The Palestine Chronology

The IDF makes air strikes on 2 groups of armed Palestinians nr. Abasan, killing 5 Hamas and PRC mbrs., wounding 8; sends bulldozers into the Gaza airport site nr. Rafah to level land. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (searching a mosque), nr. Jenin; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 4). (NYT 12/2; OCHA 12/5; PCHR 12/6)

In Gaza, the IDF sends tanks, a bulldozer into the Gaza airport site, exchanging heavy fire (heavy machine guns, mortars) with Hamas mbrs., causing no reported injuries; occupies a strip of land in the al-Hawouz area northeast of Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Mas’ha nr. Salfit, firing percussion grenades and live ammunition in residential areas, causing no reported injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, Nablus; begins bulldozing confiscated land nr. Salfit for the expansion of the Burkin industrial zone; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 5, including a journalist covering the demonstration) and al-Ma‘sara nr. Bethlehem (lightly injuring 3). Hamas, Islamic Jihad mbrs. exchange fire in Khan Yunis’s al-Rihab Mosque, wounding 3 Palestinians, after Hamas allegedly attempts to seize control of the building. (OCHA 10/24; PCHR 10/25)

During clashes nr. Jinin, 1 Palestinian is killed, a mosque is partially damaged by IDF helicopter gunfire. The IDF also seizes a Palestinian home nr. Jinin as an outpost; sends 300 soldiers into Azun in area A in a predawn raid to arrest 17 Palestinians; fires on bedouin collecting fire wood nr. Nissanit settlement, wounding an 8-yr.-old child. (PCHR, REU 12/26; NYT, WP, WT 12/27)

Israeli, PA security officials meet at Erez crossing. Israel says the PA may repair Gaza airport (though Israel will continue to bar Arafat fr. leaving Ramallah), extends the hours of the Rafah crossing to Egypt, eases restrictions on Palestinian businessmen entering Israel. (NYT, WP, WT 12/27)

The IDF cuts electricity to Gaza City, Ramallah; sends tanks and F-16s to shell the control tower at Gaza airport, the PA headquarters in Gaza City and Ramallah (Arafat is unharmed), the PA naval police offices in Bayt Lahia, and PSF and Fatah offices nr. Gaza City, Ramallah, and Jinin; blows up the main radio, TV transmitters in Ramallah; bulldozes the Palestinian Media Center offices in Ramallah; occupies the home of Fatah tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti (who is not there at the time); makes incursions into PA-controlled areas of Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahia, Beitunia, Jinin, Nablus, Ramallah, Sudaniyya, Tulkarm, al-Zahra; bulldozes Palestinian land in Rafah. A total of 4 Palestinians are killed during the day; shells strike the Friends Boys School, damaging 3 classrooms. In Gaza City, 2 Israeli missiles land nr. a mosque while Hamas spiritual leader Shaykh Yasin, Hamas spokesman Mahmud Zahar are inside. Israel declares that the Zinni cease-fire talks are over, though Zinni had already planned to leave on 12/14 for Jordan and Egypt, then return to Washington. (AP, HP, MM, NYT, WP 12/13; MENA 12/13 in WNC 12/14; JP, HA, HP, NYT, WP, WT 12/14; HA 12/16; LAW, PCHR 12/19; MEI 12/21)