The Palestine Chronology

Outside Hadera, 2 Islamic Jihad suicide bombers detonate a car bomb next to a bus, killing 14 Israelis, wounding 40. The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians nr. Kefar Darom; bulldozes a Palestinian home in Qabatya, some agricultural land nr. Aley Sinai settlement; conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, Qalqilya; bars an ambulance fr. crossing an IDF checkpoint, allowing an ailing Palestinian to die. Another Palestinian dies of injuries received on 12/10/01. Palestinians reportedly fire a mortar in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. At Havat Gilad, Jewish settlers again try to rebuild sites demolished by the IDF. Jewish settlers fr. Shvut Rachel attack Palestinians harvesting olives nr. Nablus, setting 7 Palestinian cars and 50 trees afire, uprooting another 54 trees; in response, some 200 Palestinian start marching toward the settlement, but the IDF turns them away. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo fire on Palestinian farmers n. of Ramallah, wounding 4. (HA, MM, WP 10/21; Interfax 10/21 in WNC 10/22; MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/22; AFP, ATL, ITAR-TASS 10/22 in WNC 10/23; LAW, MM, PCHR 10/23; WJW 10/24; MEI 10/25)

In response to the 2 suicide attacks on 3/9, the IDF destroys Arafat's Gaza City headquarters, firing 30 missiles at the compound fr. the air, sea. IDF sends 50 tanks, APCs into Qalqilya; continues operations in Dahaysha (demolishing at least 4 Palestinian houses); directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Beitunia, Hebron, Jabaliya, Jalazone, Khan Yunis, Tal al-Sultan; blows up the house of senior AMB mbr. Yahya Dahamsa in Artas, demolishes 2 other homes in Dayr al-Balah; bulldozes agricultural land in Bayt Hanun; masses troops around refugee camps nr. Ramallah. In Ashdod, a Palestinian opens fire, wounding 1 Israeli before being captured. Another Palestinian gunman fatally shoots an IDF soldier outside Netzarim settlement, is shot dead by a settlement guard. At least 6 Palestinians are killed during the day: The brother of a senior Fatah leader is killed when IDF helicopters fire a missile at his car in what is thought to be a botched assassination attempt. The IDF fires on a car nr. Sur al-Bahir, killing 2 Palestinians allegedly en route to stage a bombing in Jerusalem; fatally shoots an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy at an IDF checkpoint nr. Ramallah, 2 Palestinians nr. Nablus. Late this evening, the IDF shells Bethlehem, Dahaysha. (HP, LAW, NYT, PMC, REU, WP 3/10; AFP 3/10 in WNC 3/11; NYT, WP, WT 3/11; LAW 3/13)

Israeli-Palestinian violence leaves a total of 6 Palestinians, 3 Jewish settlers, 1 IDF soldier dead. In Gaza, the IDF fires on 2 Palestinians allegedly attempting to infiltrate a Jewish settlement, killing 1; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, killing 3 Palestinians, barring ambulances fr. reaching the scene, firing on at least 1 ambulance. AMB gunmen fire on a settler vehicle nr. Kissufim crossing in Gaza, then 1 AMB mbr. detonates a suicide bomb, killing 3 settlers, wounding 4. In the Jordan Valley, the IDF stops a Palestinian car at a checkpoint nr. Ma'ale Adumim; the driver emerges, fires on soldiers, detonates a remote controlled car bomb, killing himself and 1 soldier, injuring a 2d soldier. The IDF responds by sending F-16s to destroy 3 PSF buildings nr. Rafah, injuring 4 PSF officers; blocks 3 main roads in Gaza, banning all Palestinian traffic; shells residential areas of Dayr al-Balah. The IDF confiscates 80 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Karnei Shomron settlement. (NYT, WP 2/19; NYT 2/20)