The Palestine Chronology

The IDF closes Gaza’s Kerem Shalom crossing for 2 days; makes air strikes on 2 cars driving in central Gaza, missing 1 car carrying 5 Islamic Jihad mbrs. but hitting the 2d, assassinating Islamic Jihad mbrs. Ahmad Abu Nijim and Wa’il al-Qaran, wounding a 3d mbr. and 3 bystanders; arrests Change and Reform PC mbr. Ahmad Mubarak in his home in Jalazun r.c., giving no reason; sends troops back into Nablus and Askar r.c., conducting arrest raids, house searches and firing on stonethrowing Palestinians who confront them; also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. (AFP, IMEMC, MM 4/27; NYT, WP 4/28; OCHA 5/3; PCHR 5/4)

Israel says it has begun construction of 2 additional fences around the Gaza Strip—1 of razor wire, 1 with electronic sensors and surveillance cameras—to ensure Israeli security after disengagement; both fences will be inside Israel. IDF undercover units make a major incursion into Tulkarm, raid the home of wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. Mu’ayyad Musa, fatally shoot him in an apparent assassination. The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in Husan w. of Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall; fires on residential areas of Budrus nr. Ramallah, Rafah; raids the Abu Huli neighborhood of Dayr al-Balah, searches homes, rounds up residents for interrogation, arrests 2; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bayt Khalil nr. Hebron, Burqin, Nablus, Qabatya, Yatta. Palestinians fire 3 rockets at Sederot and the Negev, a mortar at the Gaza security fence, causing no damage or injuries.Armed mbrs. of the Jenin Martyrs Brigades (a Bureij cell of the PRCs affiliated with Fatah) kidnap PA military intelligence officer Jihad ‘Abid (fmr. aide to fmr. military intelligence head Musa Arafat) as he returns to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. (AFP, HA, XIN, 7/28; NYT 7/29; PR 8/3; PCHR 8/4; HA 8/8)

The IDF imposes a closure on Palestinian sections of Hebron and surrounding areas (still in place as of 7/6), conducts arrest raids, house searches targeting Islamic Jihad; also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. Palestinian gunmen fire on a group of Jewish settlers at a hitchhiking post outside Beit Haggai settlement nr. Hebron, killing 1 Jewish settler, wounding 3. Despite the PA’s attempt to ban the gatherings, 100s ofIslamic Jihad mbrs. rally in Ramallah and nearly 1,000 rally in n. Gaza, protesting the IDF’s recent crackdown on its mbrs. and stating that it has no intention of abandoning the unofficial cease-fire. In Gaza, Islamic Jihad fires mortars at several Jewish settlements, causing damage but no injuries. (AFP, IMEMC, JTA 6/24; NYT, WP 6/25; HA, XIN 6/26; PRCS 6/27; JP 6/27 in WNC 6/28; OCHA, PR 6/29; PHRC 6/30)

In Nottingham, England, the Anglican Consultative Council, the global policymaking arm of the 77 million–mbr. Anglican Church, unanimously approves a statement urging the church’s 38 “provinces” to consider divestment fr. companies that bolster the Israeli occupation, as well as “investment strategies that support the infrastructure of a future Palestinian state.” (Religion News Service 6/24; NYT, WT 6/25; JP 6/26 in WNC 6/27; PR 6/29)

The IDF beats, fatally shoots a 16-yr.- old Palestinian allegedly wielding a knife in Hebron (Palestinian witnesses deny he was armed); conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya, and in Dura, Nablus, Yatta; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Bayt Hanina; orders 3 Palestinian families to leave their Yatta homes and property or be expelled; begins construction of a new segment of the separation wall in Hazma, Anata villages northeast of Jerusalem. A Jewish settler fr. Keddumim verbally abuses, attempts to attack several Palestinians waiting to be allowed to cross an IDF gate into nearby Kafr Qadim; Palestinians fend him off, the IDF does not intervene. Unidentified gunmen fire on the Gaza City home of Fatah Revolutionary Council mbr. Sakhr Bseiso, causing damage but no injuries; Bseiso is head of the Fatah comm. charged with investigating corruption. (WP 2/15; NYT, OCHA, PR 2/16; PCHR, PM 2/17)

Fmr. Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri is assassinated in a major car bombing in Beirut; 7 bodyguards, 6 passers-by are also killed, more than 100 are wounded (3 of whom later die). A previously unknown group called Victory and Jihad in Greater Syria claims responsibility. (BBC, al-Hayat, JAZ, MM 2/14; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/15; Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, al-Quds, VOI, XIN 2/15, JAZ, QA 2/16, AFP, Le Monde 2/17 in WNC 2/18; MEI 2/18)

Overnight, the IDF raids Nur al-Shams r.c. outside Tulkarm to arrest wanted Islamic Jihad mbrs.; Islamic Jihad mbrs. Sa‘id Musay’i, Wa’il ‘Khadir are fatally shot when they open fire on the troops, a 3d mbr. surrenders. The IDF also fatally shoots a Palestinian on a Nablus rooftop who allegedly is armed; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Beita; blows up a car in Nablus allegedly rigged as a car bomb; blocks the entrances to Kafr Dik village nr. Qalqilya; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes nr. Rafah, 1 nr. Khan Yunis; bulldozes 17 dunams of land nr. Khan Yunis; erects a new IDF post in Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids nr. Jenin. The PSF fortifies Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah, placing wrecked cars and concrete-filled barrels around the entrance to impede the IDF in the event of a raid. (AFP 5/7; MA, VOI, VOP, YA 5/7 in WNC 5/11; NYT 5/8; PCHR 5/13)

In Nablus, the IDF fires missiles at a car driven by senior Fatah mbr. Jihad Mussaimi in an apparent assassination attempt. Mussaimi and several bystanders are injured. Following a Palestinian sniper attack on the Jewish enclave of Hebron that wounds 2 Jewish settler boys, the IDF sends troops into the PA-controlled area of Hebron to blow up 2 Palestinian homes in the Abu Sunayna neighborhood. The 3-hr. raid, similar to that on Jinin on 8/13-14, sparks an intense gun battle that leaves 2 Palestinians dead and 10 Palestinians, 1 IDF soldier wounded; a Palestinian woman dies of a heart attack while waiting hrs. for an ambulance to reach her. In Gaza, the IDF fires on Palestinians throwing stones at a Jewish settlement, killing 1 Palestinian boy; sends 3 tanks into Dayr al-Balah refugee camp, sparking a gun battle that leaves 4 Palestinians injured. (AFP 8/23; NYT, WP, WT 8/24; NYT, WT 8/25; HA 8/26)

In Nablus, the IDF fires missiles at a car driven by senior Fatah mbr. Jihad Mussaimi in an apparent assassination attempt. Mussaimi and several bystanders are injured. Following a Palestinian sniper attack on the Jewish enclave of Hebron that wounds 2 Jewish settler boys, the IDF sends troops into the PA-controlled area of Hebron to blow up 2 Palestinian homes in the Abu Sunayna neighborhood. The 3-hr. raid, similar to that on Jinin on 8/13-14, sparks an intense gun battle that leaves 2 Palestinians dead and 10 Palestinians, 1 IDF soldier wounded; a Palestinian woman dies of a heart attack while waiting hrs. for an ambulance to reach her. In Gaza, the IDF fires on Palestinians throwing stones at a Jewish settlement, killing 1 Palestinian boy; sends 3 tanks into Dayr al-Balah refugee camp, sparking a gun battle that leaves 4 Palestinians injured. (AFP 8/23; NYT, WP, WT 8/24; NYT, WT 8/25; HA 8/26)

Syrian pres. Asad arrives in Moscow for talks with Russia on a 5-yr., $2-b. arms deal to upgrade the Syrian military, which would enhance Syria's negotiating position with Israel. (Sabah 7/5 in WNC 7/7; NYT, WP 7/6; MM 7/7, 7/9)

In Cairo, the Ramallah-based International Alliance for Arab-Israeli Peace opens a 3-day conference on the peace process, Arab normalization with Israel. Some 700 Egyptian intellectuals, political leaders hold counterconference to protest normalization in advance of comprehensive peace. (AFP, MENA 7/5 in WNC 7/7; MENA, SATN 7/7 in WNC 7/8; AYM 7/7 in WNC 7/12; MM 7/8; Rose al-Yusuf 7/10 in WNC 7/15)

In Zagreb, a high-level Israeli military delegation holds military cooperation talks with Croatian officials. (Vecernji List [Zagreb] 7/6, Vjesnik [Zagreb] 7/7 in WNC 7/8; Slobodna Dalmacija 7/12 in WNC 7/13)

In Ramallah, the 1st mtg. of the Palestinian-Kurdish Friendship Association is held. Reps. of the PLO factions, PA ministries, governmental and private organizations attend. (AYM 7/6 in WNC 7/12)

PA police summon the editor of Islamic Jihad's daily newspaper, al-Istiqlal, to warn him against publishing articles critical of the PA. (HJ 7/6 in WNC 7/9)

In Ramallah, Arafat holds mtg. with Netanyahu atty. Molho discuss Israeli arrest of 3 PA policemen 7/15, resumption of security coordination, hopes for resumption of negotiations. (MA 7/22 in WNC 7/23)

At EU special envoy Moratinos's invitation, Israeli FM Levy, PA Planning M Shaath meet to discuss possible confidence-building measures as part of EU bid to advance the stalled peace process ahead of a mtg. of EU FMs 7/22. The pair also discusses Israeli allegations regarding 3 PA policemen (see 7/17). (WT 7/21; JP 7/26)

Israeli cabinet approves legislation (opposed by Arabs, human rights groups) to block compensation to Palestinians wounded by the IDF, the families of those killed during the intifada. The Knesset must now vote on the measure. (WT 7/23; MEI 7/25; MM 7/29)

Israeli Infrastructure M Sharon proposes amendment to the direct-election law that would reduce fr. 80 to 61 the number of MKs needed to oust the PM without dissolving the Knesset. Netanyahu denounces the proposal. (ITV 7/20, QY, YA 7/21 in WNC 7/22; MEI 7/25) (see 7/18)

On Arafat's orders, the PSF arrests 4 PA policemen--including Col. Jihad Musaymi, Col. Nafiz Musmar--based on Israel's claim that Musaymi, acting on orders fr. Gaza police chief Brig. Gen. Ghazi Jabali, sent squads under his command to carry out unspecified anti-Israeli attacks. (AFP, MA 7/20 in WNC 7/22; MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/21; MEI 7/25; JP 7/26)

Abington returns to Washington after 4 yrs. as U.S. consul gen. in Jerusalem. Jason Walles will serve as acting consul gen. until a new person can be appointed. (WT 7/21)

In Amman, University of Jordan students stage an on-campus procession to denounce the 7/19 Daqamsa verdict, settler provocations in Hebron. (MM 7/21; JT 7/21 in WNC 7/22)

Israel announces it will turn over $8.3 m. of tax money to PA. (MM 11/23; PR 11/27; QY 11/23 in FBIS 11/29; NYT 11/24) (see 11/20)

Jordanian Council of Ms approves creation of 4 comms. to address implementation of Jordan-Israel treaty: a Jordanian Consultants Steering Comm., a Jordanian comm. to follow up on implementation decisions, the Jordanian delegation to the joint Jordanian-Israeli comm. on implementation, the Jordanian delegation to the joint comm. on Jordan Rift development. (RJ 11/23 in FBIS 11/25)

4 Fateh Central Comm. mbrs. (al-Qaddumi, Abu-Mahir Gunaym, Sakhr Habash, Muhammad Jihad) meet in Tunis; issue statement, objecting to Arafat's attempts to involve Fateh in PA's battles with Islamist opposition. (Al-Majd 11/28 in FBIS 12/2; CSM 12/7) (see 11/22)

Argentine Pres. Carlos Menem ends visit to Syria; announces he brought message fr. Israeli FM Peres to Pres. al-Asad, expressing Israel's willingness to withdraw fully fr. Golan. Peres denies Menem's remarks. (Telam 11/21 in FBIS 11/22; MM 11/24; QY, SATN 11/23 in FBIS 11/25; WT 11/24; JP 12/3) (see 9/27)

1st shipping agmt. btwn. Israel, Jordan reached; allows free passage of small vessels on both sides of Gulf of Elat, shipping licenses, radio communications. (QY 11/23 in FBIS 11/23; RJ 11/23 in FBIS 11/25)

3,000 rally in Jericho in support of Arafat, peace process. PA Preventative Security Forces (PSF) men, inc. Col. Jibril Rajub, get into fistfight with mbrs. of Arafat's presidential guard over which group is allowed to carry arms at rally. (MM, NYT, WP 11/24; CSM 11/28)

PA, Islamist opposition reach agmt. to avoid future clashes, pursue mediation, reconciliation in wake of 11/18 incident. Agmt. is signed by Arafat adviser, Ahmad al-Tibi, leader of Islamic Movement inside Green Line, Shaykh `Abdullah Nimr Darwish. (MM 11/24; AFP 11/23, VOP 11/24 in FBIS 11/29)