The Palestine Chronology

The IDF conducts arrest raids in Tubas; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; bulldozes 39 dunams of land in al-Bureij r.c. The PSF raids a mosque in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, arresting Hamas mbrs. thought to be plotting a suicide bombing. Shin Bet arrests Palestinian hospital worker and chemist Rashid al-Nimr, cousin of PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Faruq al-Qaddumi, on charges of selling Hamas 6 containers of hydrogen peroxide for use in building bombs, transporting the chemicals by ambulance, evading the IDF by hiding in hospitals. (JP 11/25 in WNC 11/27; LAW, PCHR 12/4; JP 12/11 in WNC 12/13)

The IDF says that a 21-km section of the separation wall around the n. and s. of Jerusalem should be completed by the end of 7/03. The IDF sends tanks, troops into Ramallah, occupying buildings surrounding Arafat’s headquarters, conducting searches, withdrawing after 2 hrs.; fires on residential areas of Rafah, wounding 1 woman; places a curfew on Tulkarm; bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes in Bayt Rima. Shin Bet arrests 2 Jewish settlers on charges of “security crimes against Palestinians,” places a gag order on the case. (HA, PMC 7/17; HA 7/18; WT 7/19; MM 7/21; JP 7/23 in WNC 7/25; PCHR 7/24)

IDF undercover units raid a house in Burkin, arrest wanted tanzim cmdr. Iyad Shalayish, fatally shooting his brother and critically wounding his sister-in-law, who live next door, when they come to the window to see what is going on. The IDF also detains, interrogates for 9 hrs. at a local Jewish settlement 3 Palestinian children (ages 10, 11) caught throwing stones nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids in Ramallah. Shin Bet says it has recently arrested 4 senior Islamic Jihad mbrs. in West Bank raids. Jewish settlers stone a Palestinian car driving nr. Hebron, seriously injuring the driver. (HA, PR 7/9; VOI 7/9 in WNC 7/11; NYT, PCHR, WT 7/10; PR 7/16)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah; bulldozes 14 dunams of land nr. Rafah. In s. Gaza, 3 Palestinians apparently planting a roadside bomb trigger the device, killing 1, wounding the other 2. Shin Bet produces a list of 100 Palestinian prisoners, out of the more than 5,500 (some say up to 8,000) currently held, that it says could be freed without harming Israeli security. (NYT 7/6; PCHR 7/10)

The IDF bulldozes 63 shops, market stalls in Nazlat Issa, 1 of the only thriving Palestinian commercial centers, located very close to the West Bank border with Israel; maps of Israel’s planned security fence show the fence running e. of Nazlat Issa, which would cut off the village fr. the rest of the West Bank. The IDF also beats 2 Palestinian photographers for international agencies as they try to photograph an IDF jeep driving through Nablus with 2 Palestinian youths clinging to the hood, threaten to kill the journalists if they see the photo published; fires on residential areas of Bayt Lahia; conducts arrest raids (targeting Hamas, Islamic Jihad) in Hebron, Jenin r.c., Jericho, Nablus, Ramallah; demolishes a Palestinian home in Yatta, nr. Hebron. Islamic Jihad says that 2 of its low-ranking mbrs. have escaped fr. the IDF’s Ofer detention center in the West Bank. Israeli border police halt a suspicious van nr. Umm al-Fahm, just inside the Green Line; the 4 occupants of the car flee (2 into Israel, 2 into the West Bank); police find 300 kg. of explosives inside. Shin Bet arrests the wife of jailed PFLP leader Saadat at the Allenby border crossing, on her way to Jordan to fly to Brazil for a conference; gives no reason for her detention. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 3/4/02. (BBC, HA 1/21; HA, LAW, NYT, PCHR, PM, PR, WT 1/22; PM 1/23)

Reversing an 8/18/02 decision, the Israeli High Court rules that the IDF’s "neighborhood procedure" (i.e., sending a Palestinian to warn a wanted individual to surrender to IDF troops waiting nearby) is legal, saying the IDF may not force Palestinians to act as human shields, but it may use them if they “volunteer.” (HA, WT 1/22)