The Palestine Chronology

Nr. Jinin, an explosion kills 6 Fatah mbrs., 3 of whom are on Israel's most-wanted list, 1 of whom is a PA military intelligence officer. Fatah says they were assassinated by IDF tank fire; Israel claims they were assembling a bomb when it exploded. After Palestinians fire a mortar at Kefar Darom settlement in Gaza, injuring 1 girl, IDF helicopters fire shells at the main PSF headquarters in Gaza City, destroying a building that Israel claims was a mortar factory, injuring 7 PSF officers. The IDF also fatally shoots a PSF officer and an Islamic Jihad mbr. nr. Qarni crossing; directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Hebron, Rafah. A small bomb explodes in a supermarket in Pisgat Ze'ev, and a roadside bomb explodes nr. a Jewish settler school bus nr. Ofra, neither causing injuries. Nr. Tulkarm, Palestinian gunmen fire across the Green Line at an Israeli border police car, injuring 3 officers. (AFP [Internet], BBC, NYT, REU, WP, WT 7/30; NYT, WP 7/31; SA 7/31 in WNC 8/1; LAW 8/6; MEI 8/10)

Israel continues to reinforce its West Bank forces, stationing paratrooper units in areas nr. Bethlehem, Jinin. Palestinians fire 4 mortars at Netzarim settlement, Nahal Oz kibbutz inside Israel. The IDF files low-level F-16 sorties, drops thermal balloons over the Gaza Strip; directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at Palestinian residential areas of Hebron, setting 7 Palestinian homes on fire; tightens the closures on Qalqilya, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers reportedly confiscate several Palestinian homes in the Palestinian section of Hebron nr. Kiryat Arba. In Bethlehem, 1,000s of Palestinians hold anti-Israeli demonstrations following the funeral for Hamas's Saada. 1 Palestinian dies of injuries received on 7/16. (AP, HA, HP 7/18; NYT 7/19)

At a G-8 preparatory mtg. in Rome, the FMs of Britain, France, Germany, Italy insist that dispatching an impartial observer force to the West Bank and Gaza is necessary to restore a lasting cease-fire, renew peace talks. Secy. of State Powell says sending a force is "premature," since Israel does not approve, but he does not reject the idea outright. (WP, WT 7/19)

In response to Palestinian gunfire overnight, the IDF tanks enter PA-controlled Hebron before dawn to shell PSF posts, injuring 5 Palestinians. This evening, an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber kills 2 IDF soldiers, wounds 9 others at a bus stop in Binyamina inside Israel. In response, the IDF sends tanks into Jinin, Tulkarm to shell PSF posts there. DM Ben-Eliezer places forces on alert, cancels a trip to Washington for a mtg. with Powell. The PA reiterates its call for a halt to actions inside Israel. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/17; HA 7/18; SA 7/18 in WNC 7/19; MM 7/23; MEI 7/27)

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Comm. holds a closed session to discuss the "Arab demographic threat" and the "dangers facing the survival of Israel as a Jewish state." Arab MKs denounce the mtg. as "naked racism." (al-Ahram [Internet] 7/19)

The IDF demolishes at least 14 Palestinian homes in Shu`fat refugee camp in East Jerusalem in the largest demolition campaign in the city in recent yrs., leaving 150 Palestinians homeless, injuring 20. Israeli police scuffle with Palestinian residents, injuring 5, arresting several. Later, the IDF demolishes 10 Palestinian homes in Gaza, sparking an exchange gunfire that leaves 5 Palestinians wounded. A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a car bomb nr. and IDF post nr. Gush Katif settlement in Gaza, killing himself, causing no other injuries. A critically ill Palestinian man dies of a heart attack when the IDF delays his ambulance passage through a checkpoint. An IDF soldier dies of injuries received on 7/8. The IDF also directs shells/heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bayt Sahur (hitting a PSF post); tightens access to Jerusalem and the closure on Jinin, Tulkarm; places a curfew on Sinjil, fires percussion grenades for no apparent reason. Jewish settlers place caravans on confiscated Palestinian land in Ramin to expand Annab settlement; stage a 4-hr. assault on Palestinians, their property in Hebron, also attacking journalists who come to cover the incident. Palestinians fire mortars at 2 Gaza settlements, causing no damage. (HP, LAW, MM 7/9; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/10; PMC, WT 7/11; JT, al-Quds 7/11 in WNC 7/12; HJ, JT 7/12 in WNC 7/13; ATL 7/12 in WNC 7/16; MEI 7/13; HA 7/24)

Nr. Rafah, IDF troops open fire on stone-throwing Palestinians, killing a 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy. 2 IDF soldiers are injured by a roadside bomb nr. Nablus. The IDF directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bayt Lahia, Rafah, al-Sudaniyya; fire heavy machine guns at an PSF post in Bayt Sahur; open fire on Palestinians at al-Mintar crossing and in al-Bireh, Hebron, Khan Yunis, Tulkarm; occupy a Palestinian home in al-Khadir as a military outpost; seal an entrance to Tulkarm. Jewish settlers ambush a Palestinian taxi nr. Ramallah, shooting and wounding 4 Palestinians; set fire to 5 Palestinian cars, vandalize several homes in Hebron; vandalize homes on the Zatara-Nablus road; fire at Palestinians in Tulkarm; severely beat 3 Palestinians in Jinin. Arafat instructs the PSF to place a number of Palestinians wanted by Israel in "protective custody." (PMC 7/7; NYT 7/8; NYT, WT 7/9 NYT 7/11; HA 7/11; WJW 7/12)

A Jewish settler is found murdered nr. Hebron. The IDF retaliates by sealing the neighboring villages of Yatta and Yibna, and bulldozing homes, cave dwellings, 10s of other structures, wells, olive groves, leaving at least 500 Palestinians homeless. The IDF also bulldozes 30 Palestinian stalls at a market outside Jinin, where a settler was killed on 7/1; orders 4 Palestinian families to evacuate an area in Sawisa, nr. Hebron, then demolishes their tents. This evening, 1,000s of Jewish settlers rally in Tel Aviv to protest the "inadequate" security provided by the Israeli government. After dark, Palestinians toss homemade grenades at an IDF post in Rafah, causing no injuries. (Gush Shalom press release, al-Haq press release, MM 7/3; HP, NYT, WT 7/4; AFP [Internet] 7/5; HA 7/12; MEI 7/13)

Sharon meets with senior cabinet mbrs. to discuss contingency plans should the cease-fire collapse completely. He secures their authorization to step up assassinations. The State Dept. repeats its opposition. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/4; JT 7/4 in WNC 7/7; NYT 7/5)

Israeli-Palestinian violence continues to escalate, leaving 2 Palestinians, 1 Israeli civilian. Fatalities include a critically ill Palestinian woman who dies at a checkpoint nr. Ramallah after being held there for 2 hrs. and denied passage to a hospital, and an Israeli fatally shot by a Palestinian in a West Bank market. The PFLP detonates 2 remote-controlled car bombs in Yehud, inside Israel; 4 Israelis are treated for shock. The IDF begins work on a new settlement bypass road nr. Bethlehem; bulldozes 100s of dunams of Palestinian land nr. Gush Etzion where a new settlement enclave was set up 1 mo. ago; confiscates 5 dunams of Silwad land for a helipad serving Ofra settlement; sets up a new checkpoint outside Jinin; tightens roadblocks around Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers set fire to 5 Palestinian cars in Hebron; burn olive trees nr. Ramin. (HP, MM 7/2; NYT, PMC, WP, WT 7/3; MM 7/4; MEI 7/13)

The U.S. convenes a special mtg. of the trilateral security comm.; reprimands the PA for not doing enough to rein in violence, Israel for resuming "targeted killings." (AP 7/2; NYT, WP, WT 7/3; NYT 7/5)

Israeli-Palestinian violence escalates, leaving 5 Palestinians dead. A 6th Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. The IDF assassinates senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Bisharat, firing 8 rockets at his car as he drives nr. Jinin, also killing 2 passengers. The PA charges Israel with a major violation of the cease-fire. The IDF also directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bethlehem, Rafah. (HP, MM, NYT, WT 7/2; al-Quds 7/2 in WNC 7/3; MM 7/3; QA 7/3, AKH, JT 7/4, AN 7/5 in WNC 7/7; MM 7/4; Economist 7/5; MEI 7/13)