The Palestine Chronology

Sinai Province of the Islamic State (SPIS) fighters fire 2 rockets from the north Sinai Peninsula into Israel, where they land in open areas, causing no damage or injuries. Sources on the ground in Sinai report seeing Israeli fighter jets launch air strikes on a number of targets in response to the rockets. The attacks come after a day of heavy violence in Sinai and weeks of tension between Hamas and local Islamist groups in Gaza. Hours before the attack, SPIS fighters assaulted Egyptian soldiers at a vacant church in al-Arish with rocket-propelled grenades and car bombs, and also rob a bank nearby, sparking a firefight with Egyptian security personnel (at least 3 civilians and 4 soldiers are killed and at least 20 people are injured). The Egyptian army then launches a counterassault on insurgent hideouts near Rafah, al-Arish, and Shaykh Zuwayd, killing at least 24 fighters affiliated with SPIS and other armed groups. Meanwhile, the Egyptian authorities announce that they will not be opening the Rafah border crossing with Gaza for 4 days as planned. (AA, AP, HA, JP, REU, TOI, WAFA 10/16; TOI 10/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 2 Palestinian children on their way to school in Hebron. They also throw stones and bottles at a mosque in al-Tuwani village near Hebron, causing minor damage and sparking clashes between their IDF escort and residents of the area (there are no serious injuries). Settlers steal olives harvested from more than 65 trees in orchards near Nablus and Ramallah (IDF troops arrest a number of them later in the day). Other settlers attempt to assault Palestinians picking olives outside the Eli settlement near Hebron, but the Palestinians drive them off. IDF troops conduct a raid in Dahaysha refugee camp near Bethlehem, arresting 1 Palestinian and sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 1 Palestinian is injured. They arrest 13 Palestinians during latenight raids near Jenin and Ramallah, and in Bethlehem and Qalqilya, and patrol near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disperse a Palestinian family gathering in Issawiyya to welcome a relative home from prison, moderately injuring 3 of them. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City and Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. They arrest 4 fishermen and confiscate 2 boats. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmland near al-Maghazi refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (WAFA 10/15; MNA, WAFA 10/16; PCHR 10/19)

At the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting, PM Netanyahu says U.S. pres. Trump’s 10/13 decision not to certify the 7/14/2015 Iran nuclear deal presents an opportunity to “fix” the deal. “I believe that any responsible government, and whoever seeks to promote peace and security in the world, needs to take advantage of the opportunity that Pres. Trump’s decision has created to improve the agreement or abrogate it and, of course, stop Iran’s aggression,” he says. (TOI 10/15; JTA 10/16)

In the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants throw a grenade into the home of Fatah Asst. Dep. of the Palestinian Civil Affairs Ministry Nasser al-Sarraj. The grenade does not explode and no one is injured. In 2 separate incidents off the coast nr. Gaza City and Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage to 1 boat. IDF troops e. of Rafah detain 2 armed Palestinians as they attempt to cross the border fence into Israel. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a water distribution network that services the n. Jordan Valley, as well as a house and a barn nr. Hebron. Sparked by an IDF raid in c. Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, Palestinian residents clash with the Israeli troops, lightly injuring 1 soldier. Nearby, IDF troops shoot tear gas canisters at Palestinian youth as they leave an UNRWA school. The IDF also conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron and Ramallah; patrols nr. Hebron, Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler attempts to kidnap a Palestinian child in Jabal Mukabir. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches in al-Tur, Ras al-Amud, and Ras Khamis. (MNA, WAFA 1/29; JTA 1/30; PCHR 2/5)

UN Special Coordinator Serry’s office (UNSCO) releases a statement announcing that the UN is going to review its operations in Gaza after the violent, Hamas-organized protest outside its headquarters on 1/28. The statement also blames Hamas for not adequately providing security for the protest. The UNSCO has been principally in charge of facilitating the UNadministered reconstruction procedure and mediating between the Israeli authorities, Hamas, and Palestinians in need of support after OPE. (HA 1/30)

The Israel Electric Corporation announces that it will begin intermittently cutting power to the West Bank at the end of the mo. due to the PA’s outstanding debts, which total around NIS 1.8 m. (around $458 m.). (MEMO, YA 1/29) 

Yisrael Beytenu delivers a petition to the Central Elections Comm. (CEC) calling for the disqualification of MK Haneen Zoabi from the 3/17 elections on the basis of her support for boycott and armed resistance against Israel. (HA, JP 1/29)

The U.S. Senate Banking Comm. votes, 18–4, to pass the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015, which Sens. Menendez (D-NJ) and Kirk (R-IL) introduced on 1/27. A White House spokesperson consequently reaffirms Pres. Obama’s pledge to veto the bill. (AFP, REU 1/28; AP, YA 1/29)

Seventy-five U.S. sens. sign on to a letter, initiated by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), to U.S. Secy. of State Kerry calling for a suspension of aid to the PA while the Obama admin. reviews the Palestinians’ accession to the ICC. (JTA 1/30)

Unidentified assailants armed with heavy weapons and explosives enter s. Israel fr. the Egyptian Sinai and stage coordinated attacks on a bus, several cars, and an IDF patrol, killing 7 Israelis (1 IDF soldier, 6 civilians) and wounding up to 40, marking the deadliest attack on Israel since 3/2008. The attacks begin at midday with gunfire on a bus nr. Elat carrying mostly soldiers fr. a nearby army base; when an IDF unit arrives on the scene, it is quickly ambushed and hit with explosive devices. Within the hour, at least 3 reports of mortar fire fr. Egypt and attacks on civilian vehicles with antitank weapons are reported in the Elat area. Israeli security forces engage in firefights with the infiltrators over the next several hours, killing at least 7 attackers, noting that 3 of the bodies were booby trapped. At one point, IDF troops pursue the attackers into Egypt and clash with Egyptian border guards, killing an Egyptian military officer and 2 Egyptian border police and injuring 2 others. Israel accuses Hamas of sending terrorists fr. Gaza through the Rafah smuggling tunnels into Egypt and then on to Israel, and criticizes Egypt’s inability to secure its borders. The IDF quickly launches 12 air strikes on s. Gaza in retaliation, primarily targeting the Popular Resistance Committees (PRCs)—an umbrella group comprising mbrs. of all Gaza factions, including Fatah and Hamas. In total, 7 Palestinians (including 2 children) are killed and at least 23 Palestinians (including 7 children, 6 women) are wounded. Among the dead are 5 senior PRC members who were targeted for assassination, including PRC leader Kamal Abu Abed al-Nairab, PRC chief military cmdr. Imad Hamad, and a PRC rocket expert. Later in the evening, gunfire erupts again in Elat, killing 1 Israeli border policeman and critically injuring another. The PRCs fire 4 rockets (including at least 1 manufactured Grad rocket) fr. Gaza into Israel, where at least 3 are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system; no damage or injuries are reported. By late evening, the Israeli DMin. reports no further fire, but says assailants may still be on the loose. Hamas and the PRCs deny any part in the attacks. Egyptian and American analysts (e.g., NYT, WT 8/19) say that “it is not a remote possibility for [Egypt’s radical militant elements] to cross the border and launch attacks against Israeli targets. It makes a lot of sense” given Egypt’s recent crackdown on al-Qa‘ida-inspired Islamist militants in the n. Sinai (see 8/13). (AHR, AP, HA, IFM, JP, JTA, MNA, REU, WAFA, YA 8/18; NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 8/19; al-Masri al-Yawm 8/20; JAZ 8/21; PCHR 8/25; OCHA 8/26)

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah during the day and in Jenin, Jericho, and 2 villages nr. Ramallah and Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Beit El nr. Ramallah enter nearby Dawar al-Qare’ village and set fire to 2 cars. (PCHR 8/25)

As the quarter opens, Israel maintains a tight siege on Hamas-controlled Gaza, imposing a 300-meter no-go zone inside the full length of the Gaza border and limiting the Palestinian fishing zone off Gaza to 500–1,000 m. off Bayt Lahiya and Rafah and 3 naut. mi. elsewhere. In the West Bank, governed by the Fatahled Palestinian Authority (PA), Israeli military operations are relatively low. Israeli troops on the Gaza border fatally shoot a mentally handicapped Palestinian teenager who approaches the border fence e. of Dayr al-Balah in c. Gaza. In the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) patrols 6 villages nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm during the day and 2 villages nr. Jenin and Ramallah late at night. An Israeli military court says it is holding Samer Allawi, a senior Palestinian journalist who serves as al-Jazeera satellite network’s Kabul bureau chief, on suspicion of being a Hamas mbr. but has not yet indicted him; the IDF confirms that it detained him on 8/9/11 at a border crossing to Jordan when he attempted leave the West Bank, where he had visited family in Nablus; Allawi denies any Hamas connection. (AFP 8/16; JTA, WP, WT 8/17; PCHR 8/18; OCHA 8/19)

Israel approves construction of 277 new apartments in Ariel settlement deep in the West Bank, which Israel seeks to retain under final status. The Quartet condemns the decision, stating that “unilateral action by either party will not be recognized by the international community.” During the day, IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on Palestinian fishermen on the beach nr. Bayt Lahiya (wounding 1) and on farmers who stray too nr. the border fence e. of Khuza in s. Gaza (wounding 1). Late in the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 9 air strikes on 3 Hamas training facilities (Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah) and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, wounding a 7-yr.-old boy outside his home. Separately, the IDF makes an air strike on 3 armed Palestinians preparing to fire another rocket into Israel, killing 1 Hamas mbr. and seriously wounding 2. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. (HA, JTA, MNA 8/15; AP, JP, NYT, REU, WP 8/16; MNA, WP 8/17; PCHR 8/18; OCHA 8/19)

The small Salafist group, Abdullah Azzam Brigades fires 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to a road in 1 instance but no injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 2 air strikes on alleged Hamas training facilities in Gaza City and 1 on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, injuring 2 Palestinian children. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm. (AFP, JTA, PCHR 8/4; PCHR 8/11; OCHA 8/12)

Netanyahu warns Hamas that Israel will retaliate if rocket and mortar fire fr. Gaza resumes. Though no rocket or mortar fire is reported during the day, the IDF makes a late-night air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarm during the day and 1 nr. Jericho late at night; raids 2 villages nr Qalqilya late in the evening, searching homes for Palestinian youths who allegedly threw stones at troops earlier in the day, arresting 1 teenager. (WT 3/29; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/1)

The Knesset passes (37-11, with 72 abstaining or not voting) into law the “Citizenship Loyalty Law” which allows the court to revoke the citizenship status of anyone found guilty of treason, espionage, terrorism, or assisting a terrorist organization. The law is widely seen as being aimed at Israeli Palestinians. Knesset also votes to strip former Israeli Arab MK Azmi Bishara of his parliamentary benefits, including his pension. (Israel National News 3/29; JTA 3/30; JPI 4/8)

Uruguay recognizes an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 lines. (XIN 3/16)

Egypt completes repairs to its natural gas pipeline damaged during the 2/2011 Egyptian unrest (see Quarterly Update in JPS 159) and resumes sending natural gas to Israel. The Israeli navy detains a ship, the German-owned and Liberian flagged Victoria, en route fr. Syria to Egypt, 200 mi. off the Israeli coast that Israel claims was attempting to deliver arms to Gaza fr. Iran, taking it to Ashdod for further inspection; Israeli authorities said the ship carried 4 crates holding some 70,000 rounds of ammunition for Kalashnikov rifles, 1,000s of mortars, 6 Chinese C-704 antiship missiles, and 2 radar systems. Iran denies smuggling arms. The IDF makes a brief incursion into c. Gaza to level lands e. of al-Bureij r.c. to clear lines of sight. On the Rafah border, 2 Palestinians are killed, 4 are injured in an explosion in a smuggling tunnel. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that another 4 Palestinians have been killed in tunnel accidents since 3/2. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in Jenin and surrounding villages; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. Jewish settlers attempt to enter Kafr Laqif village nr. Qalqilya but are prevented by the IDF and stone nearby Palestinian homes instead. In separate instances, Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron and Keddumim settlements, both nr. Nablus, stone passing Palestinian vehicles. Across the West Bank and Gaza, 1,000s of Palestinians turn out for candlelight vigils calling for national reconciliation. Hamas security forces violently break up the biggest rally (as many as 100,000) in Gaza City, injuring 5 protesters. In the West Bank, PA security forces (PASF) fire tear gas at some 8,000 protesters in Ramallah, briefly dispersing them and injuring 20; some protesters return, vowing to stay in Ramallah’s Manara Square until the West Bank and Gaza are reunited (they stay until 4/17). Meanwhile, Hamas’s acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh invites Abbas to Gaza for reconciliation talks; Abbas responds favorably. Inside Israel, 2 cars owned by Israeli Palestinian students at Safad Academic College were torched during a campus event to promote Arab-Jewish dialogue. Anti-Arab graffiti also was sprayed on the wall of the college, saying: “Arabs get out,” “Death to Arabs,” and “Kahane was right.” (General Delegation of the PLO to the United States letter, IFM, National Public Radio 3/15; JAZ, JP, JTA, MNA, NYT, WP, WT 3/16; PCHR 3/17; OCHA 3/18; JPI 4/1)

In Bahrain, protesters ramp up demonstrations in response to Saudi Arabia’s incursion, while the king imposes a 3-mo. state of emergency, deploys the military, and closes schools and govt. offices. (NYT 3/16)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 mortars fr. Gaza toward Israel; 3 land inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries, while 1 lands harmlessly in Gaza. Late in the evening, the IDF responds with air strikes on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border and on the destroyed Dahaniyya airport site in s. Gaza (causing no injuries), as well as on a Hamas building in Bayt Hanun (destroying it, damaging 26 houses, 23 shops, a clinic, the local municipal building, and a sports club nearby, injuring 15 Palestinian bystanders, and knocking out electricity to some areas). Unidentified Palestinians detonate a bomb hidden in a donkey cart by the Gaza border fence as an IDF border patrol unit on the Israeli side of the border passes, killing the donkey but causing no IDF injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging construction materials fr. former settlement sites nr. the border twice during the day, causing no injuries; also fire warning shots at farmers who stray nr. the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries. Later, IDF troops make an incursion into the n. Gaza buffer zone nr. Bayt Lahiya to search the area, opening fire but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tubas and nr. Hebron, Nablus. Israel’s Jerusalem District Court upholds a decision to evacuate and seal the Beit Yonatan building in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem, built without a permit in 2004 by the right-wing group Ateret Cohanim and housing 8 settler families. Hamas-affiliated police in Gaza say they have arrested several suspects in the 5/23 UNRWA arson. (HA, JP, JTA, UPI 5/25; JP, YA 5/26; OCHA, PCHR 5/27)

Biden wraps up his trip to Israel with a big speech to the Israeli public at Tel Aviv University, underscoring American solidarity with Israel. He reiterates U.S. disapproval of the Ramat Shlomo housing plan because it “undermined the trust required for productive negotiations,” but accepts what he calls “significant” assurances from Netanyahu that the construction will not break ground for years, expressing hope that negotiations would “resolve this and other outstanding issues” before construction could begin. He then heads to Jordan. Separately, Netanyahu issues a statement apologizing for the “unfortunate timing” of the Ramat Shlomo announcement, but notably not apologizing for the construction itself. At the same time, Israel’s Jerusalem municipality announces plans to build 1,000s of settlement housing units e. and s. of Jerusalem in areas Israel intends to keep under final status, including 3,000 units each in Gilo and Givat Matosim, 1,500 units each in Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev, 1,200 units in Ramot, 600 in Armona Netseev, 450 in Neve Ya’acov, and 144 in Olive Mount. The U.S. does not comment. Abbas warns Biden by phone that the PA cannot start proximity talks until Israel reverses the construction approval. (JTA 3/11; NYT, WP, WT 3/12)

In Ramallah, at least 1 PA security official and 1 Fatah Central Comm. member take part in a ceremony in Ramallah naming a public square after Dalal Mughrabi, a 19-yr.-old Fatah member who in 1978 led a squad from Lebanon that sailed to Israel where they staged attacks killing 1 American and 38 Israelis before being shot dead; Netanyahu denounces the official Fatah and PA participation as incitement undermining the peace process. Late in the evening, the IDF patrols in Ramallah, firing rubber-coated steel bullets at stonethrowing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no injuries; carries out latenight house searches in Jenin town and r.c., making no arrests. In Gaza, the littleknown Salafist group Ansar al-Sunna fires a Qassam rocket into Israel, causing no damage or injuries but marking the 1st incidence of rocket fire since 2/12. Later in the day, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 more Qassams toward Israel, but they land harmlessly inside Gaza. Late at night, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. Hamas authorities in Gaza release British journalist Paul Martin, held for 25 days on suspicion of security offenses (see 3/1). (NYT, YA 3/12; OCHA, PCHR 3/18)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fires on a group of Palestinians in the fmr. Nisanit settlement area nr. the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit in a car with Palestinian license plates into Tulkarm r.c., fires on a group of Palestinians wounding 4 (an AMB mbr., an Islamic Jihad mbr., 2 bystanders ages 10 and 16), then fires 5 shots at 1 of the wounded, AMB mbr. Jasr Zughayb, assassinating him; fatally shoots 2 AMB mbrs. in an exchange of fire in Nablus, also demolishing the home in which they were staying; fatally shoots a 17-yr.-old Palestinian who attempts to cut through the separation fence nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis; raids the Modern College building in Beitunia nr. Ramallah, firing on PSF officers dispatched to the scene responding to reports of suspicious activity, killing 2 PSF officers. In Gaza, a combined group of Hamas, ESF mbrs. acting on rumors of Fatah of smuggling weapons halt, demand to inspect a 4-truck convoy escorted by Abbas’s presidential guard that entered Gaza fr. Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves at least 5 Palestinians dead (including 4 presidential guardsmen, 1 female bystander), 34 wounded (including 14 bystanders); the shipment of supplies (widely believed to be arms and ammunition though in separate statements, Fatah says it is food and medical supplies, equipment and tents, generators and spare parts) fr. the UAE reportedly was organized by Gaza strongman Dahlan, with the knowledge of the U.S. and Israel, and was intended for guard units loyal to him; the contents of the trucks cannot be confirmed, as they are seized during the clash (it is unclear by whom). The convoy incident precipitates Fatah-Hamas gunfights across the Strip that kill at least 3 Palestinians, wound at least another 50, and end a 3-day truce. In the most serious incidents: PA Presidential Guard units storm the Islamic University campus, clash with ESF mbrs. guarding the campus (leaving 22 wounded), claim to seize a large weapons cache and to detain 7 Iranian “explosives experts”; Hamas denies the presence of any Iranians in Gaza, Fatah does not give any proof of the arrests, Israel and the U.S. say they cannot corroborate the story; suspected Fatah gunmen fire on Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum nr. Gaza City, causing no injuries. Other Fatah-Hamas clashes are reported in Bayt Hanun, Bureij r.c., Gaza City, Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, Rafah. In Gaza City, 5,000 Palestinians attend a rally organized by the National and Islamic Higher Comm. for the Follow-up of the Intifada (NIHC) calling for a cessation to intra-Palestinian violence. Abbas issues a presidential decree taking over 18 acres of Palestinian land nr. the Qarni crossing for construction of a presidential guard training base, to be funded by Western donors; the UN will provide training; a 16-acre presidential guard base and intelligence services training college is also being built in Jericho. (MM 2/1; NYT, WP, WT 2/2; WP 2/3; Middle East Newsline 2/5; MM 2/6; OCHA 2/7; PCHR 2/8; NYT 2/23; JTA 3/4)

Sharon suffers a massive stroke. Sharon, who was expected to win a 3d term in the 3/06 elections at the head of his new Kadima party, is not expected to return to politics, throwing the elections into question. Political powers are transferred to Vice PM Ehud Olmert, Sharon’s close ally. (BBC, JTA 1/4; CSM, NYT, WP, WT 1/5; DS 1/6; CSM 1/9)

The IDF seals the West Bank, Gaza for the 4-day Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha; conducts predawn mock air raids over Gaza, breaking the sound barrier; raids a house in East Jerusalem, breaks up a mtg. being held by Change and Reform candidate Ahmad Attoun; bulldozes a Palestinian home nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 9), in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm. In continued retaliation for the 1/2 killings (see 1/3), Islamic Jihad, the AMB fire 8 rockets fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon, Sederot, and the IDF base at the Erez crossing, causing no damage or injuries. IDF soldiers, Israeli police scuffle with Jewish settlers when serving them with notices that they must evacuate by 1/15 Palestinian-owned buildings they have occupied in the Hebron central market; 4 policemen are injured. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebron, bar Palestinians fr. using a road linking the settlement to the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs; the IDF observes but does not intervene. About 40 armed AMB mbrs. occupy 4 PA government buildings in Gaza, fire on a police station to protest the 1/3 arrest of AMB leader Hams; other AMB mbrs. set burning barricades on the road to the Rafah crossing (barring all but medical cases fr. reaching the border), detonate an explosive device under the Rafah border wall (causing only minor damage). AMB mbrs. later steal 2 bulldozers, tear down a 15-ft stretch of the concrete Gaza border wall; as many as 1,000 Palestinians, some armed, overrun the Egyptian border guards, who fire in the air, call in reinforcements, declare the area a closed military zone, arrest around 100 Palestinians and injure 3; during the skirmish, some Palestinians set fire to an Egyptian armored vehicle, throw hand grenades and fire at the Egyptian contingent, leaving 2 Egyptian border guards dead and around 30 injured; Egypt closes the Rafah border until further notice. The PA says it will release Hams on 1/5 in response to the protests. PA police in Gaza City, fatally shoot a Hamas mbr. hanging campaign posters. Meanwhile, 5 armed Palestinians raid a Gaza house, attempt to kidnap the parents of Rachel Corrie, an American college student who was killed by the IDF in Gaza in 2003; the gunmen back off when the owners of the home explain who the Corries are. (IMEMC, JAZ, YA 1/4; AP, HA, IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/5; HA, NYT 1/9; al-Ahram Weekly 1/10; PCHR 1/19; PLO Negotiation Affairs Dept. press release 1/23)

Just past dawn, the IDF pulls its last troops out of Gaza, issues a declaration ending military rule in the Strip. Palestinians storm past PA security forces to enter the evacuated settlements, scavenging some synagogues and demolished homes for anything that could be sold or used, setting 4 synagogues on fire; the PA security forces bulldoze several synagogues, bar Palestinians fr. ransacking greenhouses (purchased by U.S. philanthropists and given to the PA as economically viable operations to aid the Palestinian economy), but leave a large factory in Kefar Darom unguarded, allowing it to be stripped of equipment. Palestinians also remove IDF roadblocks across Gaza, flock to beaches to swim for the 1st time since the start of the intifada. The AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah hold marches and celebrations, with factional flags more numerous than Palestinian flags. Egyptian border guards along the Rafah border fatally shoot a Palestinian while attempting to control crowds who flock to the crossing; 100s of Palestinians break through the border fence and enter Egypt. The IDF fires on Palestinian youths who approach the border fence in Bayt Lahiya, seriously wounding a 13-yr.-old. In the West Bank, the IDF imposes an overnight curfew on al-Til, conducting house searches and ID checks, withdrawing late morning; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, Tulkarm; occupies the top floor of a Palestinian home nr. Hebron as an observation post. (AP, JAZ, NYT, REU 9/12; CSM, HA, JT, JTA, NYT, WP, WT 9/13; IMEMC, Independent 9/14; BBC, PCHR 9/15)

The IDF reopens the Rafah crossing (closed on 12/12) to Palestinians entering Gaza as a gesture to Abbas for taking steps on security; fatally shoots a 14-yr.-old Palestinian carrying a toy gun in Tubas; fires on 3 Palestinian children walking nr. a Rafah mosque, killing a 2d 14-yr.-old Palestinian; cuts down an olive grove nr Salfit for road construction; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt ‘Awwa, Bani Na‘im, Bayt Hanun, Sammu‘a nr. Hebron. Hamas fires an antitank missile at an IDF bulldozer in Bayt Hanun, injuring 3 IDF soldiers. DFLP mbrs. fire a missile at an IDF jeep nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. (JTA 1/20; VOI 1/20 in WNC 1/21; MM, NYT, WP 1/21; OCHA 1/26; PCHR 1/27)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians allegedly planting a roadside bomb in n. Gaza; demolishes a 3-story Palestinian building, severely damages 7 Palestinian homes and 10 shops in Nablus; fires live ammunition, tear gas on a group of Palestinians who approach the closed Abu Huli checkpoint holding white flags and seeking special permission to pass, leaving 3 Palestinians seriously wounded; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; finds a smugglers’ tunnel in Rafah; conducts arrest raids nr. Tulkarm. Hamas mbrs. fire on an IDF patrol near the n. Gaza border, wounding 3 soldiers. Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries; detonate a roadside bomb underneath an IDF bulldozer, causing damage but no injuries. An ailing Palestinian stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing dies, reportedly bringing to 6 the number of Palestinians who have died at the crossing since it was sealed by Israel on 12/12. (AP, UPI, XIN 1/19; VOI, VOP 1/19 in WNC 1/20; NYT, PR 1/20; VOP 1/20 in WNC 1/21; PCHR 1/27)

Abbas meets with his Gaza security cmdrs. and advisers, orders PA security forces to deploy along the Gaza borders within 2 days to prevent rocket fire into Israel. (A PA security official speaking on condition of anonymity expresses concern that the security force may not have enough manpower to take adequate action.) Abbas also meets with Islamic Jihad leaders, who agree to continue discussions on a cease-fire. (AP, JTA, UPI 1/19; JAZ, Jordan Times, MENA, al-Quds, VOP 1/19 in WNC 1/20; FT, NYT, PR, WP, WT 1/20; VOI 1/20 in WNC 1/21; see also JTA 1/14)

Sharon convenes his security cabinet to discuss possible military action in Gaza, approves plans for a “large-scale invasion” of northern Gaza if Abbas does not bring Palestinian violence under control quickly. In light of Abbas’s efforts, the security cabinet unanimously agrees to allow Israel to resume security contacts with the PA. Israeli, PA security officials immediately meet to discuss Abbas’s plan to deploy security forces along the Gaza-Israel border. (AP 1/19; VOI 1/19 in WNC 1/20; HA 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/20)

Sharon orders the IDF to intensify operations against Palestinian militants and to act “without restrictions, I emphasize, without restrictions” to halt “terrorism,” stating that Abbas is “not lifting a finger” to stop attacks on Israelis. The IDF withdraws fr. Gaza City (having bulldozed a total of 80 d., wounding at least 13 Palestinians since 1/15) but continues targeted operations in the outskirts of the city; shells Khan Yunis, damaging 1 Palestinian home, then firing on the family when they emerge to check the damage, killing a Palestinian mother and son, wounding the father, saying soldiers fired on suspicious “figures gathering information about IDF troops” in the area; separately fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, hitting Nasser Hospital; fires on residential areas of Balata r.c., Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, Hebron, Husan, Ithna, Saida. Hamas fires 3 mortars at an IDF post in Gaza, 1 Qassam rocket at Gadid settlement, causing no damage or injuries. Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF patrol in Jenin, wounding 4 soldiers. (AFP, HA, JAZ, VOI, VOP, YA 1/16, MENA 1/17 in WNC 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/17; JTA 1/18; HA, OCHA 1/19; PR 1/20; PCHR 1/27)

The IDF continues operations in Bayt Hanun, announcing plans to create a buffer zone around the town to prevent rocket fire, firing missiles into residential areas (killing 3 Palestinians, injuring 21), bulldozing at least 100 dunams of olive and citrus trees; raids Rafah allegedly to search for more smugglers tunnels, demolishes 7 Palestinian homes completely and 5 partially, severely damages 15 shops; makes a rare incursion into Jericho with some 40 military vehicles, reinforced by helicopters, declaring the town a closed military zone, demolishing 1 Palestinian home, arresting some 35 Palestinians; partially demolishes 2 Palestinian homes, a mosque, a garage, a bird farm in al-Qarara; exchanges gunfire with Palestinian militants in Gaza City, wounding 5; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, Biddu and Qutna nr. Ramallah, Jericho, al-Mughraqa, Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm; fires live ammunition, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists staging a nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Dayr Ballut nr. Qalqilya, lightly injuring 10s. (JTA, MM 7/1; IDF Radio, VOI, VOP 7/1 in WNC 7/3; HA, NYT 7/2; PCHR 7/8)

Palestinian gunmen (1 Islamic Jihad mbr., 1 PRC mbr.) ambush a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Gush Katif, killing a Jewish settler woman, her 4 children, wounding 2 IDF soldiers in a car escorting them; the soldiers return fire, killing the 2 gunmen. The IDF retaliates by assassinating the senior Nablus AMB military cmdrs. Nadir Abu Layl and Hashim Abu Hamdan, firing a missile at their car as they drive through Nablus, also killing 2 AMB mbrs. traveling with them, injuring 3 bystanders. The IDF then rockets a building in Gaza City that houses a Hamas radio station (possibly attempting to assassinate a senior Hamas mbr. who reportedly was being interviewed at the time), the offices of al-Ayyam and al-Quds newspapers, a Fatah radio station; no one is injured. The IDF also raids Wadi al-Silqa nr. the site of the ambush, orders all Palestinian residents to leave their homes, searches homes, arrests 1 Palestinian, bulldozes 15 Palestinian homes. The IDF also bulldozes 4 Palestinian homes and 6 dunams of land nr. Morag settlement, 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah; fires on a funeral procession in Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinians; fires on residential areas of Tubas, sparking protests, then opening fire on stone-throwing youths; conducts arrest raids in and around Jenin. Late in the evening, 4 Jewish settler families, escorted by IDF soldiers and 100s of mbrs. of the radical Ateret Cohanim settler group, expel 2 Palestinians families fr. their homes in Abu Dis, occupy the buildings, surround them with a fence, claming they stand on part of an 80-dunam plot they purchased in 1927. (VOP 5/2 in WNC 5/4; BBC, HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/3; YA 5/3 in WNC 5/5; MM 5/4; PR 5/5; PCHR 5/6; PR 5/12; MEI 5/14)

Likud mbrs. reject Sharon’s unilateral disengagement plan, with nearly 60% opposed. Sharon says he will draft a revised plan in consultation with his party, but meanwhile will move forward with planning a withdrawal. (XIN 5/2 in WNC 5/4; NYT, WP, WT 5/3; AYM 5/3 in WNC 5/5; MM, NYT, WP 5/4; al-Quds 5/4 in WNC 5/6; AYM, DUS 5/4 in WNC 5/7; JTA 5/5; JPI, MEI 5/14)

Israel says it will retaliate for the 12/25 PFLP suicide bombing but will not hit Hamas targets, since Hamas has refrained fr. attacks inside Israel for several mos. The IDF demolishes the bomber’s family home in Bayt Furik within hrs. The IDF also fires live ammunition at some 200 Israeli, Palestinian, international peace activists staging a nonviolent protest along the separation wall nr. Qalqilya, wounding 1 Israeli (who had just finished 3 yrs. IDF service), 1 American; fires tear gas at another group of protesters at the separation wall west of Ramallah; fires on a funeral process in nr. Khan Yunis (wounding 5 boys, ages 11–18), residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids nr. Khan Yunis; bulldozes 8 dunams of land in al-Qarara. In Gaza, 10,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral for Islamic Jihad’s Humayid, assassinated by the IDF on 12/25. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 12/25. (WT 12/27; JTA, NYT, PRCS, WP, WT 12/28; CSM 12/29; PCHR, WJW 1/1; MM 1/5; BBC 1/6; JPI 1/8; MEI 1/9)

The IDF captures an alleged Palestinian suicide bomber en route to stage an attack; fatally shoots a stone-throwing Palestinian youth in Qalandia; uncovers, destroys a smugglers’ tunnel to Egypt in Rafah; fires on residential areas of Rafah. In Hebron, 3 Hamas mbrs. are killed in a mysterious explosion; the IDF claims they were preparing a bomb, Hamas claims they were assassinated. Palestinians toss grenades at an IDF patrol in Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Hagay settlement in Hebron seize 10 dunams of land belonging to the Palestinian village of Rihiyya. (JTA 12/9; VOI, VOP, YA 12/9 in WNC 12/11; HA 12/10; PR 12/10; VOP 12/10 in WNC 12/12; PCHR 12/11)

The IDF fatally shoots AMB mbr. Fadi Abu Zant in Nablus; conducts arrest raids in Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, bulldozes some telephone, water, electricity networks in Rafah. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF patrol in Rafah, wounding 1 IDF soldier. In Shati‘ r.c., armed Hamas mbrs. kidnap a PSF officer whom they accuse of being a collaborator for participating in the recent arrest of a senior Hamas activist in Gaza City. An Israeli court in Jerusalem convicts 3 Jewish settlers fr. Bayt Ayin of attempted murder and illegal weapons possession in connection with a 4/02 attempt to blow up a Palestinian girls’ school in al-Tur. (JTA, REU 9/17; HA, PCHR 9/18; JP 9/21 in WNC 9/23; PR 9/24)

Just before the PC meets in Ramallah, the IDF assassinates PFLP leader Nidal Salama, firing rockets at his car as he drives through Khan Yunis, also killing 1 Palestinian bystander; surrounds the home of, fatally shoots Bethlehem AMB cmdr. Mahmud Salah in an apparent assassination, also killing AMB mbr. Adnan Juayrish, who was with him; demolishes the home of Salah’s 2 brothers. Just 2 hrs. after Abbas’s new government is confirmed, a suicide bomber detonates a device outside a Tel Aviv nightclub, next to the U.S. emb., killing 2 Israelis, 1 French woman, wounding 34 (including at least 1 American); a 2d bomber escapes when his bomb fails to detonate; AMB, Hamas say they jointly planned the operation; both bombers are British Muslims (1 of Kashmiri, 1 of Pakistani descent) who apparently entered Israel fr. Gaza on British passports. Commenting on the attack, Israeli government spokesman Dore Gold says, ”This is really the first test for the new Palestinian government and unfortunately it has turned out to be a complete failure.” The IDF also fatally shoots a Palestinian in Rafah; fires on, wounds 2 Palestinian farmers working land in Khuza; conducts arrest raids in Jenin. (HA 4/29; BBC, HA, MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 4/30; Interfax 4/30 in WNC 5/1; LAW, PCHR 5/1; NYT 5/2; JTA 5/6; PR 5/7; JPI 5/9; WP 5/10)

The PC approves (69–12, with 3 abstentions) Abbas’s new government, presented after wks. of debate within Fatah. In his inaugural speech Abbas states that there is no military solution to the conflict with Israel, rejects “terrorism,” pledges to crack down on militant groups and confiscate illegal weapons, demands an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, and without Jewish settlements. Israeli FM Silvan Shalom cautiously welcomes Abbas’s words on violence but says his statements on flnal status are “problematic” and “raise serious questions regarding a readiness to arrive at an agreed-upon resolution.” (HA, MM 4/29; MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 4/30; AYM, Interfax, ITAR-TASS 4/30 in WNC 5/1; SA 4/30, al-Quds 5/1 in WNC 5/2; WJW 5/1; AYM 5/1 in WNC 5/5; HA, MM, WJW 5/2; HA 5/5; MEI 5/16)

The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes, 2 shacks nr. Ramallah and 2 homes, 1 shack nr. Hebron; blows up a dovecote containing a rifle, homemade pipe bombs, perhaps mortars in Dahaysha r.c.; blows up a storehouse containing chemicals, steel bearings that could possibly be used in manufacturing bombs; conducts arrest raids in the Bethlehem area (targeting Hamas mbrs.), Khan Yunis, Ramallah, Tulkarm; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Palestinians fire a rocket at a Jewish settlement in Gaza, damaging 1 home. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 1/11. (HA, JTA, LAW, PCHR 1/22)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus in Tel Aviv, killing 5 Israelis, injuring more than 50. Sharon convenes his cabinet, which unanimously decides to launch Operation Matter of Time to "isolate” Arafat, calls for the immediate extradition of around 20 wanted Palestinians (including Force 17 head Mahmud Damara, PA General Intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi) allegedly among the 200 Palestinians hiding in Arafat's offices (8 surrender in the evening). The IDF immediately reimposes 24-hr. curfews on all West Bank areas except Hebron; sends tanks into Ramallah to surround Arafat's offices (1 tank fatally shoots a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy 6 times; troops shoot, wound 2 Arafat bodyguards in the PA headquarters compound); fires on "Palestinian schoolchildren challenging the army's attempt to impose a curfew" in Amari r.c., killing a 11-yr.-old Palestinian; shells residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Hanun (where an IDF tank runs over a roadside bomb, injuring 2 soldiers), Jenin r.c. (blowing up 1 Palestinian home), Nablus, Qalqilya, the Tulkarm area; bulldozes 19 dunams of agricultural land nr. Kefar Darom settlement. Jewish settlers open fire on a Palestinian taxi nr. Tulkarm, seriously injuring the driver. (AP, HA, JTA, LAW, MM, PM 9/19; ATL, ITAR-TASS 9/19 in WNC 9/20; MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/20; Interfax, MA, Radio Monte Carlo 9/20 in WNC 9/23; MEZ, NYT 9/21; AYM 9/23 in WNC 9/25; LAW, PCHR, PR 9/25; MA 9/25 in WNC 9/26; WJW 9/26; MEI 9/27)

In the 1st bombing since 8/4/02, an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device at a bus stop in a Umm al-Fahm in Israel, killing 1 Israeli policeman, wounding a 2d policeman, 1 Israeli Arab. An AMB gunman ambushes a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Jenin, killing 1 Jewish settler, injuring a Rumanian worker; a 2d Jewish settler is found murdered in East Jerusalem; an alleged Palestinian collaborator is found murdered, apparently by Hamas. The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian at a roadblock, claiming he attempted to run over soldiers; conducts house-to-house searches in Rafah, bulldozing 1 Palestinian home, firing on an UN delegation touring earlier damage; bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes in Abu Dis, belonging to the families of suicide bombers; demolishes 34 residential units in a General Union of Palestinian Workers housing project in `Ayn Sinya nr. Ramallah; fires on residential areas of Bayt Hanun, barring an ambulance fr. retrieving at least 1 injured Palestinian; bulldozes, paves over 5 dunams of agricultural land nr. Khan Yunis for a new settler bypass road. According to the IDF, Palestinians fire 3 antitank missiles at an IDF post nr. Rafah, causing no damage. (AP, JTA, LAW, PCHR, REU 9/18; HA, NYT, WP, WT 9/19; QA 9/19 in WNC 9/20; MM 9/20; NYT 9/21; MM 9/24; PCHR, PR 9/25; MEI 9/27; WT 10/26)

Before dawn, the IDF reoccupies Amari r.c., al-Bireh, Qadura r.c., and Ramallah, surrounding Arafat's offices (placing Arafat under de facto house arrest), arresting 13 PSF officers, meeting no resistance; imposes 24-hr. curfews on Aqaba, Dura, Iktaba, Tamun, Taysir, Tubas, Yatta; fires shells at residential areas of Khan Yunis; continues operations in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus (fatally shooting 1 Palestinian), Qalqilya, Tulkarm areas; lifts curfews in Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya for 3 hrs. The IDF assassinates 2 Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades leaders, Yasir Raziq and `Amr Kufa, in Rafah, firing missiles at their taxis, also killing 2 passengers, 2 drivers, injuring 13 bystanders. Jewish settlers stone an ambulance nr. Tulkarm. In Gaza, Hamas supporters clash with PSF officers enforcing Shaykh Yasin's house arrest, leaving 1 Hamas supporter dead. (BBC, MM, NYT, PRCS press release, WP, WT 6/24; XIN 6/24 in WNC 6/25; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/25; LAW 6/26; PCHR, WJW 6/27; MEI 6/28)

After a wk.'s delay, Bush gives a major speech outlining the new U.S. policy toward the peace process. Without mentioning Israel's military escalations, Bush says in effect that the Palestinians must remove Arafat and create a Western-style democracy before the peace process can move forward. The U.S. halts direct dealings with Arafat. Bush's decision to call for Arafat's ouster was reportedly influenced heavily by an Israeli intelligence report he received last wk. (uncorroborated by the CIA) claiming that Arafat authorized a $20,000 payment to the AMB, which carried out the 6/19 suicide bombing. (AP, MM, NYT, WP 6/24; MA 6/24 in WNC 6/25; GS, MM, NYT, WP, WT, YA 6/25; AFP, ATL, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, MENA 6/25 in WNC 6/26; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/26; AFP, JT, Le Monde 6/26 in WNC 6/27; NYT, WJW, WP 6/27; JT, al-Nahar 6/27 in WNC 6/28; MEI, MM 6/28; NYT, USIS Washington File 6/30; WP, WT 7/1; AN 7/1 in WNC 7/2; JPI 7/5)

Arafat sends the U.S., Arab states a 6-page memorandum outlining an ambitious 100-day reform plan, including plans for presidential and legislative elections in 1/03 and municipal elections in 3/03. (MM 6/24; NYT 6/25; MM 6/26; El Pais 6/26 in WNC 6/27;NYT, WP, WT 6/27; XIN 6/27 in WNC 6/28; AYM 7/1 in WNC 7/3; AYM 7/10, 7/17, 7/21 in WNC 7/23)

Israeli atty. gen. Elyakim Rubinstein says he will not take legal action against those calling for the "voluntary transfer" of Arabs fr. Israel, saying "voluntary transfer" is "immoral" not illegal. (The 13 Palestinians deported to Cyprus in 5/02 were "voluntarily exiled" as part of a deal brokered by Israel and the PA; see 5/22) (HA 6/24; MM 6/27)

In response to Israeli appeals to local satellite channels to drop coverage of BBC World and CNN International because of their "pro-Palestinian bias" (1 channel replaced CNN with Fox News coverage on 6/20), CNN chief news exec. Eason Jordan arrives in Israel to apologize publicly on behalf of the network, to unveil a special 5-part series on Israeli victims of violence (aired 6/24-28) and a Web "memorial" to Israeli victims of Palestinian violence. (WT 6/24; NYT 6/25; WJW 6/27; MEI 6/2; see also JTA 6/20, MSNBC 6/21)