The Palestine Chronology

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing after a roadside bomb explodes nearby inside Gaza, causing no damage or injuries; continues operations in and around Nablus for a 3d day, clashing with local Palestinians in Balata r.c., wounding 18; demolishes a Palestinian home in Hebron; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, in Qabatya. Armed gunmen from the Amr Abu Sitta Battalions (a Fatah offshoot) raid the Khan Yunis municipal building and a municipal garage, ransacking the offices and stealing the keys for all municipal vehicles, after municipal officials refuse to loan the group a bulldozer to level land for a barracks. (IMEMC 2/21; NYT, PCHR 2/22; PCHR 2/23; NYT 3/4)

Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon, damaging a building; in response, IDF artillery shells n. Gaza, hitting an apartment building, causing damage but no injuries; the IDF closes the Sufa commercial crossing into Gaza for the day. The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in and just southeast of Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids nr. Bethlehem, Qalqilya and in Askar r.c., Bayt Jala, Qabatya (occupying 2 homes as observation posts), Tulkarm. Nr. al-Arub r.c., IDF soldiers stop and search a Palestinian school bus; when a student on the bus allegedly opens a window without permission, a soldier shoots him in the face, seriously wounding him. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus vandalize Palestinian homes in nearby Bayt Furik; the IDF intervenes, removes the settlers. AMB Nablus cmdr. Nasir Abu Aziz says the Nablus faction will take steps to foil the success of the Hamas-led government, saying “we would continue opening fire until they [Hamas] fail in their cabinet as they foiled Fatah.” (IMEMC, XIN 2/14; HA, PCHR 2/16)

The IDF issues a military order restricting Palestinians entering Israel to using 11 West Bank border crossings, citing the need for “increased security”; the order also bars Israelis fr. escorting Palestinians through other checkpoints into Israel. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem (firing on residential areas) and in Nablus, Qabatya. Nr. Hebron, 2 armed Jewish settlers in a car intercept and board a Palestinian school bus, threaten the driver, beat several students, injuring 5; IDF soldiers fr. a post 100 m. away observe but only intervene after 40 mins. when the settlers call them to come arrest 1 Palestinian boy for throwing a stone at their car; the soldiers comply. In Gaza City, 20 Palestinian gunmen seal an EU office, demanding an apology for derogatory cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad run in the Danish press, then republished in Norwegian, French, and other European newspapers. Also in Gaza, the AMB releases a video statement warning that it plans to kidnap more foreigners in reaction to the cartoons, prompting European diplomats, aid workers to begin leaving the West Bank, Gaza. In Nablus, Palestinian gunmen kidnap a German teacher, thinking he is Danish or French; quickly turn him over to PA police once they realize their mistake. Fatah, Hamas denounce the targeting of foreigners. A Hamas mbr. is shot, wounded in Khan Yunis, possibly in retaliation for Hamas attacks on PA security force targets on 2/1. (IMEMC 2/2; NYT 2/3; HA 2/5; PCHR 2/9; HA 2/23)