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)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes intensify when Palestinians detonate a large roadside bomb nr. Gaza's Kefar Darom settlement as an armored school bus escorted by IDF troops passes. 2 Jewish settlers, both adults, are killed and 9 are wounded, including children. Although the Arafat denounces the bombing, Barak blames Arafat and Fatah directly, convenes his security cabinet, and orders IDF helicopter gunships, naval vessels to shell at least 12 buildings in Gaza City (including Arafat's Fatah and PA headquarters, PA Preventive Security Force offices, Force 17 offices, Voice of Palestine Radio, a Palestinian TV station), killing 2 Palestinians, injuring 125, hitting 4 private homes, and cutting power to areas of the city. Other helicopter gunships target areas nr. Rafah. Nr. Kefar Darom and in Ramallah, the IDF razes 10s of dunams of Palestinian orchards along the roads so Palestinians will have "no place to hide." A 3d Palestinian is shot dead by the IDF in the West Bank. Jewish settlers fire on Palestinians harvesting an olive grove nr. Salfit, injuring several Palestinians; uproot an olive grove nr. Qalqilya; fire on Palestinian cars nr. Jinin, injuring 1. (ADM, HA, LAW, MEZ, MM 11/20; RMC 11/20 in WNC 11/21; HA, MEZ, NYT, WP, WT 11/21; Interfax, MA, XIN 11/21 in WNC 11/22; HJ 11/21, AYM 11/22 in WNC 11/24; NYT, WP 11/22; MEI, MM 11/24; AYM 11/24 in WNC 11/29; MENL 11/29)

The State Dept. for the 1st time since 9/28 states that "Israelis also need to understand that the excessive use of force is not the right way to go." Special envoy Ross postpones a visit to the region set to begin today. (NYT, WP, WT 11/21; MM 11/22)

Following the Kefar Darom attack, Shas declares it will not renew Barak's "safety net," which it agreed to provide until the end of 11/00. With Shas's support, Barak has survived no-confidence motions since the Knesset reconvened on 10/30. (AFP [Internet] 11/20) (see 11/13)

After several more hrs. of talks among Arafat, Barak, Clinton, Mubarak, King Abdallah, Annan, and Solana, Clinton announces that Arafat, Barak have agreed on steps toward halting the clashes. No details are released. The agmts. are oral and reportedly are vague, not giving an order of who is to take what step 1st. The sides agree that Clinton will appoint an international inquiry comm. to investigate the recent clashes. The U.S. for the 1st time acknowledges that Arafat "may not have control of everything" but still says it expects a cessation of violence "within hours." (AFP [Internet], MM, REU 10/17; ATL, Interfax, MENA, RL 10/17 in WNC 10/18; LAW, NYT, WP, WT, YA 10/18; JT, al-Quds, SA 10/18, Le Monde 10/19 in WNC 10/19; WJW 10/19; JP 10/20; MEI 10/27; MA 11/6 in WNC 11/9)

Meanwhile, Israeli-Palestinian clashes escalate. Nr. Itamar settlement, Jewish settlers open fire on a Palestinian family harvesting their olive crop, killing 1, wounding 3. A PA policeman is killed by IDF fire in Gaza. A 3d Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. Palestinian gunmen fire at Gilo settlement, critically wounding an Israeli border policeman. IDF tanks fire on the neighboring Palestinian village of Bayt Jala in retaliation. Settlers fr. Itamar fire on Palestinian homes in neighboring Hawara village, attack a Palestinian ambulance driver. (ADM, LAW, MM, PCHR, REU 10/17; MENA 10/17, al-Quds 10/18, MA 10/19 in WNC 10/19; ADM, Bahrain Tribune [Internet], CSM, HA [Internet], LAW, NYT, WP, WT 10/18; WJW 10/19; HJ 10/24, MENA 10/25 in WNC 10/30)

Hamas's Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti say their supporters will continue the uprising despite the Sharm agmts. The DFLP, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine issue similar statements. Palestinians in Bethlehem, Gaza City, Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah demonstrate against the Sharm mtg. 1,000s of Egyptian students in Cairo, 7,000 Palestinian refugees in Tripoli, Lebanon, hold similar demonstrations. A rally in solidarity with the Palestinian people is held in New York. (ADM, LAW, MM, PCHR, REU 10/17; RMC 10/17 in WNC 10/18; MENA 10/17, al-Quds 10/18, MA 10/19 in WNC 10/19; ADM, Bahrain Tribune [Internet], CSM, HA [Internet], LAW, NYT, WP, WT 10/18; WJW 10/19; HJ 10/24, MENA 10/25 in WNC 10/30)