The Palestine Chronology

Before dawn, Islamic Jihad and Hamas fire more than 30 rockets fr. Gaza at Sederot and the Negev, 3 of which lightly wound 3 Israeli security guards, 2 civilians. Early in the morning, the IDF fires missiles fr. helicopters at warehouses and an alleged weapons factory in Gaza City and Jabaliya r.c., marking Israel’s 1st military operations against Gaza since disengagement; orders the Rafah crossing shut, saying it will allow humanitarian aid only into Gaza through the Sufa crossing; fires missiles fr. naval vessels at Palestinian fishermen who attempt to go out to sea; drops leaflets on Gaza warning of harsh retaliation against further rocket fire; warns the PA that it is responsible for preventing attacks fr. Gaza. Abbas meets with Hamas officials in Gaza, secures their pledge to halt all armed demonstrations. Hrs. later, IDF aircraft fire 5 missiles at 2 cars in n. Gaza, assassinating 2 Hamas mbrs. (Nafiz Abu Hassanian, Rawad Farhat); 2 other Hamas mbrs. may have been targeted but escape. During the day, IDF fighter jets bomb open areas along the n. Gaza border used by Palestinians to launch rockets, while tanks, artillery, infantry gather along the n. Gaza border in preparation for a major operation. Meanwhile, the IDF seals the West Bank, fires on Palestinians waiting to cross a checkpoint outside Nablus, wounding 3 (1 seriously); conducts patrols in Jama‘in village nr. Nablus; raids 20 houses in Hebron, interrogating and photographing residents. In the evening, Sharon convenes his security cabinet, which approves an “all-out continuous offensive” called Operation First Rain, using artillery, air strikes, assassinations in Gaza, saying that if Palestinian violence continues after several days, the full cabinet will convene to consider sending infantry back into the Strip. (JP, REU, WP, YA 9/24; AP, HA, IMEMC, JAZ, NYT, WP, WT, XIN, YA 9/25; MEI, PCHR 9/29; IDF press release 10/9)

Palestinian gunmen representing the AMB, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs fire on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Gaza’s Kissufim crossing, killing 2 Israeli civilians (visiting Jewish settler relatives), wounding 4; IDF soldiers at the crossing return fire, killing 2 Palestinians; 2 soldiers are wounded in the exchange. Israel says it captured an AMB mbr. who infiltrated Israel fr. Gaza with an 11 lb. bomb, with plans to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv; arrested a 2d Palestinian accomplice in Jaffa (with an Israeli ID card, married to an Israeli Arab). An IDF drone fires 2 missiles at a group of armed Palestinians nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries, in what may be an assassination attempt. The IDF also sends troops into Sa’ir nr. Hebron, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, seriously injuring 1 bystander; fires on residential areas of Rafah; severely beats a Palestinian at a flying checkpoint nr. Salfit; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., villages around Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai attack, vandalize a Palestinian home in Hebron. Palestinian groups linked to Fatah, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine fire rockets at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. An armed Palestinian in fatigues raids the Rafah apartment of 4 American International Solidarity Movement workers, forces 1 of them (a 75-yr.-old man) into a car with 3 other masked Palestinians, holds him at a local school for 1 hr. before releasing him unharmed; no reason is given. (HA, IMEMC, PCHR, PRCS, WP, WT, XIN 7/24; NYT 7/25; OCHA, PR 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

The IDF declares Gaza settlements closed military zones so that they may bar and remove from them any nonresident Israelis protesting disengagement, then evicts 150 right-wing Israeli disengagement protesters (mostly West Bank settlers, many aligned with the outlawed Kach movement) fr. an abandoned hotel in s. Gaza that they have been occupying for 1 mo.; detains, handcuffs for several hrs. 2 Israeli journalists covering the evictions. The IDF sends troops into Balata r.c., Nablus after Palestinians stating they are mbrs. of the AMB–Ayman Juda Brigade falsely claim to have captured 2 IDF undercover soldiers who entered the city; troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them (leaving 7 Palestinians, 1 IDF soldier injured), detain and beat 2 Palestinian journalists covering the incursion; the AMB, Islamic Jihad deny involvement. The IDF fires on residential areas of Dura; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Hebron, 3 in Yatta, all bordering Jewish settlements; occupies 2 Palestinian homes nr. Tulkarm, 1 in Jenin as observation posts; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c., Bayt Fajjar, Hebron. An Israeli naval vessel fires on a Palestinian fishing boat off Gaza, wounding 1 fisherman. Jewish settlers fr. Gush Katif attack Palestinian traders, farmers waiting nr. the Tuffah checkpoint n. of Gaza City; the IDF intervenes, disperses the settlers. Nr. Nablus, 5 Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar throw stones at a Palestinian taxi. Hamas fires a Qassam rocket at Neve Dekalim, causing no damage or injuries. (BBC, WAFA, XIN 6/30; VOI, VOP 6 /30 in WNC 7/2; IMEMC, NYT, WP, WT 7/1; HA 7/3; OCHA, PR 7/6; PCHR 7/7)

An IDF aircraft fires 2 missiles at a well in Bayt Hanun, destroying it. Around 40 Jewish settlers fr. Tal Yam outpost in Gaza (see 6/27) chanting “Death to Arabs” occupy 2 Palestinian homes in al-Mawasi, throw stones at Palestinians and IDF soldiers nearby, severely beat 1 Palestinian in what observers describe as a near lynching (the incident, caught on video by an Israeli cameraman, is described by Sharon on 6/30 as “a barbaric, wild, and heartless act”); an Israeli reporter pulls the critically injured Palestinian to safety; the IDF arrests the settlers, evicts them fr. the area. The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinians; raids, occupies 2 Palestinian homes in al-Til as observation posts; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c. and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm. The AMB, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs take joint responsibility for firing 2 mortars at Netzarim, causing no damage or injuries. During the day, Palestinians fire 10s of rockets, at least 1 mortar at Gaza settlements, lightly injuring 1 foreign worker in Gush Katif. Israeli police arrest around 150 Israeli disengagement protesters who attempt to block roads across Israel during rush hour, causing limited tie-ups. (AFP, XIN 6/29; VOI 6/29 in WNC 6/30; BBC, PCHR, Palestine News Network, WP, XIN 6/30; HA 7/2; JP 7/2 in WNC 7/3; UPI, YA 7/3; NYT 7/5; OCHA, PR 7/6; PCHR 7/7; NYT 7/15)

In disputed circumstances, the IDF fires 2 missiles at Hamas mbrs. reportedly driving a car transporting a rocket launcher in Khan Yunis, but the Hamas mbrs. escape unharmed; around the same time Hamas mbrs. fire 9 mortars, 1 Qassam rocket at nearby IDF targets and settlements, damaging a bus, lightly wounding 2 IDF soldiers; The IDF says it retaliated against the Hamas mbrs., who attacked 1st; Hamas says the IDF targeted its mbrs. 1st, and they responded. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Gaza’s al-Mawasi area and nr. Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm. A Palestinian teenager stabs, wounds an Israeli policeman in West Jerusalem, is arrested. Jewish settlers set fire to a Palestinian store in Hebron. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 6/7 in Khan Yunis. (PRCS 6/8; AFP, VOI, VOP, XIN 6/8 in WNC 6/9; NYT, PCHR, WT 6/9; OCHA, PR 6/15; PCHR 6/16)

The IDF raids Qabatya nr. Jenin to arrest wanted Islamic Jihad cmdr. Marawa Khalil (also reported as Murwa Kamil), exchanges gunfire with him, attracting a mob of stone-throwing Palestinians; in the ensuing 90-min. clashes, Khalil and an unarmed Palestinian bystander are fatally shot, 9 Palestinians (including at least 3 bystanders) and 1 IDF soldier are wounded, Khalil’s house is demolished; 100s of Palestinians later march in Jenin, protesting the IDF operation and calling for revenge. In retaliation for the raid, Islamic Jihad fires mortars at Gaza’s Ganei Tal settlement, hitting a greenhouse and killing 2 Palestinian and 1 Chinese laborer, wounding 5 Palestinians. In further response to 6/6 events in Jerusalem, Hamas fires 3 Qassam rockets at Sederot and several mortars at Gaza settlements, causing light damage, no injuries; Israeli FM Silvan Shalom blames Hamas for “trying very hard to undermine our efforts to move toward peace with the Palestinian Authority.” The IDF also fatally shoots an Arab (identity unknown, carrying Egyptian bank notes) who tries to scale the Rafah border fence; fires a missile at Palestinian resistance mbrs. in Bayt Hanun, causing no damage or injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. (PRCS 6/7; MENA, VOP, XIN 6/7 in WNC 6/8; NYT, OCHA, PR, WP, WT 6/8; VOP, XIN 6/8 in WNC 6/9; PCHR 6/9; al-Ahram 6/10; PR 6/15)

A group of Israelis celebrating Jerusalem Day, marking the 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem, visit the al-Aqsa Mosque compound under Israeli police escort; outraged Palestinians at the site throw stones at Israeli police, Jewish worshipers at the Wailing Wall; the some 3,000 police, deployed to prevent violence on the anniversary, respond with stun grenades; no injuries are reported. In response to the al-Aqsa incident, Hamas fires 4 Qassam rockets at the Negev, causing light damage or injuries. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Hanina nr. Jerusalem, Jenin; bulldozes at least 8 d. of agricultural land n. of Qalqilya for construction of the separation wall. (JAZ 6/6; HA 6/7; NYT, WP 6/8; PCHR 6/9)

In response to the 2 Palestinian deaths on 2/9, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs fire 35 mortars and 18 rockets at Gush Katif, Morag, Neve Dekalim settlements, causing minor damage to 1 house and no injuries, threatening the Israeli-Palestinian truce. The IDF fires on a Palestinian car that attempts to bypass a roadblock, causing the car to crash, killing the Palestinian driver; issues military orders confiscating 150 d. of Bayt Hanina land, 50 d. of Shu‘fat land for construction of the separation wall around Jerusalem. Palestinian gunmen aligned with a senior Fatah official break into a PA prison in central Gaza, fatally shoot 3 Palestinians in retaliation for the slaying of the official’s brother. (BBC, MM, NYT, WT 2/10; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/11; AP 2/14; PCHR 2/17; MEI 2/18)

Overnight, the IDF fatally shoots 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. who allegedly attempted to attack an IDF patrol in central Gaza. During the day, the IDF halts Operation Eastern Step outside Gaza City; demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in Walaja nr. Bethlehem, begins bulldozing land for a new road; fires on residential areas of Jenin town and r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and Ramallah, and in Bayt Hanun, Bayt Jala, Bayt Lahiya, Jericho, Tulkarm r.c. and town. The PRCs fire 2 Nasir 3 rockets fr. n. Gaza toward Sederot, 1 lands inside Gaza, the other inside Israel; neither causes damage or injuries. Hamas fires 3 mortars at Nisanit, 1 mortar at Aley Sinai, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MM 1/17; VOI, VOP 1/17, JTA, NYT, WT 1/18; VOI, VOP 1/18 in WNC 1/20; OCHA 1/19; PR 1/20; PCHR 1/27)

After holding emergency sessions with the PA national security council and cabinet, Abbas orders the PA security forces to make “maximum efforts” to stop Palestinian attacks on Israelis, to investigate the 1/13 Qarni attack. PA Negotiation Affairs M Saeb Erakat says that security forces in Gaza would “create security zones and road blocks” to prevent rocket and mortar fire. Israel says the steps are “a small but positive sign.” (VOP 1/17 in WNC 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/18; PR 1/20)

Sharon orders the IDF to intensify operations against Palestinian militants and to act “without restrictions, I emphasize, without restrictions” to halt “terrorism,” stating that Abbas is “not lifting a finger” to stop attacks on Israelis. The IDF withdraws fr. Gaza City (having bulldozed a total of 80 d., wounding at least 13 Palestinians since 1/15) but continues targeted operations in the outskirts of the city; shells Khan Yunis, damaging 1 Palestinian home, then firing on the family when they emerge to check the damage, killing a Palestinian mother and son, wounding the father, saying soldiers fired on suspicious “figures gathering information about IDF troops” in the area; separately fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, hitting Nasser Hospital; fires on residential areas of Balata r.c., Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, Hebron, Husan, Ithna, Saida. Hamas fires 3 mortars at an IDF post in Gaza, 1 Qassam rocket at Gadid settlement, causing no damage or injuries. Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF patrol in Jenin, wounding 4 soldiers. (AFP, HA, JAZ, VOI, VOP, YA 1/16, MENA 1/17 in WNC 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/17; JTA 1/18; HA, OCHA 1/19; PR 1/20; PCHR 1/27)