The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers posing as soldiers abducted 2 Palestinian men from the Masafer Yatta area and vandalized Palestinian properties in Shaab al-Butum. Israeli forces injured 4 Palestinians in a drone strike in Nur Shams refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 3 Palestinians during a raid in Askar refugee camp. 18 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Deir Istiya, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian after he allegedly stabbed 2 Israeli settlers in the Mishor Adumim settlement. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Maghazi, and Gaza City, killing at least 100 people, including University College of Applied Sciences president Dr. Said Al-Zubda and his family. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Syria, 3 suicide drones attacked a U.S. military base, causing damage. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces attacked 3 Houthi boats, killing 10 people after the Houthi forces attempted to take over a cargo ship. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/31; AJ 1/1)

More than 21,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 56,165 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 313 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 79 children. More than 3,812 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7. 168 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 955 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. (HA 12/31; REU 1/1)

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said a large number of Palestinian prisoners in the Ofer Prison have experienced food poisoning after being given spoiled meals. Prisoners at Megiddo Prison reported frequent abuse, including assault and humiliations by Israeli guards. 2 prisoners have died at Megiddo since 10/7. The Israel Prison Service told Haaretz that it was aware of severe violence against prisoners at the Megiddo Prison. (HA 12/31; AJ 1/1)

Israel’s military said it would withdraw 5 combat brigades, amounting to thousands of troops, from Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/31; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU 1/1)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians since the Nakba, saying at least 22,404 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of 2023, including at least 22,141 since 10/7. 98% of the Palestinians killed were from the Gaza. The Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din said 2023 was the worst year for Israeli settler violence against Palestinians since 2006 when the group started monitoring. Yesh Din noted that Israeli settlers have killed 10 Palestinians this year. (AJ 12/31; AJ 1/1)

Israel had the highest rate of murders ever recorded in 2023 at 299, including 241 among Palestinian citizens of Israel, which is double the number of 2022. 92% of the homicides involving victims that were Palestinian citizens of Israel were unresolved. (HA 12/31)

Axios reported that Israel rejected a Hamas proposal for a new ceasefire. The proposal included the release of 40 captives and the removal of all Israeli forces from Gaza during its first phase. (AX 1/1)

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen claimed that Israel will allow ships to deliver aid from Cyprus to Gaza immediately. Under the agreement the aid would be inspected by Israel in Larnaca and shipped to Gaza. Later in the day Cohen swapped jobs with infrastructure and energy minister Israel Katz. The job swap was part of the coalition government’s founding agreement. Cohen is scheduled to return as foreign minister in 2 years. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 12/31; HA 1/2)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel would not allow 2 million Palestinians to live in Gaza after the war, saying it would benefit Israel if the number was 100,000 to 200,000 at the end of the war. Smotrich also said Israeli settlers would repopulate Gaza and “make the desert bloom.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 12/31; AJ, HA 1/1)

ABC News reported that the U.S. will move its aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford out of the Middle East, returning it to Virginia. (HA 12/31; HA 1/2)

In the West Bank, PA officials said that 144 settler attacks were recorded in the Nablus area overnight, including damage to some 120 vehicles and 22 shops. Israeli settlers set a Palestinian-owned vehicle on fire and wrote racist graffiti on nearby walls in Jalud. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Rawabi and Yasuf. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a house and a vehicle and threw stones and sprayed racist graffiti at other houses in Turmus ‘Ayya. Israeli settlers also assaulted 1 Palestinian near Shaab al-Batum in the Masafer Yatta area. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers vandalized some 200 olive trees in Majdal Bani Fadil and Aqraba and vandalized crops and an agricultural structure in Ein al-Beida. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Nabi Salih, injuring 2, including 1 minor, with baton rounds. Israeli forces also seized artifacts from an archeological site in Sabastia. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issued demolition notices for 4 homes in Yatta. Separately, Israeli forces began a siege of Jericho after an unidentified assailant opened fire at a restaurant at a nearby settlement; no injuries were reported. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces sealed the family homes of 2 Palestinians killed during attacks on Israelis on 1/27 and 1/28. The homes in al-Tur and Silwan were sealed in preparation for punitive demolition. Israeli forces also demolished a house in Jabel Mukaber, displacing 2 families. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Jabel Mukaber, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids. (AJ, AP, GDN, HA, HA, JP, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/29; F24, HA, HA, TOI, WAFA 1/30; MEE 2/1; HA, HRW, PCHR, WAFA 2/2; UNOCHA 2/3; HA 2/5)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with CIA director William Burns in Ramallah. Director Burns arrived in Israel earlier in the week and have held meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials. (WAFA 1/29)

In Iran, Israel attacked a weapons manufacturing site in Isfahan with suicide drones, causing damage and wounding 1. The Iranian defense department said 2 of the 3 drones had been shot down before reaching the facility. (AJ, AN, HA, MEE, MEE, NYT, REU 1/29; BBC 1/30; AJ, AP, HA 2/2; AP, HA 2/3)

In Syria, Israel conducted airstrikes attacking a convoy of trucks after it entered eastern Syria from Iraq, killing 10 people. (HA 1/29; HA, MEE 1/30)

Israel recorded 35 cases of “nationalist crimes” targeting Palestinians since Friday evening on 1/27. No arrests had been made. (HA, TOI 1/30)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a video showing the family of the accused assailant from the 1/27 shooting removing their belongings from their home before their house was sealed. Israeli police criticized the release of the video saying National Security Minister Ben-Gvir wanted to humiliate the family. (HA 1/29)

Off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Rafah, Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF violently disperses stonethrowing Palestinian protesters in Silwad nr. Ramallah, injuring 1 with live ammunition. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 3 nearby villages, and 1 village each nr. Nablus and Qalqilya at night; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 3 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, 2 villages nr. Jericho, Nablus and 1 village and Balata r.c. nearby, and 1 village each nr. Jericho and Qalqilya at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries except in Bil‘in (1 struck by a tear gas canister) and in Kafr Qaddum (2 wounded by bullets). (PCHR 5/8)

Right-wing Jewish extremists vandalize the tomb of Izzeddin al-Qassam in Haifa, leaving “price tag” graffiti that includes the names of U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and Israeli justice minister Livni. (AFP, JP 5/2)

Palestine becomes a formal party to 5 international conventions, banning torture, racial discrimination, promoting women’s rights, children’s rights, and the rights of the disabled. In response, Israel withdraws the VIP passes of 4 senior Fatah officials— Nabil Shaath, Tawfik Tirawi, Abbas Zaki and Jibril Rajub—thereby restricting their status at checkpoints and border crossings to the level of other Palestinian citizens. (AFP, JP, MEMO 5/2)

In s. Sinai, 2 suicide bombing attacks target police at a security checkpoint, killing 1 soldier and wounding at least 8. The attacks are claimed by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis. (AP, REU 5/2)

Off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Rafah, Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 4 villages nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Qalqilya at night; patrols in 3 villages nr. Hebron at night. Jewish settlers attack Burin village nr. Nablus, throwing stones at schoolchildren, and assaulting a Palestinian man. Israeli forces arrive and fire rubber-coated metal bullets at villagers, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers destroy 700 newly planted olive tree saplings nr. Ramallah, and in another incident, Jewish settlers demolish a Palestinian-owned agricultural shed nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, 30 Palestinian-owned vehicles nr. Bayt Safafa are vandalized, with racist “price tag” graffiti left at the scene. (MNA, WAFA 2/19; PCHR 2/20)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry meets with PA Pres. Abbas in Paris to discuss the ongoing peace negotiations. The meeting was attended by Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat, PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudayna, and PLO Amb. to France Hayel Fahoum. State Dept. spokesperson Jen Psaki says that the “few hours” spent together were focused on “narrowing the gaps between the parties on a framework for negotiations.” State Dept. dep. spokesperson Marie Harf also says that Kerry expresses concern in the meeting about recent remarks made by Erakat about a potential boycott of Israel. Both before and after the meeting, Palestinian officials sound pessimistic about the prospects for a breakthrough, with an unnamed official describing the talks as facing a “real crisis.” While in Paris, Kerry also meets with Jordanian FM Nasser Judeh. (JP 2/18; AFP, AP, JP, YA 2/19)

On the 2d day of talks in Vienna, Dep. FM Abbas Araghchi tells Iranian media that representatives of Iran and the P5+1 countries have agreed on an agenda for negotiations and will meet again in Vienna at some point during the 2d half of 3/2014. Earlier, the U.S. State Dept. describes the 2d day of talks as “constructive and useful.” Meanwhile, Israeli media reports that a U.S. delegation will visit Israel to brief the Israeli govt. on the ongoing talks with Iran. (HA, REU 2/19)

Two suicide bombers attack the Iranian cultural center in Beirut, killing 8 and wounding dozens more. The attack is claimed by the al-Qa‘ida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which says the bombing was a response to Hizballah’s involvement in the Syrian conflict on the side of the govt. (AP, DS, REU 2/19)

In the Gaza Strip, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops open fire on open land nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, and Salfit at night; patrols in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Salfit, and in Qalqilya and 1 nearby village in the afternoon, in 3 villages and al-‘Arub refugee camp (r.c.) nr. Hebron and 2 villages nr. Ramallah at night. (PCHR 2/20)

Palestinian Authority (PA) Pres. Mahmud Abbas tells a group of visiting Israeli students in Ramallah that he does not seek to “flood Israel” with millions of Palestinian refugees or to change the country’s “social composition.” Meanwhile, at an Al Jazeera event in Oxford, UK, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat warns that Palestinians will call for a boycott of Israel and turn to international tribunals if the negotiations fail. (MNA, REU, YA 2/16)

In Egypt, a bomb explodes on a bus in Sinai, killing 2 South Korean tourists and the local driver, and wounding 12. Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claims responsibility, and says that a suicide bomber executed the attack. (AP, REU 2/16; JTA 2/17; REU 2/18)

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) announces that it has replaced its leader, Gen. Selim Idriss, with Col. Abdelilah al-Bashir, a decision prompted by “the ineffectiveness of the command in the past few mos.,” according to an FSA statement issued following a meeting in Gaziantep, Turkey. Meanwhile, Syrian FM Walid Muallem accuses the U.S. of creating a “negative climate” for dialogue at the 2d round of talks in Geneva, as the Syrian delegation returns from Switzerland to Damascus. U.S. Secy. of State Kerry praises the opposition’s “seriousness of purpose,” and criticizes the Syrian govt. for stalling in Geneva and attacking civilians in Syria. On the Syria-Jordan border, 10 gunmen from Syria open fire on Jordanian troops as they patrol, according to a Jordanian military spokesperson. The soldiers return fire, wounding 7 and arresting 3, while suffering no injuries. (AP, REU 2/16)

Hizballah’s leader, Shaykh Hasan Nasrallah, says that his group intends to stay and fight in Syria because Lebanon is threatened by Takfiri groups. He also urges Arab nations to help a process of Syrian national reconciliation. (DS 2/16)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces launch air strikes targeting 2 chicken farms, a border fence tunnel, and an Islamic Jihad training site nr. Khan Yunis. There are no injuries reported in any of the attacks. IDF troops also conduct a limited incursion in s. Gaza to level land nr. the border fence. The IDF also shells agricultural land nr. Gaza City, with no damage or casualties. Separately, a Palestinian fighter is killed in an accidental explosion in Gaza City. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 3 nearby villages and al-‘Arub r.c., and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, and Ramallah at night. Meanwhile, a Palestinian man shot by Israeli forces in 2006 dies of his wounds. Jewish settlers vandalize 2 cars and leave racist graffiti in a village nr. Nablus. (MNA 11/19; PCHR 11/21)

Following the 11/16 decision by Hamas officials, Ma’an News Agency’s office in Gaza City reopens, following 4 mos. of closure, with the authorities also announcing that Al-Arabiya TV’s offices would also reopen. Hamas closed the 2 news organizations on 7/25 after they reported that Muslim Brotherhood officials who had fled Egypt were being sheltered in the Gaza Strip. (MNA 11/19)

UNRWA Under Secy.-Gen. Jeffrey Feltman tells the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the agency will be unable to pay salaries to roughly 30,000 employees in 12/2013, including teachers and medical personnel, due to a $36 m. deficit. Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers gathered outside the High Court of Justice in Ramallah after the PA appealed to the court with the claim that the limited strike launched on 11/17 was in contravention of labor laws. (AFP, MNA 11/19)

A double suicide bombing kills 23 outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut, including an Iranian diplomat. The attack was claimed by al-Qa‘ida linked group Abdullah Azzam Brigades that, in a statement, said their demands were the withdrawal of Hizballah forces from Syria and the release of Salafist jihadists from Lebanese jails. Following the bombings, Hizballah’s dep. leader Naim Kassem says that the group will not be swayed from its course of support for the Syrian govt. Saudi Arabia condemns the attack as “cowardly.” (AFP 11/19; AP, REU 11/20)

Egyptian security forces storm Tahrir Square in Cairo, clashing with protesters who had gathered to mark the anniversary of deadly 2011 demonstrations. One person is killed in the confrontation. (AFP 11/19)

In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure 1 Palestinian nr. Hebron with live ammunition, as he was reportedly seen “damaging the security fence” (according to Israeli military sources). The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Bethlehem and 1 nearby village and Dahaysha r.c., 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Qalqilya, Ramallah and Tulkarm at night. Jewish settlers chop down more than 100 olive trees nr. Nablus. (MNA 10/19; PCHR 10/24)

PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas tells German television that despite the reports, the negotiations with Israel have not reached a dead end. Asked whether a lack of Palestinian national unit complicated the possibility of reaching a deal, Abbas says he speaks for the entire Palestinian people. Meanwhile, Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh calls for a “popular uprising” in the West Bank, and a renewal of resistance, as well as urging Palestinians to reject new negotiations with Israel for fear of jeopardizing the Palestinian issue. (MNA, ToI 12/19)

A suicide bomber blows himself up in a car in an Egyptian military intelligence facility nr. Ismailia and 2 other explosive-laden cars also detonate. The attack injures 4. (AFP, MNA 12/19)

Israeli media report that U.S. officials have told their Israeli counterparts that Iran made “no serious proposals” during the Geneva talks this past week, a verdict apparently echoed by British officials, too. (ToI 12/19)

The IDF bulldozes 3 agricultural storehouses and a well nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Hebron, and 1 nr. Jenin; and conducts separate late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. Hundreds of Jewish settlers, escorted by the IDF, enter Balata village nr. Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb; the IDF imposes a curfew on local Palestinians during the visit. (PCHR 7/19, 7/26; OCHA 7/27)

In Bulgaria, a suicide bomber detonates a device outside a bus boarding Israeli tourists in the port city of Burgas, killing at least 6 Israelis and wounding 32 plus the Bulgarian tour operator. Israel blames Iran for the blast and vows retaliation, but Iran denies the allegation, and no group takes responsibility. (NYT, WT 7/19; NYT, WP 7/20; JPI 7/27)

The IDF issues a military order confiscating 29 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of Palestinian land in Dayr Istya village nr. Salfit for ‘‘security and military purposes and to combat terrorist attacks.’’ The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages nr. Qalqilya in the morning; stages synchronized patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; conducts other patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and Salfit in the afternoon; and undertakes late-night patrols in Tulkarm and neighboring Nur Shams r.c. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus set fire to a small plot of crop land and attack Palestinians in nearby Madama village. (PCHR 5/31; OCHA 6/1)

Washington Jewish Week reports that in the previous wk., a U.S. court awarded the family of an American teenager killed in a 2006 Islamic Jihad suicide bombing in Tel Aviv (his father was seriously injured in the attack) $332 m. in damages from Iran and Syria. The family’s lawyers argued that Islamic Jihad was sheltered by Syria and funded by Iran. The family is unlikely to collect the money. (WJW 5/24)

After a 2d day of P5+1 talks with Iran, EU foreign policy chief Ashton announces that ‘‘significant differences’’ remain, but enough ‘‘common ground’’ existed to schedule a 3d round of meetings in Moscow on 6/18–19. (NYT, WP, WT 5/25)

The New York Times runs a special report on a congressional race for a House seat representing Queens, NY, that has been dubbed ‘‘Israelapalooza’’ for the way in which the candidates have touted their pro-Israel credentials in effort to win the endorsement of Ed Koch, former Democratic mayor of New York City, and the votes of Jewish constituents who make up 20% of the district’s population. For example, candidate Grace Meng, who built her political career as an advocate for Chinese Americans and yet has never visited China, made a recent trip to Israel that she has highlighted during her campaign. (NYT 5/24)

Israel warns of an expanded ground war in Gaza and begins moving more tanks and reservists to the Gaza border. The IDF drops leaflets and sends out automated phone messages across Gaza, warning of an escalation in fighting.

Combat notes: IDF tanks and artillery pound Gaza throughout the day. The IDF reports making air strikes on about 120 targets, including the home of IQB head Ahmad Jabari (presumed to be in hiding), at least 15 rocket-launching sites, 21 suspected weapons depots (including a mosque and school in Rafah, the homes of several Hamas mbrs.), 16 tunnels, 3 Hamas outposts, 1 police station, and 2 vehicles allegedly transporting weapons. In Khan Yunis, an air strike destroys Gaza European Hospital’s fuel depot, electricity generator, and water supply system. Target areas include Bani Suhayla, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Gaza City (al-Nasser, Shaykh Ridwan, al-Shuja‘iyya), Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, al-Maghazi, Nussayrat, Rafah. IDF ground forces engage in heavy exchanges with Palestinians in and nr. Bayt Lahiya. Heavy IDF tank and artillery fire are reported in Jabaliya (where 8 family mbrs. are killed by an IDF tank shell that lands outside their home), Khuza (possibly involving white phosphorus, burning 15 homes and 100s of individuals), Nussayrat, and Tal al-Hawa in Gaza City. The IDF claims to kill 16 armed Palestinians, including Hamas’s “leading authority on Grad rockets,” IQB cmdr. Amir Mansi, during a strike on a rocket-launching site. The estimated Palestinian toll reaches 820–840 dead.

Palestinians fire 9 rockets and 10 mortars into Israel, the fewest since OCL began on 12/27; 3 Grad rockets strike Ashqelon (each causing damage and light injuries, including shock), others land in open areas nr. Ashdod and in the Negev (causing no damage or injuries). The IDF reports 7 ground troops lightly wounded in various exchanges.

Humanitarian notes: The IDF observes a 3-hr. humanitarian lull to allow relief agencies to recover casualties and distribute food but does not allow new aid through Gaza’s crossings on the Sabbath.

Of note: The IDF reports that ground troops have been facing extensive tunnel networks inside the Strip, especially in Gaza City, which the Palestinian factions are using to try to ambush soldiers. IDF sources and Israeli journalists embedded with IDF troops report recent incidents in which Palestinian fighters tried to lure troops into a boobytrapped building in al-Zaytun; left a weapons cache rigged with explosives where the IDF would find it (the booby trap did not detonate); and sent a suicide bomber on a failed attempt to attack a group of soldiers. The IDF also acknowledges that it has rounded up and interrogated scores of Palestinians to gain knowledge of local Hamas positions and tactics. Israeli intelligence officers acknowledge phoning Gazans, sometimes overtly and sometimes pretending to be sympathetic Arabs fr. abroad, to gain information about conditions and locations of Palestinian forces on the ground. (AP, BBC, IDF, REU 1/10; IDF, NYT, WP, WT 1/11; MM, QA, WP 1/12; al-Akhbar, MM 1/13; NYT 1/14; PCHR 1/15; WJW 1/16; ITIC 1/19; JPI 1/23)

The IDF fires live ammunition at Palestinians demonstrating against OCL in Bayt Awa nr. Hebron, seriously wounding a 13-yr.-old boy; fires live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians holding a similar protest in Sa’ir nr. Hebron, wounding 3 Palestinians; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, nr. Hebron. (PCHR 1/15)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Nablus. A Palestinian gunman shoots at a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Ariel settlement, wounding 1 settler. Dozens of Jewish settlers rampage through Kafr al-Dik nr. Salfit, fire on and stone Palestinian homes and vehicles; the IDF sends in troops when Palestinians rally to defend their homes, firing tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse the Palestinians, wounding a 13-yr.-old boy and hitting and injuring a Palestinian man with an IDF vehicle. Nr. Nablus, a Palestinian shepherd is killed when he triggers IDF UXO. (NYT 9/29; OCHA 10/1; PCHR 10/9; AIC 11/9)

In Syria, a suicide car bombing kills 17 people, wounds 13 in Damascus. No group claims responsibility, and the intended target is unclear. (NYT, WP 9/30)

Israel opens the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing into Gaza for the first time since 4/08, when a Palestinian suicide bomber struck there; 15 trucks carrying humanitarian aid enter Gaza. Israel says it will allow around 80 trucks to enter over the next few days as a “trial run” prior to reopening the crossing for regular imports as part of the 6/19 cease-fire deal with Hamas. In the West Bank, the IDF searches homes and shops in Tulkarm, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Jenin town and refugee camp (r.c.), and nr. Hebron. As part of a new crackdown on Hamas in Hebron, PA security officials inform the head of the privately run Islamic Charitable Association (ICA), allegedly affiliated with Hamas, that the PA has removed the organization’s governing board and replaced it with a governing body comprising exclusively of Fatah mbrs. to run the charity and its affiliated orphanage and boarding school. (OCHA, WP, WT 8/20; PCHR 8/21; AHR 8/23)

The IDF expands military operations in Gaza, making at least 7 air strikes on Hamas, ESF, and PA General Intelligence targets in Gaza, targeting 4 suspected arms caches and 3 other sites (including PA Interior Min. offices in Rafah), injuring 16 Palestinians, damaging at least 25 Palestinian homes; sending tanks and bulldozers into the Strip to level agricultural land e. of Bayt Hanun; directing heavy machine gun fire at a rocket launching site in n. Gaza; conducting arrest raids in Khuza’a nr. Khan Yunis. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Khan Yunis to conduct arrest raids and house searches. Palestinians fire 9 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly wounding 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Bethlehem, and in Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian vehicles in East Jerusalem. A Hamas mbr. is fatally shot by suspected Fatah mbrs. in Khan Yunis. (OCHA, WP 5/23; PCHR 5/24; OCHA 5/30)

Heavy clashes btwn. the Lebanese army, FI at Nahr al-Barid r.c. continue for a 3d day. In Tripoli, a lone FI suicide bomber, still hiding from the police crackdown on 5/20, detonates a device when police close in on his location, killing only himself. Later in the afternoon, the Lebanese army halts its shelling of Nahr al-Barid r.c. in response to a shaky, undeclared cease-fire by FI, prompting some 10,000 Palestinians to flee. Palestinians in ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. and Rashidiyya r.c. demonstrate against the army’s heavy shelling of Nahr al-Barid. (Independent, REU 5/22; DS, LBC, MENA, al-Sharq al-Awsat, al-Safir 5/22 in WNC 5/23; NYT, WP, WT 5/23)

In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin r.c., where they assassinate Islamic Jihad mbr. Mahmud Abu Obeid, an alleged bomb maker; also sends undercover units into Bayt Jala to arrest a wanted Palestinian; conducts arrest raids in and around Bethlehem and Tulkarm, nr. Hebron, and in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, Jenin town and r.c.; demolishes a Palestinian home northwest of Jerusalem. In Gaza, a Palestinian farmer is killed when he accidentally detonates unexploded IDF ordnance. Palestinians fire at least 1 rocket fr. Gaza toward Israel that lands inside Gaza nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 6 Palestinians. Egyptian security forces conduct raids in Egyptian Rafah, detaining 2 Palestinians connected to the Palestinian arrested on 2/20, charging them with plotting suicide bombings; Egyptian authorities say they have arrested 23 Palestinians and Egyptians in the n. Sinai in recent days. In Gaza City, unidentified assailants detonate an explosive device outside the home of a PA police officer, causing damage but no injuries. (IFM 2/21; PCHR, WP 2/22; OCHA 2/28; PCHR 3/1)

A Palestinian suicide bomber fr. n. Gaza hikes through the Egyptian desert into Israel, hitches a ride to Elat with an Israeli motorist, detonates a device at a bakery there, killing 2 Israelis, 1 foreign worker fr. South Africa, wounding 1; the AMB, Islamic Jihad jointly claim responsibility for the attack, which is the 1st inside Israel since 4/17/06. Islamic Jihad says the bombing sends “a clear message” to Fatah and Hamas to end infighting and unite against Israel. In response, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggler’s tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Ramallah. In Gaza, at least 5 Palestinians (2 ESF mbrs., 1 PA police officer, 2 bystanders) are killed in Fatah-Hamas fighting in Gaza, with clashes reported in Bayt Lahiya, Gaza City, Jabaliya, Khan Yunis. In the most serious incident, ESF mbrs. raid, demolish a Force 17 base s. of Khan Yunis, kidnapping and later releasing 6 Force 17 mbrs. (AP, HA, IFM, MM, NYT, REU 1/29; MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/30; MM, OCHA 1/31; PCHR 2/1)

As Operation Autumn Clouds continues, a female Palestinian suicide bomber, claiming retaliation for a 6/9/06 IDF attack on the Bayt Lahiya beach that killed 8 Palestinians, detonates a device nr. IDF troops in Bayt Hanun nr. the site of a mosque where the IDF killed 2 Palestinian women on 11/3, lightly wounding 2 IDF soldiers. The IDF conducts at least 2 air strikes on Jabaliya, killing at least 2 armed Palestinians, 1 Palestinian schoolboy, wounding several students on their way to school; fatally shoots 1 armed Palestinian in clashes in Bayt Lahiya. Late in the evening, the IDF begins withdrawing troops fr. Bayt Hanun but does not say whether it is ending operations there; Olmert vowed on 11/5 not to halt operations until Palestinian rocket fire, which has increased since the troops entered, is significantly reduced. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Ramallah, and in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ nr. Nablus, Bayt Jala. (NYT, WP, WT 11/7; PCHR 11/9)

Lebanese political factions reopen a wk. of national dialogue to discuss Hizballah’s demand to form a new national unity government. (NYT, WT 11/6; WT 11/11) (see 10/31)

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing for the day; intercepts a Palestinian fishing boat off the s. Gaza coast, arresting 2 fishermen on suspicion of smuggling; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Hebron. An Israeli wounded in the 4/17 Tel Aviv suicide bombing dies of his injuries, bring that toll to 10. In n. Gaza, an explosive device detonates outside the home of a senior Fatah mbr., causing no injuries; no group claims responsibility. Hamas, Fatah/AMB leaders in n. Gaza hold another urgent mtg. to reduce tensions and prevent violence. The sides agree to end the public display of weapons, remove roadblocks installed by mbrs. of both factions on roads in various areas, form an investigative comm. to look into the causes of local tensions and to peacefully resolve them. (MM, NYT 5/15; PCHR 5/18; IMEMC 5/23)

Israel says that the Hamas-led PA is responsible for the 4/17 suicide bombing but that it will not launch a large-scale military operation in retaliation so as to “avoid escalation”; instead it will increase “diplomatic pressure” on the government, including revoking the Israeli residency rights of 3 Change and Reform PC mbrs. (including Jerusalem Affairs M Abu ‘Arafa) from East Jerusalem, meaning they would have to leave the city. The AMB, ARB, PRCs issue a joint statement demanding that Abbas “apologize to the entire Palestinian people for the offense he committed” by condemning the 4/17 suicide bombing. Meanwhile, the IDF steps up Operation Southern Arrow, shelling areas of n. Gaza, hitting a sewage treatment facility, seriously injuring 3 Palestinian children, and wounding a farmer working his field, a shepherd grazing his sheep, a Palestinian outside his home in Bayt Lahiya, a Palestinian walking in a residential area of Bayt Hanun, a truck driver nr. the customs bureau in Jabaliya; detains, severely beats a 16-yr.-old Palestinian boy at a Bethlehem checkpoint for allegedly carrying a knife; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, in Nablus (confiscating the camera of an AP journalist covering the raid). Israeli police detain PA Jerusalem Affairs M Abu ‘Arafa at a checkpoint on the outskirts of East Jerusalem as he is en route to a PA cabinet mtg., delaying him 2 hrs. (AFP, AP, IMEMC, JP, NYT, PNN, REU, WP 4/18; MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/19; MM, PCHR 4/20; HA 4/24)

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device in a Tel Aviv deli, killing 9 Israelis, wounding 59. Abbas condemns the attack, the deadliest since an 8/31/04 bombing killed 16 Israelis in Beersheba and since the 2/05 cease-fire was declared, whereas a Hamas spokesman in Gaza calls the bombing “a natural result of the continued Israeli crimes against our people”; the U.S. says that “the burden of responsibility for preventing terrorist attacks such as this one rests with the Palestinian Authority.” The IDF continues to shell the n. Gaza no-go zone (killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 2) and the s. Gaza coast from land and sea; makes an air strike on a building in Gaza City allegedly used as a factory to make rockets, causing no injuries; reopens the Sufa and Qarni crossings (closed on 4/13 and 4/15); sends troops into Nablus, where they fire on Palestinian stone throwers and on residential areas, wounding at least 16 Palestinians and damaging a clearly marked AP press vehicle; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. (arresting the father of the 4/17 suicide bomber), in Tulkarm town and r.c., and nr. Hebron, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh fire on Palestinian shepherds, steal some sheep nr. Nablus. (HA, NYT, YA 4/17; MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/18; HA, MM 4/19; PCHR 4/20; OCHA 4/23)

In Gaza, 1 AMB mbr., 1 PRC mbr. are fatally shot when they jointly attack the IDF post at the Erez crossing with gunfire and grenades, causing no injuries; the IDF shuts the Erez crossing in response. The IDF also fatally shoots a Palestinian laying a roadside bomb nr. the n. Gaza border fence; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, in Nablus, in and around Hebron. In Gaza City, unidentified Palestinian gunmen ambush, kidnap Egyptian military attache Hussam al-Musali ´ ; no group claims responsibility or issues demands; Hamas denounces the action. The PA releases 39 Islamic Jihad prisoners, 7 AMB mbrs. held in its Jericho jail since arrest sweeps following the 12/5/05 Islamic Jihad suicide bombing in Netanya. (IMEMC, XIN 2/9; NYT 2/10; PCHR 2/16; AFP 2/22)

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber fr. Nablus detonates a device in a Tel Aviv restaurant, killing only himself, wounding 24 Israelis (1 critically). The PA accuses Islamic Jihad of trying to derail the 1/25 elections. The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian throwing a Molotov cocktail at troops in Hebron; arrests Fatah candidate fr. Jerusalem Ahmad ‘Abd al-Rahim at a campaign rally in Shu‘fat, East Jerusalem; raids, seals an office in East Jerusalem linked to Change and Reform campaigning, confiscating computers, documents; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes nr. Jenin for construction of the separation wall; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and nr. Hebron, nr. Ramallah, and in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. n. Gaza towards Israel, but it lands in Bayt Lahiya, damaging a Palestinian home, lightly injuring a 7-yr.-old girl. (AP, IMEMC, JTA 1/19; HA, NYT, IMEMC, WP, WT 1/20; WT 1/21; PCHR 1/26)

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber fr. al-Til detonates a device at a checkpoint nr. Tulkarm, killing 1 IDF soldier, 2 Palestinians and wounding 3 IDF soldiers, 7 Palestinians. A Palestinian stabs, injures an Israeli in the Atarot industrial zone nr. Jerusalem, flees. The IDF seals Qalqilya, Tulkarm; continues to shell the n. Gaza nogo zone, targeting 6 main access roads; sends troops into Jenin town and r.c., patrolling streets, firing on residential areas, occupying several homes as observation posts, then raiding and searching the PA General Intelligence headquarters; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. (firing on residential areas, wounding 2 Palestinians), al-Til and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah; begins to bulldoze Palestinian land east of Shavei Shomron settlement nr. Nablus to install a fence around the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize Palestinian homes, steal chickens in Hebron. Mbrs. of a Palestinian clan angry over the arrest of a relative on drug and auto theft charges storm a PA police station in Gaza City, exchange gunfire with police, leaving 1 PA policeman, 1 gunman dead. Unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on Abbas’s Gaza City home, causing no injuries; Abbas is not there. (HA, IMEMC, JAZ, YA 12/29; HA, IMEMC, NYT, WP, WT 12/30; PCHR 1/5)

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber fr. Kefar Rai (btwn. Jenin and Tulkarm) detonates a device outside a shopping mall in Netanya, killing 5 Israelis, wounding 31 (4 seriously). Islamic Jihad says the attack is retaliation for the IDF’s 10/24 assassination of 2 of its leaders. The IDF immediately imposes closures on the West Bank and shuts pedestrian crossings in Gaza (keeping the Qarni crossing open for goods); announces that it is preparing for a wide-scale retaliation operation in northern Gaza and will step up assassinations and arrest campaigns in the West Bank, with DM Mofaz stating that the IDF had “decided to operate in a much broader, much deeper and more intensive manner against the Islamic Jihad infrastructure” and would make an effort to keep fr. drawing Hamas into the fighting. Later in the evening, the Israeli security cabinet authorizes the IDF to “adopt a harsher response” to rocket fire fr. Gaza, targeting built-up areas of Gaza as well as launch sites in uninhabited areas. During the day, the IDF also shells uninhabited areas in n. Gaza and in s. Gaza nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries; makes 5 mock air raids over Gaza, breaking the sound barrier; fires on residential areas of Aida r.c., wounding 2 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids in and around Hebron and in Bethlehem, Jenin (targeting Hamas, including detaining 2 candidates in the 12/15 municipal elections, 1 candidate in the 1/25 parliamentary elections), Ramallah; bulldozes 5 d. of Palestinian land in Silwan for construction of a parking lot for Jewish settlers. Palestinians throw 2 pipe bombs at an IDF patrol nr. Bethlehem and fire on an IDF checkpoint nr. Nablus, causing no damage or injuries. PA police fire at Palestinians in Jenin rallying in support of the Netanya bombing. Israeli police round up another 500 Palestinians working in Israel without permits (see 12/4). (BBC, HA, IDF Radio, IMEMC, XIN, YA 12/5; CSM, DS, HA, IMEMC, JAZ, NYT, REU, WP, WT, YA 12/6; AFP, PCHR 12/8)

Citing retaliation for the 8/24 assassination of an Islamic Jihad mbr., an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device outside a bus depot in Beersheba, Israel, killing only himself, seriously injuring 2 Israeli security guards, lightly injuring at least 8 other Israelis; Abbas quickly denounces the bombing as a “terrorist attack” that undermines Palestinian national interests. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron (btwn. Nablus and Qalqilya) throw stones at local Palestinians, lightly injuring 1. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai burn Palestinian olive trees, grape vines in Hebron. (IMEMC 8/28; NYT, WP, WT 8/29; IMEMC 8/30; PR 8/31; PCHR 9/1; MEI 9/2)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Jenin; bulldozes 5 d. of olive trees in Kafr Qadim nr. Qalqilya; confiscates 8 d. of land outside Nablus to expand a buffer around an IDF post. A rocket fired by Palestinians at Gush Katif bloc hits a Palestinian house in Khan Yunis, killing 1 Palestinian child, wounding a 2d. A mortar fired by Palestinians at an IDF post in Gaza injures 1 IDF soldier. After an NIHC mtg. in Gaza, the PA, Palestinian factions announce that all factions have reaffirmed their pledge to observe a cease-fire, will remove all armed forces fr. the streets (except those of the PA security forces), will halt provocations and incitement. Israel agrees to renew contacts with the PA regarding coordination on the disengagement, which were suspended following the 7/12 suicide bombing. (IMEMC 7/21; NYT, WT, XIN 7/22; OCHA, PR 7/27; PCHR 7/28)

The IDF bulldozes 8 Palestinian homes, a gas station constructed without permits in areas of East Jerusalem slated for a new park; demolishes 22 structures (including a school) in Khirbet Tana nr. Nablus (pop. 450) built without permits, leaving only 2 buildings in the village and the 200-yr.-old mosque standing; imposes a curfew on ‘Ayn al-Bayda nr. Jenin, searches homes, arrests around 30 Palestinian farmers, shepherds who are not residents of the village; raids a municipal building in n. Ramallah, arresting 1 Palestinian; fires live ammunition at Palestinians protesting separation wall construction in Qutna nr. Jerusalem, wounding 2; fires on residential areas of Aida r.c.; raids, occupies 3 Palestinian homes in Yatta as observation posts. Hamas holds a prayer rally in Nablus calling on Palestinians to boycott the evening’s Palestine International Festival (an annual wk.-long festival, not held since 2000, that opened in cities across the West Bank on 6/30) performance in the city by pop singer Ammar Hassan, citing the impropriety of men and women dancing to “risqu´e” music as well as of holding such a celebration when families are still mourning the losses of the intifada; the AMB assures that it sanctioned the event after Hassan agreed to sing only “conservative songs”; the performance ultimately is disrupted by some masked AMB mbrs. fr. Nablus and Balata r.c., who fire guns in the air, destroy some sets, force Hassan to cut short his performance. (HA, REU 7/5; IMEMC, OCHA, PR, XIN 7/6; PCHR 7/7; PR 7/13; HA 7/28; PR 8/3)

The United Church of Christ passes a resolution calling for the use of “economic leverage” to promote Middle East peace, but rejects resolutions calling for divestment in companies that supply Israel with bulldozers, military equipment. Two additional resolutions also denounce all forms of violence in the Middle East, “including suicide bombing by Palestinians and the use of force by Israelis in perpetuating occupation of Palestinian lands,” and call on Israel to dismantle the separation wall. (JTA, WP 7/6; AP 7/7; CSM 7/8)

A Damascus-based Islamic Jihad cell claims responsibility for the 2/25 Tel Aviv bombing, noting the end of the unofficial 1-mo. truce on 2/25 and stating that Israel had to be punished for cease-fire violations it committed; Islamic Jihad’s leadership in Gaza, however, denies responsibility, saying the group would continue to abide by an unofficial cease-fire. Israel shifts blame to Syria, which denies any responsibility, saying Islamic Jihad offices in Damascus have been closed for some time. Meanwhile, the PA security forces arrest 2 suspects in Gaza in connection with bombing; Israeli security forces arrest at least 5 suspects in Israel. The IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement around Hebron; fires on 3 Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel fr. Gaza to find work, killing 1 Palestinian, detaining 2; severely beats 2 Palestinians at a checkpoint at the entrance to al-Til nr. Nablus; places a curfew on Dayr al-Ghusun, hometown of the 2/25 suicide bomber, arrests the bomber’s 2 brothers, the village imam; fires on residential areas of Tulkarm town, r.c., and neighboring villages. An IDF border policeman shoots, wounds a Palestinian woman in Hebron after she allegedly tries to stab him during a security check. Some 15 Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba, escorted by IDF soldiers, severely beat a Palestinian farmer working his land outside Hebron; soldiers arrest the Palestinian, interrogate him before releasing him. PA security forces report that they have uncovered, sealed 12 smugglers’ tunnels in Rafah since deploying along the Gaza border. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 2/26/04. (HA, JAZ, PRCS, VOI, VOP 2/26; IDF Radio, JAZ, NYT, PRCS, WP 2/27; MM 2/28; MM, PCHR 3/3; MEI 3/4)

A Palestinian suicide bomber fr. Dayr al-Ghusun nr. Tulkarm detonates a device outside a Tel Aviv disco, killing 4 Israelis, wounding 23. Israel and the PA immediately blame Hizballah, which denies involvement. Abbas denounces the attack by “terrorists” who want to “sabotage this process,” vows to track down those responsible. Palestinian factions deny responsibility, saying they will continue to abide by an unofficial cease-fire. The IDF places a curfew on Jericho. Palestinians report that the IDF has begun registering the names of all Palestinians traveling to and fr. Nablus through IDF checkpoints. Palestinians fire 2 mortars at Neve Dekalim settlement in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. (BBC, JAZ, VOP 2/25, AFP, HA, MA, NYT, PRCS, WP, WT 2/26; al-Arabiyya TV 2/26 in WNC 3/28; HA, JAZ, WP, VOI 2/27; HA, MM 2/28; MM 3/1; OCHA, PR 3/2; PCHR 3/3; MEI 3/4; JPI 3/11)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device nr. an IDF base nr. Gush Katif Junction in s. Gaza, killing 1 Shin Bet officer, wounding 7 IDF soldiers. IDF soldiers angry over the bombing fire on Palestinians waiting to cross the nearby Abu Huli and al-Mahatin checkpoints, wounding 2, denying them medical treatment, only allowing them to leave the area to seek treatment after 2 hrs. The IDF makes a late-night incursion into Nablus, arrests 13 Hamas mbrs., destroys 2 Palestinian homes; fires on residential areas nr. the n. Gaza border and in Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, nr. Gaza City, nr. Ramallah. Islamic Jihad fires 2 rockets at Netzarim settlements and detonates a roadside bomb by an IDF patrol in Bayt Hanun, causing no damage or injuries. The PRCs fire 2 rockets at Netzarim, causing no damage or injuries. An Israeli teenager injured in a Qassam attack on 1/15 dies. (JAZ, VOI,. XIN 1/18, MA, VOI 1/19 in WNC 1/20; AP, HA, MM, NYT 1/19; WP 1/20; PCHR 1/27)

Abbas arrives in Gaza for several days of consultations, meets with faction leaders, security heads there. Abbas meets with Hamas leaders to urge them to halt attacks on Israeli targets. (JAZ 1/18 in WNC 1/20; MM, NYT, UPI, WT 1/19; PR 1/20)

U.S. Pres. George W. Bush narrowly wins reelection. (MM 11/2; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/3; VOP 11/3 in WNC 11/5; MM 11/4; Globes, HA, JAZ, JP, JT, MA, MENA, YA 11/4 in WNC 11/6; al-Safir 11/4, al-Dustur, MNR, al-Ra’i 11/5, al-Dustur 11/6 in WNC 11/9; SA 11/6 in WNC 11/10; MM 11/5; HA 11/9; JPI 11/12)

The IDF blows up 3 Palestinian homes in and nr. Askar r.c. belonging to the family of the 11/1 suicide bomber, 2 senior PFLP mbrs.; raids a clinic in Nablus, searches ambulances, interrogates paramedics; conducts arrest raids and house searches, bulldozes 50 d., demolishes 2 poultry farms and several wells nr. Kefar Darom. AMB mbr. Fadi Qaffisha dies of injuries received in the IDF assassination of Mari on 11/1. Palestinians fire several mortars at Neve Dekalim, causing no damage or injuries. A Jewish settler injures a 7-yr.-old Palestinian girl in a hit-andrun incident nr. Hawara south of Nablus. (PRCS 11/2; VOI 11/2 in WNC 11/4; NYT, WP 11/3; VOI 11/3 in WNC 11/5; PCHR, WJW 11/4)