The Palestine Chronology

Hamas, the Fatah Hawks (Fatah’s armed wing, which has not staged an attack on an Israeli target since the 1st intifada) take joint responsibility for detonating a massive bomb underneath an IDF checkpoint on the Gaza-Egypt border, killing 5 IDF soldiers, wounding at least 10; armed Palestinians exchange fire with IDF soldiers attempting to remove the wounded, leaving 1 Palestinian attacker dead. The IDF imposes a curfew on Talluza nr. Nablus; shells an elementary school in Khan Yunis, injuring 7 children; fires on, detains crew mbrs. of 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza coast; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in al-Fara‘a r.c.; shells residential areas, bulldozes 24 d. of agricultural land and 8 greenhouses nr. Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c., Hebron. Palestinian shepherds herding nr. ‘Aqraba nr. Nablus severely beat a Jewish settler fr. Itamar settlement who attempts to steal their sheep; other Palestinians alert police, who intervene, detain several Palestinians. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron throw stones, bottles at Palestinian houses nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs (IMEMC, WP 12/12; JAZ, MENA, VOI 12/12 in WNC 12/14; MM 12/13; JAZ 12/13 in WNC 12/15; HA, MM, PR 12/15; AYM 12/15 in WNC 12/18; PCHR 12/16; PR 12/22)

The IDF sends 50 tanks into an area around Morag, bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes and 46 d., searches other homes, arrests at least 10 Palestinians; fires on residential areas of Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. The National and Islamic Higher Coordinating Comm. of the Intifada organizes marches in Ramallah, Tulkarm in support of ailing Arafat. (XIN 11/8; VOP 11/8 in WNC 11/10; PRCS 11/11)

The al-Aqsa intifada enters its 5th yr. The IDF continues operations in Jenin, searching homes, arresting some 80 Palestinians, fatally shooting a mentally handicapped Palestinian who leaves his Jenin home after dark during the curfew (ongoing since 9/25); the death brings Palestinians to the streets to riot; the IDF fires on protesters (killing a 17-yr.-old Palestinian, wounding 6), blows up a Palestinian home. The IDF also raids Nablus, arrests, then fatally shoots wanted AMB mbr. Majdi Khalifa in an outright execution; sends troops into Shaykh Ajlin nr. Gaza City; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c., Tulkarm r.c. and villages around Nablus, Ramallah. Palestinians fire at least 4 Qassam rockets at Sederot, damaging a house but causing no injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF sends 30 tanks into Bayt Hanun, Jabaliya r.c. in response, also cutting electricity to n. Gaza. Palestinians release without comment CNN producer Ali (kidnapped on 9/27), who says his captors were AMB mbrs.; the AMB denies this. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar burn 100s of d. of olive groves belonging to nearby Bayt Furik. (AP, HA, MM, PM, REU 9/28; AFP, VOI, VOP 9/28 in WNC 9/30; MM, NYT, PR, PRCS, WP, WT 9/29; VOI, YA 9/29 in WNC 10/1; PCHR, WJW 9/30; PCHR 10/1)

Israeli riot police clash with Palestinian worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque after Friday prayers in the greatest violence there since Sharon’s 9/00 visit that sparked the al-Aqsa intifada; after some worshipers throw stones at police guarding Jews praying at the Wailing Wall, Israeli police wielding batons, firing stun grenades and rubber bullets charge the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, injuring at least 45, arresting 14, driving 1,000s of worshipers into the mosque; Palestinians are allowed to leave after more than an hr. when Waqf officials negotiate their peaceful dispersal. An armed Palestinian infiltrates Avnei Hefetz settlement nr. Tulkarm, fires on a house, killing 1 Jewish settler, wounding 1 before being shot dead by the IDF. The IDF also fires on stone-throwing youths in Bethlehem, killing a 16-yr.-old Palestinian; fires on 2 “suspicious figures” nr. the Gaza boundary fence with Israel, killing 1 Palestinian;stages a major raid into Rafah, demolishing 38 Palestinian homes; conducts arrest raids in Aida r.c. and nr. Hebron, Ramallah. (MM 4/2; WP, WT 4/3; NYT, WT 4/4; PCHR 4/8)