The Palestine Chronology

The IDF continues Operation Vanguard in Jenin, conducting arrest raids, house-to-house searches, blowing up 4 Palestinian homes; fatally shoots a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays too close to the Rafah border fence; fires on Palestinians who stray too close to Beit El settlement, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 2; fires on Palestinians waiting at a Khan Yunis checkpoint (injuring 1), residential areas nr. Neve Dekalim settlement (injuring 8, including 1 woman, 4 children), a group of children at the entrance to Tulkarm r.c. (injuring 1), Palestinians outside the Qabatya municipal buidling (injuring 4, 3 of whom are detained for several hrs. without medical attention); conducts arrest raids in Hebron, Tulkarm; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Kefar Darom settlement; bulldozes13 dunams of land nr. Aley Sinai settlement. In Gaza City, 3 Hamas mbrs. are killed in an explosion; Hamas spokesman `Abd al-`Aziz Rantisi acknowledges the men were probably making a bomb. Hamas mbrs. attack journalists who arrive to cover the scene, destroying 2 cameras, lightly injuring a Reuters cameraman and reporter; the main Palestinian journalists union in Gaza orders a boycott of coverage of all Hamas activities in protest; Hamas apologizes. Some 22 Jewish settlers attack the Za’tara mayor, municipal surveyor, an a surveying team, destroying their equipment, maps, documents. A Jewish settler confiscates Palestinian land nr. Dayr al-Balah, razes the area, sets up greenhouses. (HA, NYT, WT 11/1; LAW, PCHR 11/6; PR 11/13)

Retaliating for the firing of Qassam-2s on 3/5, the IDF launches air, land, sea strikes on PA targets across the West Bank and Gaza, striking and partially demolishing Arafat's residence in Gaza City and a UNRWA school for the blind, among other sites. The IDF also shells the PA compound in Ramallah while Arafat is meeting with EU special envoy Miguel Moratinos; they are not injured. Sharon vows to continue the strikes "without letup" until the Palestinians stop attacking Israeli soldiers, civilians. During the day, at least 13 Palestinians are killed, including senior Hamas mbr. `Abd al-Nassar Ghazal in a possible assassination in Gaza, 4 PA naval police killed by IDF shelling in Gaza, 1 Palestinian shot dead nr. Nablus, 1 killed in a questionable explosion nr. Qalqilya, 4 who die of injuries received earlier. 2 IDF soldiers are killed in clashes in Khan Yunis and Rafah. F-16s bomb a Gaza police headquarters where PSF officers had been scheduled to meet, leading the PA to believe the attack was a failed assassination attempt against PSF chief Brig. Gen. `Abd al-Raziq Majayda. The IDF also makes arrest raids and demolishes at least 2 Palestinian houses in Gaza; fires on a Palestinian school in Silat al-Dahir, injuring 4 students; bulldozes Palestinian land in al-Khadir; maintains closure on Balata, Jenin. Over 20 Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar fire on a neighboring Palestinian village; attack IDF soldiers who intervene, beating them, puncturing tires on their jeeps. Jewish settlers also cut down 300 Palestinian-owned olive trees nr. Hebron; IDF troops reportedly fire warning shots at Palestinians who attempt to intervene. (AP, HP, MM 3/6; AFP, al-Quds 3/6 in WNC 3/7; JP [Internet], LAW, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/7; MENA, RNE 3/7 in WNC 3/8; JP 3/15)