The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops along the s. Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire on a group of armed Palestinians inside Gaza, causing no injuries; troops then cross into Gaza, exchange fire with armed Palestinians, wounding 4. PRC mbrs. then fire 11 mortars fr. Gaza toward the IDF military post at Nahal Oz crossing; 3 mortars hit the base, wounding 6 IDF soldiers, 1 critically. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts an evening raid on an Internet cafe nr. Jenin, checking IDs and searching ´ the premises but making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jerusalem, Qalqilya, Tulkarm; conducts synchronized, late-night house searches in Tubas and neighboring al-Fara‘ r.c., and in 8 villages s. of Jenin, making no arrests; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 1 Japanese activist), Jayyus nr. Qalqilya (injuring 2 Palestinians), and Ni‘lin (injuring 2 Danish activists, 1 Palestinian teenager). Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba and Beit Shalom attack Palestinians, vandalize property in nearby Palestinian areas, seriously injuring 4 Palestinians, including a 6-yr.-old boy. Later, IDF troops close the area, take up positions on surrounding rooftops, escort 5 busloads of settlers from other parts of the West Bank into the area to “defend” the illegal Beit Shalom outpost. In the evening, the settlers rampage through Palestinian areas, burning cars, slashing tires, breaking windows of cars and homes, destroying water tanks; the IDF does not intervene. (NYT 11/29; OCHA 12/3; PCHR 12/4)

The IDF fires on Palestinians waiting to cross the Abu Huli crossing, killing a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy; raids a student center in Ramallah run by an Islamic Jihad mbr., confiscating 3 computers, several cell phones, arresting 6 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Bireh and nr. Qalqilya, Tulkarm; patrols in Aida r.c., Dura (firing on stone-throwing children who confront them, injuring 2); fires on residential areas of Jayyus nr. Qalqilya. A 9-yr.-old Palestinian girl is killed in a mysterious explosion in Gaza. Palestinians fire 10s of mortars at Jewish settlements in Gaza, lightly injuring 3 Thai workers, 1 Jewish settler. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (DFLP) National Resistance Brigades fire 4 mortars at the Erez crossing, causing no damage or injuries. More than 20,000 Israeli protesters demonstrate in s. Israel against disengagement. In light of recent clashes with Hamas, the PA bans the display of, begins removing all factional flags fr. public spaces in Gaza, saying “only the Palestinian flag will remain.” The PA also bans PA employees fr. criticizing the PA. (AFP, PRCS, XIN 7/18; IDF Radio, Israel Television Network, VOI, YA 7/18 in WNC 7/19; HA, WP, XIN 7/19; OCHA, PR 7/20; PCHR 7/21; CSM 7/26)

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)

The IDF discovers, disarms a bomb underneath a truck with Israeli license plates at a checkpoint outside Nablus; fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians attempting to infiltrate Morag settlement; fires tear gas to disperse a group of Palestinians in Hebron demonstrating against the Yasin assassination, causing an elderly Palestinian to suffocate, die; fires on stone-throwing youths outside al-Fawwar r.c. nr. Hebron, on residential areas of Rafah (wounding a Palestinian construction worker at an UNRWA school site, a Palestinian inside her home); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jayyus nr. Qalqilya; bulldozes 62 dunams of Palestinian land in al-Qarara. In the Hebron area, Palestinians throw stones at IDF troops, Jewish settler vehicles on bypass roads, causing no injuries but forcing the IDF to close the bypass routes temporarily. The Israeli navy fires on a “suspicious object” in the water 2 mi. off Gaza’s shore; Palestinian fishermen say they were targeted. Palestinian gunmen fire at a Jewish settler bus nr. Ofra, causing no injuries. Palestinians also fire a mortar at Gush Katif settlement, an antitank rocket at an IDF patrol in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries in either incident. In Israel, 1,000s of Israeli Arabs in Nazareth march in protest of Yasin’s assassination. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in the IDF missile attack on Rafah on 3/17. (AFP, AP, HA 3/23; HA, WT 3/24; PCHR 3/25)

Hamas names hard-line spokesman ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Rantisi as acting political head in Gaza and Hamas politburo chmn. Khalid Mishal, currently in exile in Damascus, acting head of the whole movement. (HA, MM 3/23; VOP 3/23 in WNC 3/25; al-Arabiyya TV [Dubai] 3/23 in WNC 4/27; HA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 3/24; IDF Radio, LBC, MA, al-Quds, SA, VOI 3/24 in WNC 3/26; WP, WT 3/25; AYM 3/25, al-Quds 3/26 in WNC 3/30)