The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers used pepper spray to assault 3 Palestinian women picking gundelia flowers near Kisan. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near the Homesh settlement outpost. Later, when Israeli forces tried to intervene, the Israeli settlers threw stones at the Israeli forces. (WAFA 3/12; HA 3/16; PCHR 3/17; UNOCHA 3/25)

The Israeli Jerusalem municipality’s planning and building committee approved a plan to build 730 new Israeli settlement units in the Pisgat Ze’ev settlement in East Jerusalem. The PA and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the plan approval. (WAFA, WAFA 3/12; WAFA 3/13)

In response to an Israeli attack in Syria that killed 2 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on 3/7, Iran fired 12 missiles at Irbil in Iraq targeting Israeli “strategic centers,” according to Iranian state media. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard released a statement saying it would continue to respond to Israeli attacks on Iranians in the future. Lebanese media reported that 4 Israeli officers were killed in the attack, while Iraqi and American sources said that there were no casualties. U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan condemned the Iranian attack and said that the U.S. is working with Iraq to help it gain missile defense capabilities. The New York Times later reported that the Iranian attack was also a response to a secret Israeli attack on an Iranian drone facility in Kermanshah on 2/12, which allegedly was carried out from Iraq with the use of 6 suicide quadcopter drones. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, REU, REU 3/13; AJ, AP, AP, MEE, MEMO, MEMO 3/14; ALM, HA, MEMO 3/15; HA, HA, NYT 3/16; HA, MEMO 3/17)

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he would like to have a top-level meeting with Russia in Jerusalem to end the war, pointing out that early Israeli leaders were from Ukraine. Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett has presented himself as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, but he has been criticized by some Ukrainian officials for trying to persuade Ukraine into give up territory to Russia to end the war. Others have criticized Prime Minister Bennett for avoiding to take a hard stance against Russia and supporting Ukraine by trying to mediate. (ALM, AX, HA 3/11; HA, HA, MEMO, REU, REU 3/12; HA 3/13; ALM 3/15; HA 3/17)

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 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)

Overnight, the Israeli navy rounds up 14 Palestinian fishing boats, detains 56 fishermen, releases 50 later in the day. A Hamas sniper fires across the Gaza border into Israel, wounding an Israeli electrical worker in the 1st armed attack by Hamas since the Gaza cease-fire went into effect 11/26/06. Hamas mbrs. also fire 2 mortars at the IDF post at Qarni crossing, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad reiterates Hamas’s call for mutual calm; Israel says that it will continue to abide by the truce but that its patience is wearing thin. In Shati’ r.c., an Islamic Jihad mbr. is killed, 9 Palestinians are injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. Egyptian security forces announce that they have captured a Hamas mbr. in the n. Sinai, who allegedly intended to sneak into Israel to stage a suicide bombing. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians, wounding 4. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba bar Palestinian worshipers fr. entering al-Ras Mosque in Hebron; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Separately, 50 Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba, under IDF protection, occupy a 4-story Palestinian residential building in Hebron, claiming to have legally purchased it; the owner denies this; officers fr. the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) ask the settlers to see the purchase documents, but they refuse. A Jewish settler fr. Hebron seriously injures a Palestinian man in a deliberate hit and run. In Gaza City, 200 family mbrs. of Palestinians detained by Israel hold a sit-in to demand greater PA and international efforts to secure a prisoner release. (al-Mezan, NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 3/20; PCHR 3/22)

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)

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)

Early in the morning, Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Bayt Hanun into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; IDF artillery responds, shelling a road and an open field n. Gaza where Palestinians have launched rockets, causing no injuries. Despite the exchange, the IDF partially reopens the Erez and Qarni crossings. In the afternoon, an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber retaliating for the 10/24 Saadi assassination detonates a bomb in an open-air market in Hadera, killing 5 Israelis, wounding 6 seriously, 14 moderately. Palestinians also fire another rocket at the Negev (no damage or injuries), a mortar at an IDF post on the s. Gaza border (no damage or injuries). Israel immediately cancels a planned mtg. btwn. Israeli, PA cabinet mbrs.; Sharon says he will not meet with Abbas until he takes “serious action” against militants. Late in the evening, the Israeli cabinet approves Operation Starting All Over Again—a “broad and nonstop” offensive (including assassinations) against “terrorism” in the West Bank and Gaza that will continue until “terrorism” ends; says there are no plans for a ground offensive into Gaza at present, but restrictions on Palestinian movement across the West Bank will be tightened, diplomatic offensives will be raised to pressure Syria over its hosting of Islamic Jihad in Damascus. Meanwhile, right-wing Jewish settler youths occupy abandoned buildings nr. Elon Moreh, Keddumim settlements and site on Worshippers Way in Hebron, declaring new unauthorized outposts. (HA, WP, YA 10/26; HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT, YA 10/27; HA 10/28; IMEMC 10/31; PCHR 11/10)

The IDF completes demolition of empty settler homes in Ganim, Qadim; informs the PA that the 4 evacuated West Bank settlement sites will remain classified as area C (under full Israeli control). The AMB, Islamic Jihad claim joint responsibility for the 8/28 suicide bombing. A Palestinian gunman fatally shoots an IDF soldier nr. the evacuated Morag settlement. The IDF imposes a day-long curfew on, patrols in Fasayil nr. Jericho; conducts house searches in villages around Jenin, nr. Tulkarm. (JAZ 8/29; PR 8/31; PCHR 9/1)

An Israeli interministerial comm. decides that the Israeli Palestinian victims of the 8/4/05 suicide attack by an AWOL IDF soldier in Shafa ‘Amr will receive a lumpsum compensation payment fr. the state but will not be recognized as “terror victims,” who receive a lifetime monthly government stipend. Israeli law only recognizes as “terror victims” those who were killed by “enemy forces.” (HA 8/30; Guardian 9/1; HA, MEI 9/2; NYT 10/24)

After mos. of IDF operations in which an Islamic Jihad leader was assassinated on 3/10, another leader survived an attempted assassination on 7/10, and more than 300 cadres were arrested following the 2/25 suicide bombing carried out by a renegade Islamic Jihad mbr., an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber fr. al-Til outside Tulkarm detonates a device outside a mall in Netanya, killing 3 Israelis, wounding up to 48, marking the 1st suicide bombing since 2/25/05 (1st inside Israel since 11/1/04); Islamic Jihad at first denies, then confirms responsibility. Israel suspends all contacts with the PA regarding disengagement, seals the West Bank and Gaza, vows to respond harshly against the group. Abbas states, “We condemn this terrorist attack. It’s a crime against the Palestinian people. Those traitors are working against the Palestinian interest. . . . They did a stupid thing that they should be punished for,” though he notes Islamic Jihad’s denial. At almost the same time as the bombing, a stolen car breaks through the fence of Shavei Shomron settlement in the West Bank and explodes, injuring the driver but causing no other casualties; the IDF says the driver was an Islamic Jihad mbr. who had been working as an informant for Israel; he had been handcuffed to the wheel of the car and the bomb he was carrying was detonated by cell phone, suggesting an attempt to assassinate him for collaboration. The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes built without permits in Issawiyya and Silwan, East Jerusalem, where Israel intends to construct a park; conducts house searches, detains Palestinians for interrogation in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem. Palestinians detonate aroadside bomb under an IDF jeep outside Netzer Hazani settlement in s. Gaza, injuring 2 soldiers. Masked Palestinian gunmen fire on senior PA Interior Min. Ibrahim Salama as he drives in Ramallah, force his car to stop, severely beat him; no group takes responsibility. (AP, BBC, HA, IMEMC, XIN 7/12; VOI, VOP 7/12 in WNC 7/13; NYT, OCHA, PR, WP, WT, YA 7/13; HA, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, JP, MA, XIN, YA 7/13 in WNC 7/14; PCHR 7/14; al-Safir 7/16 in WNC 7/17; PR 7/20; XIN 7/21)

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)

In downtown Beersheba, 2 Hamas suicide bombers simultaneously detonate devices on 2 buses, killing 16 Israelis, wounding 82. The IDF demolishes the family homes of the bombers in Hebron. The IDF also imposes tighter restrictions on entry to and exit from Hebron; fatally shoots 1 Palestinian youth during a predawn incursion into Rafah; fires on residential areas of Nablus and reinforces checkpoints on the Nablus– Qalqilya road; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, Hebron; bulldozes 360 d. of agricultural land in Juhur Yidiq in central Gaza, 8 d. and 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah; raids, searches several charitable societies and PA Information Min. offices in Hebron, briefly detaining 20 Palestinians and 3 journalists covering the incident. A Jewish settler kills a 61-yr.-old Palestinian woman in a hit-and-run nr. Qalqilya. The AMB Jenin faction issues a statement calling PA FM Shaath a “traitor” for allegedly meeting with Israeli FM Silvan Shalom on the sidelines of a conference in Italy (ca. 8/26), threatening to kill him if he returns to the territories; Shalom says he did not interact with Shaath at the mtg. (HA, MM, WP 8/31; JAZ, MENA, VOI, VOP 8/31 in WNC 9/2; CSM, HA, MM, NYT, Palestinian Medial Relief Society press release, PR, WP, WT 9/1; AYM, QA, al-Quds, VOI 9/1 in WNC 9/3; HJ 9/1, JAZ, VOI, VOP 9/2 in WNC 9/4; HJ, MM, PCHR, WJW, WT 9/2; MM 9/3; JAZ 9/4 in WNC 9/7; PR 9/8; JPI, MEI, MM 9/10)

A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device on a crowded bus nr. Sharon’s official residence in West Jerusalem, killing 10 Israelis, wounding 44. The bomber, whom the PA confirms was a Bethlehem PSF officer fr. Aida r.c., leaves 2 suicide notes claiming the attack in the name of the AMB, Hamas; the AMB initially claims responsibility, Hamas does so after the 2d letter is released; the groups do not claim joint responsibility, as they have done in the past, raising questions as to who really staged the attack. Israeli DM Shaul Mofaz says Israel will not routinely seal the territories in the wake of the bombing, so as not to aggravate Palestinians’ hardship; will specifically target militant groups. The IDF tightens checkpoints around Hebron; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. Hebron Jewish settlers attack Palestinians in nearby Yatta, forcing 9 Palestinian families out of their cave dwellings and mud houses; Hebron settlers reportedly seek to expropriate more than 37,000 dunams in the area for settlement expansion. In a plea agmt., an Israeli court sentences to 15 mos. in jail Havat Maon settlers Yitzhak Paz and Matityahu Shvu, arrested on 7/17/03 for transporting explosives, plotting a major bombing of a Palestinian school, carrying out 2 bombings at Palestinian schools that resulted in no deaths. (BBC, HA, MM 1/29; MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/30; MM 2/3; WJW 2/5; JPI 2/6; al-Majallah [London] 2/8 in WNC 2/18; PCHR 2/12; JPI 2/13)

Israel, Hizballah begin to implement the 1st stage of their 2-stage prisoner swap. (BBC, HA, MNR, NYT, WJW, WP, WT 1/29; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/30; MM 2/2; JPI, MEI 2/6; JPI 2/13) (see 1/24)

An AMB suicide bomber fr. Nablus detonates a device in a supermarket in Rosh Ha’ayn, just across the West Bank border, inside Israel, killing 1 Israeli, wounding 10; the area was already on alert after the PA informed Israel of reports of a pending attack. Soon after, a Hamas suicide bomber fr. Nablus, retaliating for the IDF killing of 2 Hamas mbrs. on 8/8, detonates a device at a bus stop outside Ariel settlement, killing 1 Jewish settler, wounding 3. Israel freezes the release of another 76 Palestinian prisoners who were to be freed today; seals Azun and Qalqilya to conduct searches for Palestinians who may have aided the bombers, arresting several persons; places a closure on Nablus; otherwise says it will not respond. Abbas, in Qatar, cuts short his visit to the Gulf, heads to Amman, where he condemns the bombings but also Israeli provocations. The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in the Jabal Mukabir area of East Jerusalem. (BBC, HA, MM 8/12; Interfax, MENA, XIN 8/12 in WNC 8/14; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/13; JP, MA, VOI, YA 8/13 in WNC 8/15; NYT, PCHR, WP 8/14)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus outside French Hill settlement in East Jerusalem, killing 6 Jewish settlers, 1 West Bank Palestinian laborer, wounding 12 settlers; as rescue workers arrive at the scene, a 2d Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device in the area, killing only himself. (Reports indicate that the 2 bombers today and the 1 yesterday were friends fr. Hebron, possibly mbrs. of the same soccer team.) The IDF expels Mahmud al-Safuri, brother of detained Islamic Jihad military cmdr. Haj ‘Ali al-Safuri, fr. Jenin to Gaza for 2 yrs. for allegedly aiding his brother in staging attacks; this is the first such forced transfer since 9/4/02. The IDF also seals the West Bank, places closures on most villages, cities; continues operations in Bayt Hanun, fatally shooting 1 Palestinian, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes, bulldozing more land, tightening the closure; fatally shoots a 2d Palestinian in Khan Yunis; chases, fires on a group of laborers on their way to work in Israel, causing 1 Palestinian to suffer a fatal heart attack; bulldozes 120 dunams of land in Abasan; demolishes 10 Palestinian homes in Rafah r.c.. Sharon convenes a cabinet mtg. to discuss responses, overrules calls to expel PA head Yasir Arafat. Palestinian gunmen fatally shoot an alleged collaborator in Nablus. (WT 5/18; ITAR-TASS 5/18 in WNC 5/19; HA, MM, NYT, WP 5/19; MM, PCHR 5/20; HA, MM, PR 5/21; LAW, PCHR 5/22; HA 5/23; al-Haq 5/24; NYT 6/13)

In light of the Jerusalem bombing, Sharon postpones plans to leave for Washington today to meet with Pres. George W. Bush regarding implementation of the road map; convenes his security cabinet to discuss retaliation. (NYT, WP, WT 5/19; VOI 5/20 in WNC 5/21)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device in Hebron, killing 2 Jewish settlers. Nr. Qalqilya, 2 Palestinian gunmen infiltrate a settlement, wound 2 Jewish settlers before being killed; no group takes responsibility. The IDF continues operations in Bayt Hanun, fatally shooting an Islamic Jihad mbr., wounding 24, bulldozing land, firing on residential areas; demolishes 7 Palestinian homes in Rafah refugee camp (r.c.), 2 in al-Mughraqa; bulldozes 120 dunams (4 dunams = 1 acre) of Palestinian agricultural land in Khan Yunis. The IDF also fires flares e. of Khan Yunis, staring a fire in a wheat field; bars Palestinian firefighters fr. reaching the area, allowing 32 dunams to burn. In Hebron, Jewish settlers beat a pregnant Palestinian, causing her to suffer a miscarriage; set fire to a Palestinian home. (NYT, WP 5/18; MM 5/19; PR 5/21; LAW, PCHR 5/22; NYT 5/30)

Despite the Hebron bombing, new Palestinian Authority (PA) PM Mahmud Abbas, Israeli PM Ariel Sharon meet in Jerusalem regarding the road map, marking their 1st meeting and the 1st senior-level PA-Israeli talks since 9/26/00. Sharon says he cannot accept the road map but offers to redeploy the IDF from 1 (unnamed) West Bank Palestinian city and fr. n. Gaza in exchange for a commitment to crack down on militant groups. (NYT, WP, WT 5/18; MM 5/19; AYM 5/20 in WNC 5/23; NYT, PR 5/21; HA 5/23; al-Musawwar 5/23 in WNC 5/27; HA 5/28; MEI 5/30)

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 pulls out of the n. Gaza “security zone” it reoccupied on 3/7, having bulldozed at least 314 dunams of land, demolished 2 Palestinian homes in Bayt Lahia. The IDF fatally shoots 2 AMB mbrs. planting roadside bombs outside Kefar Darom settlement; shells residential areas of Hebron, killing 1 Palestinian, destroying his home; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Bayt Hanun, 1 in Jenin, 1 in al-Qarara; bulldozes 10 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Hanun. A Palestinian gunman ambushes an IDF patrol nr. the Tomb of the Patriarchs/ al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, killing 1 IDF soldier, wounding 5, taking refuge in an apartment building; Hamas, the PFLP each take responsibility; the IDF evacuates the building, shells and bulldozes it, killing the gunman. A Beit El military court sentences a Fatah mbr. to 4 consecutive life terms for planning a 3/21/02 suicide bombing in Jerusalem. The AMB and military wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP in Nablus issue a letter warning the IDF to withdraw fr. Nablus and other PA areas in 2 wks. or they will resume military operations inside Israel. (HA 3/10; VOI 3/10 in WNC 3/11; HA, MM, NYT 3/11; NYT, PR, WP 3/12; LAW, PCHR 3/13)

The Reston Connection (Reston, VA) reports that at a private function last wk. in Virginia, Rep. James Moran (D-VA) said, “If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this [i.e., planning for war]. The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going, and I think they should.” Jewish orgs. condemn his comments as “reprehensible and anti-Semitic.” House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says Moran’s comments “have no place in the Democratic party.” (HA, WP 3/11; WJW 3/13; WP 3/15; MEI 3/21; WJW 4/10)

The IDF arrests 17 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Hebron; claims they planned, carried out anti-Israeli attacks on orders fr. their “headquarters” in Syria; says it is still searching for the cell leader Diab Suwayki, whom it has tried to assassinate twice. The IDF also demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in, fires on residential areas of Rafah; demolishes a Palestinian home in Bayt Furik; raids 2 buildings in Ramallah containing medical and law offices, destroying furniture, files; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Tulkarm, seriously injuring a 13-yr.-old Palestinian; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis r.c.; confiscates 76 Palestinian taxis operating on the Ramallah+nJerusalem road (see 1/20); conducts arrest raids in Balata r.c., Jenin, Nablus. A Hamas gunman ambushes, lightly wounds a Jewish settler nr. Dayr al-Balah; in response, the IDF demolishes 4 Palestinian homes, bulldozes 31 dunams of land nr. Kefar Darom. The IDF says it has noticed increased efforts by the PA to halt the firing of Qassam missiles and planting of bombs in Gaza; says the PA stepped up efforts before elections, but has continued them after elections as well. An Israeli court orders Arafat, the PA to pay more than $10 m. in damages to Israel's Egged bus company for losses caused by Palestinian suicide bombings. (AP, HA, PM, REU 2/4; LAW, PCHR, PR, WP, WT 2/5; TJT, WJW 2/6)

A Palestinian suicide bomber fr. Bethlehem detonates a device on a bus in Jerusa-lem, killing 11 Israelis, wounding 48 (8 of them seriously). Hamas, Islamic Jihad both take responsibility, but family, friends of the bomber say he supported Islamic Jihad. Sharon convenes his security cabinet; does not invite fmr. PM and current FM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is challenging him for the PM candidacy in the upcoming Likud primaries on 11/28. Fearing that Sharon will stage a major retaliatory attack, the PSF evacuates its offices in Bethlehem. After the mtg., Sharon spokesman Raanan Gissin states that in light of U.S. military intentions against Iraq, “We are not going to allow any kind of escalation.” The IDF shells a PA military intelligence post nr. Netzarim settlement, killing 1 PA intelligence officer; makes a predawn raid on 3 villages nr. Khan Yunis in s. Gaza, demolishing the home of a senior DFLP mbr., firing on residential areas, wounding 4 Palestinians; bulldozes 39 dunams of Palestinian land e. of Dayr al-Balah, 11.5 dunams and several structures nr. Bayt Lahia. (HA, MM, NYT, WP 11/21; ATL, Interfax 11/21 in WNC 11/22; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/22; QA 11/22, MA 11/24 in WNC 11/25; LAW, PCHR 11/27)

Israeli security forces guarding the U.S. emb. in Tel Aviv capture a Palestinian suicide bomber when he bolts fr. the entrance of a nearby cafe after his explosives belt set off a metal detector; no one is injured. 1 Palestinian dies of injuries received on 9/30. The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian in her home in Nablus, shells residential areas of Bayt Hanun. Israel bars access to al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers to Palestinians under age 40. Jewish settlers retake the only inhabited settler outpost removed by the IDF on 10/10; the IDF says it has shut 17 of 24 unauthorized outposts it aims to close. (HA, MM 10/11; NYT, WP 10/12; WT 10/13; MM 10/14; LAW, PCHR, PR 10/16)

Some 5,000 Christian evangelicals hold a rally in solidarity with Israel on the sidelines of a Christian Coalition conference in Washington. Addressing the rally, Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson states that "Palestine has been occupied by Yasir Arafat and his thugs . . . [and] we cannot turn it over to them." House majority whip Tom DeLay (R-TX) declares that when he visited the Jewish state, "I didn't see any occupied territory--what I saw was Israel." (WJW 10/17; JPI 10/25; Guardian 10/28)

Senate passes (77-23) a concurrent res. approved by the House (296-133) on 10/10 giving Bush the authority to strike Iraq unilaterally, meaning he needs no further congressional approval to deploy troops, order air strikes, wage a ground war with Iraq. The Pentagon issues orders for the army's V Corps, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force to deploy headquarters staffs, which would coordinate an attack on Iraq, to Kuwait, marking the 1st official nonroutine dispatch of conventional ground forces to the Gulf. (NYT, WP, WT 10/11; NYT 10/12)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus at Meron Junction in n. Israel, killing 3 IDF soldiers, 2 Israeli civilians, 2 Philippine workers, 2 Israeli Arabs and wounding 40 (mostly soldiers); Hamas says it will not release the name the bomber to prevent Israel fr. retaliating against his relatives. In Jerusalem, an AMB gunman fatally shoots an Israeli guard, an Israeli telephone employee nr. Damascus Gate; Israeli policemen, soldiers open fire indiscriminately in the direction of the shooter, who is near a café, killing him, a Palestinian café patron, wounding 17. Nr. Aley Sinai settlement in Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian frogman as he emerges fr. the sea carrying a rifle, grenades in a sealed bag. AMB gunmen detonate a roadside bomb nr. a settler car nr. Ramallah, fire on passengers, injuring 3 Jewish settlers. PFLP gunmen fire on a settler bus nr. Tulkarm, injuring 4 Jewish settlers. A roadside bomb injures 4 IDF soldiers nr. Ramallah. The IDF demolishes an 18-dunam PA Youth and Sports Min. complex, a 20-dunam PSF training center, 4 privately owned buildings, several boats in Bayt Lahia. Jewish settlers attack a PRCS ambulance nr. Ramallah, injuring 2 paramedics. (AFP 8/4 in WNC 8/5; MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/5; LAW, PCHR 8/7)

The IDF reoccupies Qalqilya, imposes a curfew; Palestinians clash with troops, leaving 2 IDF soldiers, a local PA intelligence chief dead. The IDF continues operations in Jenin r.c. and town, fortifying a temporary IDF base outside the r.c. with 7 trailers, fuel and water trucks to create a barracks; conducting house-to-house searches, ordering all men ages 15-50 to surrender, using 3 doctors fr. a nearby hospital as human shields; firing a tank shell at al-Razi hospital. The IDF also reinforces tanks around Nablus; conducts arrest raids in Dura, Hebron, Umm Salamona; bulldozes 57 dunams of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Aley Sinai; imposes curfews on villages around Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Aldavid settlement set fire to 50 dunams of Palestinian crops nr. Bethlehem; IDF troops observe but do not intervene. An AMB suicide bomber, retaliating for the 6/17 assassination of an AMB leader, detonates a device at a bus stop in French Hill settlement in East Jerusalem during evening rush hr., killing 7 Jewish settlers, wounding 40. In response, the IDF sends troops into Ramallah; helicopter gunships fire missiles at least 5 alleged bomb-making workshops in Gaza City, Jabaliya, Khan Yunis; begins barring Palestinians with West Bank IDs fr. entering Jerusalem; raids a hospital in Shaykh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, sends home 30 employees with West Bank IDs; reportedly rounds up 1,400 Palestinian workers inside the Green Line, sends home 800 Palestinian workers with West Bank IDs. (HP, LAW, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/19; XIN 6/19 in WNC 6/21; MM 6/20, 6/24; LAW 6/26; PCHR 6/27; JPI, MEI 6/28)

PA Planning M Shaath, still in Washington meeting with U.S. officials, says that he has given the U.S. a 20-30-page draft constitution for a Palestinian state (i.e., an expanded version of the Basic Law) that reportedly envisions a government headed by a PM, with a ceremonial pres. (WP 6/20)

A suicide bomber detonates a device in an unlicensed gambling club in the Rishon Letzion suburb of Tel Aviv, killing 15 Israelis, injuring 57. Hamas's military wing claims responsibility, but the political wing will not confirm. The IDF conducts arrest raids in Tulkarm city, detaining about 40 Palestinians; bulldozes a Palestinian home, fatally shoots a Palestinian boy in Rafah; begins work on Jewish settler bypass roads nr. Khan Yunis, nr. Nablus. In Bethlehem, the siege of the Church of the Nativity continues, with Italy complaining it has not been consulted on the 5/6 agmt. (AFP, AP, CNN, MM 5/7; AFP, ANSA, XIN 5/7 in WNC 5/8; al-Quds 5/7 in WNC 5/9; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/8; MA, RNE 5/8 in WNC 5/9; MM, WJW 5/9; al-Ra'i 5/9 in WNC 5/10; MM 5/10; AYM 5/12 in WNC 5/15; JP 5/16; MEI 5/17; HA 5/24)

The IDF announces plans to divide the West Bank into 8 isolated zones (Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tulkarm); to impose severe new restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, goods btwn. zones. (UNRWA press release 5/14; al-Quds 5/16 in WNC 5/17; HA, JT [Internet] 5/17; HA 5/18; AYM 5/28 in WNC 5/20; PMC 5/19; HA 5/22; NYT 5/24)

In Washington, Sharon, Bush hold talks on PA reform, barely touch on the idea of a peace conference. They agree that the priority should be halting Palestinian violence, restructuring the PA, unifying the PA security services. Sharon also says that it is "premature" to discuss a Palestinian state, Israel will never agree to withdraw to 1967 lines; suggests Israel will not resume political talks until Arafat has been removed fr. power. Bush say he will send CIA dir. Tenet to the region to help rebuild the PA security forces. Sharon returns to Israel in light of the Rishon Letzion bombing. (AP, CNN, MM 5/7; MENA, al-Quds 5/7 in WNC 5/8; AYM 5/7, MA 5/8 in WNC 5/9; HA, JP [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/8; MM, WJW, WP 5/9; QA, al-Ra'i 5/9 in WNC 5/10; MM 5/10; AYM 5/10 in WNC 5/13; JP [Internet] 5/10; JP 5/16)

With Passover past and 20,000 reserves fully mobilized, the IDF reoccupies Bethlehem, setting up a cordon 500 yards fr. the Church of the Nativity, surrounding the PSF West Bank headquarters, declaring a 24-hr. curfew, firing warning shots at a BBC camera crew. The IDF also sends troops into Aida, Dahaysha, Tulkarm; reinforces troops in Qalqilya, beginning house-to-house searches. In Ramallah, the IDF continues rounding up Palestinian men, saying since 3/29, it has detained 700 (10 of them "wanted" men) and seized 19 rifles, 4 pipe bombs, 2 mortars, a "small number of assorted ordnance"; raids, vandalizes, confiscates files fr. more public, private offices; ejects a 6-person CBS news team fr. the city; fires on a clearly marked NBC TV vehicle. The PRCS says that the IDF has halted coordination efforts that guarantee the safe movement of ambulances, medical workers. In Bayt Jala, 100 Palestinians and foreign peace activists hold a nonviolent march to an IDF checkpoint, where troops open fire in front of them with live ammunition fr. tank-mounted machine guns, wounding 7 foreigners, 1 Palestinian TV cameraman. In total, 13 Palestinians are killed during the day, including an 11-yr.-old boy shot by the IDF in Gaza. A Palestinian sniper kills 1 Jewish settler in Har Homa. A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a car bomb at a checkpoint btwn. East and West Jerusalem, killing 1 Israeli police officer. Palestinian gunmen kill 11 Palestinian collaborators, taking most of them fr. PA jails. Palestinians across the territories hold solidarity rallies to protest Israeli actions. (JP [Internet], NYT, PRCS press release, WP 4/1; al-Quds 4/1, AFP 4/2 in WNC 4/3; AFP, AN, ATL, IRNA, MENA, SA 4/1 in WNC 4/1; MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/2; MEI 4/5)

Israeli-Palestinian violence continues to escalate, leaving 1 Israeli civilian, 1 Jewish settler, at least 6 Palestinians dead. A package bomb planted by a Jewish vigilante group called Revenge of the Innocent Babes (in reference to the 3/2 Beit Israel attack) explodes on a playground at a Palestinian school in East Jerusalem, injuring 2 teachers, 24 children. In response to the 3/4 AMB attack in Tel Aviv, IDF F-16s rocket Palestinian targets across Gaza and in Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, Tulkarm; helicopters fire a missile at a car in Ramallah, killing 3 Palestinians, including 2 wanted AMB members, Muhannad Abu Halawa and Fawzi Murrar. The IDF also makes incursions into Palestinian areas nr. Bayt Lahia, Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, Tamun; direct shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bethlehem, al-Khadir, Qalqilya; demolishes greenhouses in Issawiyya. Nr. Gush Etzion settlement, Palestinian gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle, killing 1 settler. A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a devices on a bus in Afula, Israel, killing 1 Israeli. Palestinians also launch 2 Qassam-2s fr. Gaza into Israel, for the 1st time hitting an apartment building in Sederot, injuring 2 children. Jewish settlers attack a PSF post in Qalqilya, stone a Palestinian car nr. Ramallah. (HP, MM 3/5; XIN 3/5 in WNC 3/6; LAW, MM, NYT, PCHR, PMC, WP, WT 3/6; MA 3/6 in WNC 3/7; AYM 3/7 in WNC 3/8; MEI 3/8; JP 3/15)

     Sharon convenes his inner cabinet, then his full cabinet to discuss how to respond to the 3/4 Tel Aviv attack. Participants reportedly debate launching massive "mopping-up" operations in refugee camps, incursions into a list of villages in areas A and B, escalating attacks on Ramallah (including removing Arafat). The cabinet gives the IDF "free rein to further intensify military pressure on the PA, especially in Ramallah," bars all Palestinian vehicular traffic in the West Bank. (MM 3/5; NYT, PMC, WP, WT 3/6) quote in PMC 3/6

A AMB sniper using a decades-old carbine rifle fatally shoots 7 IDF soldiers, 3 Jewish settlers, wounding 6 others at a checkpoint nr. Ofra settlement before escaping, leaving his gun behind. In response, IDF tanks, helicopters, F-16s strike PSF targets in Bethlehem, killing 4 PSF officers, wounding 20. In retaliation for the Beit Israeli suicide bombing on 3/2, IDF helicopters rocket the PA headquarters, a small factory in Bethlehem. The IDF also shells the PA military intelligence office in Salfit, killing 1 PA intelligence officer, wounding 5; shells a building within Arafat's compound in Ramallah; briefly invades Qalqilya. In Gaza, an AMB gunman fatally shoots an IDF soldier. Sharon convenes his inner cabinet to chart an intensified policy of "sustained military pressure" against the PA, militant Palestinian groups. Jewish settlers rally outside the PM's residence in Jerusalem, demanding harsher attacks on the Palestinians. 100s of Hamas supporters rally in Jabaliya. Arafat condemns the Beit Israeli attack, but says nothing about today's AMB strikes. (HA, NYT, WP, WT 3/3; AFP, XIN 3/3 in WNC 3/4; JP [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/4; MM 3/5; AKH 3/6 in WNC 3/7; WJW 3/7; MEI 3/8; JP 3/15)

An AMB gunman attacks an IDF outpost n. of Jerusalem, killing 6 IDF soldiers, critically wounding 1, and escaping. IDF F-16s shell 2 PSF buildings in Rafah, Ramallah; naval vessels fire a missile at PA head Yasir Arafat's compound in Gaza, killing 4 Force 17 mbrs. The IDF also rockets a Hamas office in Jabaliya, killing 2 Hamas mbrs. in an apparent assassination; among the 11 injured are 9 children. 2 Palestinians are killed in IDF strikes on Nablus. A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device in the West Bank, killing only himself, causing no injuries. The IDF bulldozes a Palestinian home in Dayr al-Balah, 2 Palestinian homes in Umm Tuba nr. Jabal Abu Ghunaym settlement, 1 dunam of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Yatta; bans all Palestinian vehicular traffic except ambulances in the n. West Bank. Late this evening, the IDF fires 18 shells at Arafat's compound in Gaza, killing 5 PSF officers; 1 missile into his compound in Ramallah, where he has been held under virtual house arrest since 12/01. In Hebron, Jewish settlers fire on Palestinian areas, causing no injuries. (AP, Mezan, MM, NYT, WT 2/19; AP, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/20; AFP, MA 2/20 in WNC 2/21; MM, PCHR, WP 2/21)

In Jenin, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) assassinates local Hamas leader Nazih al-Siba' using a remote controlled explosive device; 1,000s of Palestinians take to the streets to protest against Israel. A Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) suicide bomber infiltrates a Karnei Shomron settlement in the West Bank, detonating a device in a food court, killing 3 Jewish settlers, injuring more than 20. The IDF responds with missile strikes against targets in Nablus. Palestinians fire 1-2 Qassam-2 rockets, 2 mortars at IDF positions in Gaza and across the border inside Israel, causing no damage. In response, the IDF conducts raids into areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA) around Bureij, killing 2 Palestinians and injuring 12, destroying a PA Preventive Security Force (PSF) training base, several PSF posts. (AP, LAW 2/16; XIN 2/16 in WNC 2/19; NYT, WP, WT 2/17)

In a televised address, Arafat again urges Palestinians to halt attacks on Israeli targets, especially suicide bombings; vows that "any violation . . . will be seen as a trespass of our supreme national interest. . . [and] will be penalized firmly and strongly." Arafat also notes that he has already declared illegal the military wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad (see 12/2). The PA says it has shut at least 25 Hamas, Islamic Jihad offices in the past 3 days, including the groups' newspapers. The U.S. says the PA must now take "all the steps it can to bring to justice those responsible for terrorist attacks and to destroy the organizations that would launch future attacks." (HA 12/16; MENA 12/16 in WNC 12/17; AFP, AP, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/17; Interfax, XIN 12/17 in WNC 12/18; MM 12/18; QA 12/18 in WNC 12/19; MA 12/18 in WNC 12/21; AP 12/19; MEI 12/21; HA 12/24)

After Arafat's speech, Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in Gaza, causing no damage. The IDF shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; occupies 3 Palestinian homes in Shaykh Ajlin, Shufa as military outposts. 1 Palestinian dies of injuries received on 12/8. The Israeli cabinet approves a request by the Agricultural Min. to issue work permits for 6,000 Palestinians to enter Israel to help with harvests. (HA 12/16; AFP, AP, HA, NYT, WP, WT 12/17; AP, LAW, PCHR 12/19; HA 12/24)