The Palestine Chronology

Approximately 60,000 Israelis march through the Old City of Jerusalem in commemoration of Jerusalem Day, a celebration of the IDF’s 1967 capture of the city. Hundreds of left-wing activists and Palestinians participate in a counter-demonstration outside the Old City, sparking minor clashes (there are no serious injuries). Approximately 700 Jewish settlers visit Haram al-Sharif; Israeli forces arrest 15 of them for praying at the sanctuary, along with 3 Islamic Waqf guards. Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Shu‘fat r.c. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians nr. Nablus when they are discovered to be carrying pipe bombs. They also assault and arrest 2 Palestinian youths walking home from school in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, and arrest 11 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Nablus, and Ramallah. In Gaza, 5 Palestinians are injured in an explosion at an unspecified “resistance site” nr. Rafah, according to medical sources. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian agricultural fields nr. Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. In n. Israel, unidentified assailants torch 2 cars and spray price-tag graffiti on a Palestinian building. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 5/24; PCHR 5/25; PCHR 6/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscate a Palestinian tractor from Ras al-Ahmar village nr. Tubas and deliver stop-work orders for 12 Palestinian projects under construction nr. Hebron. IDF troops arrest 5 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, and Nablus; and patrol nr. Nablus, Qalqilya, and Hebron. Unidentified assailants throw rocks at a bus nr. Bethlehem, breaking a windshield and injuring 3 IDF soldiers. In East Jerusalem, more than 60 Orthodox Jews tour Haram al-Sharif; Israeli forces arrest 5 who attempt to pray at the sanctuary. Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian at an entrance to the Old City, alleging that she was preparing to stab them. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya and later nr. Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. In n. Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian’s home in Hurfish village on the grounds that it violated construction regulations. (MNA, WAFA 11/20; MNA 11/21; PCHR 11/24)

Ajnad Bayt al-Maqdis fighters fire 5 rockets toward s. Israel; 2 land in open areas nr. Sderot, causing no damage or injuries, and 3 land short of the border fence. Holding Hamas responsible, IAF jets launch late-night air strikes on 2 Hamas military sites in Gaza City and Bayt Hanun, causing extensive damage but no injuries. (HA, MNA, TOI 1/1; PCHR 1/7)

A Palestinian citizen of Israel opens fire in a Tel Aviv pub, killing 2 and injuring 7. The attacker flees and, according to Israeli police on 1/4, kills a 3d Israeli civilian, a taxi driver, in n. Tel Aviv. (The suspect will be killed in a shootout in n. Israel on 1/8.) In the West Bank, Israeli authorities return to their families the bodies of 23 Palestinians killed recently by the IDF, including 17 to the Hebron area. They also return to a Palestinian transportation company in Nablus 11 buses confiscated since 10/1 for carrying Palestinian youths to protests. The IDF conducts a late-night raid in Tulkarm, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Nablus. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists at demonstrations against Israel’s occupation and recent crackdown on the oPt in 2 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in and Ni‘lin), 2 nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum and ‘Azun), and along Gaza’s border nr. Bayt Hanun; 5 Palestinians are injured. (AP, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 1/1; HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/2; HA 1/4; PCHR 1/7)

Off Gaza’s coast nr. Dayr al-Balah, Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at 1 Palestinian fishing boat, then confiscate 8 nets. In the West Bank, Israeli forces destroy hundreds of trees in a nature reserve nr. Tubas; demolish the remaining grocery stands set up along bypass road Route 60 (several stands were confiscated on 6/15). IDF troops conduct 3 raids in Jenin r.c., arresting 1 Palestinian on each and destroying their property. They also conduct raids in Aida r.c. and 1 village nr. Bethlehem, and 2 villages each nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Nablus, arresting 12 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3; patrol in 4 villages nr. Hebron, 2 nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest 5 Palestinians as they exit Haram al-Sharif, and more than 50 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary. Israeli forces conduct a late-night raid in Issawiyya, sparking clashes with stone- and firework-throwing residents; 5 Palestinians are injured. Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian on a night raid in al-‘Izzariya. In n. Israel, the IDF declares a section of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights a closed military zone to nonresidents in response to recent fighting on the Syrian side of the border. (JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 6/16; PCHR 6/18)

Hamas sources say that Israel and Hamas have been holding an indirect exchange through various Arab, Turkish, and European channels about the prospect of agreeing to a 5–10-year cease-fire, and that elements under discussion relate to easing the blockade, including the possible construction of a seaport, and the entry of materials into Gaza in exchange for quiet. (AFP, HA, MNA, TOI 6/16; MNA 6/17)

At a meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council in Ramallah, PA pres. Abbas says that he intends to dissolve the PA consensus govt. and form an entirely new cabinet within the next few days. Hamas official Basem Naim speculates that Abbas was caught “off guard” by today’s reports of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, and they prompted him to make this decision. However, other reports say that conversations about dissolution have been going on for mos. (HA, MNA, NYT 6/16)

Israel’s Defense Ministry announces a series of loosened restrictions on Palestinians’ movement during Ramadan this year (the holy mo. begins the evening of 6/17). The Israeli High Court of Justice rules to seal the East Jerusalem room of the man accused of shooting right-wing Jewish activist Yehuda Glick on 10/29/2014. The State’s prosecutors argued for the court to approve the punitive demolition of the whole home, as was initially ordered in the wake of the shooting. (JP, MNA, TOI, YA 6/16; HA 6/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces uproot olive trees and demolish a car wash on about 20 dunams (around 5 acres) of Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem; confiscate grocery stalls along bypass road Route 60. IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in Jenin, Qalqilya, and 1 village nearby, and 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Bethlehem, arresting 8 Palestinians and assaulting 1; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 nr. Hebron. In n. Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in Kafr Kanna claiming that it was built without a permit. Palestinians in the village recently rebuilt the home after Israeli forces demolished it in 4/2015. (HA, MNA, REU, WAFA 6/15; PCHR 6/18)

Hebron mayor Dawud al-Zaatari announces that Israel’s Coordinator for Govt. Activities in the Territories (COGAT) office has approved the reopening of around 70 Palestinian shops in c. Hebron on 6/19. The IDF closed over 500 Palestinian shops in Hebron at the beginning of the 2d intifada in 2000. Meanwhile, the Knesset votes to extend for another year a law that allows the govt. to withhold citizenship or residency from Palestinians from the oPt who are married to Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI). Originally passed in 2003, its authority has been extended every year since. (AFP 6/15; HA 6/17)

UNRWA comm.-gen. Pierre Krähenbühl reiterates that the agency is operating with a $101 m. deficit for core programs, and says that it might be forced to suspend all activities by 9/2015 unless donors give more money. UNRWA’s operating costs run at around $35 m. per mo. (MNA, UNRWA 6/15)

Cypriot pres. Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli PM Netanyahu meet in Israel and discuss the possibility of Netanyahu addressing the EU at an upcoming meeting in Brussels. The news of Anastasiades’s proposal to invite Netanyahu to Brussels will break on 6/29. (HA 6/19)

An Israeli delegation headed by National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen arrives in Washington, for talks with U.S. officials on the P5+1’s ongoing negotiations with Iran ahead of the 6/30 final agreement deadline. According to the Israeli official who announced the trip on 6/11, it is part of the effort to improve U.S.-Israeli communication surrounding the deal. (HA 6/11; JP 6/16)

Off the coast of Gaza nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF floods an olive grove outside Bethlehem during a drill. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Tubas, Nablus, and Jenin, arresting 2 Palestinians and sparking clashes nr. Jenin; arrests 5 Palestinians in a village nr. Bethlehem; patrols in 3 villages nr. Hebron, 5 nr. Ramallah, and 2 each nr. Jericho and Qalqilya. A group of Palestinian youth affiliated with Fatah steal a Tnuva milk truck and dump its contents in the middle of al-Manara Square in Ramallah. Tnuva is 1 of the 6 Israeli companies targeted by the boycott initiated by the National Comm. against Israeli Punitive Measures on 2/9. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in the Old City and al-‘Izzariya, arresting 5 Palestinians and issuing summons to 3. In n. Israel, Israeli police arrest 68 Palestinian workers who have been sleeping and laboring in Israel without permits. (MNA, WAFA 3/2; MNA 3/3; PCHR 3/5; HA 3/9)

Israeli state prosecutors tell the High Court of Justice that they are no longer pursuing the punitive demolition of the Silwan home of the Palestinian alleged to have shot and injured right-wing activist Yehuda Glick, leader of the messianic Temple Mount movement, on 10/29/ 2014. The prosecutors argue, instead, for the man’s room to be blocked off. (TOI 3/2)

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry meets with Hamas officials in Gaza and proposes a 3–5-year hudna, or truce. (AFP, HA 3/2; HA 3/9)

In Washington, Israeli PM Netanyahu addresses the AIPAC conference, saying he has a “moral obligation” to warn the U.S. Congress on 3/3 of the dangers of a potential deal with Iran. Hours later, U.S. Pres. Obama tells Reuters that Netanyahu’s trip to the U.S., and the way it was organized, is a distraction, but not “permanently destructive” to the U.S.-Israel relationship. (NYT, YA 3/2; HA 3/3)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry meets with Iranian FM Zarif and Iran’s atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi in Montreux, Switzerland, for 3-day negotiations over Iran’s nuclear weapons program. (TOI 3/1; REU 3/2)

While in Switzerland, Kerry speaks in front of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva and urges its mbrs. to end their “unbalanced focus” on Israel. (AP, JP, NYT, TOI 3/2)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian man at the Erez border crossing. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Hebron after he tries to grab a soldier’s gun. The IDF patrols nr. Hebron and Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 2 Palestinians are injured. At night, they conduct a raid in the village nr. Jenin and arrest 1 Palestinian. Israeli forces also detain 2 Palestinians collecting steel outside a settlement nr. Qalqilya. Israeli settlers spray olive trees nr. Qalqilya with chemicals, completely destroying 5; establish a new settlement outpost s. of Nablus, erecting movable houses, water tanks, and a fence. An Israeli settler hits a Palestinian youth with his car in s. Hebron, causing minor injuries, then flees the scene. PA security forces patrol in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, sparking a firefight with armed Palestinian residents; 3 PA officers are injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police remove a prominent right-wing Jewish activist from Haram al-Sharif after he confronts a group of Muslim worshippers. In n. Israel, Jewish Israelis assault a Druze Palestinian IDF soldier in a nightclub nr. Haifa after they overhear him speaking Arabic. (JP, MNA, TOI 2/5; TOI 2/7; MNA 2/10)

In the Gaza Strip,IDF troopsshoot and injure a Palestinian as he approaches the border fence e. of Jabaliya. Later, IDF troops along the border fence arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to enter Israel. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler opens fire on a Palestinian taxi driver n. of Hebron, causing no injuries. IDF troops enter Yatta village s. of Hebron and deliver a summons to the home of a Palestinian who has been incarcerated for 3 years. Also, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation, as well as the recent violence in Jerusalem, in 5 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, Ni‘lin, Silwad, and outside Ofer prison), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), Qalandia r.c., and nr. al-Shuhada Street in Hebron, injuring 12 Palestinians. The IDF conducts house searches and raids nr. Tubas. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli man runs over a Palestinian woman with his car nr. Shu‘fat r.c., seriously injuring her. After 3 Israeli settlers provoke local residents in al-Tur, 2 of the settlers are stabbed and 1 Palestinian is hospitalized with moderate injuries. Separately, Israeli settlers attack Ahmad al-Ghoul, the head of the Fatah Youth Movement in Jerusalem, nr. Damascus Gate, moderately injuring him. In n. Israel, an Israeli man threatens a group of Palestinian employees with a knife at a restaurant nr. Haifa. (MNA 11/21, 11/22; IMEMC 11/22, 11/23; PCHR 11/27)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF conducts 2 brief incursions nr. Khan Yunis, in both cases levelling land before withdrawing. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron, one village each nr. Salfit, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem and in Tulkarm and Jenin at night; patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin in the morning, 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and 2 villages nr. Jericho at night. (PCHR 5/30)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry reveals a $4 billion plan to boost the Palestinian economy, speaking at the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea in Jordan (see document D1 in JPS 169 for more). Kerry also urges Israelis and Palestinians to reach a political agreement, saying that a failure to do so would mean living with “a permanent intifada.” Israeli pres. Shimon Peres and PA Pres. Mahmoud Abbas both address the gathering, with Abbas using his speech to refuse any solution involving “temporary borders.” (HA, JP, REU 5/26)

There are reports of rockets fired from s. Lebanon into n. Israel, yet this is subsequently denied by the IDF, whose soldiers also fail to find any impact site or evidence of a projectile landing in Israeli territory. Meanwhile, 2 rockets are fired into a Shi‘i district of Beirut, in an apparent response to Hizballah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s promise to keep fighting in Syria alongside Asad. Arab League chief Nabil al-‘Arabi urges Hizballah to withdraw from its role in Syria, saying that to continue would threaten Lebanon’s internal unity. (AP, HA, REU 5/26; ToI 5/27; JP 5/28)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that since the 11/24 Abbas-Mishal meeting seemed more symbolic than substantive and the PLO/PA has not made moves since the 11/1/11 UNESCO vote to gain membership in other UN organizations, he is considering releasing VAT taxes. (NYT 11/29) (see 11/23/11)

King Abdallah of Jordan hosts Israeli pres. Shimon Peres in Amman to discuss reviving Israeli-Palestinian talks. (NYT 11/29; JPI 12/9)

Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, detaining and confiscating the boat, arresting 1 fisherman, and returning another fisherman to Gaza through the Erez crossing. Late at night, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border responding to 2 loud explosions inside Gaza in an open area n. of Bayt Lahiya fire into Gaza for 20 mins., causing no reported damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah and 1 nr. Salfit during the day; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho. An Israeli military court convicts a 2d Palestinian teenager fr. Awarta in the murder of 5 Jewish settlers in Itamar on 3/11/11; another Palestinian teen was convicted on 9/13/11. (PCHR 12/1; OCHA 12/2; JPI 12/9)

In the 1st Lebanese-Israeli crossborder attack since 10/2009, unidentified assailants fire 3 rockets fr. s. Lebanon into n. Israel, damaging 2 buildings in the western Galilee, but causing no injuries. Israel responds with artillery fire, causing no reported damage or injuries. UNIFIL calls for “maximum restraint.” (DS, NYT 11/29; NYT, WP, WT 11/30)

Israel’s Interior Min. reports for the first time that preliminary approval for construction of 625 housing units in East Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev was quietly granted in 11/2010. During the day, the IDF makes another incursion into the Gaza area e. of Jabaliya that was shelled on 12/1, firing on the surrounding area but causing no reported injuries. A Palestinian is fatally electrocuted in a smuggling tunnel accident on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Izbal Jaloud village nr. Qalqilya during the day; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah attempt to storm Nabi Salih village but are removed by IDF troops; later in the day, Palestinian youths throw stones at IDF troops patrolling the area, who respond with tear gas and stun grenades, causing no serious injuries. In n. Israel, 1,000s of Israelis flee their homes as a major forest fire brought on by drought tears through the Mount Carmel forest; at least 36 Israelis are left dead, most of them prison guards racing to evacuate inmates fr. a jail. (NYT, WP 12/3; PCHR 12/9; OCHA 12/10)

In Gaza, the IDF conducts air strikes destroying the Jabaliya r.c. home of an Islamic Jihad mbr. accused of firing rockets into Israel (residents are warned in advance to evacuate, but 14 bystanders are injured, 11 nearby houses damaged), the Bayt Hanun home of a PRC mbr. thought to be holding a weapons cache (residents are warned in advance to evacuate, but 1 bystander is injured); shells a group of Palestinian civilians nr. Bayt Hanun attempting to cart away a disused rocket launcher to sell as scrap, killing 3 Palestinian civilians, wounding 3; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Shuka;. Palestinians fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Araba and Fahma, both nr. Jenin, deliberately damaging 35 water tanks atop homes in Fahma; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya, nr. Jenin, in and around Hebron, Nablus; begins bulldozing 250 d. of agricultural land nr. Qalqilya for construction of the separation wall (see 8/10). Jewish settlers fr. Mitzvah Lakhish, Negohot settlements nr. Hebron (escorted by the IDF) bulldoze at least 100 d. of neighboring Palestinian land. Unidentified Palestinian gunmen (suspected PRC mbrs.) kidnap 2 Fox News journalists (1 American reporter, 1 cameraman fr. New Zealand) in Gaza City; no group takes responsibility or issues demands; Hamas condemns the action. (WP, WT 8/15; NYT, WP 8/16; PCHR 8/17; Roadmap Risk Assessment [Jerusalem] 8/19)

Overnight, the IDF continues air strikes on s. Beirut and in the Biqa‘ Valley, killing at least 7 Lebanese, while Hizballah fires rockets into n. Israel. Minutes before the 8:00 A.M. local (1:00 A.M. ET) truce deadline, violence quiets. During the day, 10,000s of Lebanese displaced by the fighting begin returning to their homes to assess damage, although IDF warnings on vehicular movement in s. Lebanon remain in place; 1,000s of Lebanese begin returning fr. Syria. In a televised address, Nasrallah promises Lebanese that Hizballah will provide funds to rebuild; on the ground Hizballah mbrs. in areas of s. Lebanon and s. Beirut take charge of clean-up and rescue efforts, with the help of Lebanese civil defense teams and army units. During the day, Hizballah holds its fire, whereas the IDF fires on groups of Hizballah mbrs. in 5 incidents, killing at least 5 Hizballah mbrs. it claims posed an immediate threat (permissible defensive action under UN Res. 1701); flies drones around s. Lebanon, monitoring the situation. At least 5 Lebanese civilians are killed by accidentally detonating unexploded IDF ordnance. (WP 8/14; NYT, WP, WT 8/15)

In Gaza, the IDF opens Rafah crossing for departures only, opens Qarni crossing for imports only; makes late-night air strikes destroying a store, house in Jabaliya r.c. (warning the residents in advance to leave), damaging 3 nearby homes. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Tulkarm in a car with Palestinian license plates, surrounds the home of a wanted Hamas mbr., fires on the home, arrests the wanted man when he surrenders; sends troops into Ramallah, occupying offices in the PA Public Works Min. as an observation post, surrounding an apartment building, ordering residents to evacuate, arresting 3 Palestinians, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho; issues military orders confiscating 8 d. of Palestinian land nr. Qalqilya for the separation wall. (OCHA 8/16; PCHR 8/17)

The IDF drops leaflets on Beirut warning residents of the capital to expect escalated bombing whose “painful and severe results will not be limited” to Hizballah targets, urging residents of 3 neighborhoods (Burj al-Barajneh, Hay Sullum, al-Shiyah) to evacuate immediately (the areas are vacant by the end of the day, with the government bussing residents without transportation to Juniyah); drops leaflets on n. Lebanon, warning truck drivers to stay off roads to Syria. Meanwhile, Israel asks the U.S. to speed delivery of M-26 artillery shells (short-range antipersonnel rockets armed with cluster munitions) along with other unspecified weapons for use against Hizballah. The IDF continues air and artillery strikes across Lebanon, including firing missiles at an unused radio tower in downtown Beirut; targeting traffic on roads nr. Tyre, destroying roads in the Biqa‘ Valley, killing at least 2 Lebanese. Ground operations continue in s. Lebanon, reportedly focusing on areas stretching fr. Marja’uyun to al-Khiyam (with the IDF claiming to have taken control of Marja’uyun) and fr. Aita alSha‘b to Bint Jubayl, leaving at least 1 IDF soldier dead, 2 wounded nr. Qlei‘a. Hizballah fires at least 140 rockets into n. Israel, hitting Acre, Carmiel, Dayr al-Assad (killing an Israeli Palestinian woman, her son and wounding 11), Haifa, Kiryat Shimona, Ma’alot, Nahariya, Safad. (WP 8/10; NYT, WP, WT 8/11; WP 8/13)

Overnight, the IDF launches ground operations in al-Shuka, using helicopters, drones, and some 50 tanks, armored vehicles, bulldozers; seals off Dahaniyya airport, the eastern entrance to Rafah, the main north–south Gaza highway; makes heavy air and artillery strikes on residential areas throughout the day, with Palestinian militants retaliating with antitank and light weapons fire, leaving 2 Hamas mbrs., 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., 1 PA security officer, 5 bystanders dead and more than 30 Palestinians wounded (including at least 8 militants, 18 civilians). Palestinians fire 4 rockets toward Israel, but all land inside Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya and in ‘Ayn alSultan r.c. nr Jericho, Balata r.c., Hebron, Nablus. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 8/3; NYT, WP 8/4; PCHR 8/10)

The IDF operates in 20 villages in s. Lebanon, most of them less than 2 mi. inside the border, engaging in intense clashes with Hizballah (particularly in Bint Jubayl, Maroun al-Ras, Marwahin, Rajmin), with Hizballah killing 4 IDF soldiers, wounding 4, destroying at least 4 APCs in Aita al-Sha‘b and Taybeh. The IDF also continues air strikes across Lebanon, including in s. Beirut (hitting houses of senior Hizballah and Hamas mbrs.), Blat, Nabatiyya, Rashaya, Taybeh, in the Biqa‘ Valley, and in the far n. nr. the border with Syria. Hizballah fires around 180 rockets into n. Israel, killing 5 Israeli civilians in Acre and 3 bedouin in Tarshiha nr. Ma’alot (all 8 killed during a 1- hr. barrage of 40 rockets), also hitting Kiryat Shimona (in another barrage of 30 rockets). (BBC, JAZ, NYT 8/3; AP, NYT, WP, WT 8/4)

The IDF withdraws troops fr. the outskirts of Gaza City, where residents find the bodies of another Hamas mbr. and a 13-yr.-old Palestinian killed during recent clashes, 9 Palestinian homes completely demolished, 16 partially destroyed, at least 80 d. of agricultural land razed; conducts an air strike destroying a shed nr. the Rafah border allegedly hiding a smugglers tunnel. Palestinians fire rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly wounding 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into Azun nr. Qalqilya, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. (NYT, WT 7/29; PCHR 8/3)

The IDF continues air and artillery strikes across Lebanon, including making about 70 air strikes on Baruk in the central Biqa‘ valley, hitting a convoy of civilian vehicles evacuating Rmaysh in s. Lebanon, wounding a journalist. Ground fighting continues in Bint Jubayl, where the IDF claims at least 26 Hizballah mbrs. are killed; 6 IDF soldiers wounded. Hizballah for the 1st time fires 2 Khaybar-1 rockets (range up to 50 mi, payload up to 200 lb), striking Afula, 30 mi inside Israel, just n. of the West Bank; fires more than 100 rockets into n. Israel during the day, wounding 14 Israelis and hitting targets in Carmiel, Ma’a lot, Nahariya, Safad, Tiberias. (AP, ICRC press release 7/28; NYT, WP, WT 7/29)

Overnight, the IDF withdraws fr. alMaghazi r.c., leaving a total of 207 d. of land, 4 Palestinian homes demolished, 9 other homes partially demolished. Also in Gaza, the IDF fires a tank shell at a home in Gaza City, alleging that a Hamas mbr. on the roof was preparing to fire an RPG, killing a handicapped Palestinian on the roof, 3 relatives inside, wounding 2; shells areas nr. Khan Yunis and the Sufa crossing in the south and in n. Gaza, wounding at least 6 Palestinian civilians. In the West Bank, the IDF withdraws troops fr. Nablus, ending a 3-day operation; before leaving, troops blow up the main government offices (killing a Palestinian bystander), fire on stone-throwing Palestinians youths, wounding 21. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya. (WP 7/21; NYT, PCHR 7/22; PCHR 7/27; B’Tselem 8/3)

The IDF calls up 3 battalions (several 1,000) additional reserves, positions troops and armor on the n. Israel border in preparation for “limited” ground operations to “mop up” Hizballah strongholds and weapons sites, continues pinpoint special forces operations inside s. Lebanon, urges residents to evacuate n. of the Litani River immediately (see 7/20; local officials estimate that 70% of the southern population has left). The U.S. approves Israel’s request to expedite delivery of precision-guided missiles (including at least 25, possibly 100, 5,000-lb GBU-28 bunker busters) to maintain the intensity of IDF air strikes. IDF artillery hits a UN observation post in Zarit, s. Lebanon, causing extensive damage but no injuries; makes air strikes on the Beirut–Damascus highway and several bridges, targeting empty passenger busses returning fr. Syria after evacuating foreigners; continues air strikes on Baalbek (killing at least 5 Lebanese civilians, wounding 20) and on s. Lebanon. At least 12 Lebanese are killed during the day. Hizballah fires 35–50 rockets into n. Israel, 10 of them hitting Haifa (injuring 3 Israelis) and others hitting Carmiel, Kiryat Shimona, Nahariya, Safad, Tiberias, and several n. Israeli villages. Hizballah acknowledges that 6 Hizballah mbrs. have been killed since 7/12, whereas Israel claims that around 100 have been killed. UN humanitarian relief coordinator Jan Egeland estimates that 500,000 Lebanese are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, but says that the UN cannot provide it without Israel, Lebanon guaranteeing safe corridors for movement of civilians and aid. Today, Israel allows 1 Greek ship carrying 22 tons of humanitarian goods to enter Beirut. (AP 7/21; NYT, WP, WT 7/22; NYT 8/11)

In Gaza, the IDF expands ground operations in Bayt Hanun under artillery fire, occupying the town, firing on residential areas (killing 2 Palestinians), bulldozing land and homes, occupying houses as military bases, forcing some residents to flee; fires 2 artillery shells at a group of Palestinian children playing soccer in al-Bureij r.c., wounding a 14-yr.-old; fires on residential areas of Abasan, wounding 1 Palestinian. Palestinians fire at least 7 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a raid on Nablus, where Palestinian militants throw an explosive device at troops, killing 1 IDF soldier, wounding 6; sends undercover units into Bethlehem to detain a wanted AMB mbr.; conducts late-night arrest raids nr. Nablus, Qalqilya. For a 2d day (see 7/16), the IDF detains al-Jazeera satellite TV’s Jerusalem bureau chief for questioning regarding violating Israeli military censorship rules. (AP 7/17; WP 7/18; PCHR 7/20)

The IDF intensifies attacks on e. and n. Lebanon, hitting Lebanese army barracks in Tripoli and army bases in Baalbek (killing 9 Lebanese soldiers), homes of Hizballah officials in the east; conducting heavy bombing of s. Beirut to destroy underground bunkers where Nasrallah and Hizballah’s senior leadership may be hiding; hitting fuel depots at the Beirut airport for a 2d time. In total, at least 38 Lebanese (mostly civilians) are killed during the day, including 12 civilians killed when the IDF targets a minibus in s. Lebanon. Hizballah responds by firing at least 30 rockets on n. Israel, including hitting Haifa with 3 rockets, shearing the front of an apartment building, wounding 6 Israelis. Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Ukraine, the U.S. begin evacuating their nationals. (NYT, WP 7/17; NYT, WP, WT 7/18) 

IDF undercover units raid Jenin, arresting local Islamic Jihad leader Abu Ali Kasi, 3 associates, killing 1 Palestinian bystander. The IDF also conducts arrest raids in Nablus (targeting the tanz im, PFLP), engaging in an exchange of gunfire that leaves 2 IDF soldiers, 1 Palestinian bystander wounded; demolishes a Palestinian home in Qalqilya; bulldozes 20 dunams of land in Khuza. Israeli police charge 4 Druze fr. n. Israel with conspiring to kidnap an IDF soldier. An Israeli court orders sealed the Shaykh Jarrah residences attacked by settlers on 4/27, leaving 48 Palestinians homeless. (HA, JTA 4/28; VOI 4/28 in WNC 4/29; LAW, PCHR 5/1)

10,000 Palestinians greet Arafat as arrives for his 1st visit to Ramallah since the IDF pulled out. Arafat then heads to Tulkarm, Qalqilya to celebrate the IDF's withdrawal there. (NYT, WP, WT 12/31; JP 1/6)

Hamas mbrs. Isma'il Haniyya, Khalid al-Hindi, Sa'id al-Namruti say the will run for seats on the Palestinian Council as independents. (JMCC 12/30 in FBIS 1/2)

In Madrid, PA, Spain sign joint cooperation agmt. (PWR 1/9)

PSF releases al-Quds editor `Alami (arrested 12/27). (QY 12/31 in FBIS 1/2; NYT, WP 1/1; FT 1/3; CSM, WJW 1/4; JP 1/6)

After a Lebanese civilian is killed, 4 others wounded by IDF shelling, Hizballah fires rockets into n. Israel, wounds 2 IDF soldiers in clash in s. Lebanon. Israel blames Syria. (ITV, QY 12/30, QY 12/31, ITV 1/1 in FBIS 1/2; NYT, WT 12/31; MM 1/2; JP 1/6)