The Palestine Chronology

For the 1st time since 11/23, Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF does not retaliate—an indication that Israel believes the cease-fire pledge that Hamas secured fr. the other Gaza factions on 11/21 is generally holding. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem and nr. Qalqilya, making no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo nr. Ramallah, escorted by IDF troops, attack Palestinian farmers working their fields nearby; the soldiers order the farmers to leave the area. (OCHA, PCHR 12/23; YA 12/30)

Israeli naval vessels intercept a Palestinian fishing boat that approaches the boundary of the permitted fishing zone off the Bayt Lahiya coast, damaging the boat, forcing the fishermen to jump into the sea, and then detaining them, taking them to Ashdod port in Israel for several hrs. of questioning, before releasing them to Gaza. A smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses, killing 3 Palestinians. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Palestinians in Silwan report that during the previous wk., Israeli workers and archeologists resumed work on 2 archeological tunnels under the city leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque (see Quarterly Update in JPS 154). A group of right-wing Jews breaks into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to hold prayers marking Hanukkah, but Waqf officials ask Israeli police to intervene, and police remove them peacefully. Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem celebrating Hanukkah attack a number of Palestinian shops and residents in the Old City; Israeli security forces observe but do not intervene. The PASF crackdown on Hamas mbrs. in the West Bank winds down today, with the UN reporting at least 80 and as many as 300 detained. The Israeli High Court rules that a 2007-imposed ban on family visits by Gazans to Palestinians held in Israeli jails is valid. (OCHA, PCHR 12/16; PCHR 12/23; HA 12/31)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized late-night house searches in 4 villages south and west of Jenin, arresting only 1 Palestinian; conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Qalqilya. Palestinians in Yasuf receive Israel’s chief rabbi Yona Metzger, who requested permission to make an official visit to condemn the 12/11 arson and vandalism attack on the village mosque by Jewish settlers. In Gaza, 10,000s of Palestinians rally to mark Hamas’s 22d anniversary. In the West Bank, the PA security forces (PASF) begin rounding up Hamas mbrs. to prevent anniversary rallies there. (NYT, WP, WT 12/15; OCHA, PCHR 12/16; WJW 12/17)

Jewish settlers launch an organized campaign of civil disobedience to protest Netanyahu’s settlement freeze, blocking traffic at major intersections leading into Jerusalem. Israeli police quickly disperse them without violence, but settlers say they plan to keep up such actions randomly over the coming days to frustrate the government. Meanwhile, IDF undercover units stage a major late-night raid on a Nablus apartment building, arresting Palestinian Salah al-Bukhari, wanted since 2001. The IDF also stages late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and nr. Bethlehem, Nablus, Salfit, Tulkarm. Hamas-affiliated police manning the Gaza side of the Erez crossing block the exit of 37 Palestinian medical patients granted permission by Israel to leave the Strip, stating they have not obtained the proper exit visa from Gaza’s Interior Min. (see 12/6). (OCHA 12/9; WJW, PCHR 12/10)

New York State assemblyman Dov Hikind leads a delegation of 50 Jewish Americans to lay the cornerstone of a new settlement housing project (Nof Zion) in the Palestinian neighborhood of Jabal Mukabir in East Jerusalem (see Quarterly Update for details). Meanwhile, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home and store in Issawiyya (14 residents) on the outskirts of Jerusalem, 4 Palestinian structures in other Arab areas of East Jerusalem, including Silwan. In the West Bank, the IDF searches greenhouses nr. Jenin, looking for unlicensed wells; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm and nr. Jenin. Also in East Jerusalem, an Israeli youth stabs, wounds a Palestinian laborer in Ramat Eshkol settlement. The IDF also makes 2 incursions into s. Gaza nr. Abasan and Khuza to bulldoze land along the border fence, clearing lines of sight. Late in the day, unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF makes air strikes on 2 smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border (injuring 1 Palestinian) and on a Hamas training site in Khan Yunis (destroying 2 structures). (NYT, XIN 11/19; PCHR 11/25; JPI 11/27)

In the West Bank, IDF undercover units raid a village in the Hebron hills, arrest wanted IQB Tulkarm head Muhammad Harwish and his aide Adnan Samara. The IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, arresting 3 Palestinians. In Bil‘in, the IDF raids the home of ‘Abdallah Abu Rahma, the Bil‘in Coordinator of the Public Committee against the Wall and Settlement, violently beating him and attacking a number of international activists. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar beat a Palestinian shepherd and shoot another Palestinian who attempts to phone Israeli authorities for help. (PCHR 9/17; JPI 9/24)

In East Jerusalem, the IDF conducts raids, house searches in Silwan, arresting 4 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 9/17)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell begins a 2-day trip to Israel and Ramallah to discuss settlement construction with Netanyahu and PA pres. Mahmud Abbas. (WP 9/16; WJW 9/17)

The UN’s Goldstone mission, which investigated Israeli and Palestinian actions during Operation Cast Lead (OCL), issues its advance report accusing both Israel and Hamas of extensive war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, giving them until 2/5/10 to respond. (NYT, WP 9/16) 

The IDF makes a brief incursion into n. Gaza to bulldoze land along the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized late-night house searches in Jenin town, r.c., and nearby Qabatya, making no arrests. Later at night, the IDF stages arrest raids and house searches in Barta‘a village nr. Jenin. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Suissa settlement nr. Hebron beat a Palestinian shepherd grazing her flock nearby and attempt to steal her sheep; another Palestinian intervenes and is also beaten, but the settlers leave without the sheep. Around 10 Jewish settlers ambush a Palestinian car driving on the Ramallah–Nablus road, smash its front window, injuring the driver, who is given medical attention by the IDF. A Hamas-affiliated PA prisoner dies in custody in Nablus; the PASF claims the man committed suicide, but the family and human rights organizations demand an independent investigation. (OCHA, PCHR 8/13)

Israel approves the import to Gaza of cement and steel for 3 construction projects, including a flour mill. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Ramallah and al-Bireh at midday; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Balata r.c., Nablus. In Jerusalem, the IDF escorts some 200 Jewish settlers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to hold prayers marking the anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish temple. The IDF Central Command issues an order establishing a separate military court for the prosecution of Palestinian children under the age of 16 living in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), appointing separate juvenile court judges and requiring youths’ trials be held in separate rooms fr. (or at different times than) trials of adults. (NYT, PCHR 7/30; OCHA, PCHR 8/6)

The Israeli government releases its comprehensive investigative report into its conduct during OCL, concluding that “incessant” Hamas rocket fire into Israel forced Israel to act and denying any war crimes, though admitting that around a dozen criminal investigations of soldiers’ conduct are underway. (IFM 7/30; NYT 7/31)

Israel releases elected Hamas-affiliated speaker of the Palestinian parliament ‘Aziz Dwayk, jailed nearly 3 yrs. before as part of an IDF arrest sweep targeting Hamas leaders in the wake of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit’s capture; some 40 other Hamas legislators remain in custody. The release raises speculation that a Hamas-Israeli prisoner exchange deal to free Shalit is imminent. A wk. after making public comments about Arabs that were denounced as racist, Israeli internal security M Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beitainu) makes a highly controversial 90-min. visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, including entering the mosque, to “review police deployments” at the site. He says his visit was coordinated with Muslim authorities, which they deny. A similar visit to the compound by Ariel Sharon in 2000 sparked the al-Aqsa intifada. In the West Bank, the IDF levels 500 d. of Palestinian land in Issawiyya on the outskirts of Jerusalem to “preserve the natural beauty of the city [i.e., Jerusalem]”; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Avnei Hefetz settlement nr. Tulkarm erect a tent in nearby Kafr Labad village, previously bulldozed by the IDF, with the aim of expanding the settlement. (NYT, WP, WT 6/24; OCHA, PCHR 6/25)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm; conducts late-night patrols in Silat al-Harithiyya nr. Jenin, erecting a checkpoint and checking IDs and car registrations. The UN reports that the IDF has removed the physical infrastructure of an IDF checkpoint at the entrance to Jericho; soldiers remain posted at the site but have not been stopping Palestinian vehicles; the IDF has also opened 3 checkpoints nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Nablus (Tayasir, Ma’ale Ephraim, and Hamra, respectively) around the clock. Jewish settlers fr. Eli settlement nr. Nablus set fire to nearby Palestinian crop land; the IDF observes but refuses to stop the settlers or call firefighters. A Hamas mbr. dies in PA custody in Hebron, and Hamas accuses the PASF of torturing him; the 34-yr.-old man was arrested on charges of money laundering, illegal gun possession, and conspiracy to target PASF forces. (JTA, REU 6/15; OCHA, PCHR, WJW 6/18)

In Cairo, Obama gives a major address calling for a “new beginning” in relations btwn. the U.S. and the Muslim world, acknowledging historic missteps btwn. the two, stressing mutual interests and respect to combat stereotypes. He refers to Israel’s “occupation” as “intolerable” and notes the “daily humiliations—large and small” that Palestinians suffer, but also stresses the U.S.’s “unbreakable bond” with Israel. On the sidelines, Obama meets privately with Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak to discuss the peace process and Iran. (IFM 6/4; NYT, WP, WT 6/5; NYT 6/6; NYT 7/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes about a third of the Jordan Valley Bedouin community of Khirbat al-Ras al-Ahmar, razing 15 residential structures, 30 animal pens, 18 traditional ovens, displacing 128 Palestinians who have resided in the area since the 1960s, including 66 children, confiscating a tractor and water tank; fires rubber-coated steel bullets at stone-throwing Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall in Bil‘in; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. Right-wing Jewish settlers send a letter to an IDF general threatening him and his children, and equating soldiers who evacuate settlement outposts with Nazi collaborators. PASF officers and Hamas mbrs. exchange fire in Qalqilya (see 5/31), leaving 2 Hamas mbrs., 1 PASF officer dead. (Yedi’ot Aharonot 6/4; NYT 6/5; NYT 6/6; HA 6/8; OCHA, PCHR 6/11)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a late-night incursion into Rumana village nr. Jenin, patrolling streets and firing on residential areas, causing no injuries and making no arrests. After the Israeli High Court upholds a judgment that 2 East Jerusalem homes (including the one seized on 4/3) belong to Jewish settler groups, Israeli security forces evict the 2 Palestinian families who have lived in the homes for years. PA security forces in the West Bank report uncovering an explosives lab in a mosque, implying it was run by Hamas; the exact location is not reported. (WT 4/15; PCHR 4/16)

In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Qabatya village nr. Jenin at midday in a car with Palestinian license plates to raid a cafe and arrest a wanted ´ Palestinian; demolishes 4 Palestinian homes in Azariyya nr. Jerusalem, in the E1 area marked for expansion of Ma’ale Adumim settlement, displacing 42 Palestinians. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts synchronized late-night incursions into Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah, and Zatara village nr. Bethlehem to raid and search the homes of 8 senior figures affiliated with Hamas (fmr. PA Dep. PM and Education M Nasser al-Din al-Sha‘ir in Nablus; Reform and Change Palestinian Council legislators Nizar ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Ramadan and ‘Assam Nu‘man Salhab in Hebron; Ayman Husayn Darghma in Ramallah; Khalid Tafish Thwayb in Zatara; Reform and Change office director for Ramallah and al-Bireh Mazin al-Rimawi in Ramallah; senior Hamas leader Adnan Ahed Asfur and al-Najah University prof. Issam Rashid al-Ashqar in Nablus), arresting them for their “ongoing efforts to restore the administrative branch of the Hamas terror organization in the [West Bank].” The moves come as an Israeli Justice Min. comm. debates limiting the privileges (e.g., visitation, phone calls, study groups) of Hamas prisoners in Israel. Some 40 Hamas-affiliated legislators have been arrested since Shalit’s capture in 6/06, most of whom remain in detention. Hamas views the moves as Israel’s attempts to pressure it to make concessions in the ongoing Cairo prisoner exchange talks. The IDF conducts additional late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Tulkarm. Mbrs. of Kiryat Arba settlement’s private security service detain a Canadian journalist and a fieldworker for the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem as they pass nr. the settlement, holding them until the IDF arrives to question them; they are released 4 hrs. later. (OCHA 3/18; PCHR 3/19; NYT, WP, WT 3/20; OCHA 3/24, 3/25; PCHR 3/26; JPI 4/3)

Gaza’s power plant is forced to shut 1 turbine for lack of spare parts, increasing rolling power outages across the Strip fr. 4–6 hrs./day to 8–12 hrs./day for 3 days until parts are allowed in for the repair. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in villages around Hebron and Jenin; conducts additional late-night arrest raids, house searches in Silwad nr. Ramallah, nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement seriously beat a Palestinian woman walking nearby; the IDF observes but does not intervene. A Palestinian prisoner dies of apparent torture in Hamas police custody in Gaza. (OCHA 3/17, 3/18; PCHR 3/19; OCHA 4/1)

Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas denounces the fire, saying it comes at the wrong time as truce talks in Cairo are ongoing. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, forcing them to return to shore. Late in the evening, the IDF makes 2 air strikes on Yibna r.c. nr. the Rafah border, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in Tulkarm; opens fire on 2 Palestinian teenagers throwing stones at Jewish settler vehicles nr. Ramallah, wounding 1, arresting the other; maintains the curfew on, continues occupying and searching homes in Bayt Umar (see 3/10) until withdrawing in the afternoon, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in villages around Jenin, in and around Ramallah, and in Bethlehem. (PCHR 3/12; WT 3/13; OCHA 3/17, 3/18; PCHR 3/19)

In Gaza, UN and Hamas officials report the theft of a cache of IDF UXO fr. OCL that was being held at a storage site guarded by Hamas police; police say unknown individuals stole the explosives when police fled the site fearing an attack by IDF drones operating in the area; the UXO had been collected by Hamas police and turned over to the UN for safe disposal. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on Palestinians and international activists working their land nr. the border fence, wounding 1 Palestinian farmer. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Salfit. Jewish settlers accompanied by IDF troops level land nr. Yatta village s. of Hebron for construction of a settler-only bypass road. (NYT, PCHR 2/19; OCHA 2/24; PCHR 2/26)

As the quarter opens, Israel’s near total blockade of Gaza enters its 21st month, since Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 6/07. Israel continues to bar exports fr. Gaza, strictly limit imports, and ban all but VIPs and emergency medical cases fr. transiting the border. Imports include limited commodities and enough staple goods and fuel for electricity, emergency services, and cooking to preclude a humanitarian crisis, but are insufficient to meet daily needs, adequately maintain basic services, or repair the heavy damage fr. Israel’s 23-day assault on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead (OCL), which ended on 1/18/09. Today, Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) respond with 2 air strikes on tunnels on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In Bayt Lahiya, 1 Palestinian scavenging scrap metal is killed, 4 are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance (UXO). In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes 20 olive trees on a plot of Palestinian land on the s. border of Ni‘lin, declaring it a closed military zone; conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches into Tulkarm, neighboring Nur Shams refugee camp (r.c.), and 5 nearby villages; conducts similar late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron; closes a gate in the separation wall nr. Dahiyat al-Barid (located btwn. the separation wall and the Green Line nr. Jerusalem), forcing villagers to travel 1–2 hrs. through the Qalandia crossing to access the rest of the West Bank. The Israeli government authorizes the confiscation of 1,700 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of Palestinian land in the villages of al-Ma‘sara, Umm Salamuna, and Wadi al-Nas nr. Bethlehem for expansion of Efrat and Gush Etzion settlements (2,500 new housing units, increasing the settler population there fr. 9,000 to 30,000). (Mideast Mirror 2/16; NYT, WP 2/17; OCHA 2/18; PCHR 2/19; OCHA 2/24)

In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on a Hamas-affiliated police station in Khan Yunis, which has been bombed repeatedly, causing no reported injuries. Israel allows 94 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza, as well a limited amount of fuel for Gaza’s power plant. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Jayyus in the afternoon, imposes a curfew; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Ramallah, and nr. Jenin, Salfit, Tulkarm. Palestinians in Yassuf village nr. Salfit report that over the past several days, Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops have bulldozed at least 250 d. of village land and replanted 200 d. with their own crops. (PCHR 2/12, 2/19)

Palestinians fire 2 rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with 10 air strikes on tunnels on the Rafah border, also destroying an evacuated house and a farm, killing many animals. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, wounding 1 Palestinian. UNRWA halts aid transfers to Gaza, accusing Hamas of confiscating UN stocks for a 2d time, commandeering 10 truckloads of rice, flour. UN Secy. Gen. Ban Ki-moon warns Hamas that the suspension will remain in place until the stolen goods are returned and UNRWA is given credible assurances that thefts would not be repeated. Some Fatah-affiliated charities in Gaza also accuse Hamas of confiscating their supplies. Israel allows 82 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza today. In the West Bank, the IDF fires live ammunition, tear gas to disperse Palestinians holding a nonviolent demonstration against OCL in Hebron, wounding 1 Palestinian; fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian and international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Jayyus (injuring 3 Palestinians); fires tear gas at a similar demonstration in al-Ma‘sara s. of Bethlehem (injuring 5 Palestinians); conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Bil‘in and nr. Jenin, Nablus; makes a late-night incursion into Dayr Abu Da’if nr. Jenin, rousts 3 shop owners fr. their homes and has them open their stores, photographing and confiscating some goods. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai in Hebron vandalize nearby Palestinian houses. Separately, the IDF tells Palestinians in the Ramat Yishai vicinity that they may not receive visitors to their homes without IDF permission. (MM, NYT, WP, YA 2/7; WP, WT 2/8; PCHR 2/12)

UNRWA accuses Hamas-affiliated police of raiding a UN compound in Shati’ r.c. on 2/3 and confiscating 400 food parcels and 3,500 blankets intended for the needy after UNRWA refused Hamas’s request to turn the aid over to Hamas-run Social Affairs Min. Meanwhile, Israel allows 101 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts early morning house searches in Hebron, photographing homes but making no arrests; bulldozes 90 d. of Palestinian land near 3 Jewish settlement and the separation wall w. of Qalqilya; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Tubas. In the East Jerusalem environs, Israeli authorities demolish 1 Palestinian home in Jabal al-Tur, 2 homes in Issawiyya as part of the project to link the E1 and Ma’ale Adumim settlement areas. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 2/5; PCHR 2/12)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, causing no injuries. Palestinians fire a Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel (the 1st Grad fired since the end of OCL), causing damage in Ashqelon but no injuries. Hamas denies responsibility. Late in the evening, the IDF responds with air strikes on smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border and a Hamas outpost nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Israel allows 185 truckloads of goods (much of it seed and fodder), 15 tons of medicine and medical equipment into Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late night arrest raids, house searches in Bil‘in, nr. Salfit. In the East Jerusalem environs, Israeli authorities bulldoze a parking lot, fence, guard house of a Palestinian bus company in Abu al-Tur, a Palestinian fuel depot and tract of land at the entrance to al-Za‘im, and a Palestinian commercial building in Jabal al-Tur as part of Israel’s project to link the E1 and Ma’ale Adumim settlement areas. Jewish settlers and IDF troops bulldoze 50 d. of Palestinian agricultural land in Sa’ir village nr. Hebron; Palestinian residents attempt to block the Israelis, but troops fire in the air and troops and settlers beat back the Palestinians, injuring 6. (MM, NYT, WP 2/4; PCHR, WJW 2/5; JPI 2/13)

The Gaza cease-fire holds, with no Israeli or Palestinian violence reported. Israeli officials say the IDF has accelerated its withdrawal fr. Gaza in hopes that it will be completed by the time U.S. pres.-elect Barack Obama is sworn in on 1/20. Across Gaza, some stores reopen, and traffic along the main north–south route (occupied by the IDF during the war) resumes, though observers say (WP 1/20) that “much of the main highway was nearly impassable from the dirt and debris plowed up by Israel’s military”; Hamas-led police provide traffic control in damaged areas and generally try to assert a presence. Israel allows a small group of foreign reporters into Gaza and permits them to interview Palestinians, but requires them to team report as a pool and runs their coverage through IDF censors, given the continued presence of Israeli soldiers in the field. Israel for the first time since 12/27 allows a few truckloads of commercial goods into Gaza in addition to humanitarian aid; in total, 208 truckloads are allowed entry. Rescue workers continue searching for survivors and uncovering bodies (at least 14 today), particularly in al-Zaytun. (AY, DUS, MM, YA 1/19; NYT, WP, WT 1/20; DUS, al-Hayat, JP, MM, QA 1/21; NYT, PCHR, UNICEF press release, WT 1/22; PCHR 1/29; AP 1/30; WT 2/4; WP 2/8; Electronic Intifada 2/24)

The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin, Nablus; issues military orders confiscating 3,000 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of land in Yatta s. of Hebron and 13 d. nr. Bethlehem for settlement expansion, and 500 d. of land in Abu Dis for construction of the separation wall around Jerusalem. A Jewish settler driving nr. Ramallah is shot, seriously wounded fr. a passing car. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces evict a family (18 mbrs.) and seal their home in Jabal al-Mukabir, where Israelis are expanding a Jewish settlement. (HA, NYT 1/20; MM 1/21; PCHR 1/22)

The 20th day of OCL is marked by serious diplomatic steps toward a cease-fire but also by Israel’s heaviest attacks on Gaza since operations began. Israel’s envoy receives the Egyptian-Hamas cease-fire offer in Cairo, returns to Israel to brief the security cabinet. Olmert dispatches Livni to Washington to finalize a bilateral “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) regarding U.S.-led international efforts to halt arms smuggling into Gaza.

Combat notes: The IDF sharply escalates air, naval, and ground attacks across Gaza. IDF ground forces push deep into Gaza City under cover of air strikes and heavy tank and artillery fire. Residents report almost constant air, naval, artillery bombardment from 1:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. local time, and particularly heavy ground engagements in al-Atatra n. of the city and Tal al-Hawa neighborhood on the southern outskirts, as well as in Jabaliya r.c. Thousands of Gaza City residents attempt to flee the fighting, but many cannot leave their homes because of the intensity of Israeli fire. During the operations, Israeli troops surround the home of Hamas’s Mahmud Zahhar (in hiding), killing his security guards. Gaza City fighting eases slightly in the afternoon, but IDF troops remain in the city overnight. The IDF also takes up new positions in Bayt Hanun’s alFarta and al-Nazzaza quarters under cover of heavy shelling and gunfire, ordering residents of the 2 areas (some 20 families) to evacuate.

The IDF reports carrying out more than 80 air strikes today, hitting at least 23 rocket and mortar launching sites, 19 groups of armed Palestinians, 6 suspected weapons depots (including 2 mosques in Gaza City, 1 in Rafah), 4 tunnels, 1 radio station in Gaza City. Air strike target areas include al-Atatra, Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (al-Rimal, al-Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, al-Yarmuk), Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, al-Maghazi r.c., Nussayrat r.c., Rafah, Yibna r.c. Heavy tank and artillery fire are reported in Abasan, Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (al-Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, al-Tuffah), Jabaliya, Khuza, al-Mughraqa, al-Nasser (n. of Rafah), Nussayrat r.c., al-Qarara, Rafah. UNRWA reports 100s of Palestinians fleeing areas of northeastern Rafah to escape heavy bombardments. Reports of Israel using white phosphorous munitions spike sharply, with confirmed use in 3 areas (Abasan, Khuza, al-Qarara) and suspected use in 5 areas (Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Khan Yunis, Nussayrat r.c.). Israeli naval bombardment concentrates on Khan Yunis and the neighboring al-Mahatin area. Closecombat fighting is reported around Jabaliya r.c.

In a major air strike on Jabaliya, the IDF assassinates Gaza’s acting Interior M Said Siyam in his brother’s home, along with his brother and nephew, Hamas internal security head for Gaza Salah Abu Sharah, 4 Palestinians in an adjacent home. In addition, IDF air strikes hit buildings in Gaza City housing UNRWA’s main food depot (3 white phosphorous missiles incinerate tons of food and medicine brought in during the humanitarian lulls); Palestinian Red Crescent Society offices and the adjacent al-Quds Hospital (both hit repeatedly over a 5-hr. period; the patient wing of the hospital is not targeted); and the shared media offices of Abu Dhabi TV, al-Arabiyya TV, Reuters, and the Russian TV channel Rusiya al-Yaum, causing serious damage and injuring 2 journalists. A number of other hospitals in Gaza City are damaged by Israeli mortar fire. Palestinian medical workers say the Palestinian toll is at least 1,090 dead (including 375 children, 150 women, 14 medical workers), more than 5,000 wounded.

Palestinians fire 15 rockets and 8 mortars into Israel, seriously injuring a 7-yr.-old Israeli boy in Beersheba and causing significant damage in 2 instances (both by Qassams in Sederot); at least 3 of the rockets are Grads (2 in and nr. Beersheba, 1 in Gadera).

The Palestinian toll is estimated to be at least 1,090 dead, more than 5,000 wounded.

Humanitarian notes: With diplomacy toward a cease-fire showing progress, Israel extends the daily humanitarian lull to 4 hrs./day, allowing in up to 170 truckloads of humanitarian aid; permits the Qarni crossing conveyor belt to resume operation for the 1st time since 12/27 for the import of grain. Israel also allows the ICRC and Palestinian Energy Authority to begin repairs to part of Gaza’s electricity network. (AFP, AP, HA, IDF, IFM, IHY, MM, RFM, UNOSAT, YA 1/15; HA, IDF Radio, JP, MA, MM, NYT, REU, Scotsman, WP, WT, XIN, YA 1/16; IFM, NYT, XIN 1/17; ITIC 1/19; PCHR 1/22, 1/29)

Citing unspecified security concerns, the IDF imposes a total closure on the West Bank through 1/17. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar attempt to close a road nr. Nablus to Palestinian traffic, stone Palestinian cars; the IDF forces them to leave. (IDF 1/15; PCHR 1/22)

The IDF significantly increases attacks on Gaza for the 2d straight day, as international mediation efforts led by Egypt to secure a cease-fire also intensify.

Combat notes: The IDF tightens the cordon around Gaza City (focusing attacks on the outlying neighborhoods of Shaykh Ajlin, Tal al-Hawa, and al-Zaytun and open areas n. of the city), with troops reportedly taking fire from Palestinian rocket-propelled grenade antitank missiles and mortars. The IDF also launches a major incursion into Jabaliya under heavy shelling, engaging in heavy exchanges of fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing at least 13. In s. Gaza, the IDF continues heavy attacks on Khuza, including air strikes, intense shelling, and widespread bulldozing of some 50 houses and farms; Israeli fire is so heavy and constant that residents report being unable to reach the injured or flee their homes to seek shelter outside the village; IDF troops pull back fr. Khuza after nightfall.

The IDF reports carrying out more than 160 air strikes across Gaza. Air strike target areas include Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Gaza City (al-Sabra, Shaykh Ridwan, al-Zaytun), Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, Khuza, Nussayrat r.c., Rafah, al-Shuka, Tal al-Za‘atar, and the Twam area. Israeli gunboats shell Nussayrat r.c. Heavy tank and artillery fire are reported nr. Bayt Lahiya (white phosphorous suspected) and in Dayr al-Balah, Jabaliya town, Khan Yunis (white phosphorous suspected), Khuza, Nussayrat r.c. (confirmed use of flechette shells). For a 2d day, nearly half of the air strikes take place after nightfall, targeting Gaza City. Palestinians report 12 hrs. of constant Israeli bombardment of the Rafah border, with the IDF claiming to destroy 90 smuggling tunnels. (The IDF also demolishes 1 tunnel on the Gaza–Israel border nr. the Nahal Oz crossing.) Specific targets include a Hamas police headquarters in Gaza City, 31 groups of armed men, 25 rocket-launching sites, and 13 suspected weapons manufacturing and storage facilities.

On the ground, the IDF reports a total of 6 soldiers wounded (2 moderately, 4 lightly) in 2 exchanges of gunfire with Palestinians. In a 3d incident, IDF reservists open fire on an IDF paratrooper unit, seriously wounding 1 and moderately wounding 3. Palestinians report around 70 Gazans killed today, putting the estimated Palestinian toll at 971 dead and 4,400 wounded. The Israeli toll stands at 13–14 dead, more than 125 injured. (Israeli military intelligence confirms that 1 soldier killed on 1/6 or 1/8 was targeted by a suicide bomber, stating that several Palestinian suicide bombers, including some women and some dressed as IDF soldiers, have approached combat units.)

Palestinians fire about 11 rockets and 6 mortars into Israel, causing no reported damage or injuries.

Humanitarian notes: The IDF observes another 3-hr. lull, allowing 102 truckloads of aid into Gaza. (The IDF states that 1,028 truckloads of humanitarian goods have been allowed into Gaza since 12/27.) During the lull the ICRC rescues 100 Palestinians trapped in Jabaliya. Heavy IDF attacks in Rafah force UNRWA to close a medical center just n. of the border to ensure the safety of patients and to open more shelters for displaced residents. Human Rights Watch calls Israel’s 3-hr./day breaks to facilitate humanitarian aid “woefully insufficient.” Other aid groups (including Doctors Without Borders, the ICRC, the UN) complain that they are still able to import and distribute only a fraction of the emergency supplies available for Gaza because of Israeli delays and restrictions. (BBC, HA, IDF, IFM, MA, MM, REU, YA 1/13; AYM, IDF, IFM, MM, NYT, WP, WT, YA 1/14; NYT, PCHR, WP, XIN 1/15; ITIC 1/19)

In the West Bank, IDF troops at the Tarqumiyya crossing nr. Hebron fatally shoot a Palestinian who allegedly attempts to grab the gun of a border patrol officer after being denied permission to cross the checkpoint. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Awa, Dura, and Kafr Khalil (all nr. Hebron). A Jewish settler driving nr. Azun village e. of Qalqilya opens fire on Palestinian youths who stone his car, killing 1 Palestinian teenager, wounding 2. (HA 1/13; PCHR 1/15)

A Jordanian soldier fires on an Israeli border patrol unit operating along the Negev border with Jordan n. of Elat. The border police return fire. No injuries are reported. (MM 1/13; WT 1/14; JPI 1/23)

Olmert’s security cabinet revives discussion of opening phase 3 of OCL (see 1/9), agreeing to make a final decision whether to expand or wind down operations within 2–3 days, by which time the IDF believes ground forces will have done all they can from the open and suburban areas they currently hold to weaken Hamas’s ability and desire to fire rockets.

Combat notes: The IDF significantly increases attacks, particularly around Gaza City, and continues to send troops into Gaza. Palestinians report (AYM 1/12) heavy clashes with the IDF n. of Bayt Lahiya, in Daraj and al-Shuja‘iyya neighborhoods on the eastern boundary of Gaza City, and in Dahadih and al-Zaytun to the south of the city. Overnight, the IDF also sends troops back into Khuza (see 1/11) under heavy artillery fire (possibly including white phosphorous), occupying a number of homes as staging posts and prompting 1,000s of residents to flee their homes.

The IDF reports carrying out more than 120 air strikes (half of them after nightfall, targeting Gaza City), uncovering 1 boobytrapped home and 2 booby-trapped tunnels. Targets include the PA Interior Min. offices in n. Gaza, more than 35 tunnels on the Rafah border, homes of Hamas leaders, at least 22 mortar and rocket launching sites, at least 26 groups of armed men, at least 10 “Hamas outposts,” 2 suspected weapons depots and manufacturing facilities, 2 mosques, 2 hotels. Air strike target areas include Bayt Lahiya, Gaza City (city center and Shaykh Ridwan, al-Sudaniyya, Tal al-Hawa, al-Zaytun), Jabaliya town, al-Maghazi r.c., Nussayrat, Rafah, al-Shabura r.c., al-Shuka, Tal al-Za‘atar, the Twam area (northern outskirts of Gaza City), Yibna r.c. IDF gunboats shell Nussayrat, Rafah, a fishing port w. of Rafah. Heavy tank and artillery fire are reported in Bayt Hanun, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (al-Shuja‘iyya, al-Zaytun), Jabaliya town, al-Mughraqa, Twam.

Israeli attacks are so intense that reliable updates on Palestinian casualty estimates are not possible. The IDF estimates killing at least 30 Palestinians in air strikes. UNRWA reports at least 19 Palestinian children killed and 52 children injured in nighttime operations (possibly overlapping with air strikes), 1 paramedic killed by tank fire in Jabaliya during the day. The IDF reports 8 soldiers wounded (1 severely, 1 moderately, 6 lightly) in various incidents, all after nightfall; 3 of the soldiers are injured when they trigger a setup in a booby-trapped house.

Palestinians fire 17 rockets and 7 mortars into Israel, with 1 rocket in Ashqelon and 1 in Sederot causing damage but no reported injuries.

Humanitarian notes: The IDF observes the daily 3-hr. humanitarian lull, allowing 120 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. UNRWA estimates that internally displaced Gazans number now 90,000: 30,000 seeking shelter in UNRWA schools; 60,000 in the homes of friends and relatives. (AP, AYM, BBC, HA, IDF, IFM, JP, MA, MM, al-Ra’i, REU, RFM, WP, YA 1/12; HA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT, YA 1/13; AYM, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/14; PCHR 1/15; BBC, WJW 1/16; ITIC 1/19)

In the West Bank, unidentified armed Palestinians fire on an IDF patrol nr. Kiryat Arba settlement, wounding 3. In response, the IDF raids, searches Palestinian homes nr. Kiryat Arba, making no arrests. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (HA 1/13; PCHR 1/15)

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)