The Palestine Chronology

Tens of thousands of Palestinians gather across the occupied Palestinian territories to commemorate Land Day and the 1-year anniversary of the first Great March of Return protest. IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations at various locations along Gaza’s border fence; 3 Palestinians are killed and at least 300 are injured. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 215. Late at night, after reports of 5 rockets being fired from Gaza into southern Israel, Israeli artillery shell 3 Hamas sites near Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, and al-Bureij refugee camp, causing extensive damage. Also along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinian minors attempting to cross into Israel. (HA, HA, MNA, TOI, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/30; MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA 3/31)

A Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained when IDF troops opened fire on protesters along Gaza’s border near Gaza City on 3/29. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 216. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/30)

Social/Economic/Political:

Occupied Palestine/lIsrael: Police discover huge cache of weapons, including 107 grenades, 80 loaded magazines, mines, anti-tank bazooka shells and several dozen kilos of explosives in evacuated Palestinian village of Lifta near Jerusalem; suspected to be linked with "TNT" cells. MK Tsaban's motion to establish a committee of inquiry into the invasion of Lebanon defeated in Knesset vote (42-33). PM Shamir accuses Egypt of "tretreating from the Camp David framework, " citing Egypt's failure to return its ambassador to Israel. MK Rabin says PLO operations against Israel were "child's play" compared to Shi'ite "terror" against IDF in S. Lebanon. Chief of Staff Levy tells Foreign Affairs & Defense Com. 2,000 [Palestinian] "terrorists" have returned to Beirut, and IDF withdrawal from S. Lebanon would not guarantee Israel secure borders. 4 American-Israeli youths arrested for last Sunday's attack on Arab bus near Ramallah. 5 Galilee Palestinians arrested on prima facie evidence of membership in religiousnationalist organization that may have set fire to 30 vehicles in recent months. Nablus mayor Shaka'a rejects military authorities' conditions placed on his travel permit to US.

Other Countries: US amb. to OAS Middendorf affirms US and Israel have mutual strategic interests in Central America where a battle is being waged by "atheistic Communism to destroy our 'Judeo-Christian civilization'." "Moral Majority" leader Jerry Falwell reaffirms support for Israel before group at Herzl Institute, NY, stating Israel's best friends in US are "Bible-believing Christians" and US should not have interrupted Israel's "liberation" of Lebanon from Syrian and PLO "slavery." Rev. Jesse Jackson's US presidential campaign staff compile evidence of "hounding" by some Jewish-American organizations.

Military Action:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: 3 Israelis killed and 9 wounded in booby-trapped bomb explosion on bus near Ashdod; Abu Nidal's PDFLP-GC in Damascus claims responsibility; 150 Arab men rounded up as suspects.