The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops in the Erez industrial zone fatally shoot 2 armed Palestinians laying a roadside bomb nearby, wound and arrest a 3d; fire a shell at Palestinian resistance mbrs. e. of Jabaliya, killing 1 armed Palestinian, wounding another armed Palestinian, 2 bystanders. Hamas mbrs. fire 3 mortars and a rocket fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF responds with an air strike on the launch site, killing 1 Hamas mbr., wounding 4. As the Annapolis mtgs. open, at least 15,000 right-wing Israeli demonstrators protest in Jerusalem against any possible concessions by Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to the Palestinians. In Gaza, Hamas and Islamic Jihad host a conference on Palestine, attended by Hamas’s top leaders (including Ismail Haniyeh, Mahmud Zahar), vowing to “not relinquish a centimeter of Palestine” or recognize Israel’s right to exist. (NYT, WP, WT 11/27; OCHA 11/28; PCHR 11/29)

IDF troops encamped in the Erez industrial zone since 11/23 fire on local Palestinians who stray nr. the zone, wounding 1. Palestinians fire 4 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with tank fire, wounding 4 armed Palestinians, 2 bystanders. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Tulkarm r.c. to ambush a car carrying wanted AMB mbrs. Muhammad Qawzah and Mushir Mansouri, mortally wounding Qawzah (he subsequently bleeds to death over an hr.), wounding Mansouri; conducts arrest raids in and around Nablus, nr. Ramallah (ambushing and detaining Birzeit University student council pres. Fadi Hamad). Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah in Hebron vandalize a nearby Palestinian school, breaking windows, breaking down walls, attempting to set fire to the building, uprooting trees outside; settlers have previously tried to occupy the school to establish a new outpost. (NYT 11/26; OCHA 11/28; PCHR 11/29)

In Gaza, an ailing 8-yr.-old Palestinian boy dies when the IDF denies permission to transport him through the Erez crossing to an Israeli hospital despite his having the proper Israeli permits. The IDF fires on several al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbrs. attempting to infiltrate the border nr. Bayt Lahiya, killing 2 AMB mbrs.; raids Khan Yunis, firing on residential areas and then exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen who confront them, killing 1 Palestinian (possibly armed), seriously wounding 1 Palestinian civilian, moderately wounding 2 gunmen. Palestinians fire 8 mortars at IDF bulldozers sent into the Erez industrial zone to level land; the IDF responds with heavy machine gun fire; no injuries are reported. Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing damage at a cemetery but no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Tubas, partially demolishing a Palestinian home, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 9. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar nr. Nablus ambush, stone a Palestinian taxi driving nearby, heavily damaging the car but not injuring the driver. AMB gunmen protesting the upcoming Annapolis summit fire on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Keddumim settlement outside Qalqilya, killing 1 settler. The Israeli High Court rules that the 3/07 purchase by Israelis of a Palestinian house overlooking Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron was illegal, stating that Israeli police may evict Jewish settlers who have since occupied the site. (IFM 11/19; PCHR 11/20; OCHA 11/21; PCHR 11/22, 11/29)

The IDF makes an air strike targeting armed Palestinians nr. Khan Yunis, causing no reported injuries; levels land inside the Gaza border nr. the Erez crossing. In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes a Palestinian road and barn in al-Walaja nr. the separation wall outside Bethlehem; raids, searches a secondary school in Azun nr. Qalqilya when staff is present but classes are not in session; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Nablus, in Abu Dis nr. Jerusalem, and nr. Bethlehem. During the day, the new PA policing unit in Nablus, deployed by Palestinian Authority (PA) PM Mahmud Abbas on 11/2 to enhance security in keeping with the road map, makes major arrest raids into ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. (WT 11/19; OCHA 11/21; PCHR 11/22, 11/29)

The IDF makes an air strike on Gaza City, assassinating PRC leader and Interior Min. official Mubarak Hasanat; bulldozes at least 150 d. of Palestinian citrus groves nr. Bayt Hanun, also demolishing a storehouse and fuel tank. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to shore. Palestinians fire 8 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing damage but no injuries; the IDF responds by shelling launching sites, causing no reported injuries. An ailing 77- yr.-old Palestinian dies at the Erez crossing when the IDF denies him transit to an Israeli hospital despite having the proper Israeli permits. PA security forces raid the home of a Hamas mbr. in Hebron, confiscating a computer, personal belongings. A Palestinian prisoner dies of injuries sustained in the 10/22 riot in Israel’s Ketziot jail. (NYT, OCHA, WP 10/24; PCHR 10/25)

Israel releases 29 Palestinian prisoners fr. Gaza (see 10/1); once again, the IDF fires on Palestinians waiting at the Erez crossing to welcome the prisoners home, wounding a Reuters cameraman. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Khan Yunis, bulldozing agricultural land, searching and occupying Palestinian homes as observation posts, exchanging fire with local Palestinian gunmen, killing 1 armed Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm, nr. Ramallah. At least 15 Jewish settlers, escorted by IDF soldiers, enter and stay overnight in Joseph’s Tomb nr. Nablus. 100s of Jewish settlers set up tents on the vacated Homesh settlement site, level land, set up sand barriers; the IDF restricts Palestinian movement in the area. In Gaza City, 4 AMB mbrs. are killed when explosives they are carrying detonate prematurely outside an ESF post that they apparently planned to attack; 1 passerby is wounded. (OCHA, WP 10/3; NYT, PCHR 10/4; NYT 10/5)

As a gesture to Abbas, Israel frees 57 Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank (mostly Fatah mbrs. but also mbrs. of the DFLP, PFLP, and PA security forces) to mark Ramadan; the release of 29 prisoners fr. Gaza to “encourage the moderates” there is delayed until 10/2 after Israeli pres. Shimon Peres initially refuses to sign the releases, citing captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit’s continued detention in Gaza, finally signing them late in the evening. Meanwhile, the IDF on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fires at a crowd on the Palestinians side gathered to welcome home the prisoners, wounding a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Hebron, nr. Ramallah; removes Jewish settlers fr. 2 unauthorized settlement outposts occupied on 9/30 as well as fr. 2 new sites occupied today nr. Elon Moreh settlement nr. Nablus and Keddumim settlement nr. Qalqilya. In Gaza, some 300 PFLP mbrs. stage a solidarity sit-in outside the home of a UNRWA staff mbr. who was temporarily kidnapped, beaten by unknown assailants earlier in the day. (NYT 10/2; OCHA 10/3; PCHR 10/4)

Gaza nr. the Nahal Oz crossing triggers a roadside bomb, causing damage but no injuries. Palestinians fire 2 RPGs at an IDF patrol inside Israel e. of al-Qarara; the IDF then sends undercover units, a tank into al-Qarara to search for the assailants, exchanging fire with Hamas mbrs.; no injuries are reported. IDF soldiers, Palestinian gunmen exchange fire across the border nr. the Erez crossing, causing no damage or injuries. Palestinians fire 2 mortars fr. the Bayt Hanun area toward Israel, but both land inside Palestinian territory, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Qalqilya. A Jewish settler kills a 14-yr.- old Palestinian in a deliberate hit-and-run nr. Salfit. In Gaza, the Palestinian Union of Medical Professions ends the work slowdown started on 8/26. (OCHA 9/19; PCHR 9/20)

In Gaza, 2 armed Palestinians representing the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) and the Popular Resistance Comms. (PRCs; an umbrella group including mbrs. of all factions) infiltrate the Israeli border, open fire with automatic weapons at the IDF post at Erez crossing, lightly wounding 2 soldiers before being shot dead. The IDF directs heavy machine gun fire at Palestinian homes in al-Shuka, makes several air strikes on the area during the day, wounding 1 Palestinian. Hamas mbrs. detonate a roadside bomb under an IDF vehicle patrolling the Gaza border nr. alShuka, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin in cars with Palestinian license plates, ambushing and assassinating Islamic Jihad mbrs. Ala’ Sorour and Mustafa Atiq, wounding 3 other Islamic Jihad mbrs.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba in Hebron attack a Palestinian home in an area previously targeted by settlers for confiscation. The IDF forcibly removes some 100 Jewish settlers who reoccupied the vacant Homesh settlement site earlier in the day. (IFM, WT 8/26; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30)

The last of the 6,374 Palestinians stranded in Egypt during the Fatah-Hamas fighting and permitted reentry to Gaza cross through Erez. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., and nr. Hebron, Salfit. Palestinians throw stones at a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Hebron, lightly injuring 2 settlers. After Fatah announces plans for a major “freedom of expression” rally in Gaza City on 8/13 to protest recent Hamas arrests of Fatah mbrs. at weddings (e.g., 8/1, 8/10), Hamas bans “all demonstrations and public gatherings” that do not have official permission. Gaza medical unions begin a 3-day strike to protest Hamas’s firing of 2 al-Shifa Hospital officials on 8/9. (NYT 8/13; NYT, WP 8/14; OCHA 8/15; PCHR 8/16)

In Gaza, an ailing Palestinian given prior approval to enter Israel for medical treatment dies at Erez crossing after being denied passage by the IDF for 2 days. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots local Islamic Jihad leader Raed Abu al-Adass in a raid on Balata r.c. in what may be an assassination; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jericho, Tulkarm; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 4. In Hebron, 2 Jewish settlers fr. Mitzpe Ya’ir outpost attack a UN vehicle carrying 3 UN employees and 2 Israeli journalists, breaking the windshield, placing large rocks in front of the tires to prevent it fr. moving, injuring 1 UN employee; the IDF, Israeli police arrest the settlers, who are quickly released on bail. (NYT 8/4; OCHA 8/8; PCHR 8/9)

In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on a Palestinian taxi in al-Maghazi r.c. in an assassination attempt against 1 AMB mbr. and 1 Islamic Jihad mbr., wounding them, the driver, 4 bystanders. Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar at the IDF post at Erez crossing, causing no damage; an ESF unit fires on the mortar crew, sparking a heavy exchange of gunfire that leaves no reported injuries. Palestinians also fire an RPG across the Gaza border at an IDF patrol inside Israel e. of al-Bureij r.c., missing the troops, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron (bulldozing parts of a cemetery, searching a kindergarten), nr. Jenin. In n. Gaza, 3 Fatah al-Yasir mbrs. abduct, kill a PA intelligence officer in a family dispute with factional overtones; the ESF arrests the 3 Fatah al-Yasir mbrs. (HA 7/30; NYT 7/31; OCHA 8/1; PCHR 8/2)

Israel begins to allow more than 6,000 Palestinians stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border to enter Gaza through Erez via the al-Oja cargo crossing s. of Rafah and bus them to Erez; 1 ailing Palestinian stranded at the crossing dies. Nr. Khan Yunis, Islamic Jihad mbrs. exchange heavy fire with an IDF unit patrolling the border inside Israel, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF searches stores, conducts random ID checks in Hebron; patrols in Qalandia. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to 100 d. of Palestinian olive and almond groves nr. Nablus. (NYT 7/29; WT 7/31; OCHA 8/1; PCHR 8/2)

In a bid to help Abbas, Israel removes 178 AMB mbrs. fr. its wanted list (75% of AMB mbrs. wanted, including AMB Jenin leader Zakariya Zubaydi) after they sign pledges to cease all actions against Israel and hand over their weapons to the PA. In Gaza, Palestinians fire 2 RPGs at an IDF unit patrolling the border fence nr. al-Bureij, missing the target, causing no damage or injuries; fire 4 mortars at IDF troops e. of Bayt Hanun, causing no damage or injuries. Around 50 Palestinian merchants hold a sit-in at the Erez crossing to protest Israel’s continued closure. In the West Bank, Israeli intelligence summons, arrests 2 Palestinians in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Otniel continue work to set up a new outpost on land seized on 7/14. PA employees recently cut from the PA salary rolls by Abbas begin an open-ended sitin strike in Gaza City’s Unknown Soldier’s Park. On the intra-Palestinian front, the ESF raids the Gaza City homes of at least a dozen Army of Islam mbrs., arresting 12, all connected to the powerful Daghmash clan. A Palestinian man dies in a Gaza City hospital after being interrogated by the IQB. (HA, NYT, WT 7/16; OCHA 7/18; PCHR 7/19; NYT 7/22; OCHA 7/25)

The IDF continues operations in Nablus, clashing with AMB gunmen who detonate explosives as soldiers approach, wounding 10 soldiers; during the incursion, the IDF arrests 2 AMB mbrs., blows up 1 Palestinian home, damages 4 others, and fires on stonethrowing youths who confront the troops, wounding 15 (ages 12–19). The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and neighboring Qalqas (detaining 51 Palestinians, including 17 children; releasing 40 later in the day). In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land on the Gaza side of the Erez crossing; sends troops into agricultural areas s. of Gaza City, where they clash with Palestinian gunmen, seriously wounding 1. (NYT 6/29; OCHA 7/4; PCHR 7/5)

As part of the ongoing offensive against FI, the Lebanese army raids a hillside cave outside Tripoli, killing 6 FI mbrs., securing an arms cache. (WP, WT 6/29)

Overnight, the IDF sends tanks and troops, backed by air support, into Gaza City and Khan Yunis in a major day-long ground offensive targeting primarily Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but also including the AMB, arresting 10s of Palestinians, bulldozing 1 Palestinian home and 70 dunams of land, and leaving at least 13 Palestinians (including at least 4 gunmen and 6 civilians, including a 10-yr.-old boy) dead, more than 50 Palestinians and at least 2 IDF soldiers wounded; Fatah and Hamas gunmen fight side-by-side against the IDF, using small arms and antitank weapons. The IDF also makes an air strike on a car in Gaza City, assassinating Islamic Jihad senior cmdr. Raed Fanuna; bulldozes Palestinian land on the Gaza side of the Qarni crossing and industrial zone, along the border southeast of Khuza’a in s. Gaza. For a 2d day, the Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza City coast, forcing them back to shore. Islamic Jihad fires 4 rockets, 5 mortars fr. Gaza toward the Erez crossing; 2 mortars land on the Gaza side, injuring a Palestinian child; those landing on the Israeli side cause no damage or injuries. In Khan Yunis, a Palestinian is killed when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF launches a major arrest campaign in the Old City of Nablus, imposing a curfew, searching homes (occupying at least 7 as sniper posts), taking over local radio stations, searching hospitals; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, nr. Jenin. In Ramallah, unidentified gunmen fire on the home of senior Fatah official Hani al-Hassan, causing no injuries. In Hebron, unidentified gunmen fire on the home of the local PA General Intelligence head, causing no injuries. Islamic Jihad mbr. Zakariyya al-Tartar dies of injuries received in a 6/24 IDF air strike on his vehicle in Gaza City. (PCHR, WP, WT 6/28; OCHA 7/4; PCHR 7/5)

In retaliation for the deaths in Jenin late on 6/19, the AMB, Islamic Jihad fire at least 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day, lightly injuring 1 Israeli; the IDF responds with helicopter air strikes on 2 launching sites nr. Bayt Hanun, 1 nr. Erez crossing, causing no reported injuries. Islamic Jihad mbrs. also fire 4 RPGs at IDF soldiers nr. Dayr al-Balah and detonate a roadside bomb, causing no injuries. The IDF makes a major raid on al-Qarara nr. Khan Yunis, killing 5 Palestinians (at least 4 of them armed, including at least 2 Hamas mbrs.); 1 IDF soldier is injured. After the UN and Israeli human rights groups warn of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza within a mo. if borders are not opened to trade, Israel allows shipments of wheat flour into Gaza through Kerem Shalom; also temporarily opens the Erez crossing to allow some 200 foreign nationals, a handful of special medical cases to leave Gaza. Meanwhile, Egypt withdraws its security delegation fr. Gaza, orders its amb. to move residence fr. Gaza to Ramallah in what is seen as a political move backing Abbas and breaking ties with Hamas. ESF mbrs. kidnap, fatally shoot a Fatah mbr. in Gaza City. Unidentified gunmen fire on an ESF patrol nr. Nussayrat r.c., causing no injuries. AMB mbrs. stage a march in Hebron in support of Abbas. (NYT 6/20; Interfax, MNA, OCS, XIN 6/20 in WNC 6/21; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/21; OCHA 6/27; PCHR 6/28)

Israel allows 12 trucks with food, medical supplies to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing; evacuates 2 Palestinians wounded in the crossfire at Erez on 6/18, 3 other Palestinian medical cases; allows Israeli medics to enter Erez to treat the 9 others wounded. Twice during the day, IDF troops stationed at the Erez crossing fire toward Palestinians waiting to cross the checkpoint in an attempt to disperse them, wounding another 2. In the West Bank, the IDF imposes a curfew on Beita nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin (exchanging fire with Palestinians, killing 1 AMB mbr., 1 Islamic Jihad mbr.), Qalqilya. Israeli security officials announce that they recently arrested 12 PFLP mbrs. for allegedly plotting to kidnap Americans to secure the release of their leader, Ahmad Saadat, who is currently held by Israel. (NYT, WP 6/20; PCHR 6/21)

The U.S. and EU end their boycott on aid to and diplomatic contacts with Abbas’s PA, pledging to work with and support the emergency government. In Gaza, Hamas mbrs. on the Gaza side of the Erez crossing exchange fire with IDF soldiers on the Israeli side, trapping in the crossfire some 400 Palestinians hoping to leave Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 11. Israel has allowed around 200 Fatah mbrs. to flee Gaza for the West Bank via Erez. Egypt reports that 344 Fatah security mbrs. have fled Gaza for Egypt; all will be repatriated to the West Bank. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Hebron, Jenin; demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (AFP, MENA 6/18 in WNC 6/19; NYT, WP, WT 6/19; PCHR 6/21)

Clashes at Nahr al-Barid r.c. btwn. the Lebanese army, FI continue, with the army resuming shelling of the camp; at least 3 soldiers are reported killed. In ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c., 2 Jund al-Sham mbrs. are killed, 3 are injured when explosives they are handling detonate prematurely. (DS 6/19 in WNC 6/20; NYT, WP, WT 6/19)

Abbas swears in a 12-mbr. emergency cabinet; issues a presidential decree suspending article 79 of the Basic Law allowing the PC to vote out the government by a no-confidence vote and requiring PC approval for all ministerial appointments. The cabinet comprises mostly independent technocrats, except for veteran Fatah mbr. ‘Abd al-Raziq Yahiya, named interior minister to control the PA security branches. Hamas rejects Abbas’s actions as illegal. Both Hamas and Abbas stress, however, that Gaza and the West Bank must continue to be considered a single administrative and political unit as laid out in the 1993 Oslo Accord, rejecting Israel’s appeal to the U.S. that they officially be “delinked.” In Gaza, some 1,000 Fatah loyalists encamp at the Erez crossing, requesting transit to the West Bank, afraid to leave the corridor for fear of reprisals. In Khan Yunis, residents report Hamas mbrs. going door to door collecting unauthorized weapons. The Army of Islam releases a video rejecting Hamas demands to release BBC reporter Johnston, threatening to kill him if Hamas goes after the group. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah. (AYM, MNA, QA 6/17 in WNC 6/18; NYT, WP, WT 6/18; OCS 6/18 in WNC 6/19; NYT, PCHR 6/21)

U.S. Consul Gen. Jacob Walles meets with Abbas in Ramallah, says that the U.S. is prepared to resume direct aid as soon as Abbas swears in a new government that does not include Hamas, even if it controls only the West Bank; indicates that international sanctions on the PA would also be lifted. Abbas issues a presidential decree outlawing the ESF, Hamas’s IQB, all other militias affiliated with Hamas on the grounds that they carried out a “military coup against the Palestinian legitimacy and its government.” Abbas also angrily rejects offers by Arab League Secy. Gen. ‘Amr Musa to mediate btwn. him and Damascus-based Hamas leader Khalid Mishal, stating that he would not hold a dialogue with “killers.” Olmert says that Israel will “cooperate fully” with Abbas’s new government, calling the new situation “an opportunity.” Israel says it will allow food, basic supplies into Gaza but otherwise will consider Gaza a “terrorist entity” with which it will not deal. Haniyeh says Hamas will not seek to set up a parallel government in Gaza to rival Abbas, though it will assume day-to-day government functions. In Gaza, at least 2 Fatah mbrs. are killed in revenge slayings; bodies of 7 Hamas mbrs., 1 Fatah mbr. killed in recent fighting are found. Hamas mbrs. confiscate weapons fr. Fatah mbrs., set up roadblocks nr. crossing points into Israel to prevent Fatah officials fr. fleeing, but several senior Fatah mbrs. make it through the Erez crossing, are allowed by Israel to go to the West Bank. Looters break into Yasir Arafat’s fmr. residence, kept largely as a museum, and steal many items before Hamas mbrs. secure the building, prevent further thefts. In the West Bank, AMB mbrs. temporarily take over the parliament building, several PA ministries in Ramallah, ordering Hamas-affiliated employees to leave and not return, raising Fatah flags; raid the Hebron and Nablus municipal offices, order the Change and Reform–dominated municipal council mbrs. to surrender control of the city governments; in Bethlehem, Fatah mbrs. raid and search the homes of elected Change and Reform officials. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. (MNA, OCS 6/16 in WNC 6/17; NYT, WP, WT 6/17; PCHR 6/21; WP 7/8)

Firmly in control of Gaza, Hamas declares amnesty for Fatah leaders, except National Security Advisor (NSA) Dahlan, with the aim of quelling violence, releasing several of the 10 senior Fatah political security officials captured earlier in the day; orders all mbrs. of the PA security forces in Gaza to continue to report for duty to provide law and order, albeit under Hamas cmdrs. Hamas also calls for the immediate release of kidnapped BBC correspondent Johnston. With fighting suspended, Palestinian crowds loot abandoned Fatah buildings, targeting in particular Dahlan’s home and Abbas’s presidential compound; Hamas mbrs. surround and prevent looting at Abbas’s Gaza residence. Some violence persists, with a Fatah mbr. thrown to his death from a high building by the family of a man he killed earlier; a Fatah security official commits suicide after learning that he was on a Hamas wanted list. Meanwhile, Egypt reinforces its forces on the border with Gaza with riot police, APCs, and water cannons, fearing that Palestinians will attempt to flee Gaza for Egypt en masse at the first opportunity. Israel temporarily opens the Erez crossing to allow Fatah officials to escape Gaza for Ramallah. In the West Bank, Abbas names Finance M Salam al-Fayyad as his new PM, charging him with forming a government; issues a presidential decree suspending articles of the Basic Law (the interim Palestinian constitution) requiring the new government to receive a vote of confidence from the PC (currently controlled by the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform party). Fatah-Hamas tensions remain high in the West Bank, where heavily armed Fatah mbrs. patrol in Ramallah in a show of force; Fatah mbrs. ransack Change and Reform offices, Hamas-run charity organizations in several cities; kidnap at least 9 Hamas mbrs. AMB mbrs. fatally shoot a Hamas mbr. in Nablus. Inside Israel, the Israel Prisons Service separates Fatah, Hamas detainees to prevent rioting. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches, patrols in villages around Jenin, firing on residential areas, causing no injuries. In Gaza, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dayr al-Balah; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists attending weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2. (AP, HA, WP, QA 6/15; NYT, WP, WT 6/16; Interfax 6/16 in WNC 6/17; PCHR 6/21; NYT 7/9)

The IDF makes 2 air strikes on Palestinians allegedly planting a roadside bomb nr. troops operating in n. Gaza, killing 1 Hamas mbr., wounding another. Hamas fires 3 mortars at the IDF post at Erez crossing in response, causing no injuries. The IDF also conducts arrest raids in al-Qarara nr. Khan Yunis.IDFUXO injures an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy in Bayt Lahiya, 4 Palestinian children in Gaza City. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on an apartment building in Hebron searching for 2 Palestinian men who had thrown objects at their patrol, fatally shooting an innocent 75-yr.-old Palestinian man, wounding his 66-yr.-old wife and 6 other relatives; the 2 wanted men were later arrested elsewhere. The IDF also conducts arrest raids in and around Nablus, and in ‘Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Halhul nr. Hebron, Jenin, Qabatya, Tulkarm. (al-Jazeera 6/6; NYT, PCHR, WT 6/7; OCHA 6/13; PCHR 6/14)

In Gaza, Hamas fires mortars at the IDF post at Erez crossing, wounding 4 IDF soldiers. In the West Bank, the IDF raids Jenin, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing Muhammad Farhati, cmdr. of a joint AMB–Islamic Jihad squad called Belt of Fire; conducts additional arrest raids, house searches in Jenin and nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm; bars members of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) fr. patrolling nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. In Gaza, a Haniyeh bodyguard is kidnapped by Fatah’s elite Force 17 mbrs., who hold him for 7 hrs., beat him, shave off his eyebrows and beard, shave the number 17 into his hair. In Gaza City, 50 PA TV employees protest threats by a little-known group, Swords of Truth, to its female anchors accused of “destroying Islamic culture” by appearing on broadcasts unveiled and wearing makeup. (WT 6/3; NYT 6/4; OCHA 6/6; PCHR 6/7; NYT 6/9)

Exchanges of fire intensify btwn. the Lebanese army, FI at Nahr al-Barid r.c. In ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. nr. Sidon, Jund al-Sham mbrs. attack soldiers surrounding the camp after hearing news of the death of its senior mbr., Abu Raid, in Nahr al-Barid; 1 soldier, 2 Jund al-Sham mbrs. are wounded in the fighting, which involves heavy machine gun, automatic weapon, and RPG fire. (NYT, WP, WT 6/4; WT 6/5)

In overnight raids, the IDF, Shin Bet arrest 33 senior Hamas or Hamas-affiliated political figures across the West Bank (Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Salfit, Tulkarm), including PA Education M Nasir al-Sha‘ir, PA State M Wasfi Kabaha, at least 3 PC mbrs., 5 mayors, a number of heads of educational and charitable associations. The IDF also makes at least 7 air strikes on Gaza, targeting at least 3 ESF positions in Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah, injuring at least 2 ESF mbrs. and 13 bystanders; a guard house outside Haniyeh’s Shati‘ r.c. home, causing no casualties; the home of a PRC mbr. in Jabaliya r.c., hitting an adjacent home instead, wounding 2 Palestinians; an alleged weapons factory in Rafah, wounding 5 bystanders; a Hamas post in Dayr al-Balah, causing no injuries; and a money exchange in Gaza City. The IDF also fires on a group of Palestinians on the Bayt Lahiya shore, wounding 1 Palestinian fisherman. Palestinians fire 2 mortars at the IDF post at Erez (causing no injuries, but light damage that will slow processing of trucks going through the crossing) and at least 12 rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel (only 5 land inside Israel, causing light damage but no injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Jenin (also searching the offices of the PA Waqf Min., confiscating documents) and nr. Qalqilya, Tulkarm. A Palestinian woman dies of injuries received in a 5/17 IDF air strike on Gaza City. A Hamas mbr. dies of wounds received in clashes with Fatah on 5/13. (BBC, IFM, WP 5/24; NYT, WT 5/25; NYT 5/27; OCHA 5/30; PCHR 5/31)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border detain 2 unarmed Palestinians who attempt to sneak into Israel through the border fence e. of al-Maghazi to find work; fire on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence nr. Shuka, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, nr. Salfit; conducts patrols in Azun e. of Qalqilya, beating stone-throwing Palestinian children, breaking a 13-yr.-old’s arm; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at 10s of Palestinians as well as Israeli and international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 8. Jewish settlers fr. Havat Maon nr. Hebron bulldoze 10 d. of Palestinian agricultural land; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Unidentified gunmen ambush the armored car of UNRWA dir. John Ging in an apparent kidnapping attempt as he returns to Gaza through the Erez crossing; fire 14 shots at the car, causing no injuries. In Dayr al-Balah, suspected Hamas gunmen ambush a car driven by PA intelligence officer Hussein Salhi; pulling Salhi and a 2d intelligence officer, Musa Erjailat, fr. the vehicle; shooting them in the head, killing Salhi, wounding Erjailat. (NYT 3/17; OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

For a 2d day, IDF troops at the Erez crossing fire into Gaza at Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border, wounding 2 Palestinian teenagers. IDF troops on the Gaza Border nr. Bayt Lahiya shoot, wound a Palestinian who strays too nr. the border fence. Egyptian forces demolish a smugglers’ tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers beat a Palestinian nr. Qalqilya. (OCHA 1/24; PCHR 1/25)

In Gaza, IDF soldiers in the Erez industrial zone fire on Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the site, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids nr. Jenin, Qalqilya and in Aida r.c., Balata r.c., Nablus (detaining a PA General Intelligence officer). AFP photographer Razuri is released unharmed in Gaza City. Fatah gunmen release a video of Nablus dep. mayor Hambali, kidnapped on 1/6, threatening to expand attacks on Hamas if the ESF is not disbanded. (NYT, WP, WT 1/8; OCHA, WT 1/10; PCHR 1/11)

In Gaza, the IDF continues operations along the Rafah border, reportedly uncovering another 8 smugglers tunnels, also making an air strike destroying a house in Rafah after warning the residents to leave; sends troops into the Erez industrial zone to demolish a Palestinian factory; sends troops into Jabaliya r.c. to bulldoze Palestinian land. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin; fires on residential areas of Hebron, wounding 3 Palestinian children. Jewish settlers fr. Gil’ad outpost nr. Qalqilya beat 4 Palestinians. (WP 10/20; PCHR 11/2)

In Gaza, the IDF closes Erez crossing for unspecified security reasons (the crossing has been open only to select VIPs and medical cases since 3/12); sends additional troops into the Shurrab Farms area nr. Bayt Hanun, firing on residential areas of Bayt Hanun, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus, firing on residential areas, killing an off-duty PA policeman in his home; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron (searching several mosques and hospitals looking for arms caches, finding none; surrounding several mosques, interrogating worshippers as they leave dawn prayers) in Balata r.c., Ramallah (targeting the AMB), and nr. Bethlehem, Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Eli nr. Nablus, burn 7 d. of nearby Palestinian olive groves. Jewish settlers fr. Rotem nr. Nablus prevent Palestinian farmers from accessing their fields. (OCHA 10/11; PCHR 10/12)