The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided Hebron, leading to a confrontation with Palestinian residents; tear-gas related injuries were reported. Palestinians protested in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners that escaped Gilboa prison on 9/6 in Tuqu‘, Fawwar refugee camp, and al-Arroub refugee camp. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 during a late-night raid in Qarawat Bani Hassan and 4 minors leaving a school in Tuqu‘. In East Jerusalem, 1 Israeli settler rammed 1 Palestinian with their car in al-Tur, leading to a confrontation between Israeli forces and Palestinians; 1 was injured by a rubber-coated bullet and 3 were arrested. 1 other was arrested during a late-night raid in Silwan. In Gaza, for the 3d night in a row, 2 rockets were launched at Israel and intercepted, and Israel conducted air strikes, hitting 4 locations near Khan Yunis and Rafah, causing damage, including to a poultry farm. (HA, MEMO, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 9/12; AJ, AP, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA 9/13; PCHR 9/16)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz submitted a request to the Israeli high court of justice to delay the relocation of Israeli settlers from the Shilo settlement outpost to Israel, citing the religious shmita year restrictions on cultivating land. The settlers have made an agreement with Israel to leave the settlement voluntarily in exchange for receiving land within the Green Line. (HA 9/13)

In a speech at a university in Herzliya, Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said that the Israeli policy of blockading Gaza since the 2005 withdrawal had not been effective and proposed a plan to exchange economy for security. Foreign Minister Lapid said that Israel would not directly negotiate the terms with Hamas but would do so through international mediation. Lapid also said his proposal was backed by Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett and defense minister Benny Gantz, but that it was not a government plan. The 1st phase of Lapid’s plan is to update Gaza’s electricity, health, and transportation systems, of which water and electricity would be under Israeli control. The 2d phase entails creating a seaport in Gaza and connecting Gaza to the West Bank. In the 2d phase, the PA would gain control over Gaza. (HA, TOI 9/12; JP, MEMO 9/13)

The Israeli security cabinet reportedly begins internal debate on opening phase 3 of OCL, which would involve deep incursions into Gaza’s built-up areas to deal a crushing blow to Hamas. Israeli military and intelligence sources warn that the new goal would require deep, sustained incursions into Gaza’s densely populated areas, likely resulting in months of combat and heavy casualties.

Combat notes: Heavy IDF aerial, naval, and ground assaults across Gaza continue. The IDF reports carrying out more than 110 air strikes, in many cases to support troops battling on the ground. Targets include 20 “terror operatives” (possibly assassinations), more than a dozen rocket-launching sites and squads, more than 20 suspected weapons depots (including homes of 3 Hamas mbrs.) and other outposts, at least 10 homes and 1 apartment building, 2 tunnels on the Rafah border, a market in Bayt Lahiya, 1 ESF post in Gaza City, a mosque in Dayr al-Balah. Target areas include Abasan, Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr alBalah, Gaza City (city center and al-Nasser, Shaykh Ridwan), Jabaliya town and r.c., Khan Yunis, Khuza, Nussayrat, al-Qarara, Rafah, Shati’ r.c., open areas in central Gaza.

At least 1 air strike on a residential area e. of Jabaliya involves white phosphorous munitions that cause extensive fire damage to 4 homes. Another air strike hits the rooftop of a Gaza City building housing the offices of some 20 international press agencies, destroying broadcasting equipment and wounding 1 journalist.

IDF ground forces take up new positions in Juhur al-Dik and al-Mughraqa in c. Gaza, and al-Shuka in s. Gaza (bulldozing 13 homes). Heavy tank and artillery fire are reported in Bayt Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (al-Shuja‘iyya, alTuffah, al-Zaytun), Jabaliya. Heavy closequarter combat is reported in Gaza City and nr. Bayt Lahiya, with Palestinians firing antitank weapons and mortars and sniping at ground troops, moderately wounding 1 IDF soldier and lightly wounding 7.

Palestinians also fire 30 rockets and 1 mortar into Israel (including several Grads that hit Ashqelon), causing no reported damage or injuries.

At least 35 Palestinians are killed during the day, bringing the estimated Palestinian toll to around 795 dead and 3,300 wounded.

Humanitarian notes: The UN and other relief groups resume humanitarian aid transfers after receiving assurances fr. the Israeli government that they will not be targeted. During today’s 3-hr. humanitarian lull, Israel allows 41 trucks carrying food and medicine into the Strip. (Committee to Protect Journalists, Daily News, IDF, MA, MM, YA 1/9; IDF, NYT, WT, WP 1/10; NYT 1/11; PCHR 1/15)

Israel seals the West Bank through 1/10 citing unspecified security concerns. The IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinians demonstrating against OCL after Friday prayers in Bayt Umar nr. Hebron (injuring 2), Hawara s. of Nablus, Hebron (injuring 4), Issawiyya, Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem; also fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists attending weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 3 Palestinians, arresting 5), Jayyus (injuring 9, including 2 wounded by live ammunition, which is not used at the other rallies), Ni‘lin (injuring 5 Palestinians); conducts late-night house searches in Azmut nr. Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo nr. Ramallah beat and fire on 2 Palestinians collecting water at a well nr. the settlement, wounding 1. (IDF 1/9; PCHR 1/15)

In Gaza, 1 Palestinian man is injured when a smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (wounding 2) and fires tear gas, percussion grenades at demonstrators at a similar protest al-Ma‘sara (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Bethlehem. Jewish settlers enter Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb; the IDF evacuates them, reprimanding them for not coordinating the visit with the IDF in advance (see 6/13). Jewish settlers fr. Shilo nr. Ramallah stone a bus carrying peace activists, causing damage but no injuries. (OCHA 7/9; PCHR 7/10)

Before dawn, Hamas mbrs. detonate explosives at 17 points along the 7-mi.-long Rafah border wall, allowing 10,000s of Palestinians to stream into Egypt to buy food, fuel, medicine, cement, livestock, and other goods that have been banned by Israel since 6/07; Gazans who have been stranded in Egypt reenter Gaza. (For details on the border breach, see the Quarterly Update.) Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak authorizes border police to stand down, saying Egypt will not be party to starving the Palestinians, but makes it clear that Egypt expects Gazans to return home quickly. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fatally shoot a Palestinian farmer working his land northwest of Bayt Lahiya. The IDF also levels land inside Gaza northeast of Bayt Hanun, uprooting 350 d. of olive and citrus groves. A Palestinian is injured when 2 rockets to be fired into Israel explode at the launch site. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, searches in and around Hebron (including surrounding and searching a medical clinic, interrogating staff and patients, arresting 2 staff mbrs.), in Balata r.c., and nr. Jenin, Salfit; raids a hospital in Bethlehem, confiscating 3 computers and a diagnostic machine that tests for osteoporosis; returns 200 olive trees to a farmer in Qaryut nr. Nablus who had 300 trees stolen by Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement in 6/07. A Palestinian civilian dies of injuries received during IDF operations in Nablus on 1/3. (HA, Independent, JAZ, NYT 1/23; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/24; WP 1/28; OCHA 1/30; PCHR 1/31)

Ramadan begins; the IDF restricts access to Jerusalem for Friday prayers. The IDF shells Jabaliya r.c. fr. the surrounding hills to the east; carries out an air strike on the camp, killing 1 Hamas mbr., 2 AMB mbrs; fatally shoots a 65-yr.-old Palestinian woman eating dinner in her Jabaliya home. In the evening, the IDF withdraws troops to the periphery of most n. Gaza population centers, formally ending Operation Days of Penitence. The UN estimates that during the 17-day operation, the IDF killed 114 Palestinians, demolished as many as 95 Palestinian homes, leveled more than 1,000 d.; Palestinian Center for Human Rights puts the figures at 112 Palestinians killed, 87 houses demolished, 839 d. leveled. The IDF says that soldiers killed a number of AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad military cmdrs. and destroyed a number of factories and workshops where Qassams could be made, that Palestinians fired 14 Qassam rockets fr. the area during the 17-day period. Palestinians fire 2 Qassams at Sederot today, causing no damage. Late in the evening, the IDF bulldozes another 3 Palestinian homes, 2 stores in Bayt Hanun. The IDF also shells residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Nablus; arrests 2 Jewish settlers who attack Palestinians harvesting olives outside Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo nr. Ramallah attack Palestinians harvesting olives in neighboring al-Mughayyir; IDF soldiers observe but do not intervene. (BBC 10/15; IDF Radio, VOI, VOP 10/15 in WNC 10/19; NYT, WP, WT 10/16; HA, NYT 10/17; B’Tselem press release 10/18; PR 10/20; PCHR 10/21; MEI 10/22)