The IDF sends troops into Salfit, raids Prisoners’ Support Society offices, confiscates files and a computer, vandalizes furniture; raids offices, confiscates documents of 2 cultural societies in...
Within hrs. of Arafat’s death, the PC, in keeping with the Basic Law, formally swears in PC speaker Rawhi Fattuh as interim head of the PA until elections are organized within the next 60 days;...
At 9:30 P.M. EST (3:30 A.M. on 11/11 local time), Arafat dies in a Paris hospital. The PA declares a 40-day mourning period; immediately begins preparations to hold a state funeral in Cairo on 11/...
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 IDF continues operations in Jenin for a 3d day, firing on stone-throwing youths, conducting arrest raids and house searches; demolishes 7 Palestinian homes in Rafah; confiscates 308 d. of...
The IDF closes all checkpoints around Nablus; raids neighboring Balata r.c., where Palestinian gunmen fatally shoot 1 IDF soldier; bulldozes 25 Palestinian homes in Rafah. The IDF also stages a...
Read more
The IDF sends troops into Salfit, raids Prisoners’ Support Society offices, confiscates files and a computer, vandalizes furniture; raids offices, confiscates documents of 2 cultural societies in Bethlehem, Qarawat Bani Hassan; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Bireh, Haris and nearby Nablus, al-Mughraqa, Qalqilya, Tulkarm r.c.; shells agricultural areas of al-Qarara. The IDF platoon cmdr. responsible for the deliberate shooting of a 13-yr.-old Palestinian girl in Gaza on 10/5/04 is indicted on charges of misuse of a firearm, ordering subordinates to lie about the shooting, violation of military regulations. Palestinians fire 6 mortars at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, 5 mortars at an IDF post on the Gaza-Egypt border, causing no damage or injuries. (XIN 11/22; VOI 11/23 in WNC 11/25; PCHR 11/25; WP 11/28)
The Fatah Central Comm. votes (13– 0, with 2 mbrs. not voting) to nominate PLO head Mahmud Abbas as the party’s candidate in the upcoming PA presidential elections, slated for 1/9/05; calls on the PA to hold legislative elections before mid-2005. (XIN 11/22; JAZ 11/22 in WNC 11/24; MM, WP 11/23; QA 11/23 in WNC 11/25; PR 11/24; al-Ahram 12/3; BBC 12/10)
U.S. Secy. of State Colin Powell ends a 2-day trip to Israel, Ramallah to discuss ways to accelerate the peace-making process and revitalize the Palestinian economy. He presses the sides to do everything possible to ensure that the maximum number of Palestinians, including those in East Jerusalem, are able to participate in the PA presidential elections on 1/9/05. Sharon says he will consider withdrawing troops fr. population centers, will do all he can to facilitate Palestinian movement during voting. (NYT, REU, WP, WT 11/22; JAZ, VOI, VOP 11/22 in WNC 11/24; al-Arabiyya TV 11/22 in WNC 12/25; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/23; WP 11/28; MEI 12/3)
Within hrs. of Arafat’s death, the PC, in keeping with the Basic Law, formally swears in PC speaker Rawhi Fattuh as interim head of the PA until elections are organized within the next 60 days;Qurai‘ maintains the position of PM, responsible for daily PA operations. Qaddumi is elected as head of Fatah by the 15-mbr. Fatah Central Comm. Abbas is voted head of the PLO by the PLO Exec. Comm. The State Dept. says that it is prepared to help the Palestinians hold elections if asked; says that Israel still must carry out Gaza disengagement. France sends Arafat’s body off to Egypt with full military honors. Throughout the day, Palestinians across the territories rally, demonstrate in honor of Arafat. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/11; JAZ, VOI, VOP 11/11 in WNC 11/13; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/12)
The IDF raids Shaykh Ajlin, exchanging fire with armed Palestinians (leaving 1 Palestinian dead), shelling residential areas (killing 2 Palestinian civilians, wounding 7), bulldozing 120 d.; fatally shoots an Egyptian who apparently infiltrated into Gaza fr. Egypt; fatally shoots 3 Palestinians (at least 2 of them armed) s. of Netzarim; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Bayt Omar nr. Hebron, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 10; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians protesting the separation wall nr. Jayyus, wounding 2 with live ammunition; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus. Some 100 AMB mbrs. (some armed and masked) outside Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah call for an investigation into Arafat’s death and rumors he was poisoned by Israeli agents, chant slogans denouncing Abbas, fmr. PA security chief Muhammad Dahlan as agents for the CIA. Israeli border police disperse 100s of Palestinians conducting nationalist marches in East Jerusalem in memory of Arafat. In Haifa, Israeli police disperse some 100 Israeli Palestinians holding a candlelight vigil for Arafat, detain a woman carrying a Palestinian flag. ( JP, VOI, YA 11/11 in WNC 11/13; HA 11/17; PCHR 11/18)
At 9:30 P.M. EST (3:30 A.M. on 11/11 local time), Arafat dies in a Paris hospital. The PA declares a 40-day mourning period; immediately begins preparations to hold a state funeral in Cairo on 11/12, followed by his “temporary” burial in his Ramallah compound (the Muqata) later in the day. Earlier this afternoon, in anticipation of Arafat’s passing, the PLO Exec. Comm., the PA national security council, Fatah Central Comm., senior PC mbrs. meet in Ramallah to discuss leadership transitions, intentions to hold elections within 60 days of Arafat’s death, in keeping with the unratified Basic Law. (MM 11/10; AFP, JAZ, MENA, VOP 11/10 in WNC 11/12; BBC, CSM, HA, JAZ, MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/11; AFP, ATL, DS, Interfax, IRNA, ITAR-TASS, JAZ, JT, MENA, VOI, VOP, XIN 11/11 in WNC 11/13; NYT, WP 11/12; PCHR 11/18; JPI 11/19)
The IDF reinforces troops around, further restricts Palestinian access to East Jerusalem; raids, kills 2 Palestinian gunmen in an exchange of fire nr. Bayt Hanun; fatally shoots a Palestinian swimming in a prohibited zone off the coast of Gaza; bulldozes 50 d. nr. Khan Yunis. Palestinians fire 3 mortars at Neve Dekalim, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, VOI, VOP 11/10 in WNC 11/12; PRCS, WP 11/11)
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)
The IDF continues operations in Jenin for a 3d day, firing on stone-throwing youths, conducting arrest raids and house searches; demolishes 7 Palestinian homes in Rafah; confiscates 308 d. of Palestinian land in Shufa nr. Tulkarm for military purposes; bulldozes 31 d., 3 wells nr. Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’, al-‘Aza, al-Khadir. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Shvut Rachel chase Palestinian olive harvesters away fr. their groves; the IDF intervenes, allowing Palestinians to continue the harvest. (HA, PM 10/29; VOI 10/29 in WNC 10/30; PRCS 10/30; PCHR 11/4)
Arafat arrives at a military hospital in Paris. Before leaving Ramallah, he authorizes Abbas, who is secy. gen. of the PLO Exec. Comm. and the dep. secy. of the Fatah Central Comm., to assume responsibility for day-to-day affairs of the PLO and Fatah in the territories. (Technically, Faruq Qaddumi, as secy. of the Fatah Central Comm., automatically becomes Fatah chmn. in Arafat’s absence, but since he based in Tunis, Abbas, as dep. secy., assumes his duties in the territories.) (BBC, HA, MM, WT 10/29; AFP, HJ, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, JAZ, al-Quds, PSCT, VOI, VOP 10/29 in WNC 10/30; NYT, WP, WT 10/30; MM 11/1; WJW 11/4; MEI 11/5)
The IDF closes all checkpoints around Nablus; raids neighboring Balata r.c., where Palestinian gunmen fatally shoot 1 IDF soldier; bulldozes 25 Palestinian homes in Rafah. The IDF also stages a late night raid on Tulkarm r.c., firing on residential areas. During the raid, there is an explosion on the main road through the camp that injures 1 Palestinian, who is evacuated to a local hospital. The IDF raids the hospital, arrests the injured man. Overnight, the IDF also halts, searches car outside Arafat’s Ramallah compound, arresting 3 Palestinians, including a bodyguard of PLO Exec. Comm. secy. and fmr. PM Mahmud Abbas. (WP 5/30; WP 6/1; HA 6/2; PCHR 6/3)
