The Palestine Chronology

In Hebron, 2 explosions rip through a Palestinian home next door to the local Fatah headquarters, killing 2 Palestinians, including Fatah tanzim leader Raja Abu Rajab, and wounding 10. Fatah claims it was an IDF assassination; Israel accuses Fatah of making false accusations to escalate the violence. The IDF directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas in and around Hebron, setting fire to 1 home, injuring 2 Palestinians. Jewish settlers fire on, throw stones at Palestinians driving nr. Ramallah, critically injuring 1; set a Palestinian home on fire in Nabi Salih. Palestinians, the IDF exchange gunfire around Gilo-Bayt Jala. (HP 7/20; WP, WT 7/21; HA 7/22; MEI 7/27)

Israeli-Palestinian violence escalates, leaving 2 Palestinians dead. After a 2d Jewish settler wounded on 7/12 dies of his injuries, the IDF sends tanks, armored personnel carriers, heavy machine guns into the PA-controlled area of Hebron to fire on 4 Force 17 positions in the midst of Palestinian residential areas, leaving more than 20 Palestinians injured, 10s of houses damaged and triggering a major exchange of gunfire. In Tulkarm, senior Hamas mbr. Fawwas Badran is killed when his car explodes in an apparent Israeli assassination. IDF soldiers see a Palestinian woman place a bomb outside a Jewish settlement in Gaza and run away. When they approach to dismantle the bomb, another Palestinian throws a grenade at them, causing no injuries. Soldiers shoot him dead. The IDF also seizes a Palestinian home in Nabi Salih as a new outpost, fire on an ambulance in Tulkarm. (MM 7/13; WP, WT 7/14; Palestinian Red Crescent Society press release 7/16)

The IDF shells the home of PSF West Bank head Jibril Rajub, injuring 6 bodyguards; Rajub, his family are home but are not injured. The IDF also directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at al-Arub refugee camp, Bayt Jala, al-Bireh, Hebron, al-Khadir, Ramallah. Jewish settlers establish a new settlement enclave in Nabi Salih, nr. Ramallah; occupy 2 Palestinian shops in Jerusalem's Old City; set Palestinian wheat fields on fire nr. Hebron. Israel's Peace Now reports that at least 15 new Jewish settlement sites have been established since Sharon was elected in 2/01. (HP, Peace Now press release 5/20; NYT, PMC, WT 5/21; HA, WP 5/22; HA, MM, NYT 5/23; PCHR 5/24; LAW 5/25; MEI 6/1)

The Mitchell Comm. gives Israel, the PA its final report, which is identical to its preliminary report (see 5/16). Comm. heads Mitchell and fmr. sen. Warren Rudman send a letter to the Anti-Defamation League stressing that the report makes no direct linkage between halting violence, halting settlements. (MENA 5/21 in WNC 5/22; ITAR-TASS 5/21, AYM, HJ, MENA 5/22 in WNC 5/23; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/22; MM, WP 5/23; AYM, HA, JT, MA, MENA, QA, al-Ra'i 5/23 in WNC 5/24; WJW 5/24; QA 5/25 in WNC 5/29; MEI 6/1; NYT 6/2)

Angry over Sharon's decision to use F-16s on 5/18 without consulting the full cabinet or security cabinet, the full Israeli cabinet limits the "kitchenette" (Sharon, Peres, Ben-Eliezer) to ordering strikes against 3 types of Palestinian targets without prior approval. (HA 5/21; MA 5/21 in WNC 5/22)

U.S. VP Dick Cheney states that the Israel should stop using American-supplied F-16s against Palestinian targets. Sharon says Israel will use as much military force against the Palestinians as it deems necessary. (MM, NYT, WT 5/21; al-Quds 5/21 in WNC 5/22; QA 5/21 in WNC 5/23; WJW 5/24; MEI 6/1)