The Palestine Chronology

The 2 FGM boats that sailed into Gaza on 8/23 depart Gaza for Cyprus (unimpeded by the Israeli navy) carrying 9 Gazans (mostly students with valid visas to study abroad and a family seeking medical treatment for their 10-yr.-old son) who had been unable to get Israeli permission to leave the Strip; to make space on the boats for the 9 Gazans, 9 FGM activists remain in Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Nablus in cars bearing Palestinian license plates to raid an auto supply store, arresting 1 Palestinian; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, injuring 11 (including 8 children, ages 12–16); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Nablus. (OCHA 9/3; PCHR 9/4)

Abbas begins a 2-day visit to Beirut for talks with Lebanese leaders regarding the status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. (BBC 8/28)

Overnight, the IDF sends troops, bulldozers into Khuza, exchanging fire with local gunmen (wounding 1) and bulldozing 62 d. of agricultural land, 20 greenhouses before withdrawing in the early morning. Palestinians shut down 2 of 3 turbines at Gaza’s power plant for lack of fuel. Hamas mbrs. fire 15 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Jaba’ nr. Jenin, firing on stonethrowing youths who then confront the troops, wounding 6; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international peace activists holding a nonviolent demonstration nr. Tulkarm against Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement, injuring 2 demonstrators and 2 journalists covering the event; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (NYT, WT 5/11; PCHR 5/15)

Hizballah begins to pull back from areas captured on 5/9. Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman orders all gunmen to leave the street, but some Future Movement supporters angry over their perceived loss in Beirut attack Hizballah and SSNP offices in n. Lebanon and the Biqa‘ Valley, leaving 12 Lebanese dead (at least 11 of them SSNP mbrs.), 20 wounded; heavy clashes are also reported in Tripoli (btwn. supporters of Future Movement and Alawi mbrs. of the Arab Democratic Party seeking to settle Sunni-Alawi scores fr. the 1980s). (WT 5/10; NYT, WP 5/11; see also REU 5/8)

In Gaza, a Palestinian teenager shot by the IDF during its 5/7 Abasan raid dies. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. As has occurred on numerous occasions since Israel’s 2005 disengagement, 100s of Jewish settlers temporarily set up tents at the site of the evacuated Homesh settlement in the c. West Bank, vowing to rebuild the settlement and challenge any government efforts to remove additional settlements; the IDF closes off Palestinian traffic to the area and observes but does not intervene. (PCHR 5/15)

Hizballah leader Hasan Nasrallah makes a speech accusing Lebanese PM Fuad Siniora’s government of launching a war against Hizballah, warning of increased conflict if the 5/6 decisions are not reversed. Soon after, Hizballah sends more gunmen into Beirut’s streets and clashes intensify, especially in the mixed Sunni-Shi‘i neighborhoods of Mazra‘a and Ras al-Naba’a, and include machine gun and RPG fire, leaving 6 Lebanese dead, 8 wounded. (BBC 5/8; NYT, WP, WT 5/9; Asia Times 5/13)