The Palestine Chronology

The IDF bulldozes 14 dunams of land nr. Khan Yunis, 2 dunams nr. a PA Preventive Security Force (PSF) post in Hebron, some citrus groves outside Gaza City; conducts arrest raids in Beitunia, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, al-Khadir, Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tulkarm; fires on residential areas of Beitunia, Ramallah, Tulkarm town and r.c.; demolishes 4 Palestinian homes s. of Rafah, 1 in Bayt Furik, 1 in Tal. Palestinians fire Qassam rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. While driving in Ramallah, Force 17 officer Mahmud Zayid is fatally shot, possibly in an internal Palestinian dispute; the PA says it has no proof he was deliberately shot by the IDF, though he may have been hit by crossfire. Late in the evening, Palestinian gunmen fire on a Jewish settler bus in Hebron, lightly injuring 1 Jewish settler. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 5/27. (HA, HP 5/28; YA 5/28 in WNC 5/29; HA, LAW, PCHR 5/29)

The IDF raids Nablus, fatally shooting a wanted tanzim mbr. in what may be an assassination, arresting 6 others; raids Qalqilya, encounters a stone-throwing mob, opens fire on the protesters, killing an 8-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding 9; fatally shoots a armed Palestinian nr. Kissufim crossing in Gaza; demolishes a Palestinian home in Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c.; conducts arrest raids targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Beitunia, Husan, Jenin, Kafr Qalil; fires on residential areas of al-Qarara, Rafah. A PFLP gunman fatally shoots an IDF officer in Manger Square in Bethlehem; the IDF sends tanks into the city, declares it a closed military zone. Late this evening, the IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians nr. Dugit settlement. Israeli police arrest an Israeli DMin. supervisor responsible for overseeing construction of a section of Israel’s new security fence on charges of collaborating with building contractors to uproot Palestinian olive trees, sell them for profit inside Israel. (HA 2/11; HA, NYT, PR, WP, WT 2/12; VOI 2/12 in WNC 2/13; PCHR 2/20)

IDF helicopters fire 11 missiles a metal workshop in Gaza City, destroying it; 2 of the missiles are duds that go astray hitting, damaging an Anglican church, a hospital. The IDF also demolishes 1 Palestinian home in the city. In response, Hamas fires 3 Qassam rockets fr. n. Gaza into the Israeli border town of Sederot, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. Late in the evening, the IDF begins demolish 4 bridges on the main roads linking Bayt Hanun to Gaza City; says the demolitions will facilitate its “control over main transportation axes,” ability to prevent Palestinians fr. firing rockets, mortars into Israel; the IDF clashes with local Palestinians protesting the demolitions, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 14. The IDF fires on a group of Palestinians traveling close to a settler bypass road nr. Bayt Iba checkpoint nr. Nablus, killing 2 Palestinians; fires on residential areas of Beitunia, Ithna, Jenin; demolishes at least 14 Palestinian homes in Rafah. The IDF also fatally shoots 2 AMB mbrs. involved in the fatal shooting of 3 IDF soldiers nr. Hebron on 1/23, wounds and captures a 3d, while the 4^th escapes. A Haifa district court convict senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Tabith Mardawi of responsibility for the deaths of 21 Israelis in several attacks. (AP, HA, MM 1/24; AFP 1/24 in WNC 1/25; AP, HA, NYT, WT 1/25; LAW, NYT, WT 1/26; LAW, PCHR 1/29)

The IDF fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Aida r.c., killing a 15-yr.-old Palestinian, wounding 2; blows up a Palestinian home in Nablus; fires on residential areas of, bulldozes land outside Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Kahil, Beitunia, Hebron, Jenin, Tamun. The IDF also shuts the Nablus DCO, leaving the only functioning West Bank DCO in Jericho, the only town not reoccupied by IDF troops. (HA 1/10; HA, WT 1/11; LAW, PCHR 1/15)