The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 5 bedouin Palestinian residential structures in the E1 area nr. Jerusalem, displacing 26 bedouins; begin leveling land s. of Bethlehem in preparation for the construction of a military tower. The IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm r.c., and 1 village each nr. Salfit and Ramallah, arresting 10 Palestinians; patrols in 4 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police raid the International Comm. of the Red Cross office overnight, arresting 6 Palestinian activists who have been staging a sit-in in protest of the Israeli orders to deport 2 of them. Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan; arrest a Palestinian at Haram al-Sharif; arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Jabal Mukabir and al-‘Izzariya. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian bedouin mosque in a so-called unrecognized village in the Negev. (HA, MNA 1/6; PCHR, WAFA 1/7; HA, MNA 1/8; PCHR 1/14)

The Israeli press reports that DM Moshe Ya’alon has approved, in recent weeks, the Gush Etzion settlement’s request to incorporate a nearby property into its municipality. (HA, JP, TOI 1/6)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 3 rockets into s. Israel, causing no damage or casualties. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion nr. Khan Yunis to level land. Israeli forces at the border fence also open fire on land nr. al-Qarara village, causing no injuries. There are also 3 separate incidents of Israeli naval vessels opening fire on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF opens fire with live ammunition on al- ‘Arub r.c. residents during clashes sparked by a raid, wounding 1. Meanwhile, IDF troops uproot around 120 palm trees nr. Jericho because they were not allowed to be planted in Area C. Separately, the Red Cross announces it has suspended the supply of tents to Palestinians displaced by Israel in the Jordan Valley, in protest at the IDF’s confiscation of the materials. The IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Tulkarm in the morning, in Hebron and nearby al-‘Arub r.c., and 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 1 village each nr. Jenin and Nablus at night. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian farmers in Qusra village nr. Nablus, causing no injuries. (JP, MNA, WAFA 2/6; PCHR 2/13)

Palestinian chief negotiator Erakat meets with U.S. envoy Martin Indyk in Jericho, but no details about the contents of discussions are made public. Meanwhile, EU foreign affairs chief Ashton expresses “deep concern” about Israel’s decision to build 558 new settlement housing units in East Jerusalem. (HA, MNA 2/6)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya shoot and wound a mentally ill Palestinian nr. the border fence; the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Palestinian Liaison Office secure his release fr. Israeli custody. (PCHR 11/5)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm town and r.c., but makes no arrests. Nr. Nablus, 8 Jewish settlers fr. Brakha raid Burin village, where they are confronted by 10s of stone-throwing Palestinians; IDF troops in the area (possibly escorting the settlers) fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas at the Palestinians, injuring 1 and arresting 1 other. (PCHR 11/5)

U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton arrives in the Middle East and meets with Netanyahu and Abbas, hoping to help them reach an agreement on settlements that would allow resumption of peace talks. (NYT 10/31; NYT, WP 11/1; JR 11/23)

The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Sur al-Bahir southeast of Jerusalem; issues military orders confiscating 150 d. of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Jenin for “military purposes”; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Tulkarm, nr. Bethlehem and Nablus, and in Marda, Qalqilya. ESF mbrs. fire on the home of a local Fatah leader in Bayt Lahiya, killing a Fatah mbr. Separately, Hamas mbrs. kidnap a PA General Intelligence officer in Bayt Lahiya, shoot him in the legs, let him go. In Gaza City, 300 PFLP mbrs. stage a sit-in outside the Red Cross offices to mark the 1-yr. anniversary of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat’s capture by the IDF in Jericho. (PCHR 3/15; OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Azun in a car with Palestinian license plates, surrounds a home, arrests 1 PSF mbr. who surrenders; conducts random ID checks in, fires on residential areas of Kafr Dan nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Nablus, in Dahaysha r.c., nr. Bethlehem, Hebron; burns 70 d. of agricultural land btwn. the separation wall and the Green Line nr. Tulkarm (see 8/5). In Ramallah, 7 Palestinians working in the PC building are taken to the hospital with breathing difficulties after opening a suspicious letter addressed to PM Haniyeh; the building is evacuated. The PA head of military intelligence for n. Gaza dies of injuries received in an ambush in Jabaliya r.c. on 8/6; no group claims responsibility. (AP 8/7; WP 8/8; OCHA 8/9; PCHR 8/10)

Overnight, the IDF destroys the last remaining bridge over the Litani River linking n. and s. Lebanon; this cuts off access to Tyre. The IDF announces a 10:00 P.M. curfew on Tyre, saying that any movement there after dark and any vehicular traffic s. of the Litani River at any time will henceforth be considered Hizballah activity and a legitimate target. As UN mbrs. narrow differences on a cease-fire res., Olmert’s security cabinet discusses speeding up the IDF’s advance to the Litani River, escalating attacks on Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure. During the day, the IDF continues heavy air, artillery strikes on some 150 targets across Lebanon, hitting s. Beirut (including 47 killed, 70 wounded in the Christian-Shi‘i suburb of al-Shiyah, where Shi‘a are pro-Amal), the Biqa‘ Valley (including Baalbek, Masnaa), in and around Nabatiyya (including 7 civilians killed in air strikes on cars traveling in Qasmiyya; 15 killed, 20 wounded in an air strike on an apartment building in Ghaziyya), and across s. Lebanon (including demolishing a 4-building apartment complex in Tyre), killing at least 69 Lebanese civilians; continues ground operations across s. Lebanon that leave 3 IDF soldiers dead, 7 wounded in Bint Jubayl and include heavy fighting in Hula (the IDF claims to kill at least 15 Hizballah mbrs.); downs an unmanned Hizballah drone off the s. Lebanon coast. Hizballah fires 130 rockets into n. Israel, injuring 10 Israelis, hitting targets in Acre, Carmiel, Kiryat Shimona (70 rockets), Ma’alot, Nahariya, Safad. The ICRC says that the IDF has barred humanitarian aid missions to the south for 3 days. (BBC, NYT, WP 8/7; BBC, NYT, WP, WT 8/8; WP, WT 8/9; WP 8/10)

Overnight, the IDF sends troops back into central Gaza, engaging in heavy clashes with armed Palestinians in al-Maghazi r.c. that last throughout the day, occupying houses as sniper posts, cutting electricity to central Gaza, conducting air and artillery strikes, leaving 5 Hamas mbrs., 4 Palestinian bystanders dead and 5 IDF soldiers, 93 Palestinians wounded (mostly militants, most with shrapnel fr. tank fire; also including 20 children). The IDF also continues to shell n. Gaza fr. land and sea. In the West Bank, the IDF sends around 50 armored vehicles into Nablus in a major raid allegedly to search for Palestinian militants “activated by Hizballah” to stage attacks on Israel, laying siege to the Nablus governorate building, the government compound (mostly destroyed during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002), 3 security force buildings, the central prison; forcing out and detaining around 150 Palestinians (many PA security officers); killing 3 armed AMB mbrs. and 2 bystanders (including a medic), wounding 33 (including 16 children, 2 Palestinian); demolishing the main PA security compound, at least 6 other PA buildings; occupying the Palestinian Red Crescent Society offices, preventing the movement of ambulances. The IDF also patrols in, fires on residential areas of Anabta nr. Tulkarm. (NYT, WP, WT 7/19; Guardian, ICRC press release, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 7/20; NYT 7/21; IFM, NYT 7/22; PCHR 7/27)

The IDF continues to escalate air and artillery strikes across Lebanon. At least 58 Lebanese (including at least 35 civilians) and 4 Israelis (2 soldiers, 2 civilians) are killed during the day, bringing the comprehensive toll to at least 310 Lebanese (overwhelmingly civilian) and 29 Israelis (at least 15 civilians, 13 soldiers). Sites hit include Srifa nr. Tyre, where air strikes level at least 20 buildings, killing at least 21 Lebanese, wounding 30, leaving as many as 80 unaccounted for; a Christian neighborhood in e. Beirut, hitting 2 well-drilling machines mistaken for rocket launchers in Ashrafiyya, causing no injuries; a bunker in s. Beirut believed to be housing Hizballah leaders, hit with 23 tons of explosives according to the IDF (Hizballah says the site was vacant); 2 PFLP-GC bases in the Biqa‘ Valley. The IDF also makes ground incursions into s. Lebanon, engaging Hizballah fighters; 2 Hizballah mbr. and 2 IDF soldiers are reportedly killed, 9 IDF soldiers injured, and 1 Israeli tank destroyed nr. Naqura. The IDF also clashes with Hizballah mbrs. who try to cross into n. Israel nr. Metula, chasing them back across the border, killing 2 Hizballah mbrs. Hizballah retaliates by launching more than 100 rockets on n. Israel, hitting Haifa and, for the 1st time, Nazareth, where 2 Israeli Palestinian boys are killed and 8 are wounded; 10s of light injuries occur elsewhere. Residents in s. Lebanon begin receiving tape-recorded phone messages fr. the IDF ordering them in Arabic to evacuate. Israel also interrupts Lebanese radio broadcasts to warn that any truck, including pickups, traveling s. of the Litani River would be assumed to be transporting weapons and targeted. (AP, REU 7/19; NYT, WP, WT 7/20)

The IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement inside Gaza, declares the n. West Bank a closed military zone in preparation for disengagement; begins going door to door in the Gaza settlements, asking residents to leave within 48 hrs. In Aley Sinai, 56 of 59 families who had agreed to leave rescind their decision, vowing to resist evacuation until the Israeli government finds permanent living solutions for the community as a whole; the government had promised them space together in an Ashkelon hotel, but only today learned that not enough space was available. During the day, some 1,000 right-wing settlers in various locations in s. Gaza simultaneously begin marching toward Gush Katif to block troops, but are prevented fr. reaching the settlement bloc by IDF troops and border police. Other settler youths slash the tires of several army jeeps, spray liquid soap on windshields to limit visibility, spread nails on roads to delay convoys of movers. Jewish settlers fr. Neve Dekalim vandalize, attempt to set fire to several Palestinian homes in al-Mawasi. In Gan Or, local settlers who want the IDF’s help to evacuate scuffle with settler youths blocking soldiers fr. entering the settlement. In the West Bank, the last residents of Ganim (est. 1983, pop. 172) and Qadim (est. 1983, pop. 169) evacuate voluntarily by evening, while settlers in the other 2 West Bank settlement slated for removal, the hard-line enclaves of Homesh (est. 1980, pop. 228) and Sanur (est. 1982, pop. 105), refuse to accept their notices. The major Palestinian factions, including Hamas, agree to oversee jointly how the PA uses land evacuated by settlers and the IDF; the PA expects 5% of the land to revert to individual Palestinian owners, with the rest being state land that will fall under PA jurisdiction. In a signal to reassure Palestinians about how it will handle land use, the PA security forces demolish a house, cabana, pool built illegally on Gaza public land by 2 senior PA security officials; when a neighbor of one of the officials tells journalists that the demolitions were good because his neighbors “were criminals . . . a gang,” several PA security officers beat him, threaten to shoot him, before he retreats into his house. (BBC, HA, NYT 8/15; HA, NYT, WP, WT 8/16; PR 8/17; PCHR 8/18)

Meanwhile, the IDF continues arrest raids, house searches in villages around Tulkarm; launches arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Birzeit, alMawasi; searches homes in Kafr Qadim; occupies 5 Palestinian houses (2 nr. Gaza’s Dugit settlement, 1 in Mughraqa, 1 nr. Tulkarm, 1 in Wadi al-Silqa) as observation posts; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebron. The ICRC resumes field activities in Gaza, which were suspended on 8/7 after shots were fired at its Khan Yunis offices. (IMEMC 8/15; NYT 8/16)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Rafah, killing 1 Palestinian; opens fire in Nur al-Shams r.c., killing 1 Palestinian teenager, wounding 5 after a Molotov cocktail is thrown at a passing IDF jeep fr. the area; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Jenin and in ‘Azun, Hebron, Khan Yunis, Tulkarm; occupies 3 houses in Jenin, Hebron, Tulkarm as observation posts; bulldozes a grove of Palestinian olive trees in Bayt Surik nr. Jerusalem; arrests 5 Palestinian farmers working their fields nr. the separation wall around Qalqilya nr. ‘Azun, releasing 3 after questioning, holding 2. In response to the 8/4 Shafa ‘Amr killings, AMB gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle in the West Bank, wounding 2 settlers. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on attack, beat 4 Palestinian farmers working their nearby fields. Palestinian gunmen fire on the International Comm. of the Red Cross (ICRC) headquarters in Khan Yunis, causing damage but no injuries. The PA security forces arrest Khan Yunis Fatah official and Qaddumi spokesman Sulayman al-Farah on suspicion of building a local militia; Farah earlier announced that Qaddumi ordered his office to set up a 1,500-man force to help the PA maintain law and order in Gaza during disengagement (see 7/16). (IMEMC, UPI 8/7; NYT 8/8; HA, NYT, WT 8/9; OCHA, PR 8/10; PCHR 8/11)