The Palestine Chronology

The Arab League closes its 2-day emergency session, issuing a nonbinding resolution calling for a $1 b. Palestinian aid fund, recommending Arab states postpone further normalization with Israel. Tunisia orders Israel to shut its representative offices it Tunis. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/23; MENA 10/23; HJ, IRNA 10/24 in WNC 10/25; HJ 10/24, 1025 HJ, SA 10/26 in WNC 10/30; WJW 10/26; MEI 10/27)

Barak formally suspends the peace process. In response, Arafat states that Palestinians have a right to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital and "to accept it or not to accept--let [Barak] go to hell." Meanwhile, Israeli-Palestinian clashes escalate further, leaving 4 Palestinians dead, over 100 injured; 2 others die of injuries received earlier. The most violent exchange is nr. Bethlehem, where the IDF orders residents of Aida camp, Bayt Jala, Bayt Sahur to evacuate their homes before ordering machine guns, tanks, and helicopter gunships to fire into the area, targeting buildings fr. which snipers shot into nearby Gilo settlement and destroying 2 Palestinian factories, several houses, a power plant. The gunfire continues overnight. In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian agricultural land along roads leading to Morag settlement. Israel also recloses the Gaza airport, reinstates the internal closure on PA areas, shuts crossings into Egypt and Jordan. (ADM 10/22; BDL, LAW, MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/23; MM 10/24; MA 10/24 in WNC 10/25; MEI 10/27; AYM 11/12 in WNC 11/13)

In Cairo, 1,000s of Egyptian students protest the failure of the Arab League summit to cut ties with or to call for military action against Israel. There are also reports of at least 1 Palestinian protest in Bethlehem denouncing Arab leaders, especially Mubarak, for the weak Arab League statement. Other rallies in support of the Palestinians are held in Bahrain, London, Ottawa. (WP 10/23; HJ 10/24, SA 10/26 in WNC 10/30; Bahrain Freedom Movement press release 10/25; MM 10/26)

Barak announces an inquiry will be held into the deaths of Israeli Arabs during the recent clashes and a 4-yr. development plan for Israeli Arab areas. Israeli Arabs complain that the inquiry's recommendations will be nonbinding. (NYT 10/23; WJW 10/26; MM 10/30)

Despite another attempt to secure a cease-fire, Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Israel and throughout the West Bank and Gaza continue, leaving 10 Palestinians, 7 Israeli Arabs, 1 IDF soldier, 1 Jewish settler dead and some 300 Palestinians injured; 3 Israeli Arabs wounded on 10/1 also die. Israel closes roads in n. Israel, the West Bank, Gaza to civilian traffic. Around 30 exchanges of gunfire btwn. Israeli security forces and armed Palestinian civilians and police are reported. Nr. Tulkarm, Palestinians set afire an industrial plant owned by Jewish settlers. Nr. Hebron, Jewish settlers fatally shoot a Palestinian. The IDF dep. chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon warns that if Palestinians do not stop attacking troops guarding Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, the IDF will move in even though the area is under full PA control; the IDF has taken up positions around areas A but has not crossed into them. Barak authorizes his forces to use "all necessary means" to protect Israeli lives, quell riots. (AP, MM 10/2; AFP, ANSA, EFE [Madrid], Interfax, RL, XIN 10/2 in WNC 10/3; RL, SAPA [Johannesburg] 10/2, JT, HJ, al-Quds, SA 10/3 in WNC 10/6; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/3; HJ, al-Quds, Sabah 10/3, MA 10/6 in WNC 10/10; MM 10/9)

The IDF claims that Muhammad al-Dura, the 12-yr.-old killed at Netzarim Junction on 10/1, had been throwing stones at soldiers before he was shot, contradicting widely broadcast footage of the incident recorded by France 2 TV showing the boy and his father pinned down by gunfire for 45 minutes. The pair were returning from errands and had been dropped off by a taxi, which refused to take them across Netzarim Junction because of heavy IDF fire. (Age [Melbourne], HA [Internet], MM, WP 10/3; MA 10/6 in WNC 10/10)

U.S. secy. of state Albright announces that she will meet with Arafat, Barak in Paris on 10/4 to discuss the clashes, the peace process. All 3 will then meet with Mubarak in Sharm al-Shaykh on 10/5. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/3; Radio France International 10/3 in WNC 10/6)

In Amman, Arafat, King Abdallah discuss the Israeli-Palestinian clashes, call on Israel to pull back forces to restore calm, and urge Arab states to convene an emergency summit. In Cairo, Mubarak, Syrian pres. Asad also call for an Arab summit. Massive rallies protesting Israeli actions are held in Amman, Cairo, Damascus, refugee camps in Lebanon, Yemen. Protests are also held outside Israeli embassies and legations in many European and North American cities, including Ann Arbor, Austin, Brussels, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Haven, New York, Ottawa. (AP, BDL, UPI 10/2; MENA 10/2 in WNC 10/3; MENA 10/2, JT, MENA 10/3, JT 10/4 in WNC 10/6; NYT, WP, WT 10/3; AYM 10/3 in WNC 10/12; MM, WT 10/4; WJW 10/5; HJ 10/5, al-Quds 10/7 in WNC 10/10; JP 10/13)

In Paris, PA Planning M Shaath briefs French pres. Chirac on the ongoing clashes. Chirac calls on both sides to deescalate the violence, calls for an international inquiry into the clashes. (AFP 10/2, 10/3, Le Monde 10/4 in WNC 10/6)

In New York, the UNSC begins closed-door mtgs. on several draft resolutions regarding the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli clashes. Britain, the U.S. lobby against issuing a resolution, saying, at most, a statement should be read. (UPI 10/3; HA [Internet] 10/4; WJW 10/5)