The Palestine Chronology

Islamic Jihad gunmen fatally shoot a Jewish settler rabbi driving in Gaza. The IDF sends tanks into Dayr al-Balah in search of a wanted AMB mbr., fatally shoots 1 Palestinian during the raid; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Dayr al-Balah, 8 in nearby Wadi al-Silqa; blows up 1 Palestinian building in Nablus that the IDF claims was used as a bomb-making lab; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Jalbun, Tulkarm, al-Yamun. Israeli police find a package bomb in a mall in Netanya, in n. Israel. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 7/12/02. (AP 12/20; NYT, WP 12/21; WT 12/22; LAW, PCHR 12/25)

U.S. Pres. George W. Bush meets with Quartet reps. (EU, Russia, UN, U.S.) at the White House. The Quartet reaffirms its call for creation of a Palestinian state by 2005, completes “99.5%” of the revisions to the draft road map but the U.S. overrules calls by other mbrs. to finalize and endorse the road map. (CNN, MM 12/20; NYT, WP 12/21; AYM 12/22, 12/24 in WNC 12/31; MM 12/23; JP 12/29)

In Mombassa, Kenya, a previously un-known group called the Government of Universal Palestine in Exile–Army of Palestine, thought to be connected to al-Qa‘ida, stages a dual attack marking the 55th anniversary of the 1947 UN partition res., firing 2 missiles at an Israeli charter jet carry-ing 261 Israeli tourists leaving Mombassa airport, missing the plane; simultaneously, 3 suicide bombers detonate a car bomb outside the lobby of an Israeli-owned hotel, killing 3 Israeli tourists, 10 Kenyans (an 11th dies on 12/18), injuring 80, causing extensive damage. Hrs. later in Beit She’an in n. Israel, 2 AMB mbrs open fire on, toss grenades at a crowd of voters outside the local Likud polling station, killing 6 Israelis, wounding 20 before being fatally shot by Israeli police. Sharon convenes a security mtg. to discuss responses; once again does not invite Netanyahu (see 11/21). In Hebron, a 4-yr.-old Palestinian is fatally wounded by IDF gunfire in his home. The IDF also shells residential areas of Rafah r.c.; conducts arrest raids in al-Qarara, Tulkarm. In a Tel Aviv court, Israeli Arab Nissim Nasser pleads guilty to spying for Hizballah in exchange for a reduced sentence. (AP, CNN, HA, MM 11/28; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/29; HA, NYT, WP, WT 11/30; AYM 12/2 in WNC 12/6, 12/9; LAW, PCHR 12/3; JT 12/4 in WNC 12/5; JPI, MEI 12/6; WT 12/7; JTA 12/18)

Likud primaries go on despite the day’s attacks, with Sharon winning (56% to 40%) over Netanyahu. (MM 11/28; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/29; NYT 11/30; MEI 12/6; AYM 12/13 in WNC 12/16)

The IDF pulls back to the outskirts of Jenin, ending its 2-wk.-old Operation Vanguard (see 10/25); bulldozes 8 Palestinian homes in Rafah; directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Khan Yunis, al-Qarara, al-Rabwat al-Gharbiyya, Rafah, Tal al-Sultan; bulldozes 7 dunams of land s. of Khan Yunis. Just inside Israel nr. Hadera, an IDF patrol halts a suspicious Palestinian vehicle; the 2 occupants, apparently en route to stage a suicide bombing, detonate an explosive device in the car, killing themselves. In the same area late in the evening, an AMB gunman sneaks into a kibbutz in n. Israel, fires on residents, killing 5 Israelis before escaping. (GS, MEZ, MM, PM, NYT, WP, WT 11/11; Interfax 11/11 in WNC 11/12; MM, WP 11/12; LAW, PCHR 11/13)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus at Meron Junction in n. Israel, killing 3 IDF soldiers, 2 Israeli civilians, 2 Philippine workers, 2 Israeli Arabs and wounding 40 (mostly soldiers); Hamas says it will not release the name the bomber to prevent Israel fr. retaliating against his relatives. In Jerusalem, an AMB gunman fatally shoots an Israeli guard, an Israeli telephone employee nr. Damascus Gate; Israeli policemen, soldiers open fire indiscriminately in the direction of the shooter, who is near a café, killing him, a Palestinian café patron, wounding 17. Nr. Aley Sinai settlement in Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian frogman as he emerges fr. the sea carrying a rifle, grenades in a sealed bag. AMB gunmen detonate a roadside bomb nr. a settler car nr. Ramallah, fire on passengers, injuring 3 Jewish settlers. PFLP gunmen fire on a settler bus nr. Tulkarm, injuring 4 Jewish settlers. A roadside bomb injures 4 IDF soldiers nr. Ramallah. The IDF demolishes an 18-dunam PA Youth and Sports Min. complex, a 20-dunam PSF training center, 4 privately owned buildings, several boats in Bayt Lahia. Jewish settlers attack a PRCS ambulance nr. Ramallah, injuring 2 paramedics. (AFP 8/4 in WNC 8/5; MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/5; LAW, PCHR 8/7)

In Netanya, in n. Israel, a Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device in a hotel restaurant were Israelis are holding Passover dinner, killing at least 19 Israelis, wounding around 100. The PA denounces the bombing, sends PSF branches a list of senior Hamas activists it wants arrested. The IDF shells Palestinian residential areas of Hebron; enters, directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Brazil. (AP, CNN, HA, PCHR 3/27; MM, NYT, PMC, WP, WT 3/28; ITAR-TASS 3/28 in WNC 3/29; MA 3/31 in WNC 4/1; JP, MEI 4/5)

The Arab summit opens in Beirut. Crown Prince Abdallah presents his 2/17 initiative for consideration. (HA, MM 3/27; AFP, MENA, QA, RMC, SA, XIN 3/27 in WNC 3/28; AKH 3/27, QA, al-Quds 3/28 in WNC 3/29; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/28; HA 4/4; MEI 4/5)

In another escalation, Israel sends as many as 20,000 troops, 150 tanks and APCs into Amari, Ramallah. Palestinians fight back with guns, hand grenades, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), lightly injuring 2 IDF soldiers. The IDF orders all Palestinian men age 15+n45 to surrender, but few comply. The PA which previously instructed PSF officers to comply, orders all Palestinians to ignore the order. IDF troops direct heavy machine gun fire at City Inn hotel, where foreign journalists are based to cover the fighting, hitting an ABC camera at least 7 times, including one shot through the lens; soldiers claimed there were gunmen in the hotel despite journalists' denials. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) suspends operations in Ramallah, citing numerous attacks on medical workers by the IDF, even in cases where PRCS movements were coordinated with the IDF in advance. The IDF bulldozes Ramallah's main water line; tanks crush cars. At least 30 Palestinians are killed during the day, including at least 2 shot by IDF snipers inside their Ramallah homes for no apparent reason, a PA naval policeman killed when the IDF shells his Dayr al-Balah post, 4 killed in Khan Yunis when the IDF shells a metal workshop thought to be a mortar factory, 1 fatally shot and allowed to bleed to death in Hebron. In Ramallah, the AMB kills 1 Palestinian collaborator. Outside Shlomi in n. Israel, 2 gunmen open fire, killing 5 Israeli civilians, 1 IDF soldier before being shot dead; the IDF believes the gunmen may be Hizballah mbrs. who infiltrated fr. Lebanon. A Jewish settler is fatally shot in the West Bank. The IDF says that since 2/28, it has confiscated 10s of light weapons, some rockets and mortars; destroyed at least 12 bomb-making workshops; detained more that 2,500 Palestinians. (MM, PRCS press release, REU 3/12; HA, MM, NYT, Palestine Report, WP, WT 3/13; LAW 3/20; MEI 3/22)

The UNSC passes (14-0, with Syria abstaining) Res. 1397, for the 1st time explicitly endorsing the creation "two states, Israel and Palestine," living side by side in secure and recognized borders. (MENA 3/12, AFP, XIN 3/13 in WNC 3/14; AP, NYT, WP, WT 3/13; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/14; AN, JT, MENA, SA 3/14 in WNC 3/15; DUS 3/14, MENA 3/15, JT 3/17 in WNC 3/18; MM 3/15; MM 3/21; MEI 3/22; al-Majallah 3/24 in WNC 3/29)

In Jerusalem, a group of Palestinian teenagers fatally stabs an Israeli woman. Israeli police shoot at, captured 4 of the teenagers, 1 of whom dies at the scene. Police say the 14-yr.-old boy dropped dead of no apparent cause; witnesses say he was beaten, perhaps shot by soldiers. In n. Israel, a car mysteriously explodes killing 2 Palestinians; the IDF claims they were Islamic Jihad mbrs. en route to stage a car bombing. The IDF again fires tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators nr. Arafat's Ramallah headquarters, injuring 6; conducts arrest raids in Birzeit and in Tamun, where troops detain 7, wound 10 with live ammunition, occupy 12 Palestinian homes as IDF outposts, uproot 150 olive trees. The PA again calls for adherence to Arafat's cease-fire. At a pro-Hamas rally in Jabaliya attended more than 10,000 Palestinians, Hamas spokesman Rantisi vows more suicide attacks against Israel, says that anyone who seeks to stop the intifada "wants to tear us apart." The NIHC organizes a separate protest march fr. Shati` to the PC building in Gaza City, denouncing the U.S.'s biased policy, calling on Arab states to take a strong, unified stand on the Palestinian situation. (AYM 2/8 in WNC 2/11; NYT, WP, WT 2/9; LAW, PCHR 2/13; MA 2/15 in WNC 2/19)