The Palestine Chronology

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin (fatally shooting a Palestinian gunman), Ramallah (searching the home of Change and Reform PC mbr. Ahmad ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Malik). PA security forces at Gaza’s Qarni crossing prevent 2 Palestinian vehicles of PRC mbrs. carrying explosives that attempt to crash through the PA security barrier to attack the main transit building; 3 PA policemen, 2 gunmen are wounded in the exchange, and 3 gunmen are arrested; Israel claims that the PRCs were acting under the direction of Hamas, which denies the charge; PA Interior M Siyam says that attacking border crossings is against the national interest and should not be done. Meanwhile, mbrs. of the Yasir Arafat Brigades (considered an offshoot of the AMB) say that in response to Siyam’s plans to create the ESF, they are planning to form a new militia “to protect Fatah men against the Israeli enemy and against any attempt by any party inside the homeland to target them.” (IMEMC, REU 4/26; NYT, PCHR, WP 4/27; IFM, XIN 5/1; OCHA 5/3; PCHR 5/4)

The IDF shells Gaza’s Jabaliya r.c., seriously wounding a 7-yr.-old Palestinian boy and his father harvesting vegetables in their field; sends undercover units in a car with Palestinian license plates into Qalqilya to arrest a wanted Palestinian; later sends troops into Qalqilya to arrest another Palestinian, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 6; conducts other arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Qalqilya (also firing on residential areas), nr. Hebron and Jenin; seriously beats a Palestinian in Hebron for no apparent reason. In retaliation for the 3/31 Abu Quka assassination, the PRCs fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza towards an IDF post at Kissufim crossing causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds by shelling n. Gaza, targeting and hitting a truck hauling vegetables in Bayt Lahiya (apparently thinking it belonged to militants who fired the rockets), injuring 2 farmers. A Palestinian dies, a 2d is injured when heavy rain run-off obstructed by the separation wall, which effectively creates a dam nr. Bil‘in, causes flash flooding that washes the men into the razor wire cordoning off the wall, trapping them. (IMEMC, JAZ, PRC communique, XIN 4/2; VOP 4/2 in WNC 4/3; PCHR 4/6)