The Palestine Chronology

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Hamas mbrs. planting a roadside bomb nr. the security fence of a Jewish settlement in n. Gaza; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts predawn arrest raids in ‘Azun, Burkin nr. Jenin, Dahaysha r.c., Dura, Hebron, Jenin r.c., Tulkarm. The Jenin AMB takes responsibility for the fatal shooting of an IDF soldier sitting inside his tent at an IDF base outside nearby Mevo Dotan settlement. Palestinians fire 4 mortars at Morag, causing no damage or injuries. A Palestinian wounded in the IDF’s 10/11 attempted assassination of Khalil dies of his injuries. AMB mbrs. in Jenin temporarily take over the local Palestinian Council (PC) and PA tax offices, demanding pay raises, pensions for the children Palestinians killed during the intifada; after several hrs., they agree to leave, but the offices remain locked. (BBC, HA, XIN 10/19; VOP 10/19 in WNC 10/21; PR 10/20; QA 10/20 in WNC 10/23; PCHR 10/21)

A team of Egyptian doctors visits Arafat, who has been suffering severe flulike symptoms since 10/12, in his Ramallah compound, sparking rumors that he is serious ill. The doctors conclude that he is suffering from an intestinal virus and gallstones. Arafat suffered a similar bout of gallstones in 2003. (WT 10/19)

The IDF fatally shoots 5 Palestinians in incidents across the Gaza Strip: 2 are killed attempting to cross the border fence into Israel, 2 are killed while allegedly planting a roadside bomb, 1 is fatally shot nr. a Jewish settlement. The IDF also shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, seriously injuring a 3-yr.-old and 6-yr.-old in their beds; fires on residential areas, stone-throwing Palestinians in Balata r.c., Bayt Furik; arrests 70 Palestinians harvesting olives nr. Bayt Jala; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Dura, al-Khadir, Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah, Silwad, Tulkarm. A Palestinian dies of injuries received a wk. earlier in Rafah. At midday in Gaza City, PA preventive security officers, PA military intelligence officers exchange gunfire, toss grenades at each other, leaving 1 preventive security officer seriously injured, 3 others lightly injured; later in the day, the same group exchanges fire again, leaving 2 people injured; Fatah, PA officials meet later to contain the crisis, the reasons for which are unknown. (REU 10/18; VOP 10/18 in WNC 10/20; BBC, WP 10/19; JAZ, VOI 10/19 in WNC 10/21; PR 10/20; PCHR 10/21)