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)

Hamas fires mortars at Neve Dekalim, killing a Jewish settler woman (a dual Israeli-U.S. citizen). Late in the evening, the IDF stages a major raid into Khan Yunis in retaliation, firing on and shelling residential areas, killing a 60-yr.-old Palestinian, seriously damaging the physiotherapy wing of a hospital. The IDF also tightens restrictions on entry to East Jerusalem, Bayt Sahur nr. Bethlehem; bars Palestinians fr. entering the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron; raids Balata r.c. and Nur al-Shams r.c., firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya. (HA 9/24; AFP 9/24, XIN 9/25 in WNC 9/28; WT 9/25; PCHR 9/30; JPI 10/8)

In downtown Beersheba, 2 Hamas suicide bombers simultaneously detonate devices on 2 buses, killing 16 Israelis, wounding 82. The IDF demolishes the family homes of the bombers in Hebron. The IDF also imposes tighter restrictions on entry to and exit from Hebron; fatally shoots 1 Palestinian youth during a predawn incursion into Rafah; fires on residential areas of Nablus and reinforces checkpoints on the Nablus– Qalqilya road; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, Hebron; bulldozes 360 d. of agricultural land in Juhur Yidiq in central Gaza, 8 d. and 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah; raids, searches several charitable societies and PA Information Min. offices in Hebron, briefly detaining 20 Palestinians and 3 journalists covering the incident. A Jewish settler kills a 61-yr.-old Palestinian woman in a hit-and-run nr. Qalqilya. The AMB Jenin faction issues a statement calling PA FM Shaath a “traitor” for allegedly meeting with Israeli FM Silvan Shalom on the sidelines of a conference in Italy (ca. 8/26), threatening to kill him if he returns to the territories; Shalom says he did not interact with Shaath at the mtg. (HA, MM, WP 8/31; JAZ, MENA, VOI, VOP 8/31 in WNC 9/2; CSM, HA, MM, NYT, Palestinian Medial Relief Society press release, PR, WP, WT 9/1; AYM, QA, al-Quds, VOI 9/1 in WNC 9/3; HJ 9/1, JAZ, VOI, VOP 9/2 in WNC 9/4; HJ, MM, PCHR, WJW, WT 9/2; MM 9/3; JAZ 9/4 in WNC 9/7; PR 9/8; JPI, MEI, MM 9/10)

An AMB mbr. and a Hamas mbr., both fr. Gaza’s Jabaliya r.c., stage a double suicide bombing inside Israel’s Ashdod port, some 30 mi. north of the Strip, killing 11 Israelis, wounding 20, and marking the 1st suicide bombing inside Israel staged fr. Gaza and the 1st targeting civilian infrastructure. Hamas, AMB issue a communiqu´e stating that “joint, qualitative operations” involving various factions will be their practice in the future. In response, the IDF launches air strikes against 3 metal foundries, a printing press (alleged weapons factories) in Gaza City, wounding 1 Palestinian. The IDF also fatally shoots 3 armed Palestinians attempting to infiltrate Netzarim settlement; fatally shoots a Palestinian during an arrest raid in Rafah; fires on Palestinians playing soccer on a field nr. Neve Dekalim settlement, wounding 1; fires rubber bullets, stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, international demonstrators protesting the separation wall nr. Mod’in Ilit settlement, wounding 10; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c., al-Qarara and nr. Nablus, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’ale Shomron nr. Qalqilya bulldoze 150 dunams of adjacent Palestinian land. Jewish settlers fr. Asfar nr. Hebron confiscate 60 dunams of nearby Yatta village land (see 3/6). (BBC, HA 3/14; VOP 3/14 in WNC 3/16; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/15; MM 3/16; QA, al-Quds 3/16 in WNC 3/18; MM, PR 3/17; HA, PCHR, WJW 3/18; MEI 3/19; JPI 3/26; WP 4/1)