The Palestine Chronology

Palestinian collaborator Murad Abu al-Asal detonates a suicide bomb nr. Taibeh, Israel, injuring his 2 Shin Bet handlers. A 2d Palestinian dies of injuries received on 1/21. The IDF conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, East Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, detaining 9 Palestinians fr. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP; shells residential areas of Tulkarm. (HA, MM, PCHR 1/30; NYT, WT 1/31; MA 1/31 in WNC 2/4; LAW 2/6)

The Israeli cabinet approves the Enveloping Jerusalem plan. (WP, WT 1/31) (see 1/28)

The Palestinian woman who carried out a suicide bombing on 1/27 is identified as Wafa Idriss, a Red Crescent volunteer medical worker who reportedly was distraught over the Palestinian casualties inflicted by the IDF. Most recently, a boy she treated, who had been shot by the IDF and left in a coma died, on 1/25. AMB claims she was "one of our female fighters," but family and friends say she had no connection to the group; she also was not religious, never attended al-Najah University. Her brother, Khalil Idris, is a local Fatah leader wanted by Israel. (AP, REU 1/30; HA, NYT, Red Crescent press release, WP 1/31; SA 2/2 in WNC 2/4; WT 2/3; JP 2/8; WP 2/9; NYT 2/11)

Sharon meets secretly in Jerusalem with Qurai`, PA senior negotiator Mahmud Abbas, Arafat economic adviser Muhammad Rashid, marking his 1st mtg. with PA officials since his election in 2/01; reportedly says he accepts the idea of an interim agmt. along the lines of the Peres-Qurai` plan, with implementation taking 7 yrs. (XIN 2/1, AYM, al-Ra'i 2/2 in WNC 2/4; NYT, WP, WT 2/2; AFP, JP [Internet] 2/3; MM, NYT, WT 2/4; AYM 2/4 in WNC 2/6; WP, WT 2/5; MA 2/9 in WNC 2/11)

Ben-Eliezer meets with Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak in Sharm al-Shaykh, says Israel currently sees no partner for peace on the Palestinian side, asks Egypt to inform Damascus that Israel is ready to renew peace talks with Syria. (HA, MM 1/30; MENA 1/30 in WNC 1/31; WT 1/31; MM 2/1; MENA 2/5 in WNC 2/6; MM 2/7)

A female Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device in West Jerusalem, killing 1 Israeli, wounding 2 seriously, 5 moderately. This marks the 1st suicide bombing carried out by a Palestinian woman, though 2 women have been caught placing bombs previously during the al-Aqsa intifada. A release faxed to Hizballah's TV station in Lebanon identifies the woman by name as a Palestinian Hamas mbr. from Nablus University, but neither the school nor the PA can find a woman by that name; no women are reported missing. In response, the Israeli air force flies low-level sorties over Gaza City, breaking the sound barrier, shattering windows. The IDF directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Khan Yunis, Nablus. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/28; DUS, MA 1/28 in WNC 1/29; Guardian [Internet] 1/29; NYT 1/30; SA 2/2 in WNC 2/4; JP 2/8)

MK Salah Tarif, Israel's 1st Arab cabinet mbr., resigns, saying he can no longer effectively perform his job in light of an announcement last wk. that Atty. Gen. Rubenstein planned to lift his immunity and indict him for fraud. Tarif has consistently denied charges, 1st raised in 2001, that he gave $5,000 to an Interior M official to obtain citizenship papers for a Palestinian businessman. (WP, WT 1/28)

Israeli Arabs hold a demonstration in Umm al-Fahm protesting Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. (al-Quds 1/28 in WNC 1/29)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 1 Palestinian dead. The IDF shells residential areas of al-Bireh, Ramallah (damaging the PA Local Government Min., 3 homes, 1 apartment block). Israeli police tear down the Damascus Gate market in East Jerusalem, run and frequented mostly by Palestinians. The PA reports that the private office of PLO Executive Comm. secy.-gen. and PA senior negotiator Mahmud Abbas has been hit repeatedly by Israeli gunfire over the past few days. (SA 2/27 in WNC 2/28; LAW 3/1)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes, which have left 365 Palestinians, 19 Israeli Arabs, and 58 Israeli soldiers, settlers, and civilians dead, stretch into their 5th mo. The most severe clashes are in Ramallah. 2 Palestinians are killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Palestinian Auhority (PA) General Intelligence Service (GIS) officer Anwar Mar'i is stabbed to death by Palestinian assailants nr. Salfit; the PA claims it is an IDF-backed assassination. A 4th Palestinian dies of a heart attack when the IDF delays his passage through a checkpoint to a hospital for over 1 hr. The IDF bulldozes Palestinian land nr. the Rafah border, demolishing 7 Palestinian homes, 10 greenhouses; shells residential areas nr. al-Bireh. (WT 2/17; LAW 2/18; SA 2/19 in WNC 2/21; LAW 2/22)

Outgoing Israeli Labor PM Ehud Barak announces he will join a unity government with Likud's PM-elect Ariel Sharon as DM, pending finalization of the government guidelines and the coalition. (MM 2/16; WT 2/17; AYM 2/17 in WNC 2/22; AYM 2/18 in WNC 2/21; MM 2/19; NYT 2/20)

Hizballah fires mortars at an IDF convoy in the disputed Shaba` Farms area of the occupied Golan Heights, killing 1 soldier, wounding 2. In response, the IDF bombards s. Lebanon, using tanks, artillery, helicopter gunships. (NYT, WP, WT 2/17; MM 2/19-21; WJW 2/22)

The U.S., Britain bomb 5 Iraqi sites, marking the 1st strikes outside the no-fly zones since 12/98, signalling a more confrontational approach to Baghdad by the new administration of U.S. Pres. George W. Bush. 3 Iraqi civilians are killed, 25 are injured. France, Turkey, the Arab states condemn the action. (ATL 2/16, ATL, MENA, MIL 2/17, ATL, HJ, JT, al-Quds 2/18, JT, MA, MENA 2/19 in WNC 2/20; NYT, WP, WT 2/17; MIL 2/17, 2/18 in WNC 2/21; NYT, WP, WT 2/18; MM, WP, WT 2/19; MM 2/20; HJ 2/20 in WNC 2/22; MM, WT 2/21; WP 2/22; MIL 2/22 in WNC 2/23; MEI, MM 2/23; al-Quds 2/23 in WNC 2/27; AP, WP 2/25; JP 3/2)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue at the same low level as in the past 2 wks. The IDF bulldozes 8 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Bayt Lahia, 10 dunams nr. Netzarim Junction (demolishing 1 Palestinian home); shells residential areas of Khan Yunis. IDF soldiers detain a Palestinian man at a roadblock nr. Jinin, handcuff and severely beat him. (MEZ 1/29; LAW 2/3; ADM 2/5)

In Taba, Israel, the PA end 6 days of talks; issue a joint statement saying they have made substantial progress on each of the issues discussed, they will not be able to finalize an agmt. by the 2/6 Israeli elections. They hope to resume talks following the elections, quickly bridge remaining gaps. (AP, REU 1/27; AFP, MENA 1/27, AYM 1/29 in WNC 1/29; NYT, WP, WT 1/28; AYM 1/28, JT 1/29 in WNC 1/30; MM 1/29; AYM 1/29 in WNC 2/5)

Despite statements that talks will not be resumed until after elections, Israel confirms that Barak is exploring holding a mtg. with Arafat to formulate a joint statement that could be issued before 2/6. (AP, REU 1/27; NYT, WP, WT 1/28; AYM 1/29 in WNC 1/29) (see Peace Monitor)

IDF troops in the Shaba` Farms area shoot dead 2 PFLP-GC mbrs. on the border inside Lebanon. (Tehran Times 1/30 in WNC 1/31; WT 1/31; WJW 2/1; MM 2/2; SA 2/4 in WNC 2/5; MEI 2/9)

Israel recalls negotiators fr. Taba, suspends all contacts with the PA after masked Palestinian gunmen kidnap, murder 2 Israeli civilians in Tulkarm; an Israeli Arab colleague is released. Hamas's military wing Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades takes responsibility, but the Hamas political wing denies it. The PA condemns the murder, saying no civilians, Israeli or Palestinian, should be targeted. In addition to the Tulkarm incident, Jewish settlers blockade the Attara-Birzeit road, attack Palestinian cars. (MENA 1/23 in WNC 1/24; HJ 1/23, MENA 1/24 in WNC 1/26; MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/24; IsRN, NYT, WP 1/25 al-Quds 1/25 in WNC 1/26; SA 1/25 in WNC 1/29; NYT 1/26; AYM 1/26 in WNC 1/29; SA 2/1 in WNC 2/5; ADM 2/5)

EU Pres. Santer arrives in Damascus for 2 days of talks on the peace process, meets with Syrian pres. Asad. (SANA 2/11 in WNC 2/12; SATN 2/11 in WNC 2/15)

IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes nr. Hebron to make way for expansion of Israeli quarries. (LAW 2/17)

Ultraorthodox Jew is stabbed to death in East Jerusalem. Israel suspects Palestinian militants. (NYT, WP 2/12, PR 2/20)

In Amman, Jordanian police arrest youth attempting to throw molotov cocktail at British embassy to protest potential military strike on Iraq. (RJ 2/11 in WNC 2/12; MM 2/12; JT, SA 2/12 in WNC 2/15)

Iraq offers U.S. a Russia-brokered compromises for inspections at 8 presidential palaces over 2-mo. period. U.S. rejects plan, saying it is not up to Iraq to set conditions for inspections, Iraq must agree to inspections of all sites for indefinite period. (MM 2/11; WP 2/12; JTV 2/12 in WNC 2/17)

In Kuwait, GCC states hold emergency mtg. on Iraq crisis, say they prefer diplomatic to military solution. (U.S. Defense Secy. Cohen, who is in Bahrain today, says that all 6 states have agreed that Saddam Hussein should bear all responsibility for an attack if he does not fully comply with UN requirements.) (MM 2/11, 2/12)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli troops curfew Balata refugee camp, conduct house-to-house searches, arrest dozens of Palestinians [JP 11/24; FJ 11/29]. Army stops group of 50 would-be settlers who attempt to squat in Jericho [JP 11/24].

Arab World: Israeli forces patrolling in S. Lebanon security zone kill 2 armed Palestinian gunmen; 2 Israelis are wounded [JP 11/24]. President Mubarak states Egypt is urging PLO to reconsider position on UN resolutions 242 and 338 to ease way for intl. M. E. peace conference; comments follow 3 hours of talks with U.S. Asst. Sec. of State Richard Murphy [JP 11/24].

Military Action

Arab World: Syria begins placing longer-range SAM-2 anti-aircraft missiles along Syrian border with Lebanon, withdrawing shorter-range SAM-6 and SAM-8 missiles from Lebanese territory [JP 12/18; MEP 12/20; NYT 12/26]. Egyptian airliner carrying nearly 100 passengers is hijacked over the Mediterranean by Arabs identifying themselves as "Egypt's Revolution." After landing in Malta, several bodies are thrown out of the plane [WP, BG, TS 11/24].

Other Countries: Israel and Argentina pledge to increase volume of bilateral trade at conclusion of visit to Argentina by Trade Min. Ariel Sharon [JP 11/24].