The Palestine Chronology

The IDF fires on 2 Palestinians nr. the Gaza border fence, killing 1 Palestinian, while the other flees (the IDF says they were laying a roadside bomb, Palestinian sources say they were attempting to enter Israel to find work); fires on a Palestinian fishing boat that strays out of Palestinian waters off Gaza, seriously wounding 1 Palestinian; raids, seals Waqf offices in Bethlehem, interrogates the employees; conducts arrest raids in Bil`in, Dayr Ishtiyya nr. Nablus, Zabbuba nr. Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah attack an Israeli peace group on a solidarity visit to Palestinians in Hebron. Jewish settlers raid Palestinian olive groves nr. Qalqilya, pick and steal the olives. (IMEMC 11/12; HA 11/13; PCHR 11/17)

The IDF sends troops into, fires on residential areas of Bayta nr. Nablus; patrols, conducts random security checks of Palestinians in Aida r.c. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Hebron seize and fence off 160 d. of Palestinian land outside Carmiel settlement for a new unauthorized outpost. Palestinians fire a rocket toward Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; throw Molotov cocktails at a house in Pisgat Ze’ev, causing moderate damage but no injuries. Residents of Dayr al-Balah in central Gaza issue a statement calling on Hamas to halt rocket fire on Israel fr. their vicinity after a rocket damaged a Palestinian home earlier in the wk., urge the PA security forces to halt lawlessness in Gaza. (IMEMC 11/11; PCHR 11/17)

The IDF sends 30 jeeps, 2 helicopters into Jenin to arrest wanted Islamic Jihad leader Hussam Jaradat, sparking armed clashes in which Jaradat is wounded and youths throw stones; during the exchange soldiers shoot in the head a 12-yr.-old boy carrying a toy gun, seriously wounding him, evacuate him to Haifa for treatment. During the operation, soldiers assault a Palestinian press team covering the incident, confiscate their camera. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in villages around Jenin, in Nablus. Palestinians fire a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly wounding an IDF soldier; the IDF artillery fires on n. Gaza in response, causing no injuries. Later, Palestinians fire more mortars, lightly injuring 5 Israelis; IDF artillery, helicopters fire on n. Gaza again, causing no injuries. A Palestinian bystander wounded in the 10/30 assassination of 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. dies. (HA 11/3; AFP, NYT 11/4; PCHR 11/10)

Overnight, the IDF deploys an artillery battery outside the s. Gaza Strip (since Operation First Rain, artillery has been positioned in Nahal Oz, outside the n. Gaza); begins massing troops in the Gaza border in case the Israeli cabinet calls for ground operations; conducts arrest raids, house searches in the n. West Bank targeting mostly Islamic Jihad mbrs. During the day, the IDF begins erecting a massive new checkpoint (the Zaatara checkpoint) s. of Nablus at Tapuach Junction that will sever the Nablus and Jenin districts from the rest of the West Bank, creating a northern West Bank canton; the crossing, which is similar to the Qalandia checkpoint that Israel has said will be treated as an international crossing, was approved by the IDF Central Command 9 mos. ago and should begin operation in 2 mos. An IDF drone fires on a car in n. Gaza that launched rockets toward Sederot (causing no damage), killing AMB mbr. Majid Nattat. Soon after, Palestinians fire another 2 rockets and a mortar toward Sederot, and the IDF carries out 2 air strikes on 2 roads leading to Bayt Lahiya; no injuries are reported in the exchange. Later, the IDF carries out another 3 air strikes on n. Gaza, causing no reported injuries; fires stun grenades to disperse Palestinians hoping to cross the al-Ram checkpoint into Jerusalem to mark the final Friday of Ramadan at al-Aqsa mosque. Late in the evening, the IDF launches F-16 air strikes on uninhabited areas of n. Gaza; patrols, shoots out street lights in Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Palestinians then fire an antitank rocket at the Erez crossing, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, 10,000s of Palestinians attend the Gaza funerals of the 7 Palestinians killed in the 10/28 Muhanna assassination; AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad hold massive armed marches, firing automatic weapons in the air in violation of their agmt. with the PA not to carry or use weapons in public. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba, escorted by IDF soldiers, severely beat 2 Palestinians in Hebron. Separately, Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize several Palestinian homes in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai violently beat 2 Palestinian teenagers in Hebron; the IDF intervenes and detains 1 Palestinian. Mofaz orders the eviction of 15 Jewish settler families living in the unauthorized enclave of Amona in Hebron. (AP, CSM, HA, IDF Radio, IMEMC, REU, YA 10/28; NYT, WP, WT 10/29; HA, IMEMC 10/30; OCHA 10/31; PCHR 11/10)

The IDF reopens Qarni crossing (closed 9/24) for transportation of goods btwn. Gaza and Israel (allowing around 40–50 trucks/day exporting goods fr. Gaza and 250 trucks/day importing goods fr. Israel, the West Bank); fatally shoots a Palestinian gunman in Nablus; fatally shoots 3 Palestinians nr. Dayr al-Balah who attempt to sneak into Israel fr. Gaza to look for work; raids, imposes a curfew on Bayta nr. Nablus, surrounds a mosque, orders worshipers to leave; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in al-‘Aza r.c., al-Khadir. (IDF press release, IMEMC 10/9; NYT, PCHR, WP, XIN 10/10; PCHR 10/13, 10/20)

Before dawn, Islamic Jihad and Hamas fire more than 30 rockets fr. Gaza at Sederot and the Negev, 3 of which lightly wound 3 Israeli security guards, 2 civilians. Early in the morning, the IDF fires missiles fr. helicopters at warehouses and an alleged weapons factory in Gaza City and Jabaliya r.c., marking Israel’s 1st military operations against Gaza since disengagement; orders the Rafah crossing shut, saying it will allow humanitarian aid only into Gaza through the Sufa crossing; fires missiles fr. naval vessels at Palestinian fishermen who attempt to go out to sea; drops leaflets on Gaza warning of harsh retaliation against further rocket fire; warns the PA that it is responsible for preventing attacks fr. Gaza. Abbas meets with Hamas officials in Gaza, secures their pledge to halt all armed demonstrations. Hrs. later, IDF aircraft fire 5 missiles at 2 cars in n. Gaza, assassinating 2 Hamas mbrs. (Nafiz Abu Hassanian, Rawad Farhat); 2 other Hamas mbrs. may have been targeted but escape. During the day, IDF fighter jets bomb open areas along the n. Gaza border used by Palestinians to launch rockets, while tanks, artillery, infantry gather along the n. Gaza border in preparation for a major operation. Meanwhile, the IDF seals the West Bank, fires on Palestinians waiting to cross a checkpoint outside Nablus, wounding 3 (1 seriously); conducts patrols in Jama‘in village nr. Nablus; raids 20 houses in Hebron, interrogating and photographing residents. In the evening, Sharon convenes his security cabinet, which approves an “all-out continuous offensive” called Operation First Rain, using artillery, air strikes, assassinations in Gaza, saying that if Palestinian violence continues after several days, the full cabinet will convene to consider sending infantry back into the Strip. (JP, REU, WP, YA 9/24; AP, HA, IMEMC, JAZ, NYT, WP, WT, XIN, YA 9/25; MEI, PCHR 9/29; IDF press release 10/9)

The IDF bulldozes Palestinian land n. of Bayt Hanun, some 200 m. inside Gaza, as part of a plan (drafted before disengagement) to create a buffer zone controlled by the IDF along the n. Gaza border. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Nablus; imposes a curfew on Budrus nr. Ramallah, patrolling streets, searching homes. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai throw stones, bottles, rotten vegetables at Palestinian homes in Hebron. In Gaza City, 10,000 Hamas supporters attend a military-style victory parade celebrating disengagement, displaying RPGs, rockets, assault rifles. Also in Gaza City, PA security forces and Hamas mbr. intervene to stop the kidnapping of 1 American, 1 Palestinian journalist by unknown militants. (JP, REU 9/18; AP, XIN 9/19; PCHR 9/22; HA 9/25)

A 5-day summit on Israeli-Palestinian issues opens in Israel attended by 17 mainline Protestant and Jewish officials. The summit, organized by American Jewish groups, is aimed at convincing Americans to halt steps toward divestment following a move a yr. ago by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to consider divesting church funds fr. 6 corporations undertaking activities that support the Israeli occupation. The World Council of Churches issued similar recommendations to its mbrs. in 2/05, followed by the United Church of Christ in 7/05, raising serious concerns in Israel and among U.S. Jewish groups. Evangelical Christian groups were not invited to these mtgs., as they are already considered solidly supportive of Israel. (WT 9/17)

Israel approves construction of 117 new housing units in Ariel settlement in contravention of the road map. The IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Tulkarm r.c.; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians youths at a flying checkpoint outside Jenin, wounding 1, arresting 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in villages around Nablus, Tulkarm. An explosion destroys the Gaza City home of a Hamas mbr., killing 4 Palestinians, wounding more than 12; neighbors say the blast was apparently caused by explosives kept in the home that detonated accidentally. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba throw stones, bottles at Palestinian homes, injuring a 3-yr.- old and a 12-yr.-old Palestinian child. For a 2d day, 10s of unemployed Palestinians demonstrate outside a Khan Yunis municipal building demanding jobs and better living conditions, scuffling with and pelting PA riot police with stones, leaving 7 officers, 3 demonstrators injured. (AP 9/5; NYT, REU 9/6; WP 9/7; PCHR 9/8)

10s of PA security forces deploy in Taybeh after 100s of armed men tied to 1 Muslim family fr. Dayr Jarir burn 13 homes of an extended Christian family there. The disputes stemmed fr. an affair btwn. a Muslim woman and a Christian man and the honor killing of the woman involved. Christians in Taybeh, however, fear an undercurrent of anti-Christian sentiment is to blame and could result in wider clashes. (AP 9/5; BBC 9/14)

The IDF fires percussion grenades at Palestinian homes nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on in Hebron knock down tents, kill 6 sheep, injure 10, vandalize Palestinian farms nearby; the IDF observes but does not intervene. In Khan Yunis, 10s of unemployed Palestinians demonstrate outside a municipal building demanding jobs and better living conditions, scuffle with PA riot police. As part of a plea agmt., PC mbr. Hussam Khadir (Ind.-Nablus), arrested by Israel on 3/17/03, pleads guilty in Israeli court to helping finance AMB attacks on Israelis. Some 200 PA police block the Gaza coastal road, fire in the air in a protest demanding higher wages. (REU 9/4; AP, IMEMC, NYT, WT 9/5; PCHR 9/8)

Citing retaliation for the 8/24 assassination of an Islamic Jihad mbr., an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device outside a bus depot in Beersheba, Israel, killing only himself, seriously injuring 2 Israeli security guards, lightly injuring at least 8 other Israelis; Abbas quickly denounces the bombing as a “terrorist attack” that undermines Palestinian national interests. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron (btwn. Nablus and Qalqilya) throw stones at local Palestinians, lightly injuring 1. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai burn Palestinian olive trees, grape vines in Hebron. (IMEMC 8/28; NYT, WP, WT 8/29; IMEMC 8/30; PR 8/31; PCHR 9/1; MEI 9/2)

A day after completing disengagement fr. 25 Jewish settlements, Israel confirms plans to seize some 1,588 d. of West Bank Palestinian land to complete 10 mi. of separation wall around the southern part of Ma’ale Adumim settlement, to add 3,500 housing units there (more than twice the number of units removed under disengagement), to build a police headquarters in the E-1 area btwn. Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem. In Gaza, the IDF raids, searches, occupies 2 Palestinian homes in Khan Yunis as observation posts; raids, occupies a Palestinian home in Dayr al-Balah. In the West Bank, IDF undercover units raid Tulkarm r.c, fatally shooting ‘Adil Abu Khalil al-Ghawi (Islamic Jihad),Mahmud Ahadib (AMB), and Majdi Attiya (AMB), also killing 2 bystanders and wounding 3; local Hamas military cmdr. Ribhi Amara, also possibly a target, escapes unharmed. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Jenin, and in Nablus, Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabs 2 ultraOrthodox British Jews, killing 1 before escaping. (HA, JP, REU 8/24; VOP 8/24 in WNC 8/25; BBC, HA, JAZ, PCHR, WP, WT 8/25; MENA 8/25 in WNC 8/26; HA, NYT 8/26; al-Quds 8/26 in WNC 8/27; HA 8/30; PR 8/31; PCHR 9/1; MEI 9/2; HA 9/7; DS 10/10)

In the morning, the IDF says that 70% of Gaza settlers have been evacuated, most Gaza residents have not resisted the evacuation, most protests and resistance are by West Bank settler youth (and some American Jewish youth) who have come to Gaza in recent wks. to block the withdrawal. During the day, the evacuations of Gan Or (est. 1983, pop. 350, size 1,692 d., hrs. to evac. 5), Kefar Darom (est. 1989, pop. 490, size 276 d., hrs. to evac. 12), Kefar Yam (est. 1983, pop. 15, hrs. to evac. 3), Netzer Hazani (est. 1973, pop. 460, size 250 d., hrs. to evac. 5), Neve Dekalim (est. 1983, pop. 2,700, size 1,443 d., hrs. to evac. 35), Shirat Hayam (est. 2001, pop. 40, hrs. to evac. 5) settlements are completed. An increasing number of settlers set fire to their homes and to greenhouses as they leave to prevent them fr. being turned over to Palestinians. For the 1st time, 1 armed resident in Kefar Yam, 4 armed disengagement protesters in Shirat Hayam threaten to shoot IDF soldiers if they follow orders to remove settlers, but only if soldiers fire first; the incidents defuse without violence. Some Shirat Hayam residents also throw rocks at Palestinians in Mawasi as they evacuate. In Kefar Darom, 65 resident families agree to leave, but as many as 2,000 outside protesters refuse, many of them barricading themselves inside and on the roof of a synagogue; for the 1st time during the disengagement, the IDF uses water cannons against protesters and 2 IDF soldiers refuse to obey their orders, are removed by fellow soldiers; 58 Israelis are injured in clearing the synagogue, including at least 3 IDF soldiers, 27 border police (1 seriously when he falls accidentally); protesters throw paint thinner at IDF Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Dan Harel, several soldiers. In Neve Dekalim, some 1,500 disengagement protesters hole up in 2 synagogues, refusing to leave even after residents have voluntarily evacuated, but are eventually extracted. Jewish settlers in s. Gaza spread nails along the coastal road in alMawasi to prevent movement of Palestinian vehicles. Meanwhile, Palestinians fire a rocket at Netzarim (still inhabited), lightly injuring an IDF soldier; 2 mortars at Gadid settlement (still inhabited), 3 mortars at Morag (evacuated) causing no damage or injuries. Palestinian gunmen fire on IDF troops nr. Kefar Darom, lightly injuring 1. The IDF conducts arrest raids in al-Mawasi; fires on residential areas of Bayt Lahiya, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, Jewish settlers fr. Homesh and Sanur attempt to break into a Palestinian home in nearby Asa’sa village; the IDF intervenes to stop them. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim throw stones at Palestinian shops, cars nr. Qalqilya. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dura, nr. Tulkarm; confiscates 500 d. of agricultural land nr. Eli settlement nr. Nablus. In Israel, disengagement protesters block roads nationwide. (AP, BBC, HA, Israeli Radio, ITV 8/18; NYT, WP, WT 8/19; PCHR 8/25)

As of midnight local time, the IDF seals the Gaza Strip in preparation for disengagement implementation beginning on 8/17, making it illegal for Israelis to enter Gaza. During the day, some 7,500 PA security forces, overseen byEgyptian security officers, begin deploying nr. Gaza settlements to prevent Palestinians fr. approaching them. Before dawn, Palestinian gunmen fire on Kefar Darom, causing no damage or injuries; an IDF tank returns fire, accidentally targeting an IDF personnel carrier, wounding 5 IDF soldiers. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into Tulkarm, closes the main street, interrogates residents; conducts arrest raids, house searches in villages around Tulkarm; occupies a house nr. Nablus as an observation post. Nr. Qalqilya, a Palestinian dies of heat stroke after being handcuffed by IDF troops, left in the sun for hrs. In light of threats by Jewish extremists to storm the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and destroy the al-Aqsa mosque, 100s of Israeli police, troops deploy in and around the Old City of Jerusalem to prevent possible Israeli-Palestinian clashes; 1,000s of Muslims fr. Jerusalem and Israel attempt to converge to defend the site, but West Bank Palestinians are barred fr. entering Jerusalem, Israeli Palestinians under age 45 are banned fr. accessing the mosque compound. Jewish settlers gather outside Homesh settlement to protest the disengagement, throw stones at passing Palestinian vehicles. In Gaza, Jewish settlers block Palestinian access to roads btwn. Kefar Yam and Shirat Hayam. A French sound technician covering the disengagement in Gaza is kidnapped by unknown Palestinians; Hamas accuses the PA of not doing enough to protect internationals working in Gaza, says targeting foreigners should be a red line. In light of recent kidnappings, the UN moves all nonessential foreign staff in Gaza to Jerusalem until further notice. (AFP, XIN 8/14; IMEMC, WT 8/15; PR 8/17; PCHR, REU 8/18; IMEMC 8/19)

The IDF fires live ammunition at Palestinian protesters marching to their lands outside Qalqilya that have been cut off by the separation wall, seriously wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in al-Mawasi, Nablus, Tamun. In separate incidents in Karmil and Yatta, 5 Palestinians are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance. Jewish settlers protesting Israel’s planned evacuation of Homesh settlement in the West Bank march fr. nr. Tulkarm toward Nablus, throwing stones, bottles at Palestinian homes along the way; when Palestinian youths respond by throwing stones at the settlers, the IDF intervenes, fires percussion grenades and rubber bullets, injuring 2 Palestinian teenagers, 1 journalist covering the incident. (IMEMC 8/12; PCHR 8/18; PR 8/25)

The IDF makes a predawn raid on Mughraqa in s. Gaza, sending in troops backed by more than 20 armored vehicles to search houses; raids al-Quds University campus in East Jerusalem, arresting Palestine National Council mbr. Ali Abu Hilal, dir. of the university’s Center for Democracy and Human Rights; imposes a curfew on ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and al-Ram nr. East Jerusalem, nr. Nablus; patrols in Araba nr. Jenin, Ubaydiyya nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing youths, wounding 1), Za‘tara nr. Bethlehem; fires on unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel w. of Hebron to find work, wounding 2. The AMB, DFLP fire mortars at the IDF post at Erez crossing, causing no injuries. The Fatah offshoot Abu Rish Brigades fires a rocket at Neve Dekalim, causing no damage or injuries. Palestinians fire on an IDF patrol nr. Tulkarm r.c., causing no injuries but prompting troops to enter the camp, return fire, injuring 1 Palestinian bystander. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah severely beat a 16-yr.-old Palestinian in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba severely beat a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy in Hebron. A Jewish settler driving nr. Hebron chases, fires on a carload of Palestinian workers returning fr. their jobs in Israel, seriously wounding 1, lightly wounding a 2d. In Jerusalem, 20 Jewish settlers try to force their way into the al-Aqsa Mosque but are barred by Palestinian guards. PA judges go on strike and demonstrate outside the main court headquarters in Gaza. PA High Court chief justice Surani (whose home was attacked on 8/2) resigns to protest inadequate security (he retracts the resignation on 8/8). (HA, REU, XIN 8/6; REU 8/8; OCHA, PR 8/10; PCHR 8/11)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dura and Hebron (occupying 1 house in each as an observation post), Nablus, Nur al-Shams r.c.; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Israeli Palestinians observe a day-long general strike to protest the 8/4 Shafa ‘Amr attack. (HA, IMEMC 8/5; PCHR 8/11)

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) targets for “progressive engagement” 5 corporations (Caterpillar, Citigroup, ITT Industries, Motorola, United Technologies) it believes “contribute to the ongoing violence that plagues Israel and Palestine.” The church, as shareholders in these companies, will lobby them to halt actions that support occupation, threaten to divest if they do not. (AP, HA 8/5; Boston Globe, Seattle Times, NYT 8/6; CSM 8/8)

Israel says it has begun construction of 2 additional fences around the Gaza Strip—1 of razor wire, 1 with electronic sensors and surveillance cameras—to ensure Israeli security after disengagement; both fences will be inside Israel. IDF undercover units make a major incursion into Tulkarm, raid the home of wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. Mu’ayyad Musa, fatally shoot him in an apparent assassination. The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in Husan w. of Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall; fires on residential areas of Budrus nr. Ramallah, Rafah; raids the Abu Huli neighborhood of Dayr al-Balah, searches homes, rounds up residents for interrogation, arrests 2; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bayt Khalil nr. Hebron, Burqin, Nablus, Qabatya, Yatta. Palestinians fire 3 rockets at Sederot and the Negev, a mortar at the Gaza security fence, causing no damage or injuries.Armed mbrs. of the Jenin Martyrs Brigades (a Bureij cell of the PRCs affiliated with Fatah) kidnap PA military intelligence officer Jihad ‘Abid (fmr. aide to fmr. military intelligence head Musa Arafat) as he returns to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. (AFP, HA, XIN, 7/28; NYT 7/29; PR 8/3; PCHR 8/4; HA 8/8)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Jenin; bulldozes 5 d. of olive trees in Kafr Qadim nr. Qalqilya; confiscates 8 d. of land outside Nablus to expand a buffer around an IDF post. A rocket fired by Palestinians at Gush Katif bloc hits a Palestinian house in Khan Yunis, killing 1 Palestinian child, wounding a 2d. A mortar fired by Palestinians at an IDF post in Gaza injures 1 IDF soldier. After an NIHC mtg. in Gaza, the PA, Palestinian factions announce that all factions have reaffirmed their pledge to observe a cease-fire, will remove all armed forces fr. the streets (except those of the PA security forces), will halt provocations and incitement. Israel agrees to renew contacts with the PA regarding coordination on the disengagement, which were suspended following the 7/12 suicide bombing. (IMEMC 7/21; NYT, WT, XIN 7/22; OCHA, PR 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

The IDF raids Yamun nr. Jenin, surrounds the house of wanted Islamic Jihad mbrs. Zahir and Warad Abahra (uncle and nephew), begins to bulldoze the house when they do not surrender, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves both men dead; also conducts arrest raids, bulldozes part of a 2d Palestinian home, uproots 10s of olive trees elsewhere in Yamun; razes the remains of a Byzantine church nr. Dayr al-Balah, known for its mosaic floors dating to 586 A.D.; fires on residential areas of Dura nr. Hebron; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, around Hebron; sends undercover units to arrest a wanted Palestinian in Bethlehem; bulldozes Palestinian agricultural land in Shufa nr. Tulkarm to widen the buffer zone around Avni Hefetz and Einav settlements; issues military orders confiscating 15 d. of land nr. Qalqilya for the construction of new settler bypass roads. 1,000s of Israeli disengagement protesters demonstrate in s. Israel for a 2d day. A Palestinian teenager stabs, lightly injures an Israeli in Jerusalem. Hamas fires 7 Qassam rockets, 19 mortars at Gush Katif and Neve Dekalim, injuring a foreign worker, damaging a house. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron throw stones at Palestinian cars on the Nablus–Qalqilya road, damaging 1 bus. PA security forces make a predawn raid on a Hamas educational center in Jabaliya r.c., seize computers and documents, while armed AMB mbrs. working with them torch 2 of the offices and 2 cars. (Senior Fatah, AMB officials say that in recent days, Abbas asked the AMB to help fight Hamas and ensure calm in Gaza in advance of disengagement, but that this is not official PA policy.) Hamas mbrs. attack the security forces and AMB mbrs., resulting in heavy clashes that leave 13 people wounded. In reaction, 100s of Palestinians demonstrate outside the PC offices in Ramallah to call for national unity and an end to the security chaos. Late in the evening, the Egyptian delegation secures agmt. of Fatah, Hamas to withdraw all armed forces fr. the streets of n. Gaza. 5 PA intelligence officers raid the al-Quds University forensics lab, the only forensics lab in the West Bank, rummage through and tamper with evidence in several murder, malpractice investigations; 100s of students mass to protect the lab, scuffle with plainclothes intelligence officers; the PA Justice Min. opens an investigation. (AFP, AP, IMEMC, XIN 7/19; MENA, VOI, VOP, YA 7/19 in WNC 7/20; HA, NYT, OCHA, PR, PRCS, REU, WAFA, WP, WT, XIN 7/20; VOP 7/20 in WNC 7/21; PCHR 7/21)

Citing retaliation for the death of an Israeli woman on 7/14, the IDF launches overnight missile strikes on 4 sites in Gaza: a Hamas cultural center in n. Gaza, 2 sites Palestinians have used to launch rockets in s. Gaza, and a metal workshop (alleged weapons factory) in central Gaza; at least 2 Palestinians are injured. Later in the day, an IDF drone fires a missile at a car driving in Gaza City, assassinating 4 Hamas mbrs. (Sabir Abu Assi, ‘Assim Abu Ras, Amjad Arafat, ‘Adil Haniyeh), wounding more than 12 bystanders; an IDF helicopter and ground troops fire 3 missiles at a car driving in Salfit, assassinating 3 wanted Hamas mbrs. (Muhammad Ayyash, Samir Dawahqa, Muhammad Mar’ai); an IDF helicopter fires at 3 Palestinians firing mortars at Gush Katif, injuring them. In clashes in Salfit after the assassinations, the IDF fatally shoots a stone-throwing Palestinian teenager. The Israeli strikes mark the definitive end of the 2/8 cease-fire; Hamas announces that it is considering massive retaliation. Israel blames Abbas for failing to crack down on militant groups. The IDF also continues operations in and around Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. Overnight, PA police searching for Hamas gunmen clash again with Hamas mbrs., this time in Gaza City, leaving 2 Palestinian children dead; during the clash, Hamas mbrs. destroy a PA armored personnel carrier with rocket-propelled grenades, burn a police station and a PA office building; Hamas, Fatah quickly convene an emergency mtg. to defuse tensions. Palestinians fire a barrage of at least 19 rockets and 10s of mortars at Neve Dekalim, lightly injuring 2 settlers, damaging 5 houses; 1 shell hits an industrial zone in the Negev, sparking a fire. A Jewish settler seriously injures a Palestinian teenager in a hit-and-run incident in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai throw stones, bottles at Palestinian homes in Hebron and at a Palestinian teenager, lightly injuring him. An Israeli court sentences an East Jerusalem Palestinian to 5 mos. in jail for joining Force 17 in 2000, calling it a “severe crime”; says at least 80 “Jerusalem Arabs” have been indicted on similar charges since 9/00. (IMEMC, JTA, NYT, UNIS, WP, YA 7/15; VOI 7/15 in WNC 7/15; Interfax, ITARTASS, JP, MENA, VOI, VOP, XIN 7/15 in WNC 7/16; HA, IMEMC, NYT, PRCS, REU, WP, WT, YA 7/16; VOP 7/16 in WNC 7/17; HA 7/17; OCHA, PR 7/20; PCHR 7/21)

Announcing the start of a “sustained” campaign against Islamic Jihad, the IDF imposes 24-hr. curfews on Tulkarm town and r.c., al-Til, and Nur al-Shams r.c.; reinvades Tulkarm (turned over to PA security control on 3/22) and al-Til in its largest military operation since Israeli and the Palestinians agreed to an unofficial cease-fire on 2/8, fatally shooting a PA policeman, leaving a 2d PA policeman clinically dead, arresting at least 6 Palestinians with Islamic Jihad ties; 2 IDF soldiers are injured. Israel says it was forced to act in Tulkarm because the PA had not reined in militants there, citing the bombing as proof; the PA says the assault on Tulkarm is unjustified, since the 7/12 bomber came fr. al-Til, 5 mi. away, under Israeli military control. Late in the evening, the IDF raids Nablus, fatally shoots Islamic Jihad cmdr. Muhammad al-Assi when he attempts to elude arrest; detains an Islamic Jihad mbr., a British woman with him. The IDF also demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; razes 4 bedouin tents, 6 animal pens outside Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba stone a Palestinian vehicle driving the Palestinian section of Hebron, injuring the driver. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar vandalize a Palestinian home, burn a Palestinian car nr. Nablus. In Bureij r.c., the PA security forces secure the release of 2 international aid workers (1 British, 1 Australian) kidnapped by a Palestinian family that hoped to use them as bargaining chips to secure the release of relatives jailed by the PA. An Israeli dies of injuries received in the 7/12 bombing. (AFP, IMEMC, JTA, NYT, PR, XIN 7/13; VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/13; VOI, VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/14; NYT, PCHR, PRCS, WP, WT 7/14; VOI 7/14 in WNC 7/15; JAZ 7/17; OCHA, PR 7/20; PCHR 7/21)

Israel confirms that disengagement will begin ca. 8/17. The IDF continues arrest raids in Hebron, Husan nr. Bethlehem, Jenin targeting Islamic Jihad; fires on Palestinian children playing btwn. Ganei Tal and Neve Dekalim settlements outside Khan Yunis, seriously wounding an 11-yr.-old boy; arrests 4 unarmed Palestinians who attempt to cross the Gaza fence into Israel to find jobs. Palestinians fire a mortar fr. Gaza at the Negev, fires on IDF posts in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. A Palestinian stonethrower wounded in Nablus on 7/6 dies. (HA 7/9; HA, VOI 7/9 in WNC 7/10; PRCS 7/10; OCHA 7/13; PCHR 7/14)

The IDF bulldozes 8 Palestinian homes, a gas station constructed without permits in areas of East Jerusalem slated for a new park; demolishes 22 structures (including a school) in Khirbet Tana nr. Nablus (pop. 450) built without permits, leaving only 2 buildings in the village and the 200-yr.-old mosque standing; imposes a curfew on ‘Ayn al-Bayda nr. Jenin, searches homes, arrests around 30 Palestinian farmers, shepherds who are not residents of the village; raids a municipal building in n. Ramallah, arresting 1 Palestinian; fires live ammunition at Palestinians protesting separation wall construction in Qutna nr. Jerusalem, wounding 2; fires on residential areas of Aida r.c.; raids, occupies 3 Palestinian homes in Yatta as observation posts. Hamas holds a prayer rally in Nablus calling on Palestinians to boycott the evening’s Palestine International Festival (an annual wk.-long festival, not held since 2000, that opened in cities across the West Bank on 6/30) performance in the city by pop singer Ammar Hassan, citing the impropriety of men and women dancing to “risqu´e” music as well as of holding such a celebration when families are still mourning the losses of the intifada; the AMB assures that it sanctioned the event after Hassan agreed to sing only “conservative songs”; the performance ultimately is disrupted by some masked AMB mbrs. fr. Nablus and Balata r.c., who fire guns in the air, destroy some sets, force Hassan to cut short his performance. (HA, REU 7/5; IMEMC, OCHA, PR, XIN 7/6; PCHR 7/7; PR 7/13; HA 7/28; PR 8/3)

The United Church of Christ passes a resolution calling for the use of “economic leverage” to promote Middle East peace, but rejects resolutions calling for divestment in companies that supply Israel with bulldozers, military equipment. Two additional resolutions also denounce all forms of violence in the Middle East, “including suicide bombing by Palestinians and the use of force by Israelis in perpetuating occupation of Palestinian lands,” and call on Israel to dismantle the separation wall. (JTA, WP 7/6; AP 7/7; CSM 7/8)

Israel announces that the IDF will resume targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs. for assassination. The PA warns that the move could rupture the unofficial cease-fire, but Israel argues that the targeting would still be in line with truce provisions, which it claims allow Israel to defend itself against imminent attack if the PA security forces fail to do so; the PA rejects this. Later, the IDF fires missiles at a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya in an apparent assassination attempt. The IDF also conducts major arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. and Nablus, clashing with local gunmen, leaving no reported casualties; conducts other arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Jenin; demolishes 10 Palestinian homes in Jiftlik nr. Jericho; bulldozes 5 d. of land in, fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts patrols in Kafr Dik nr. Nablus, Tamun nr. Jenin. A Palestinian grabs the gun of an Israeli security guard at the Barkan industrial zone nr. Ariel settlement, shoots and wounds the guard, flees. Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF outpost nr. Gush Katif, causing damage but no injuries. Palestinian gunmen fire on a building in Balata r.c. where Qurai‘ is giving a speech, detonate a roadside bomb as he and his convoy leave the area; no injuries are reported in either incident, no group claims responsibility. (AFP, HA, WP, WT, XIN 6/22; PCHR 6/23; VOP 6/23 in WNC 6/24; OCHA, PR 6/29; PHRC 6/30)

Overnight, the IDF arrests 52 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in the largest raids against the group in the West Bank since 3/05; half of the mbrs. are arrested in Hebron, others in Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah. Minutes before Sharon and Abbas hold their 1st mtg. since the 2/8 Sharm al-Shaykh summit to coordinate disengagement, IDF aircraft fires 2 missiles at a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya in what Israeli officials say is a failed attempt to assassinate a wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. The Israel FMin. says that “the message was very clear—that Israel cannot accept the fact that Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the alAqsa Brigades have weapons.” The PA urges Islamic Jihad, the AMB to abide by the cease-fire. Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, Qalqilya and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, JAZ 6/21; VOP 6/21 in WNC 6/21; Daily Star, HA, NYT, PR, WP, WT 6/22; PCHR, WP, WT 6/23; VOI 6/23 in WNC 6/24; QA 6/27 in WNC 6/28; Jordan Times 7/1)

The Knesset Interior Comm. discusses the civilian aspects of the Or Commission’s 9/1/03 report into the 10/00 riots during which 13 Israeli Palestinians were killed by police (see Peace Monitor in JPS 118; Chronology in JPS 130). Fmr. High Court Justice Theodore Or says that the government has done nothing to implement his comm.’s recommendations (particularly for achieving equal rights for Israeli Palestinians), address the issues raised in the report. (YA 6/21)

Israel releases the last 398 Palestinian prisoners of 900 that Sharon promised to free in his 2/8 mtg. with PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas in Sharm al-Shaykh; 2 prisoners refuse release (1 to stay in prison with his brother, 1 to take the Palestinian high school matriculation exams [tawjihi] slated to be given to prisoners shortly). The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm and in Azariyya, Balata r.c., Nablus; searches, temporarily occupies a flour mill in Gaza’s al-Qarara for use as an observation tower to protect Jewish settlers traveling btwn. Gush Katif and Israel; begins work on a new segment of the separation wall s. of Nablus. Palestinian residents of Dayr al-Hatab nr. Nablus report that the IDF has for 3 wks. been bulldozing Palestinian land around Elon Moreh to create a buffer around the settlement. Israel issues tenders for the construction of 22 new housing units in Ma’ale Adumim settlement, despite U.S President George W. Bush’s calls to stop all settlement expansion. A Jewish settler injures a Palestinian girl in a hit-andrun incident n. of Ramallah. In Gaza City, 100s of armed Palestinians (mbrs. of PA military intelligence, the AMB, Fatah) protest the PA’s decision to dismantle the military intelligence service, merge it with the PA security forces, and retire a number of officers; some demonstrators fire in the air. (IMEMC, JP, JTA, WAFA 6/2; VOI 6/2 in WNC 6/3; WP, WT 6/3; IMEMC 6/4; OCHA, PR 6/8; PCHR 6/9)

In Gaza, 3 Palestinians representing the AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad stage a joint attack on Kefar Darom settlement, firing rifles, 1 mortar, 6 grenades, causing damage but no injuries; the IDF fires back, killing 1 Hamas mbr., wounding a 2d, who escapes with the 3d assailant; the IDF says that PA security forces spotted the attackers but did not stop them, waiting until after the clash to retrieve the body of the dead man, turn his weapons over to the IDF. Israel pledges to respond to such attacks as it did today, “without escalating the fighting.” The IDF also conducts arrest raids in Mughraqa in central Gaza, nr. Bethlehem; patrols in Nablus, firing on residential areas; occupies a Palestinian home in Hebron as an observation post. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba severely beat 3 Palestinian girls. (IMEMC 5/20; NYT 5/21; OCHA 5/25; PCHR 5/26)

The IDF arrests 7 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel fr. Gaza (5 nr. Kissufim crossing, 2 in central Gaza) to seek work; raids a photo exhibit sponsored by Hamas in Yassid nr. Nablus. A Palestinian stabs, lightly injures an IDF soldier outside Ganim settlement, steals his gun. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket toward Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF arrests 4 suspects. Senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Shaykh Khadir says that Islamic Jihad should reconsider its truce in light of the IDF’s alleged assassination of an AMB mbr. in Balata r.c. on 4/14, the upswing in arrest raids targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs. since the 2/25 Tel Aviv bombing. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadassah in Hebron attack Palestinian students outside a girls’ elementary school, injuring 10 (including 3 requiring hospitalization). (IMEMC 4/23; VOI 4/23 in WNC 4/26; HA 4/24; OCHA 4/27; PCHR 4/28)

Israel announces that it has arrested 3 PFLP mbrs. for allegedly plotting to assassinate Shas party leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The IDF orders 27 bedouin to evacuate 3 sites nr. Tubas. Israel also opens bidding on 50 plots of land in Elkana settlement nr. Nablus for construction of new homes. The IDF issues military orders for the demolition of 3 Palestinian homes, 10 wells, 6 sewage systems outside Yatta for expansion of Carmiel settlement; resumes construction on a segment of the separation wall n. of Jerusalem; starts construction of a settler bypass road linking Neve Yaqub settlement to others around Jerusalem; raids Dayr al-Balah for a 2d day, arrests 3 Palestinians who allegedly attempted to sneak into Israel to find work; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, Silwad nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers set up 2 new unauthorized outposts nr. Elon Moreh settlement nr. Nablus, nr. Hebron. A Jewish settler injures a 12-yr.-old Palestinian child in a hit-and-run nr. Bethlehem. Palestinians fire on IDF soldiers outside Neve Dekalim settlement, lightly wounding 1. In Jenin, 10s of AMB mbrs. take over a main intersection, close down a government building, demanding that the PA provide jobs to unemployed militants, fmr. prisoners, relatives of Palestinians killed by the IDF. Palestinian teachers open a 2-day strike to protest PC inactivity in amending the civil service law to increase teacher salaries (see 4/6). (NYT 4/18; MM 4/19; OCHA, PR 4/20; PCHR 4/21)

Israel orders the Israeli police in Jerusalem to expand their jurisdiction to include Jewish settlement areas north, west, and south of Jerusalem that will eventually be west of the separation wall and that Sharon plans to annex under final status. The IDF sends troops into Qiffin nr. Tulkarm, fires tear gas at 10s of Palestinian children on their way to school, arrests a 16-yr.-old boy; sends troops into Marda nr. Nablus, fires tear gas at Palestinian children on their way home from school, confiscates a school bag fr. a 13-yr.-old Palestinian; arrests 2 Palestinian farmers working their land nr. Tulkarm for straying too close to the separation wall; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hazma nr. Jerusalem, al-Til nr. Tulkarm; raids Dayr al-Balah and arrests 2 Palestinians who allegedly attempted to sneak into Israel to find work. Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails begin a 2-day hunger strike to protest their deteriorating living conditions. (PR 4/20; PCHR 4/21)