The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, 8 Palestinians are injured when a smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Gilad outpost nr. Nablus attack, beat, mace 3 Palestinians farming their land nearby, breaking the arm of 1. Jewish settlers fr. Harsina in Hebron vandalize several Palestinian homes; the IDF intervenes to arrest a B’Tselem field worker who arrives to document the incident. (OCHA 12/26; PCHR 12/27)

The PA deploys a new 500-mbr. policing unit in Tulkarm, similar to the recently deployed Nablus unit (see Quarterly Update in JPS 146), as part of Abbas’s efforts to expand security control in the West Bank in keeping with the road map. The new unit immediately erects checkpoints around Tulkarm to search for unlicensed guns, stolen vehicles. The Israeli Housing Min. issues bids for construction of 307 new housing units in the Jewish settlement of Har Homa in East Jerusalem that would complete a ring of settlements around Jerusalem, making the division of Jerusalem all but impossible. PA senior negotiator Saeb Erakat sends an urgent message to Rice asking her to intervene to halt the settlement expansion, arguing that it is illegal and undermines efforts made at Annapolis. The UN reports that most public gas stations in Gaza are now closed because of Israeli fuel restrictions. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin r.c. and nr. Hebron, Ramallah. (AP, REU 12/4; OCHA, WP 12/5; PAP, PCHR 12/6; HA 12/20, 1/6; PCHR 1/10)

Islamic Jihad fires 7 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries although 1 lands nr. a daycare center and school, causing panic; public and government officials call for immediate school closures until the Israeli government takes steps to halt rocket fire; Israeli officials urge cutting water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza or carrying out a massive military strike. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 4 Palestinian homes in and nr. East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus (targeting Hamas; firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, wounding 9) and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin. (NYT, WP, WT 9/4; OCHA 9/5; PCHR 9/6)

The Lebanese army continues to search Nahr al-Barid r.c. for fugitive FI mbrs., occasionally exchanging gunfire with hold-outs; no casualties are reported. Journalists entering the camp for the 1st time state that “shell blasts honeycombed nearly every building.” (WT 9/4)

Overnight, the IDF makes an incursion into Khuza’a nr. Khan Yunis, storming houses, occupying homes and a school as observation posts, clashing with and calling in air strikes on armed Palestinians who confront them (wounding at least 6 Palestinians, including 2 civilians), bulldozing 6 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of Palestinian land, detaining 5 Palestinians (4 of whom are released later in the day). During the day, IDF troops on the Gaza border fire a surface-tosurface missile into Gaza at a group of Hamas mbrs., killing 1 Hamas mbr., wounding 1. Islamic Jihad mbrs. fire an RPG at an IDF patrol on the Gaza border nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage or injuries. Nr. Gaza City, 1 Hamas mbr. is killed, another wounded when a roadside bomb they are planting explodes prematurely. In 2 separate incidents in Hebron, Jewish settlers attack, vandalize Palestinian homes. In Wadi al-Juz in East Jerusalem, the IDF raids a home where some 25 Israeli Palestinian religious figures, including Islamic Movement head Shaykh Raed Salah, are having a dinner, ordering the group to disband because they are holding an “illegal meeting”; when the group refuses, the IDF fires percussion grenades into the home, injuring 4. (REU 8/23; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30)

Israel cuts off fuel imports into Gaza through the Nahal Oz crossing, citing “specific terror warnings.” Palestinians fire mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home nr. East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (1 IDF soldier is wounded when Palestinians detonate an explosive device nr. his patrol), nr. Bethlehem and Hebron. (PCHR 8/16; BBC 8/17; NYT 8/19; OCHA 8/22; PCHR 8/23)

Overnight in Gaza, the IDF launches a major raid on Khan Yunis, Abasan, and al-Qarara, killing a total of 10 Palestinians (6 Palestinians are killed in exchanges of gunfire; 1 Hamas mbr. and 1 bystander are killed in an air strike; 2 Palestinians are killed when an IDF tank round hits a home), wounding at least 24; rounding up all men ages 15–50 for questioning (detaining 143); occupying and searching Palestinian homes; and bulldozing 80 d. of land, 1 Palestinian home, and several greenhouses. The IDF launches a smaller raid, land leveling operation in Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Jenin. In Gaza City, Daghmash family mbrs. fire on an ESF patrol, killing 2 ESF mbrs., wounding 10, sparking clashes btwn. the ESF and Army of Islam that last into the evening, when clan leaders surrender family mbrs. who attacked the patrol. (NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 8/15; PCHR 8/16)

In Gaza, the IDF exchanges fire with armed Palestinians nr. the n. Gaza border fence, killing 2 Hamas mbrs.; fatally shoots an ESF officer nr. the Erez crossing, a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays nr. the border fence e. of Dayr al-Balah. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 1 Palestinian home, confiscates a mobile home in Jiftlik nr. Jericho; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, leaving 1 IDF soldier injured) and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Qalqilya. The IDF also demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (NYT, PCHR 8/9; OCHA 8/15; PCHR 8/16)

Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into areas of Gaza n. of Bayt Lahiya, exchanging fire with Palestinians, killing 1 Hamas mbr., 1 DFLP mbr., wounding a bystander. The IDF also demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (PCHR 8/2; OCHA 8/8)

PA security forces continue targeting Hamas mbrs. in the West Bank for arrest, detaining and quickly releasing Change and Reform PC mbr. Ahmad al-Hajj Ali. In Gaza, the ESF arrests Army of Islam spokesman Abu Khattab al-Makdisi, 2 other Army of Islam mbrs. in effort to find kidnapped BBC correspondent Johnston; the Army of Islam captures several Hamasaffiliated students in retaliation. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF unleashes attack dogs on, then fatally shoots a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy during an arrest raid in Hebron; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and Nablus, in Qabatya, and nr. Jenin, Qalqilya. A Jewish settler woman in Hebron beats a 14-yr.- old Palestinian boy who refuses to give her his puppy; the IDF arrests the boy. In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land in 2 areas along the n. Gaza border; shoots, wounds a Palestinian who strays nr. the border fence e. of Bayt Hanun. Israel announces that Israeli police and Shin Bet have arrested 11 senior Hamas mbrs. in Jerusalem for allegedly “recruit[ing] support for Hamas and giv[ing] the organization a foothold on the Temple Mount, in coordination with Shaykh Raed Salah’s Islamic Movement,” and have seized more than $95,000 in funds allegedly transferred fr. Hamas’s Damascus-based leadership; the 11 are all East Jerusalem residents, and 10 have Israeli ID cards. (IFM 7/2; HA, NYT, WP, WT 7/3; NYT, OCHA, WP 7/4; PCHR 7/5)

In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land nr. the Qarni industrial zone along the border n. of Bayt Hanun. Palestinians fire 7 mortars at IDF troops operating n. of Bayt Hanun, causing no injuries; fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots 1 Palestinian in Nablus before ending a 3-day operation there; bars an ambulance fr. transporting a Palestinian seriously injured in a car accident through a checkpoint to reach the nearest hospital in East Jerusalem because he did not have a permit to enter the city, allowing him to die; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qabatya and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists attending the weekly nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 1. (OCHA 7/4; PCHR 7/5)

Nr. Tripoli, Lebanese soldiers fire on Palestinian refugees who attempt to cross an army checkpoint while staging a protest march toward Nahr al-Barid, seeking to return to their homes. Local Lebanese youths also beat marchers. At least 3 Palestinians are killed, up to 50 wounded. (NYT, WP, WT 6/30)

The U.S. and EU end their boycott on aid to and diplomatic contacts with Abbas’s PA, pledging to work with and support the emergency government. In Gaza, Hamas mbrs. on the Gaza side of the Erez crossing exchange fire with IDF soldiers on the Israeli side, trapping in the crossfire some 400 Palestinians hoping to leave Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 11. Israel has allowed around 200 Fatah mbrs. to flee Gaza for the West Bank via Erez. Egypt reports that 344 Fatah security mbrs. have fled Gaza for Egypt; all will be repatriated to the West Bank. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Hebron, Jenin; demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (AFP, MENA 6/18 in WNC 6/19; NYT, WP, WT 6/19; PCHR 6/21)

Clashes at Nahr al-Barid r.c. btwn. the Lebanese army, FI continue, with the army resuming shelling of the camp; at least 3 soldiers are reported killed. In ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c., 2 Jund al-Sham mbrs. are killed, 3 are injured when explosives they are handling detonate prematurely. (DS 6/19 in WNC 6/20; NYT, WP, WT 6/19)

Despite 6/10 cease-fire appeals, serious Fatah-Hamas fighting continues across Gaza, leaving at least 15 Palestinians dead (all believed to be mbrs. of the 2 factions). After Egyptian mediators broker another cease-fire during the day that collapses within hrs., Abbas, Haniyeh issue separate calls for a halt to the fighting. Among the most serious incidents: In Shati‘ r.c., suspected Fatah mbrs. fire an RPG at the home of PM Haniyeh in a predawn attack, causing damage but no injuries (Haniyeh is not home at the time, though his family is). Later in the day, suspected Hamas mbrs. fire a mortar at Pres. Abbas’s Gaza City residence, causing no injuries. In the afternoon, Hamas’s IQB makes a series of major coordinated attacks on Fatah installations across Gaza, dealing Fatah a significant blow in what is seen (see Guardian 6/13) as its 1st attempt to seize power in Gaza. Fatah security forces complain that they have not received orders from cmdrs. on how to respond. Other incidents include a separate attack on Haniyeh’s Gaza City office and the local PC headquarters while the PC is in session, forcing PC mbrs. to flee but causing no injuries; a major ESF raid on the home of senior AMB cmdr. Jamal Abu al-Jidayn, killing him, 4 bodyguards; an ESF raid on Fatah’s main office in Bayt Hanun, confiscating equipment and documents; gun battles in and around Bayt Hanun hospital that leave 4 Fatah mbrs., 1 ESF mbr. dead; a driveby shooting of the Youth and Sports Min. offices in Gaza City. Fatah-Hamas fighting also spreads to the West Bank, where AMB gunmen attack a Change and Reform office in Ramallah, causing no injures; unidentified assailants fire on the Nablus municipal building while a municipal council mtg. is in session (causing no injuries), set fire to the Nablus mayor’s car parked outside his home. On the Israeli-Palestinian front, Palestinians fire 7 rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel, 4 of which land inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes outside East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c., Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarm. (WP 6/11; BBC, NYT, WP, WT 6/12; Guardian, OCHA 6/13; PCHR 6/14)

As fighting in Nahr al-Barid r.c. continues, a FI mortar hits a Lebanese Red Cross vehicle, killing 2 Red Cross workers, seriously wounding 1. (WP, WT 6/12)

For the 10th day, the IDF makes at least 7 air strikes on Hamas and ESF targets across Gaza (Gaza City, Jabaliya, Rafah, Shati‘), leaving 5 ESF mbrs. dead and at least 4 ESF mbrs. and 23 bystanders injured. The IDF also fires on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence e. of Gaza City, wounding 1; fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Rafah coast, forcing them to return to shore. Hamas fires 12 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly wounding 1 Israeli. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Salfit and in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Nablus, Tubas nr. Jenin; raids an elementary school nr. Hebron while classes are in session, searching for stone-throwing youths. In East Jerusalem, 2 Israeli Arab gunmen fire on an Israeli border police patrol in East Jerusalem, wounding 2 border police officers, 2 Israeli private security guards; both Israeli Arabs, 1 Palestinian bystander are killed by return fire; the AMB takes responsibility for the attack. In Gaza City, unidentified gunmen shoot, wound a Hamas mbr. Hamas’s Shabanah dies of injuries sustained when the IDF attempted to assassinate him on 5/17. (NYT, WP, WT 5/27; NYT 5/28; OCHA 5/30; PCHR 5/31)

The IDF expands military operations in Gaza, making at least 7 air strikes on Hamas, ESF, and PA General Intelligence targets in Gaza, targeting 4 suspected arms caches and 3 other sites (including PA Interior Min. offices in Rafah), injuring 16 Palestinians, damaging at least 25 Palestinian homes; sending tanks and bulldozers into the Strip to level agricultural land e. of Bayt Hanun; directing heavy machine gun fire at a rocket launching site in n. Gaza; conducting arrest raids in Khuza’a nr. Khan Yunis. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Khan Yunis to conduct arrest raids and house searches. Palestinians fire 9 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly wounding 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Bethlehem, and in Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian vehicles in East Jerusalem. A Hamas mbr. is fatally shot by suspected Fatah mbrs. in Khan Yunis. (OCHA, WP 5/23; PCHR 5/24; OCHA 5/30)

Heavy clashes btwn. the Lebanese army, FI at Nahr al-Barid r.c. continue for a 3d day. In Tripoli, a lone FI suicide bomber, still hiding from the police crackdown on 5/20, detonates a device when police close in on his location, killing only himself. Later in the afternoon, the Lebanese army halts its shelling of Nahr al-Barid r.c. in response to a shaky, undeclared cease-fire by FI, prompting some 10,000 Palestinians to flee. Palestinians in ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. and Rashidiyya r.c. demonstrate against the army’s heavy shelling of Nahr al-Barid. (Independent, REU 5/22; DS, LBC, MENA, al-Sharq al-Awsat, al-Safir 5/22 in WNC 5/23; NYT, WP, WT 5/23)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on Palestinian agricultural areas e. of Khan Yunis, sparking a fire that destroys a wheat field; discover, disarm a roadside bomb nr. the former Kissufim crossing e. of Khan Yunis. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on Nablus, firing on residential areas and exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen who confront them, shooting and wounding a pregnant Palestinian woman inside her home, causing her to lose her baby; 2 armed Palestinians, 1 IDF soldier are also wounded. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem (targeting the AMB) and in Balata r.c., Tulkarm; issues stop-work orders for 10 Palestinian homes, a mosque in villages nr. Negohot settlement w. of Hebron that would constrain eventual expansion of the settlement. Israel’s Jerusalem Construction and Planning Comm. approves plans to build 3 new ultra-Orthodox settlements on the outskirts of occupied East Jerusalem to create territorial unity btwn. Jerusalem and Gush Etzion s. of Bethlehem and btwn. Jerusalem and Beit El n. of Ramallah; the plans call for 20,000 housing units in the new settlements, plus 500 new units for settlers in Abu Dis. Abbas deploys 3,000 PA security forces under his control in Gaza City and n. Gaza as part of a new, high-profile “law and order” campaign meant to undermine Hamas. In Bureij r.c, unidentified gunmen fatally shoot a Fatah mbr. in a drive-by attack on a Fatah base. Unidentified assailants ambush, kidnap a PA colonel driving in Nussayrat r.c.; no group claims responsibility. (PLONAD 5/10; MM, NYT 5/11; OCHA 5/16; PCHR 5/17)

The IDF demolishes a home for Palestinian special needs children in Wadi al-Juz, East Jerusalem, displacing 7 children, 2 caregivers; demolishes a Palestinian home in Issawiyya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., nr. Hebron, and in Balata r.c., Bethlehem, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Harish settlement nr. Tulkarm set fire to 170 d. of Palestinian-owned olive, citrus trees. In Rafah, 50 Fatah mbrs. break into, vandalize, set fire to the empty al-Salafiyya al-Bayan Center. (OCHA 5/9; PCHR 5/10; OCHA 5/16)

IDF troops on the Gaza border shoot, wound a Palestinian farmer working his field nr. Jabaliya r.c.; fire on a group of Palestinians who stray nr. the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c., causing no injuries; send bulldozers, tanks into Gaza to level land along the border fence nr. Rafah. In Jabaliya r.c., 2 Palestinian children are injured when they accidentally trigger an unexploded IDF tank shell. In Gaza City, a Hamas mbr. dies when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; occupies a Palestinian home nr. the Hawara checkpoint into Nablus as an observation post; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, Nablus (Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF vehicle during the raid, injuring 2 IDF soldiers). Nr. Jenin, 2 Palestinian boys are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance. The Foreign Press Association bureau in Jerusalem organizes a demonstration by foreign reporters outside the Erez crossing into Gaza in support of kidnapped BBC reporter Johnston. (REU, WT 4/25; PCHR 4/26; OCHA 5/2; PCHR 5/3)

Israel seals West Bank and Gaza border crossings for the week-long Passover holidays. The IDF patrols Silat al-Harithiyya nr. Jenin; sends undercover units into Kafr alLubbad nr. Tulkarm to arrest a wanted Palestinian; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-‘Aza r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Bayt Fajjar, Qabatya, Rantis nr. Ramallah; issues eviction orders to 70 Palestinian families in Dahiyat al-Salam in East Jerusalem, claiming the land on which they live is owned by a Jewish woman who recently inherited the property and wants them to leave (no documents are provided). (OCHA 4/4; PCHR 4/5)

The IDF sends bulldozers into Gaza to level land along the border e. of al-Maghazi r.c. The IDF also demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Shaykh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, in Halhul nr. Hebron, and in Jit nr. Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Ram n. of Jerusalem, in ‘Askar r.c. and Balata nr. Nablus (clashing with Palestinian gunmen, leaving 1 armed Palestinian dead), and nr. Bethlehem (where a Palestinian woman is seriously injured by an IDF attack dog), Hebron. In Rafah, 400 Palestinians who received UN assistance after their homes were demolished by the IDF stage a solidarity sit-in outside UNRWA offices to protest the 3/16 attack on UNRWA Dir. Ging’s convoy. (OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22; OCHA 3/28)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Bayt Lahiya, forcing them to return to shore. The IDF sends bulldozers into Gaza n. of Bayt Lahiya to level land along the border fence to improve lines of sight. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis nr. East Jerusalem; conducts patrols, fires on residential areas of Jenin town and r.c., Tubas. (OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

With approval of the PC, PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas (Fatah) swears in the first Palestinian national unity government headed by PM Ismail Haniyeh (Change and Reform), in keeping with agreements reached by Fatah and Hamas in Mecca on 2/8 aimed at halting intra-Palestinian violence. (NYT, WP, WT 3/18; WP 3/19) 

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to port. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence e. of al-Qarara and shell open areas nr. Shuka, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols Far‘un nr. Tulkarm, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, causing no injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; raids the offices of Afaq TV in Nablus, reportedly using Palestinians as human shields; issues military orders confiscating 17 d. in Qalqilya and neighboring Azun for “military purposes.” In Jerusalem, a Palestinian taxi driver fr. al-Tur in East Jerusalem dies in Israeli police custody after being stopped at a checkpoint, being arrested and having his taxi confiscated for driving a Palestinian woman from Jordan who did not have the proper visas, being severely beaten by police; news of the death sparks demonstrations in al-Tur, where Israeli police fire tear gas, percussion grenades at protesters, causing no injuries. PA Education Min. Nasir Sha‘ir rescinds the ministry’s 3/5 ban on a book of Palestinian folklore after a massive public outcry, including a demonstration today in Ramallah, stating that the ban was illegal and imposed without his approval; some 1,500 copies of the book, Speak Bird, Speak Again, have been destroyed since the ban was ordered on 3/5. In Gaza, mbrs. of the Popular Resistance Comms. (PRCs) stage a peaceful sit-in in front of the Egyptian legation to protest restrictions on Gazans traveling to Egypt. Some 300 newly trained Fatah security members demonstrate outside the central Gaza governorate offices demanding positions in the PA security forces. In the West Bank, ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in Nablus (no injuries) and Tubas (2 wounded). Fatah-affiliated PA security force mbrs. demanding payment of back salaries fire on the PA security headquarters in Jenin, force employees to leave the building, declare it closed. Elsewhere in the West Bank, suspected Fatah gunmen fire on the car of a Change and Reform PC minister, wounding a bodyguard. (WT 3/11; OCHA 3/14; PCHR 3/15)

Overnight the IDF raids the PA Military Intelligence headquarters in Ramallah, arrests 18 wanted AMB mbrs. who had been taking refuge there, 50 other PA Military Intelligence officers and employees (most of whom are released after interrogation); the IDF claims that the 18 were funded by Iran through Hizballah to carry out attacks on Israeli targets but offers no proof. During the day, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border send bulldozers 500 m into the border area nr. Bayt Hanun to level land, while IDF troops in the West Bank seal a Hamas-affiliated social services office and kindergarten in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem, another charitable society and kindergarten in neighboring al-Khadir. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Azariyya nr. Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, al-Til nr. Tulkarm, Tulkarm r.c. In Israel, Israeli police arrest Shaykh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, on suspicion of provocative behavior for attending a rally in East Jerusalem protesting Israel’s construction at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. In Gaza’s Nussayrat r.c., 4 unknown gunmen kidnap, break the hands of, then release a PA security officer. A PA General Intelligence Service mbr. dies of injuries sustained in interfactional fighting in Jabaliya on 2/2. (NYT, PCHR 3/8; OCHA 3/14; PCHR 3/15)

The AMB fires 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Dahaysha r.c. in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest a wanted Palestinian teenager; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Tulkarm, and in and around Hebron, Nablus. Israel’s mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski suspends for review construction work at the Haram alSharif/Temple Mount, though Palestinians hold small protests, throw stones at the IDF during the day in and around East Jerusalem, Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron and Ginat Shomron nr. Qalqilya prevent Palestinians from working their land nearby. Under IDF escort, Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah uproot 50 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Dayr Nizam. In Gaza City, 200 family mbrs. of Palestinians held in Israeli jails demonstrate outside the PC headquarters, demanding that the PA do more to free their relatives. In Khan Yunis, unidentified assailants kidnap, quickly release unharmed fmr. PA atty. gen. Khalid al-Qidra. A Fatah mbr. injured during 1/29 ESF-Fatah clashes in Jabaliya r.c. dies. (MM 2/12; MM, NYT, WT 2/13; OCHA 2/14; PCHR 2/15)

The IDF makes an air strike destroying a vacant Palestinian home nr. Gaza’s Qarni crossing that allegedly hid a tunnel, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin to ambush and capture a wanted Palestinian, shooting and wounding him, 2 bystanders; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Azariyya, 2 in Bayt Hanina (also outside Jerusalem), 1 in East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. After overnight talks in Gaza City, Fatah, Hamas announce a renewed cease-fire that general holds throughout the day, though mbrs. of the factions trade fire in Gaza City and 1 Hamas mbr. is fatally shot by a Force 17 mbr. in Khan Yunis (in fallout fr. violence there on 1/29). A Fatah mbr. wounded in intra-Palestinian clashes in Khan Yunis in recent days dies. (MM, NYT, REU 1/30; MM, NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 1/31; PCHR 2/1; AIC 2/13)

The IDF sends bulldozers, a helicopter into Nablus searching for wanted Palestinians, surrounds and partially bulldozes a home before realizing it is vacant, calls in reinforcements who clash with Palestinian gunmen and fire on stone-throwing youths, killing 1 armed Palestinian, a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding 5 Palestinians; fires on Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall in Anata, seriously injuring a 10-yr.-old Palestinian girl; demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Tur in East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, and in Azariyya, Jenin town and r.c. A Palestinian is injured when he accidentally detonated unexploded IDF ordnance nr. Jabaliya r.c. In Ramallah, unidentified masked men set fire to 2 mobile TV units belonging to Saudi TV channels. (OCHA 1/24; PCHR 1/25)

For the 2d day, IDF troops stationed in the Erez industrial zone fire at Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border fence, wounding 1. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis, Azariyya, Nablus, and Qabatya, in and around Hebron, and nr. Jenin, Tulkarm. Israel’s Local Committee at the Jerusalem Municipality submits plans to build 1,000 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa. Plans reportedly are also being drafted to expand the Jewish settlements of Ramat Rachel, Mei Naftuah, New Arnona, Gilo, and Givat Hamatos. In Ramallah, unidentified assailants attempt to kidnap the acting mayor of al-Bireh; unknown gunmen fire on the offices of fmr. PA Finance M Salam Fayyad, causing no injuries; suspected Fatah mbrs. fire on 13 shops and offices run by Hamas mbrs., set fire to 1. In Gaza, 10,000s of Fatah supporters hold the largest Fatah rally since 1994 marking the 42d anniversary of the movement; speeches by Fatah leaders focus on rallying support for Fatah and against Hamas. (MM, YA 1/8; MM 1/9; OCHA 1/10; PCHR 1/11; OCHA 1/17)