The Palestine Chronology

In the Gaza Strip, armed Palestinians fire 4 rockets into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with 8 air strikes in the Gaza Strip, targeting military training sites belonging to Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, and the Popular Resistance Comms. (PRC) in the c. Gaza Strip, Rafah, and Khan Yunis. Damage is sustained, and 2 civilians are wounded when they are hit by shrapnel in separate attacks. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy dies, succumbing to injuries sustained in an Israeli air strike on 6/11. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Ramallah and 8 villages nearby, Nablus and 4 villages and ‘Askar r.c. nearby, Tulkarm and 3 villages and Nur Shams r.c. nearby, Tubas and 1 village and al-Fara‘a r.c. nearby, Jenin and 1 nearby village, Jericho and ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nearby, 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Jerusalem, and al-Bireh at night; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho, 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. Jewish settlers stone Palestinian vehicles nr. Nablus, injuring 3 and causing damage. Separately, Jewish settlers throw stones at Palestinians and their homes in Susia nr. Hebron. (HA, JP, MNA 6/14; PCHR 6/19)

Israeli PM Netanyahu announces that the Israeli govt. holds the PA responsible for the fate of the 3 missing Israeli teenagers, since “the terrorists originated from Palestinian territory.” Anonymous PA officials tell the media that Abbas has instructed his security services to help in the manhunt. Meanwhile, the IDF continues intensive sweeps of the s. West Bank, and wideranging arrest raids, which pick up 80 Palestinians, including 4 mbrs. of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The IDF also imposes a closure on the s. West Bank, from Bethlehem to the Hebron region. IDF sources tell the media that the working assumption is that the youth are alive. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 6/15)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 2 Palestinians dead. When a bus of Jewish settlers, 2 IDF escort jeeps enter a Palestinian village nr. Jinin, students fr. a nearby school throw stones at the bus; settlers, soldiers open fire on the school and adjacent houses, killing 1 Palestinian. The 2d Palestinian is shot by Jewish settlers during clashes btwn. settlers, Palestinians in Kafr Haris. Palestinian snipers fire on at least 4 Jewish settler vehicles nr. Nablus and Ramallah, causing no injuries. The IDF shells residential areas of al-Bireh, Jinin, Khan Yunis (cutting telephone service), al-Maghrqa, Tal al-Sultan; razes 58 dunams of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Dugit settlement (destroying 1 storage building, 11 greenhouses, 4 wells, 1 irrigation network), 55 dunams nr. Netzarim settlement (demolishing 2 homes). (HP, LAW 1/9; PCHR 1/12; MM 1/16; AFP [Internet] 1/18)

CIA Dir. Tenet holds another round of talks with PA, Israeli, Egyptian security officials. The sides reportedly agree to an 8-point proposal, drafted by Tenet, for reducing tensions. (AFP [Internet], MM, REU 1/8; MENA 1/8 in WNC 1/9; SA 1/9 in WNC 1/10; MM 1/10; SA 1/10 in WNC 1/11; AYM, QA 1/10, AYM 1/11 in WNC 1/16; MENL 1/12)

100,000-250,000 Israelis, mostly right-wing, religious Jews, attend a rally at the Wailing Wall sponsored by MK Natan Sharansky's Yisrael Ba'Aliya party to "pledge allegiance" to a united capital of Jerusalem, to oppose Clinton's parameters for a peace agmt. (AFP [Internet] 1/8; AYM 1/8 in WNC 1/9; MM, NYT, WP 1/9; MM 1/10; WJW 1/11, 1/18; JP 1/19, 1/26; JP 2/2)