The Palestine Chronology

Overnight, the IDF launches Operation Orange Iron, sending tanks, bulldozers into Khan Yunis in further response to 12/16 mortar fire, shelling and firing missiles fr. helicopters at residential areas, clashing with local Palestinians, leaving a total of 9 Palestinians dead (5 armed Palestinians, 4 civilians), at least 30 Palestinians (mostly civilians, including 1 ambulance driver trying to evacuate the wounded) and 1 IDF soldier wounded, also leveling 39 Palestinian homes allegedly used as cover for mortar fire; 100s of Palestinians flee the fighting, many taking refuge in a nearby hospital, stadium; the IDF says it will stay in Khan Yunis “indefinitely.” In response, Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets into the Negev, causing no damage or injures. A smugglers’ tunnel collapses in Rafah after days of rain, trapping and killing at least 5 Palestinians;6are rescued. The IDF also demolishes 1 Palestinian home, 15 shops in Rafah that allegedly provided cover for mortar fire; shells, destroys 2 workshops (alleged weapons factories) in Gaza City; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, in Qalqilya; issues military orders confiscating “large areas” of Palestinian land in Far‘un s. of Tulkarm and Jayyus northeast of Qalqilya, as well as 50 d. in Nuba southwest of Tulkarm for construction of the separation wall. (BBC, HA, WT 12/17; MENA, VOI, VOP 12/17 in WNC 12/21; JAZ, NYT, WT 12/18; PM 12/20; PCHR 12/23)

A PFLP suicide bomber fr. Askar r.c. nr. Nablus detonates a device in a Tel Aviv open-air market, killing 3 Israelis, wounding 32. The PFLP says that the bombing was carried out to warn Palestinian leaders against being “seduced into talking about ending the resistance and haggling over the national legitimate rights and principles of our people” now that Arafat is out of the West Bank. In the evening, IDF undercover units raid Nablus, assassinate Nablus AMB leader Majdi Mari (whom it attempted to assassinate on 9/15/04), AMB mbrs. Jihad Abu Salah and Fadi al-Sarwan, injure a 4th AMB mbr., 4 bystanders. During the day, the IDF closes the Qalandia checkpoint, declaring the area a closed military zone (see 10/16); fatally shoots 2 Palestinians allegedly attempting to infiltrate Kefar Darom; fires on a group of stone-throwing Palestinian children in Askar r.c., killing a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy; stops, argues with, shoots and wounds 2 Palestinian teenagers walking nr. the separation wall nr. Jayyus; fires on stone-throwing youths in Jenin r.c.; bulldozes 39 d. of olive groves and greenhouses, 1 Palestinian home nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Anza nr. Bethlehem, al-Bireh, Birzeit, Jayyus, al-Khadir, al-Mughayyir, Nur al-Shams r.c., Rafat nr. Nablus, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Otniel throw stones at, harass Palestinians and international peace activists harvesting olives on nearby Palestinian land, forcing them to leave. Jewish settlers in Hebron assault Palestinians, attack Palestinian homes nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. In both cases, the IDF troops observe but do not intervene. (BBC, HA, MM, PM 11/1; HA, JAZ, JP, VOI, VOP 11/1 in WNC 11/3; CSM, MM, NYT, PRCS, WP, WT 11/2; VOP 11/2 in WNC 11/4; PR 11/3; PCHR, WJW 11/4; MEI 11/5; JPI 11/12)

The IDF cuts down 180 olive trees in a Palestinian grove nr. Biddu northwest of Jerusalem to make way for the separation wall, sparking clashes in which 35 Palestinians, 2 IDF soldiers are injured; the IDF later replants some of the stumps on a new plot, but Palestinians have little hope they will survive through the dry season. The IDF also imposes a curfew on Nablus and surrounding villages, conducts arrest raids, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians; conducts arrest raids in Dahaysha r.c., al-Duha nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jayyus, Ramallah, Tulkarm; occupies a Palestinian home in Dayr al-Balah as an observation post; demolishes a well and 3 greenhouses, bulldozes 4 dunams of land nr Rafah. Armed Jewish settlers seize 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan; the IDF erects 2 observation posts nearby to protect them, prevent clashes like those of 3/31. (PM 4/7; VOP 4/7 in WNC 4/9; PCHR, PM, WT 4/8; PCHR 4/15)