The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, 2 mbrs. of Hamas’s military wing, the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB), are killed in a mysterious explosion e. of Jabaliya; Hamas accuses the IDF of targeting the men with artillery fire, but Israel denies involvement, and a medical worker at the scene reports no evidence of shelling in the area. Egyptian police discover approximately 2 tons of TNT underground nr. Sarsuria in the Sinai that they believe was intended for militants in Gaza (cf. 8/30). (WP 9/2; OCHA, PCHR 9/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts raids, house searches nr. Jenin and Hebron, arresting 3 Palestinians. (PCHR 9/3)

In East Jerusalem, ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews protesting a parking lot that operates on the Sabbath attack a Palestinian cab driver passing by, heavily damaging his taxi and lightly injuring him. (OCHA 9/11)

The IDF shoots, seriously wounds a Palestinian at a checkpoint in Hebron after he allegedly attempts to attack a soldier with a knife; conducts late-night raids, house searches in Qalqilya and nr. Jenin, Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron, Salfit, and Ramallah, arresting 15 Palestinians. Following a latenight explosion nr. the Bayt Ijza gate into Jerusalem, Israeli border police close all 3 gates in the separation wall controlling access to Palestinian agricultural land in the Jerusalem governorate, preventing Palestinian farmers fr. reaching their grape crops. (PCHR 8/27; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 8/09; OCHA, PCHR 9/3)

On the sidelines of meetings with British PM Gordon Brown in London, Netanyahu meets with U.S. special envoy George Mitchell to discuss peace issues; the two report having “made good progress” (no elaboration) and say they will meet again in the coming weeks. (Christian Science Monitor, NYT, WJW, WP 8/27)