The Palestine Chronology

Palestinian newspaper al-Quds alArabi reports that PA pres. Abbas has sent letters to world leaders, including U.S. pres. Obama and the heads of EU mbr. states, to ask that they back the Palestinian bid for non-member status at the UNGA. (JP 10/28)

The Israeli military carries out an air strike nr. Khan Yunis, killing 1 armed Palestinian, wounding another. PRC mbrs. fire a Grad rocket that lands nr. Beersheba, causing no injuries. Unidentified Palestinians fire another 2 rockets into Israel late at night, causing no injuries. A smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses, killing 3 Palestinians. An estimated 160 Palestinians have died in the tunnels since 2006. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests the secy.-gen. of the Palestinian parliament, Mahmud al-Ramahi, at the Huwwara checkpoint nr. Nablus; he had been released from Israeli jail less than 4 mos. before. (MNA 10/27; JP, REU 10/28)

Israel’s PM Netanyahu announces his intention to hold early elections in around 3 mos. time (elections were due to take place in November 2013). (972mag 10/9)

Unidentified Palestinians fire rockets from the Gaza Strip into s. Israel during the day, causing no injuries. At night, the IDF shells and opens fire at positions in the Gaza Strip, causing no injuries, and fires a missile at a warehouse nr. Bayt Lahiya, destroying it but causing no injuries. An Israeli military source claims that the target was a training camp used by Hamas fighters, and the strike a response to recent rocket fire. The IDF also enters the Gaza Strip nr. Rafah at night to level land near the border, directing sporadic shelling and live fire at the surrounding area, causing no injuries. Palestinian fighters identified as Salafists fire rockets overnight into Israel from Gaza, landing nr. Sderot and Netivot, causing no injuries. (AFP 10/10; PCHR 10/11)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm (firing stun grenades and teargas bombs at Palestinians throwing stones) and 1 village nr. Jenin at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 3 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Ramallah (arresting Mohammad Tamimi of the Popular Committee against Settlements in al-Nabi Salih), and 1 village nr. Jenin (questioning Khader Adnan, arrested on 12/17/11 and released after a highly publicized hunger strike) (see QU in JPS 164). Jewish settlers cut down more than 120 olive trees in a village nr. Nablus, according to PA officials and eyewitnesses. (IDFS10/9; MNA 10/10; PCHR 10/11)

The IDF makes an air strike on 2 men on a motorcycle in the s. Gaza Strip nr. Rafah, assassinating 1 mbr. of the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem and wounding the 2d, along with 8 bystanders (including 3 children, a woman, and an elderly man). Off the Gaza coast, Israeli naval vessels twice fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the morning, causing no injuries but seizing 4 Palestinians from 1 boat and taking them into detention. At night, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire shells toward the demolished Dahaniyya airport site, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, establishing a temporary checkpoint later removed; patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm and 3 villages nr. Hebron at night. Suspected Jewish settlers uproot around 40 olive trees in a village nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers also attack vehicles nr. Hebron (wounding 1 Palestinian) and farmers in a village nr. Ramallah (wounding 2 Palestinians). (MNA, REU 10/7; PCHR 10/11)