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  • March 20, 2019

    Hundreds of right-wing Jewish activists visit Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus overnight, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinians in the area; 2 Palestinians are killed and 12 more are...

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  • January 6, 2019

    Unidentified Palestinians fly an incendiary device from Gaza into southern Israel attached to a cluster of balloons, where it lands in an open area in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. IDF troops...

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  • October 5, 2018

    Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. They set fire to tires, throw improvised explosive devices, and chant slogans. IDF troops violently...

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  • September 22, 2018

    Along Gaza’s border, Israeli firefighters put out 6 fires reportedly sparked by incendiary kites or balloons flown into southern Israel from Gaza. An Israeli aircraft carries out an air strike on...

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  • September 14, 2018

    Approximately 12,000 Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return protests. IDF troops violently disperse the protests near Rafah, Jabaliya refugee camp, al-Bureij...

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  • September 13, 2018

    Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries (3 fishermen are arrested and their boat is confiscated)....

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  • August 11, 2018

    Israeli aircraft bomb groups of Palestinians near Jabaliya refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City who have just launched or are allegedly preparing to launch incendiary kites into...

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  • April 9, 2018

    Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces bomb Hamas military sites in Jabaliya refugee camp and Bayt Lahiya overnight, causing an unclear amount of damage. The IDF later says the attack was in...

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  • March 15, 2018

    Along Gaza’s border, unidentified persons detonate 2 IEDs targeting an IDF patrol near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. Soon thereafter, the IAF bombs Hamas sites near Gaza...

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  • March 1, 2018

    In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian minor allegedly after she attempts to stab 1 of them at a checkpoint near Bethlehem. They also arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids near...

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  • March 7, 2017

    In the West Bank, a Palestinian hitchhiker stabs and injures an Israeli settler driver who picked him up nr. Bethlehem. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians outside the Ofer Prison nr....

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  • November 14, 2016

    In the West Bank, an explosive device detonates nr. IDF troops on a patrol nr. Bethlehem, causing no injuries. Israeli forces block off 2 roads nr. Hebron, weeks after reopening them in 10/2016...

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  • January 31, 2014

    In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian protesters close to the border fence nr. Jabaliya, wounding 7. Separately, Israeli forces open fire on an open area in the c. Gaza Strip...

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  • January 18, 2011

    Israeli authorities indicate they intend to close the Qarni crossing into Gaza (used to import wheat, animal fodder, and construction aggregates) permanently within weeks and reroute these imports...

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  • February 27, 2008

    In the morning, the IDF makes an air strike on a minivan nr. Khan Yunis, assassinating 5 Hamas mbrs. and wounding 1 allegedly responsible for the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades’ rocket program; makes...

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  • November 26, 2007

    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...

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  • October 30, 2007

    The IDF makes an air strike on an ESF post in Abasan in s. Gaza, killing 4 ESF officers; makes a 2d air strike on a suspected rocket-launching site in Jabaliya r.c., hitting a home, wounding 6...

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  • October 25, 2007

    Israeli human rights groups petition the Israeli High Court to halt the government’s 10/24 plan to cut electricity to Gaza to pressure Hamas, arguing collective punishment, forcing the IDF to...

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  • June 22, 2007

    In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land 300 m. inside Gaza n. of Jabaliya r.c., occupying the area. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian nr. Hebron who allegedly attempted to...

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  • April 25, 2007

    IDF troops on the Gaza border shoot, wound a Palestinian farmer working his field nr. Jabaliya r.c.; fire on a group of Palestinians who stray nr. the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c., causing...

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  • November 24, 2006

    The IDF continues operations in n. Gaza, fatally shooting an armed Palestinian, a Palestinian cameraman filming nr. Jabaliya, and a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding at least 7 civilians; 2 IDF...

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  • November 9, 2006

    Israel says that the death of 19 Palestinians in Bayt Hanun on 11/8 was caused by a faulty artillery radar system. Palestinians fire 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 2 Israelis. In...

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  • October 1, 2004

    The IDF launches Operation Days of Penitence, sending 3 brigades (ca. 2,000 troops) with 100 tanks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), armored bulldozers to cordon off the n. Gaza Strip, killing 8...

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  • September 29, 2004

    The IDF continues operations in Bayt Hanun and Jabaliya r.c. launched on 9/28, expands into Bayt Lahiya; occupies buildings as sniper posts; shells, fires on residential areas, killing 1 stone-...

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  • July 29, 2004

    The IDF assassinates ARB Rafah cmdr. ‘Amr Abu Sitta and his dep. Zaki Abu Zarqa, firing a missile at their car as they drive in Rafah; fatally shoots Islamic Jihad Tulkarm cmdr. Zahir Ashqar in an...

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  • July 10, 2004

    In continuing operations in the Bayt Hanun area, the IDF fires on residential areas of Bayt Hanun; shells residential areas nr. Jabaliya. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Rafah, fatally...

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  • June 29, 2004

    Despite continuing IDF operations in Bayt Hanun, Palestinians fire 5 Qassam rockets fr. the area at Sederot, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. In Bayt Hanun, the IDF fatally shoots a 15-yr.-old...

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  • February 16, 2003

    A day after Hamas detonated a roadside bomb under a tank, killing 4 Israeli soldiers, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announces plans to crack down on Hamas in Gaza. In Gaza City, 6 senior Hamas...

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  • November 4, 2002

    An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device in a store in Tel Aviv, killing 1 Israeli security guard, 1 Israeli civilian, wounding 30. The IDF assassinates wanted Hamas mbr....

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  • February 19, 2002

    An AMB gunman attacks an IDF outpost n. of Jerusalem, killing 6 IDF soldiers, critically wounding 1, and escaping. IDF F-16s shell 2 PSF buildings in Rafah, Ramallah; naval vessels fire a missile...

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Hundreds of right-wing Jewish activists visit Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus overnight, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinians in the area; 2 Palestinians are killed and 12 more are injured. The IDF later says that an explosive device was thrown at a patrol, prompting the fatal shooting. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops open fire on Palestinians in a vehicle outside al-Khadir near Bethlehem; 1 Palestinian is killed and another is injured. The IDF later says that the men were throwing stones at Israeli vehicles. The local authorities in Bethlehem declare a general strike in protest of the killing. Meanwhile, IDF troops also shoot and injure a Palestinian youth in Bayt Sira village near Ramallah; arrest 3 Palestinians during late-night raids near Jenin; patrol in and around Tulkarm and Hebron; and violently disperse Palestinian students gathering in al-Bireh to protest the Israeli occupation (there are no serious injuries reported). Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home and dismantle 3 Palestinian makeshift residential structures south of Hebron. Unidentified assailants open fire on an Israeli settler bus near Salfit, causing minor damage. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Nablus, damaging several. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Muslim worshipper and an Islamic Waqf guard at Haram al-Sharif. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries (2 fishermen are detained). Along Gaza’s border, hundreds of Gazans gather near al-Bureij refugee camp to set tires on fire, throw stones, and otherwise continue the Great March of Return late at night. After unidentified Gazans fly an incendiary balloon into southern Israel, the Israeli Air Force conducts an air strike near the protesters near al-Bureij refugee camp, causing damage. Meanwhile, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Gaza City and open fire on Palestinian farmlands near Khan Yunis, causing no major damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. (EI, HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/20; MNA, MNA, WAFA 3/21; PCHR 3/28)

U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. They discuss a range of issues, and in a press conference after the meeting Netanyahu calls on the international community to recognize Israel’s control over the Golan Heights. (HA, JP, TOI 3/20)

Unidentified Palestinians fly an incendiary device from Gaza into southern Israel attached to a cluster of balloons, where it lands in an open area in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. IDF troops detonate the device, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the Israeli Air Force conducts 3 air strikes on Hamas sites in Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Bayt Hanun, causing extensive damage. Also along Gaza’s border, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians gathering to continue the Great March of Return near al-Bureij refugee camp; 1 Palestinian is injured. They also open fire on Palestinian farmland near Rafah, Gaza City, Bayt Hanun, and Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, following the shooting attack on an Israeli settler vehicle at the nearby Beit El checkpoint on 1/5, IDF troops conduct raids in al-Bireh overnight, confiscating surveillance tapes and sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents of the area throughout the day; several Palestinians are injured (1 critically). They also arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids near Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, and Tubas; and patrol near Hebron and Nablus. Israeli settlers uproot 60 olive and almond trees from a Palestinian grove near Hebron. (HA, JP, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, YA 1/6; PCHR 1/10)

Following a week of increasing tensions between Fatah and Hamas, the Fatah-dominated PA announces plans to remove its staff from the Rafah border crossing on 1/7. “This decision comes in the light of recent developments and brutal practices of the de facto gangs,” reads the PA statement. “Since we took over the Rafah crossing, Hamas has been obstructing the work of our crew there. We had to bear a lot in order to give the opportunity for the Egyptian effort to end the division.” The PA took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing in the context of the 10/12/17 Hamas-Fatah reconciliation agreement, which was never fully implemented. (JP, REU, WAFA 1/6)

U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman says that the Trump administration’s long-awaited Palestinian-Israeli peace plan will likely not be released for at least several more months. “We want to release it a way that gives it the best chance of getting a good reception,” he says, adding that the upcoming Israeli elections on 4/9 are “a factor, but not the only factor.” Meanwhile, U.S. national security advisor John Bolton meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Following the meeting, Bolton says that the U.S.-Israel relationship has never been stronger than it is now under Netanyahu and U.S. president Donald Trump. (HA, JP, JP, TOI 1/6)

In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says that Egypt’s military coordination with Israel is at its “closest ever.” He adds, “We have a wide range of cooperation with the Israelis.” (AJ, CBS, HA 1/6)

Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. They set fire to tires, throw improvised explosive devices, and chant slogans. IDF troops violently disperse them near Rafah, Khan Yunis, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City, and Jabaliya refugee camp; 3 Palestinians are killed and at least 126 are injured (3 critically). This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 170. Meanwhile, Israeli artillery also shell a Hamas post near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, an IDF patrol in al-Mazra‘a near Ramallah, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 7 Palestinians are injured. They also patrol near Hebron and Nablus; arrest 1 Palestinian during late-night raids in Jenin; and violently disperse Palestinians at Friday protests against the Israeli occupation in Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya and Luban al-Sharqiyya near Nablus (7 Palestinians are injured). Israeli settlers harass Palestinians picking olives near Nablus, sparking minor confrontations between the harvesters and their own IDF escort; there are no reported arrests or injuries. Israeli settlers also assault and attempt to block Palestinian farmers from accessing their lands in 2 separate incidents near Salfit and 1 near Qalqilya. IDF troops intervene in each ensuing confrontation; 1 Palestinian is injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Hizma village, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing residents; 1 Palestinian is injured. (HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/5; MNA 10/6; PCHR 10/11)

In a statement, UNRWA expresses “concern” about Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat’s 10/4 announcement that he plans to remove the agency from East Jerusalem. “UNRWA has continuously maintained its operations in East Jerusalem since 1967 with the cooperation and on the basis of a formal agreement with the State of Israel, which remains in force,” UNRWA’s statement reads. It’s still unclear when or how Barkat intends to implement his plan. (REU, YA 10/5)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli firefighters put out 6 fires reportedly sparked by incendiary kites or balloons flown into southern Israel from Gaza. An Israeli aircraft carries out an air strike on a site allegedly used as a staging area for such attacks near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no reported injuries. In 2 separate incidents off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, unidentified assailants throw an IED at the Beit El settlement overnight, causing no reported damage or injuries. IDF troops arrest 11 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Nablus; and patrol in and around Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Issawiyya. (MNA, MNA 9/22; MNA 9/23; PCHR 9/27)

Hamas officials meet with an Egyptian delegation in Gaza to discuss the stalled Palestinian reconciliation process. According to a Hamas statement, they share a “deep conversation about ways to end the siege on the Gaza Strip and alleviate the suffering of our people.” (TOI 9/23)

Approximately 12,000 Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return protests. IDF troops violently disperse the protests near Rafah, Jabaliya refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis; 3 Palestinians are killed and at least 3 more are injured. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 152. Amid the clashes, the IDF reports that one of its officers was injured by shrapnel from a pipe bomb thrown from across the border fence. Israeli forces subsequently shell 2 Hamas posts, causing damage to a school east of Khan Yunis. Elsewhere along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land along the border fence near Rafah. They also dismantle an IED that was placed along the border fence near Rafah for the 2d day in a row. On the other side of the border fence, Israeli firefighters put out 2 fires that were allegedly sparked by incendiary kite or balloon attacks emanating from Gaza. In the West Bank, Israeli forces set up roadblocks around Khan al-Ahmar, the Jerusalem-area Bedouin village slated for evacuation and demolition. Israeli troops later violently disperse hundreds of activists gathering to protest the roadblocks; 3 protesters are arrested. Separately, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians and international solidarity activists at Friday protests against the Israeli occupation in Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya and Ras Karkar near Ramallah; 1 Palestinian is injured. They also arrest 5 Palestinians during clashes sparked by IDF patrols in Bayt Umar near Hebron; arrest 2 more Palestinians during late-night raids in Nablus; and patrol in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, and Salfit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in Shu‘fat refugee camp (EI, HA, HA, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, YA 9/14; MNA 9/15; PCHR 9/20)

The New York Times reports that the Trump administration has decided to cut the last remaining $10 million in planned aid to the Palestinians this year. The money, which Congress authorized for expenditure in 2017, was set to support programs meant to build relationships between Israelis and Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territories. USAID has reportedly redirected the $10 million to support similar programs dealing with Jewish Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel. “Essentially, USAID was faced with the choice of shutting down the program and losing the funds, or keeping something going,” a congressional aide explains. (NYT, REU, TOI, TOI, YA 9/14; HA, MNA, TOI 9/15)

Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries (3 fishermen are arrested and their boat is confiscated). Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops dismantle an IED apparently placed along the border fence near Rafah by Palestinians in recent days. Late at night, unidentified Palestinians throw a pipe bomb at IDF troops stationed along the border fence, causing no damage or injuries. The Israeli soldiers fire at the perpetrators, injuring 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers slash the tires of 6 Palestinian vehicles in Jalud village near Nablus overnight and burn to the ground approximately 200 olive trees in a Palestinian grove near Bethlehem. Israeli forces confiscate 5 temporary residential structures that activists set up outside Khan al-Ahmar, the Jerusalem-area Bedouin village that is slated for evacuation and demolition. IDF troops arrest 1 Palestinian minor for possessing a knife in central Hebron; assault and arrest a Palestinian during a patrol in Artas village near Bethlehem; and patrol near Hebron, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. (HA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, YA 9/13; MNA, MNA, TOI, YA 9/14; PCHR 9/20)

The European Parliament passes a resolution denouncing the Israeli decision to evacuate and demolish the Jerusalem-area Bedouin village Khan al-Ahmar. The resolution also calls on Israel to provide compensation for the EU-funded infrastructure in the village. (HA, JP, TOI 9/13)

Israeli aircraft bomb groups of Palestinians near Jabaliya refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City who have just launched or are allegedly preparing to launch incendiary kites into Israel; 3 Palestinians are injured. Later, IDF troops stationed along the border fence open fire on Palestinians gathering at a Great March of Return camp near Gaza City, injuring 2. In two separate incidents off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops patrol in Bayt Umar near Hebron, sparking clashes; 4 Palestinians are injured. They arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron and conduct further patrols near Qalqilya and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians as they are leaving Haram al-Sharif. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/11; MNA 8/12; PCHR 8/16)

A UN delegation visits Gaza for meetings on the shaky cease-fire that has largely held since late on 8/9. The Israeli authorities claim that they have not agreed to any cease-fire agreement. “We did not commit with the mediators on a cease-fire. We are in a campaign in which there is an exchange of blows,” one Israeli official says. (HA, TOI 8/11)

A flotilla of 40 boats sets sail from the Gazan shore in a symbolic effort to challenge the Israeli blockade. The organizers, who frame the protest in the context of the ongoing Great March of Return, state, “We want the world to see the reality of the blockade and the suffering of the people of Gaza, and we will not accept anything less than lifting the blockade once and for all.” Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at the boats, causing no reported injuries, forcing them to turn back to shore. (MNA, TOI 8/12)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces bomb Hamas military sites in Jabaliya refugee camp and Bayt Lahiya overnight, causing an unclear amount of damage. The IDF later says the attack was in retaliation for a previously unreported Hamas attempt to plant an IED along the border fence on 4/8. Later, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian agricultural lands near al-Maghazi refugee camp, Gaza City, and al-Bureij refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting along the border fence near Gaza City, Jabaliya refugee camp, and Khan Yunis; 8 Palestinians are injured. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers spray-paint racist graffiti on road signs near Hebron. IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian minor amid minor clashes in Nablus, arrest 4 Palestinians, and issue 3 arrest summons during late-night raids near Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron; and patrol in and around Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians during latenight raids in Sur Bahir, Hizma, and Issawiyya. (HA, JP, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/9; MNA 4/10; PCHR 4/12)

A Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained when the IDF violently dispersed peaceful protesters along Gaza’s border on 3/30, bringing the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 29. (TOI, WAFA 4/9)

The Palestinian who was stabbed by an Israeli settler near Jerusalem on 4/8 succumbs to his injuries. (PCHR 4/12)

The IAF conducts air strikes on the Syrian T-4 base near Homs, targeting drone deployment and air-defense systems, and killing 14 people, including at least 7 Iranian citizens. (HA, JP 4/9)

Along Gaza’s border, unidentified persons detonate 2 IEDs targeting an IDF patrol near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. Soon thereafter, the IAF bombs Hamas sites near Gaza City and Jabaliya refugee camp, injuring 1 Palestinian and causing moderate damage. An IDF spokesperson later alleges that the 2 devices were planted amid a recent border protest. (HA, JP, WAFA, YA 3/15; PCHR 3/22)

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids near Ramallah, Hebron, and Jenin; and patrol near Tulkarm and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with Palestinians in al-‘Izzariya; 9 Palestinians are injured. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya and Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (WAFA 3/15; PCHR 3/22)

At a fundraising conference in Rome, officials from 90 different countries collectively pledge $100 m. for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to address the budget shortfall caused by U.S. president Trump’s decision to cut U.S. aid to the agency in 1/2018 (see JPS 47 [3]). (JP, TOI, WAFA 3/15)

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian minor allegedly after she attempts to stab 1 of them at a checkpoint near Bethlehem. They also arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids near Qalqilya and Nablus, and patrol near Hebron and Tulkarm. The IDF cordons off a section of central Hebron, making space for hundreds of Israeli settlers to celebrate Purim. Along Gaza’s southern border, an errant Egyptian mortar hits an abandoned Palestinian home in Rafah, injuring 1 passerby. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion into Gaza to level land near Khan Yunis. The IDF announces that Israeli soldiers recently defused an IED placed along the border intended to attack Israeli border patrols. The IED is reportedly similar to the one that detonated and injured several soldiers on 2/17. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya and Hizma. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/1; PCHR 3/8)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian hitchhiker stabs and injures an Israeli settler driver who picked him up nr. Bethlehem. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians outside the Ofer Prison nr. Ramallah protesting the 3/6 killing of Basel al-Araj and PA security coordination with Israel; 8 Palestinians are arrested. IDF troops also set up mobile checkpoints around the Bethlehem area in the evening, confiscate personal property, and arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron and Nablus; and patrol nr. Nablus and Hebron. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces dismantle an explosive device nr. Jabaliya r.c. Around the same time, Israeli forces shell an Islamic Jihad in Palestine (PIJ) post nearby, injuring 1 Palestinian, according to PIJ. The IDF says it will look into a connection between the incidents. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In Israel, the Israeli authorities deliver demolition orders to several homes in the Bedouin village Rakhama nr. Beersheba. (JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 3/7; MNA 3/8; PCHR 3/9)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 2d of 3 planned days. (MNA, WAFA 3/6)

During the U.S. State Dept.’s first press briefing under the Trump admin., a spokesperson says that the dept. is “working closely” with Trump on his new Middle East policy and that the admin. is working with Israel to figure out “what exactly it would look like” for Israel to restrict settlement growth. (USSD, JP, TOI 3/7; AFP, HA 3/8)

In the West Bank, an explosive device detonates nr. IDF troops on a patrol nr. Bethlehem, causing no injuries. Israeli forces block off 2 roads nr. Hebron, weeks after reopening them in 10/2016 and 9/2016. They were initially closed down in 10/2015 amid the early days of the habba. They also carry out the demolition of 28 stores and a Palestinian home in al-‘Awja village nr. Jericho, sparking clashes with stone-throwing youths; 5 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians and issue 6 arrest summons during violent raids and house searches nr. Salfit (they also confiscate a car); and patrol nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. Unidentified assailants throw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli settler bus nr. Hebron, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural building in Silwan and arrest 6 Palestinians during raids in Silwan and Issawiyya late at night. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Jabaliya r.c., causing no damage or injuries. (JP, MNA, WAFA 11/14; PCHR 11/17)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 1st of 5 planned days. (WAFA 11/14)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian protesters close to the border fence nr. Jabaliya, wounding 7. Separately, Israeli forces open fire on an open area in the c. Gaza Strip, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF opens fire on a crowd of a few hundred Palestinian demonstrators outside Jalazun r.c., wounding 14 with live ammunition and 4 with rubber-coated metal bullets. The protest is a response to the killing of a camp resident on 1/29. In addition, Palestinians clash with Israeli forces nr. Ramallah outside Silwad village, with 1 Palestinian wounded by live ammunition. IDF troops detain 2 Palestinians who they say went to the entrance of Nahlilel settlement and set off fireworks. In Bethlehem, amid clashes with Israeli soldiers, Palestinian youth throw an improvised explosive device at Rachel’s Tomb. The clashes result in 7 arrests. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian activists with some internationals go to ‘Ayn Hiljeh, an abandoned Palestinian village in the Jordan Valley, as part of a demonstration protesting settlement activities and land confiscation. The Popular Struggle Coordination Cmte. says that the step is also aimed at averting reported Israeli intentions to annex the area. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 2 nearby villages, 2 villages nr. Salfit, and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem and Ramallah at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 3 villages in Hebron and 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (alMa‘sara). There are no serious injuries, except in Kafr Qaddum (2 struck by tear gas canisters). (AP, MNA, ToI 1/31; PCHR 2/6)

In Switzerland, the 1st round of UN-sponsored peace negotiations on Syria ends with no breakthroughs or even seeming progress in bringing the 2 sides closer together. UN-Arab League joint special envoy Brahimi, who is serving as mediator, expresses frustration that even an agreement to allow an aid convoy to reach Homs remained elusive. Opposition delegates say they will return on 2/10, but govt. reps. say they would need to check with Damascus. (REU 1/31)

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis fires a rocket toward Eilat from the Sinai Peninsula, which is intercepted by an Iron Dome missile defense battery. (YA 1/31)

The Egyptian military attacks militants in Shaykh Zuweid, Sinai Peninsula, with Apache helicopters and ground forces, killing 13. (AP 1/31)

Israeli authorities indicate they intend to close the Qarni crossing into Gaza (used to import wheat, animal fodder, and construction aggregates) permanently within weeks and reroute these imports through the Kerem Shalom crossing. OCHA reports that Israel has allowed no grain or fodder imports to Gaza for a week and that wheat reserves are nearly depleted. Gaza hospital officials report that because of a dispute between PA Health Min. officials in Ramallah and Gaza, transfers of medical supplies to Gaza hospitals have dropped off dangerously, increasing the number of medical supplies that are totally out of stock in the Strip. Meanwhile in Gaza, armed Palestinians detonate a buried explosive device inside the northern border as an IDF patrol on the Israeli side passes, causing no casualties. The IDF troops fire 7 tank shells at the area, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding 2; the IDF claims the men were militants, whereas Palestinians claim they were innocent bystanders scavenging for construction material in the area. Unidentified Palestinians later fire 4–5 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF also makes a brief incursion into n. Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of Jabaliya. A Palestinian dies of injuries sustained on 1/15 when Egyptian authorities blew up a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized morning patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin; patrols in Hijja village nr. Qalqilya late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. (JP 1/18; WT 1/19; PCHR 1/20; OCHA 1/21)

In the morning, the IDF makes an air strike on a minivan nr. Khan Yunis, assassinating 5 Hamas mbrs. and wounding 1 allegedly responsible for the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades’ rocket program; makes air strikes on a 2d Hamas vehicle, missing it, allowing the targets to escape. Also in the morning, IDF troops on the Gaza border nr. al-Bureij r.c. fire on a group of Palestinian children who stray nr. the border fence, wounding 1. In response to the air strikes, Hamas fires 25 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, killing 1 Israeli, wounding 2, and damaging a home and factory in Sederot. The IDF responds with air and artillery strikes on suspected rocket-launching sites nr. Jabaliya r.c. and Gaza City, killing 1 Islamic Jihad mbr., 3 Palestinian civilians (including boys ages 12, 13), wounding 12 (including 5 children ages 8–14); fires across the border, wounding a Palestinian in al-Shuka. In response, Palestinians fire another 15 rockets, causing no damage or injuries. In the evening, IDF warplanes drop 3 guided missiles on Gaza’s Interior Min. building (empty at the time), destroying it, killing a 6- mo.-old Palestinian baby, wounding more than 25 Palestinians; also launch air strikes on at least 4 other sites in Gaza City and Khan Yunis suspected of manufacturing rockets, causing no reported injuries. An Islamic Jihad mbr. dies when a roadside bomb he is laying nr. the border fence e. of al-Bureij r.c. explodes prematurely. Gaza municipal authorities warn all Gazans to boil their water to prevent disease, reporting that waterworks still receiving electricity have run out of chlorine to treat sewage; Israel last allowed the import of chlorine on 1/21. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Nablus, where they ambush and fatally shoot wanted al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Ibrahim Masimi in an apparent assassination, wounding and arresting 4 AMB mbrs. and a construction worker nearby; Masimi and 2 of the wounded AMB mbrs. were among those granted amnesty by Israel in 7/07. The IDF also patrols in, fires on residential areas of Balata r.c., exchanging fire with local gunmen, killing 2 armed Palestinians, wounding 2; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, and nr. Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarm. (BBC 2/27; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 2/28; PCHR 3/6; WP 4/10)

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)

The IDF makes an air strike on an ESF post in Abasan in s. Gaza, killing 4 ESF officers; makes a 2d air strike on a suspected rocket-launching site in Jabaliya r.c., hitting a home, wounding 6 Palestinian civilians (ages 1, 3, 29, 30, 75, 82). Palestinians fire 2 rockets, 5 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing damage but no injuries; the IDF shells the launching site, causing no reported injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Dayr al-Balah, conducting arrest raids and house searches, occupying a home as an observation post, leveling land to improve lines of site; launches a similar operation in al-Shuka (Palestinian militants fire on the troops, detonate a roadside bomb, causing no injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes the farming community of Khirbat Qussa, located btwn. the separation wall and the Green Line nr. Hebron, demolishing the 15 homes, 12 cave dwellings, and 27 sheep pens comprising the village, evicting the 267 residents to the “Palestinian” side of the separation wall. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Nablus, Salfit; raids a number of stores and a bank in Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha nr. Nablus prevent Palestinians fr. reaching their olive groves; the IDF intervenes, forcing the settlers to leave. The IDF also intervenes to prevent Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus fr. blocking Palestinians access to their olive groves nearby. Inside Israel, some 100 Israeli police officers make an overnight raid on the Galilee Druze village of Pekiin to arrest men suspected of vandalizing a cell phone antenna, firing live ammunition at stonethrowing residents who protest the predawn incursion, wounding 10s. An AMB mbr. wounded by the IDF in Nablus on 10/16 dies. (NYT, OCHA, PAP, WP 10/31; PCHR, WT 11/1)

Israeli human rights groups petition the Israeli High Court to halt the government’s 10/24 plan to cut electricity to Gaza to pressure Hamas, arguing collective punishment, forcing the IDF to suspend implementation.Israelsays that it will continue to cut 1% of Gaza’s electricity for 15 mins. at a time as a “symbolic” response to Palestinian rocket fire until Israel’s atty. gen. rules otherwise. Overnight and into the afternoon, IDF troops conduct arrest raids, house searches in Khan Yunis, also bulldozing 30 d. of agricultural land. During the day, the IDF sends infantry units into the Bayt Lahiya area (to engage several armed Palestinians laying a roadside bomb, killing 1 Palestinian, arresting another), the border area e. of Jabaliya r.c. (where they clash with armed Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian), and areas nr. Abasan (where they engage with armed Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 4). Palestinians fire an RPG at an IDF jeep patrolling the Gaza border nr. al-Bureij r.c., missing the target, causing no damage or injuries. A Palestinian is injured in Dayr al-Balah when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets on Palestinian children holding 2 peaceful demonstrations in Hebron and nearby al-Arub r.c. in support of Palestinian prisoners, injuring 3 (ages 13, 16, 17) and arresting 1 (age 14); conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and in Tulkarm (also firing on residential areas, causing damage but no injuries). In Ramallah, Palestinians demonstrate for the release of Hamas mbrs. held by the PA; PA security forces disperse the protesters. An ESF officer dies of injuries received in the 10/18 clash with the Fatah-affiliated Hillis clan in Gaza City. (NYT, WT 10/29; OCHA 10/31; PCHR 11/1)

In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land 300 m. inside Gaza n. of Jabaliya r.c., occupying the area. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian nr. Hebron who allegedly attempted to infiltrate an IDF post; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, in Jenin town and r.c. (firing on residential areas, wounding a Palestinian woman inside her home), Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists attending the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2 internationals. Jewish settlers fr. Rachelim settlement nr. Nablus uproot and cart away 300 Palestinian olive trees fr. nearby Qaryut (the IDF secures the return of 140 trees). Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar nr. Nablus cut down 20 Palestinian olive, almond trees in nearby Burkin village. Jewish settlers fr. Tekoa nr. Bethlehem set fire to 300 d. of nearby Palestinian agricultural land, including 400 olive trees. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai in Hebron burn 50 nearby Palestinian olive and almond trees. Suspected Hamas mbrs. toss a homemade bomb at the Fatah offices in Qalqilya, causing damage but no injuries. (WP 6/23; OCHA 6/27; PCHR 6/28)

IDF troops on the Gaza border shoot, wound a Palestinian farmer working his field nr. Jabaliya r.c.; fire on a group of Palestinians who stray nr. the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c., causing no injuries; send bulldozers, tanks into Gaza to level land along the border fence nr. Rafah. In Jabaliya r.c., 2 Palestinian children are injured when they accidentally trigger an unexploded IDF tank shell. In Gaza City, a Hamas mbr. dies when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; occupies a Palestinian home nr. the Hawara checkpoint into Nablus as an observation post; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, Nablus (Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF vehicle during the raid, injuring 2 IDF soldiers). Nr. Jenin, 2 Palestinian boys are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance. The Foreign Press Association bureau in Jerusalem organizes a demonstration by foreign reporters outside the Erez crossing into Gaza in support of kidnapped BBC reporter Johnston. (REU, WT 4/25; PCHR 4/26; OCHA 5/2; PCHR 5/3)

The IDF continues operations in n. Gaza, fatally shooting an armed Palestinian, a Palestinian cameraman filming nr. Jabaliya, and a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding at least 7 civilians; 2 IDF soldiers are injured by a roadside bomb nr. Bayt Lahiya. The IDF also sends bulldozers into the Khan Yunis area to level land. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into ‘Askar r.c., fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding 2 with live ammunition; patrols in Salfit, firing on stonethrowing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding 1 with live ammunition; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, Tulkarm and nr. Hebron; raids a clinic in Nablus, confiscating medical files, computers. A Palestinian dies of injuries received during an 11/3 IDF attack on Bayt Hanun. (NYT 11/25; OCHA 11/29; PCHR 11/30)

Israel says that the death of 19 Palestinians in Bayt Hanun on 11/8 was caused by a faulty artillery radar system. Palestinians fire 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis and Hebron, nr. Bethlehem and Qalqilya. In Jabaliya, a roadside bomb explodes outside the home of a PFLP cmdr., injuring his bodyguard; internal Palestinian rivalries are suspected to be the cause. (NYT, WP, WT 11/10; OCHA 11/15; PCHR 11/16)

French DM Michele Alliot-Marie ` says that French forces in s. Lebanon came within seconds of firing on IDF F-16s that repeatedly dived on their positions a wk. ago. The IDF says the incident is under investigation. UNIFIL reported 14 Israeli violations of the cease-fire last wk., including near daily overflights of Lebanon, including 3 mock air raids over the French troops’ headquarters in the south. (WP 11/10)

The IDF launches Operation Days of Penitence, sending 3 brigades (ca. 2,000 troops) with 100 tanks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), armored bulldozers to cordon off the n. Gaza Strip, killing 8 Palestinians (including at least 3 Hamas mbrs., 3 other armed Palestinians, 2 bystanders), wounding 17 in clashes during the day (some casualties, according to hospital workers, were hit by internationally banned flechettes); 2 Palestinians (including 1 militant) die of injuries received in n. Gaza on 9/29, 9/30; the IDF also drops a bomb on a factory in Jabaliya r.c. Armed Palestinians build sand berms to block streets, lay booby-traps along roads in Jabaliya, wounding 2 IDF soldiers with a roadside bomb. The IDF fatally shoots 1 Palestinian, captures 7 attempting to cross the Israel-Gaza border nr. the Erez crossing; the AMB, Hamas say the 8 (who are wearing PA police uniforms, carrying 88 lbs of explosives) are their mbrs. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Rafah; fires missiles at a workshop in Gaza City, causing serious damage, no injuries. In Sakhnin, Israel, 3,000 Israeli Palestinians hold a demonstration to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the 10/00 riots, during which 18 Israeli Palestinians died (13 killed by Israeli police, 5 by Israeli civilians). (HA 10/1; JAZ, VOI, VOP 10/1 in WNC 10/5; HA, NYT, WP 10/2; PCHR 10/7)

The IDF continues operations in Bayt Hanun and Jabaliya r.c. launched on 9/28, expands into Bayt Lahiya; occupies buildings as sniper posts; shells, fires on residential areas, killing 1 stone-throwing Palestinian youth, 4 armed Palestinian (including 1 Hamas mbr., wanted PRC mbr. Mosad Baradi), and 1 Palestinian bystander, wounding around 60. Palestinians target military vehicles with roadside bombs, antitank rockets, causing no injuries. Despite the maneuvers, Hamas fires a Qassam rocket at Sederot, killing 2 Israeli children, wounding 5; Sharon says that operations in n. Gaza will be expanded as a result. Late in the evening, the IDF carries out 2 missile strikes at Jabaliya r.c., killing 3 Palestinians and destroying an Islamic charitable organization. The IDF also continues operations begun 9/28 in Shaykh Ajlin, bulldozing 8 Palestinian homes, 8 d.; fires on stone-throwing youths outside Gaza City, killing 1 Palestinian; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, seriously injuring a 4-yr.-old Palestinian inside her home. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into Jenin town and r.c., fires on a taxi wrongly thought to be carrying wanted Palestinians, killing the Palestinian driver, a Palestinian man, wounding his wife. In Hebron, 5 Jewish settlers armed with heavy metal chains, rocks, sticks severely beat, rob 2 American women working with Christian Peacemaker Teams escorting Palestinian children to their school; 1 woman suffers a punctured lung, the other a broken arm and knee. Jewish settlers set fire to 400 d. of olive trees nr. Bayt Furik, damaging 100s of trees. (HA, MM 9/29; VOI, VOP, YA 9/29 in WNC 10/1; HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 9/30; AFP 9/30 in WNC 10/2; PCHR, PR 10/6, 10/13; JPI 10/15)

The IDF assassinates ARB Rafah cmdr. ‘Amr Abu Sitta and his dep. Zaki Abu Zarqa, firing a missile at their car as they drive in Rafah; fatally shoots Islamic Jihad Tulkarm cmdr. Zahir Ashqar in an exchange of gunfire during an arrest raid in Tulkarm. The IDF also tightens access to Bayt Hanun; steps up bulldozing in Jabaliya r.c.; demolishes 18 Palestinian homes in Rafah; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun and al-Zawiyya nr. Qalqilya, Bayta, Dahaysha r.c., Tubas, Tulkarm r.c. An AMB mbr., an Islamic Jihad mbr. are killed in an explosion outside Gaza’s Netzer Hazani settlement, reportedly when laying a roadside bomb. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. (MM 7/29; MENA, VOI 7/29 in WNC 7/31; NYT, WP 7/30; PR 8/4; PCHR 8/5)

In continuing operations in the Bayt Hanun area, the IDF fires on residential areas of Bayt Hanun; shells residential areas nr. Jabaliya. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Rafah, fatally shooting a 16-yr.-old Palestinian girl inside her home; conducts arrest raids in Tulkarm. Nr. Gaza City, 3 PRC mbrs. are killed when their car mysteriously explodes, also killing a Palestinian bystander, in what may be an assassination. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at the Negev, causing some damage to 1 home in a kibbutz; detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF vehicle in southern Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. (PSCT, VOI, VOP 7/10 in WNC 7/13; NYT 7/11; VOI 7/11 in WNC 7/13; PCHR 7/15)

Despite continuing IDF operations in Bayt Hanun, Palestinians fire 5 Qassam rockets fr. the area at Sederot, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. In Bayt Hanun, the IDF fatally shoots a 15-yr.-old Palestinian standing on a roof; bulldozes a main road through the town; a Hamas mbr. is killed when a roadside bomb he is planting detonates prematurely. The IDF also expands Bayt Hanun operations to include Jabaliya r.c.; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts house searches, arrest raids nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers uproot Palestinian trees along the road leading to their unauthorized settlement outpost of Ma’ale Shomron nr. Qalqilya. A Palestinian teenager dies of injuries received on 6/20. (VOI, VOP 6/29 in WNC 7/1; MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 6/30; PCHR 7/1)

A day after Hamas detonated a roadside bomb under a tank, killing 4 Israeli soldiers, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announces plans to crack down on Hamas in Gaza. In Gaza City, 6 senior Hamas mbrs. are killed, 3 bystanders are wounded when a car laden with explosives blows up; Hamas accuses Israel of remote detonating the device, assassinating the men. The IDF clashes with Palestinians in Nablus during a raid on an office building, leaving 3 Palestinians dead, 23 wounded; senior Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) mbr. and PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Taysir Khalid, three other Palestinians are arrested in the raid. The IDF also fires on Palestinians in Jabaliya, killing 2 Palestinians, wounding 9; conducts arrest raids in Beitunia (targeting Hamas), Tulkarm (targeting Islamic Jihad, the tanzim); bulldozes 42 dunams (4 dunams 1 acre) of Palestinian land, 3 structures nr. Aley Sinai settlement. The Palestinian Authority (PA) says that Palestinians in n. Bethlehem have received notices fr. the IDF that 14 dunams of their land, including the Rachel’s Tomb area and 40 Palestinian homes, will be annexed to Jerusalem as part of the security fence construction. (AP, HA, REU 2/16; VOI 2/16, AYM 2/17 in WNC 2/19; HA, MM, NYT, PM, WP 2/17; LAW, WT 2/18; HA, LAW, PR, WT 2/19; LAW, PCHR 2/20; MEI 2/21; MM 2/24, 2/25; HA 2/28)

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device in a store in Tel Aviv, killing 1 Israeli security guard, 1 Israeli civilian, wounding 30. The IDF assassinates wanted Hamas mbr. Hamid Sidr, firing a missile at his car as it drives nr. Nablus, also killing his passenger, Hamas mbr. Firas Abu Ghazala, and injuring 2 bystanders; fires shells, heavy machine guns at a car traveling 800 m. fr. the border fence nr. Jabaliya, killing all 3 Palestinians inside; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; bulldozes a hardware store, shelter, tour company parking lot for 50 buses in the al-Tur quarter of Jerusalem, 2 Palestinian homes under construction (1 in Yabad), 2 exisiting Palestinian homes (in Bayt Marsam, Dura), a 3-story building in the Nablus industrial zone, 67 dunams of agricultural land nr. Bayt Hanun; conducts arrest raids nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlement security guards block Palestinians, international activists fr. picking olives in Falami, cut down 10+n15 olive trees as IDF soldiers look on. (GS, PM 11/4; NYT, WP, WT 11/5; Interfax, QA 11/5 in WNC 11/6; LAW, PCHR, PR 11/6; MEI 11/8; JPI 11/15)

Israel releases its annual poverty report, showing that the poverty rate has stayed steady at 17.7% for the past 5 yrs. Unofficial estimates show that of the nearly 320,000 poor families, an estimated 90,000 families are Arab. Nearly 50% of Arab families are below the poverty line, compared to 1 in 7 Jewish families; 50,000 of the 75,000 children in poverty are Arab. (MM 11/5)

An AMB gunman attacks an IDF outpost n. of Jerusalem, killing 6 IDF soldiers, critically wounding 1, and escaping. IDF F-16s shell 2 PSF buildings in Rafah, Ramallah; naval vessels fire a missile at PA head Yasir Arafat's compound in Gaza, killing 4 Force 17 mbrs. The IDF also rockets a Hamas office in Jabaliya, killing 2 Hamas mbrs. in an apparent assassination; among the 11 injured are 9 children. 2 Palestinians are killed in IDF strikes on Nablus. A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device in the West Bank, killing only himself, causing no injuries. The IDF bulldozes a Palestinian home in Dayr al-Balah, 2 Palestinian homes in Umm Tuba nr. Jabal Abu Ghunaym settlement, 1 dunam of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Yatta; bans all Palestinian vehicular traffic except ambulances in the n. West Bank. Late this evening, the IDF fires 18 shells at Arafat's compound in Gaza, killing 5 PSF officers; 1 missile into his compound in Ramallah, where he has been held under virtual house arrest since 12/01. In Hebron, Jewish settlers fire on Palestinian areas, causing no injuries. (AP, Mezan, MM, NYT, WT 2/19; AP, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/20; AFP, MA 2/20 in WNC 2/21; MM, PCHR, WP 2/21)