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  • January 21, 2002

    In its largest military operation in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967, Israel sends a large number of IDF infantry, tanks, APCs, armored bulldozers into Tulkarm in a predawn operation to totally...

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In its largest military operation in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967, Israel sends a large number of IDF infantry, tanks, APCs, armored bulldozers into Tulkarm in a predawn operation to totally reoccupy the city, taking control of the city center, occupying buildings (including a college, the mayor's home) and apartments as observer posts, hoisting Israeli flags, imposing a 24-hr. curfew, conducting house-to-house searches, detaining at least 30 Palestinians. The IDF reportedly responds to "scattered resistance," leaving 2 Palestinians dead, 15 wounded. IDF soldiers also fire on 2 ambulances coming to the aid of the wounded, seriously injuring 1 ambulance driver. Israel says the operation will last "only a few days." The IDF also sends tanks deep into PA-controlled Nablus; directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Ramallah; conducts an arrest raid in Nahalin. Senior IDF officials suggest that Israel is preparing to make more deep incursions into PA areas "to destroy more infrastructure and to kill more terrorists." The IDF also bulldozes Palestinian land along bypass road 60 outside Hebron. Some 40 Palestinians attempt to block the bulldozers but are confronted by armed Jewish settlers who fire in the air and beat the Palestinians, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. The PA releases NISP head Salih (arrested 1/5). (MM, WP 1/21, 1/22; al-Quds 1/23 in WNC 1/30; MEI 1/25; PCHR 1/26; JP 2/1)

The Israeli-Arab legal center Adalah formally asks Israeli atty. gen. Elyakim Rubenstein to reconsider his recent decision not to compel the Custodian for Absentees' Property to comply with Israeli 1998 freedom of information act by releasing data on the moveable property of Palestinian refugees seized by Israel in 1948. Rubenstein rejected the request on the ground that it would damage Israel's foreign relations, require excessive time and resources to comply. Adalah 1st submitted its request in 1999. The atty. gen.'s office ignored 15 follow-up requests for a decision btwn. 1999 and 2002. (Adalah press release 1/28)