The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians in Ma’in, causing light injuries. Israeli settlers also set fire to a Palestinian-owned vehicle in Rujeib. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Jenin and Nablus. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians in Burin, demolished parts of a house, and set fields on fire. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian child during a late-night raid in Tubas and injured 1 other by running him over. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in al-Fawar refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian at a checkpoint near Huwwara, claiming he had tried to attack 2 Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 2, including 1 with live ammunition. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Yatta, injuring 1 with live ammunition and 2 with rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Umar, injuring 1 minor with live ammunition and 3 others with rubber-coated bullets. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting in Bethlehem, Harmala, al-Khadir, and Dayr Sharif, resulting in tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, injuring 3 using rubber-coated bullets. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Tulkarm, injuring 3 with live ammunition. 40 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, al-Fawar refugee camp, Nablus, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, 2 Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian with a sharp tool, slicing her face as she was leaving the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Tur, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet; others suffered tear-gas related injuries and 2 were arrested. 6 other Palestinians were arrested during house raids in the Old City, Jabal Mukabir, Silwan, and Shu‘fat. In Gaza, 34 Palestinians were killed, including 6 children, and dozens injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 30 to 64, including 16 children. The casualties included: 4 in a drone strike on a car east of Bayt Lahiya; 8, including 3 children, in 3 air strikes on apartment buildings in Gaza City; 1 child in an air strike on a butcher in Gaza City; 6 in a drone strike on a car in Gaza city, including 3 inside the car and 3 passersby; 1, and 1 wounded, in another air strike on a vehicle in Gaza City; 1 in an air strike in Khan Yunis; 1 in an air strike on agricultural lands near Khuza‘a; 4, and 2 injured, in a drone strike on Nuseirat refugee camp; 2, and 1 child injured, in an air strike on a liquefied petroleum gas distribution vehicle in Khan Yunis; 2, and 3 wounded, including 1 child, in an air strike on a house in Khan Yunis; 2, and 2 wounded, all children, after a helicopter fired missiles at a gas station in al-Fukhari; and the body of 1 Palestinian was found in rubble near Bayt Hanun, it was assessed that he was killed in an air strike on 5/10; the body of 1 Palestinian was found near a mosque in Rafah, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said it was unclear if he had been killed by debris from an intercepted rocket or in an Israeli air strike. Hamas reported that the interior ministry and the passport office along with other government buildings had been hit by Israeli air strikes. Israeli air strikes also demolished 2 high-rise buildings, the 10-story al-Jawhara building, and the 14-story al-Shorouq building, which housed news outlets and other offices, and the headquarters of the interior ministry and UNRWA schools. In Israel, 1 Israeli soldier was killed and 2 injured from an anti-tank missile fired from Gaza and 1 child succumbed to injuries sustained in Sderot, raising the Israeli death toll to 7. Dozens of rockets were also fired at Israel from Gaza, most of them intercepted. A mob of Jewish-Israelis pulled 1 Palestinian-Israeli out of his car and beat him while tv cameras were rolling in Bat Yam; the man was said to be in serious condition. A mob of Jewish-Israelis also raided a number of Palestinian-owned businesses in Tel Aviv, causing severe damage. 1 Jewish-Israeli man was attacked by 5 Palestinian-Israelis in ‘Akka; he was said to be in serious condition. Jewish-Israelis also attacked a tent set up to mourn the death of 1 Palestinian-Israeli who was shot by a Jewish-Israeli on 5/10 in Lydda, throwing stones at the mourners. Elsewhere in Lydda, 1 Jewish-Israeli was shot and injured and 2 more were injured in stabbings, 21 Palestinian-Israelis were injured, including 1 by gunshot. Israeli police announced a nighttime curfew in Lydda from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. 1 Palestinian-Israeli man was injured when rammed by a car­ and beaten near Or Akiva. 1 Palestinian-Israeli was lightly injured by a mob of Jewish-Israelis while driving in Tiberias. 1 Jewish-Israeli was injured in a stabbing incident in Tamra. A mob of Jewish-Israelis also attacked 1 Palestinian-Israeli in Haifa. (AJ, NYT 5/11; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, BBC, CNN, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, PCHR, REU, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/12; AP, CNN, HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; PCHR 5/14; TOI 5/16; HA 5/18; WAFA 5/19; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; HA, NYT 5/26; HA 5/27)

1 Palestinian prisoner suspended a 56-day-long hunger strike as Israel promised not to renew his administrative detention after 7/17. (WAFA 5/12)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas discussed the current situation with EU high representative Josep Borrell, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Iraqi president Barham Salih. A White House statement also said that U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke with President Abbas and they discussed “the violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and the Secretary expressed his condolences for the lives lost as a result. The Secretary condemned the rocket attacks and emphasized the need to de-escalate tensions and bring the current violence to an end.” (HA, WAFA 5/12)

At a security cabinet meeting, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers decided not to accept a potential ceasefire and continue its attack on Gaza for the time being. (HA 5/13)

Israeli president Reuven Rivlin condemned what he called a “pogrom” by “an Arab mob” on 5/11, despite the majority of the violence in Israel being perpetrated against Palestinian-Israelis. (HA 5/12)

Turkey said that its president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russia’s president Vladimir Putin had discussed the situation in Jerusalem and Gaza, and that Turkey had called for international action against Israel. (AJ, AP, REU 5/12)

U.S. president Joe Biden said, during a press conference, that he believes that “Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying in your territory,” and that his “hope is that we’ll see this coming to conclusions sooner than later.” President Biden also spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, where he gave his “unwavering support for Israel’s security and for Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself and its people, while protecting civilians,” according to the readout. The Biden administration also dispatched deputy assistant secretary of state for Israel and Palestine Hady Amr to Israel for talks with Palestinian and Israeli officials. The White House said that senior officials have had more than 25 calls with officials from Israel, the PA, Qatar, Tunisia, Jordan, and Egypt about the situation. (HA 5/12; NYT 5/13)

25 house democrats signed a letter circulated by Marie Newman (D-IL) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) urging secretary of state Antony Blinken to condemn the planned evictions of Palestinian families from Shaykh Jarrah. (HA 5/13)

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that she was following the situation in Gaza and Jerusalem with concern. (MEE, REU, WAFA 5/12)

The UN security council held a 2d meeting in 3 days to discuss the escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel. (TOI 5/12)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided a Palestinian-owned house in Kaubar and took measures to punitively demolish it; 2 of the house’s occupants are detained by Israel. Israeli forces also arrested 11 Palestinians, including 4 during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Jenin, and Ramallah; 1 on a street near Nablus; and 7 during daytime raids in and around Ramallah, Nablus, ‘Ayn al-Hilwa, and Hebron. During a daytime raid in Nablus, Israeli forces confiscated a tractor, and separately during a different raid in Nablus, Israeli forces seized carpentry equipment. 1 Palestinian was shot by Israeli forces after he allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing by the Gush Etzion junction. Israeli forces also seized and impounded a PA health ministry vehicle providing medical services to 1,500 Palestinians in rural areas south of Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces fired tear gas and arrested 3 Palestinians at Bab al-Rahma in the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/2; WAFA 1/3; HA 1/7; PCHR 1/9)

9 Palestinians from Issawiyya in East Jerusalem were placed under nighttime curfew between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. 6 of the men were told that they were facing a nighttime curfew on 12/29, but the curfew did not take effect until 1/2. The Israeli military cited a 1945 Mandate-era regulation to justify placing the 9 under nighttime curfew. (HA 1/2)

The U.S. assassinated Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and commander of the IRGC’s special forces Quds Force Qasem Soleimani and the deputy chairman of the Iraqi government-sanctioned militia Popular Mobilisation Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, along with several other Iranian and Iraqi officials at Baghdad International airport. The assassinations were carried out by an American MQ-9 drone that fired missiles at the officials’ convoy as it was leaving the airport. The Pentagon released a statement saying that the strike was directed on behest of U.S. president Donald Trump and was aimed at “deterring future Iranian attack plans.” Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement that Iran would have 3 days of mourning followed by a retaliation. The speaker of the Iraqi parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi condemned the assassination, calling it “a flagrant breach of sovereignty and violation of international agreements.” (DOD, NYT, REU 1/2; AJ, AJ, AP, CNN, HA, WP 1/3; HA 1/4)

In the West Bank, clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinians when Israeli settlers toured Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus; 1 Palestinian was hospitalized after being hit by a rubber-coated bullet, others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 6 Palestinians were arrested including 5 during late-night raids in Hebron, Taqqua, and al-‘Arub refugee camp; 1 was arrested at a military checkpoint near al-Khadir. Israeli forces delivered a stop-work order for a Palestinian-owned house near Tubas. In East Jerusalem, 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Issawiyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. Off the shore of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (WAFA 12/29; PCHR 1/2)

Israel notified 6 Palestinians living in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiyya that Israel intends to use a British Mandate-era emergency regulation to place them under nighttime curfew for several months. (HA 12/30)

8 Palestinian and Arab banks signed a memorandum of understanding with the Jerusalem District Electricity Company (JDECO) for a loan to facilitate an end to the power cuts that have affected thousands of Palestinians since 12/15. The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) began to cut power for several major cities in the West Bank because the JDECO had accumulated too much debt to the IEC due to a fiscal crisis. The JDECO is a Palestinian-owned electricity company that relies on the IEC for supplying power to East Jerusalem and the West Bank. (WAFA 12/29)

In a statement, Hamas’s interior ministry accused the PA of providing information to Israel that aided the Israeli assassination of PIJ commander Baha Abu al-Ata on 11/12. The statement also said that Hamas had arrested a PA intelligence cell which had allegedly collected the information given to Israel. (HA 12/29)

The Israeli security cabinet approved a request made by defense minister Naftali Bennett to withhold $43 million of the PA tax revenue collected by Israel from the PA. According to the defense ministry, the $43 million represents payments transferred from the Israeli government to Israeli families who were victims of Palestinian attacks. (HA, REU, WAFA 12/29; WAFA, WAFA 12/30)

The U.S. conducted 3 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq against the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia group, killing 25 and injuring 55. U.S. officials said the attack was in response to the killing of a civilian contractor on 12/27 working for the U.S. at a military base in Iraq, officials also warned that “additional actions” may be taken. (AJ 12/29; AJ, HA, HA 12/30)

According to the Iranian media outlet Fars, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized a foreign tanker carrying illegal oil south of Larak Island in the Persian Gulf. The reporting did not indicate the nationality of the ship, but 16 Malaysian crew members were arrested. (HA 12/30; AJ 12/31)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the first of 2 planned days ahead of Ramadan on 6/6. At the end of the day, around 800 Palestinians are stranded at the crossing due to the 7:00 P.M. curfew Egypt imposes on the n. Sinai Peninsula. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers and shepherds working nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians demonstrating against the occupation in Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 1 Palestinian is injured. IDF troops also arrest 8 Palestinians during latenight raids and house searches nr. Hebron and Ramallah and patrol nr. Hebron and Nablus throughout the day. (MNA 6/4; MNA 6/5; OCHA, PCHR 6/9)

Responding to Israeli PM Netanyahu’s 5/30 comments, Arab League secy.-gen. Nabil Elaraby says that the league will reject any alterations or piecemeal acceptance of the Arab Peace Initiative. (MNA 6/4)

After 2 weeks of increasing tension and clashes in East Jerusalem over access at Haram al-Sharif, Israeli authorities ban male and female volunteer guards— murabitun and murabitat—from the sanctuary on the grounds that they disturb and intimidate Jewish visitors. Around 50 Palestinian women gather outside Haram al-Sharif in the morning to protest the Israeli restrictions on their access. Late at night, suspected right-wing Jewish activists spray racist graffiti on walls in the Old City and Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians on raids in al-Tur and Jabal Mukabir. In the West Bank, unknown assailants shoot and lightly injure an Israeli settler driving nr. Nablus. Later, Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of olive trees outside a nearby Palestinian village and Israeli forces block the entrances to the village and order a curfew. Separately, Israeli forces raze agricultural land and seize an irrigation network nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Jericho, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c and nr. Hebron. The Israeli authorities reopen a road nr. Ramallah that has been closed for 15 years (it was initially reported reopened on 5/25, but Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories [COGAT] delayed the opening to perform unspecified maintenance). Off Gaza’s coast nr. Rafah, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Later, Israeli forces e. of Khan Yunis arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. (HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 9/9; PCHR, WAFA 9/10; PCHR 9/17; OCHA 9/18)

PNC pres. Zanoun announces that the PNC convention scheduled for 9/14–15 has been postponed in response to various Palestinian political groups’ requests for a delay and calls for a boycott. He says that a comm. comprising himself, the PLO Exec. Comm., and the heads of the various factions will meet to prepare to convene the PNC within 3 mos. (JP, MNA, WAFA 9/9)

UNRWA commissioner-gen. Pierre Krähenbühl reaches an agreement with the UNRWA employees union in Gaza to end the recent protests over reductions in agency services. The union went on strike for a week on 8/24, then agreed to return to work on 8/31 in exchange for a tentative agreement to limit class sizes. (MNA 9/9)

During the day, the IDF makes at least 1 air strike on a rocket-launching site in Gaza, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. Islamic Jihad fires about 20 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, seriously injuring 2 Israeli brothers (ages 8, 19). Late in the evening, the IDF makes 4 air strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza: in al-Bureij r.c., assassinating Hamas cmdr. Muhammad Abu Mtair; nr. Khan Yunis, destroying a security post and damaging several nearby houses but causing no injuries; in Rafah, destroying 2 factories (alleged weapons depots) and 1 house, damaging 10 other homes, injuring 10 bystanders; in Gaza City, destroying 2 workshops (alleged weapons factories), injuring 13 bystanders (including 7 women, 3 children), damaging several nearby homes and a car. In the West Bank, the IDF lifts the curfew on, withdraws fr. Azun; patrols in Tubas; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, firing on residential areas, causing no reported injuries. (IFM, WP 2/10; NYT, WP 2/11; OCHA 2/13; PCHR 2/14)

Overnight, the IDF sends tanks and troops, backed by air support, into Gaza City and Khan Yunis in a major day-long ground offensive targeting primarily Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but also including the AMB, arresting 10s of Palestinians, bulldozing 1 Palestinian home and 70 dunams of land, and leaving at least 13 Palestinians (including at least 4 gunmen and 6 civilians, including a 10-yr.-old boy) dead, more than 50 Palestinians and at least 2 IDF soldiers wounded; Fatah and Hamas gunmen fight side-by-side against the IDF, using small arms and antitank weapons. The IDF also makes an air strike on a car in Gaza City, assassinating Islamic Jihad senior cmdr. Raed Fanuna; bulldozes Palestinian land on the Gaza side of the Qarni crossing and industrial zone, along the border southeast of Khuza’a in s. Gaza. For a 2d day, the Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza City coast, forcing them back to shore. Islamic Jihad fires 4 rockets, 5 mortars fr. Gaza toward the Erez crossing; 2 mortars land on the Gaza side, injuring a Palestinian child; those landing on the Israeli side cause no damage or injuries. In Khan Yunis, a Palestinian is killed when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF launches a major arrest campaign in the Old City of Nablus, imposing a curfew, searching homes (occupying at least 7 as sniper posts), taking over local radio stations, searching hospitals; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, nr. Jenin. In Ramallah, unidentified gunmen fire on the home of senior Fatah official Hani al-Hassan, causing no injuries. In Hebron, unidentified gunmen fire on the home of the local PA General Intelligence head, causing no injuries. Islamic Jihad mbr. Zakariyya al-Tartar dies of injuries received in a 6/24 IDF air strike on his vehicle in Gaza City. (PCHR, WP, WT 6/28; OCHA 7/4; PCHR 7/5)

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)

The IDF continues operations in Nablus, clashing with Palestinian gunmen, leaving 1 unarmed Palestinian dead, 8 wounded. During operations, a curfew remains in place, with the IDF bulldozing and damaging several Palestinian homes and shops to widen access to the Old City for IDF vehicles, raiding and searching homes, rounding up 10s of Palestinians for interrogation, continuing to occupy Palestinian TV and radio stations, broadcasting the names of 7 wanted mbrs. of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) for whom they are searching, reportedly uncovering another 2 bombmaking labs. The IDF also demolishes 6 Palestinian homes nr. Tulkarm, 3 bedouin shacks nr. Azariyya; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Israeli authorities report that 2 Palestinian teenagers have been arrested and have confessed to the stabbing death of a settler on 2/25. A Palestinian wounded in the family feud in Khan Yunis on 2/25 dies. (NYT, WP 2/27; OCHA 2/28; PCHR 3/1)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes an overnight raid on Nablus, reportedly uncovering an Islamic Jihad pipe bomb factory in the Old City, exchanging fire with Islamic Jihad mbrs., causing no reported injuries. Troops withdraw and then reenter Nablus before dawn, this time declaring the start of Operation Hot Winter— the largest military operation in the West Bank since 7/06 and the largest in Nablus in 3 yrs.—sealing the city, imposing a curfew, taking over TV and radio stations, conducting house-to-house searches, barring access to 2 hospitals, reportedly uncovering a 2d bomb-making factory and finding a LAU hand-held guided missile and launcher (either stolen from the IDF or purchased on the Israeli black market); 2 IDF soldiers, 6 Palestinians are wounded in exchanges of fire; an Associated Press photographer films IDF soldiers forcing a Palestinian man to act as a human shield, leading troops into Palestinian homes—a violation of international and Israeli law. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. Nr. Hebron, suspected Palestinian assailants fatally stab a Jewish settler. Jewish settlers fr. Avigail nr. Hebron uproot 30 Palestinian olive trees. Overnight in Khan Yunis, 5 Palestinians are killed, more than 40 wounded in a family feud with factional overtones, raising concerns that intra-Palestinian fighting, which has tapered off since Fatah and Hamas reached a national unity agmt. in Mecca on 2/8 (see Quarterly Update in JPS 143), might resume: The fighting begins when mbrs. of the Khawareh clan, relatives of a Fatah mbr. killed in factional fighting on 1/07, fatally shoot Hamas mbr. Muhammad Ali Ghalban, whom they blame for his death, sparking exchanges that leave 2 Khawareh relatives, 2 bystanders dead. On the Rafah border, 1 Palestinian is killed, 6 are injured when a smugglers’ tunnel they are digging collapses. Palestinian workers at Qarni crossing strike for the day, forcing the crossing to close. Unidentified gunmen in Bureij r.c. fire on an ESF post, causing no injuries. In Israel, Israeli police raid 2 companies in Ramat Gan that do business with companies in Gaza, arresting several employees on suspicion of funneling money to Hamas, Islamic Jihad. (AP, HA, NYT, WP, WT 2/25; AP, HA, NYT, WP 2/26; OCHA 2/28; AP, PCHR 3/1; WP 3/3)

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)

In Gaza, the IDF shells areas nr. Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinians and damaging an ambulance coming to their rescue; fires on a Palestinian family tending their fields nr. the border fence with Israel e. of al-Qarara, killing a Palestinian teenager; bulldozes 7 d. of agricultural land nr. al-Maghazi r.c. Palestinians fire several rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the Israeli forces send undercover units into al-Bireh for a day-long operation, imposes a curfew, surrounds 2 apartment buildings, occupies neighboring homes as sniper and observation posts, orders all residents out for ID checks, then raids the building arresting a wanted Palestinian; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 1), Nablus; bulldozes 10s of d. of agricultural land nr. Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall. To protest U.S. Secy. of State Condoleezza Rice’s mtg. with Abbas today, Palestinians in Ramallah observe a general strike, 100s conduct a protest march (some waving Lebanese flags). A Jewish settler fr. Beitar Ilit nr. Bethlehem fires on a 47- yr.-old Palestinian walking nearby, wounding him with a live bullet in the jaw. A Jewish settler fr. Tene Oranim in Hebron throws a grenade at Palestinian shepherds tending a flock nearby, wounding 1 Palestinian, killing 3 sheep. A Palestinian civilian injured during Israeli operations in al-Maghazi r.c. on 7/19 dies. (NYT, WP, WT 7/26; PCHR 7/27)

Israeli Forces conduct air and artillery strikes on a UN Observer Group Lebanon post near al-Khiyam, hitting the area 21 times (at least 11 of them air strikes), killing 4 unarmed UN Truce Supervision Organization mbrs., continuing the aerial assault while rescue efforts are underway; continues air strikes in s. Beirut and across s. Lebanon, especially in Nabatiyya (where at least 6 Lebanese civilians are killed when 2 homes are hit by missiles), Tyre. Ground battles involving Israeli tank and Hizballah antitank fire, fierce house-to-house combat supported by Israeli artillery and helicopter fire continue in Bint Jubayl and Maroun al-Ras and are reported in Yaron to the west; by nightfall, Israel claims to have secured control of Bint Jubayl, killed senior Hizballah cmdr. Abu Jaafir and 20–30 Hizballah mbrs., though there is no independent confirmation; at least 3 Israeli soldiers are wounded. Hizballah fires more than 90 rockets into n. Israel, killing an Israeli Druze in Maghir, injuring 30 Israelis (mostly suffering fr. shock); other targets include Haifa, Ma’alot, Nahariya, Safad, Tiberias. (NYT, WP, WT 7/26; NYT 7/27)

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 imposes a curfew on Allar nr. Tulkarm, raids and occupies a girls school and 4 Palestinian homes as observation sites, detains 10s of Palestinians for interrogation; also conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya, Dahariyya nr. Hebron; closes checkpoints into East Jerusalem before Friday prayers, fires tear gas and percussion grenades to disperse Palestinians waiting to cross; beats a Palestinian farmer tilling his land nr. the separation wall in Dayr al-‘Asal nr. Hebron; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at a nonviolent Palestinian demonstration against the separation wall nr. Bil‘in, seriously injuring a Palestinian, lightly injuring a foreign journalist with the Associated Press. Some 40 Jewish rabbinical students club, stone 8 Palestinian laborers working legally at Nachliel settlement, seriously injuring at least 5; Israeli police intervene but the settlers escape; police sources say the 8 Palestinians were “almost lynched.” Jewish settlers fr. Brakha settlement nr. Nablus ambush, beat, seriously injure a Palestinian truck driver passing the settlement. 10s of Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement occupy a plot of nearby Palestinian land housing the water spigots controlling the water supply to the settlement and nearby Palestinian villages. PA security officers seal a smugglers’ tunnel in Rafah; some Palestinians confront the officers with stones, causing no injuries; 1 Palestinian is arrested. (HA, MM 3/18; VOP 3/19; AYM 3/20; OCHA 3/23; PCHR 3/24)

Ma’ariv 3/18 reports that that the financial officer of the Greek Orthodox Church, Nikolaos Papadimas, who has power of attorney for Greek Orthodox Patriarch Irineos, recently signed a secret deal, without Irineos’s permission, to sell the church’s Omar Bin Khattab Square property in the Old City of Jerusalem to Jewish investors fr. abroad and then fled the country with his family, depositing $1.5 m. in a Tel Aviv bank account. The square is a valuable commercial area inside the Jaffa Gate, where 3 prominent Palestinian hotels and a number of shops are located. Irineos denies that he gave permission for the sale, meaning that, by church bylaws, the sale is void. (JAZ, MA, al-Quds, VOP 3/19 in WNC 3/28; HA, VOP 3/23; AP 3/24; NYT 3/25; PR 3/30; al-Quds, VOP 4/3 in WNC 4/4; NYT 4/4; Independent 5/10; HA 5/15; PR 5/18)

Hamas, the Fatah Hawks (Fatah’s armed wing, which has not staged an attack on an Israeli target since the 1st intifada) take joint responsibility for detonating a massive bomb underneath an IDF checkpoint on the Gaza-Egypt border, killing 5 IDF soldiers, wounding at least 10; armed Palestinians exchange fire with IDF soldiers attempting to remove the wounded, leaving 1 Palestinian attacker dead. The IDF imposes a curfew on Talluza nr. Nablus; shells an elementary school in Khan Yunis, injuring 7 children; fires on, detains crew mbrs. of 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza coast; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in al-Fara‘a r.c.; shells residential areas, bulldozes 24 d. of agricultural land and 8 greenhouses nr. Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c., Hebron. Palestinian shepherds herding nr. ‘Aqraba nr. Nablus severely beat a Jewish settler fr. Itamar settlement who attempts to steal their sheep; other Palestinians alert police, who intervene, detain several Palestinians. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron throw stones, bottles at Palestinian houses nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs (IMEMC, WP 12/12; JAZ, MENA, VOI 12/12 in WNC 12/14; MM 12/13; JAZ 12/13 in WNC 12/15; HA, MM, PR 12/15; AYM 12/15 in WNC 12/18; PCHR 12/16; PR 12/22)

In continuing operations in n. Gaza, the IDF kills 5 Palestinians (including at least 2 civilians, one of them a 15-yr.-old girl) in shelling and gunfire in Jabaliya. In retaliation, Palestinians fire an antitank missile at an IDF patrol in n. Gaza, wounding 2 troops; fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. Elsewhere in Gaza, the IDF fires warning shots at a group of Palestinians in Khan Yunis, killing a 4-yr.- old Palestinian; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah. In the West Bank, 2 wanted Palestinians and 1 IDF soldier are killed, a 3d wanted Palestinian and 4 bystanders are injured in an exchange of fire during an IDF arrest raid on Ramallah; the IDF says the soldier was killed by friendly fire. The IDF bulldozes a grove of 120 olive trees nr. Tulkarm, large areas of agricultural land in Surif for construction of the separation wall; imposes a curfew on Palestinians in Hebron to allow Jewish settlers to hold Sukkoth parades, during which settlers throw bottles, stones at Palestinian homes; conducts arrest raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Tulkarm. A 70-yr.-old Palestinian dies fr. injuries she received in Nablus on 7/22/04. (MM, NYT, WP 10/4; AFP, IDF Radio, VOI, YA 10/4 in WNC 10/6; HA, NYT, PRCS, WP 10/5; PCHR 10/7; JPI 10/15)

The IDF launches a major incursion into Jenin, imposes a curfew, conducts house-tohouse searches, fires on residential areas, arrests at least 15 Palestinians; bulldozes 70 d. in Khan Yunis; fires on Palestinians, internationals holding a nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Budrus, where the IDF has bulldozed 250 d. in the past wk.; fires on residential areas of Nablus; conducts arrest raids and house searches in Asira, ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Jenin r.c., Kharas nr. Hebron, Nablus, Silat al-Harith nr. Jenin, Silwan, Tulkarm r.c., Yatta. Palestinians fire 3 Qassam rockets at Sederot and the Negev, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar nr. Nablus attack, severely beat a Palestinian farmer picking dates, leaving him with skull fractures, multiple injuries. (PM 9/21; VOI, VOP 9/21 in WNC 9/23; PR 9/22; PCHR 9/23)

The IDF tightens roadblocks btwn. Jerusalem, Ramallah; imposes a curfew on Silwad nr. Ramallah; shoots, wounds a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays into a closed military zone nr. Morag; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, and in Aida r.c., Balata r.c., Bayt Rima and Dayr Ghassana nr. Ramallah, Madama nr. Nablus, Salfit; begins work on new segments of the separation wall running s. of Hebron and btwn. East Jerusalem and the Qalandia checkpoint s. of Ramallah, bulldozing 500 d.; reportedly bulldozes large areas in Wadi al-Malih in the n. Jordan Valley. Palestinians in Nablus report that the IDF is digging a trench 3 m deep and 4 m wide to encircle Salim, Azmut, Dayr Hatab, Bayt Dajan, and Bayt Furik villages (combined population 30,000); 3 km have been completed. Armed Palestinians calling themselves the Fatah Fighters kidnap the PA’s security dir. for the Rafah checkpoint Saad al-Sayfan, accusing him of corruption. 15 armed Palestinians occupy the Khan Yunis governate building for 2 hrs., demand that the PA compensate local Palestinians who have lost their homes to IDF bulldozing. Palestinians fire 5 mortars at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. A PA court in Gaza opens a trial against 7 alleged collaborators, including Muhammad and Rami Abu Qaynas, accused of providing Israel with information used to assassinate Hamas leader ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Rantisi on 4/17/04. ( JAZ 9/5; MENA 9/5 in WNC 9/7; VOI 9/6 in WNC 9/8; PR 9/8; PCHR 9/9; PR 9/15)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Nablus but by evening lifts the curfew, withdraws troops, ending Operation Full Court Press. The IDF fires on 2 Palestinians who stray into a closed military zone in Rafah, injuring 1, then fatally shoots another Palestinian youth who attempts to reach him to provide aid; later shells residential areas of Rafah, killing a 62-yr.-old Palestinian; fires tear gas, live ammunition at Palestinians waiting to cross al-Mahatin checkpoint nr. Dayr al-Balah in central Gaza; fires on residential areas of Brazil r.c., Khan Yunis (seriously damaging a hospital); bulldozes 60 d. of agricultural land, shells residential areas in Wadi al-Silqa in s. Gaza; occupies a building under construction in Hebron as a military post. Late in the evening, the IDF sends bulldozers into Khan Yunis, demolishing 4 Palestinian homes. Palestinians fire 5 Qassam rockets at Sederot, lightly inuring 1 Israeli. (HA, XIN 8/19; NYT 8/20; PCHR 8/26)

The IDF launches a predawn air strike on the home of wanted Hamas mbr. Ahmad Jabari in Gaza City, assassinating 2 Hamas mbrs. and 1 Islamic Jihad mbr. (all relatives of Jabari), killing 2 bystanders, wounding 7; Jabari is moderately wounded. The IDF lifts the curfew on all of Nablus, except the Old City and al-‘Ayn r.c.; seals al-Fara’ r.c. nr. Nablus, patrolling streets, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops; fires missiles at 2 workshops in Gaza City (alleged to be weapons factories), destroying both but causing no injuries; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes, 4 shops in Rafah; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; raids, confiscates equipment and files fr. a charitable association nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya; begins bulldozing a 350 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) nr. Qalqilya for construction of the separation wall. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement, lightly injuring 2 Jewish settlers; detonate a roadside bomb by an IDF tank in Gaza, causing some damage but no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Pdu’el raze olive trees, place barbed wire around a plot of Palestinian land outside Salfit. Some 60 internationals, 20 Palestinians who began a Freedom March along the separation wall route to protest the wall’s construction in Zababda nr. Jenin on 7/30 arrive at their destination, Jerusalem, a day ahead of schedule. (NYT, PCHR, WP 8/18; PCHR 8/19, 8/25)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fires missiles at 4 Palestinians allegedly preparing to fire a Qassam rocket fr. Bayt Hanun into Israel, killing 2; continues large-scale operations (dubbed Operation Full Court Press) in Nablus that began on 8/7, imposing a curfew, fatally shooting a Palestinian standing on his roof, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops; blows up 3 residential buildings housing 13 Palestinian families (76 individuals) in Rafah; fires on residential areas of Brazil refugee camp (r.c.), Khan Yunis, Rafah; bulldozes 2 wells, a commercial building in Bayt Hanun; conducts arrest raids, house searches in villages outside Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Bayt Hanun, orders Palestinians to evacuate several homes nr. Erez Crossing, searches and digs around homes for several hrs. looking for tunnels. Islamic Jihad fires 2 mortars at Gaza’s Gush Katif settlement as a solidarity gesture with the Palestinian prisoners (on hunger strike since 8/15), causing no damage or injuries. A Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. (AP 8/16; PRCS press release, WP, WT 8/17; PR 8/18; PCHR 8/19)

The IDF closes the Erez crossing to Palestinians, which was partially reopened on 6/17; pulls out of Nablus, ending operations that began on 6/24; lifts the curfew on Palestinian areas of Hebron imposed on 6/24. Hamas mbrs. dig a tunnel underneath an IDF outpost in Gaza; detonate an explosive device, collapsing part of the concrete building, killing 1 IDF soldier, injuring at least 4; exchange fire with troops who come to the rescue; 2 Palestinian bystanders (a PA Preventive Security Force [PSF] officer, a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy) are killed by IDF return gunfire. In response, the IDF fires 10 missiles at 2 metal workshops (alleged weapons factories) in Gaza City, destroying the buildings, causing “no major injuries.” The IDF also fires on a Palestinian truck approaching a checkpoint nr. Khan Yunis, killing 1 Palestinian. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/28; XIN 6/28 in WNC 7/1; PR 6/30; PCHR 7/1; PCHR 7/22)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians who allegedly attempt to attack an IDF post nr. Gaza’s Dugit settlement; imposes an around-the-clock curfew on Palestinian areas of Hebron; arrests an ambulance driver transporting an ailing child at a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya; fires on, shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah. The IDF also launches a major raid on Nablus to “clear the casbah of Palestinian fugitives,” surrounding refugee camps in search of 7 wanted AMB mbrs., sending in 100s of troops, taking over more than 12 buildings; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Dayr al-Balah, Hebron and nr. Tulkarm; evacuates an apartment building in Bethlehem, then blows up 1 unit, severely damaging several others; bulldozes 1 Palestinian home, some olive trees in the n. Gaza Strip. Homeless Palestinians end their sit-in strike (begun 6/19) after the PC announces plans to build some homes for the homeless. (VOI, VOP 6/24 in WNC 6/26; MM, NYT 6/25; NYT 6/26; PR 6/30; PCHR 7/1)

In the pre-dawn hours, the IDF imposes a 24-hr. curfew, begins house-to-house searches in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah bordering the Philadelphi Route, occupies some buildings as observation posts; begins digging a trench to separate a section of Rafah r.c. fr. the rest of the camp, demolishing at least 3 Palestinian homes, cutting water and electricity supplies. Around daybreak, the IDF begins bulldozing operations, launches 3 missile strikes inside Rafah: the 1st killing 3 Hamas mbrs., wounding 5 gunmen and bystanders; the 2d killing 1 Hamas mbr. laying a roadside bomb nr. a mosque where Palestinians are leaving dawn prayers, also killing 5 bystanders, wounding several others, starting a fire that severely damages the mosque; the 3d hitting a residential area, killing 7 Palestinians (many in their homes), wounding at least 16. The IDF reports killing at least 3 more Palestinians, demolishing at least another 9 Palestinian homes during the day. A 20th Palestinian reportedly dies when explosives he is handling detonate. At least 2 ambulances are deliberately targeted by IDF snipers. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF ambushes, assassinates wanted al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Muhammad Obeid as he drives nr. Sanur nr. Jenin, also wounding his passenger; raids Jenin r.c., fatally shoots wanted AMB mbr. Ahmad Judah in an apparent assassination, wounding a 2d Palestinian; fatally shoots an AMB mbr., a Palestinian gunman in separate incidents in Nablus; conducts arrest raids targeting Hamas in Tulkarm; orders the confiscation of 380 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in 4/04. (BBC, HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, PRCS, PM, WP 5/18; ITAR-TASS, ITV, MENA, PSCT, VOI, VOP, XIN 5/18 in WNC 5/20; HA, NYT, PR, WP, WT 5/19; PCHR 5/20; NYT 5/21; PR 5/26)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 armed Hamas mbrs. attempting to infiltrate Gaza’s Tal Katifa settlement fr. the sea; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Khan Yunis completely, 10 partially; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin and in Balata r.c., Nablus, Qabatya nr. Jenin, Salfit; imposes a curfew, fires on residential areas of Burqa. 71 prominent Palestinians issue a public call for nonviolent protest against the Yasin assassination, renunciation of violence; the AMB, Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades denounce the statement. 3 Palestinians (fr. Gaza City, Hebron, Rafah) die of injuries received earlier. (VOP 3/25 in WNC 3/27; MM, NYT 3/26; VOP 3/26 in WNC 3/30; MA, NYT 3/27; PR 3/31; PCHR 4/1; MEI 4/2; PR 4/7)

The IDF assassinates Hamas spiritual leader and founder Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, firing 3 internationally banned flechette missiles at him as he leaves a Gaza City mosque after morning prayers, also killing 3 bodyguards, 4 bystanders, wounding at least 17 Palestinians, including Yasin’s 2 sons. Immediately, 100,000s of Palestinians take to the streets throughout the territories to protest the assassination. The IDF seals Gaza; clashes with Palestinian demonstrators in Balata r.c. (killing an al-Najah Radio correspondent in Balata r.c., apparently thinking his mobile phone was a weapon), Bethlehem, Dayr al-Balah, Hebron (fatally shooting 1 Palestinian watching fr. his balcony), Jenin, Khan Yunis (killing 3 Palestinians), Nablus; fires on residential areas of Rafah, Qalqilya, Tal Zu’rub; imposes a curfew on areas around Jenin, fires on residential areas; temporarily occupies a Palestinian home as an IDF post nr. Dayr al-Balah. 100s of Palestinian youths in East Jerusalem gather at checkpoints to throw stones at IDF soldiers; Palestinian prisoners in 2 Israeli jails riot. Palestinians fire Qassam rockets, mortars, antitank rockets at Gush Katif and Netzarim settlements, nearby IDF posts, the western Negev, damaging 2 apartments in Netzarim but causing no injuries. An ax-wielding Palestinian fr. the West Bank village of Bidiyya wounds 3 Israelis outside an army base in Tel Aviv before being arrested. An unidentified assailant said to be Arab stabs, lightly wounds 3 Israelis on a Jaffa bus. 4 Palestinians are arrested for beating up a Jewish settler in East Jerusalem. Jewish settlers detain, beat a Palestinian man in the Jordan Valley. An estimated 200,000 Palestinians, including reps. of all Palestinian factions, take part in Yasin’s funeral services later in the day, with 21 PSF officers forming an honor guard for Yasin’s coffin, Gaza churches ringing their bells, mosques broadcasting Qur’anic verses. Meanwhile, Israeli defense chiefs meet, agree to target the entire remaining Hamas leadership immediately, without waiting for another Hamas attack. Israel also announces that it will close the only mental health clinic serving East Jerusalem Palestinians (1,200 patients) because of “security concerns.” (AP, BBC, CSM, HA, MA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 3/22; AP, ATL, ITARTASS, MNR, MENA, IDF Radio, IRNA, ITARTASS, JP, VIRI, VOI, VOP, XIN 3/22 in WNC 3/24; al-Arabiyya TV [Dubai], Syrian Arab News Agency 3/22 in WNC 4/27; AFP, BBC, CSM, HA, JT, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/23; AFP, AYM, DUS, HA, al-Hayat al-Jadida, JT, MA, MENA, al-Ra’i, THWR, TSHR, VIRI, YA 3/23 in WNC 3/25; MM, NYT, PR, WP 3/24; ATL, ITAR-TASS, Izvestiya, JT, al-Ra’i, SA, VOP, XIN 3/24 in WNC 3/26; AYM 3/24 in WNC 4/3; JT, MM, PCHR, WJW 3/25; ITAR-TASS, MENA, NHR, VIRI 3/25 in WNC 3/27; MM 3/26; MNR 3/27 in WNC 3/30; AYM 3/30, VOP 3/31 in WNC 4/2; MEI 4/2; PCHR 4/15)

In Washington, Shalom holds further talks on Sharon’s disengagement plan with VP Dick Cheney, Powell, Rice. (WP 3/23)

The IDF raids Jenin, fatally shooting a Palestinian woman hanging laundry on her roof, wounding an Agence France-Press (AFP) photographer; places a closure on Qalqilya; fires on residential areas in Khan Yunis, nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah; conducts arrest raids nr. Jenin and in Balata r.c., Bayt Furik, al-Bireh, Dahaysha r.c., Nablus, Tulkarm r.c.; reimposes a curfew on Husan (see 3/6). Rafah PRC head Kulab’s pregnant wife, injured during his 3/4 assassination, dies. (JTA, MM 3/9; PR 3/10; LAW, PCHR 3/11; HA 3/18)

Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) leader Muhammad Abbas (alias Abu Abbas), responsible for the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking in which 1 American died, dies in U.S. custody in Iraq, where he was captured by U.S. forces in 4/03. (BBC, NYT, PR 3/10; WJW 3/11; NYT 3/12; PR 3/17; al-Majallah 3/21 in WNC 3/30)

The IDF raids Nabi Salih village nr. Ramallah, rounding up and detaining the 500 residents outside in the rain for 2 hrs., searching homes, photographing and fingerprinting all men before releasing all residents, withdrawing; conducts a similar but smaller operation in Burqa village nr. Nablus, rounding up residents, firing on homes, arresting 1 man. The IDF also erects signs around Qalqilya warning that “any Israeli who enters” the city will be fined $780; imposes a curfew on, conducts arrest raids in al-‘Arub r.c., Nablus; bulldozes 2 dunams of land in Khan Yunis. Jewish settlers attack Palestinians in Hebron, injuring 5. (LAW 1/25; LAW, PCHR 1/29)

Hamas leader ‘Abd al-Aziz Rantisi proposes a 10 yr. truce with Israel in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal to 1967 borders, stressing that the deal would not include Hamas’s recognition of Israel or an end of the conflict. (REU 1/25; VOP 1/25 in WNC 1/27; HA, WP 1/26) (see 1/7)

The IDF pulls troops out of Nablus, lifts the 24-hr. curfew after a wk. of operations, during which 10s of Palestinians were detained; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, hitting an 8-yr.-old Palestinian in the chest with live ammunition; conducts arrest raids in and around Hebron, in Rafah. Israeli authorities demolish 7 Israeli Arab homes, a mosque in unrecognized villages in the Negev. Young Fatah mbrs. in Rafah waylay, essentially kidnap Arafat aide Ramzi Khoury, Gaza governor Muhammad al-Kidwa at the border crossing as they return fr. Cairo; take them on a forced 4 hr. tour of the recent IDF destruction in Rafah, protesting the PA’s failure to provide for 1,000s of homeless Palestinians. Jewish settlers attack Palestinians, Palestinian houses in Hebron. (WT 12/30; PCHR 1/1; MEI 1/9; HA 1/13)

The IDF assassinates a senior Islamic Jihad military leader, Muklid Humayid, firing a missile at his car as he drives in Gaza City, also killing another Islamic Jihad mbr. traveling with him, 3 Palestinian bystanders, wounding 15. Soon after, a PFLP suicide bomber detonates a device at a bus stop in Tel Aviv, killing 4 IDF soldiers, 1 Israeli civilian, wounding 15 Israelis; the PFLP says the attack is in retaliation for the IDF assassination of 2 PFLP mbrs. on 12/18. The IDF also sends troops back into Nablus, imposing a 24-hr. curfew; bars all vehicular traffic btwn. the occupied territories and Israel; conducts arrest raids in Jenin, Wadi al-Silqa; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; bulldozes 1 Palestinian home and 3 dunams of land in Dayr al-Balah, 4 dunams of land in Khan Yunis. (NYT, WP, WT 12/26; HA 12/28; PCHR 1/1; MEI, PCHR 1/9)