The Palestine Chronology

The IDF undercover units raid Nablus, assassinate wanted AMB mbr. Wa’il Riyahi; fire on a Palestinian car driving nr. a Jewish settlement in Hebron, wounding 4 Palestinian civilians, evacuating 1 seriously wounded to an Israeli hospital by helicopter; occupies 2 Palestinian homes in Dayr al-Balah as military posts, holding the families inside; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, al-Qarara, Nablus, Rafah (seriously wounding a pregnant Palestinian woman with a bullet to the head); conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Ramallah. In Gaza, Hamas mbr. dies when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. Israel releases 159 Palestinian prisoners (those with only 2 yrs. or less left in their sentences, none of whom harmed Israelis, 10s of whom were arrested for working illegally in Israel). (AP 12/27; VOI, VOP 12/27 in WNC 12/29; AP, NYT, WP 12/28; VOP 12/28 in WNC 12/30; PR 12/29; PCHR 12/30)

The Palestinian Resistance Comms. (PRCs) fire a new Nasser 3 rocket, with a longer range than the Qassam 2, at Sederot, causing minor damage to a wall, garden shed; also fire 2 mortars at Gaza’s Kefar Darom settlement, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF fires missiles at 2 metal workshops (suspected Hamas weapons factories) in Gaza City, destroying the buildings but causing no injuries. The IDF also bulldozes 77 dunams of agricultural land in Bayt Hanun, 37 dunams nr. Khan Yunis; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in al-Qarara, 1 in Rafah; fires on residential areas of, conducts arrest raids in Askar r.c., then fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 4; raids residential areas nr. Dayr al-Balah, firing on homes, arresting several Palestinians, occupying and partially demolishing 1 house, destroying a fence and gas pipelines to a fuel station; conducts arrest raids in Hebron, Jenin, nr. Nablus. (HA, MA, MM, REU 6/18; VOI, VOP 6/18, VOI 6/19 in WNC 6/22; WP 6/20; PCHR 6/24)

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 conducts arrest raids in Askar r.c., Balata r.c; blows up 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah, 1 nr. Dayr al-Balah; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes, bulldozes 40 dunams of land in al-Qarara. (MM 5/10; PCHR 5/13)

The IDF launches a major predawn raid on Khan Yunis, fatally shooting 2 Palestinians, wounding 23, demolishing 34 Palestinian homes completely, 8 partially before withdrawing during the day; reinvades Khan Yunis after dark, demolishing another 16 Palestinian homes completely, 1 partially. During the day, IDF also deploys troops to surround Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah; shells residential areas of the Old City of Nablus, Rafah; fires on stonethrowing youths nr. Nisanit settlement; conducts arrest raids, bulldozes 10 dunams of land in Wadi al-Silqa; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Arub r.c., Jenin, Nablus, al-Qarara, and nr. Dayr al-Balah. Nr. Tulkarm, a 10-yr.-old Palestinian is killed, 2 children are wounded when they accidentally detonate unexploded IDF ordnance while playing. A 17-yr.-old Palestinian dies of injuries received on 4/23. (BBC, MM, PCHR, PM, WP, XIN 5/4; VOP 5/4 in WNC 5/6; WT 5/5; PCHR 5/6)

The Quartet (the European Union, Russia, UN, and U.S.) gives qualified endorsement to Sharon’s disengagement plan. (MM, WP 5/4; FT, JTA, MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 5/5; VOP 5/5 in WNC 5/7; MM 5/6; AYM 5/9 in WNC 5/12; VOP 5/11 in WNC 5/13)

The IDF continues operations in Rafah, withdrawing early in the morning; bars Palestinians ages 16–35 fr. traveling through the Rafah checkpoint, Palestinians under age 45 fr. praying at al-Aqsa Mosque; shells a Palestinian car that accidentally enters a closed military zone in Tulkarm, seriously injuring the driver; opens fire on Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall nr. Beitunia, fatally shooting 1 Palestinian; bulldozes 25 dunams of land in al-Qarara, 8 dunams nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Dura, al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron seriously beat a Palestinian, fracturing his shoulder. (AFP 4/16; VOP 4/16 in WNC 4/20; WT 4/17; PCHR 4/22)

The IDF conducts house searches, arrest raids in Bayt Hanun, Nablus, al-Qarara; bulldozes 67 dunams of land in Dayr al-Balah, 39 dunams in al-Qarara, 7 dunams in Wadi al-Silqa. (VOP 1/26 in WNC 1/28; PCHR 1/29)

The IDF fires on Palestinian youths breaking curfew, throwing stones at troops in Nablus, killing a 16-yr.-old Palestinian; fires on residential areas of al-Qarara; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; imposes a curfew on, reinforces troops in al-Khadir village nr. Hebron; bulldozes 3 dunams of land in al-Qarara, additional land nr. Dayr al-Balah and Gaza City. In Nablus, 2 IDF soldiers are wounded by a roadside bomb. (NYT 1/2; LAW 1/8; PCHR 1/9)