The Palestine Chronology

The IDF makes an air strike on Bayt Lahiya in a failed attempt to assassinate Islamic Jihad mbrs. Ihab Abu Jarad, Nidal Shaqqura, and Muhammad alZa’nin as they walk in a crowded residential area, wounding the 3, as well as 6 bystanders, including 2 children and a mentally disabled person; bulldozes land on the Palestinian side of the Qarni industrial zone (for a 2d day), nr. the border fence e. of Dayr al-Balah. Late at night, the IDF sends troops into Bayt Hanun, raiding a home and arresting 7 mbrs. of a Palestinian family. An IDF special forces unit attempts an incursion into al-Bureij r.c. but is forced to retreat by Palestinian gunmen firing machine guns and mortars; no injuries are reported. Egyptian border police find separate caches of 40 landmines, 500 kg of explosives nr. the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Bethlehem and Jenin town and r.c., and nr. Hebron, Tubas, Tulkarm. (OCHA, PCHR 3/19; PCHR 3/27)

The IDF shells a car driving nr. al-Bureij r.c., assassinating 2 ESF officers (Muhammad Abu ‘Arab, Ali Baroud) and 4 Hamas mbrs. (Ismail Abu Abda, ‘Abid Abu Hilu, Ahmad al-Qrainawi, Muhammad al-Qrainawi), wounding 1 bystander; sends troops into Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, bulldozing land, firing on residential areas, wounding 1 Palestinian. An Islamic Jihad mbr. is injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. Gaza’s sole power plant, which produces 25% of Gaza’s electricity, shuts down after depleting its fuel reserves (see 8/19; 70% of Gaza’s electricity is provided by Israel, 5% by Egypt). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarm; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths outside ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a r.c., wounding 2; later patrols in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a, exchanging fire with local gunmen, killing 1 armed Palestinian. (HA, NYT 8/21; OCHA, WP 8/22; PCHR 8/23)

Announcing the start of a “sustained” campaign against Islamic Jihad, the IDF imposes 24-hr. curfews on Tulkarm town and r.c., al-Til, and Nur al-Shams r.c.; reinvades Tulkarm (turned over to PA security control on 3/22) and al-Til in its largest military operation since Israeli and the Palestinians agreed to an unofficial cease-fire on 2/8, fatally shooting a PA policeman, leaving a 2d PA policeman clinically dead, arresting at least 6 Palestinians with Islamic Jihad ties; 2 IDF soldiers are injured. Israel says it was forced to act in Tulkarm because the PA had not reined in militants there, citing the bombing as proof; the PA says the assault on Tulkarm is unjustified, since the 7/12 bomber came fr. al-Til, 5 mi. away, under Israeli military control. Late in the evening, the IDF raids Nablus, fatally shoots Islamic Jihad cmdr. Muhammad al-Assi when he attempts to elude arrest; detains an Islamic Jihad mbr., a British woman with him. The IDF also demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; razes 4 bedouin tents, 6 animal pens outside Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba stone a Palestinian vehicle driving the Palestinian section of Hebron, injuring the driver. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar vandalize a Palestinian home, burn a Palestinian car nr. Nablus. In Bureij r.c., the PA security forces secure the release of 2 international aid workers (1 British, 1 Australian) kidnapped by a Palestinian family that hoped to use them as bargaining chips to secure the release of relatives jailed by the PA. An Israeli dies of injuries received in the 7/12 bombing. (AFP, IMEMC, JTA, NYT, PR, XIN 7/13; VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/13; VOI, VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/14; NYT, PCHR, PRCS, WP, WT 7/14; VOI 7/14 in WNC 7/15; JAZ 7/17; OCHA, PR 7/20; PCHR 7/21)