. Israel, fire 2 mortars into Jewish settlements in s. Gaza, causing light damage but no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’ale Shomron nr. Qalqilya uproot 10s of Palestinian olive trees, bar local Palestinian residents fr. harvesting their groves; IDF soldiers observe but do not intervene. ( JP, VOP, YA 11/9 in WNC 11/11; WP 11/10; VOI 11/10 in WNC 11/12; PRCS 11/11)

Arafat reportedly slips deeper into a coma, possibly suffering a stroke, and is put on life support. In light of Israel’s refusal to allow his burial in Jerusalem, the PA requests that he be buried in Ramallah after lying in state in Cairo. Doctors still do not know the cause of Arafat’s illness, though they have completely ruled out malignancy, poisoning. (AP, BBC, MM, REU 11/9; AFP, JAZ, JT, VOI, VOP 11/9 in WNC 11/11; Financial Times, NYT, PR, WP, WT 11/10)

IDF undercover units assassinate senior AMB mbr. Ibrahim Issa in Qalqilya. The IDF continues operations in Jenin town and r.c., firing on stone-throwing youths, searching homes. Late in the evening, IDF troops in Jenin r.c. shoot, critically wound a Palestinian teenager for no apparent reason, bar his transportation to a hospital, and take him into custody, where he dies. The IDF also directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Khan Yunis, fatally shooting a 7-yr.-old Palestinian girl walking to school; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; fire on stone-throwing youths in Nablus; demolishes 6 Palestinian homes, bulldozes 15 d. nr. Rafah, leaving 131 people homeless; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c., Dahaysha r.c., al-Khadir. Palestinians fire mortars at Morag, wounding 5 Jewish settlers. Jewish settlers fr. Pdu’el harvest olives on nearby Palestinian land to which Palestinian farmers have been barred access by the IDF; Jewish settlers fr. Otniel harvest, damage Palestinian olive trees nr. Yatta; Jewish settlers fr. Avi Gayel outpost attack Palestinians harvesting olives nr. Qawawis nr. Yatta. The IDF also halts construction of a Palestinian apartment building nr. a settler bypass road outside Bayt Sahur, claiming the apartment complex (which has been under construction with Israeli permits since 1994, is home to 250 residents) is not within the Bayt Sahur municipal boundaries and is therefore illegal. ( JTA 10/28; VOI, VOP, YA 10/28, VOI 10/29 in WNC 10/30; PRCS 10/30; WP 10/29; PM 11/1; PCHR 11/4)

Arafat’s condition stabilizes overnight, but he remains critically ill. Doctors, speculating that he may have a potentially fatal blood disorder, order his transport to Paris for further tests. (BBC, HA, MM 10/28; ATL, HA, JAZ, MENA, PSCT, VOI, VOP 10/28 in WNC 10/30; NYT, WP, WT 10/29; PR 11/3)

The IDF assassinates ARB Rafah cmdr. ‘Amr Abu Sitta and his dep. Zaki Abu Zarqa, firing a missile at their car as they drive in Rafah; fatally shoots Islamic Jihad Tulkarm cmdr. Zahir Ashqar in an exchange of gunfire during an arrest raid in Tulkarm. The IDF also tightens access to Bayt Hanun; steps up bulldozing in Jabaliya r.c.; demolishes 18 Palestinian homes in Rafah; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun and al-Zawiyya nr. Qalqilya, Bayta, Dahaysha r.c., Tubas, Tulkarm r.c. An AMB mbr., an Islamic Jihad mbr. are killed in an explosion outside Gaza’s Netzer Hazani settlement, reportedly when laying a roadside bomb. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. (MM 7/29; MENA, VOI 7/29 in WNC 7/31; NYT, WP 7/30; PR 8/4; PCHR 8/5)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians who allegedly attempt to attack an IDF post nr. Gaza’s Dugit settlement; imposes an around-the-clock curfew on Palestinian areas of Hebron; arrests an ambulance driver transporting an ailing child at a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya; fires on, shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah. The IDF also launches a major raid on Nablus to “clear the casbah of Palestinian fugitives,” surrounding refugee camps in search of 7 wanted AMB mbrs., sending in 100s of troops, taking over more than 12 buildings; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Dayr al-Balah, Hebron and nr. Tulkarm; evacuates an apartment building in Bethlehem, then blows up 1 unit, severely damaging several others; bulldozes 1 Palestinian home, some olive trees in the n. Gaza Strip. Homeless Palestinians end their sit-in strike (begun 6/19) after the PC announces plans to build some homes for the homeless. (VOI, VOP 6/24 in WNC 6/26; MM, NYT 6/25; NYT 6/26; PR 6/30; PCHR 7/1)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Rafah, wounding a 9-mo.-old baby; razes a Palestinian home, 65 dunams of agricultural land in al-Qarara; bulldozes 1.5 dunams of citrus trees, a telephone network in Dayr al-Balah; fires tear gas, live ammunition at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists protesting against the separation wall nr. Qalqilya, injuring a Palestinian cameraman working for Agence France-Presse and a South African protester, arresting an American; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c., Bethlehem, Husan, Jenin town and r.c., al-Mughraqa, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Yatta. The IDF also begins removing 40 earthen mounds, gates blocking Palestinian roads in the West Bank, easing Palestinian movement slightly; flying roadblocks, checkpoints at the entrances to towns and villages—the main barriers to Palestinians’ free movement—will remain. (XIN 6/13; PCHR 6/17)

The IDF fatally shots a mentally handicapped Palestinian who ignores orders to halt nr. Tulkarm; fires on Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists staging a nonviolent protest against the separation wall nr. Qalqilya, wounding a 14-yr.-old Palestinian with live ammunition; strings a new fence along an 800-m section of a settler bypass road nr. Khan Yunis, leaving a Palestinian family trapped in their home in the 70-m noman’s-land created btwn. the old and new fences; raids, seals an Islamic charitable organization in Tulkarm, confiscating $11,000 of checks to aid poor families, $1,000 in cash, stamps, computer and office equipment; searches a house, bulldozes 500 m2 of land nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids in Anabta, Arub r.c., Hebron, Nablus. (VOI, YA 6/7 in WNC 6/9; HA 6/8; PCHR 6/10)

The IDF shells Tal al-Sultan, hitting an UNRWA school, injuring 2 students in their classroom; raids Qabatya nr. Jenin, surrounding and firing on a home sheltering a wanted AMB mbr., then firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 5, arresting the wanted man; demolishes 8 Palestinian homes, 7 shops, 2 poultry farms completely, 6 homes partially in Rafah; demolishes a Palestinian home in Hazma nr. East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around ‘Ayn Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho, Bayt Sahur nr. Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Nablus, Tulkarm; fires on residential areas of Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, Rafah; fires on a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays into a closed military zone, wounding him; dynamites an apartment in Tulkarm, severely damaging 3 other units in the building; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets into Israel, damaging a building in an industrial park in Sederot but causing no injuries. Some 130 PA security officers and personnel hold a sit-in outside the Force 17 offices in Dayr al-Balah to protest corruption and mistreatment by their superiors and their impossible working conditions, saying it is impossible to do their jobs for lack of equipment, training, means of communications. (AP, HA 6/1; VOP 6/1 in WNC 6/3; UNRWA press release 6/2; PCHR 6/3; PR 6/9; MEI 6/11)

The IDF assassinates Hamas spiritual leader and founder Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, firing 3 internationally banned flechette missiles at him as he leaves a Gaza City mosque after morning prayers, also killing 3 bodyguards, 4 bystanders, wounding at least 17 Palestinians, including Yasin’s 2 sons. Immediately, 100,000s of Palestinians take to the streets throughout the territories to protest the assassination. The IDF seals Gaza; clashes with Palestinian demonstrators in Balata r.c. (killing an al-Najah Radio correspondent in Balata r.c., apparently thinking his mobile phone was a weapon), Bethlehem, Dayr al-Balah, Hebron (fatally shooting 1 Palestinian watching fr. his balcony), Jenin, Khan Yunis (killing 3 Palestinians), Nablus; fires on residential areas of Rafah, Qalqilya, Tal Zu’rub; imposes a curfew on areas around Jenin, fires on residential areas; temporarily occupies a Palestinian home as an IDF post nr. Dayr al-Balah. 100s of Palestinian youths in East Jerusalem gather at checkpoints to throw stones at IDF soldiers; Palestinian prisoners in 2 Israeli jails riot. Palestinians fire Qassam rockets, mortars, antitank rockets at Gush Katif and Netzarim settlements, nearby IDF posts, the western Negev, damaging 2 apartments in Netzarim but causing no injuries. An ax-wielding Palestinian fr. the West Bank village of Bidiyya wounds 3 Israelis outside an army base in Tel Aviv before being arrested. An unidentified assailant said to be Arab stabs, lightly wounds 3 Israelis on a Jaffa bus. 4 Palestinians are arrested for beating up a Jewish settler in East Jerusalem. Jewish settlers detain, beat a Palestinian man in the Jordan Valley. An estimated 200,000 Palestinians, including reps. of all Palestinian factions, take part in Yasin’s funeral services later in the day, with 21 PSF officers forming an honor guard for Yasin’s coffin, Gaza churches ringing their bells, mosques broadcasting Qur’anic verses. Meanwhile, Israeli defense chiefs meet, agree to target the entire remaining Hamas leadership immediately, without waiting for another Hamas attack. Israel also announces that it will close the only mental health clinic serving East Jerusalem Palestinians (1,200 patients) because of “security concerns.” (AP, BBC, CSM, HA, MA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 3/22; AP, ATL, ITARTASS, MNR, MENA, IDF Radio, IRNA, ITARTASS, JP, VIRI, VOI, VOP, XIN 3/22 in WNC 3/24; al-Arabiyya TV [Dubai], Syrian Arab News Agency 3/22 in WNC 4/27; AFP, BBC, CSM, HA, JT, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/23; AFP, AYM, DUS, HA, al-Hayat al-Jadida, JT, MA, MENA, al-Ra’i, THWR, TSHR, VIRI, YA 3/23 in WNC 3/25; MM, NYT, PR, WP 3/24; ATL, ITAR-TASS, Izvestiya, JT, al-Ra’i, SA, VOP, XIN 3/24 in WNC 3/26; AYM 3/24 in WNC 4/3; JT, MM, PCHR, WJW 3/25; ITAR-TASS, MENA, NHR, VIRI 3/25 in WNC 3/27; MM 3/26; MNR 3/27 in WNC 3/30; AYM 3/30, VOP 3/31 in WNC 4/2; MEI 4/2; PCHR 4/15)

In Washington, Shalom holds further talks on Sharon’s disengagement plan with VP Dick Cheney, Powell, Rice. (WP 3/23)

The IDF fires live ammunition at Palestinian youths who throw stones at troops at the end of an otherwise peaceful demonstration in Hebron against the separation wall, wounding 8 Palestinians, including 1 medic; fires live ammunition, tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets to break up peaceful demonstrations against the wall in Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, blows up the home of the 2/22 Palestinian suicide bomber in Husan; demolishes a 2d Palestinian home in Salfit; conducts arrest raids in Balata r.c., Bayt Jala, Bethlehem, Dahaysha r.c., Tarqumiyya nr. Hebron, Wadi al-Silqa nr. Dayr al-Balah; fires on Palestinian fisherman off Dayr al-Balah, halts 1 boat, arrests 6 fishermen. Jewish settlers fr. Ofra attack Palestinians in Silwad nr. Ramallah. (PM 2/23; LAW, PCHR 2/26; Guardian 2/27)

The IDF conducts arrest raids in Bayt Sahur, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and nr. Dayr alBalah; bulldozes 8 dunams of olive groves, 4 greenhouses in Dayr al-Balah; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Nablus. Palestinians fire an antitank missile at an IDF patrol in Gaza, lightly injuring 2 soldiers. Palestinians also fire a mortar at an IDF patrol outside a Jewish settlement in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. In Hebron, 3 IDF soldiers are wounded in a friendly fire incident. Nr. Qalqilya, 100s of Jewish settlers block the IDF fr. removing a caravan fr. an unauthorized settlement outpost. (VOP 2/20 in WNC 2/24; HA 2/21; LAW, PCHR 2/26)

The IDF fires on Palestinian farmers working their fields nr. Khan Yunis, seriously wounding 1; fires on a Khan Yunis cemetery, wounding 1 Palestinian; detains 4 Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Dayr al-Balah; bulldozes 45 dunams (4 dunams = 1 acre) of Palestinian agricultural land, irrigation works nr. Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, in Dahaysha refugee camp (r.c.), nr. Jenin, in Qalqilya; orders confiscation of 141 dunams of land in al-Mughayar village e. of Jenin for construction of the separation wall. A Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. (VOP 2/17 in WNC 2/19; PCHR 2/19)

The IDF issues confiscation orders for 700 dunams of Palestinian land (including 10 Palestinian homes) in Dayr al-Balah nr. Kefar Darom settlement; for no apparent reason, fires on Palestinians waiting to go through the Erez crossing, wounding 25; fires on residential areas of Rafah, seriously injuring 1 woman outside her home; fires on, seriously wounds a deaf-mute Palestinian woman who strays too close to the separation wall nr. Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tulkarm. (PCHR 1/20; VOI, VOP, YA 1/20 in WNC 1/22; LAW, PCHR 1/22)

The IDF sends a bulldozer into Lebanese territory to clear mines laid by Hizballah along the de facto border. Hizballah shells the bulldozer when it crosses the demarcation fence into Lebanon, killing 1 IDF soldier, wounding 2. (HA 1/19; LBC, MNR 1/19 in WNC 1/21; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/20; IDF Radio, MNR 1/20 in WNC 1/22; MM 1/21; IRNA 1/21 in WNC 1/23; MM 1/22, 1/23; NYT 1/29)