The Palestine Chronology

Israel releases 165 Fatah-affiliated prisoners as a goodwill gesture to mark Ramadan (see 9/4); none are fr. Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, injuring 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Jenin town and r.c. A Palestinian woman sprays an acid-like substance on 2 IDF soldiers checking IDs at Hawara checkpoint nr. Nablus, lightly injuring them; the soldiers open fire, causing no injuries, but the woman escapes. (MNA, OCHA 9/10; PCHR 9/11)

Israel releases 4 Fatah-affiliated political prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Abbas, marking the start of Ramadan; none are fr. Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, injuring 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., nr. Hebron and Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba stone a Palestinian teenager, vandalize several homes nearby. (OCHA 9/10; PCHR 9/11; AIC 11/9)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City, wounding 2 fishermen, forcing the boats to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF eases age restrictions on Palestinians entering Jerusalem to attend al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, extending opening hours for checkpoints into Jerusalem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in villages and camps around Hebron. The PA central pharmacy in Ramallah takes over the coordination of pharmaceutical deliveries to Gaza from the World Health Organization (WHO). (OCHA 9/3; PCHR 9/4; OCHA 10/15; see also IFM 8/31)

Egypt unilaterally opens the Rafah crossing, allowing some 500 Palestinians to return to Gaza and 1,000 to leave before Ramadan begins; the move is closely coordinated with Hamas, which bars most Gazans fr. reaching the border to prevent a mass exodus, setting up stations to process exit applications, allowing mostly medical cases and Palestinians with foreign work visas to leave. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in villages surrounding Hebron. (WP, WT 8/31; OCHA 9/3; PCHR 9/4)