The Palestine Chronology

The IDF intensifies Operation Violet Iron, sending tanks into Khan Yunis, clashing with Palestinian resistance members, shelling residential areas, occupying several homes as military outposts, killing 3 Palestinian militants (including local Hamas leader Yahya Marzuq [also reported as Yahya Abu Bakra]) wounding 2 civilians. The IDF fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Lahiya, Nablus. In Jenin, 3 Palestinian children are injured when they accidentally detonate a piece of unexploded IDF ordnance. An Islamic Jihad gunman fires on an IDF jeep in Baqa‘ al-Sharqiyya, wounding 2 soldiers. Palestinians fire a mortar at Kefar Darom settlement, injuring a Thai worker. (HA, IMEMC, XIN 12/29; VOI, VOP 12/29 in WNC 12/31; PCHR, WP 12/30; PCHR 12/31; PR 1/5; PCHR 1/6)

The IDF revives Operation Violet Iron in Khan Yunis in response to the firing of 55 mortars and 23 Qassam rockets fr. the area in the past wk., attempts to assassinate 2 Hamas mbrs. by firing a missile at their car, injuring the 2 men and several passersby; heavily shells residential areas, wounding 14 Palestinians. The IDF also sends troops into Nablus, then fires on residential areas, stonethrowing youths who confront the troops; conducts arrest raids, house searches in alAmari r.c., Bayt Omar, Hebron, Jenin, al-Til nr. Tulkarm. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket, a mortar at a Jewish settlement and IDF post in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on attack a foreign TV crew filming Palestinian children on their way to school in Hebron. Unidentified gunmen fire on the campaign offices of presidential candidate Salhi in Ramallah, causing no injuries. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 12/23. (JAZ, JTA 12/28; VOI, VOP 12/28 in WNC 12/30; WT 12/29; PCHR 12/30)

The Israeli security cabinet, IDF senior cmdrs., Fatah Central Comm., PLO Exec. Comm. hold emergency mtgs. to discuss Arafat’s failing health, after he reportedly slips into a “reversible coma.” The PLO Exec. Comm. grants PA PM Ahmad Qurai‘ temporary responsibility for urgent matters involving the PA security services and finances. Hamas calls for formation of a collective leadership, in which it would participate, to rule until elections are held. The IDF places troops in the West Bank and Gaza on alert, fearing an upswing in violence if Arafat dies; the PA does the same with its security forces. The IDF also demolishes 4 Palestinian homes in Rafah; fires on residential areas of al-Brazil r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr Hebron. (AFP, BBC, HA, REU, WP, XIN 11/4; AFP, JAZ, MENA, VOI, VOP, XIN 11/4 in WNC 11/6; BBC, CSM, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/5; VOP, XIN 11/5 in WNC 11/9; PRCS 11/11)

Israel bans Palestinians fr. entering Israel beginning at 6:00 A.M. through 10/7, while Israelis mark Rosh Hashanah (9/15-17), Yom Kippur (9/25), and Sukkoth (9/29– 10/7). The IDF continues operations in n. Gaza, shelling Jabaliya r.c., killing 1 armed and 2 unarmed Palestinians, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes; imposes a curfew on Karabatha al-Musbah nr. Ramallah; bulldozes land around Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs nr. Avraham Avino settlement, apparently to create a clear path to 3 other settlements nearby; fires at Palestinians waiting to cross the Mahatin checkpoint. (HA, VOI, YA 9/9, VOI 9/10 in WNC 9/14; NYT 9/11; PCHR 9/16)

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 demolishes 5 Palestinian homes, bulldozes 45 d. in al-Mughraqa nr. Gaza City; blows up 1 Palestinian home nr. Nablus; fires tear gas at Palestinians waiting to cross the al-Mawasi checkpoint; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis, Askar r.c., Bayt Laqia nr. Ramallah, Bayt Jala and neighboring Bethlehem, al-Fara’ r.c., Ramallah, Tubas nr. Jenin, Yatta nr. Hebron. The IDF also captures 6 Egyptian students armed with a toy gun, knives, binoculars, radios in the Negev, 6 mi inside Israel. Unidentified gunmen fire on the car of PA General Intelligence Service dep. chief Tariq Abu Rajab as he drives along the coastal road in Gaza, seriously wounding him, killing 2 bodyguards, wounding 2 others; no group claims responsibility. (BBC, HA, PR 8/25; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 8/26; AYM 8/26 in WNC 8/31; JAZ 8/30 in WNC 9/1; QA 8/31 in WNC 9/3; PR 9/1; PCHR 9/2; PR 9/15; MA 9/15 in WNC 9/21)

The IDF continues bulldozing operations in Bayt Hanun, also firing on residential areas, partially demolishing a Palestinian home. During the day, the IDF also raids the Shaykh Ajlin neighborhood of Gaza City, occupying 1 Palestinian home as an observation post, demolishing a 4-story commercial building, bulldozing 100 dunams of land; bulldozes a Palestinian home, a bird farm, 12 dunams of land in Rafah; demolishes a Palestinian home in Bayt Laqia; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding a staff member inside a local hospital with several live bullets; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Arub r.c., Bayt Laqia, Jenin, Tubas. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops, military vehicles, helicopters into Rafah, shelling residential areas, blowing up 3 Palestinian homes; occupies a Palestinian home in Dayr al-Balah. Palestinians report that the IDF is currently issuing permits for up to 2,800 Palestinians/day to enter Israel through Erez, but that only around 1,500 qualified Palestinians/day are able to reach the crossing because of other IDF restrictions on Palestinian travel. Palestinians hold rallies across Gaza in solidarity with Bayt Hanun residents, denounce PA inaction to halt the IDF siege that began on 6/28; protesters, armed AMB mbrs. block the Erez Crossing to prevent PA Social Affairs M Intisar al-Wazir, Education M Na‘im Abu al-Hummus fr. entering Gaza fr. the West Bank to take part in the rallies. Arafat accepts the resignation of PA coastal police chief Juma‘ Ghali, who earlier resigned to protest Musa Arafat’s appointment. (PCHR 7/29; PR 8/4; PCHR 8/5; MEI 7/23)

The IDF fires on a delegation of British, UN officials touring the destruction in Rafah, causing no injuries; Britain lodges a formal complaint with Israel. Nr. Salfit, the IDF also fires a new type of gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists staging a nonviolent protest against the separation wall, sending some 50 protesters to the hospital with severe convulsions, temporary blackouts, impaired vision, difficulty breathing; troops then raid a local hospital that treated the injured, beat medical workers. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids and house searches, demolishes 2 Palestinian homes, severely damages 11 in Wadi al-Silqa.Palestinians fire a mortar at Kefar Darom settlement, killing a Thai worker in a greenhouse; fire a Qassam rocket toward Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Unidentified assailants fire 25 shots at the empty, parked car of senior Fatah mbr. and Arafat loyalist Hani al-Hassan; Hassan blames Palestinian collaborators. (JTA 6/21; VOI 6/21 in WNC 6/23; MM 6/22; PR 6/23; PCHR 6/24; NYT 6/25)

In Bayt Hanun, the IDF shells residential areas, occupies a vacated Palestinian home as an observation post, clashes with suspected Hamas mbrs, wounding 2 and mortally wounding 1 Palestinian, bars ambulances fr. reaching him, allowing him to bleed to death. The IDF also fatally shoots a wanted AMB mbr. in a raid on Jenin; occupies a vacant Palestinian home in Shaykh Ajlin nr. Gaza City as an observation post, bulldozes 10 dunams of surrounding land; fires on residential areas of Nablus, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, and in Nablus, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Wadi al-Silqa. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar steal a herd of sheep fr. local Palestinians; when Israeli police intervene to secure the sheep and return them to the Palestinians, the settlers attack and beat the Palestinians; Israeli police call in reinforcements, arrest 5 settlers. (VOI, VOP 6/9 in WNC 6/11; PCHR 6/10; VOI 6/10 in WNC 6/12; PCHR 6/17)

The IDF demolishes 4 Palestinian homes in Anata, 2 in Sur al-Bahir for construction of the separation wall nr. East Jerusalem; demolishes another Palestinian home in Brazil r.c.; bulldozes 50 dunams of agricultural land nr. Qalqilya for a new settler bypass road to a small settler enclave nr. Alfe Menashe settlement; conducts arrest raids in Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Ramallah. (VOP 6/2 in WNC 6/4; MM, PCHR, PM 6/3; IDF Radio, VOI, VOP 6/3 in WNC 6/5; PCHR 6/10)

The IDF begins redeploying troops to the outskirts of parts of Rafah (Brazil r.c., Tal al-Sultan), but bulldozes 298 dunams of agricultural land and 1 Palestinian home in the Tal al-Sultan area. The UN begins moving 10,000 gallons of emergency water supplies into Rafah. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Nablus, Qalqilya; bulldozes a road, 4 dunams of land nr. Khan Yunis; fires on residential areas nr. Khan Yunis, Qalqilya, Tulkarm. An 18-yr.-old Palestinian dies of injuries received during the 5/12 IDF raid on Gaza City. A 2d Palestinian dies of injuries received during the 5/15 IDF raid on Rafah. (AP, MM, WP 5/21; VOI 5/21 in WNC 5/25; WT 5/22; PCHR 5/27)

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 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)