The Palestine Chronology

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Hamas mbrs. who attempt to attack an IDF outpost in Gaza; fires missiles at a culture and art center affiliated with Islamic Jihad in Khan Yunis, damaging the building but causing no injuries; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes, 25 bedouin shacks and livestock pens in Anata nr. Jerusalem; bulldozes 1 d. of land in Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Marda nr. Nablus, Qarawat Bani Zayid and Rantis nr. Ramallah, Yabad nr. Jenin. An IDF soldier is killed, a 2d is injured when a smugglers’ tunnel they are investigating on the Rafah-Egypt border collapses. (VOI 11/29 in WNC 12/1; WP 11/30; PCHR 12/2)

Senior Hamas mbr. Shaykh Hassan Yusuf says that Hamas will halt all attacks on Israelis during the PA election campaigns, would consider a cease-fire agmt. if Israel agrees to reciprocate by releasing Palestinian prisoners, withdrawing fr. occupied land, halting assassinations. The AMB also says it is considering a ceasefire. (AP 11/29; WP, WT 11/30; al-Ahram 12/3)

The IDF declares the Ramallah–al-Bireh region a closed military zone, erects additional checkpoints on all roads leading to Ramallah; tightens Palestinian movement in the Qalqilya, Tulkarm regions; fires on a group of Palestinians vandalizing the separation wall outside Ramallah, killing a 14- yr.-old Palestinian boy; conducts arrest raids targeting the AMB in Nablus, firing on residential areas; bulldozes 8 Palestinian homes and dynamites 1 in Rafah, 4 nr. Hebron; conducts arrest raids in Nablus, Rantis. Across the occupied territories, 1,000s of Palestinians rally in support of Arafat; the IDF fires on demonstrators in Kefar Darom, wounding 7. Palestinians fire a mortar at Netzarim, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, NYT, WP 9/15; YA 9/15 in WNC 9/17; PCHR 9/18; HA 9/26)