The Palestine Chronology

The Israeli navy turns back a Libyan freighter carrying 3,000 tons of humanitarian aid attempting to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit into Nablus to ambush and assassinate al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Muhammad Abu Thira’ while he is in PA security force (PASF) custody in a PASF vehicle being transported fr. his home to a PASF facility where he would stay overnight, as part of the process to be granted amnesty by Israel. IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., nr. Bethlehem; conducts separate, synchronized late-night house searches in 4 villages nr. Jenin, without making any arrests. The IDF guards buses bringing 100s of Jewish settlers to Hebron to “defend” Beit Shalom. After dark, settlers rampage through Palestinian neighborhoods, attempt to seize a Palestinian home, heavily damage others. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo nr. Ramallah protesting the government order to evacuate Beit Shalom rampage through the villages of Turmusayya and Sinjil, slashing tires, vandalizing homes and a mosque, spraying graffitti saying “Death to Arabs” and “Muhammad is a Pig.” (NYT, WT 12/2; WJW, PCHR 12/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of al-Bireh, Dayr al-Sudan, al-Mazara’, and Sinjil nr. Ramallah and Kafr Ra’i nr. Jenin; no injuries are reported. The IDF also fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in and Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation at both locations). (NYT 7/19; OCHA 7/23; PCHR 7/24)