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)

IDF undercover units raid Bethlehem, open fire on a car, assassinating wanted AMB mbrs. Daniel Abu Hammami and Ahmad Muslih, wounding a 3d. The IDF also closes Kerem Shalom crossing for the day; raids al-Amal Hospital in Nablus, searching wards for wanted Palestinians; raids a PA police station in Azariyya in East Jerusalem, detaining 2 officers; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm. In Gaza City, armed Fatah mbrs. protest outside the PA Health Min. offices in Gaza City, demanding assistance for relatives in need of medical treatment abroad, and begin to riot when they are told that budget constraints have forced the government to slash funding for medical transports abroad; when PA police are unable to quell the demonstration, the Health M calls in Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbrs. to support the police, sparking an exchange of gunfire with the Fatah mbrs., leaving 3 Fatah mbrs. wounded. In Nablus, AMB gunmen (mbrs. of the PA security forces) fire on the historic Nablus municipal building, forcing employees to evacuate, demanding that the Hamas mayor close his offices, that the PA pay their salaries. To calm tensions, Abbas orders the PA security forces to cancel plans for a massive pro-Fatah rally in Ramallah against Mishal’s 4/21 statements. (IMEMC, PNN, YA 4/23; MM, WP, WT 4/24; OCHA 4/26; PCHR 4/27)

The IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinians traveling btwn. the n. and s. West Bank; bars 100s of Armenian worshipers from processing to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to celebrate Orthodox Easter; sends troops back into Nablus, where they fire on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 3 stone-throwers and a journalist covering the clashes; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Dozens of Jewish settlers attempting to break into a Palestinian store in Hebron attack, beat 2 female international peace activists blocking their way; the IDF intervenes to halt the attack. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on ambush and stone an IDF jeep escorting Palestinian school children to school along a road that passes by the settlement, detaining the jeep and children for an hour until IDF reinforcements arrive. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to 2 new trucks and a generator at a private Palestinian quarry nr. Nablus. In Gaza City, al-Azhar University students backing Fatah and rallying in support of Abbas’s 4/21 veto of Siyam’s security decisions occupy a campus building, unfurl a Fatah banner, stone students at neighboring Islamic University, largely supportive of Hamas, who throw stones back; Fatah, Hamas cadres join the clashes, exchanging gunfire, leaving 20 Palestinians wounded. In the West Bank, some 4,000 Fatah supporters take part in several rallies supporting Abbas and denouncing Mishal (see 4/21). Hamas, Fatah leaders meet late in the evening to restore calm. (HA, PCHR, WP 4/23; MM, WT 4/24; PCHR 4/27; HA 4/30)

The IDF closes the Zatara checkpoint linking the n. and s. West Bank (closed almost continually through the end of the quarter); patrols in, fires on residential areas of Bethlehem (seriously wounding 1 Palestinian stone-thrower), Nablus (wounding 3 Palestinians); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin (targeting the AMB) and nr. Hebron, Qalqilya. Islamic Jihad claims to fire a 2d Grad rocket fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon (see 3/28), but the IDF reports no rocket fire. A Palestinian stabs, lightly wounds an Israeli border policeman at alRam checkpoint into Jerusalem, is arrested. Some 15 Jewish settlers fr. Tal Rumayda attack a group of Palestinian girls on their way to school and 5 international peace activists escorting them, causing minor injuries. (HA 4/23; PCHR 4/27)

Abbas vetoes Siyam’s 4/20 appointment of Abu Samhadana as Interior Min. inspector gen. and vows to block his plan to set up a new security force (the ESF). In Damascus, Hamas head Khalid Mishal accuses Abbas and Fatah of seeking to form a parallel government, conspiring against Haniyeh’s new government, committing treason, surrendering to Israel. Haniyeh denounces Mishal’s statements. (NYT, WP, WT 4/22; HA 4/23; MM 4/24–26; HA 4/30)

The IDF sends undercover units into Bethlehem to conduct arrest raids, house searches; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Jenin, Jericho, Qalqilya; sends troops into Dura, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 4; patrols in al-Aqaba nr. Jenin. Some 15 Jewish settlers in Hebron attack 2 international peace activists, lightly injuring them. (PCHR 4/27)

With PA security forces (predominantly Fatah mbrs.) refusing to deploy on his orders, new PA Interior M Said Siyam appoints PRC head Jamal Abu Samhadana (formerly a Fatah member and senior PA security officer) as inspector gen. of the Interior Min. to set up a new volunteer security force, the Executive Support Force (ESF), to help restore law and order to the streets. The ESF ideally would include mbrs. of “all the resistance branches.” Israel, the U.S. accuse PM Haniyeh of forming his own militia to counter Abbas. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/21; MM, WT 4/25; XIN 4/30; NYT 5/20)

On the 5th day of Operation Southern Arrow, the IDF conducts an air strike on a car driving in Gaza City, killing AMB mbrs. Muhammad Abu Shari‘a and Mahmud Ajjur and seriously injuring a 3d who had just fired a rocket into Israel (causing no damage or injuries), and an air strike on a car nr. Khan Yunis, assassinating at least 6 mbrs. of the Abu Rish Brigades (ARB; a Fatah offshoot) and wounding 4 other ARB mbrs. and at least 11 bystanders; 3 Palestinian children in Jabaliya r.c. and a family of 5 in Bayt Lahiya are wounded by shrapnel in continued shelling of n. Gaza. The IDF also bars Palestinians under age 30 fr. crossing checkpoints into or out of the Jordan Valley; sends troops back into Nablus, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 12; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Jenin (targeting Islamic Jihad, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops); patrols in Anabta nr. Tulkarm, firing on Palestinian youths who confront the troops. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa set fire to a Palestinian home, attack Palestinian farmers, shepherds in nearby Yatta. A smugglers tunnel on the Rafah border collapses, killing 2 Palestinians. (IMEMC 4/8; Palestine Satellite Channel Television, VOI, VOP 4/8 in WNC 4/9; IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 4/9; PCHR 4/13)

In response to Palestinians firing 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel overnight (causing no damage or injuries), the IDF shells the n. Gaza no-go zone fr. land and sea, severely damaging the Bayt Lahiya electricity grid, a number of houses, 3 cars. The IDF also closes the Nablus–Tulkarm road into Tulkarm, sealing the city (other access roads were closed on 3/30); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Nablus. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba uproot and take back to the settlement 60 olive tree saplings fr. nearby Palestinian land. Other Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize a Palestinian home; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Also in Hebron, Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah throw bottles and stones at Palestinian school children, escorted by international peace activists, injuring 1 activist; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Separately, Jewish settlers in Hebron throw bottles and stones at Palestinians to prevent them fr. using Shuhada Street. Jewish settlers fr. Mehola attack a Palestinian shepherd grazing his sheep nr. Bayt Furik outside Nablus, violently beating him, stabbing his sheep, killing 15 and wounding 5. PM Haniyeh orders all Palestinian gunmen off Gaza City streets to reduce tensions after clashes on 3/31; the PRCs say they will observe the call, but in a show of defiance, 300 armed Fatah mbrs. march through the streets, firing in the air, demanding that the PA arrest PRC mbrs. involved in the 3/31 violence. (HA, JAZ 4/1; WT 4/2; PCHR 4/6)