The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on a group of armed Palestinians nr. Jabaliya r.c., killing 2 Palestinian resistance mbrs., wounding 2; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches (using dogs) in Wadi alSilqa. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on agricultural areas nr. Khuza e. of Khan Yunis, wounding a Palestinian farmer working his field. In the West Bank, the IDF surrounds a girls’ orphanage in Hebron for 40 mins., withdraws without making arrests (see 2/26); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Amari r.c. nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Elkana nr. Salfit vandalize a Palestinian home nr. the settlement (the family has been attacked 10s of times by Elkana settlers trying to force them to leave the area). (OCHA 4/2; PCHR 4/3)

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing (reopened on 10/9); begins construction of a 6-m.-high concrete wall 15 m inside the n. Gaza border (see 9/18); conducts arrest raids in and around Hebron (targeting Hamas), Nablus, Yatta. Jewish settlers fr. Elkana beat, chase off a Palestinian family harvesting their olive trees nr. Salfit. AMB mbrs. briefly kidnap an American journalists, British photographer in Khan Yunis, giving no reason; Fatah secures their quick release unharmed. (AFP, IMEMC 10/12; IMEMC, NYT, WP, WT 10/13; PCHR 10/20; OCHA 10/31)