The Palestine Chronology

Israel-Palestinian clashes in the Bayt Jala-Gilo area continue to escalate, spread to neighboring Aida refugee camp, leaving 13 Palestinians wounded. European Union (EU) foreign policy dir. Javier Solana shuttles btwn. Arafat and Peres, discussing the idea of a limited cease-fire that would incorporate an IDF withdrawal fr. the area. (Arafat, Peres speak directly by phone; Powell phones Sharon, Arafat.) This afternoon, the PSF sets up new roadblocks around Bayt Jala to deter Palestinian gunmen fr. entering. After 5 hrs. without gunfire, the IDF begins to leave Bayt Jala. Solana urges Arafat, Peres to discuss expanding the Bayt Jala-Gilo understandings into a full cease-fire. (BDL, HP, MM 8/29; MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/30; WJW 9/6)

Meanwhile, the settler group, the Committee for Road Safety, fatally shoots a Palestinian in the West Bank. Nr. Tulkarm, tanzim mbrs. fatally shoot an Israeli civilian; the IDF fires on Palestinians, killing 1, wounding 4. The IDF also sends tanks into Rafah; bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes, agricultural land in Dayr al-Balah; reinforces tanks, bulldozers outside Khan Yunis; demolishes a PSF post, erects a new IDF checkpoint on the Rafah-Khan Yunis road. 15 Jewish settlers (mostly women and children) attack Palestinian vendors in the Hebron market; IDF soldiers watch but do not intervene. (HP 8/29; HP, NYT, WP, WT 8/30)

In response to the attack on a settler family on 8/25, the IDF dispatches F-15s and F-16s to bomb the PA Military Intelligence headquarters outside Gaza City and the PSF headquarters in Salfit, killing 1 PSF officer, wounding 18 Palestinians. Also in Gaza City, IDF shells, destroys the PSF headquarters and bulldozes 2 PSF checkpoints; helicopters hover over Arafat's headquarters but do not fire. This evening, after the AMB fatally shoots an Israeli civilian driving outside Tulkarm, the IDF shells PSF buildings and checkpoints in Tulkarm, al-Bireh, killing 1 PSF officer. Sharon meets with Ben-Eliezer, Peres; reportedly decides to step up retaliatory attacks on PA targets, shorten the time btwn. incident and retaliation, even if this means striking occupied buildings. (AP, NYT, WT 8/26; NYT, WP, WT 8/27; MA 8/27 in WNC 8/28; al-Quds 8/29 in WNC 8/30; al-Quds, Star 8/30 in WNC 8/31)

In Netanya, Israel, a Hamas suicide bomber kills 5 Israelis, injures 110. After dark, Israel sends F-16s to drop 1,100-lb. bombs on PA security targets in Gaza City, Nablus, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, killing 12 Palestinians, wounding 90--marking Israel's 1st use of warplanes against the Palestinian areas since the 1967 war. (Sharon makes the decision to use F-16s in a mtg. with FM Shimon Peres and DM Benjamin Ben-Eliezer; he has not met with his security cabinet in 3 wks.) An IDF officer is also killed when his car is ambushed in the West Bank. Britain, European Union (EU), Russia, the UN, the U.S. condemn the sharp escalation; urge PA, Israeli leaders to bring violence to a halt. (AP, BBC, HA, JP [Internet], MM, REU 5/18; AFP, Interfax 5/18, al-Quds 5/19, JT, MA, RMC 5/20 in WNC 5/21; LAW, PCHR, NYT, WP, WT 5/19; QA 5/19, El Pais (Madrid) 5/22 in WNC 5/23; HP, NYT, WT 5/20; al-Ra'i 5/20, MA 5/21 in WNC 5/22; MM 5/21 PCHR 5/24; LAW 5/25; MEI 6/1)

The UN Security Council (UNSC) accepts UN Secy.-Gen. Kofi Annan's 5/2 proposal for a staged reduction of UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops. (UN press release 5/18)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: U.S. State Dept. official Charles Hill meets with F. M. Peres in Israel [LAT 8/13]. In 4-hour speech at Tel Aviv University, Ariel Sharon, former defense minister, argues that then-P.M. Menahem Begin and the entire cabinet approved all decisions made during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon [JP, NYT 8/13]. Reports indicate 60 youths are participating in Kach movement military training camp [FJ 8/16]. Israeli military governor of Tulkarm area designates 500 dunams of Yasuf and Jama'in village land as closed military area [FJ 8/16]. Arab woman is kidnapped in Lydda [FJ 8/16]. Gaza fishermen are fined between IS 400-800 for fishing in restricted area [FJ 8/16].

Other Countries: U.S. government urges Israel to cancel production of Lavi warplane [WP 8/12].