The Palestine Chronology

The IDF sends tanks, bulldozers into c. Gaza to level land along the border nr. Abu al-Ajin. Islamic Jihad mbr. Ibrahim al-Louh, injured in the 12/27 IDF assassination of central Gaza cmdr. Murshud, dies. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Bethlehem. A Jewish settler kills a Palestinian in a deliberate hit-and-run nr. Bil‘in. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize a Palestinian car. Some 500 Islamic Jihad, PRC mbrs. rally at the Rafah crossing to protest its continued closure; PRC mbrs. detonate 2 bombs nr. the border wall, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas-affiliated police fire warning shots at a busload of Islamic Jihad mbrs. who fail to stop at a checkpoint outside al-Bureij r.c., wounding 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. Hamas-affiliated police raid an area of Rafah to arrest wanted Fatah mbrs., sparking clashes that leave 3 Fatah mbrs., 1 policeman injured. In Khan Yunis, Fatah mbrs. start a brawl with Hamas-affiliated police who remove pro-Fatah banners, leaving 3 Palestinians injured. (OCHA 1/2; PCHR 1/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots the bodyguard for PA chief negotiator Ahmad Qurai‘ during an arrest raid on his Ramallah home, claiming he supplied weapons to Palestinian factions; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (lightly injuring 2). Armed Palestinians ambush, fatally shoot 2 offduty IDF soldiers (settlers fr. Kiryat Arba) hiking nr. Hebron; the soldiers manage to fire back, killing 1 Palestinian gunman, wounding 1; 2 others are believed to have escaped; responsibility is claimed jointly by the AMB and Islamic Jihad, and separately by Islamic Jihad and Hamas; the PA immediately denounces the attack. Jewish settlers fr. Gush Etzion nr. Bethlehem, angry over the attack, stone Palestinian vehicles driving nr. the settlement, damaging a taxi. In Gaza City, Hamas-affiliated security forces raid the Fatah-affiliated al-Azhar University, arresting 40 Fatah mbrs., confiscating 100s of banners they are preparing for rallies to mark Fatah’s 43d anniversary; prevent a smaller Fatah anniversary rally fr. being held in Nussayrat r.c. Hamas-affiliated police raid an area of Bayt Hanun to arrest a wanted Fatah mbr.; fire in the air to disperse angry residents who confront them with stones; no injuries are reported. Suspected Fatah mbrs. fire on a Hamas-affiliated internal security detention center in Gaza City, wounding 2 internal security officers. Some 1,000 Hamas supporters hold a rally in al-Bureij r.c. to honor Islamic Jihad’s Abu Hassanian, assassinated on 12/27. (NYT, WP, WT 12/29; WP 12/30; NYT 1/1; OCHA 1/2; PCHR 1/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 5) and al-Ma‘sara (injuring 3). (NYT 12/22; OCHA 12/26; PCHR 12/27)

A Hamas mbr. dies nr. the Gaza border n. of Bayt Hanun when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem; shoots, wounds a Palestinian farmer working his land nr. the separation wall s. of Hebron; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 4) and Ma‘sara (injuring 2). Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian homes, cars in Burkin nr. Salfit; the IDF disperses them. In Gaza City, the Hamas-affiliated security forces detain without charge Omar al-Ghul, a senior associate of PA PM Salam Fayyad, prominent journalist, and frequent critic of Hamas; Abbas denounces the “kidnapping.” Also in Gaza City, 3 Fatah supporters are killed, 35 are wounded by an explosion during a funeral for an AMB mbr. killed in an IDF air strike on 12/13; police say a Fatah mbr. accidentally discharged a hand grenade; Abbas accuses Hamas of causing the explosion, calling it an “assault against all our people.” In Khan Yunis, Fatah mbrs. stone a Hamas vehicle promoting a 20th anniversary rally in Gaza City, sparking a fight, gunfire by the police that leaves 17 injured. (NYT, WP, WT 12/15; OCHA 12/19; PCHR 12/27)

The IDF makes air strikes on 2 groups of armed Palestinians nr. Abasan, killing 5 Hamas and PRC mbrs., wounding 8; sends bulldozers into the Gaza airport site nr. Rafah to level land. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (searching a mosque), nr. Jenin; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 4). (NYT 12/2; OCHA 12/5; PCHR 12/6)

The IDF enters the Erez industrial zone on the n. Gaza border and levels the remaining buildings and factories, builds sand berms to block the road from the zone into Gaza, shells Palestinian residential areas near the zone (reportedly using flechette shells), killing 2 Palestinians. Troops are still operating in the zone at the end of the day. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 2) and al-Ma‘sara s. of Ramallah (injuring 4). In Khan Yunis, some 15,000 Hamas supporters participate in a nonviolent march to protest the upcoming Annapolis summit. (OCHA 11/28; PCHR 11/29)

The West Bank and Gaza remain effectively severed from each other following Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 6/07, with Hamas controlling Gaza and Fatah the West Bank (see Quarterly Update in JPS 145). Tight Israeli restrictions on Gaza’s borders dating from 8/07 remain in place, including reduced fuel imports, a near-total ban on exports, and limited imports of basic goods. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) roadblocks in the West Bank divide the territory into 3 cantons, and Palestinian access to the Jordan Valley is limited. In Gaza, 30,000 Palestinians attend a Hamas-organized rally in Gaza City to protest ongoing Israeli archaeological excavations nr. al-Aqsa Mosque. Some 1,500 Palestinians attend a similar Hamas rally in al-Maghazi refugee camp (r.c.), also denouncing the upcoming U.S.-sponsored Annapolis peace summit, tentatively set for 11/26–27. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, and in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus, Salfit; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in nr. Ramallah (injuring 5). Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus set fire to 50 nearby Palestinian olive trees. Hamas releases almost all of the approximately 450 Fatah mbrs. detained during demonstrations in Gaza City on 11/12. (NYT 11/16; OCHA 11/21; PCHR 11/22)

For the 1st time since 6/07, Abbas meets with 4 West Bank Hamas officials in an effort to encourage them to split fr. their Gaza counterparts. In Nablus, the PA deploys a new 308-mbr. policing unit trained by Western advisers at a multimillion dollar training facility in Jericho; they will form part of a new National Security Force unit set up to “operate in coordination with Israeli forces to fight crime and terrorism” as part of Abbas’s new security effort “to restore law and order” in the West Bank, in keeping with road map requirements; the unit will patrol during the day only, while the IDF will continue night operations. In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on an ESF post nr. Rafah, killing 1 ESF officer, wounding 3. Nr. Bayt Hanun, 2 Palestinians are injured when a mortar they are preparing misfires. A Palestinian is injured when a smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses. In the West Bank, the IDF lifts the round-the-clock curfew on ‘Azun imposed on 10/31; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm town, r.c. and nr. Qalqilya; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 1 demonstrator, 1 journalist). Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba and Harsina in Hebron attack, vandalize nearby Palestinian homes, also beating 1 Palestinian. (NYT, WT 11/3; NYT 11/6; OCHA 11/7; PCHR 11/8; NYT 11/14)

IDF troops clash with armed Palestinians in, make 2 air strikes on Gaza City, killing at least 4 Hamas and Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding at least 5. The IDF also conducts land-leveling operations inside the Gaza border e. of Gaza City. Egyptian border police find, demolish 2 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus (also raiding an Islamic charity, confiscating computers and files), nr. Jenin; fires percussion grenades, rubber-coated steel bullets at 2 groups of stone-throwing Palestinians in Hebron, injuring 4; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 3). Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai nr. Hebron attack and vandalize a nearby Palestinian home; the IDF intervenes to halt the attack. Palestinians stone a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Ramallah, injuring 2 settlers. (NYT 10/27; OCHA 10/31; PCHR 11/1)

In Gaza, the IDF sends tanks, a bulldozer into the Gaza airport site, exchanging heavy fire (heavy machine guns, mortars) with Hamas mbrs., causing no reported injuries; occupies a strip of land in the al-Hawouz area northeast of Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Mas’ha nr. Salfit, firing percussion grenades and live ammunition in residential areas, causing no reported injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, Nablus; begins bulldozing confiscated land nr. Salfit for the expansion of the Burkin industrial zone; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 5, including a journalist covering the demonstration) and al-Ma‘sara nr. Bethlehem (lightly injuring 3). Hamas, Islamic Jihad mbrs. exchange fire in Khan Yunis’s al-Rihab Mosque, wounding 3 Palestinians, after Hamas allegedly attempts to seize control of the building. (OCHA 10/24; PCHR 10/25)

The IDF sends troops into areas northwest of Bayt Lahiya to bulldoze 5 d. of citrus trees, temporarily detaining farmers working in the area, withdrawing by evening. Palestinians fire 2 mortars fr. al-Maghazi r.c. toward Israel; both land inside Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Ramallah, nr. Nablus (arresting a PA General Intelligence officer); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 4. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus deny local Palestinian farmers access to their land nearby the settlement; the Palestinian District Coordination Office (DCO) contacts its IDF counterpart, which refuses to intervene. (OCHA 10/17; PCHR 10/18)

The IDF makes an air strike on a car in Rafah carrying Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigade leader ‘Awad ‘Abd al-Fattah alQiq, missing the car, hitting a store, wounding 3 bystanders in an apparent assassination attempt. Armed Palestinians fire 5 mortars, machine guns at an IDF undercover unit attempting to infiltrate the Gaza border e. of al-Maghazi r.c., forcing the unit to retreat into Israel. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. (where armed Palestinians detonate an explosive device nr. an IDF jeep, wounding a soldier), Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 3. In Jabaliya r.c., 7,000 Islamic Jihad supporters hold a peaceful rally to mark Jerusalem Day. In Dayr al-Balah, 300 PRC supporters hold a peaceful rally to mark the 2d anniversary of the IDF assassination of PRC leader Jamal Abu Samhadana. Suspected Fatah mbrs. detonate a bomb outside the home of a local Hamas leader in Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In Gaza City, unidentified assailants detonate an explosive device outside the home of a local AMB leader, causing damage but no injuries. An unidentified Palestinian throws a bomb at the house of a Hamas activist in Abasan, causing no serious damage or injuries; flees to a nearby IDF border post, where he surrenders to the IDF. (OCHA 10/10; PCHR 10/11)

Israel allows a technical team fr. Siemens to enter Gaza with a shipment of spare parts and tools to perform maintenance on Gaza’s power plant, expected to take about 3 wks. to complete. IDF troops on the Gaza border inside Israel fatally shoot a Palestinian who strays nr. the border fence nr. Nussayrat r.c.; sends tanks into Gaza nr. the Rafah crossing to bulldoze an ESF post. 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 Bil‘in. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba steal at least 2 tons of grapes fr. a Palestinian farmer, attack and vandalize his home. Suspected Fatah mbrs. detonate a roadside bomb nr. an ESF patrol in Gaza, wounding 3 ESF mbrs. Unidentified assailants toss an explosive device at the Fatah al-Yasir offices in Khan Yunis, injuring 2 bystanders. Gaza municipal employees begin an openended strike to protest nonpayment of their salaries. (NYT 10/5; OCHA 10/9, 10/10; PCHR 10/11)

Israelseals its borders with the occupied territories until 10/6 to mark 3 minor Jewish holidays. The IDF makes an air strike on Rafah, assassinating Hamas mbr. Muhammad Hassan, wounding a 2d Hamas mbr.; sends tanks, bulldozers in to al-Fakhari nr. Khan Yunis, leveling agricultural land, firing on residential areas, killing 1 unarmed Palestinian; sends tanks, a bulldozer into Gaza e. of Rafah to level land, clashing with local gunmen, causing no reported injuries; fires a surface-to-surface missile into Gaza at a group of armed men nr. Bayt Hanun, missing them, causing no reported damage; sends troops into s. Gaza to arrest 2 Palestinian farmers nr. al-Maghazi r.c. On the Rafah border, 2 Hamas mbrs. are killed when a smuggling tunnel collapses. In the West Bank, the IDF shoots, wounds 2 Palestinian children in Hebron with live ammunition, mistaking a toy for a gun; fires on residential areas of ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya, wounding a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy; fires on stone-throwing youths in Bil‘in, wounding a 9-yr.-old Palestinian boy, detaining 2 teens. In Rafah, unidentified assailants detonate an explosive device outside the Rafah municipal headquarters, causing no serious damage or injuries. (NYT, PCHR 10/4; OCHA 10/10; PCHR 10/11)

The IDF patrols in Kafr Dan nr. Jenin; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 5. An Army of Islam mbr. dies of injuries received in an 9/26 IDF air strike on Gaza City. (OCHA 10/3; PCHR 10/4)

After nearly a wk. of talks with Quartet reps. and officials from Israel, the PA, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE on the sidelines of UN mtgs. in New York, the Bush admin. formally announces that a Palestinian-Israeli peace summit has been planned for 11/15 in Annapolis, MD. (WT 9/29; see also NYT, WP, WT 9/24)

Israel imposes a 2-day seal on its West Bank border for Yom Kippur. In Gaza, the IDF sends troops back into al-Shuka village, raiding and searching homes (reportedly stealing jewelry, money, personal articles from at least 1 residence), arresting 11 Palestinians. Nr. Bayt Lahiya, 4 Palestinians are injured when they accidentally trigger IDF UXO. In the West Bank, the IDF ends a 4-day incursion into ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a r.c., having arrested around 50 Hamas and PFLP mbrs., including 2 senior local Hamas cmdrs. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 4. Citing national preparation for Yom Kippur, Israel bars all West Bank Palestinians fr. attending Friday prayers in Jerusalem, raising anger during Ramadan. In Bayt Hanun, a bomb explodes in the Agricultural Union Comm. offices, causing damage but no injuries; no group claims responsibility. (REU 9/21; NYT 9/22; OCHA 9/26; PCHR 9/27; HA 9/30)

The IDF makes an air strike on a car carrying Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Gaza City, missing the target, damaging a house and lightly injuring 1 bystander. Egyptian border police demolish a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. A Palestinian is injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring several) and a similar protest at alWalaja (causing no reported injuries). Palestinian gunmen fire on a Jewish settler’s vehicle nr. Karnei Shomron settlement nr. Qalqilya, injuring 2 settlers. Having sealed the West Bank border for Rosh Hashanah (see 9/12), the IDF allows only Palestinian men over age 60 to enter Jerusalem fr. the West Bank to attend prayers marking the 1st Friday of Ramadan. (OCHA 9/19; PCHR 9/20)

Late in the evening, the IDF sends undercover units dressed in ESF uniforms into Rafah to kidnap and take to Israel Hamas military cmdr. Mihawish al-Nu‘aymat (also reported as Mohawah al-Qadi), who reportedly has information on captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c., Qabatya and nr. Hebron; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 1. A 13-yr.-old Palestinian boy is injured by IDF UXO nr. Nablus. Across Gaza, Fatah supporters for a 3d week hold Friday prayers outside in protest against Hamas; the ESF clashes with demonstrators in al-Bureij r.c., Gaza City, Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, and Rafah, using batons and percussion grenades, leaving a total of 51 Palestinians injured, 20 Fatah mbrs. arrested, 3 journalists temporarily detained; reports differ as to whether the ESF tried to break up peaceful prayer services or only intervened afterward, when Fatah supporters began chanting anti-Hamas slogans and throwing stones at ESF officers. (NYT 9/8; OCHA 9/12; PCHR 9/13)

Israelis in Sederot close schools, demand government action after Palestinians fire 3 more rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Egyptian border police demolish a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF raids, searches several Hamas-run charities in Nablus, confiscating documents, computers and sealing the offices; patrols in, fires on residential areas of ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya (also firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 2 children, ages 13 and 14), Sa‘ir nr. Hebron (seriously wounding 1 Palestinian); conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Qabatya nr. Jenin and Tulkarm r.c., and nr. Hebron. The Israeli High Court rules that the separation wall around Bil‘in, site of weekly nonviolent protests, must be moved westward to prevent the de facto annexation of more han half of the village’s agricultural land, rejecting the government’s claim that a wide buffer zone was needed to protect nearby Mod’in Ilit settlement and determining that the original route took into consideration plans to expand the settlement “as much as possible”; the decision gives the government a “reasonable period of time” to take down and move portions of the wall, which is expected to return 250 acres of land to Bil‘in residents. In Gaza City, the previously unheard-of Security Members Martyrs Brigade took responsibility for detonating a bomb under the car of a prominent Hamas mbr. in Gaza City, causing no injuries; the group is thought to be made up of Fatah security officers still in Gaza who have been underground since Hamas took over in mid6/07. Suspected Fatah mbrs. also fire on an ESF patrol, causing no injuries. In Rafah, ESF officers fire on Fatah mbrs. writing proFatah graffiti, wounding 3. (BBC 9/4; IFM, NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 9/5; PCHR, WT 9/6)

The IDF admitsthat 3 Palestinian children killed in an 8/29 strike on Bayt Hanun were playing tag, not retrieving a rocket launcher. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths outside al-Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, wounding a 7-yr.-old boy; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 8 (similar demonstrations are held without incident in al-Walaja and Um Salamuna nr. Bethlehem). Jewish settlers fr. Givat Havat and Kiryat Arba in Hebron beat a Palestinian farmer working his land btwn. the 2 settlements. The IDF bars Jewish settlers fr. reaching the evacuated Homesh settlement site; settlers set fire to 2 IDF vehicles in protest. The PA closes 103 charitable associations in the West Bank (80% affiliated with Hamas) for being “improperly registered”. Responding to a call by Fatah to boycott Friday prayers in mosques and begin weekly prayer protests against Hamas’s “persecution” of Fatah mbrs. in Gaza, some 5,000 Fatah supporters hold prayers in a Gaza City park, then stage a march and rally denouncing Hamas, attacking Hamas-controlled buildings with stones, pipe bombs. Some 7,000 Fatah supporters hold a similar demonstration in Rafah, attacking the home of a prominent Hamas mbr. The ESF violently disperses both protests, firing into the air, beating demonstrators, and tossing percussion grenades, arresting scores, injuring 10–20 (including 2 journalists), wounding an Egyptian on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border. Fatah mbrs. stone an ESF patrol in al-Bureij r.c., causing no injuries. (NYT, WP 9/1; OCHA 9/5; PCHR 9/6; Conflicts Forum 10/8)

In Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians on the border nr. Jabaliya; sends troops into al-Shuka nr. Rafah to bulldoze 6 d. of agricultural land nr. the Gaza airport; bulldozes Palestinian land along the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Sa‘ida nr. Tulkarm to raid 2 Palestinian homes, mortally shooting Islamic Jihad cmdr. Tariq Milhem in an exchange of fire, allowing him to bleed to death over 2 hrs., also fatally shooting his 11-yr.-old brother, wounding 2 other family mbrs. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, wounding 1 Palestinian woman; conducts house searches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2. Jewish settlers fire on a Palestinian wedding party nr. Nablus, wounding 2 Palestinians. Jewish settlers in Hebron assault an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy riding his bike, breaking his arm. Meanwhile, 500 Fatah mbrs. hold an unauthorized protest against the Hamas-led government outside the main security headquarters in Gaza City, throwing stones at ESF officers guarding the building, who fire into the air and beat back the demonstrators, injuring 15. Separately in Gaza City, ESF officers raid a wedding to halt celebratory gunfire, scuffling with guests, beating and injuring 1 Palestinian. (WT 8/25; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30)

Under a temporary cease-fire brokered by the Palestinian Clerics Association btwn. the Lebanese army and Fatah alIslam (FI) militants who have been fighting in and around the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Barid nr. Tripoli since 5/07, army soldiers escort the remaining families of FI mbrs. (22 women, 41 children) out of the r.c. in anticipation of a final assault. The army estimates that 70 FI mbrs. are left in the camp and are refusing to surrender. (NYT, WT 8/25)

In Gaza, Palestinians begin experiencing longer blackouts resulting fr. fuel shortages since Israel closed the Nahal Oz pipeline on 8/15. Hamas volunteers undertake a clean-up campaign in Khan Yunis, where municipal sanitation workers have been on strike over salary issues. The IDF makes an air strike on an Islamic Jihad rocketlaunching site nr. Bayt Lahiya in n. Gaza, causing no injuries. A 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy is injured when a Palestinian rocket fired fr. Gaza toward Israel hits a Palestinian home nr. Bayt Hanun, nr. the n. Gaza border. In the West Bank, the IDF kills 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in an exchange of fire nr. Jenin; sends troops into Kafr Dan nr. Jenin to patrol, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, killing a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Palestinian resistance mbrs. that leaves 1 armed Palestinian dead, 7 Palestinians wounded; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (firing on residential areas, wounding a Palestinian woman in her home), in Qalqilya, nr. Hebron; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 5. (BBC 8/17; NYT 8/19; OCHA 8/22; PCHR 8/23)

In Gaza, the IDF fires on Palestinian teenagers who stray nr. the border fence nr. the Qarni industrial zone, wounding 1; exchanges fire with Palestinian gunmen across the Gaza border e. of Gaza City, causing no injuries; withdraws troops fr. the Rafah airport in the evening (see 8/9). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 8) and Um Salamuna (injuring 4). In Jerusalem’s Old City, an Israeli Palestinian fr. the Galilee grabs a gun from an Israeli security officer, shoots and wounds him before being shot dead by another guard; 9 bystanders are wounded. In Bayt Hanun, the ESF arrests at least 15 Fatah mbrs. for firing guns at a wedding; Fatah says there was no gunfire, that the ESF targeted revelers singing pro-Fatah songs; when some 150 women and children rally outside the local ESF offices to protest the arrests, ESF officers fire in the air to disperse the crowd, causing no injuries. In Gaza City, some 20,000 Hamas supporters march fr. local mosques to the PC headquarters to protest recent PA attacks on Hamas activists in the West Bank. In Halhul nr. Hebron, suspected Hamas mbrs. retaliating for the NSF’s arrest of 10 Hamas mbrs. earlier in the day, shoot and wound Halhul police chief Driss Jabari. (NYT, WP, WT 8/11; NYT 8/12; OCHA 8/15; PCHR 8/16)

In Gaza, an ailing Palestinian given prior approval to enter Israel for medical treatment dies at Erez crossing after being denied passage by the IDF for 2 days. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots local Islamic Jihad leader Raed Abu al-Adass in a raid on Balata r.c. in what may be an assassination; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jericho, Tulkarm; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 4. In Hebron, 2 Jewish settlers fr. Mitzpe Ya’ir outpost attack a UN vehicle carrying 3 UN employees and 2 Israeli journalists, breaking the windshield, placing large rocks in front of the tires to prevent it fr. moving, injuring 1 UN employee; the IDF, Israeli police arrest the settlers, who are quickly released on bail. (NYT 8/4; OCHA 8/8; PCHR 8/9)

In Gaza, Islamic Jihad detonates a roadside bomb nr. an IDF convoy patrolling inside Israel nr. Kerem Shalom crossing, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Yabad nr. Jenin (seriously injuring a 13-yr.-old Palestinian boy in an accidental hit-and-run); patrols in Ramallah; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists attending the weekly nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2; forcibly removes Jewish settlers fr. the Homesh settlement site. (OCHA 8/1; PCHR 8/2)

Israel releases 255 Palestinian prisoners, including PFLP 2d-in-command ‘Abd al-Rahim Malluh; 85% of those released are Fatah mbrs.; the remainder are fr. smaller parties; none are fr. Hamas (Israel still holds 1 Fatah mbr. after learning that he switched affiliation to Hamas in jail); all had at least 1 yr. left to serve on their sentences. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists attending the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 6; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront troops in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a r.c., wounding 4 teenagers and a 65-yr.-old bystander; closes roads northwest of Nablus to Palestinian traffic to allow more Jewish settlers to reach the evacuated Homesh settlement site (en route, settlers damage Palestinian crops and vandalize 2 Palestinian cars, 4 homes). Also nr. Nablus, Jewish settlers fr. Gilad severely beat 1 Palestinian in neighboring Fara’ta; Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh and Yitzhar burn 10s of Palestinian olive trees nr. the settlements. (AP, HA 7/20; NYT, WP, WT 7/21; OCHA 7/25; PCHR 7/26)

With the legal mandate of the PA emergency cabinet set to expire on 6/14, Abbas dissolves Fayyad’s emergency government and quickly reappoints it, with 4 added ministers, as a “caretaker government” to rule indefinitely.The IDF sends troops in s. Gaza to reoccupy the Rafah airport site, firing on residential areas of nearby Shuka, wounding 1 Palestinian, withdrawing in the evening; Hamas fires 5 mortars at the troops during the day, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 2) and a similar protest in Wadi Nays nr. Bethlehem (injuring 4). (HA 7/13; NYT, WT 7/14; NYT, WP, WT 7/15; OCHA 7/18; PCHR 7/19)

IDF troops operating in n. Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun capture 8 rocket launchers and rockets. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Jenin town and r.c., Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists holding weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 3. In Gaza City, ESF, Islamic Jihad mbrs. exchange fire, causing no injuries. (NYT 7/7; OCHA 7/11; PCHR 7/12)

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)

In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land 300 m. inside Gaza n. of Jabaliya r.c., occupying the area. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian nr. Hebron who allegedly attempted to infiltrate an IDF post; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, in Jenin town and r.c. (firing on residential areas, wounding a Palestinian woman inside her home), Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists attending the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2 internationals. Jewish settlers fr. Rachelim settlement nr. Nablus uproot and cart away 300 Palestinian olive trees fr. nearby Qaryut (the IDF secures the return of 140 trees). Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar nr. Nablus cut down 20 Palestinian olive, almond trees in nearby Burkin village. Jewish settlers fr. Tekoa nr. Bethlehem set fire to 300 d. of nearby Palestinian agricultural land, including 400 olive trees. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai in Hebron burn 50 nearby Palestinian olive and almond trees. Suspected Hamas mbrs. toss a homemade bomb at the Fatah offices in Qalqilya, causing damage but no injuries. (WP 6/23; OCHA 6/27; PCHR 6/28)