The Palestine Chronology

Israel says it will bar Arafat fr. attending Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem for the 3d straight yr. The IDF imposes a curfew on, raids Balata r.c., firing on stonethrowing youths who confront the troops, killing a nearby Palestinian child, wounding at least 10; sends troops into Halhul nr. Hebron as school lets out, firing on stone-throwing Palestinian children, wounding 1, arresting 1, damaging a clearly marked press vehicle driven by an AP cameraman, who says soldiers deliberately opened fire on him with live ammunition; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, in Tulkarm; demolishes a PSF post in Dayr al-Balah.  (NYT, PR., WP 12/17; PCHR 12/18; WP 12/22)

After the U.S. capture of Iraqi pres. Saddam Hussein on 12/14, Israel acknowledges that in 1992 it aborted a plan to assassinate Hussein after 5 IDF soldiers were killed on 11/5/92 in a training exercise practicing the operation. (MM 12/16; WT 12/17) 

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who allegedly fails to stop at a roadblock; places a curfew on Palestinian villages nr. a settler bypass road outside Dayr al-Balah. In apparent reaction to the IDF shooting of a car carrying 3 children on 7/25, AMB gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Har Gilo settlement, nr. Bethlehem, injuring a Jewish settler, her 3 children. Arafat releases the 17 AMB mbrs. fr. detention in his compound (see 8/2) after they promise to adhere to the cease-fire; the PA says it was unwilling to risk a confrontation with the AMB over the men’s arrest. (HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/4; IDF Radio, VOI, XIN 8/4 in WNC 8/6; MM 8/5; PCHR 8/7; MEI 8/8)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus in Tel Aviv, killing 5 Israelis, injuring more than 50. Sharon convenes his cabinet, which unanimously decides to launch Operation Matter of Time to "isolate” Arafat, calls for the immediate extradition of around 20 wanted Palestinians (including Force 17 head Mahmud Damara, PA General Intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi) allegedly among the 200 Palestinians hiding in Arafat's offices (8 surrender in the evening). The IDF immediately reimposes 24-hr. curfews on all West Bank areas except Hebron; sends tanks into Ramallah to surround Arafat's offices (1 tank fatally shoots a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy 6 times; troops shoot, wound 2 Arafat bodyguards in the PA headquarters compound); fires on "Palestinian schoolchildren challenging the army's attempt to impose a curfew" in Amari r.c., killing a 11-yr.-old Palestinian; shells residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Hanun (where an IDF tank runs over a roadside bomb, injuring 2 soldiers), Jenin r.c. (blowing up 1 Palestinian home), Nablus, Qalqilya, the Tulkarm area; bulldozes 19 dunams of agricultural land nr. Kefar Darom settlement. Jewish settlers open fire on a Palestinian taxi nr. Tulkarm, seriously injuring the driver. (AP, HA, JTA, LAW, MM, PM 9/19; ATL, ITAR-TASS 9/19 in WNC 9/20; MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/20; Interfax, MA, Radio Monte Carlo 9/20 in WNC 9/23; MEZ, NYT 9/21; AYM 9/23 in WNC 9/25; LAW, PCHR, PR 9/25; MA 9/25 in WNC 9/26; WJW 9/26; MEI 9/27)

IDF commandos raid Tulkarm, assassinate local AMB cmdr. Ziad Da'as, also killing 2 Palestinian bystanders. In Khan Yunis, an IDF sniper fatally shoots Hamas mbr. Hussam Hamdan, son of top Hamas political leader Ahmad Nimr. The IDF makes a predawn raid on Bayt Lahia, firing on residential areas (killing 1 Palestinian sleeping on his roof), arresting 3 relatives of a wanted Hamas mbr.; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah (seriously injuring a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy), Khan Yunis; arrests local AMB leader Yahya Dahamsa in Bethlehem, demolish his rented home; demolishes the family homes of relatives of 3 other Palestinian militants elsewhere; shoots at 2 PRCS ambulances in Gaza, disabling 1. A small bomb explodes underneath a fuel truck in Rishon Letzion, lightly injuring the Israeli driver; no group claims responsibility (see 5/24). Israeli police arrest 2 19-yr.-old Israeli Arab women for failing to prevent the 8/4 Meron Junction bus bombing. In Hawara, Palestinians, international peace activists stage a nonviolent march in defiance of the IDF curfew; the IDF responds with live fire, tear gas, percussion grenades, and arrests International Solidarity Movement (ISM) leader Adam Shapiro and 1 Palestinian; Shapiro is transferred to Ramla prison pending deportation. (AP, ISM press release, LAW, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP 8/7; NYT, WP, WT 8/8; WT 8/9)

Arafat convenes an EA mtg. to grant "preliminary approval" to Ben-Eliezer's Gaza First plan. Israeli, PA security teams meet in the evening to discuss implementation but fail to agree on terms. (HA 8/7; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/8; AFP, al-Quds, XIN 8/8 in WNC 8/9; MM, WP 8/9; AYM, al-Quds 8/9, SA 8/11 in WNC 8/12; AYM 8/11 in WNC 8/15; WJW 8/15; MEI, MM 8/16)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes escalate, leaving 8 Palestinians dead, including senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Sa'ir al-Khruf, who is assassinated by the IDF. (1 Palestinian dies en route to the hospital when his ambulance is detained by the IDF for over 1 hr.) In Nablus, 20,000 Palestinians attend a funeral for 3 of the dead killed overnight. Israel allows a small number of West Bank, Gaza Palestinians over age 35 to attend Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque. Those that are barred scuffle with Israeli police who respond with rubber bullets, stun grenades, tear gas. The IDF also placed curfews on Salfit, Qasrah to conduct an arrest sweep. IDF directed shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas in Aida, Aqbat Jabir camp, Bayt Jala (damaging an elementary school), al-Bireh, Dayr al-Balah, Nablus, Ramallah (damaging the PA Local Government Min.), Tulkarm; bulldozes Palestinian agricultural land across Gaza, in Qalqilya. In Rafah, the IDF fires a shell at a family protesting the bulldozing of their land, injuring 6 children. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian property around Qalqilya, shoot at Palestinians in Silt al-Thahir (wounding 1). (ADM, LAW 12/15; NYT, WP, WT 12/16; PCHR 12/18; NYT 1/17)

Israel's Ben-Ami meets with Arafat at Erez to discuss resuming peace talks, holds follow-up mtg. with PA Information M `Abid Rabbuh in Tel Aviv. The State Dept. says that midlevel Israeli, PA negotiators may come top Washington the wk. of 12/18. (NYT, WP 12/16) (see 12/10)

In Gaza, over 30,000 Palestinians attend a Hamas rally in support of continuing the al-Aqsa intifada no matter what stand the PA regarding negotiations with Israel. (MEI 12/22)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: IDF spokesperson says army has drawn up long-term plan that assumes Israel will still occupy the W. Bank and Gaza in the year 2000 [WP 8/31; MET 9/12]. Israeli defense source says over the past 3 weeks IDF and Shin Bet have rounded up some 170 W. Bank Palestinians who "make up the backbone of the hard core leadership of the intifada in the W. Bank" [FBIS 9/1].

Arab World: Yasir Arafat arrives in Cairo for talks with President Hosni Mubarak and senior Egyptian officials [FBIS 8/30].

Other Countries: UN Security Council adopts resolution "deploring" Israel's deportation of Palestinians, and calls on Israel to respect the Geneva Convention in the O.T. [WP 8/31]. The resolution passes with 14 of 15 Security Council members voting for it; the U.S. abstains [FBIS 9/1; MET 9/12].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Two Israeli soldiers are wounded by stones in Khan Yunis. Classes for 10th and 11th grade students resume in the W. Bank. Curfew in Bayt Sahur is lifted, curfew is imposed on Dayr al-Balah. IDF Radio reports that the departure of workers for jobs in Israel is sporadic [FBIS 8/30]. Army reports 3 Katyusha rockets fired into the Galilee panhandle causing slight damage but no injuries, claims Hizballah is responsible [FBIS 8/311.

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Def. Min. Rabin tells Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Com. that 4,912 people are being detained in Israeli jails [WP 4/27]. Israeli govemment suspends official accreditation of 2 American reporters for not submitting stories about assassination of Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad) to military censor [WP 4/27]. Bulldozers uproot olive trees in Qatannah village, north of Jerusalem; village is under 2-day curfew [FJ 5/1]. In E. Jerusalem, shopowners strike to protest 4/25 arrest of 14 merchants [FJ 5/1].

Arab World: PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat leaves Damascus. PLO Pol. Dept. head Faruq al-Qaddumi remains in Syria for further talks with govemment officials [CSM 4/28]. In Damascus, DFLP leader Nayif Hawatmah threatens more attacks on Israel from S. Lebanon [NYT 5/1]. National Resistance Front also claims responsibility for attack on Israel [WP 4/27].

Other Countries: In The Hague, World Court rules U.S. must submit to arbitration over legislation ordering PLO to close its observer mission to UN [WP 4/27].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli patrol kills 3 Palestinian guerrillas who entered Israel across Lebanese border; 2 Israeli soldiers are killed [WP 4/27; NYT 4/28]. In Gaza Strip, student demonstrators stone soldiers in Gaza City and Jabalya, Beach, and Khan Yunis camps. Soldiers respond with tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. In Sha'jiyyah quarter of Gaza City, authorities seal 6 rooms; 2 houses in Dayr al-Balah camp are also sealed [FJ 5/1].