The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a home and several agricultural buildings in villages nr. Hebron; raze 2 dunams (0.5 acre) of agricultural land s. of Hebron; assault and detain a Palestinian man in c. Hebron. They also violently disperse Palestinians gathering in a village nr. Salfit to protest the IDF’s recent closure of the village’s water well; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops escort archaeologists into a village nr. Jenin to photograph ruins in the area, sparking clashes with local residents; conduct late-night raids and house searches in Bayt Jala, Jalazun r.c. and 1 village nr. Ramallah, and 1 village nr. Jenin, arresting 5 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrol during the day in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Salfit. Around 200 Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes in a village s. of Jenin late at night, sparking minor clashes with local residents. In East Jerusalem, a French Christian tourist attempts to raise the Israeli flag at Haram al-Sharif, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; at least 7 are arrested, including a number of Islamic Waqf employees. Later, Israeli forces nonviolently disperse a demonstration organized by the Islamic Waqf in protest of the detention of their colleagues earlier in the day; 2 Palestinians are arrested, including 1 journalist. In c. Israel, Israeli forces demolish 3 Palestinian homes in an unrecognized village nr. Tel Aviv. (AFP, JP, MNA, WAFA 8/4; WAFA 8/5; PCHR 8/6)

Hamas dep. chief Abu Marzuq says that Hamas will not work with the 5 new ministers sworn in to the PA consensus govt. on 7/31 and calls for PM Hamdallah to be removed from office. (MNA 8/5)

IDF operations continue in Khan Yunis, where 2 Palestinians are killed in an explosion at the home of a leading Hamas mbr.; Palestinians say IDF tanks shelled the house, whereas the IDF says the men were preparing a bomb that exploded prematurely. The IDF withdraws fr. Khan Yunis late in the day, pledging to return as necessary to halt rocket fire, calling the open-ended operation Operation Violet Iron. The IDF turns over security control of Bethlehem to the PA security forces btwn. Christmas Eve and Armenian Christmas on 1/19; says it will give IDF soldiers manning checkpoints around Bethlehem special instructions on how to handle Christian tourists. The IDF tightens Palestinian movement around Nablus; fires on residential areas of Bayt Hanun (among the injured are children ages 2, 11, 14), Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya and nr. Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarm. Palestinians fire at least 12 mortars at Jewish settlements in s. Gaza, causing minor damage but no injuries. (AFP, HA 12/23; VOI 12/23 in WNC 12/25; NYT, WP 12/24; PCHR 12/30)

Palestinian municipal elections begin, with voting in 26 West Bank municipalities. Hamas wins 27% of the seats, Fatah 59%. (PM 12/23; JAZ 12/23 in WNC 12/25; AP, NYT, WP, WT 12/24; JAZ 12/25, JAZ, VOP 12/26 in WNC 12/28; PR 12/29; MEI 1/7)

IDF soldiers fatally shoot 3 Palestinians in Tulkarm; a 4th Palestinian dies of injuries received on 10/22. Heavy shelling, machine gun fire is reported in Bethlehem, Tulkarm. In Bethlehem, Christian and Muslim religious leaders lead 6,000 Palestinians in a peace procession and prayer service, calling on Israel to evacuate the city. In Nablus, 1,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral of assassinated Hamas mbr. Halawih. The IDF sends bulldozers, under cover of heavy machine gun fire, into Bayt Hanun; reinforces troops around Khan Yunis; bulldozes land in al-Qarara, demolishing 1 home, 1 workshop. (AP, MEZ 10/23; NYT, PCHR 10/24; AYM 10/24 in WNC 10/25)

In separate mtgs. with Bush and Powell, Peres rejects the U.S. demand for Israel's immediate withdrawal fr. PA-controlled areas. (AFP, AP, MM 10/23; NYT, WP 10/24; MA 10/24 in WNC 10/25)

In Oslo, Norway opens ceremonies honoring slain Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin, attended by PA's Arafat, Israeli PM Barak, U.S. Pres. Clinton, Russian PM Vladimir Putin. On the sidelines, Clinton meets separately with Arafat and Barak, with no aides present; urges them to move swiftly toward a final status agmt. Toward midnight, Arafat, Barak hold private mtg. (MM 11/1; AFP, ITAR-TASS, SA, XIN 11/1 in WNC 11/2; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/2; AYM, al-Quds 11/2 in WNC 11/4; WJW 11/4)

In Oslo, Israeli negotiator Eran, PA negotiator `Abid Rabbuh, UN special envoy Larsen discuss final status talks, agree that 1st negotiating session to draft framework agmt. will be held on 11/8, not 11/7 as planned on 10/29. (MM 11/1)

2 of 4 Jewish settler families are evacuated fr. Mitzpe Hagit, 1 of 10 settlements ordered removed by Barak. (WP 11/3)

In a compromise agmt. btwn. Israel's Chief Rabinate (an umbrella group of municipal rabbis) and Israel's tourism industry, Christians celebrating millennial holidays in Israel will have to confine their festivities to closed-off hotel halls to preserve the Jewish character of public places, particularly in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv. The ban includes displaying Christmas trees, which the Chief Rabinate claims "defile Judaism and undermine Israel's Jewish character." (WT 11/3)

At the close of 4 days of mtgs. in New York, 300 INC delegates elect a 65-mbr. central council, 7-mbr. leadership team (including "independents," Kurds, an Islamist, and a monarchist). (MM 11/1; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/2)

In s. Lebanon, 4 civilians are injured, 2 by IDF shelling, 2 by an IDF land mine. (RL 11/1 in WNC 11/2, 11/3)