The Palestine Chronology

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in 2 villages each nr. Jenin and Ramallah in the morning and afternoon patrols in Qalqilya and in 2 villages each nr. Jenin, Qalqilya (synchronized), and Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. (JP 3/19; PCHR 3/22; OCHA 3/23)

In Toulouse, France, a gunman on a motor scooter opens fire on a Jewish school, killing a rabbi and 4 students (all dual French-Israeli citizens), wounding another 6 students (1 seriously). Authorities say the shooting appears linked to 2 recent shootings of 3 French soldiers in and nr. Toulouse. In those attacks, an assailant believed to be targeting French soldiers of Arab extraction to punish them as traitors for participating in the French military given its involvement in Afghanistan allegedly lured and shot 3 soldiers; 2 of North African origin were killed, whereas a black soldier was wounded. (NYT, WP, WT 3/20)

British FM Hague meets with Israel’s Vice PM Dan Meridor on a 2-day official visit to Israel. Talks cover Iran but focus on economic cooperation. (JPI 3/30)

Israel allows the Rafah crossing to open for the 1st time since 4/19. Gunfire breaks out among the 5,000 Palestinians waiting to enter Egypt, leaving a PA presidential guardsman dead; UN monitors overseeing the passage say Israel’s closures have left the crossing too crowded to operate. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire tank shells, heavy machine guns at DFLP mbrs. planning a roadside bomb nr. the border fence, killing 1 DFLP mbr. The IDF also sends tanks, bulldozers into Gaza to level land along the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c. In Bayt Hanun, a PRC mbr. is killed when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinians and international and Israeli peace activists holding a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, wounding 6 Palestinians, 1 French activist. Some 200 Palestinians fr. villages nr. Bethlehem hold a nonviolent protest in the area against the separation wall. A Jewish settler fr. Kiryat Arba beats a Palestinian child working in his family’s garden; when his father and brother come to his aid, the settler fires at them, causing no injuries; the IDF intervenes, beating and arresting the father and older brother for “threatening” the settler. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron beat 3 Palestinian shepherds grazing their sheep nearby and 3 peace activists (including an Israeli rabbi) accompanying them for protection. In Israel, 100s of Palestinian Israeli residents of Jaffa protest actions by the Israel Land Administration (ILA) in the past yr. to evict some 500 Arab families from the al-Ajami and Givat Aliya neighborhoods so as to develop the seafront properties; the ILA calls the Palestinian families “invaders” who built on the sites illegally. A Palestinian dies of injuries received during an IDF raid on Gaza City on 10/16/06. (HA 4/27; NYT 4/28; OCHA 5/2; PCHR 5/3)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: IDF chief of staff, Gen. Dan Shomron, orders soldiers to use force only when necessary to quell disturbances. P. M. Shamir's office prevents journalist Hanna Siniora from leaving for U. S. Shops open in Gaza. More than 40,000 Gazans return to jobs in Israel. General strike and scattered violence continue in and around E. Jerusalem [CSM, WP 1/25]. Soldiers use crowbars, break locks in attempt to force shops to open in W. Bank and Gaza Strip [FJ 1/3 1]. W. Germany's F. M. Hans Dietrich meets with 7 W. Bank and Gaza Strip Palestinians [FBIS 1/27]. Al-Sha'b editor Salah Zuhayka, arrested 1/14, receives 6-month administrative detention order [FJ 1/31]. Administration of Haifa's Rambam Hospital fires dozens of striking Palestinian workers [FJ 1/31].

Arab World: Jordanian police quickly disperse 150 protesters marching illegally to support Palestinian uprising in W. Bank, Gaza Strip, and E. Jerusalem [NYT 1/25]. Arab foreign ministers meeting in Tunis pledge financial and moral support for Palestinians inW. Bank and Gaza Strip, call for international peace conference [NYT 1/25]. Tunis and Egypt announce resumptionf full diplomatic relations [FJ 1/31].

Other Countries: Rabbi Alexander Schindler, pres. of Union of Am. Hebrew Congregations, criticizes Iraeli policy of "might, power, and beatings" in occupied territories as "morally wrong" [WP 1/25].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Curfews are lifted for Gaza Strip's Nusayrat, Burayj, and Maghazi refugee camps; only Jabalya camp and part of Rafah camp remain under curfew [CSM, WP 1/25]. In the W. Bank, old and new 'Askar camps and village of Bayt 'Ur al-Tahta remain under curfew; Hebron-region village of Sa'ir is still closed military zone [FJ 1/31]. Protesters blockade roads, throw stones in scattered incidents in Jerusalem and 'Anata refugee camp [FBIS 1/25]. In Ramallah, soldiers use tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition to disperse peaceful demonstration; Palestinian bystander is shot in back, seriously injured [FJ 1/31]. Several people are injured, arresteduring clash between army and demonstrators in Hebron district's Bani Na'im village [FJ 1/31].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Prime Minister Peres announces last stage of IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon will be completed by 6 June; but unspecified number of soldiers will remain in "security zone" [NYT 6/3]. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Samuel Lewis ends 8-year tour of duty [JTA 6/3]. Council of Jewish Settlements in West Bank calls for official action to deport Palestinians released 20 May [JTA 6/3]. Council Chair Yisrael Har'el says harassment tactics used againsthem by settlers igenerating sympathy for Palestinians among some Israelis. Wives of Jewish underground defendants end 13-day hunger strike after receiving order from rabbi to desist and assurances Knesset bill will be introduced to grant defendants clemency. Defendants tell court attempted Temple Mount sabotage was intended only "to frighten," not kill. Summer visiting season for relatives to West Bank residents begins. 2,500 visitors will be allowed to cross Allenby Bridge per day, up from 1,250; 1,100 over Damiya Bridge, up from 800 [JP 6/3]. Israeli settlers in West Bank and Gaza meet at Pesagot near Ramallah to discuss how to torpedo the envisaged peace talks with Jordan and how to force out of the country Arabs freed May 20 [JP 6/3]. Rejecting Hussein Plan and U.S. overtures, Shamir and Likud want direct talks with non-PLO/PNC-Jordanian or Jordanian-Palestinian delegation. Peres and Labor party take "wait and see" position on delegation that includes PNC members.

Arab Countries: Red Cross evacuates 29 from Burj al-Barajinah [FT 6/3]. 93 Palestinians taken to hospitals in Druze-held mountain town of Shuwayfat. Shi'a militiamen take 5 Palestinians from ambulances, later let them be evacuated.

Other Countries: Sec. of State Shultz sends message to P. M. Peres seeking Israeli backing for projected American talks with Jordanian-Palestinian delegation as step toward direct talks with Israel [NYT 6/3]. U.S. accepts PNC representation idelegation. Shultz says he is glad PLO has accepted UN resolutions 242 and 338 but says U.S. needs public statement before considering talking to PLO [JTA 6/3]. He opposes Hussein's proposal of Soviet participation in peace talks.