The Palestine Chronology

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber fr. al-Til detonates a device at a checkpoint nr. Tulkarm, killing 1 IDF soldier, 2 Palestinians and wounding 3 IDF soldiers, 7 Palestinians. A Palestinian stabs, injures an Israeli in the Atarot industrial zone nr. Jerusalem, flees. The IDF seals Qalqilya, Tulkarm; continues to shell the n. Gaza nogo zone, targeting 6 main access roads; sends troops into Jenin town and r.c., patrolling streets, firing on residential areas, occupying several homes as observation posts, then raiding and searching the PA General Intelligence headquarters; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. (firing on residential areas, wounding 2 Palestinians), al-Til and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah; begins to bulldoze Palestinian land east of Shavei Shomron settlement nr. Nablus to install a fence around the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize Palestinian homes, steal chickens in Hebron. Mbrs. of a Palestinian clan angry over the arrest of a relative on drug and auto theft charges storm a PA police station in Gaza City, exchange gunfire with police, leaving 1 PA policeman, 1 gunman dead. Unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on Abbas’s Gaza City home, causing no injuries; Abbas is not there. (HA, IMEMC, JAZ, YA 12/29; HA, IMEMC, NYT, WP, WT 12/30; PCHR 1/5)

The IDF conducts 11 air strikes and 6 mock air raids on n. Gaza (destroying a bridge nr. Bayt Hanun; hitting several main roads in Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, and Um al-Nasser; damaging several homes and injuring 6 Palestinian bystanders, including 3 children). Later, Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF threatens to cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip if rocket attacks continue. The IDF also tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement into and out of Qalqilya; bars a Palestinian heart attack victim fr. crossing a checkpoint into Tulkarm (still under closure; see 12/15) to reach a hospital, allowing him to die; conducts arrest raids in Balata r.c. (an IDF dog bites a 12-yr.-old and a 19-yr.-old Palestinian), Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, al-Bireh, Tulkarm (targeting the AMB). In Alar nr. Tulkarm, 2 Palestinian construction workers surprise an IDF undercover unit inside an unfinished house; the soldiers detain and beat the men, fire on other Palestinians who arrive on the scene, call in reinforcements to extract them. An IDF jeep hits, injures a 10-yr.-old Palestinian nr. Qalqilya. Israel issues tenders for the construction of 137 new housing units in Ariel and Karnei Shomron settlements. Jewish settlers fr. Matan nr. Qalqilya raze 110 d. of nearby Palestinian agricultural land. (AP, BBC, HA 12/18; WT, XIN, YA 12/19; HA, PLO press release 12/21; PCHR 12/22)

Sharon is hospitalized after suffering a mild stroke. Doctors say there will be no permanent damage; he will not be at any greater risk of another stroke, will stay in the hospital for “a few days” of observation. (JTA, NYT, WP, WT 12/19; NYT, WP, YA 12/20)

The IDF makes a major raid on Balata r.c., sending in 40 armored vehicles, fatally shooting AMB cmdr. Iyad al-Hashash and wounding a 2d Palestinian in what may be an assassination, searching 10s of homes; exchanges fire with Palestinians nr. Jenin, causing no casualties; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths nr. Askar r.c., wounding 2; fires on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Khan Yunis for no apparent reason, wounding 1 Palestinian; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Hebron, Jayyus, Jenin. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, striking nr. Sederot, causing damage to a water network but no injuries; the IDF shells the suspected launch site in an open area of n. Gaza in response, causing no damage or injuries. Nr. Balata r.c., a Palestinian dies when a hand grenade he intends to throw at an IDF patrol explodes prematurely. (HA, IMEMC 12/11; PCHR 12/15)

IDF air strikes target the head of the Popular Resistance Comm.’s (PRC) Salah al-Din Brigades Mahmud Arqan, assassinating him as he drives through a residential area of Rafah, wounding at least 5 bystanders. In retaliation, Palestinians fire several rockets and 1 mortar fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; IDF artillery fires 10s of shells on roads and uninhabited areas in n. Gaza, causing no reported casualties. The IDF also conducts arrest raids nr. Ramallah and in Balata r.c., Hebron, Tulkarm; raids Waqf offices, 2 charitable societies in Jenin, confiscating computers and files, sealing the buildings; conducts arrest raids in Bani Na‘im nr. Hebron, Bayt Laqia, Bethlehem, Kafr Dan nr. Jenin, al-Khadi, Tulkarm r.c. Late in the evening, the IDF raids the Muslim Youth Association in Hebron, confiscates computers, copiers, documents and vandalizes and seals the building. A Palestinian woman (a bystander) is killed, several Palestinians are wounded in a clash btwn. rival clans in Bayt Hanun in continuation of the fatal violence of 12/3. (Israeli FMin. press release, JAZ, JP, YA 12/7; HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT, XIN 12/8; HA 12/9; PCHR 12/15)

Overnight, the IDF raids Kefar Rai, arrests 15 Palestinians in connection with the 12/5 Netanya bombing, including the bomber’s father, 3 brothers; also conducts arrest raids in villages around Hebron and Tulkarm, in Bethlehem. PA security forces detain 13 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Balata r.c and Nablus, exchanging fire with AMB and Islamic Jihad gunmen opposed to the arrests, causing no reported injuries; also arrest 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in the n. West Bank. During the day, the IDF suspends Palestinian VIP passage through checkpoints; further tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank; conducts an air strike on Gaza City, targeting and destroying a 1950s statue of the unknown soldier; confiscates 85 d. of Palestinian land outside Bethlehem for construction of a permanent checkpoint to separate the western rural areas of Bethlehem fr. the rest of the governorate; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Hebron; raids, closes 2 Islamic charities in Jenin. A Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. (AP, HA, IMEMC, JAZ, XIN, YA 12/6; NYT, WP 12/7; PCHR, YA 12/8)

Israel suspends further implementation of the 11/15 Rafah arrangements brokered by U.S. Secy. of State Condoleezza Rice, aimed at easing Palestinian movement in and out of Gaza, between Gaza and the West Bank, and within the West Bank; tells the U.S. that it will not resume discussion of the issue until PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas acts against Palestinian militant groups. (NYT, WP, WT 12/9; HA 12/9, 12/10; HA 12/13; WP 12/15, HA 12/16)

The IDF reinforces roadblocks around Qalqilya; sends 40 armored vehicles, escorted by helicopters, into Nablus to conduct arrest raids targeting the AMB and Hamas, shelling an apartment building, firing on stone-throwers and residential areas (wounding 10 Palestinians), rounding up all males over age 16 for ID checks (arresting 4); patrols in, fires on residential areas of Tulkarm town and r.c., nearby Anabta, and Tubas nr. Jenin; demolishes a Palestinian home in Bethlehem for being built without a permit; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c. and Balata r.c., and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarm. In the evening, the AMB fires several mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, IMEMC 11/30; PCHR 12/1, 12/8; HA 12/9)

The IDF allows the PA to open the Rafah crossing for 4 hrs. to allow humanitarian cases to cross; demolishes a Palestinian home in Anata, East Jerusalem for having been built without a permit. Late in the evening, the IDF launches major arrest raids, house searches in Qabatya, occupying 13 Palestinian homes as observation posts; also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm and in Balata r.c., Dura, Hebron, al-Til, Jenin town and camp, neighboring Marka. Jewish settlers fr. Harsina nr. Hebron uproot 40 Palestinian olive trees. A mentally handicapped Palestinian wounded by IDF gunfire nr. al-Mahatin checkpoint nr. Khan Yunis on 9/9 dies. (PCHR 11/10; al-Awda news 11/12)

As Operation Starting All Over Again continues, IDF warplanes launch 12 more air strikes on Gaza, cutting electricity to 1,000s of Palestinian homes, causing serious damage but no injuries; continue conducting sonic booms over the Strip roughly every 20 mins. almost around the clock. The IDF also drops leaflets on Gaza warning of more air strikes until there is a “total cessation of terror attacks”; responds to Palestinians firing a rocket at Sederot (no damage or injuries) with artillery fire on the launch site in n. Gaza, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches and fires on residential areas in and around Balata r.c., Nablus; Palestinians set fire to 1 IDF vehicle in Nablus during the operation. The IDF also fires on stonethrowing Palestinians in Dura, wounding 8. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba rampage through Palestinian areas of Hebron, damaging 10s of houses, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. Jewish settlers fr. Carmiel, rampage through Yatta village, damaging 10s of Palestinian homes and 1 car. In Ramallah, PA police break up a protest in front of the PA headquarters by Birzeit University students demanding the release of jailed student leader of the Islamic movement at Birzeit, Ala’ Barahma; several students are injured. (ABC News, YA 10/29; AFP, HA, IMEMC, WT, YA 10/30; IMEMC, OCHA 10/31; PCHR 11/10)

Overnight, the IDF kills 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. (Nidal Khalluf, Samir al-Shalabi) in an exchange of gunfire in Burkin nr. Jenin; fatally shoots AMB local cmdr. Samir Saadi in an exchange of gunfire during arrest sweeps nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, in Tulkarm. In light of Saadi’s killing, the AMB Jenin faction says it will no longer observe the unilateral truce. Palestinians later fire 2 mortars at an IDF post on the Gaza border, causing no damage or injuries. During the day and into the late evening, the IDF raids Balata r.c., fatally shoots 2 wanted AMB mbrs. (Ala’ al-Tirawi, Jamal al-Jirmi), wounds 1 in what may be an assassination; seals Madama and Asira nr. Nablus; launches arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Furik, Dahaysha r.c. and nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm. Some 50 Jewish settlers fr. Bayt Hadassah in Hebron, escorted by IDF troops, throw stones, bottles at Palestinian homes in Hebron, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. (HA 9/29; IMEMC, NYT 9/30; NYT 10/1; PCHR 10/6)

The IDF raids, searches a house in Balata r.c. Some 50 Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba seize a strip of Palestinian land in Hebron’s Wad al-Nasara neighborhood, set up tents; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (PCHR 9/8)

The IDF begins dismantling observation posts around Gaza settlements, replacing them with armored vehicles and tanks in preparation for disengagement; sends troops into Nur al-Shams r.c., searches homes, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them, killing 1 Palestinian bystander, wounding at least 1; fires tank shells at a graveyard in Khan Yunis where Palestinian reportedly were preparing to launch a mortar, causing damage but no injuries; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in ‘Azun, Balata r.c., Dura, al-Khadir; occupies a house in Silat al-Dahir, turns it into an observation post; patrols in Nablus. Palestinian gunmen loyal to Fatah head Qaddumi kidnap 2 foreign UN workers, their Palestinian driver in Khan Yunis to pressure the PA to secure the release of Fatah mbr. Farah (arrested 8/7); the PA security forces storm the home of a local AMB cmdr., exchange fire with the kidnappers (2 kidnappers, 1 bystander are injured), free the 3 captives unharmed; Farah remains in custody. Citing incidents in Khan Yunis today and on 8/7, the ICRC suspends operations in Gaza to protest the lack of security. (FT, IMEMC, UNIS, XIN 8/8; FT, HA, IMEMC, JP, NYT, PRCS, WT 8/9; OCHA, PR 8/10; PCHR 8/11)

The IDF begins delivering letters to the roughly 1,600 Jewish settler families in the Gaza Strip and 4 West Bank settlements slated for removal under disengagement, giving them until 8/15 to evacuate their homes and receive full compensation; those remaining on 8/17 will be forcibly removed, will not be allowed to return to collect their belongings (which will be packed and shipped by the IDF), will not receive full compensation. (HA 8/8; NYT 8/9)

Palestinian gunmen representing the AMB, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs fire on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Gaza’s Kissufim crossing, killing 2 Israeli civilians (visiting Jewish settler relatives), wounding 4; IDF soldiers at the crossing return fire, killing 2 Palestinians; 2 soldiers are wounded in the exchange. Israel says it captured an AMB mbr. who infiltrated Israel fr. Gaza with an 11 lb. bomb, with plans to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv; arrested a 2d Palestinian accomplice in Jaffa (with an Israeli ID card, married to an Israeli Arab). An IDF drone fires 2 missiles at a group of armed Palestinians nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries, in what may be an assassination attempt. The IDF also sends troops into Sa’ir nr. Hebron, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, seriously injuring 1 bystander; fires on residential areas of Rafah; severely beats a Palestinian at a flying checkpoint nr. Salfit; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., villages around Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai attack, vandalize a Palestinian home in Hebron. Palestinian groups linked to Fatah, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine fire rockets at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. An armed Palestinian in fatigues raids the Rafah apartment of 4 American International Solidarity Movement workers, forces 1 of them (a 75-yr.-old man) into a car with 3 other masked Palestinians, holds him at a local school for 1 hr. before releasing him unharmed; no reason is given. (HA, IMEMC, PCHR, PRCS, WP, WT, XIN 7/24; NYT 7/25; OCHA, PR 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF post in Hebron, wounding 2 soldiers; the IDF returns fire, killing a Palestinian bystander. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., fires on residential areas of Jenin r.c. and town. Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino rampage through Palestinian areas of Hebron, damaging Palestinian property, threatening residents. Jewish settlers fr. Beitar Ilit severely beat a 75-yr.-old Palestinian farmer working his land in Husan. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar attack, vandalize Palestinian homes in Ourif nr. Nablus; the IDF intervenes to fire tear gas at Palestinians who attempt to fend off the settlers. Hamas mbr. Hamad Adah dies of injuries received in the 7/15 IDF air strike on Gaza City that assassinated 4 other Hamas mbrs. (AFP, IMEMC, PRCS 7/22; OCHA 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin and Qalqilya targeting Islamic Jihad. A Palestinian is injured when he apparently triggers a roadside bomb nr. Morag. Palestinians fire an antitank rocket at IDF soldiers patrolling the Philadelphi route, wounding an Israeli civilian contractor, 2 soldiers. A 14-yr.-old Palestinian girl wounded by IDF fire in Balata r.c. on 7/6 dies. (IMEMC, XIN 7/11; VOP 7/11 in WNC 7/12; VOI, YA 7/12 in WNC 7/13; OCHA 7/13; PCHR 7/14)

IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. and nearby Tamun and nr. Hebron, Qalqilya. Palestinians fire a mortar at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. In response to clashes on 7/6, the AMB and PRCs in Balata r.c. announce that they will no longer observe the cease-fire. (XIN 7/7; VOI 7/7 in WNC 7/8; ISM 7/12; PCHR 7/14)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding an 8-yr.-old Palestinian; demolishes 5 Palestinian homes outside Nablus that were built without permits; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. IDF soldiers escorting Jewish settlers to Joseph’s Tomb nr. Balata r.c. exchange gunfire with local Palestinians, leaving 1 AMB mbr. dead, 1 AMB mbr. and 1 bystander wounded. In Gaza, 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. attempt to infiltrate Morag settlement, 1 is fatally shot by the IDF, 1 is wounded. In Gaza, a Jewish settler injures 3 Palestinians in a hit-and-run incident outside of Kefar Darom, local Palestinians race to the scene and IDF soldiers, other Kefar Darom settlers race to the driver’s defense, sparking clashes that leave 9 Palestinians injured, 2 seriously. In a separate incident in Gaza, a Jewish settler fr. Gadid injures a 57-yr.-old Palestinian farmer in a hit-and-run incident outside Khan Yunis. (XIN 7/6; VOP 7/6 in WNC 7/7; AFP, IMEMC, PCHR, PRCS 7/7; VOI 7/7 in WNC 7/8; ISM 7/12; OCHA 7/13; PCHR 7/14)

The IDF bulldozes 8 Palestinian homes, a gas station constructed without permits in areas of East Jerusalem slated for a new park; demolishes 22 structures (including a school) in Khirbet Tana nr. Nablus (pop. 450) built without permits, leaving only 2 buildings in the village and the 200-yr.-old mosque standing; imposes a curfew on ‘Ayn al-Bayda nr. Jenin, searches homes, arrests around 30 Palestinian farmers, shepherds who are not residents of the village; raids a municipal building in n. Ramallah, arresting 1 Palestinian; fires live ammunition at Palestinians protesting separation wall construction in Qutna nr. Jerusalem, wounding 2; fires on residential areas of Aida r.c.; raids, occupies 3 Palestinian homes in Yatta as observation posts. Hamas holds a prayer rally in Nablus calling on Palestinians to boycott the evening’s Palestine International Festival (an annual wk.-long festival, not held since 2000, that opened in cities across the West Bank on 6/30) performance in the city by pop singer Ammar Hassan, citing the impropriety of men and women dancing to “risqu´e” music as well as of holding such a celebration when families are still mourning the losses of the intifada; the AMB assures that it sanctioned the event after Hassan agreed to sing only “conservative songs”; the performance ultimately is disrupted by some masked AMB mbrs. fr. Nablus and Balata r.c., who fire guns in the air, destroy some sets, force Hassan to cut short his performance. (HA, REU 7/5; IMEMC, OCHA, PR, XIN 7/6; PCHR 7/7; PR 7/13; HA 7/28; PR 8/3)

The United Church of Christ passes a resolution calling for the use of “economic leverage” to promote Middle East peace, but rejects resolutions calling for divestment in companies that supply Israel with bulldozers, military equipment. Two additional resolutions also denounce all forms of violence in the Middle East, “including suicide bombing by Palestinians and the use of force by Israelis in perpetuating occupation of Palestinian lands,” and call on Israel to dismantle the separation wall. (JTA, WP 7/6; AP 7/7; CSM 7/8)

The IDF declares Gaza settlements closed military zones so that they may bar and remove from them any nonresident Israelis protesting disengagement, then evicts 150 right-wing Israeli disengagement protesters (mostly West Bank settlers, many aligned with the outlawed Kach movement) fr. an abandoned hotel in s. Gaza that they have been occupying for 1 mo.; detains, handcuffs for several hrs. 2 Israeli journalists covering the evictions. The IDF sends troops into Balata r.c., Nablus after Palestinians stating they are mbrs. of the AMB–Ayman Juda Brigade falsely claim to have captured 2 IDF undercover soldiers who entered the city; troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them (leaving 7 Palestinians, 1 IDF soldier injured), detain and beat 2 Palestinian journalists covering the incursion; the AMB, Islamic Jihad deny involvement. The IDF fires on residential areas of Dura; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Hebron, 3 in Yatta, all bordering Jewish settlements; occupies 2 Palestinian homes nr. Tulkarm, 1 in Jenin as observation posts; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c., Bayt Fajjar, Hebron. An Israeli naval vessel fires on a Palestinian fishing boat off Gaza, wounding 1 fisherman. Jewish settlers fr. Gush Katif attack Palestinian traders, farmers waiting nr. the Tuffah checkpoint n. of Gaza City; the IDF intervenes, disperses the settlers. Nr. Nablus, 5 Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar throw stones at a Palestinian taxi. Hamas fires a Qassam rocket at Neve Dekalim, causing no damage or injuries. (BBC, WAFA, XIN 6/30; VOI, VOP 6 /30 in WNC 7/2; IMEMC, NYT, WP, WT 7/1; HA 7/3; OCHA, PR 7/6; PCHR 7/7)

Israel announces that the IDF will resume targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs. for assassination. The PA warns that the move could rupture the unofficial cease-fire, but Israel argues that the targeting would still be in line with truce provisions, which it claims allow Israel to defend itself against imminent attack if the PA security forces fail to do so; the PA rejects this. Later, the IDF fires missiles at a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya in an apparent assassination attempt. The IDF also conducts major arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. and Nablus, clashing with local gunmen, leaving no reported casualties; conducts other arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Jenin; demolishes 10 Palestinian homes in Jiftlik nr. Jericho; bulldozes 5 d. of land in, fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts patrols in Kafr Dik nr. Nablus, Tamun nr. Jenin. A Palestinian grabs the gun of an Israeli security guard at the Barkan industrial zone nr. Ariel settlement, shoots and wounds the guard, flees. Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF outpost nr. Gush Katif, causing damage but no injuries. Palestinian gunmen fire on a building in Balata r.c. where Qurai‘ is giving a speech, detonate a roadside bomb as he and his convoy leave the area; no injuries are reported in either incident, no group claims responsibility. (AFP, HA, WP, WT, XIN 6/22; PCHR 6/23; VOP 6/23 in WNC 6/24; OCHA, PR 6/29; PHRC 6/30)

Israel releases the last 398 Palestinian prisoners of 900 that Sharon promised to free in his 2/8 mtg. with PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas in Sharm al-Shaykh; 2 prisoners refuse release (1 to stay in prison with his brother, 1 to take the Palestinian high school matriculation exams [tawjihi] slated to be given to prisoners shortly). The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm and in Azariyya, Balata r.c., Nablus; searches, temporarily occupies a flour mill in Gaza’s al-Qarara for use as an observation tower to protect Jewish settlers traveling btwn. Gush Katif and Israel; begins work on a new segment of the separation wall s. of Nablus. Palestinian residents of Dayr al-Hatab nr. Nablus report that the IDF has for 3 wks. been bulldozing Palestinian land around Elon Moreh to create a buffer around the settlement. Israel issues tenders for the construction of 22 new housing units in Ma’ale Adumim settlement, despite U.S President George W. Bush’s calls to stop all settlement expansion. A Jewish settler injures a Palestinian girl in a hit-andrun incident n. of Ramallah. In Gaza City, 100s of armed Palestinians (mbrs. of PA military intelligence, the AMB, Fatah) protest the PA’s decision to dismantle the military intelligence service, merge it with the PA security forces, and retire a number of officers; some demonstrators fire in the air. (IMEMC, JP, JTA, WAFA 6/2; VOI 6/2 in WNC 6/3; WP, WT 6/3; IMEMC 6/4; OCHA, PR 6/8; PCHR 6/9)

The IDF sends troops into ‘Ayn Bani Salim nr. Hebron to search 35 Palestinian homes, take a census of and photograph the families; conducts arrest raids in Askar r.c., Balata r.c. (also firing on residential areas), Hebron, Tulkarm. Palestinians fire 10s of mortars, 3 rockets at IDF, Jewish settler targets in Gaza for a 2d day and also toward Sederot, causing light damage to an IDF base just outside Gaza and to the Qarni crossing, but no injuries; Israel threatens sharp retaliation. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai severely beat a 75-yr.-old Palestinian woman in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Efrat nr. Bethlehem continue to bulldoze Palestinian land in nearby al-Khadir (see 5/18). (IMEMC, NYT, WP 5/20; PCHR 5/26)

The IDF conducts arrest raids in Askar r.c., Balata r.c., Nablus; raids, searches, interrogates the employees of a flour mill in al-Qarara; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Some 40,000s Jewish settlers gather in Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement to protest Sharon’s disengagement plan; during the rally, Palestinians fire 2 rockets, 3 mortars toward the settlement, lightly wounding 2 IDF soldiers. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron uproot 300 Palestinian olive trees nr. the settlement. (JAZ, XIN 4/27; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 4/28; VOP 4/28 in WNC 4/28; WP 4/29; OCHA, PCHR 5/5)

The IDF arrests 7 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel fr. Gaza (5 nr. Kissufim crossing, 2 in central Gaza) to seek work; raids a photo exhibit sponsored by Hamas in Yassid nr. Nablus. A Palestinian stabs, lightly injures an IDF soldier outside Ganim settlement, steals his gun. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket toward Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF arrests 4 suspects. Senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Shaykh Khadir says that Islamic Jihad should reconsider its truce in light of the IDF’s alleged assassination of an AMB mbr. in Balata r.c. on 4/14, the upswing in arrest raids targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs. since the 2/25 Tel Aviv bombing. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadassah in Hebron attack Palestinian students outside a girls’ elementary school, injuring 10 (including 3 requiring hospitalization). (IMEMC 4/23; VOI 4/23 in WNC 4/26; HA 4/24; OCHA 4/27; PCHR 4/28)

The IDF seals the West Bank, Gaza until 4/24 for the Passover holiday; bars Palestinian traffic on the main north–south Gaza road for the day; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah and in Balata r.c. (exchanging fire with Palestinians, wounding 2), Dahariyya nr. Hebron, Jenin (targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs.) and nearby Araba, Saida nr. Tulkarm; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, international activists nonviolently protesting the separation wall nr. Ramallah, injuring 4 Palestinians, 2 internationals. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF patrol nr. the Qarni crossing, lightly injuring 3 soldiers. In Gaza City, 100s of PA police officers loyal to Civil Affairs M Muhammad Dahlan gather outside police headquarters in a show of force, to protest Abbas’s plans to forcibly retire some mbrs. of the security services. (AP 4/22; OCHA 4/27; PCHR 4/28)

Israel announces plans to build new roads in Gaza parallel to the existing settler bypass roads to ease congestion during the evacuation of settlements in 7/05. The IDF sends troops into Balata r.c. who fatally shoot wanted AMB mbr. Ibrahim Isnayri, who allegedly has Hizballah connections, in disputed circumstances (the IDF says troops tried to arrest him, but he opened fire and they responded; Palestinian observers say the IDF fired without warning, Isnayri never fired); the AMB says he was assassinated and it will take revenge, may stop adhering to the cease-fire; Abbas declares it a “serious violation” of the truce. The IDF also raids an elementary school in Budrus nr Ramallah, checks employee IDs, leaves without making arrests; raids, fires on homes in Surif nr. Hebron, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 6; raids fields along a settler bypass road nr. Tulkarm, arrests 8 farmers, interrogates and then releases them; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Aza r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Shufa nr. Tulkarm; demolishes a Palestinian home in Kafr ‘Aqab nr. Qalandia for lack of a permit; issues demolition orders for 92 Palestinian homes in Silwan in East Jerusalem for lack of permits. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai attack, beat a Palestinian man, 6 children in Hebron; in a separate incident beat a 12-yr.-old Palestinian girl heading home fr. school, throw stones and bottles at 10s of Palestinian homes in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Tapuach settlement spread poisoned feed on large areas of Palestinian grazing land outside Nablus (see 3/22). A Jewish settler shoots, wounds a Palestinian driving nr. Hebron. (AP, REU, XIN 4/14; IMEMC, MM, NYT 4/15; OCHA, PR 4/20; PCHR 4/21; MEI 4/29)

The IDF demolishes an illegal outpost nr. Kiryat Arba comprising only a makeshift synagogue; the site has been demolished and rebuilt by Jewish settlers on 24 previous occasions. The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Anata in Jerusalem, evacuates another 30 bedouin families fr. tents in the area, saying they are too close to the Anatot IDF base and that some land is needed for construction of the separation wall; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. and Nablus, exchanging gunfire with armed Palestinians, wounding 2. An IDF jeep on patrol in Bethlehem accidentally overturns, trapping 4 lightly injured soldiers inside; when 10s of Palestinians surround, throw stones at the jeep, the soldiers fire live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at the crowd, injuring 4. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) fires 2 rockets at an IDF post in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim, guarded by IDF soldiers, bulldoze 30 d. of Palestinian agricultural land for expansion of the settlement. Unidentified gunmen fire on the Bir Nabala home, car of proreform PC mbr. Ahmad Batsh (Fatah-Jerusalem) causing damage but no injuries. (AP, HA, REU, XIN 4/13; VOI, VOP 4/13 in WNC 4/14; HA, PCHR 4/14; PR 4/20; PCHR 4/21)

IDF soldiers based at Neve Dekalim settlement fire heavy machine guns on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinian children; arrest 4 Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel e. of Dayr al-Balah to find work; conduct arrest raids, house searches in al-Ras nr. Tulkarm; level 4 d. of agricultural land along a settler bypass road in al-Mawasi. Some 25 AMB gunmen invade a youth center in Balata r.c., try to disrupt vote counting for elections for the center’s board that Hamas seemed to be winning (at the time of the break in, 81% of the votes had been tallied, showing a clear victory for Hamas), firing in the air, destroying furniture, declaring the vote invalid. (NYT 4/3; HA 4/4; OCHA 4/6; PCHR, PR 4/7)

The IDF sends troops into Balata r.c. and Nablus, destroys a Palestinian car; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; imposes curfews on Abu Dis and Azariyya nr. Jerusalem, searches the College of Science and Technology campus in Abu Dis, checks IDs of all staff mbrs. and students; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin. A Jewish settler shoots, wounds a Palestinian nr. Tulkarm. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in an IDF raid on Jenin r.c. on 1/28/03. (VOP 3/2 in WNC 3/3; PCHR 3/3; OCHA 3/9; PCHR 3/10)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians in Rafah whom it suspected of smuggling arms; opens the Rafah crossing to Palestinians aged 16–35; fires, shells on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar refugee camp (r.c.), Balata r.c., al-Mawasi, Nablus; begins construction of a new separation wallsegment e. of Jerusalem nr. al-Ram. 5 armed Jewish settlers fr. Mitzpe Lakhish nr. Hebron severely beat a 17-yr.-old Palestinian grazing animals on his family property nearby. 10s of Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba rampage through Palestinian areas of Hebron, throwing stones at houses, beating 8 Palestinians. In Rafah, 1 PA security officer is killed, 1 is wounded trying to demolish a smugglers’ tunnel. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in Nablus on 10/27/04. (IMEMC, JP, MENA, VOP 2/20; HA, NYT 2/21; PR 2/23; PCHR 2/24; MM 2/25)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus and in Bethlehem, Jenin, Ramallah. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF patrol in Balata r.c., causing no damage or injuries. A Jewish settler on a tractor chases 2 Palestinian shepherds off their land nr. Nablus, runs over and kills 2 sheep. (VOI 1/23 in WNC 1/24; PRCS 1/24; OCHA 1/26; PCHR 1/27)