The Palestine Chronology

The IDF sends bulldozers, a helicopter into Nablus searching for wanted Palestinians, surrounds and partially bulldozes a home before realizing it is vacant, calls in reinforcements who clash with Palestinian gunmen and fire on stone-throwing youths, killing 1 armed Palestinian, a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding 5 Palestinians; fires on Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall in Anata, seriously injuring a 10-yr.-old Palestinian girl; demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Tur in East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, and in Azariyya, Jenin town and r.c. A Palestinian is injured when he accidentally detonated unexploded IDF ordnance nr. Jabaliya r.c. In Ramallah, unidentified masked men set fire to 2 mobile TV units belonging to Saudi TV channels. (OCHA 1/24; PCHR 1/25)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jericho and neighboring ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c., Qalqilya, Tamun and nr. Hebron. The Israeli navy fire 7 shells at Palestinian fishing boats nr. Rafah, forcing the boats back to shore, causing no injuries; later in the day arrests 6 Palestinian fishermen off the Rafah coast, confiscating 2 boats. Inside Israel, the Israel Lands Authority issues demolition orders for a Palestinian playground in the unrecognized village of Dahamesh nr. Ramla, stating it was built illegally on state land and “represents an incursion into farmland beyond the boundaries of the unrecognized settlement”; children in Dahamesh had no safe place to play before the playground was built with EU donor funds. In Gaza City, DFLP, PFLP, Islamic Jihad mbrs. hold a sit-in to protest ongoing Fatah-Hamas violence. Meanwhile, ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1 ESF mbr. A Force 17 mbr. injured in clashes with Fatah in Gaza City on 1/9 dies. In the West Bank, suspected Fatah mbrs. vandalize, set fire to offices of the Jinata municipality (controlled by Hamas) nr. Bethlehem. (HA 1/10; PCHR 1/11; OCHA 1/17; PCHR 1/18)

In Gaza, IDF soldiers in the Erez industrial zone fire on Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the site, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids nr. Jenin, Qalqilya and in Aida r.c., Balata r.c., Nablus (detaining a PA General Intelligence officer). AFP photographer Razuri is released unharmed in Gaza City. Fatah gunmen release a video of Nablus dep. mayor Hambali, kidnapped on 1/6, threatening to expand attacks on Hamas if the ESF is not disbanded. (NYT, WP, WT 1/8; OCHA, WT 1/10; PCHR 1/11)

Palestinians fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, 2 at the Israeli side of the Qarni crossing, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover units into Qabatya in 2 vehicles with Palestinian license plates to arrest 2 wanted Palestinians, also arresting 9 other Palestinians (including a PA intelligence officer, a PSF officer, and a police officer) and firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 3; sends an undercover unit in a vehicle with Palestinian license plates into Jenin to arrest 2 wanted Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, in Azariyya nr. Jerusalem, and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. (WP 12/26; OCHA 12/27; PCHR 12/28)

An IDF soldier is lightly injured by a roadside bomb placed along the Gaza border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit into Nablus in 2 vehicles with Palestinian license plates to ambush a carload of AMB mbrs., assassinating AMB mbr. ‘Inab Abu Kishik, wounding 2 others; sends an undercover unit in a taxi with Palestinian license plates into al-Til where they ambush, assassinate local AMB leader Muhammad Hamad, wounding 1 bystander; fatally shoots a 13-yr.-old Palestinian girl who strays close to the separation wall nr. Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Allar and al-Til nr. Tulkarm, ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., Bethlehem, Nablus. Jewish settlers leave the Homesh settlement site after camping there overnight. Jewish settlers fr. Emmanuel bulldoze Palestinian land in Qalqilya to expand the settlement. Fatah-Hamas clashes continue across Gaza throughout the day (involving automatic weapons fire, mortars, RPGs), leaving 6 Palestinians dead, at least 22 wounded: an ESF mbr. is shot dead, 11 Palestinians are wounded in an hr.-long exchange with Fatah mbrs. outside al-Shifa hospital; 2 Fatah mbrs. are killed and 9 wounded in an ambush in Gaza City; 2 Fatah mbrs. are kidnapped, killed and a Hamas mbr. is fatally shot elsewhere in Gaza. In the evening, Egyptian mediators in Gaza bring together Interior M Siyam with the heads of the Fatah-dominated PA security forces to broker a new cease-fire agmt. that goes into effect immediately; the sides also agree to form a joint operating center to coordinate all of the security forces. A Palestinian wounded in the 12/14 IDF assassination of AMB mbr. Zaytawi in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. dies. (NYT, WT 12/20; OCHA 12/20; PCHR 12/21; AIC 1/17)

Jewish settlers fr. Haggai settlement nr. Hebron vandalize nearby Palestinian homes. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa nr. Hebron uproot 60 Palestinian olive trees in nearby al-Sammu‘. Jewish settlers fr. Avigail nr. Hebron rampage through nearby Um Fagarah village. Jewish settlers rampage through Madama village nr. Nablus, fire in the air, attack local Palestinians before being evacuated by the IDF. Fatah mbrs. hold rallies in Gaza, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tubas, Tulkarm to celebrate Abbas’s decision today to call for early elections; in Gaza, Fatah and Hamas mbrs. clash, exchange fire, leaving 18 Palestinians injured (7 wounded by gunfire). Angry over the death of a Palestinian boy in Jenin on 12/15, Palestinian gunmen briefly kidnap a PA official, release him unharmed. (AP 12/16; NYT, WT 12/17; OCHA 12/20; PCHR 12/21; AIC 1/17)

Israel closes the Rafah border to prevent Haniyeh fr. returning to Gaza, alleging that Haniyeh’s delegation intended to bring in some $30 m. in cash donations collected during his 16-day regional tour. In response, 10s of Hamas mbrs. raid the Rafah crossing, exchanging fire with expelling Presidential Guard mbrs. guarding the post, occupying the transit hall on the Palestinian side of the border, later trading fire with Egyptian border police, leaving 15 Palestinians (mostly Hamas mbrs.) injured. Late in the evening, Israel allows Haniyeh to cross Rafah without the money, which is escorted to the Arab League by 2 Hamas officials under an arrangement brokered by Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Sulayman. Suspected Fatah mbrs. fire on Haniyeh’s convoy as it crosses into Gaza in an apparent assassination attempt, killing Haniyeh’s bodyguard, wounding his son and a political adviser, more than 10 other Palestinians; Hamas accuses fmr. PA security chief and powerful Fatah PC mbr. Muhammad Dahlan of orchestrating the attack; Dahlan denies responsibility. Separately in Gaza, PA security forces arrest PRC mbr. Hisham Mukhaymar for participation in the 12/11 shooting death of intelligence official Balusha’s children, sparking an exchange of gunfire btwn. PRC mbrs. and PA security forces. PRC mbrs. later kidnap a PA security officer, saying he would not be released until Mukhaymar is freed. In the West Bank, suspected Fatah gunmen fire on a rally in Balata r.c. marking Hamas’s 19th anniversary, leaving 4 Hamas supporters wounded. Other rallies to mark Hamas’s anniversary are held in Qalqilya, Tulkarm. Meanwhile, the IDF moves tanks, bulldozers 100 m into n. Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun, but no land leveling is reported. Palestinians fire 1 rocket fr. Gaza into Israel in violation of the 11/26 cease-fire, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in 2 vehicles with Palestinian license plates into ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus to ambush, assassinate wanted AMB mbr. Muhammad Zaytawi, wounding 1 woman, 5 children; fires on stone-throwing youths nr. Ariel settlement, fatally shooting a Palestinian bystander; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Tulkarm (confiscating film fr. journalists covering the incident). (BBC, al-Jazeera, REU 12/14; NYT, WP, WT 12/15; OCHA 12/20; PCHR 12/21)

IDF troops at Gaza’s Qarni crossing fatally shoot a Palestinian who strays close to the border fence, marking the 1st IDF killing since the 11/26 cease-fire went into effect. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fisherman off the coast nr. Rafah, wounding 3. In the West Bank, a Palestinian stabs, wounds a private Israeli security contractor at Qalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., Tulkarm r.c. and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya; begins work on a new segment of the separation wall s. of Tulkarm that will isolate 2,000 d. of Palestinian land btwn. the wall and the Green Line. The Israeli High Court rules that a section of the separation wall northeast of Jerusalem btwn. Dahiyat al-Barid and alRama may stand. In Jenin, AMB gunmen fire on the governorate building, set fire to a PA police station, exchange fire with police (injuring a 14-yr.-old bystander) to protest the fatal PA police shooting of an AMB mbr. in an incident involving a stolen vehicle. In Nussayrat r.c., unidentified assailants throw an explosive device into a crowd of Hamas supporters holding a rally, injuring several. In Gaza City, ESF, PSF mbrs. exchange fire, wounding a Palestinian girl. In Khan Yunis, suspected Fatah gunmen assassinate Hamas cmdr. Bassam al-Farra, forcing him to kneel, shooting him execution-style; Haniyeh, currently in the Sudan, cuts short his regional tour to return to Gaza to deal with the escalating intra-Palestinian violence. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 12/14; OCHA 12/20; PCHR 12/21; AIC 1/17)

In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit into Tulkarm in a vehicle with Palestinian license plates to arrest 3 wanted Palestinians; demolishes a Palestinian home in Issawiyya nr. Jerusalem, partially demolishes a 2d home in nearby Ras al-Amud; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in ‘Askar r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya (firing percussion grenades into a Palestinian home causing a 56-yr.-old Palestinian woman to have a fatal heart attack). A Palestinian fires at an IDF checkpoint btwn. Sanur and Qabatya nr. Jenin, injuring 1 soldier. In Gaza City, suspected Hamas gunmen open fire on the car of PA General Intelligence col. and Fatah mbr. Baha Balusha on its way to drop off Balusha’s children at school, killing all 3 children (ages 6–9), the driver, wounding a bodyguard, 2 children outside the school in a failed assassination attempt; the gunmen are dispersed by ESF mbrs. who return fire; Hamas denounces the shooting as a “gruesome crime”; no group claims responsibility. (MM 12/11; NYT, WP, WT 12/12; OCHA 12/13; PCHR 12/14; MM 1/10)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border fence, wounding 4. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen w. of Rafah, damaging some boats but causing no injuries. The AMB fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Also in Gaza, Palestinian haulers hold a 1-day strike to protest new Israeli restrictions barring the passage of specific types of trailers through the Qarni industrial crossing. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya, al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem. Inside Israel, Israeli police demolish Israeli police demolish 17 homes in the unrecognized village of Twayyil in the Negev. (Palestine Information Center, Palestine Times [London] 12/6; MM, PCHR 12/7; IMEMC 12/12; OCHA 12/13; PCHR 12/14)

The IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on, wound a Palestinian who strays nr. the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home, 3 shops, a warehouse in Qalqilya as well as 1 home in nearby Wad al-Rasha, 2 animal farms in nearby Wad Qana, 2 homes nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them in Nablus, killing 1 Palestinian teenager, wounding 3), and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. In Hebron, Israeli border police fatally shoot a Palestinian who throws a Molotov cocktail at police, lightly injuring 1 officer. (NYT 12/1, 12/2; OCHA 12/6; PCHR 12/7)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes an arrest raid on Qalqilya, killing PRC mbr. ‘Abd al-Raziq Bakir Nazzal, a bystander; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron (severely damaging an electricity network in al-Sammu‘), Jenin. In retaliation for the deaths in Qalqilya, the AMB fires 2 rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel; 1 lands in Gaza the other nr. Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. In Hebron, 4 Jewish settler women fr. Ramat Yishai attack several Palestinian children, violently beating a 9-yr.- old girl. (NYT 11/28; OCHA 11/29; PCHR 11/30)

Soon after the 6:00 A.M. Palestinian ceasefire deadline, the IDF withdraws all troops fr. Gaza, ending n. Gaza operations that began on 11/21 that killed 22 Palestinians (including at least 6 civilians), wounded at least 67 (including 28 children), destroyed 10 houses and 10 businesses, razed 80 d. of agricultural land. (After the pullout, the UN reports extensive damage—estimated at $6.4 m.—to Dahaniyya airport buildings by the IDF stationed there, noting that damage could not have been caused by crossfire with Palestinians.) Btwn. 6:00 and 10:15 A.M. local time, Palestinians fire 9 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a house but causing no injuries; Israel does not retaliate and the truce seems to hold. Two Palestinians are killed when a tunnel they are digging under the Rafah border collapses. In the West Bank, IDF troops patrol in ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya, fire on stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding 1; conduct arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Qabatya (fatally shooting 2 Palestinian bystanders) and Qalqilya, nr. Bethlehem and Hebron; issues a military order confiscating 565 d. of land belonging to al-Nabi Samwil, Bayt Surik, Bayt Iqsa villages n. of Jerusalem for construction of the separation wall. The Israeli High Court rejects a petition to reroute a section of the separation wallthat would envelope Bayt Hanina, Bir Naballah, al-Jadira, al-Jib, and Qalandia villages, cutting them off fr. the rest of the West Bank. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in the 10/13 IDF attack on Abasan. (IFM, WP 11/26; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/27; OCHA 11/29; PCHR 11/30; OCHA 12/13; PLONAD 2/14)

The IDF sends additional tanks, troops into n. Gaza, bringing the total number of troops in n. Gaza to around 1,000, placing snipers on the rooftops of Palestinian homes, occupying the home of Reform and Change PC mbr. Jamila Shanti, fatally shooting 2 Hamas mbrs., a Palestinian woman, a 17-yr.-old Palestinian boy and wounding at least 1 gunman, 14 bystanders in Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Jabaliya r.c. An IDF soldier is wounded by an antitank missile in Bayt Hanun. The IDF also fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Rafah coast, wounding 1. In Gaza City, the IDF makes an air strike destroying a money exchange, damaging several nearby homes. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs claim responsibility for firing 8 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel today, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF assassinates al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Fadi Armur in Jenin r.c., wounding a 2d target, Islamic Jihad mbr. Ashraf al-Sa‘di; bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes, 2 animal pens nr. Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qabatya and in and around Hebron, Nablus. A Jewish settler injures a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy in a deliberate hitand-run nr. Bethlehem. (MM 11/22; MM, NYT, PCHR, WP 11/23; NYT 11/24; OCHA 11/29; PCHR 11/30)

In Gaza, the IDF sends troops into Bayt Lahiya, raiding homes, fatally shooting the body guard of senior Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) mbr. Salih Zaydan; makes air strikes destroying a Palestinian home, an ESF post in Shatti’ r.c. nr. Gaza City, 1 home in Jabaliya, offices of a Muslim charity nr. Gaza City after warning occupants to leave; fires missiles from a helicopter gunship at a mosque in Gaza City, causing severe damage. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches around Nablus, in Qalqilya (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 29, demolishing 2 Palestinian homes). (OCHA 11/22; PCHR 11/23)

Israel says that the death of 19 Palestinians in Bayt Hanun on 11/8 was caused by a faulty artillery radar system. Palestinians fire 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis and Hebron, nr. Bethlehem and Qalqilya. In Jabaliya, a roadside bomb explodes outside the home of a PFLP cmdr., injuring his bodyguard; internal Palestinian rivalries are suspected to be the cause. (NYT, WP, WT 11/10; OCHA 11/15; PCHR 11/16)

French DM Michele Alliot-Marie ` says that French forces in s. Lebanon came within seconds of firing on IDF F-16s that repeatedly dived on their positions a wk. ago. The IDF says the incident is under investigation. UNIFIL reported 14 Israeli violations of the cease-fire last wk., including near daily overflights of Lebanon, including 3 mock air raids over the French troops’ headquarters in the south. (WP 11/10)

In Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian hunting birds when he strays near an IDF observation post nr. Jabaliya; fires on Palestinians working on a farm nr. al-Maghazi r.c., wounding 1; makes an air strike destroying the home of a Hamas mbr., a neighboring home in Jabaliya r.c. after warning residents to leave. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in cars with Palestinian license plates into al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Jenin in search of wanted Islamic Jihad mbrs., fires on residential areas, exchanges fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding and arresting 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c. (fatally shooting 1 Palestinian who goes to his roof to see what is going on), in Hebron and Qalqilya, nr. Bethlehem; patrols in, fires on residential areas of Kafr Dan nr. Jenin. (OCHA 11/1; PCHR 11/2)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Abu Dis and Qabatya, nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Gil’ad attack Palestinians harvesting an olive grove nr. Qalqilya, injuring 5. Unidentified assailants stab, wound a Fatah mbr. in al-Bureij r.c. (OCHA 11/1; PCHR 11/2)

The IDF demolishes 12 Palestinian homes in Rafah, a house and workshop in Bayt Hanun industrial zone. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids in Jenin town and r.c. (exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, wounding 2), in and around Hebron, nr. Qalqilya. ESF, Fatah mbrs. exchange fire in al-Bureij r.c., wounding 2 ESF mbrs. (OCHA 11/1; PCHR 11/2)

In Gaza, the IDF sends tanks, troops into Jabaliya r.c., clashing with Palestinian gunmen, killing 1 Hamas mbr., 1 Palestinian civilian; expands operations on the Rafah border, taking up positions nr. Rafah crossing, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen (killing 2 Palestinian militants), ordering male residents in some neighborhoods to surrender for interrogation (handcuffing and blindfolding them), reportedly finding a smugglers tunnel (the 13th it says it has found in the past 3 mos.); simultaneously sends troops into al-Shuka, conducting arrest raids, house searches. Overnight, the IDF sends troops into Qabatya, conducts arrest raids and house searches, exchanges fire with Palestinian gunmen (killing 1 Palestinian gunman, wounding 3), fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them (killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 7). Also in the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in vehicles with Palestinian license plates into ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus, opening fire on a taxi, assassinating wanted AMB mbr. ‘Adil Abu al-Rish, killing his cousin, who was not wanted; raids offices of Change and Reform PC mbrs. in Ramallah, arresting the office director; raids al-Quds University campus of religious studies in Abu Dis, arresting 2 Palestinians; makes arrest raids in Qalqilya (exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing an Islamic Jihad mbr., wounding 13 Palestinians), nr. Nablus, Tulkarm; later makes a 2d raid into Qalqilya, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians, fatally shooting a Palestinian civilian. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar nr. Nablus detain 2 Palestinian workers in the nearby Hawara cemetery, releasing them after the IDF intervenes. In Khan Yunis, unidentified gunmen fire on the home of a Fatah mbr., wounding him. A Fatah mbr. dies of injuries received in clashes with Hamas on 10/1. (NYT, WP, WT 10/8; OCHA 10/18; PCHR 10/19; OCHA 11/1)

In an air strike, the IDF destroys the Gaza City home of PC mbr. Mariam Farhat (Change and Reform), warning residents in advance to evacuate, claiming the home was used to store weapons; in a late-night air strike, the IDF destroys 3 Palestinian homes in Jabaliya r.c. after warning residents to leave; makes an air strike destroying a PA security office nr. Jabaliya after warning occupants to leave; fatally shoots a Palestinian who sneaks across the Gaza border into Israel, claims he was wearing an explosive belt. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on Nablus, fatally shooting wanted Palestinian Abdallah Mansur in what may be an assassination; sends undercover units into Jenin r.c., in a car with Palestinian license plates, surrounding a home, interrogating the residents, firing live ammunition at stone-throwing youths who confront them (wounding 2), making no arrests; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Qalqilya. Also in Nablus, a previously unknown group calling itself Ansar al-Sunna (the same name as a group that operates in Iraq, though there is no known connection) kidnaps, holds for several hrs. an American English teacher working for a pro-Palestinian charity, demanding the immediate release of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, saying it aims to confront the U.S. war on Islam; releases him unharmed and unconditionally after local officials intervene. Jewish settlers march through Hebron, stone Palestinian homes. A Palestinian dies of injuries sustained in Hamas-Fatah clashes in Khan Yunis in 8/06. (REU 10/11; NYT, PCHR 10/12; OCHA 10/18; PCHR 10/19)

The IDF shells n. Gaza, killing a 15-yr.- old Palestinian farm worker, wounding 3, claiming that the teenager, who was working in a field, approached an abandoned rocket launcher used on 10/7 with plans to retrieve it; in separate incidents fires at 2 Palestinians who stray near the n. Gaza border fence, seriously wounding a mentally handicapped man in his 50s, lightly wounding a 2d man; fires on 2 Palestinians scavenging metal nr. the central Gaza border fence, wounding 1; sends troops into al-Shuka late in the evening, fatally shooting a Palestinian civilian on the street for no apparent reason. In Rafah, a Palestinian is killed when a bomb he is handling explodes prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who allegedly attempts to stab an IDF soldier at Hawara checkpoint nr. Nablus; sends undercover units into Qalqilya in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest a Force 17 mbr.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Tulkarm town and r.c. (raiding a store, confiscating money, causing a woman to have a stroke). Jewish settlers march through Hebron, stone Palestinian homes. A Force 17 mbr. dies of injuries received during 10/1 clashes btwn. the PA security forces and Hamas. (NYT 10/10; OCHA 10/11; PCHR 10/12)

In Gaza, the IDF partially reopens Rafah crossing as a gesture marking U.S. Secy. of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit today; makes an air strike on a car driving nr. Khan Yunis, assassinating Islamic Jihad mbr. Yasir al-Banna, Abu Rish Brigades mbr. Omar al-Zaqzuq. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm and in and around Hebron, Jenin town and r.c. In Qalqilya, 4 unidentified gunmen assassinate local Hamas official Muhammad Odeh; no group takes responsibility. Unidentified gunmen fire on a car carrying PC mbrs. in Gaza City, wounding 1 Palestinian. In Israel, an Israeli border policeman fatally shoots a Palestinian laborer fr. Hebron being detained in IDF custody in Jaffa for working without a permit, claims his gun went off accidentally; the worker was also reportedly severely beaten by 9 policemen; the guard who shot him is placed under house arrest pending an investigation. (NYT, PCHR, REU, WP 10/5; OCHA 10/11; PCHR 10/12)

In Gaza, the IDF withdraws troops fr. Bayt Lahiya after 3 days of operations; fires missiles fr. a drone at a car moving btwn. Gaza City and Bayt Hanun, wounding 3 AMB mbrs. (Ahmad Abu al-Kas, Ayman al-Dar‘awi, Haytham Abu Hassanain), 7 bystanders in a failed assassination attempt; makes an air strike destroying the home of a Hamas mbr. in Abasan (warning residents in advance to leave), damaging 6 nearby homes and a kindergarten. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Qalqilya, nr. Jenin (firing on residential areas). Jewish settlers in Hebron throw stones at Palestinians. The AMB threatens to kill 3 senior Hamas leaders (including Damascus-based leader Khalid Mishal, Interior M Siyam) whom they accuse of sedition, “so these filthy people can be made an example.” Scattered Fatah-Hamas violence is reported during the day, with at least 1 Palestinian wounded in Rafah. (NYT, WT 10/4; PCHR 10/5; OCHA 10/11)

In Gaza, the IDF fires a missile at 2 Palestinian boys (ages 13, 16) who approached an abandoned rocket launcher nr. Bayt Hanun, killing both; fires missiles fr. helicopter gunships partially destroying an apartment building in Khan Yunis owned by a Hamas mbr. (warning residents in advance to vacate). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Baqat al-Hatab and Hijja villages nr. Qalqilya, Tubas; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (firing on residential areas), nr. Bethlehem, and in Dura nr. Hebron, Jenin town and r.c., Tamun. In n. Gaza, 1,000s of Hamas supporters march in solidarity with Haniyeh’s government. In al-Maghazi r.c., a PSF officer exchanges gunfire with a PRC mbr., wounding 1 bystander. (WP 9/30; OCHA 10/4, PCHR 10/5)

In Gaza, IDF troops in Dahaniyya airport fire tank shells at al-Shuka village, killing a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding another Palestinian who strays near the border fence; sends troops, drones into Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, conducting arrest raids, demolishing 2 Palestinian homes, damaging a 3d house, bulldozing 79 d. of agricultural land and a water network, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tamun; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Tulkarm town and r.c., nr. Hebron and Jenin. A 9-yr.-old Palestinian boy is injured in Balata r.c. when he accidentally detonates unexploded IDF ordnance. A Jewish settler driving nr. Qalqilya deliberately hits and injures a 10-yr.-old Palestinian girl walking home fr. school; the IDF arrests the driver. The High Court of Israel rejects 7 Palestinian petitions regarding the route of the separation wall northwest of East Jerusalem, accepting the existing plan, stating that “the purpose of the construction of the wall is to protect the lives of Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks, so its expected benefit is great” and that Palestinian needs had been adequately addressed. (WP 9/11; OCHA 9/13; PCHR 9/14; Independent 9/19)

In Gaza, the IDF withdraws fr. Khuza‘a, ending a 3-day operation. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in cars with Palestinian license plates into Qabatya, shoots, wounds 2 Palestinians (at least 1 of whom is a wanted AMB mbr., Rashid Zakarna), also shoots, wounds 2 unarmed Palestinians who come to their aid; the units detain all 4 men, shooting execution style Zarkana and 1 of the men who came to his aid, Kamil al-Lubani; the units then raid a wedding party nearby, firing indiscriminately, wounding 12 Palestinian civilians (1 is declared clinically dead). The IDF patrols in Hebron; raids the Prisoners’ Supporters Association (PSA) offices in Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Salfit, confiscating computers and files, sealing the offices for 2 yrs.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin (also raiding the offices of attorney Fadl Bushnaq, confiscating computers and files, sealing the office for 2 yrs.; bulldozes 50 d. of Palestinian land nr. Kiryat Arba in Hebron for construction of a new settler-only bypass road. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba, escorted by the IDF, bulldoze a large area of Palestinian land w. of the settlement. In Khan Yunis, unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on a Force 17 officer, wounding a bystander. Elsewhere in Gaza, unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on a PA military intelligence officer, killing a Palestinian bystander. (OCHA 9/13; PCHR 9/14)

Israel lifts the air blockade on Lebanon but continues to patrol off the Lebanese coast after its self-declared 6:00 P.M. deadline, stating that too few international vessels have taken up patrols to enforce an arms embargo. Israel also continues surveillance overflights of Lebanon, saying it has no plans to end them. (NYT, WP, WT 9/8)

In Gaza, the IDF sends troops fr. Dahaniyya airport, escorted by helicopters and drones, into al-Shuka to conduct arrest raids; fires on Palestinian fishermen on the Gaza beach, injuring 1. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a major raid on Nablus, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, killing a 16-yr.-old Palestinian, wounding at least 11, demolishing 4 Palestinian homes before leaving without making any arrests. The IDF also patrols in Ras ‘Atiya nr. Qalqilya, conducting random ID checks, firing on residential areas; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar nr. Nablus area fire on Palestinian children in Bayt Furik, seriously wounding a 12-yr.-old boy. Unidentified gunmen shoot, wound a local Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) leader in Jabaliya r.c. (AP, IMEMC, NYT 8/27; WP 8/28; OCHA 8/30; PCHR 8/31; PMG 9/1)

In Gaza, the IDF begins allowing limited humanitarian and food supplies through the Kerem Shalom, Sufa crossings (closed since 6/25); sends an undercover unit into Abasan in s. Gaza to capture senior Hamas mbr. Yunis Abu Daka, firing on his home, killing his brother Yusuf Abu Daka, then conducts air strikes on the house causing severe damage (Yunis Abu Daka is not captured). In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit into Jenin, driving a car with Palestinian license plates, that shoots, seriously wounds Islamic Jihad’s West Bank military cmdr. Hussam Jaradat in an assassination attempt; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and Qalqilya, in Bethlehem and Nablus, nr. Jenin. A previously unknown group called the Holy Jihad Brigade releases a video tape of 2 Fox News journalists kidnapped in Gaza City on 8/14, demanding that the U.S. release all Muslims fr. its jails within 72 hrs., marking the 1st time that a Palestinian militant group has made demands of a foreign country other than Israel, which is not mentioned in the statement; all major Palestinian groups denounce the kidnapping and deny involvement. PA civil servants launch a series of strikes to press PA PM Ismail Haniyeh’s government to take action to pay back salaries. (Miftah 8/23; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 8/24; OCHA 8/25; PCHR 8/31; NYT 9/1)

Without explanation, the IDF shells Shaba‘ village, inside Lebanon, fr. the disputed Shaba‘ Farms region, causing no damage or injuries. In s. Lebanon, 3 Lebanese troops are killed when they accidentally detonate an unexploded IDF missile that they are trying to disarm; an IDF soldier is killed, 3 are wounded when they accidentally trigger one of the 1,000s of Israeli landmines left over fr. Israel’s previous occupation. (NYT, WP 8/24)

In Gaza, the IDF allows EU monitors to open the Rafah crossing in both directions for a day for the 1st time since 8/11. Some 30 Palestinian journalists protest in Gaza City against the 8/14 kidnapping of 2 Fox News journalists, demanding their immediate release; Islamic Jihad also denounces the unknown kidnappers for having “silenced the voice of freedom and justice.” In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on the Ramallah home of Palestinian Authority (PA) Dep. PM and Education M Nasir al-Sha‘ir (Hamas affiliated), arresting him without charge; patrols in al-Til nr. Nablus, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 4; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jericho and nr. Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Ramallah; raids an Islamist charity nr. Hebron, confiscating a computer and some files, vandalizing the offices. At a checkpoint outside Nablus, an armed Palestinian fatally shoots an IDF soldier, is shot dead; the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) claims responsibility. In Gaza, 100s of PA security officers storm banks, burn tires, demanding that banks return fees deducted fr. cash advances received on their unpaid wages. (NYT, WP, WT 8/20; WP 8/21; OCHA 8/23; PCHR 8/24)

In an action the UN deems the 1st violation of the 8/14 truce, the IDF stages an overnight helicopter raid on Budai nr. Baalbek, sending 2 helicopters to drop 2 Humvees and more than 100 IDF Sayaret Matkal commandos dressed in Lebanese army uniforms to raid the village, under the cover of sonic booms fr. Israeli warplanes, in an apparent attempt to assassinate or capture senior Hizballah leader Shaykh Muhammad Yazbek, a Budai resident, or to free 2 captured IDF soldiers; the unit attempts to run a Hizballah checkpoint outside the village but Hizballah mbrs. engage them, forcing a retreat, killing 1 IDF soldier, wounding 2. (Lebanese security reports 3 Hizballah mbrs. are killed; Hizballah does not confirm.) Israel claims that the attack was a defensive action to prevent arms smuggling fr. Syria to Hizballah, that it will continue to conduct such raids until “proper monitoring bodies are established on the Lebanese borders.” Lebanon calls the action a “flagrant violation” of the truce, threatens to halt deployment of the army to the south. (AP, al-Manar TV, Voice of Lebanon 8/19; NYT, WP, WT 8/20; NYT 8/21; WT 8/23)