The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, the IDF continues operations in Abasan, directing tank fire at residential areas, killing 1 Palestinian woman inside her home, wounding a man, bulldozing 120 d. of agricultural land; makes an air strike on a car driving in Bayt Lahiya, killing 3 Hamas mbrs. (‘Adil al-Maqusi, Muhammad al-Taluli, Rasim Zhahir) allegedly en route to fire rockets into Israel, wounding 1 bystander; makes an air strike on a car in Gaza City, assassinating Fatah Mujahiddin Brigades mbr. Raja’i al-Labban, wounding a 2d Fatah mbr.; makes a late-night air strike on Rafah destroying a Palestinian home (after warning residents to leave), severely damaging 5 others, cutting power to some areas; conducts arrest raids in Wadi al-Silqa. Late in the evening, Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Sederot, lightly injuring 3 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts searches in Qabatya, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, firing on residential areas, wounding 1 Palestinian militant; conducts house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Nablus (firing on residential areas, wounding 2 civilians). 100s of angry Palestinians barred by Israel fr. attending Ramadan Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque use makeshift ladders to scale the separation wall and 4 checkpoints around Jerusalem and 1 checkpoint nr. Nablus, fighting with IDF soldiers who disperse them using tear gas, water cannons, stun grenades, rubber-coated steel bullets. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai stone a Palestinian home in Hebron. Jewish settlers nr. Ramallah prevent Palestinians fr. reaching their olive groves; Israeli border police intervene to disperse the settlers. Overnight and throughout the day, Hamas mbrs. angered over the assassination of a local leader on 10/12 engage in fierce clashes with Fatah mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya, leaving a 14-yr.-old Palestinian dead, around 50 Palestinians injured. A Palestinian wounded by IDF fire in Gaza on 10/12 dies. (AP, NYT, REU 10/13; NYT, WT 10/14; PCHR 10/15, 10/19)

Israel restricts Palestinians' access to Jerusalem for the 3d Friday in a row. Israeli-Palestinian clashes intensify again, leaving 4 Palestinians dead, 250 injured. Main flash points are Bayt Jala, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jinin, Qalqilya, Qarni checkpoint, Ramallah, Tulkarm. IDF troops outside Ramallah open fire on an ambulance, severely injuring the driver. In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes another 3 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Kefar Darom settlement. At least 3 roadside bombs explode nr. Bethlehem, injuring 1 Israeli border policeman. A synagog in Efrat is vandalized, presumably by Palestinians, though how they entered the Jewish settlement is unclear. (ADM, LAW, MM, PCHR 10/27; IDF Radio [Internet], Guardian [Internet], NYT, WT 10/28; AYM 10/31 in WNC 11/1)

Palestinian refugees in `Ayn al-Hilwa camp in Lebanon demonstrate against the weak Arab League statement issued on 10/22. In Nairobi, 1,000s of Kenyans march in solidarity with the Palestinians. In the U.S., similar rallies are held outside the New York Times offices in New York, as well as in Hartford, Sacramento. (Panafrican News Agency [Internet] 10/27; al-Safir 10/28 in WNC 10/31)

After several more hrs. of talks among Arafat, Barak, Clinton, Mubarak, King Abdallah, Annan, and Solana, Clinton announces that Arafat, Barak have agreed on steps toward halting the clashes. No details are released. The agmts. are oral and reportedly are vague, not giving an order of who is to take what step 1st. The sides agree that Clinton will appoint an international inquiry comm. to investigate the recent clashes. The U.S. for the 1st time acknowledges that Arafat "may not have control of everything" but still says it expects a cessation of violence "within hours." (AFP [Internet], MM, REU 10/17; ATL, Interfax, MENA, RL 10/17 in WNC 10/18; LAW, NYT, WP, WT, YA 10/18; JT, al-Quds, SA 10/18, Le Monde 10/19 in WNC 10/19; WJW 10/19; JP 10/20; MEI 10/27; MA 11/6 in WNC 11/9)

Meanwhile, Israeli-Palestinian clashes escalate. Nr. Itamar settlement, Jewish settlers open fire on a Palestinian family harvesting their olive crop, killing 1, wounding 3. A PA policeman is killed by IDF fire in Gaza. A 3d Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. Palestinian gunmen fire at Gilo settlement, critically wounding an Israeli border policeman. IDF tanks fire on the neighboring Palestinian village of Bayt Jala in retaliation. Settlers fr. Itamar fire on Palestinian homes in neighboring Hawara village, attack a Palestinian ambulance driver. (ADM, LAW, MM, PCHR, REU 10/17; MENA 10/17, al-Quds 10/18, MA 10/19 in WNC 10/19; ADM, Bahrain Tribune [Internet], CSM, HA [Internet], LAW, NYT, WP, WT 10/18; WJW 10/19; HJ 10/24, MENA 10/25 in WNC 10/30)

Hamas's Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti say their supporters will continue the uprising despite the Sharm agmts. The DFLP, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine issue similar statements. Palestinians in Bethlehem, Gaza City, Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah demonstrate against the Sharm mtg. 1,000s of Egyptian students in Cairo, 7,000 Palestinian refugees in Tripoli, Lebanon, hold similar demonstrations. A rally in solidarity with the Palestinian people is held in New York. (ADM, LAW, MM, PCHR, REU 10/17; RMC 10/17 in WNC 10/18; MENA 10/17, al-Quds 10/18, MA 10/19 in WNC 10/19; ADM, Bahrain Tribune [Internet], CSM, HA [Internet], LAW, NYT, WP, WT 10/18; WJW 10/19; HJ 10/24, MENA 10/25 in WNC 10/30)

Turkey's national security council discusses accusations that Syria is aiding the PKK; considers imposing diplomatic, economic sanctions on Syria. (WT 9/30; MIL, Zaman 10/1 in WNC 10/6; NYT 10/4) (see 9/1)

In Hebron, an unidentified Palestinian throws 2 grenades at an IDF post, wounding 13 soldiers, 11 Palestinians, 1 Israeli border policeman. IDF shoots, wounds the attacker, who flees into PA-controlled territory. IDF reimposes curfew on Palestinian residents in Israeli-controlled area of the city. (ITV 9/30 in WNC 10/2; LAW, MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/1; CSM 10/2; WJW 10/8; PR 10/9; JP 10/10)

In Biddu, West Bank, 100s of Palestinians clash with IDF troops after the funeral of the alleged Hamas mbr. killed 9/29. 6 Palestinians are injured. (MM, WP 10/1)

Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad reports that the El Al cargo plane that crashed in Amsterdam in 1992 was carrying 3 of the 4 chemicals used to make sarin nerve gas, including 50 gallons of dimethyl methylpohsphonate (DMMP). According to the plane's cargo manifest, the chemicals were sent fr. a U.S. factory in Pennsylvania to the top secret Israeli Institute for Biological Research. (ITV 9/30 in WNC 10/2; MM, WT 10/1; NRC Handelsblad 10/3 in WNC 10/6; WT 10/7; JP 10/10; Sunday Times [London] 10/4; MEI 10/16)

At FM Levy's request, Israeli inner cabinet meets to try to decide on a unifed negotiating position for FM Levy to take to Washington for much-delayed talks with PA negotiator Abbas. (MM 10/29; IDF Radio, QY 10/29 in WNC 10/30; ITV 10/29, 10/30 in WNC 11/3; CSM, MM, NYT 10/30; MM 10/31; YA 11/2 in WNC 11/4; WP 11/3)

Russian FM Primakov arrives in Egypt for 2-day visit--the last stop on his regional tour. (MM 10/29; MENA 10/29 in WNC 10/30; MENA 10/30 in WNC 11/3)

Al-Shuhada Street in Hebron partially reopens to Palestinian civilian traffic. (WP, WT 10/30)

41 yrs. after Israeli border policemen killed 49 Palestinians in Qufr Qassim on the day the 1956 war began, Israeli Tourism M Moshe Katsav returns to the village to give official apology. On departing, he is booed by villagers. (MM 10/30)

U.S. agrees to sell China nuclear technology after China promises to stop aiding Iran's nuclear development program. (WP 10/30)

Iraq orders all 10 American UNSCOM mbrs. to leave the country and the U.S. to cancel planned U-2 intelligence flights. (MM 10/31; CSM 11/3) (see 10/23)

Jerusalem police announce plans for special 120-man force to patrol Haram al-Sharif. New force is result of inquiry into 10/90 clash between Muslim worshippers and Israeli police at al-Aqsa mosque. (WT 10/11)

4 Palestinians sentenced to long prison terms for the murder of Israeli border guard Nissim Toledano. Killing sparked the 12/92 expulsion of 415 alleged Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists to Lebanon. (Qol Yisra'el 8/10 in FBIS 8/10)

At least 19 Palestinians are killed (as reported; cf. 10/15, 10/25), more than 100 are wounded by Israeli border police gunfire at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israelis and Palestinians disagree on how violence erupted. In addition, 2 demonstrators are shot dead by IDF in Gaza, and areas of W. Bank and Gaza are placed under curfew. [RMC, JDS 10/8 in FBIS 10/9; MEM 10/8; NYT 10/9, 10/15; LAT, WP, WT 10/9; LAT 10/10].

Sec. Baker offers Washington's condolences to families of victims, urges Israeli restraint: "We don't have all the details yet about the violence, but . .. I do think it's fair to say that Israel needs to be better prepared and to exercise restraint in handling disturbances of this nature" [NYT, WP, LAT, WT 10/9].

10 U.S. servicemen are believed killed in crashes of 3 military aircraft in worst day of casualties since U.S. military buildup in Gulf began [LAT, WP, WT 10/9].

Maj. Gen. Muhammad Ali Bilal, commander of Egyptian forces in Gulf region, is quoted as saying the 14,000 Egyptian troops there would only aid in defense of Saudi Arabia, not in attack of Iraq [MEM 10/8; WP 10/9].

Iranian Pres. Rafsanjani has warned Kuwaiti gov't not to accept any peace settlement that concedes islands of Bubiyan and Warba to Iraq [MEM 10/8; WP 10/9].

Pres. Benjedid of Algeria says in television interview that purely Arab solution to Gulf crisis is no longer possible and others have to be involved [MEM 10/9].