The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya (firing on residential areas, wounding 2 Palestinian women inside their homes; blowing up 1 Palestinian home) and in Azun, Nablus (also searching the Graduate Cultural Center, confiscating computers, documents); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinians and Israeli and international peace activists protesting the separation wall nr. Bil‘in (injuring 11), Um Salamuna (injuring 6). The IDF suspends its Nablus cmdr. after the Israeli daily Yedi’ot Aharonot releases video showing him using 2 Palestinian boys as human shields to guard military vehicles. Jewish settlers fr. Eli settlement nr. Nablus fire on Palestinian shepherds nearby to prevent them fr. grazing nr. the settlement, causing no injuries. (NYT, WT 4/14; OCHA 4/18; PCHR 4/19)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza border, damaging 3. Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF observation post on the Gaza border n. of Bayt Hanun; the IDF returns fire; no injuries are reported on either side. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c., Hebron, Nablus, Nahalin nr. Bethlehem. Shin Bet announces that in late 3/07, it detained 19 Hamas mbrs. fr. Qalqilya whom it says have confessed under interrogation to planning a massive truck bombing in Tel Aviv during the Passover holidays, which end this evening; Olmert cites the case as proof that “terrorism is a cornerstone of the new Palestinian government, a government that should be shunned”; Hamas officials in Qalqilya deny being part of any plot. Jewish settler children fr. Ma’on in Hebron chase, attack a group of Palestinian children (ages 10–12) on their way to school; the IDF observes but does not intervene. A Palestinian gunman shoots, grazes a Jewish settler at a bus stop nr. Qalqilya. In Gaza, unidentified gunmen fatally shoot a PSF officer in Khan Yunis; unidentified assailants kidnap, shoot, wound, release a PA police officer; Jabaliya municipal workers stage a sit-in outside municipal offices to protest the nonpayment of their salaries. (NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 4/11; PCHR 4/12)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols, fires on residential areas of Nablus, searching a hospital and detaining an ambulance during the 4-hr. operation; patrols Qabatya. Palestinians stone a Jewish settler vehicle on Road 55 nr. Qalqilya, injuring the driver. Outside Gaza City, a Palestinian farmer is injured when he hits an unexploded IDF mine. Clashes btwn. PA security forces and unidentified Palestinian gunmen in Nablus leave 2 Palestinians wounded. (OCHA 4/11; PCHR 4/12)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on, send a drone to fire missiles at a group of armed Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel e. of Jabaliya, killing 1 armed Palestinian, wounding 4. For the 3d day, the IDF sends bulldozers and tanks into Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun to level land; this time, Palestinian gunmen fire an RPG at a tank, sparking an exchange of gunfire, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into Jenin town and r.c. late in the evening, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen who confront the troops, wounding local AMB leader Zacharia Zubeidi; conducts arrest raids, house searches in alBireh, Nablus, Qalqilya; fires rubber-coated steel bullets on stone-throwing Palestinians nr. the Qalandia checkpoint, injuring 2; fires rubber-coated steel bullets at 10s of Palestinians and Israeli and international peace activists protest the separation wall nr. Bil‘in, injuring 14; similarly fires rubber-coated steel bullets on Palestinians, international peace activists protesting the construction of the separation wall nr. Um Salamuna nr. Bethlehem, injuring 8. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai set fire to a Palestinian car in Hebron; the IDF bars fire engines fr. reaching the scene. For a 2d day, Jewish settlers occupying a Palestinian building nr. Kiryat Arba throw bottles and stones at local Palestinians, use trained dogs to scare Palestinian children; the IDF observes but does not intervene. In ‘Abasan, Fatah-Hamas clashes leave 11 Palestinians wounded. A Palestinian wounded in an IDF artillery strike on ‘Abasan on 9/6/06 dies. (OCHA 4/11; PCHR 4/12)

IDF soldiers on the Gaza border fatally shoot an Islamic Jihad mbr. planting a roadside bomb nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Hanun, wounding 2 Palestinian farmers working a field nearby; troops briefly enter Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun to examine and dismantle the explosive device, but Israel says it was not meant as a breech of the cease-fire. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Rafah, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF shoots, wounds a Palestinian attempting to circumvent the Awarta checkpoint nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin (exchanging gunfire with Palestinian gunmen, leaving 1 IDF soldier injured) and in ‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya. In addition, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem issues demolition orders for a playground and six houses in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem on Palestinian land that has been sought by Jewish developers in order to build 30 homes, a synagogue, and a religious school for Jews only. In Rafah, 2 Palestinian children are injured when they accidentally trigger an unexploded IDF artillery shell. (Playgrounds for Palestine press release 4/4; PCHR, WP 4/5; OCHA 4/11; PCHR 4/12)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on, wound a Palestinian farmer who strays nr. the border fence e. of Jabaliya. In Khan Yunis, a 6-yr.-old Palestinian is killed, 2 children (ages 2 and 5) are injured when they accidentally trigger an explosive device in their home. In the West Bank, the IDF raids an internet caf´e in Orayf nr. Nablus, detaining, beating, releasing 2 14-yr.-old Palestinians they accuse of throwing stones; sends undercover units into Ramallah to raid a caf´e, arrest a wanted Palestinian (a bodyguard for Fatah PC mbr. Jamal al-Tirawi); patrols Tubas; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; fires on stone-throwing youths nr. Jenin, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 2; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at 10s of Palestinians holding nonviolent protests against the separation wall at 2 points along the wall outside Qalqilya, injuring several. A 15-yr.- old Palestinian injured by IDF fire at the Qalandia checkpoint on 3/28 dies. (OCHA 4/4; PCHR 4/5)

When AMB, Islamic Jihad fire 9 rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries, the IDF shells n. Gaza for the 1st time since the 11/26 cease-fire went into effect, wounding 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. preparing to fire a rocket into Israel, also killing 1 Palestinian bystander and wounding 2; Israel says the strike was not intended to signal a change of policy or an escalation. The IDF also sends bulldozers into Gaza w. of Rafah to level land along the border fence. In the West Bank, IDF demolishes 3 Palestinian businesses, an animal pen in Barta‘a nr. Jenin; fires on stonethrowing Palestinian youths nr. the Qalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem, seriously wounding 1 with a bullet to the head, lightly wounding 3 others; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata, Nablus, Tulkarm and nr. Hebron, Jenin r.c. (exchanging fire with AMB mbrs., killing 1 AMB mbr., wounding 2), Ramallah, Salfit. Israeli police in riot gear remove the remaining 450 right-wing Jewish settlers and activists fr. the Homesh settlement site (see 3/26). Jewish settlers stone Palestinian cars nr. Jit Junction nr. Qalqilya, injuring 1 Palestinian. Jewish settler teenagers in Hebron ambush, beat a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy on his way home fr. school. Private Israeli security contractors working for Karme Tzur settlement nr. Hebron prevent Palestinian farmers fr. reaching their land nearby, beating 2, confiscating their equipment. Separately, Jewish settlers fr. Karme Tzur beat a Palestinian farmer working his land nearby. In Jabaliya r.c., ESF mbrs. fire on a car of Fatah mbrs., causing no injuries. In Bayt Hanun, suspected Fatah gunmen fire on the car of a senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbr., seriously injuring him, his wife and 2 children, a bystander. (REU 3/28; NYT, WT 3/29; WP 3/30; OCHA 4/4; PCHR 4/5; NYT 4/8)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of alMaghazi r.c. fire on Palestinian shepherds who stray nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. PA security forces demolish a smugglers’ tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF exchanges fire with AMB mbrs. in Nablus, leaving 2 wanted AMB mbrs. dead; temporarily occupies several buildings in Jenin town and r.c., exchanging fire with local Palestinians, leaving 1 armed Palestinian dead; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya, nr. Nablus; begins work on a new segment of the separation wall s. of Wadi Rahan nr. Bethlehem. After heavy rains, the retaining wall of a sewage pond in n. Gaza collapses, flooding the village of Um al-Nasser, killing at least 5 Palestinians (including 2-yr.-old and 5-yr.-old boys), injuring 20, leaving 333 Palestinian families homeless (the UNRWA sets up a temporary camp); villagers attack newly appointed PA Interior M Hani al-Qawasmi when he arrives to survey the damage, forcing him to leave. Also in Gaza, unidentified gunmen attack the PA Agriculture Min. offices (causing no injuries), then demand jobs in the PA security forces; Palestinian Red Crescent Society employees stage a sit-in outside the ICRC headquarters to demand payment of back salaries. (REU 3/27; IMEMC, NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 3/28; PCHR 3/29)

The IDF sends tanks, bulldozers into Gaza e. of al-Maghazi r.c. to level land. Palestinians fire an RPG at an IDF observation post on the Gaza border e. of al-Maghazi r.c., causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron; issues military order seizing 80 d. of Palestinian land nr. Qalqilya for construction of the separation wall. A 51-yr.-old Palestinian is found stabbed to death outside Itamar settlement nr. Nablus in an area controlled and patrolled by the IDF. Fatah, Hamas exchange fire in Bayt Lahiya, accidentally killing a 4-yr.-old Palestinian child. (NYT 3/26; OCHA 3/28; PCHR 3/29)

The IDF sends bulldozers into Gaza to level land along the border e. of al-Maghazi r.c. The IDF also demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Shaykh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, in Halhul nr. Hebron, and in Jit nr. Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Ram n. of Jerusalem, in ‘Askar r.c. and Balata nr. Nablus (clashing with Palestinian gunmen, leaving 1 armed Palestinian dead), and nr. Bethlehem (where a Palestinian woman is seriously injured by an IDF attack dog), Hebron. In Rafah, 400 Palestinians who received UN assistance after their homes were demolished by the IDF stage a solidarity sit-in outside UNRWA offices to protest the 3/16 attack on UNRWA Dir. Ging’s convoy. (OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22; OCHA 3/28)

The IDF fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths at the entrance to ‘Ayn al-Far‘a r.c. nr. Jenin, wounding 1; fires percussion grenades at Palestinians protesting the closure of the main Bayt Iba checkpoint out of Nablus, injuring 3 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, in Balata r.c. (Palestinian militants throw an explosive device at troops during the raid, injuring 1 IDF soldier.) Egyptian border guards destroy a smugglers’ tunnel on the Rafah border. (OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border detain 2 unarmed Palestinians who attempt to sneak into Israel through the border fence e. of al-Maghazi to find work; fire on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence nr. Shuka, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, nr. Salfit; conducts patrols in Azun e. of Qalqilya, beating stone-throwing Palestinian children, breaking a 13-yr.-old’s arm; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at 10s of Palestinians as well as Israeli and international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 8. Jewish settlers fr. Havat Maon nr. Hebron bulldoze 10 d. of Palestinian agricultural land; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Unidentified gunmen ambush the armored car of UNRWA dir. John Ging in an apparent kidnapping attempt as he returns to Gaza through the Erez crossing; fire 14 shots at the car, causing no injuries. In Dayr al-Balah, suspected Hamas gunmen ambush a car driven by PA intelligence officer Hussein Salhi; pulling Salhi and a 2d intelligence officer, Musa Erjailat, fr. the vehicle; shooting them in the head, killing Salhi, wounding Erjailat. (NYT 3/17; OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Sur al-Bahir southeast of Jerusalem; issues military orders confiscating 150 d. of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Jenin for “military purposes”; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Tulkarm, nr. Bethlehem and Nablus, and in Marda, Qalqilya. ESF mbrs. fire on the home of a local Fatah leader in Bayt Lahiya, killing a Fatah mbr. Separately, Hamas mbrs. kidnap a PA General Intelligence officer in Bayt Lahiya, shoot him in the legs, let him go. In Gaza City, 300 PFLP mbrs. stage a sit-in outside the Red Cross offices to mark the 1-yr. anniversary of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat’s capture by the IDF in Jericho. (PCHR 3/15; OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to port. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence e. of al-Qarara and shell open areas nr. Shuka, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols Far‘un nr. Tulkarm, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, causing no injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; raids the offices of Afaq TV in Nablus, reportedly using Palestinians as human shields; issues military orders confiscating 17 d. in Qalqilya and neighboring Azun for “military purposes.” In Jerusalem, a Palestinian taxi driver fr. al-Tur in East Jerusalem dies in Israeli police custody after being stopped at a checkpoint, being arrested and having his taxi confiscated for driving a Palestinian woman from Jordan who did not have the proper visas, being severely beaten by police; news of the death sparks demonstrations in al-Tur, where Israeli police fire tear gas, percussion grenades at protesters, causing no injuries. PA Education Min. Nasir Sha‘ir rescinds the ministry’s 3/5 ban on a book of Palestinian folklore after a massive public outcry, including a demonstration today in Ramallah, stating that the ban was illegal and imposed without his approval; some 1,500 copies of the book, Speak Bird, Speak Again, have been destroyed since the ban was ordered on 3/5. In Gaza, mbrs. of the Popular Resistance Comms. (PRCs) stage a peaceful sit-in in front of the Egyptian legation to protest restrictions on Gazans traveling to Egypt. Some 300 newly trained Fatah security members demonstrate outside the central Gaza governorate offices demanding positions in the PA security forces. In the West Bank, ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in Nablus (no injuries) and Tubas (2 wounded). Fatah-affiliated PA security force mbrs. demanding payment of back salaries fire on the PA security headquarters in Jenin, force employees to leave the building, declare it closed. Elsewhere in the West Bank, suspected Fatah gunmen fire on the car of a Change and Reform PC minister, wounding a bodyguard. (WT 3/11; OCHA 3/14; PCHR 3/15)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Dayr al-Balah fire on 2 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel to find work, killing 1 Palestinian and arresting the other; fire into s. Gaza at Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence nr. Shuka, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fires on homes, businesses, stone-throwing Palestinians in Marda nr. Salfit, causing no injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians), villages around Hebron; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at 10s of Palestinians as well as Israeli and international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, beats others, injuring 20. (OCHA 3/14; PCHR 3/15)

Late in the evening, IDF troops briefly cross into n. Gaza to search the border area nr. Bayt Hanun. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem (also searching 2 schools in Bayt Fajjar and al-Khadir, confiscating computers, files, children’s schoolbags, a fax machine), Hebron, Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., Qalqilya. (OCHA 3/7; PCHR 3/8)

The IDF pulls troops out of Nablus in the afternoon, once again suspending but not declaring an official end to Operation Hot Winter; troops raid an apartment building (killing 1 Palestinian civilian, arresting 10 wanted men) and exchange fire with Palestinians in a mosque before withdrawing; the UN reports that 248 homes, shops in Nablus have been damaged since 2/25. The IDF also conducts patrols in Burkin nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Qalqilya; seals the West Bank at midnight local time for the Purim holidays. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a greenhouse but causing no injuries. A Palestinian gunman fires on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Qalqilya, wounding the driver. (AP, HA, REU 3/1; OCHA 3/7; PCHR 3/8)

The IDF withdraws fr. Nablus, officially suspending (but not ending) Operation Hot Winter, which has left 1 Palestinian dead, 5 wanted men (and 10s of other Palestinians) arrested. The IDF also detains an Italian film crew in Hebron making a documentary on Palestinian children in the city; conducts arrest raids in and around Hebron, in Jenin, and nr. Bethlehem, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tulkarm. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Rafah fire on farmers who stray nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza coast nr. Rafah, forcing them to return to shore, causing no damage or injuries. Islamic Jihad mbrs. fire 6 rockets fr. al-Qarara nr. Khan Yunis toward the IDF post at the Kissufim crossing; 2 rockets land inside Gaza, damaging 2 Palestinian homes, killing some sheep; no damage is reported at Kissufim. (NYT, OCHA, WP 2/28; HA, PCHR 3/1)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast nr. Dayr alBalah, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF confiscates 199 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of Palestinian land w. of Jenin nr. Yabad to expand Road 585; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, Qabatya, Qalqilya and nr. Hebron, Jenin. In Gaza, unidentified assailants detonate an explosive device outside the apartment of senior PA security officer Col. Sulayman Khadir, wounding 4 bystanders, causing extensive damage. (OCHA 2/28; PCHR 3/1)

IDF soldiers on the Gaza border fire on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence e. of Gaza City, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qabatya, Qalqilya, Tulkarm and nr. Jenin; demolishes a poultry farm (killing 1,000 birds), a sheep pen nr. Hebron. (OCHA 2/28; PCHR 3/1)

The IDF sends bulldozers into Gaza e. of Dayr al-Balah to level 150 m of Palestinian land along the border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya and in Jenin r.c., Qabatya. Unidentified assailants kidnap, quickly release unharmed 3 American women taking photographs outside Balata r.c. nr. Nablus. Egyptian border guards in Rafah arrest a Palestinian attempting to cross fr. Gaza into Egypt through a smugglers’ tunnel carrying an explosive belt; steps up border patrols in response. (NYT, OCHA, WP 2/21; PCHR, WT 2/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts patrols in Tulkarm, fires tear gas at Palestinian students outside a school; raids shops in Qalqilya, forcing them to close; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Nablus, Tulkarm town and r.c. (OCHA 2/21; PCHR 2/22)

As the quarter opened, Israel and the Palestinians both stated they were observing a cease-fire in Gaza that went into effect on 11/26/06, though near-daily cross-border incidents occurred. Israel’s siege of Gaza, in place since Hamas took control of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on 3/28/06, remained, as did heavy restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank. Today, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops on the n. Gaza border fire on several Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya, wounding a 12-yrold boy. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Aida refugee camp (r.c.) nr. Bethlehem, Azun nr. Qalqilya, Qalandia r.c. (exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, leaving 2 IDF soldiers wounded), Tulkarm and nr. Hebron, Jenin; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in and nr. Hebron demonstrating against Israel’s new construction at the Haram alSharif/Temple Mount (see 2/6/06 in the Chronology in JPS 143); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at 10s of Palestinians, as well as Israeli and international activists, taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 8. Jewish settlers fr. Tel Rumeida in Hebron occupy a Palestinian home next to the settlement; the IDF evicts the settlers but declares the area a closed military zone, barring the Palestinian family fr. returning. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba in Hebron vandalize Palestinian homes, shops; the IDF observes but does not intervene. A Fatah mbr. dies of injuries received in recent clashes in Jabaliya with members of the PA Interior Min.’s predominantly Hamas Executive Support Force (ESF). PA health sector employees in the West Bank begin an open-ended strike to protest the PA’s failure to pay their salaries. (OCHA 2/21; PCHR 2/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 12 Palestinian homes, several sheep pens nr. Hebron; patrols in Marda nr. Salfit, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the soldiers, causing no casualties; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Marda nr. Salfit, Tulkarm and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Maskiyot settlement in the n. Jordan Valley steal 6 sheep fr. a Palestinian shepherd. (OCHA 2/21; PCHR 2/22)

The AMB fires 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Dahaysha r.c. in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest a wanted Palestinian teenager; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Tulkarm, and in and around Hebron, Nablus. Israel’s mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski suspends for review construction work at the Haram alSharif/Temple Mount, though Palestinians hold small protests, throw stones at the IDF during the day in and around East Jerusalem, Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron and Ginat Shomron nr. Qalqilya prevent Palestinians from working their land nearby. Under IDF escort, Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah uproot 50 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Dayr Nizam. In Gaza City, 200 family mbrs. of Palestinians held in Israeli jails demonstrate outside the PC headquarters, demanding that the PA do more to free their relatives. In Khan Yunis, unidentified assailants kidnap, quickly release unharmed fmr. PA atty. gen. Khalid al-Qidra. A Fatah mbr. injured during 1/29 ESF-Fatah clashes in Jabaliya r.c. dies. (MM 2/12; MM, NYT, WT 2/13; OCHA 2/14; PCHR 2/15)

The IDF allows departures through Rafah crossing for the 1st time since 1/8, causing a near riot among the 10,000–12,000 Palestinians gathered in the exit area, forcing the EU monitors to close the crossing late in the morning. Palestinians later fire on Rafah crossing in an attempt to force it to reopen, wounding 1 Palestinian bystander. Palestinians also fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in ‘Azun, clashing with stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops; conduct arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Qalqilya, and in Hebron, Tulkarm town and r.c. Israeli authorities begin excavation work 50 yds. fr. the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount with the stated purpose of replacing a centuries-old walkway damaged in a snowstorm in 2004, denies archeological digging is underway though it admits that, by law, any artifacts must be salvaged before work can begin; Waqf officials protest the work; Hamas organizes peaceful demonstrations in Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, Nussayrat r.c., Rafah against the construction. In Gaza City, Dahlan’s bodyguards kill 1 ESF mbr., wound 3 in a drive-by shooting. In Khan Yunis, ESF mbrs. release Dahlan’s nephew, kidnapped on 2/3, after severely beating him. ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in Khan Yunis, wounding 1 bystander. ESF mbrs. break into a Force 17 base in Bayt Hanun, temporarily detain 4 Force 17 mbrs. In Gaza City, 2,000 PA employees rally to call for a halt to intraPalestinian violence. (IFM, MM, NYT, OCHA 2/7; MM, PCHR 2/8; PLONAD 2/9)

The worst Fatah-Hamas fighting in Gaza to date leaves a total of 18 Palestinians dead (including 2 children ages 5 and 7, 6 presidential guardsmen; including 12 in Gaza City, 3 in Jabaliya r.c., 1 in Abasan, 1 in Bayt Lahiya), more than 220 injured, with factions exchanging mortar, RPG fire; setting fire to and ransacking rival meeting halls, security compounds (including the n. Gaza headquarters of the PA Military Intelligence, PSF, General Intelligence, as well as a Force 17 barracks, ESF offices, and barracks for the Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades). In the most serious incidents; the Fatahdominated presidential guard attempts to overrun the Hamas-controlled PA Interior Min. offices in Gaza City, exchanging fire with the ESF there, as well as torching parts of Islamic University (a Hamas stronghold); Hamas mbrs. later attack several buildings at Fatah-dominated al-Quds University and destroying the Palestinian Labor Voice radio station in Jabaliya; and Fatah mbrs. raid a mosque in Abasan, firing on worshipers, killing 1, wounding 8, kidnapping 6. A Palestinian woman wounded in the ESF–Presidential Guard exchange on 2/1 dies. Egyptian mediators resident in Gaza broker talks with Hamas, Fatah officials, who order their mbrs. in the afternoon to begin observing a cease-fire, but exchanges continue late into the evening. (As Egyptian officials leave the talks, their convoy comes under fire, causing no injuries.) In Rafah, 300 Palestinians march calling for a halt to intra-Palestinian violence. In the West Bank, unidentified gunmen fire on the home of mayor of Qalqilya, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, the IDF surrounds a mosque in Bayt Kahil during noon prayers, searches and questions worshipers as they leave; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar settlement shoot, wound a 15-yr.-old Palestinian shepherd outside Nablus. (MM 2/2; NYT, WP 2/3; MM 2/6; OCHA 2/7; PCHR 2/8)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Hanun shoot, wound 2 Palestinians who stray nr. the border fence while trapping birds. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya, nr. Jenin; begins construction of a new fence around Karmi’el, Ma’on settlements nr. Hebron that will confiscate around 1,000 d. of Palestinian land to create territorial unity btwn. the 2 settlements. In Gaza City, Hamas-Fatah violence continues for a 6th day, leaving an ESF officer, 3 Hamas mbrs. dead, and 8 ESF mbrs. injured; among the incidents, a bomb explodes outside the home of a Dahlan bodyguard (causing no injuries), Hamas mbrs. fire mortars and antitank rounds at the Fatah-controlled PA police headquarters. Other clashes are reported in and around Khan Yunis, nr. Jabaliya, and in Bayt Hanun. Several Palestinians are also kidnapped during the day in Hamas-Fatah rivalries: Fatah’s Brig. Gen. Sayyid Shaban, head of the PA National Security Forces in central Gaza (quickly released); senior Hamas cmdr. Ashraf Firwana; 2 teenage children of a Fatah col.; a senior Fatah official; a Fatah municipal official. A Fatah mbr. dies of injuries received in the latest round of intra-Palestinian fighting. Fighting also spreads to Nablus, where Fatah mbrs. kidnap, quickly release several Hamas mbrs. In Jabaliya r.c., PFLP mbrs., Islamist parties hold a sit-in to protest the ongoing Palestinian violence. In Ramallah, AMB mbrs. kidnap, kill an alleged Palestinian collaborator with Israel. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/29; OCHA 1/31; PCHR 2/1; AIC 2/13)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on a group of Palestinians collecting scrap metal in the fmr. Aley Sinai settlement, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in al-Jiftlik nr. Jericho, 2 homes and an 8-unit apartment building nr. Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya (firing on stone-throwing Palestinian youths), Tulkarm. Jewish settlers under the protection of the IDF enter Joseph’s Tomb (transferred to PA control under he Oslo accords) nr. Nablus. A Palestinian militant dies of injuries received in an exchange with the IDF nr. Khan Yunis in 2006. Days after al-Arabiyya TV received threats fr. a caller denounced the station’s portrayal of Haniyeh in a recent broadcast, unidentified assailants detonate a device outside the station’s Gaza City office, causing no injuries; Hamas, the AMB denounce the attack. (OCHA 1/24; PCHR 1/25; AIC 2/13)

For a 2d day, IDF troops at the Erez crossing fire into Gaza at Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border, wounding 2 Palestinian teenagers. IDF troops on the Gaza Border nr. Bayt Lahiya shoot, wound a Palestinian who strays too nr. the border fence. Egyptian forces demolish a smugglers’ tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers beat a Palestinian nr. Qalqilya. (OCHA 1/24; PCHR 1/25)