The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, the IDF sends troops into Wadi al-Silqa, raiding and searching homes, detaining 50 Palestinians for questioning, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes, damaging 4 others, bulldozing 80 d. of agricultural land, before withdrawing late in the evening. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and Jenin (firing on stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding 1), in Balata r.c. (demolishing the home of a wanted Palestinian), Qalqilya. In central Gaza, unidentified gunmen ambush, attempt to kidnap the al-Maghazi r.c. municipal dir., who escapes. Also in al-Maghazi, local leaders of Fatah al-Yasir, Hamas, the PRCs hold a demonstration to protest the upcoming Annapolis peace talks. In Hebron, the PSF orders classes at the Palestine Polytechnic University suspended, surrounds the campus to prevent recent tensions btwn. the Hamas-dominated student council and a Fatah-affiliated student group fr. erupting into violence. (OCHA 11/7; PCHR 11/8)

The IDF sends troops into Wadi al-Silqa in central Gaza, raiding and searching homes, occupying several as observation posts, imposing a curfew, firing on anyone on the streets (wounding 2 unarmed Palestinians), bulldozing a greenhouse and 1 d. of land. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya, Tulkarm. In Khan Yunis, suspected Fatah mbrs. detonate a bomb under an ESF vehicle outside an ESF post, causing no injuries. (OCHA 10/31; PCHR 11/1)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of alMaghazi r.c. fire on Palestinian shepherds who stray nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. PA security forces demolish a smugglers’ tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF exchanges fire with AMB mbrs. in Nablus, leaving 2 wanted AMB mbrs. dead; temporarily occupies several buildings in Jenin town and r.c., exchanging fire with local Palestinians, leaving 1 armed Palestinian dead; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya, nr. Nablus; begins work on a new segment of the separation wall s. of Wadi Rahan nr. Bethlehem. After heavy rains, the retaining wall of a sewage pond in n. Gaza collapses, flooding the village of Um al-Nasser, killing at least 5 Palestinians (including 2-yr.-old and 5-yr.-old boys), injuring 20, leaving 333 Palestinian families homeless (the UNRWA sets up a temporary camp); villagers attack newly appointed PA Interior M Hani al-Qawasmi when he arrives to survey the damage, forcing him to leave. Also in Gaza, unidentified gunmen attack the PA Agriculture Min. offices (causing no injuries), then demand jobs in the PA security forces; Palestinian Red Crescent Society employees stage a sit-in outside the ICRC headquarters to demand payment of back salaries. (REU 3/27; IMEMC, NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 3/28; PCHR 3/29)