The Palestine Chronology

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists (including Palestinian Authority [PA] PM Salam Fayyad, PA communications advisor Sabri Saydam, Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Nabil Shaath, PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Taysir Khalid, Palestinian National Initiative party head Mustafa Barghouti, and the mayor of Geneva), some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in a nonviolent march to the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian and international activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in protests against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinians staging a nonviolent march to land located between Dayr Nizam and al-Nabi Salih recently confiscated for the expansion of Halamish settlement (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); conducts late-night patrols in Rumana village w. of Jenin. Hamas accuses Fatah of links to the 1/20/10 assassination of Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades founder Mahmud al-Mabhuh, saying that 2 Palestinian suspects in custody in Dubai in connection with the assassination, Anwar Shhaybar and Ahmad Hassanayn, were former Fatah security officers and current employees of a senior Fatah official. Fatah denies the accusation. (NYT 2/20; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

Palestinians fire 1 rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes just outside of Jerusalem, displacing 21 Palestinians (including 11 children); sets up roadblocks and curfews in parts of Kafr Haris nr. Salfit to keep Palestinians away while they escort Jewish settlers to Jewish holy sites in the village; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists protesting against separation wall construction in Ni‘lin, wounding 9; makes a late-night incursion into al-Far‘a r.c., patrolling the streets, firing on residential areas, firing on stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding 13; makes a similar late-night incursion into Jenin town and r.c., patrolling streets, firing on residential areas, causing no injuries. The Israeli DMin. approves construction of a yeshiva boarding school in Beit Romano settlement in Hebron. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Brakha enter Burin village and open fire on Palestinian homes, causing no injuries (cf. 7/1); the IDF removes the settlers. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim throw stones at Palestinian vehicles driving nearby, damaging 4 but causing no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement sets fire to a Palestinian olive tree in nearby Dayr Nidham. (OCHA 7/9; PCHR 7/10)