The Palestine Chronology

The IDF raids Yamun nr. Jenin, surrounds the house of wanted Islamic Jihad mbrs. Zahir and Warad Abahra (uncle and nephew), begins to bulldoze the house when they do not surrender, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves both men dead; also conducts arrest raids, bulldozes part of a 2d Palestinian home, uproots 10s of olive trees elsewhere in Yamun; razes the remains of a Byzantine church nr. Dayr al-Balah, known for its mosaic floors dating to 586 A.D.; fires on residential areas of Dura nr. Hebron; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, around Hebron; sends undercover units to arrest a wanted Palestinian in Bethlehem; bulldozes Palestinian agricultural land in Shufa nr. Tulkarm to widen the buffer zone around Avni Hefetz and Einav settlements; issues military orders confiscating 15 d. of land nr. Qalqilya for the construction of new settler bypass roads. 1,000s of Israeli disengagement protesters demonstrate in s. Israel for a 2d day. A Palestinian teenager stabs, lightly injures an Israeli in Jerusalem. Hamas fires 7 Qassam rockets, 19 mortars at Gush Katif and Neve Dekalim, injuring a foreign worker, damaging a house. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron throw stones at Palestinian cars on the Nablus–Qalqilya road, damaging 1 bus. PA security forces make a predawn raid on a Hamas educational center in Jabaliya r.c., seize computers and documents, while armed AMB mbrs. working with them torch 2 of the offices and 2 cars. (Senior Fatah, AMB officials say that in recent days, Abbas asked the AMB to help fight Hamas and ensure calm in Gaza in advance of disengagement, but that this is not official PA policy.) Hamas mbrs. attack the security forces and AMB mbrs., resulting in heavy clashes that leave 13 people wounded. In reaction, 100s of Palestinians demonstrate outside the PC offices in Ramallah to call for national unity and an end to the security chaos. Late in the evening, the Egyptian delegation secures agmt. of Fatah, Hamas to withdraw all armed forces fr. the streets of n. Gaza. 5 PA intelligence officers raid the al-Quds University forensics lab, the only forensics lab in the West Bank, rummage through and tamper with evidence in several murder, malpractice investigations; 100s of students mass to protect the lab, scuffle with plainclothes intelligence officers; the PA Justice Min. opens an investigation. (AFP, AP, IMEMC, XIN 7/19; MENA, VOI, VOP, YA 7/19 in WNC 7/20; HA, NYT, OCHA, PR, PRCS, REU, WAFA, WP, WT, XIN 7/20; VOP 7/20 in WNC 7/21; PCHR 7/21)

The IDF clashes with 4 mbrs. of the AMB, Islamic Jihad at an IDF outpost outside Gaza’s Kefar Darom settlement, killing 1 Islamic Jihad mbr., wounding an AMB mbr., while the 2 other gunmen flee. The IDF also opens the Rafah crossing, with severe restrictions on who may cross, but otherwise continues to seal the Gaza Strip; raids a suspected Islamic Jihad weapons factory in Jenin, arrests 1 Islamic Jihad mbr.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, in Mughraqa, nr. Tulkarm; bulldozes 1 d. of Palestinian agricultural land bordering Kefar Darom. Around 30 armed Jewish settlers (young disengagement protesters who moved to Neve Dekalim in recent days) attack a group of Palestinians in al-Mawasi, beating 3, shooting and wounding 1; Israeli soldiers observe but do not intervene, delay the checkpoint crossing of an ambulance transporting the wounded man to the hospital. Soon after, Palestinians fire 4 mortars at Neve Dekalim, 1 rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba occupy 3 Palestinian stores in the Palestinian section of Hebron for use as a synagogue, uproot 33 olive trees, destroy a harvest of plums. (HA, XIN 6/18; VOI, VOP 6/18 in WNC 6/19; WP 6/20; OCHA, PR 6/22; PCHR 6/23; IMEMC 6/24)

Israel orders the Israeli police in Jerusalem to expand their jurisdiction to include Jewish settlement areas north, west, and south of Jerusalem that will eventually be west of the separation wall and that Sharon plans to annex under final status. The IDF sends troops into Qiffin nr. Tulkarm, fires tear gas at 10s of Palestinian children on their way to school, arrests a 16-yr.-old boy; sends troops into Marda nr. Nablus, fires tear gas at Palestinian children on their way home from school, confiscates a school bag fr. a 13-yr.-old Palestinian; arrests 2 Palestinian farmers working their land nr. Tulkarm for straying too close to the separation wall; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hazma nr. Jerusalem, al-Til nr. Tulkarm; raids Dayr al-Balah and arrests 2 Palestinians who allegedly attempted to sneak into Israel to find work. Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails begin a 2-day hunger strike to protest their deteriorating living conditions. (PR 4/20; PCHR 4/21)

IDF soldiers based at Neve Dekalim settlement fire heavy machine guns on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinian children; arrest 4 Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel e. of Dayr al-Balah to find work; conduct arrest raids, house searches in al-Ras nr. Tulkarm; level 4 d. of agricultural land along a settler bypass road in al-Mawasi. Some 25 AMB gunmen invade a youth center in Balata r.c., try to disrupt vote counting for elections for the center’s board that Hamas seemed to be winning (at the time of the break in, 81% of the votes had been tallied, showing a clear victory for Hamas), firing in the air, destroying furniture, declaring the vote invalid. (NYT 4/3; HA 4/4; OCHA 4/6; PCHR, PR 4/7)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians allegedly planting a roadside bomb in n. Gaza; demolishes a 3-story Palestinian building, severely damages 7 Palestinian homes and 10 shops in Nablus; fires live ammunition, tear gas on a group of Palestinians who approach the closed Abu Huli checkpoint holding white flags and seeking special permission to pass, leaving 3 Palestinians seriously wounded; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; finds a smugglers’ tunnel in Rafah; conducts arrest raids nr. Tulkarm. Hamas mbrs. fire on an IDF patrol near the n. Gaza border, wounding 3 soldiers. Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries; detonate a roadside bomb underneath an IDF bulldozer, causing damage but no injuries. An ailing Palestinian stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing dies, reportedly bringing to 6 the number of Palestinians who have died at the crossing since it was sealed by Israel on 12/12. (AP, UPI, XIN 1/19; VOI, VOP 1/19 in WNC 1/20; NYT, PR 1/20; VOP 1/20 in WNC 1/21; PCHR 1/27)

Abbas meets with his Gaza security cmdrs. and advisers, orders PA security forces to deploy along the Gaza borders within 2 days to prevent rocket fire into Israel. (A PA security official speaking on condition of anonymity expresses concern that the security force may not have enough manpower to take adequate action.) Abbas also meets with Islamic Jihad leaders, who agree to continue discussions on a cease-fire. (AP, JTA, UPI 1/19; JAZ, Jordan Times, MENA, al-Quds, VOP 1/19 in WNC 1/20; FT, NYT, PR, WP, WT 1/20; VOI 1/20 in WNC 1/21; see also JTA 1/14)

Sharon convenes his security cabinet to discuss possible military action in Gaza, approves plans for a “large-scale invasion” of northern Gaza if Abbas does not bring Palestinian violence under control quickly. In light of Abbas’s efforts, the security cabinet unanimously agrees to allow Israel to resume security contacts with the PA. Israeli, PA security officials immediately meet to discuss Abbas’s plan to deploy security forces along the Gaza-Israel border. (AP 1/19; VOI 1/19 in WNC 1/20; HA 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/20)

The IDF seals the Gaza Strip following the 1/13 Qarni attack; fatally shoots an unarmed Palestinian in Khan Yunis; conducts helicopter strikes on an Islamic charity in Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids in Tulkarm. A Palestinian dies fr. injuries received during the IDF’s Operation Days of Penitence in Bayt Lahiya in 10/04. (HA 1/14; OCHA 1/19; PCHR 1/27)

Israel suspends all contact with the PA, saying it is not moving quickly enough to stop Palestinian violence; says it will not reopen contacts until the PA carries out a complete investigation into the 1/13 Qarni attack, arrests the perpetrators, takes “real steps to stop terrorism.” (HA 1/14; NYT, WP, WT 1/15; JAZ, VOI, YA 1/15 in WNC 1/20; MM 1/17; PR 1/20; MEI 1/21, 2/4)

Late this evening, in response to assassinations in recent days, the AMB, Hamas, the PRCs stage a joint attack on the Qarni crossing, killing 4 Israeli civilian workers at the crossing and 2 Israeli Palestinian truck drivers waiting to cross, wounding 10 people (4 of them Israelis, others not identified)—in the attack, 3 armed men, 1 fr. each group, detonate a truck bomb on the Palestinian side of the crossing, blowing open a gate to the Israeli side, then open fire with automatic weapons and toss grenades, while other mbrs. at a distance reportedly fire mortars and automatic weapons at the crossing; the 3 Palestinians initiating the attack are shot dead by the IDF. In response, IDF helicopter gunships fire rockets at Dayr al-Balah, the suspected home of the bombers, destroying a medical center run by a charity with links to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, wounding 1 Palestinian; IDF tanks also fire on targets in s. Gaza. During the day, the IDF makes a major raid into Bureij r.c., conducts arrest raids and house searches, bulldozes 41 d. of land, fires on residential areas (killing a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy), fires on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops (wounding 2), sparking clashes with Palestinian militants (killing a wanted PRC mbr.). The IDF also fatally shoots a 2d Palestinian driving his pregnant neighbor to the Bayt Lahiya hospital when the car inadvertently enters an area where IDF arrest raids are under way, also injuring the woman’s husband; fires on residential areas of Tarqumiyya, Yatta; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron (arresting local Islamic Jihad leader Khalil Mahsin), Ithna, Qalqilya, Taqu‘a, Tarqumiyya, Tulkarm, Yatta; issues military orders confiscating 363 d. of agricultural land in 5 villages northwest of Jerusalem, begins bulldozing 400 d. in Ithna w. of Hebron for construction of the separation wall. Unknown gunmen fire shots at the Gaza City offices of the Islamic Salvation Party’s al-Risala newspaper; editors believe the paper was targeted for its critical reporting on the 1/9 PA elections, which stressed the PA’s decision to extend polling hours, the PA’s skewed reporting of voter turnout figures. (AFP 1/13; JAZ, JP, VOI, VOP 1/13 in WNC 1/15; BBC, HA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 1/14; MM 1/17; OCHA 1/19; PR 1/20; MEI 1/21; AYM 1/23 in WNC 1/24; PCHR 1/27; MEI 2/4)

The IDF pulls out of Khan Yunis, suspending Operation Violet Iron, leaving a total of 14 Palestinian homes demolished, 21 severely damaged. Overnight, the IDF launches a 1-day incursion, Operation Autumn Wind, into n. Gaza to surround Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Jabaliya r.c. in response to Palestinian rocket (7 total over the past 3 days) and mortar fire that wounded 1 Israeli civilian in the Erez industrial zone, lightly wounded 1 Israeli in Sederot; exchanges fire with armed Palestinians; shoots and seriously wounds a Palestinian cameraman covering clashes in Bayt Hanun, evacuates him to Israel. The IDF also bulldozes 15 d. of land in Dayr al-Balah; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bani Na‘im, Dura, Nablus and nearby Burqa, Tulkarm r.c., Tura al-Gharbiyya nr. Jenin. In Hebron, AMB mbrs. ambush, fatally shoot an Israeli security guard fr. Kiryat Arba settlement. (PCHR, PM 1/2; VOI 1/2 in WNC 1/4; NYT 1/3; PR 1/5; PCHR 1/6)

In ongoing operations in Khan Yunis, the IDF kills 2 Hamas mbrs. allegedly planting explosives, shells residential areas (wounding 7 Palestinians). The IDF also fatally shoots an unarmed Palestinian attempting to sneak across the Egyptian border in search of work; kills a wanted Palestinian, wounds a 2d in an operation in Nablus; tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement in Hebron; raids Dayr al-Balah, occupies a house as a look-out post, bulldozes 36 d. of land and an apiary, kills 5 sheep; fires on residential areas of Rafah, Tal al-Sultan; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm r.c. and town. An alleged Palestinian collaborator is found shot to death in the West Bank; a 2d collaborator is found hanging in the PA general intelligence offices in Jericho, reportedly a suicide. (PCHR 12/31; NYT 1/1; PCHR 1/6)

The IDF erects an iron gate across the road nr. al-Kifriyat checkpoint s. of Tulkarm, leaving the city entirely surrounded by gated roads, which are opened and closed at the IDF’s discretion; imposes a curfew on Hawara nr. Nablus; fires on residential areas of Rafah; fires on Palestinian porters at the Awarta commercial crossing s. of Nablus, wounding 2; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Dayr al-Balah, seriously wounding an 8-yr.-old Palestinian boy playing outside his home, a 52-yr.-old Palestinian woman inside her home. (VOP 12/2 in WNC 12/4; PCHR 12/9)

The IDF fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Yatta, on residential areas of Brazil r.c., Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Tulkarm. A Palestinian sniper shoots, wounds an IDF soldier manning a post outside Dayr al-Balah. Hamas fires mortars at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. (XIN 11/24; VOP 11/24 in WNC 11/27; PCHR 11/25; JP 11/25 in WNC 11/27)

A PFLP suicide bomber fr. Askar r.c. nr. Nablus detonates a device in a Tel Aviv open-air market, killing 3 Israelis, wounding 32. The PFLP says that the bombing was carried out to warn Palestinian leaders against being “seduced into talking about ending the resistance and haggling over the national legitimate rights and principles of our people” now that Arafat is out of the West Bank. In the evening, IDF undercover units raid Nablus, assassinate Nablus AMB leader Majdi Mari (whom it attempted to assassinate on 9/15/04), AMB mbrs. Jihad Abu Salah and Fadi al-Sarwan, injure a 4th AMB mbr., 4 bystanders. During the day, the IDF closes the Qalandia checkpoint, declaring the area a closed military zone (see 10/16); fatally shoots 2 Palestinians allegedly attempting to infiltrate Kefar Darom; fires on a group of stone-throwing Palestinian children in Askar r.c., killing a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy; stops, argues with, shoots and wounds 2 Palestinian teenagers walking nr. the separation wall nr. Jayyus; fires on stone-throwing youths in Jenin r.c.; bulldozes 39 d. of olive groves and greenhouses, 1 Palestinian home nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Anza nr. Bethlehem, al-Bireh, Birzeit, Jayyus, al-Khadir, al-Mughayyir, Nur al-Shams r.c., Rafat nr. Nablus, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Otniel throw stones at, harass Palestinians and international peace activists harvesting olives on nearby Palestinian land, forcing them to leave. Jewish settlers in Hebron assault Palestinians, attack Palestinian homes nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. In both cases, the IDF troops observe but do not intervene. (BBC, HA, MM, PM 11/1; HA, JAZ, JP, VOI, VOP 11/1 in WNC 11/3; CSM, MM, NYT, PRCS, WP, WT 11/2; VOP 11/2 in WNC 11/4; PR 11/3; PCHR, WJW 11/4; MEI 11/5; JPI 11/12)

In n. Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots 3 Palestinian bystanders during the day; Palestinian observers estimate that the IDF has demolished 60 Palestinian homes, bulldozed 100 d. of agricultural land in n. Gaza since Operation Days of Penitence began on 9/28. In s. Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots 3 Hamas mbrs. attempting to infiltrate Kefar Darom settlement; the gunfire sets off explosives the Hamas mbrs. are carrying, killing a Thai laborer at the settlement. The IDF also bulldozes 25 d. in Dayr al-Balah. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids in Saida nr. Tulkarm, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront troops, killing a 16- yr.-old Palestinian. (NYT, PCHR, WP 10/7; WP 10/8; PR 10/13; PCHR 10/14)

The IDF pulls out of Dayr al-Balah after demolishing another 3 Palestinian homes. The IDF also fires on 2 Palestinians approaching a closed military zone nr. the Qarni crossing in Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian; fires on 2 Palestinians who enter a closed military zone nr. Rafah Yam settlement, killing 1 Palestinian, seriously wounding 1; severely beats a Palestinian in Hebron; fires 3 missiles at a Palestinian warehouse (alleged weapons factory) in Gaza’s Maghazi r.c., destroying the building, causing a serious fire but no injuries; raids the al-Anwar library of Hebron’s Islamic Charitable Society, confiscating 100s of books, 25 computers, documents, equipment; sends troops into al-Fara’ r.c., fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus and in Hebron, Salfit, Thinnaba nr. Tulkarm, Tulkarm r.c. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba fire on neighboring Palestinian homes, causing damage but no injuries. (VOP 9/3, MA 9/5 in WNC 9/7; WP 9/4; PCHR 9/9)

The IDF makes a major raid on Dayr al-Balah, firing on stone-throwing youths, searching homes, demolishing 1 Palestinian home, bulldozing 12 d. of agricultural land, killing 4 Palestinians (including a 14-yr.-old boy), wounding 52 Palestinians. The IDF also raids, searches several kindergartens, schools run by the Muslim Youth Association in Hebron; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron, and in Ramallah and Tulkarm r.c.; fires on residential areas nr. Nablus; burns 10 d. of olive groves west of Hebron to create open space btwn. Nahal Negohot settlement and settlements further west. Some 3,000 Palestinian prisoners end an 18-day hunger strike, achieving few of their goals; prisoners acknowledge that their strike was poorly timed, gained little international coverage, was slowly dissolving. (REU 9/2; MENA, VOI, VOP, YA 9/2 in WNC 9/4; MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 9/3; VOP 9/3 in WNC 9/7; HJ, SA 9/7 in WNC 9/9; PR 9/8; PCHR 9/9)

The IDF assassinates ARB Rafah cmdr. ‘Amr Abu Sitta and his dep. Zaki Abu Zarqa, firing a missile at their car as they drive in Rafah; fatally shoots Islamic Jihad Tulkarm cmdr. Zahir Ashqar in an exchange of gunfire during an arrest raid in Tulkarm. The IDF also tightens access to Bayt Hanun; steps up bulldozing in Jabaliya r.c.; demolishes 18 Palestinian homes in Rafah; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun and al-Zawiyya nr. Qalqilya, Bayta, Dahaysha r.c., Tubas, Tulkarm r.c. An AMB mbr., an Islamic Jihad mbr. are killed in an explosion outside Gaza’s Netzer Hazani settlement, reportedly when laying a roadside bomb. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. (MM 7/29; MENA, VOI 7/29 in WNC 7/31; NYT, WP 7/30; PR 8/4; PCHR 8/5)

The IDF fatally shoots a 17-yr.-old Palestinian boy throwing stones at troops in Balata r.c.; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinian girls (ages 3 and 12) in their homes; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians nr. Nablus, injuring 5; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Dayr al-Balah, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Tulkarm; continues bulldozing operations in Bayt Hanun, demolishing 2 Palestinian homes; starts bulldozing Palestinian agricultural land for construction of a new road fr. Erez Crossing to the e. of Bayt Lahia. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket at the Negev, causing no damage or injuries. (VOI 7/19 in WNC 7/21; PR 7/21; PCHR, PM 7/22)

To calm protests in Gaza, Arafat named Brig. Gen. ‘Abd al-Raziq al-Majayda as head of public security for the West Bank and Gaza, making him Musa Arafat’s superior. The AMB, National and Islamic Higher Coordinating Comm. for the Intifada (NIHC) say the change is insufficient, only true reforms and halt to corruption will improve conditions in Gaza. Qurai‘says his resignation stands. (BBC, MM 7/19; AN, al-Quds 7/18 in WNC 7/21; NYT, WP, WT 7/20; JAZ, SA, VOP 7/20 in WNC 7/22; SA 7/21 in WNC 7/23; PR 7/23; MEI 7/23)

The IDF raids Saida village nr. Tulkarm, killing local Hamas cmdr. Basil Abu Sha‘b, local AMB cmdr. Sahir Ajaj in what may be assassinations; fatally shoots a stonethrowing Palestinian in Balata r.c.; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah. Suspected Fatah gunmen fr. Nablus fire on a jeep outside ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. thought mistakenly to be driven by rival Fatah mbrs., injuring 2 Palestinians. Armed PFLP mbrs. exchange fire with armed PA intelligence and Force 17 officers guarding a Palestinian collaborator (responsible for the deaths of 2 PFLP cmdrs. in and IDF raid on 7/6) being held in the Nablus governate office; no injuries are reported. (PR 7/21; PCHR, PM 7/22; HA 7/23)

In light of the 7/16 kidnappings, Arafat declares a state of emergency in Gaza; issues a decree for a “temporary restructuring” of the security forces into 3 branches: public security, with his distant cousin Musa Arafat as its new head; police, with Arafat loyalist Saeb Ajiz as its new head; general intelligence, with Amin al-Hindi, a loyalist increasingly critical of Arafat, maintaining leadership of the dept. Soon after, 1,000s of armed, masked Palestinians gather outside the PC headquarters in Gaza to protest the appointment of Musa Arafat, whom they say is corrupt, as cronyism. Qurai‘ resigns, citing the lack of true reform; Arafat rejects his resignation. (NYT, WP, XIN 7/17; MENA, PSCT, VOI, VOP 7/17, AYM, HA, MA, XIN, YA 7/18, JP 7/19 in WNC 7/21; AYM 7/18, JP 7/20 in WNC 7/22; al-Quds 7/18; DUS 7/19 in WNC 7/23; NYT, WP, WT 7/18; MM 7/19; HA, MM 7/20; PR 7/21; WP 7/22; MEI 7/23; AYM 8/6 in WNC 8/10)

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)

The IDF fatally shots a mentally handicapped Palestinian who ignores orders to halt nr. Tulkarm; fires on Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists staging a nonviolent protest against the separation wall nr. Qalqilya, wounding a 14-yr.-old Palestinian with live ammunition; strings a new fence along an 800-m section of a settler bypass road nr. Khan Yunis, leaving a Palestinian family trapped in their home in the 70-m noman’s-land created btwn. the old and new fences; raids, seals an Islamic charitable organization in Tulkarm, confiscating $11,000 of checks to aid poor families, $1,000 in cash, stamps, computer and office equipment; searches a house, bulldozes 500 m2 of land nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids in Anabta, Arub r.c., Hebron, Nablus. (VOI, YA 6/7 in WNC 6/9; HA 6/8; PCHR 6/10)

The IDF shells Tal al-Sultan, hitting an UNRWA school, injuring 2 students in their classroom; raids Qabatya nr. Jenin, surrounding and firing on a home sheltering a wanted AMB mbr., then firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 5, arresting the wanted man; demolishes 8 Palestinian homes, 7 shops, 2 poultry farms completely, 6 homes partially in Rafah; demolishes a Palestinian home in Hazma nr. East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around ‘Ayn Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho, Bayt Sahur nr. Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Nablus, Tulkarm; fires on residential areas of Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, Rafah; fires on a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays into a closed military zone, wounding him; dynamites an apartment in Tulkarm, severely damaging 3 other units in the building; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets into Israel, damaging a building in an industrial park in Sederot but causing no injuries. Some 130 PA security officers and personnel hold a sit-in outside the Force 17 offices in Dayr al-Balah to protest corruption and mistreatment by their superiors and their impossible working conditions, saying it is impossible to do their jobs for lack of equipment, training, means of communications. (AP, HA 6/1; VOP 6/1 in WNC 6/3; UNRWA press release 6/2; PCHR 6/3; PR 6/9; MEI 6/11)

The IDF fatally shoots a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays into a closed military zone nr. Khan Yunis; fires on residential areas of Nablus, Rafah (killing 1 Palestinian), Tulkarm r.c.; demolishes 5 Palestinian homes nr. Gaza City, 2 nr. Dayr al-Balah, 2 in Nablus; conducts arrest raids in Araba nr. Jenin. The UNRWA estimates that btwn. 5/17 and 5/24 the IDF demolished or damaged beyond repair 167 Palestinian homes and bulldozed 725 dunams of Palestinian land in Rafah. (PCHR, WP 5/27; PCHR 6/3)

The IDF fatally shoots wanted senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbr. Imad Janajra (target of assassination on 4/23 when the IDF killed a college professor in a case of mistaken identity) outside Nablus in an apparent assassination; raids Dayr al-Balah, demolishes 1 building, fires on stonethrowing Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian, seriously wounding 17, including a Palestinian photographer covering the scene for AFP; fires on 2 Palestinians who approach Gaza’s Qarni crossing through a closed military zone, killing 1 Palestinian while the other escapes; begins construction of the separation wall nr. Qalandia; conducts large-scale arrest raids in Hebron, taking at least 60 Palestinians to an unknown destination; conducts smaller arrest raids in Bethlehem, Nablus, Tulkarm (reportedly detaining Hamas’s Tulkarm head Rifat Nafif); confiscates 22 dunams of Palestinian land in Far‘un nr. Tulkarm; bulldozes 7 dunams of land, 1 Palestinian home in Wadi al-Silqa; demolishes a 3-story apartment building and 7 Palestinian homes, severely damages 9 homes, bulldozes 3 dunams of land in Rafah; fires at stone-throwing youths outside Nisanit settlement. Without explanation, Israel releases Hamas cofounder Muhammad Taha, held in administrative detention since 3/03, in Gaza. (VOI, VOP, XIN 5/5 in WNC 5/7; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/6; VOI 5/6 in WNC 5/8; VOP 5/8 in WNC 5/11; PCHR 5/13)

The IDF launches a major predawn raid on Khan Yunis, fatally shooting 2 Palestinians, wounding 23, demolishing 34 Palestinian homes completely, 8 partially before withdrawing during the day; reinvades Khan Yunis after dark, demolishing another 16 Palestinian homes completely, 1 partially. During the day, IDF also deploys troops to surround Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah; shells residential areas of the Old City of Nablus, Rafah; fires on stonethrowing youths nr. Nisanit settlement; conducts arrest raids, bulldozes 10 dunams of land in Wadi al-Silqa; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Arub r.c., Jenin, Nablus, al-Qarara, and nr. Dayr al-Balah. Nr. Tulkarm, a 10-yr.-old Palestinian is killed, 2 children are wounded when they accidentally detonate unexploded IDF ordnance while playing. A 17-yr.-old Palestinian dies of injuries received on 4/23. (BBC, MM, PCHR, PM, WP, XIN 5/4; VOP 5/4 in WNC 5/6; WT 5/5; PCHR 5/6)

The Quartet (the European Union, Russia, UN, and U.S.) gives qualified endorsement to Sharon’s disengagement plan. (MM, WP 5/4; FT, JTA, MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 5/5; VOP 5/5 in WNC 5/7; MM 5/6; AYM 5/9 in WNC 5/12; VOP 5/11 in WNC 5/13)

Fearing an Israeli attack, Arafat expels 20 wanted AMB mbrs. fr. his Ramallah headquarters, where they have been hiding for several mos. in fear the IDF will assassinate them. Later in Tulkarm r.c., the IDF fatally shoots 3 AMB mbrs. in an apparent assassination but it is not known whether they were among the 20 fr. Ramallah. In continuing clashes in Bayt Lahiya, the IDF fatally shoots a 9-yr.-old Palestinian girl and a 16-yr.-old Palestinian boy, bulldozes a center for handicapped Palestinians and 1 Palestinian home; a 4-yr.-old Palestinian girl dies of tear gas inhalation. The IDF also sends tanks, 25 bulldozers into Rafah, demolishing 22 Palestinian homes completely and 2 partially, leaving 60 families homeless; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Dayr al-Balah; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids in Tubas. Palestinians fire an antitank missile at an IDF post outside Kefar Darom settlement, seriously injuring 2 IDF soldiers. The IDF retaliates by tearing up nearby Palestinian farmland with tanks, ordering a Palestinian family to evacuate their home. Late in the evening, unidentified assailants attack, severely beat AFP photographer Jamal Aruri outside his Ramallah home. (AFP, BBC, MM, PCHR 4/22; MA, VOI, YA 4/22 in WNC 4/24; AFP, NYT, WP 4/23; VOI, YA 4/23 in WNC 4/27; NYT, WP, WT 4/24; PR 4/28; PCHR 4/29; PR 5/5)

The IDF fires on international, Israeli, Palestinian peace activists staging a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall nr. Biddu, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 8; demolishes the PA Agriculture Min. dir. gen.’s home in Dayr al-Balah; fires on stone-throwing youths in Bethlehem, Burqa, Hebron, Qalandia, villages nr. Ramallah, Silwad; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Arub r.c., Dahaysha r.c., Dura. Hamas fires 5 Qassam rockets at Israeli targets in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. In Gaza City, 10,000s of Palestinians take part in the funeral of Rantisi, his bodyguards; the Church of the Nativity closes its doors for the afternoon in protest of the Rantisi assassination. Late in the evening, 2 Israeli Arabs fire on an Israeli border patrol in the Galilee, causing no damage or injuries; the patrol returns fire, killing 1, wounding 1; the AMB takes responsibility. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba bulldoze 5 dunams of nearby Palestinian land, clash with Palestinians who attempt to stop them; the IDF intervenes to arrest 3 Palestinians, does not halt the bulldozing. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 4/16. (PSCT, VOP 4/18 in WNC 4/20; AFP, AP, NYT, WP, WT 4/19; PR 4/21; PCHR 4/22)

The IDF assassinates Hamas leader Rantisi, firing 2 missiles at his car as he drives through Gaza City, also killing his bodyguards Akram Nassar and Ahmad Ghurra, wounding 4 bystanders. 10,000s of Palestinians throughout the West Bank, Gaza take to the streets to protest. Hamas vows retaliation, says it has appointed Rantisi’s replacement but will not identify him for security reasons. (Senior spokesman Mahmud Zahar, senior political leader Ismail Haniyeh are considered the likely successors.) The IDF strike comes hrs. after a Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device inside the Erez Industrial Zone in Gaza, killing an Israeli border policeman, injuring 3; the AMB, Hamas claim joint responsibility. IDF undercover units raid Hebron and capture, beat, arrest an Arab Bank employee. The IDF also seals all West Bank and Gaza crossings except the Rafah checkpoint; tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement throughout the territories; fatally shoots a mentally handicapped Palestinian who strays too close to a Jewish settlement nr. Gaza City; denies passage to a Palestinian who suffers a heart attack at a Nablus checkpoint, allowing him to die; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, cutting some electricity, seriously injuring a 9-yr.-old girl inside her home and 6 others elsewhere; fires on, shells residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Tulkarm (seriously injuring a 5-yr.-old girl); fires on residential areas nr. Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dayr al-Balah, Jenin; bulldozes 6 dunams of land in Bayt Hanun. (HA, MA, REU 4/17; AFP, MENA, MNR, PSCT, VOP 4/17, AFP, ATL, HA, IRNA, JP, LBC, MENA, MNR, al-Quds, VOP, YA 4/18 in WNC 4/20; NYT, WP, WT 4/18; CSM, MM 4/19; ITAR-TASS 4/19 in WNC 4/21; DUS, al-Ra’i 4/19, JT 4/20 in WNC 4/22; AYM 4/19, al-Quds, SA 4/21 in WNC 4/23; MM, PR 4/21; PCHR 4/22; WP 4/25; MEI 4/30)

The IDF continues operations in Rafah, withdrawing early in the morning; bars Palestinians ages 16–35 fr. traveling through the Rafah checkpoint, Palestinians under age 45 fr. praying at al-Aqsa Mosque; shells a Palestinian car that accidentally enters a closed military zone in Tulkarm, seriously injuring the driver; opens fire on Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall nr. Beitunia, fatally shooting 1 Palestinian; bulldozes 25 dunams of land in al-Qarara, 8 dunams nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Dura, al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron seriously beat a Palestinian, fracturing his shoulder. (AFP 4/16; VOP 4/16 in WNC 4/20; WT 4/17; PCHR 4/22)

The IDF cuts down 180 olive trees in a Palestinian grove nr. Biddu northwest of Jerusalem to make way for the separation wall, sparking clashes in which 35 Palestinians, 2 IDF soldiers are injured; the IDF later replants some of the stumps on a new plot, but Palestinians have little hope they will survive through the dry season. The IDF also imposes a curfew on Nablus and surrounding villages, conducts arrest raids, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians; conducts arrest raids in Dahaysha r.c., al-Duha nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jayyus, Ramallah, Tulkarm; occupies a Palestinian home in Dayr al-Balah as an observation post; demolishes a well and 3 greenhouses, bulldozes 4 dunams of land nr Rafah. Armed Jewish settlers seize 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan; the IDF erects 2 observation posts nearby to protect them, prevent clashes like those of 3/31. (PM 4/7; VOP 4/7 in WNC 4/9; PCHR, PM, WT 4/8; PCHR 4/15)

The IDF raids Balata r.c., fires on stonethrowing Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Dayr al-Balah, in Tulkarm r.c.; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. Jewish settlers fr. Susia nr. Hebron severely beat a 75-yr.-old Palestinian farmer who attempts to work his land adjacent to the settlement. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 3/6. (VOP 4/6 in WNC 4/8; PRCS 4/7; XIN 4/7 in WNC 4/9; PCHR 4/8)