The Palestine Chronology

During the day in Gaza, the IDF fires on Jabaliya r.c., seriously wounding a Palestinian woman inside her home. In the evening, Olmert convenes his security cabinet, which authorized the IDF to step up attacks on Hamas, Islamic Jihad. Soon after, the IDF makes an air strike targeting IQB cmdr. Samih Farwanah in Gaza City, who is at the home of Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform Palestinian Council (PC) mbr. Khalil al-Haya, assassinating Farwanah, killing 7 of Haya’s relatives, wounding more than 12; fires a missile at Hamas mbr. Nasser Hammuda, biking through Gaza City, wounding him in an apparent assassination attempt; makes an air strike on an alleged Hamas weapons factory in Gaza City, killing 1 Palestinian security guard, wounding 3 bystanders; makes an air strike on the home of an Islamic Jihad mbr., destroying it and a neighboring meeting hall, causing no injuries; shells residential areas of Bayt Lahiya, heavily damaging 2 homes, wounding 6 Palestinians. Palestinians fire at least 12 rockets, 2 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging 2 trucks on the Israeli side of the Qarni crossing but causing no injuries. In Rafah, an al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. is injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Arub r.c nr. Hebron and in and around Bethlehem, Jenin town and r.c.; raids 4 TV and radio stations in Nablus seizing computers and broadcasting equipment; begins bulldozing 130 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of apricot and date orchards nr. Artas nr. Bethlehem to make way for the separation wall. Under IDF escort, Jewish settlers fr. Efrat nr. Bethlehem uproot Palestinian trees nr. the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Karme Tzur nr. Hebron unleash an attack dog on a Palestinian farmer working his land nr. the settlement, injuring him. Meanwhile, Hamas, Fatah observe a ceasefire during the day; stores begin to reopen and residents venture out for the 1st time in a wk. (HA, IFM, NYT, PCHR, WP 5/20; HA, NYT, OCHA, PCHR, WP, WT 5/21; OCHA 5/23; PCHR 5/24)

Overnight, Lebanese police and soldiers raid several homes in Tripoli in an attempt to capture a group connected to the tiny militant group, Fatah al-Islam (FI), that was suspected of carrying out a bank robbery on 5/19. The raids spark gun battles that quickly spread throughout the city and to the outskirts of Nahr al-Barid r.c. (pop. 40,000), where FI is based. When FI forces leave the camp to ambush and capture nearby army positions, the Lebanese army fires tank shells, mortars into the camp, quickly precipitating massive clashes (including RPG, heavy weapons fire by FI) that continue throughout the day. In total, at least 27 Lebanese soldiers, 20 FI mbrs., and 9 Palestinian civilians inside the camp are killed and scores are wounded during the day. By nightfall, the army regains control of areas surrounding the camp, seals the camp to prevent militants fr. escaping; cuts water and electricity to the camp to urge a surrender. Syria closes several border crossings n. and w. of Tripoli in reaction. Separately, a car bomb explodes nr. a shopping mall in the Christian neighborhood of Achrifiyya in Beirut, killing 1 Lebanese woman, wounding 12; no group claims responsibility. (AP, NYT, REU, WP, WT 5/21; WT 5/24; NYT 6/20, 7/7)

The IDF makes 7 air strikes on Gaza, targeting 2 Hamas rocket-launching sites in n. Gaza, killing 3 Palestinian shepherds, 1 Palestinian child; hitting a car driving in Gaza City, assassinating Hamas’s Muhiy al-Din al-Sirhi, also killing 2 civilians traveling with him; destroying the Gaza City home of Hamas mbr. Imad Dallul in an apparent assassination attempt, wounding him and 3 other Hamas mbrs.; destroying 4 alleged weapons factories in Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, and Nussayrat r.c., damaging nearby homes. The IDF also shells residential areas in Bayt Hanun, injuring a Palestinian woman, 4 children. In Gaza City, 3 Palestinians are injured by IDF UXO; 3 Hamas mbrs. are injured when explosives they are handling detonate prematurely. Hamas fires an RPG at an IDF bulldozer leveling land along the Gaza border fence, injuring 2 IDF soldiers; fires 5 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, starting a brush fire but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Tel Rumeida in Hebron beat 2 international peace activists escorting Palestinian children nr. Beit Hadasah settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar nr. Nablus burn Palestinian olive trees in nearby Bayt Furik. Meanwhile, at least 6 Palestinians are wounded in factional fighting in Gaza that includes a gun fight btwn. ESF and NSF mbrs. in Gaza City, a Hamas attack on a PSF base in Rafah, and Fatah’s kidnapping and malicious wounding of 2 Hamas mbrs. in Gaza City. NSF officers manning several checkpoints reportedly harass observant Muslims, ordering women to remove their head coverings and arresting bearded men on suspicion of being Hamas mbrs., raising public outrage against Fatah. Another Egyptian-brokered cease-fire (involving 3 phone conversations btwn. Abbas, Damascus-based Hamas leader Khalid Mishal) that was to go into effect at 3:00 P.M. local time is ignored by Hamas and Fatah. (NYT, WP 5/20; PCHR 5/21; OCHA 5/23; PCHR 5/24)

The IDF makes at least 6 air strikes on Gaza, killing 9 Palestinians, wounding 10s. Air strikes target an ESF barracks outside the Interior Min. (killing 1 ESF mbr., wounding at least 21 Palestinians, including at least 10 bystanders); a civilian car (apparently mistaken for a Hamas vehicle) driving nr. Rafah, killing 2 Palestinian children, wounding their father, 2 siblings; a trailer used to house ESF mbrs. guarding Interior Min. spokesman Khalid Abu Hilal’s home, killing 1 ESF mbr., wounding 4; a Hamas base e. of Gaza City nr. Qarni, killing 4 Hamas mbrs., 1 bystander and wounding 4 Hamas mbrs., 2 bystanders; a car in Gaza City, in an apparent attempt to assassinate Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB) cmdr. Imad Shabanah and a 2d senior Hamas mbr., wounding them, 4 bystanders. The IDF reoccupies an area of prime Palestinian agricultural land northeast of Bayt Hanun and northwest of Bayt Lahiya to expand its n. Gaza buffer zone, declaring the area off limits to Palestinians farmers, leveling land; deploys an artillery battery on the n. Gaza border, shelling areas nr. Bayt Lahiya and in Jabaliya r.c. (targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs.), causing no injuries; sends tanks into n. Gaza to conduct “limited ground operations” to halt Palestinian rocket fire, occupying buildings in Bayt Lahiya, and later Bayt Hanun and Jabaliya r.c. (The U.S. supports Israel’s “right to defend itself.”) A Palestinian teenager is injured in Jabaliya r.c. when he accidentally triggers unexploded IDF ordnance (IDF UXO). Palestinians fire at least 17 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, wounding several Israelis and damaging a synagogue, high school, and industrial building. (The Israeli DMin. evacuates 900 residents fr. Sederot, where most rockets have hit, taking them for a “weekend respite” at a recreation center in Netanya; about half of the town’s 24,000 residents have left.) In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Salfit, Tulkarm (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, wounding 2) and in Hebron (also raiding a wedding in Hebron, interrogating celebrants and arresting 3), Nablus; sends troops to patrol in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem, firing on residential areas and stonethrowing youths who confront the troops, killing 1 Palestinian teenager, wounding a 2d. Meanwhile, a new Hamas-Fatah ceasefire significantly reduces violence in Gaza, though at least 6 Palestinians are killed in clashes during the day. The dead include a Hamas mbr. kidnapped, executed by Fatah; a Hamas mbr. killed by a Fatah sniper; 4 Hamas supporters killed, 14 wounded when Fatah forces ambush a funeral for 2 ESF mbrs. killed on 5/16. Hamas mbrs. also attack PA national security forces (NSF) and PSF headquarters in n. Gaza. With the PA security forces unable to guarantee his security, Abbas delays plans to go to Gaza today to discuss the interfactional fighting. (AP, HA, REU 5/17; IFM, NYT, WP, WT 5/18; PCHR 5/21; OCHA 5/23; PCHR 5/24)

As part of an ongoing crackdown on Hamas in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) makes an air strike on a Rafah building controlled by the Executive Support Force (ESF)—a branch of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Interior Min. loyal to Hamasaffiliated PM Ismail Haniyeh—killing 3 ESF mbrs. and wounding at least 21 ESF mbrs., 3 mbrs. of the Fatah-affiliated PA Preventive Security Force (PSF) in a PSF office nearby, 3 bystanders (including 2 journalists). Hamas mbrs. fire 12 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting a home in Sederot, moderately injuring 1 Israeli, and hitting a transformer, cutting electricity to 24,000 residents. The IDF responds with an air strike on a house nr. Jabaliya refugee camp (r.c.), killing 2 Hamas mbrs., wounding 3. Israeli PM Ehud Olmert convenes his security cabinet which authorizes the IDF to carry out “severe and harsh” attacks on Gaza, including assassinations of resistance leaders, to prevent further rocket fire, effectively ending the 11/26/06 Gaza cease-fire, frequently violated by both sides. Meanwhile in Gaza, factional fighting btwn. Fatah, Hamas (ongoing since PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas [Fatah] deployed 1,000s of PA security forces under his control without coordinating with either independent Interior M Hani al-Qawasmi, who resigned in protest, or ESF cmdrs. on the ground) escalates sharply, particularly in Gaza City, leaving at least 20 Palestinians dead, 10s wounded, and a number of Fatah and Hamas mbrs. kidnapped. Among the incidents: an Egyptian official is fatally shot by Fatah mbrs. while walking the streets of Rafah with Fatah and Change and Reform legislators to test the intra-Palestinian cease-fire declared on 5/15; Hamas mbrs. ambush a PSF vehicle not knowing that it is transporting Hamas detainees, killing 5 Hamas mbrs., 2 PSF mbrs.; Fatah makes a retaliatory strike on an ESF post outside the Interior Min.’s offices in Gaza City, firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), killing 4 ESF mbrs.; some 200 Hamas mbrs. attack and occupy the home of PA internal security head Rashid Abu Shibak (who is not home at the time), killing at least 4 bodyguards; Hamas mbrs. fire mortars at Abbas’s Gaza residence, causing no injuries; Hamas mbrs. fire antitank rockets at the PA General Intelligence base nr. Shati‘ r.c. (After Fatah’s attacks today, the ESF, which has largely remained in its barracks, deploys “to respond with all our power” to further attacks.) Among the wounded are 8 Palestinian civilians among 200 who turned out in Gaza City to protest the interfactional violence and who placed themselves btwn. Fatah and Hamas gunmen to prevent further clashes. Palestinians in Ramallah observe a 1-day general strike to protest the factional violence. Midday, Hamas announces a unilateral cease-fire to begin at 8:00 P.M. local time, and Abbas calls on Fatah mbrs. to follow suit, but gun battles resume within hrs., leaving 2 Fatah mbrs. dead, 10 Palestinians wounded (included in totals above). Israeli Vice PM Shimon Peres says that Israel would respond favorably if Abbas asked for assistance in quelling the violence. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids in al-Til nr. Tulkarm (deliberately setting fire to a Palestinian home, damaging 5 others), neighboring Allar, and in and around Balata r.c. and Nablus. Jewish settlers fire on Palestinian homes in Bayt Furik nr. Nablus, causing no injuries; the IDF intervenes, removes the settlers. (BBC, HA, REU 5/16; IFM, NYT, WP, WT 5/17; PCHR 5/21; OCHA 5/23; PCHR 5/24)

In Gaza, Fatah-Hamas fighting intensifies, leaving at least 15 Palestinians dead. Among the incidents: PA presidential guardsmen fatally shoot Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades cmdr. Ibrahim Maniah nr. Qarni (Hamas claims he was assassinated, Fatah says he died in an exchange of gunfire); in retaliation, Hamas mbrs. attack a PA presidential guard training facility at the Qarni crossing with rockets, mortars, and RPGs, also firing on other PA security forces who come to the guardsmen’s aid, killing 8 national security officers. IDF troops on the Gaza border nearby fire on 2 guardsmen fleeing the scene toward the border fence, killing 1. Outside Abbas’s Gaza City offices, PA security forces loyal to Abbas halt, harass, shoot execution-style 2 Palestinian reporters for a pro-Hamas newspaper. A 12th Palestinian is killed in interfactional fighting in Gaza City. Across the Strip, Palestinian civilians stay in their homes and most stores close, while Fatah and Hamas gunmen take up strategic positions along roads and atop high buildings, and Egyptian mediators work to establish a new cease-fire. PA National Security Adviser Muhammad Dahlan, currently abroad, orders 500 Fatah-affiliated PSF mbrs. undergoing training in Egypt to return to Gaza immediately to help defend the pro-Abbas forces; Israel gives its consent for the forces to enter. Hamas also fires more than 20 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting a house and empty school, seriously wounding 1 Israeli, moderately wounding another. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron. (BBC, HA, NYT, OCHA, WP 5/16; PCHR, WP 5/17; WP 5/18)

PA Interior M Qawasmiresigns in protest of Abbas’s deployment of Fatah PA forces without coordination with his ministry, but blames both Hamas and Fatah for failing to take his security reform efforts seriously; Haniyeh will assume the post until a replacement is decided. Fatah-Hamas clashes continue in Gaza despite a 2d Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agmt. today, leaving 4 Palestinians dead and raising questions of whether the political leadership of either party has effective control over its military wings. The casualties include 2 AMB mbrs. killed when Hamas mbrs. raid a PA intelligence headquarters and the home of Fatah spokesman Mahir Miqdad. Meanwhile in the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Qabatya to conduct arrest raids, house searches; conducts additional arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron, and in Qalqilya, Tulkarm town and r.c.; patrols, fires on residential areas of Anabta nr. Tulkarm. A Palestinian dies of injuries he received on 1/31 when he was shot by the IDF while attempting to sneak into Israel unarmed to find work. (BBC 5/14; NYT, WT 5/15; OCHA 5/16; PCHR 5/17)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Rafah, forcing them to return to shore. The IDF makes a helicopter rocket strike on a suspected rocket-launching site nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no injuries. Olmert’s security cabinet discusses military options for dealing with continued rocket fire fr. Gaza; no decisions are reached; talks are expected to continue over the next several days. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Jenin, and in Balata r.c., Nablus. Israel’s Jerusalem authorities issue an eviction order to the Palestinian al-Ansari Library in Jerusalem (one of the largest collections in Jerusalem with 45,000 books), slating the building for demolition to make way for a train station. A Jewish settler guard at Burkan settlement nr. Salfit shoots, wounds a Palestinian driver who routinely transports Palestinian workers to and fr. the settlement; no reason is given. Heavy Fatah-Hamas fighting in Gaza escalates, leaving 5 Palestinians dead (including AMB cmdr. Bahaa Abu Jarad and his bodyguard), around 20 wounded. Egyptian mediators broker a truce late in the day, but fighting continues. (Ma’an News Agency 5/13; NYT 5/14; OCHA 5/16; PCHR 5/17)

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 makes an air strike on a car n. of Bayt Hanun allegedly carrying rockets to fire into Israel; 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. escape unharmed, but a bystander is wounded. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Bayt Lahiya, forcing them to return to shore. Palestinians fire around 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day, damaging a home in Sederot, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Bita nr. Nablus, forces the closure of the local market; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Bethlehem (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 1) and Jenin, and in and around Hebron, Tulkarm; confiscates 10 d. of Palestinian land e. of Qalqilya for construction of a settler bypass road for Keddumim settlement. (NYT 5/8; OCHA 5/9; PCHR 5/10)

The IDF releases 3 Palestinian farmers fr. Bayt Lahiya arrested on 5/4; sends troops into Gaza to level land along the border fence nr. ‘Abasan. Retaliating for the death of 2 mbrs. on 5/4, Islamic Jihad fires 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a house in Sederot, but causing no injuries; the IDF sends troops into Gaza n. of Bayt Lahiya to capture the Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding and arresting 1. A Palestinian is killed in Jabaliya r.c. when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, and nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Eli settlement nr. Nablus occupy a Palestinian home, leave after several hrs. when the IDF intervenes. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron detain, beat a Palestinian traveling by their settlement. Separately, Jewish settlers fr. Bayt Hadasah in Hebron beat an international peace activist escorting a Palestinian woman in the Israeli-controlled section of Hebron (H2). In Tubas, armed Palestinians fire on the local Palestinian Detainees Comm. offices, beat the office manager; no motive is stated. (WT 5/6; OCHA 5/9; PCHR 5/10)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Nussayrat r.c., forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF shoots, wounds a Palestinian farmer working in his field nr. Ibna; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron, and in Jenin town and r.c., Qabatya, Qalqilya. Of note: By this date, the IDF has stopped requiring special permits for Palestinians to enter the Jordan Valley, but access is only possible on public transportation through 4 checkpoints. The PA says that it has made the 1st formal contact with the kidnappers holding BBC correspondent Johnston, confirming he is still alive, but that their demands for his release are unacceptable. Protesters in cities across Israel begin to march to Tel Aviv for a major demonstration on 5/3 calling for Olmert’s resignation in the wake of the Winograd Commission report on Israel’s handling of the summer 2006 war on Lebanon. (OCHA, WP, WT 5/2; PCHR 5/3)

On the day Israel marks independence day and Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades fires 6 rockets and 8 mortars into Israel, causing no injuries, reiterating that it will no longer abide by the 11/26/06 cease-fire; the IDF responds with helicopter air strikes on n. Gaza and fires on an open area e. of Rafah; no damage or injuries are reported on either side. (Also in Gaza, a Palestinian is injured in Jabaliya r.c. while trying to dismantle an unexploded IDF shell.) Meanwhile, moderates in Hamas’s political wing say they are working to preserve the cease-fire. In the West Bank, the IDF occupies a Palestinian home in Saffa nr. Ramallah as an observation post; patrols, fires on residential areas of Nablus; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Nr. Jenin, 2 Palestinian children (ages 4, 7) are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance. Thousands of Jewish settlers march to the evacuated Homesh settlement site to protest the 2005 disengagement despite the IDF’s declaration of the area as a closed military zone; 2 IDF soldiers are injured trying to keep settlers from the site. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops bar Palestinians fr. using a road s. of Jenin for several hrs. (BBC, MM 4/24; IFM, MM, NYT, OCHA, WP 4/25; PCHR 4/26)

Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In Shati’ r.c., 2 Hamas mbrs. are injured when explosives they are handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols, fires on residential areas of Nablus; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Qabatya, al-Til. The PRCs release 4 Palestinians abducted in Jabaliya r.c. on 4/22, saying the incident, especially the death of a 5th abductee on 4/22, was a “regrettable mistake.” (NYT, WP 4/24; OCHA 4/25; PCHR 4/26)

The IDF makes an air strike on a car nr. Jabaliya r.c. carrying Islamic Jihad mbrs. who had fired rockets toward Israel (causing no damage), missing the vehicle and causing no damage; within the hr., the IDF makes a 2d air strike on a car in the same area, killing 1 Palestinian with no known resistance connections. Citing 9 killings in 2 days, Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades declares an end to its observance of the 11/26/06 cease-fire, though PM Haniyeh says that the PA still has every intention of making it work. During the day, Palestinians fire 5 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Ramallah, killing a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy; evicts some 80 Palestinians fr. Hadidiyya in the n. Jordan Valley (the Israeli High Court ruled on 1/3 that they posed a security threat to Jewish settlers in nearby Ro’i settlement; see Quarterly Update in JPS 143); confiscates 169 d. of Palestinian land nr. Tulkarm for construction of the separation wall; imposes a curfew on Hawara nr. Nablus; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Nablus. A Palestinian gunmanfires on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Hizma checkpoint into Jerusalem, injuring a settler and a Palestinian bystander. In Jabaliya r.c., PRC mbrs. abduct 5 Palestinians, including 2 ESF mbrs., exchanging fire with the ESF that leaves 1 of the abductees dead and sparks local demonstrations. In Gaza City, armed mbrs. of a local clan attack an ESF base, injuring 1 ESF mbr., kidnapping another (who is released later in the day after the PA intervenes). In Khan Yunis, a PA security officer is carjacked, wounded by unidentified assailants. (WP 4/23; BBC, MM, WT 4/24; OCHA 4/25; PCHR 4/26)

IDF helicopters fire on Islamic Jihad and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) mbrs. planting roadside bombs along the Gaza border nr. Jabaliya r.c., killing 1 DFLP mbr., wound 2 other armed men; the Palestinians fire RPGs, automatic weapons across the border at IDF tanks approaching (perhaps crossing) the border, detonate bombs they had planted, causing no injuries but marking the heaviest exchanges of fire in Gaza since the 11/26/06 truce. Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a factory in Sederot. A Palestinian is injured when a smugglers’ tunnel on the Rafah border collapses. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin r.c. (exchanging gunfire with Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 1), Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Ramallah, Salfit. A Palestinian injured in the IDF demolition of a Palestinian home in Rafah on 4/22/04 dies. In Gaza, Fatah-Hamas clashes leave 3 Palestinians wounded in Bayt Hanun. (WP 4/7; NYT, WP, WT 4/8; NYT, WT 4/9; OCHA 4/11; PCHR 4/12)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on, send a drone to fire missiles at a group of armed Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel e. of Jabaliya, killing 1 armed Palestinian, wounding 4. For the 3d day, the IDF sends bulldozers and tanks into Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun to level land; this time, Palestinian gunmen fire an RPG at a tank, sparking an exchange of gunfire, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into Jenin town and r.c. late in the evening, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen who confront the troops, wounding local AMB leader Zacharia Zubeidi; conducts arrest raids, house searches in alBireh, Nablus, Qalqilya; fires rubber-coated steel bullets on stone-throwing Palestinians nr. the Qalandia checkpoint, injuring 2; fires rubber-coated steel bullets at 10s of Palestinians and Israeli and international peace activists protest the separation wall nr. Bil‘in, injuring 14; similarly fires rubber-coated steel bullets on Palestinians, international peace activists protesting the construction of the separation wall nr. Um Salamuna nr. Bethlehem, injuring 8. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai set fire to a Palestinian car in Hebron; the IDF bars fire engines fr. reaching the scene. For a 2d day, Jewish settlers occupying a Palestinian building nr. Kiryat Arba throw bottles and stones at local Palestinians, use trained dogs to scare Palestinian children; the IDF observes but does not intervene. In ‘Abasan, Fatah-Hamas clashes leave 11 Palestinians wounded. A Palestinian wounded in an IDF artillery strike on ‘Abasan on 9/6/06 dies. (OCHA 4/11; PCHR 4/12)

When AMB, Islamic Jihad fire 9 rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries, the IDF shells n. Gaza for the 1st time since the 11/26 cease-fire went into effect, wounding 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. preparing to fire a rocket into Israel, also killing 1 Palestinian bystander and wounding 2; Israel says the strike was not intended to signal a change of policy or an escalation. The IDF also sends bulldozers into Gaza w. of Rafah to level land along the border fence. In the West Bank, IDF demolishes 3 Palestinian businesses, an animal pen in Barta‘a nr. Jenin; fires on stonethrowing Palestinian youths nr. the Qalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem, seriously wounding 1 with a bullet to the head, lightly wounding 3 others; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata, Nablus, Tulkarm and nr. Hebron, Jenin r.c. (exchanging fire with AMB mbrs., killing 1 AMB mbr., wounding 2), Ramallah, Salfit. Israeli police in riot gear remove the remaining 450 right-wing Jewish settlers and activists fr. the Homesh settlement site (see 3/26). Jewish settlers stone Palestinian cars nr. Jit Junction nr. Qalqilya, injuring 1 Palestinian. Jewish settler teenagers in Hebron ambush, beat a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy on his way home fr. school. Private Israeli security contractors working for Karme Tzur settlement nr. Hebron prevent Palestinian farmers fr. reaching their land nearby, beating 2, confiscating their equipment. Separately, Jewish settlers fr. Karme Tzur beat a Palestinian farmer working his land nearby. In Jabaliya r.c., ESF mbrs. fire on a car of Fatah mbrs., causing no injuries. In Bayt Hanun, suspected Fatah gunmen fire on the car of a senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbr., seriously injuring him, his wife and 2 children, a bystander. (REU 3/28; NYT, WT 3/29; WP 3/30; OCHA 4/4; PCHR 4/5; NYT 4/8)

The IDF pulls troops out of Nablus in the afternoon, once again suspending but not declaring an official end to Operation Hot Winter; troops raid an apartment building (killing 1 Palestinian civilian, arresting 10 wanted men) and exchange fire with Palestinians in a mosque before withdrawing; the UN reports that 248 homes, shops in Nablus have been damaged since 2/25. The IDF also conducts patrols in Burkin nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Qalqilya; seals the West Bank at midnight local time for the Purim holidays. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a greenhouse but causing no injuries. A Palestinian gunman fires on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Qalqilya, wounding the driver. (AP, HA, REU 3/1; OCHA 3/7; PCHR 3/8)

In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin to ambush, assassinate 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs. (West Bank military cmdr. Ashraf Saadi, senior Saraya al-Quds mbr. Mahmud Abu Naa’sa, lower ranking mbr. Ala’ Baryaki). The IDF also sends troops back into Nablus, reviving Operation Hot Winter, reimposing a curfew, reoccupying TV and radio stations, announcing the names of 7 wanted Palestinians being sought; 1 IDF soldier is wounded by a bomb; the IDF reportedly uses an 11-yr.- old Palestinian girl and a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy as human shields when searching Palestinian homes. The IDF demolishes 2 apartment buildings under construction in al-Tur nr. Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm r.c., nr. Jenin and Salfit; uproots some 500 Palestinian olive, almond trees nr. Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall, replanting some nearby. In response to the Jenin assassinations, Islamic Jihad fires 5 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Separately, Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel, but both fall inside Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun. Jewish settlers nr. Shema nr. Hebron stone a 70-yr.-old Palestinian farmer grazing his flock nr. the settlement. In Gaza, Fatah mbrs. manning a flying checkpoint nr. Shati’ r.c. bar an ESF vehicle from passing, sparking an exchange of fire that leaves 1 Fatah mbr. wounded. In Gaza City, a bomb explodes outside the offices of the Fatah-affiliated al-Fursan al-Arab Association, causing no injuries; no group takes responsibility. (HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/1; OCHA 3/7; PCHR 3/8; WT 3/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a communal water cistern nr. Hebron; conducts patrols in Dura nr. Hebron (randomly checking Palestinian IDs), Tulkarm town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, Tulkarm town and r.c. and nr. Jenin. Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In ongoing raids in Egypt (see 2/21), Egyptian security forces discover 1 ton of explosives (mostly TNT recovered from land mines) hidden nr. the border with Gaza that they believe was intended to be smuggled into the Strip; say that they have now arrested 57 Egyptians and Palestinians believed to be part of a network planning bombings in the Sinai targeting Israeli tourists, but also including 3 Palestinians who allegedly confess to being mbrs. of Islamic Jihad and to plotting to carry out suicide attacks in Israel. On the 2d anniversary of the 1st weekly nonviolent protests in Bil‘in against the separation wall, 10s of Palestinians and Israeli and international activists demonstrate; the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades to disperse them, beating some, injuring 13 (including a CNN cameraman). (WP 2/24; NYT 2/25; OCHA 2/28; PCHR 3/1)

In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin r.c., where they assassinate Islamic Jihad mbr. Mahmud Abu Obeid, an alleged bomb maker; also sends undercover units into Bayt Jala to arrest a wanted Palestinian; conducts arrest raids in and around Bethlehem and Tulkarm, nr. Hebron, and in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, Jenin town and r.c.; demolishes a Palestinian home northwest of Jerusalem. In Gaza, a Palestinian farmer is killed when he accidentally detonates unexploded IDF ordnance. Palestinians fire at least 1 rocket fr. Gaza toward Israel that lands inside Gaza nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 6 Palestinians. Egyptian security forces conduct raids in Egyptian Rafah, detaining 2 Palestinians connected to the Palestinian arrested on 2/20, charging them with plotting suicide bombings; Egyptian authorities say they have arrested 23 Palestinians and Egyptians in the n. Sinai in recent days. In Gaza City, unidentified assailants detonate an explosive device outside the home of a PA police officer, causing damage but no injuries. (IFM 2/21; PCHR, WP 2/22; OCHA 2/28; PCHR 3/1)

In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes 7 bedouin homes (displacing 75 bedouin), 5 other structures in Hathalin nr. Alasfir settlement southeast of Hebron; fires on 10s of Palestinians nr. Nablus demonstrating against Israel’s construction at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’, Nablus, Qabatya; patrols, fires on shops in Kafr Dik nr. Salfit, also firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, causing only light injuries. Also in Hebron, 20 Jewish settlers occupy a vacant Palestinian building, but are evacuated by the IDF after sundown. (AP 2/14; PCHR 2/15; OCHA 2/21; PCHR 2/22)

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)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Dayr al-Balah fire on a Palestinian shepherd who strays nr. the border fence, wounding him. In the West Bank, the IDF halts a Palestinian school bus nr. Bethlehem, arrests 15 schoolchildren and detains them at detention facilities at Gush Etzion (no cause is reported); forces Palestinian stores in the Hebron market to close; sends troops into ‘Azun for a 2d day, firing on stone-throwing Palestinian youths, wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Hebron, and nr. Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm. Sporadic Palestinian demonstrations against Israel’s construction at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount occur in Jerusalem, the West Bank; no injuries are reported. (NYT, WP, WT 2/11; MM 2/12; OCHA 2/14; PCHR 2/15)

The IDF allows departures through Rafah crossing for the 1st time since 1/8, causing a near riot among the 10,000–12,000 Palestinians gathered in the exit area, forcing the EU monitors to close the crossing late in the morning. Palestinians later fire on Rafah crossing in an attempt to force it to reopen, wounding 1 Palestinian bystander. Palestinians also fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in ‘Azun, clashing with stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops; conduct arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Qalqilya, and in Hebron, Tulkarm town and r.c. Israeli authorities begin excavation work 50 yds. fr. the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount with the stated purpose of replacing a centuries-old walkway damaged in a snowstorm in 2004, denies archeological digging is underway though it admits that, by law, any artifacts must be salvaged before work can begin; Waqf officials protest the work; Hamas organizes peaceful demonstrations in Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, Nussayrat r.c., Rafah against the construction. In Gaza City, Dahlan’s bodyguards kill 1 ESF mbr., wound 3 in a drive-by shooting. In Khan Yunis, ESF mbrs. release Dahlan’s nephew, kidnapped on 2/3, after severely beating him. ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in Khan Yunis, wounding 1 bystander. ESF mbrs. break into a Force 17 base in Bayt Hanun, temporarily detain 4 Force 17 mbrs. In Gaza City, 2,000 PA employees rally to call for a halt to intraPalestinian violence. (IFM, MM, NYT, OCHA 2/7; MM, PCHR 2/8; PLONAD 2/9)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fires on a group of Palestinians in the fmr. Nisanit settlement area nr. the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit in a car with Palestinian license plates into Tulkarm r.c., fires on a group of Palestinians wounding 4 (an AMB mbr., an Islamic Jihad mbr., 2 bystanders ages 10 and 16), then fires 5 shots at 1 of the wounded, AMB mbr. Jasr Zughayb, assassinating him; fatally shoots 2 AMB mbrs. in an exchange of fire in Nablus, also demolishing the home in which they were staying; fatally shoots a 17-yr.-old Palestinian who attempts to cut through the separation fence nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis; raids the Modern College building in Beitunia nr. Ramallah, firing on PSF officers dispatched to the scene responding to reports of suspicious activity, killing 2 PSF officers. In Gaza, a combined group of Hamas, ESF mbrs. acting on rumors of Fatah of smuggling weapons halt, demand to inspect a 4-truck convoy escorted by Abbas’s presidential guard that entered Gaza fr. Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves at least 5 Palestinians dead (including 4 presidential guardsmen, 1 female bystander), 34 wounded (including 14 bystanders); the shipment of supplies (widely believed to be arms and ammunition though in separate statements, Fatah says it is food and medical supplies, equipment and tents, generators and spare parts) fr. the UAE reportedly was organized by Gaza strongman Dahlan, with the knowledge of the U.S. and Israel, and was intended for guard units loyal to him; the contents of the trucks cannot be confirmed, as they are seized during the clash (it is unclear by whom). The convoy incident precipitates Fatah-Hamas gunfights across the Strip that kill at least 3 Palestinians, wound at least another 50, and end a 3-day truce. In the most serious incidents: PA Presidential Guard units storm the Islamic University campus, clash with ESF mbrs. guarding the campus (leaving 22 wounded), claim to seize a large weapons cache and to detain 7 Iranian “explosives experts”; Hamas denies the presence of any Iranians in Gaza, Fatah does not give any proof of the arrests, Israel and the U.S. say they cannot corroborate the story; suspected Fatah gunmen fire on Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum nr. Gaza City, causing no injuries. Other Fatah-Hamas clashes are reported in Bayt Hanun, Bureij r.c., Gaza City, Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, Rafah. In Gaza City, 5,000 Palestinians attend a rally organized by the National and Islamic Higher Comm. for the Follow-up of the Intifada (NIHC) calling for a cessation to intra-Palestinian violence. Abbas issues a presidential decree taking over 18 acres of Palestinian land nr. the Qarni crossing for construction of a presidential guard training base, to be funded by Western donors; the UN will provide training; a 16-acre presidential guard base and intelligence services training college is also being built in Jericho. (MM 2/1; NYT, WP, WT 2/2; WP 2/3; Middle East Newsline 2/5; MM 2/6; OCHA 2/7; PCHR 2/8; NYT 2/23; JTA 3/4)

A Palestinian suicide bomber fr. n. Gaza hikes through the Egyptian desert into Israel, hitches a ride to Elat with an Israeli motorist, detonates a device at a bakery there, killing 2 Israelis, 1 foreign worker fr. South Africa, wounding 1; the AMB, Islamic Jihad jointly claim responsibility for the attack, which is the 1st inside Israel since 4/17/06. Islamic Jihad says the bombing sends “a clear message” to Fatah and Hamas to end infighting and unite against Israel. In response, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggler’s tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Ramallah. In Gaza, at least 5 Palestinians (2 ESF mbrs., 1 PA police officer, 2 bystanders) are killed in Fatah-Hamas fighting in Gaza, with clashes reported in Bayt Lahiya, Gaza City, Jabaliya, Khan Yunis. In the most serious incident, ESF mbrs. raid, demolish a Force 17 base s. of Khan Yunis, kidnapping and later releasing 6 Force 17 mbrs. (AP, HA, IFM, MM, NYT, REU 1/29; MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/30; MM, OCHA 1/31; PCHR 2/1)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Hanun shoot, wound 2 Palestinians who stray nr. the border fence while trapping birds. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya, nr. Jenin; begins construction of a new fence around Karmi’el, Ma’on settlements nr. Hebron that will confiscate around 1,000 d. of Palestinian land to create territorial unity btwn. the 2 settlements. In Gaza City, Hamas-Fatah violence continues for a 6th day, leaving an ESF officer, 3 Hamas mbrs. dead, and 8 ESF mbrs. injured; among the incidents, a bomb explodes outside the home of a Dahlan bodyguard (causing no injuries), Hamas mbrs. fire mortars and antitank rounds at the Fatah-controlled PA police headquarters. Other clashes are reported in and around Khan Yunis, nr. Jabaliya, and in Bayt Hanun. Several Palestinians are also kidnapped during the day in Hamas-Fatah rivalries: Fatah’s Brig. Gen. Sayyid Shaban, head of the PA National Security Forces in central Gaza (quickly released); senior Hamas cmdr. Ashraf Firwana; 2 teenage children of a Fatah col.; a senior Fatah official; a Fatah municipal official. A Fatah mbr. dies of injuries received in the latest round of intra-Palestinian fighting. Fighting also spreads to Nablus, where Fatah mbrs. kidnap, quickly release several Hamas mbrs. In Jabaliya r.c., PFLP mbrs., Islamist parties hold a sit-in to protest the ongoing Palestinian violence. In Ramallah, AMB mbrs. kidnap, kill an alleged Palestinian collaborator with Israel. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/29; OCHA 1/31; PCHR 2/1; AIC 2/13)

The Israeli navy fires on a Palestinian fishing boat off the Rafah coast, arrests 3 fishermen. IDF troops on the central Gaza border fire on 3 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel to find work, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding and arresting 2; sends bulldozers, tanks 150 m into Gaza e. of Dayr al-Balah to level, excavate land. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian barn killing animals inside, an irrigation system, and heavily damages 3 greenhouses nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun, Bayt Fajjar. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’ale Adumim severely beat a 16-yr.-old Palestinian. Some 40 masked Palestinian gunmen raid a vacant beach resort at a fmr. Israeli settlement site in Gaza owned by Fatah strongman Dahlan, overpowering the few Palestinian security guards watching the site, blowing up a reception hall, stating, without being specific, that they are sending Dahlan a message; no one is injured. ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire outside the Bayt Hanun hospital, causing no injuries. In Gaza City, gunfire erupts btwn. guards outside the Palestinian Electricity Company offices and some 50 Palestinians demonstrating against recent power outages, leaving 1 Palestinian wounded. In Nablus, AMB mbrs. temporarily detain a French diplomat and his 2 body guards, set fire to their car initially suspecting them of being an IDF undercover unit. (OCHA, WT 1/24; PCHR 1/25)

In Gaza, the IDF sends bulldozers into al-Qarara to level land along the border with Israel. Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Islamic Jihad mbrs. detonate a roadside bomb nr. and IDF vehicle patrolling the border fence e. of Khan Yunis, drawing IDF fire; no injuries are reported on either side. In the West Bank, the IDF imposes a curfew on Hawara nr. Nablus, bulldozes 8 d. of Palestinian land nr. the Hawara checkpoint; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Aida r.c., ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’, Nablus, Tulkarm. The Israeli Housing Min. announces bids for construction of 44 new Jewish settlement units in Ma’ale Adumim nr. Jerusalem. Jewish settlers damage a Palestinian water pipeline in Duma nr. Nablus. (MA, MM 1/15; NYT, WP, WT 1/16; OCHA 1/17; PCHR 1/18)