The Palestine Chronology

Palestinians fire at least 5 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; 1 rocket lands inside Gaza, injuring a 2-yr.-old Palestinian boy; Hamas says that it has not fired any of the nearly 50 rockets fired since the 11/26 Gaza truce was declared; Islamic Jihad has taken responsibility for many. Jewish settlers fr. Tal Rumayda stone a Palestinian girl, vandalize her family’s home in Hebron. Abbas blocks a number of government appointments made by Hamas-led PA offices. In Gaza City, a Fatah-linked clan kidnaps a Hamas mbr., sparking heaving exchanges of fire btwn. Fatah-Hamas supporters that leaves 1 Hamas mbr. dead. In Nablus, PA security forces loyal to Abbas fire on a group of 1,000 Hamas supporters celebrating the anniversary of the movement’s founding, wounding 9; Fatah-Hamas tensions have been high in Nablus, where Fatah protests the Hamas-led PA’s efforts to form an ESF branch under Siyam’s control. (MM 12/22; NYT, WP, WT 12/23; OCHA 12/27; PCHR 12/28; AIC 1/17)

The IDF sends additional tanks, troops into n. Gaza, bringing the total number of troops in n. Gaza to around 1,000, placing snipers on the rooftops of Palestinian homes, occupying the home of Reform and Change PC mbr. Jamila Shanti, fatally shooting 2 Hamas mbrs., a Palestinian woman, a 17-yr.-old Palestinian boy and wounding at least 1 gunman, 14 bystanders in Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Jabaliya r.c. An IDF soldier is wounded by an antitank missile in Bayt Hanun. The IDF also fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Rafah coast, wounding 1. In Gaza City, the IDF makes an air strike destroying a money exchange, damaging several nearby homes. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs claim responsibility for firing 8 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel today, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF assassinates al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Fadi Armur in Jenin r.c., wounding a 2d target, Islamic Jihad mbr. Ashraf al-Sa‘di; bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes, 2 animal pens nr. Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qabatya and in and around Hebron, Nablus. A Jewish settler injures a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy in a deliberate hitand-run nr. Bethlehem. (MM 11/22; MM, NYT, PCHR, WP 11/23; NYT 11/24; OCHA 11/29; PCHR 11/30)

In Gaza, the IDF continues major operations in Bayt Hanun, rounding up Palestinian men ages 16–45 and driving them outside of town for questioning (detaining 15, releasing the others), clashing with militants, killing 2 Palestinian gunmen, 2 civilians, wounding another 20 Palestinians; 2 IDF soldiers are lightly injured; a 4-yr.- old Palestinian dies of injuries received on 11/1; some 60 Palestinian gunmen take refuge in the 850-yr.-old al-Nasir Mosque, which is quickly surrounded by the IDF. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts air strikes in n. Gaza on Palestinians allegedly preparing to fire rockets, killing 2 Palestinians. Palestinians fire several rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting an Israeli home, lightly wounding 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF raids an elementary school in Hebron while classes are in session, firing tear gas, percussion grenades, injuring 15 children; sends undercover units into Tulkarm in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest 3 wanted Palestinians; conducts other arrest raids in al-Saf nr. Bethlehem (demolishing the home of a wanted Islamic Jihad mbr., firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 5) in Nablus (fatally shooting 1 Palestinian civilian), Ramallah, Tulkarm. (NYT, WT 11/3; PCHR 11/9)

Before dawn, the IDF responds to Hamas’s 7/3 rocket fire on Ashqelon by carrying out air strikes on the PA Interior Min. in Gaza City (destroying it and wounding at least 7 Palestinians in homes nearby, including 4 children), a Hamas-run school in Gaza City, a Hamas training camp in s. Gaza. Later, Hamas fires a 2d 2-engine Qassam rocket that lands outside Ashqelon, causing no damage or injuries, the Israeli security cabinet authorizes the IDF to step up operations in Gaza and the West Bank aimed at halting rocket fire and “striking at institutions and infrastructures that serve terrorism,” particularly targeting Hamas. During the day, the IDF moves more tanks, troops into n. Gaza and begins to push south toward Bayt Hanun and Jabaliya r.c., reoccupying fmr. settlement sites, occupying a 7th Palestinian home as an operational base, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen and shelling (fr. land and sea) areas where militants are allegedly burying explosives, killing 1 Hamas mbr., 1 PA naval officer, wounding at least 17 Palestinians (10 PA naval officers at a barracks nr. where the Hamas mbr. was killed, 7 children). In Gaza City, 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. are killed when explosives they are handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho, surrounds a building, orders wanted AMB cmdr. Mahmud Haymur to surrender, ordering him to undress when he emerges and then executing him by shooting him in the head at point blank range; surrounds, fires on a PA police station in Halhul nr. Hebron, demanding custody of an Israeli Palestinian believed to be held there (police allow soldiers to search the station to confirm he is not there); raids 3 Islamic charities nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus, confiscating computers, vandalizing offices; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Nablus, nr. Tulkarm and Qalqilya, and in Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba, under IDF escort, begin work on a new settler bypass road linking the settlement to the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. In Gaza City, unidentified gunmen assassinate senior Hamas mbr. Husayn Abu Ajwa, who is considered a leading promoter of religious and political reform within the movement. (IFM, NYT, PCHR, REU, WP, WT 7/5; HA, NYT, OCHA, PCHR, WP, WT 7/6; HA 7/8; PCHR 7/13; OCHA 7/18)

Overnight, the IDF stages scores of arrest raids across the West Bank detaining 64 senior Hamas political officials, including 8 PA cabinet mbrs. and 26 PC mbrs., plus 23 senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbrs. Haniyeh, Siyam, PA FM Mahmud Zahhar remain free. (100s of Palestinians in Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarm hold marches, sit-ins to protest the Israeli arrest of PA legislators.) Israel says the arrest campaign has been planned for wks., with the government securing Atty. Gen. Menachem Mazuz’s authorization and arrest warrants far in advance of the Kerem Shalom attack on 6/25. In Gaza, the IDF shells 2 electricity transformers and open areas of n. Gaza, cutting all electricity to n. Gaza and wounding 1 Palestinian civilian; makes air strikes on 2 electrical shops in Khan Yunis, a Hamas training camp outside Khan Yunis, a car carrying 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Gaza City, wounding 3 bystanders in the Gaza City incident; fires at least 30 shells at areas around Khan Yunis, wounding 1 Palestinian farmer; conducts house searches in al-Shuka nr. Rafah; intermittently breaks the sound barrier to harass the Gaza population. In response to Israel’s military escalation, the PRC mbrs. overnight kill a Jewish settler teenager they reported they kidnapped on 6/27; the IDF finds his body buried nr. Ramallah. During the day, the IDF makes an air strikes on targets in s. Gaza and on a car driving in Gaza City in an attempt to assassinate an Islamic Jihad mbr., who escapes lightly wounded; shells n. and s. Gaza, lightly wounding at least 3 Palestinians. AMB, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) mbrs. also fire at least 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to a farm. Palestinian militants (thought to be Hamas) blow a hole in the Gaza-Egypt border fence; cordons of PA security forces,Egyptian border guards prevent most Palestinians fr. crossing through, though the militants who set the bomb reportedly escape into Egypt. In the evening, Olmert, Peretz order the IDF to suspend plans to send the Givati Brigade into n. Gaza overnight as planned in light of requests fr. Egypt to allow its envoys in Gaza more time to secure Shalit’s release. Meanwhile in the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches (unrelated to the arrest of PA officials) in Hebron, and in and around Ramallah, Salfit; raids 6 Islamic charities and schools nr. Hebron, Jenin and in Bethlehem, Tulkarm, confiscating computers, files; issues military orders confiscating 25 d. of Palestinian land nr. Hebron for construction of the separation wall. (HA, IFM, IMEMC, JAZ, MM, NYT, WP, WT, YA 6/29; AFP, MENA, OSC, PSCT, VOI, VOP 6/29 in WNC 6/30; CSM, HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/30; OSC, PSCT, YA 6/30 in WNC 7/1; al-Ayyam 7/1 in WNC 7/2; HA, PCHR 7/6; PCHR 7/27) 

The IDF makes its 1st arrest raid into Gaza since the 9/05 disengagement, temporarily closing the Rafah crossing and sending troops 1,000 m into Rafah to detain 2 wanted Palestinians, allegedly mbrs. of Hamas; Hamas denies the men belong to the group. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Tulkarm r.c. (firing on residential areas), and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Qalqilya. Islamic Jihad fires 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa s. of Hebron beat a Palestinian grazing animals nearby. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to 3 Palestinian cars, a tractor outside Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Tal Rumayda in Hebron attack 4 international peace activists escorting Palestinian children to school; IDF soldiers observe but do not intervene. Mbrs. of the Hamas-dominated ESF fire on the home of a PSF mbr. in Khan Yunis, wounding 1 bystander. (MM 6/23; HA 6/24; WP, WT 6/25; OCHA, World Council of Churches press release 6/28; PCHR 6/29)

The IDF patrols in Kafr Haris, Tubas (firing on residential areas); conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, al-Til nr. Tulkarm and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. Islamic Jihad fires 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In Ramallah, 10s of PA employees aligned with Fatah temporarily take over the PC building, demanding salaries. After Hamas mbrs. shoot, wound a PSF officer in Khan Yunis, Fatah mbrs. assassinate a senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbr. (MM 6/14; MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/15; PCHR 6/22)

Israel closes all Gaza crossing into Israel, reimposing the full seal on the territories (set on 3/11) for parliamentary elections; sends troops into al-Fawwar r.c. to conduct arrest raids and house searches, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 6; also conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Bethlehem, Nablus, Tubas. Israeli security contractors guarding the separation wall nr. Jerusalem shoot, wound a Palestinian who strays too close to the wall. Islamic Jihad fires a Grad missile (an Eastern European rocket with a range greater than a Qassam but less than a Katyusha) fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon, which lands unexploded causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba attack Palestinians, vandalize property in Hebron. Separately, Jewish settlers fr. Hebron attack Palestinian children on their way to school by a Palestinian road that passes near a settleronly bypass road. Inside Israel, 2 bedouin are killed in the Negev when they accidentally detonate an unexploded Palestinian rocket. (IMEMC, YA 3/28; VOP 3/28 in WNC 3/29; HA, MM, NYT, OCHA 3/29; PCHR 3/30; MM 4/7, 4/13, 4/21)

Israel holds parliamentary elections, with voter turnout at a relatively low 63%. The Kadima party, founded by Ariel Sharon and led by Ehud Olmert, wins 29 of the 120 Knesset seats (less than expected) compared to Labor with 19 seats, Likud (the biggest loser compared with its 38 seats last election) with 12, Shas with 12, Yisrael Beiteinu with 11, National Union–National Religious Party with 9, Pensioners’ Party with 7, United Torah Judaism with 6, Meretz with 5, and 3 Arab parties with a total of 10. (MM 3/28; HA, JP, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/29; NYT, WT 3/30; WP 3/31; XIN, YA 4/3)

The PC approves (71–36, with 2 abstentions) the Hamas-led cabinet. (NYT 3/29; XIN 3/28 in WNC 3/29)

Under international pressure (see 3/1), Israel partially reopens the Qarni crossing for the import of medicine, sugar, flour, cooking oil, other staples into Gaza. The IDF shells the n. Gaza no-go zone, hitting an apartment building in Bayt Hanun, injuring 3 Palestinians; tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement around Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Balata r.c., Qalqilya. AMB, Islamic Jihad fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa uproot 50 Palestinian olive trees in Hebron. (IMEMC, XIN 3/9; XIN 3/10; OCHA 3/15; PCHR, WP 3/16)

Sharon suffers a massive stroke. Sharon, who was expected to win a 3d term in the 3/06 elections at the head of his new Kadima party, is not expected to return to politics, throwing the elections into question. Political powers are transferred to Vice PM Ehud Olmert, Sharon’s close ally. (BBC, JTA 1/4; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 1/5; DS 1/6; CSM 1/9)

The IDF seals the West Bank, Gaza for the 4-day Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha; conducts predawn mock air raids over Gaza, breaking the sound barrier; raids a house in East Jerusalem, breaks up a mtg. being held by Change and Reform candidate Ahmad Attoun; bulldozes a Palestinian home nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 9), in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm. In continued retaliation for the 1/2 killings (see 1/3), Islamic Jihad, the AMB fire 8 rockets fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon, Sederot, and the IDF base at the Erez crossing, causing no damage or injuries. IDF soldiers, Israeli police scuffle with Jewish settlers when serving them with notices that they must evacuate by 1/15 Palestinian-owned buildings they have occupied in the Hebron central market; 4 policemen are injured. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebron, bar Palestinians fr. using a road linking the settlement to the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs; the IDF observes but does not intervene. About 40 armed AMB mbrs. occupy 4 PA government buildings in Gaza, fire on a police station to protest the 1/3 arrest of AMB leader Hams; other AMB mbrs. set burning barricades on the road to the Rafah crossing (barring all but medical cases fr. reaching the border), detonate an explosive device under the Rafah border wall (causing only minor damage). AMB mbrs. later steal 2 bulldozers, tear down a 15-ft stretch of the concrete Gaza border wall; as many as 1,000 Palestinians, some armed, overrun the Egyptian border guards, who fire in the air, call in reinforcements, declare the area a closed military zone, arrest around 100 Palestinians and injure 3; during the skirmish, some Palestinians set fire to an Egyptian armored vehicle, throw hand grenades and fire at the Egyptian contingent, leaving 2 Egyptian border guards dead and around 30 injured; Egypt closes the Rafah border until further notice. The PA says it will release Hams on 1/5 in response to the protests. PA police in Gaza City, fatally shoot a Hamas mbr. hanging campaign posters. Meanwhile, 5 armed Palestinians raid a Gaza house, attempt to kidnap the parents of Rachel Corrie, an American college student who was killed by the IDF in Gaza in 2003; the gunmen back off when the owners of the home explain who the Corries are. (IMEMC, JAZ, YA 1/4; AP, HA, IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/5; HA, NYT 1/9; al-Ahram Weekly 1/10; PCHR 1/19; PLO Negotiation Affairs Dept. press release 1/23)

The IDF launches an air strike on a PA municipal building nr. Khan Yunis, causing heavy damage; conducts mock air raids over Gaza; patrols in al-Khadir, firing on stonethrowing youths who confront the troops; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Arub r.c., nr. Bethlehem and Jenin; dismantles an unauthorized settlement outpost nr. Hebron. The AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs confirm that their unilateral truce is over. Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF also announces that around 3 wks. ago, the AMB fired a crude rocket fr. the n. West Bank towards, but not into, Israel, causing no damage or injuries, marking the 1st confirmed rocket fire fr. the West Bank. Jewish settlers attempt to bar Palestinian farmers fr. working their land nr. Qalqilya, but the IDF intervenes. In Khan Yunis, armed AMB mbrs. ambush a minibus of EU diplomats, kidnap 1 Italian official; PA security forces quickly identify and raid the kidnappers’ hideout, free the diplomat in an exchange of fire; no injuries are reported. Armed Palestinians storm a UN social club in Gaza (the last public bar in Gaza, open only to foreigners) after closing, throwing 2 explosives, injuring a security guard. (HA, XIN, YA 1/1; HA, IMEMC, NYT, WP, WT 1/2; PCHR 1/5; NYT 1/31)