The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers verbally and physically assault Palestinians gathering in central Hebron in solidarity with Palestinian minors imprisoned by Israel; there are no serious injuries. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home under construction in Bayt Dajan village near Nablus and 2 EU-funded schoolrooms in a Bedouin village near Jerusalem. IDF troops arrest 14 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Qalqilya; and patrol near Hebron and Salfit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Shu‘fat refugee camp. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, WAFA 2/4; EI 2/6; PCHR 2/8)

The Israeli cabinet unanimously approves a proposal to establish a new settlement for the residents of Havat Gilad, the illegal settlement outpost of the settler killed by Palestinians on 1/9. DM Lieberman is authorized to explore the relocation of the residents to a new settlement and to evacuate Havat Gilad. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 2/4)

The IDF directs machine gun fire at residential areas of Rafah r.c. to disperse stone throwing youths, hitting several homes and a school, killing 1 Palestinian bystander, wounding 14, including 9 children; conducts arrest raids in Hebron; bulldozes 100 dunams of olive groves s. of Hebron. Some 2,000 Jewish settlers gather at Havat Gilad to protest the IDF's removal of the unauthorized settler outpost, the 1st inhabited enclave (2 families) to be removed by the IDF in the past wk.; 10s of settlers throw stones at, slash tires of reporters vehicles, Palestinian vehicles, a PRCS truck but do not assault soldiers; most settlers leave in the evening, saying the IDF agreed to allow settlers to stay at the site during daylight hrs. (LAW, MM, PCHR 10/16; HA, NYT, WT 10/17; HA, MM 10/18)

            In Washington, Bush receives Sharon for talks on Iraq, the Palestinians; gives Sharon a U.S. draft road map for creation of a Palestinian state that the U.S. plans to submit to the Quartet as an alternative to the EU draft discussed on 9/17. (HA, MM 10/16; AP, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/17; AYM 10/17 in WNC 10/21; HA, MM 10/18; HA 10/19; al-Quds 10/20 in WNC 10/22; MM 10/22; MEI 10/25)