The Palestine Chronology

In n. Gaza, the IDF conducts an air strike on a warehouse in Jabaliya r.c., destroying it and 3 adjacent Palestinian homes, killing a Palestinian bystander; shells a group of Palestinians in Jabaliya, killing 2 Palestinians, wounding 1; fires missiles into Bayt Hanun (killing 1 Palestinian), Bayt Lahiya (injuring 3). A Palestinian dies of injuries he received in Jabaliya on 10/1. Elsewhere in Gaza, the IDF raids Dayr al-Balah, fatally shooting 1 armed Palestinian, wounding 7 bystanders, bulldozing 40 d.; shells, directs heavy machine gun fire residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding a student in his classroom, causing significant damage to (but no serious injuries in) the al-Nasser Hospital maternity ward, a home, a mosque. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests 3 armed Jewish settlers fr. Tapuach for setting fire to a Palestinian olive grove, firing guns in the air, attacking Palestinians who arrive to put out the blaze, lightly injuring several Palestinians. A Jewish settler attacks an Orthodox Armenian religious procession in Jerusalem’s Old City, spitting in the face of Deputy Arch Bishop Nurhan, tearing off his cap and cross (breaking the 17th century relic), making religious insults. (VOI, VOP 10/10 in WNC 10/12; AFP 10/10, VOP 10/11 in WNC 10/13; HA, MEZ 10/11; HA 10/12; PR 10/13; PCHR, WT 10/14; NYT 10/19)

After Palestinians fire several Qassam rockets toward Sederot (causing no damage or injuries) and a mortar at Gush Katif (damaging a building), the IDF closes the Rafah crossing linking Egypt and Gaza; shuts main roads in Gaza to Palestinian traffic, dividing the Strip into thirds; attempts to assassinate for a 2d time (the 1st was on 5/15/00) Islamic Jihad military cmdr. Muhammad Khalil by firing rockets at his Rafah home, wounding him and 5 family mbrs., killing 1 Palestinian neighbor. Senior AMB mbr. Shadi Awamir is killed, 2 Palestinians are injured in a mysterious explosion in his home in Gaza City in what may be an assassination. The IDF demolishes 12 Palestinian homes, fires on residential areas in Rafah; conducts a major raid on Nablus, firing on the Old City fr. helicopters, searching and occupying Palestinian homes as gun posts, clashing with local Palestinians, wounding at least 15 (including 5 children); fires on Palestinians waiting to cross Gaza’s Abu Huli crossing, wounding 3; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Dajan nr. Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah. (VOI 8/26 in WNC 8/28; NYT, WP 8/27; HA, VOI 8/27 in WNC 8/31; PCHR 9/2) 

The IDF launches a predawn air strike on the home of wanted Hamas mbr. Ahmad Jabari in Gaza City, assassinating 2 Hamas mbrs. and 1 Islamic Jihad mbr. (all relatives of Jabari), killing 2 bystanders, wounding 7; Jabari is moderately wounded. The IDF lifts the curfew on all of Nablus, except the Old City and al-‘Ayn r.c.; seals al-Fara’ r.c. nr. Nablus, patrolling streets, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops; fires missiles at 2 workshops in Gaza City (alleged to be weapons factories), destroying both but causing no injuries; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes, 4 shops in Rafah; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; raids, confiscates equipment and files fr. a charitable association nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya; begins bulldozing a 350 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) nr. Qalqilya for construction of the separation wall. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement, lightly injuring 2 Jewish settlers; detonate a roadside bomb by an IDF tank in Gaza, causing some damage but no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Pdu’el raze olive trees, place barbed wire around a plot of Palestinian land outside Salfit. Some 60 internationals, 20 Palestinians who began a Freedom March along the separation wall route to protest the wall’s construction in Zababda nr. Jenin on 7/30 arrive at their destination, Jerusalem, a day ahead of schedule. (NYT, PCHR, WP 8/18; PCHR 8/19, 8/25)