The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a 13-year-old Palestinian in Bayt Liqya village nr. Ramallah during a patrol. Meanwhile, PA security forces kill a man in Hebron during a raid. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron at night; patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron during the day. Off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishermen, sinking 1 boat. (MNA, REU 10/16; PCHR 10/23)

Senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzuq confirms that indirect cease-fire talks with Israel will resume at the end of 10/2014 in Cairo. Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry calls for a resumption of the peace negotiations during remarks at a State Dept. event for ‘Id al-Adha. (AFP, REU, YA 10/16)

EU foreign affairs chief Ashton and Iranian FM Zarif hold a 2d day of talks in Vienna, and also meet with senior diplomats from the P5+1 group. The focus of the talks are remaining differences related to lifting sanctions and Iran’s uranium enrichment levels. (REU 10/17)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF continues its assault, launching air strikes on approximately 47 targets, killing 38 Palestinians and injuring dozens. Among the 38 are 3 high-ranking commanders in al-Qassam Brigades, who are killed overnight by Israeli fighter jets in Rafah. Five Palestinian civilians are also killed in the strike and at least 40 are injured. The armed Palestinian groups fire 109 rockets and mortars into Israel, with 7 landing in built-up areas and 13 intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. One Israeli man is injured with mortar shrapnel nr. Eshkol. Meanwhile, Hamas executes 3 alleged collaborators with Israel, and arrests 7 others. In the West Bank, IDF troops level land nr. Salfit to clear space for an Israeli settlement to expand. Also, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in 4 villages nr. Hebron, Dayr Istya, ‘Askar r.c., al-Bireh, and Bayt Liqya, arresting 9 and issuing summons to 2. Clashes break out with Palestinians in Bayt Liqya, and the Israeli soldiers open fire with live ammunition, tear gas canisters, and sound bombs. Separately, the IDF conducts 4 separate incursions into Hebron and 3 villages n. of Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces and municipal officials enter Silwan to hand demolition notices to the owners of 2 apartment buildings where 19 Palestinians live. (MNA 8/21; HA 8/22; PCHR 8/28)

There is no major diplomatic progress as disagreements that led to the breakdown of talks on 8/19 remain between the Palestinian factions and the Israeli negotiators. Mishal says in an interview with Turkish Anadolu News Agency that Hamas will keep fighting until Israel meets its terms for a permanent truce, while Israel’s Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai says that Israel will not hold cease-fire negotiations as long as rocket fire from Gaza continues. PA Pres. Abbas travels again to Doha where he will meet with Qatari emir Bin Hamad al-Thani and Hamas leader Mishal to discuss the continued Israeli assault and possible future cease-fire negotiations. Also present are head of the Palestinian delegation in Cairo Azzam al-Ahmad, PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erakat, and PA intelligence chief Majid Faraj. (AA, HA 8/21; MEMO, MNA 8/22)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops conduct 2 separate limited incursions to level land close to the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun and Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, IDF troops kill 1 armed Palestinian after he sought refuge in a cave nr. Bayt Liqya village, a man wanted for his alleged role in an attack on an Israeli bus during “Operation Pillar of Defense” in 11/2012. In addition, a Palestinian run over by a settler car in Qalqilya on 10/15 dies in hospital from his injuries. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning, and in Hebron and 3 nearby villages at night. In Qabatya nr. Jenin, IDF troops set up a flying checkpoint at the entrance to the village where around 20 soldiers check IDs and inspect vehicles. Residents throw stones and soldiers fire tear gas, causing no reported injuries. Also in the West Bank, IDF troops temporarily displace 17 families in the n. Jordan Valley on the basis of conducting military drills. Jewish settlers nr. Bethlehem uproot 80 olive seedlings, and other settlers nr. Bethlehem pump sewage water on agricultural lands, while in a further separate incident nr. Bethlehem, settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles, causing minor damage. Settlers nr. Qalqilya uproot more than 50 olive trees, while separately, settlers from Yitzhar assault a Palestinian farmer from Burin village nr. Nablus. (MNA 10/22; PCHR 10/24)

PA Pres. Abbas warns that the Palestinians will not accept Israeli control over a border with Jordan and that it could be a deal breaker. Speaking on a visit to Lithuania, Abbas also praises EU demands that Israel stops settlement construction. (AFP 10/23)

Reps. of 11 countries from the “Friends of Syria” group meet in London to encourage the Syrian opposition to join talks under the proposed “Geneva 2” framework. However, SNC head Ahmed Jarba tells a news conference following the meeting that their conditions included the impossibility of Asad being allowed to remain in power. The SNC says it will continue internal discussions about whether or not to attend the proposed peace conference. (REU 10/22)

Hassan Ruhani wins Iran’s presidential election, with a voter turnout of around 80%. The win is seen as a victory for moderate elements within the domestic political scene and a defeat for conservative clerical hard-liners. He will assume office on 8/3 when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorses the election results. White House spokesperson Jay Carney says that Obama congratulates Iranians for their courage in voting. (AP, REU 6/15)

In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse a march by hundreds of Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists in Bayt Liqya, nr. Ramallah, as demonstrators attempted to march to the site of 3 villages destroyed in al-Latrun in 1967.There are no serious injuries. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr Salfit and Hebron at night; patrols in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Salfit at night. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers set fire to more than 300 olive trees nr. Nablus. (MNA 6/15; PCHR 6/20)

Palestinian protesters in Nablus demonstrate against living costs, demanding a reduction in the Value Added Tax and a subsidy for basic goods. Palestinian People’s Party representative Khalid Mansour tells the rally that PA Pres. Abbas should reconsider the Paris Protocol, or even “disavow it completely.” (MNA 6/15)

Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi says that he has cut all diplomatic ties with Damascus and backs a no-fly zone over Syria, an announcement he makes at a rally in Cairo. (REU 6/15)

The IDF patrols in Tulkarm, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Qalqilya, 1 nr. Tulkarm during the day; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho, Tulkarm, and Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah (where stone-throwing Palestinians confront IDF troops, who respond with tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and percussion grenades, causing no serious injuries). (PCHR 10/27; OCHA 10/28)

Libyan leader Mu‘ammar Qaddafi is captured and killed by rebels in Sirte, after a NATO attack in which U.S. drones and French warplanes bomb his convoy. Qaddafi’s son Mutassim and his army chief of staff are also killed. Rebels secure Sirte by the end of the day. (JAZ 10/20; NYT, WP, WT 10/21) 

Unidentified assailants armed with heavy weapons and explosives enter s. Israel fr. the Egyptian Sinai and stage coordinated attacks on a bus, several cars, and an IDF patrol, killing 7 Israelis (1 IDF soldier, 6 civilians) and wounding up to 40, marking the deadliest attack on Israel since 3/2008. The attacks begin at midday with gunfire on a bus nr. Elat carrying mostly soldiers fr. a nearby army base; when an IDF unit arrives on the scene, it is quickly ambushed and hit with explosive devices. Within the hour, at least 3 reports of mortar fire fr. Egypt and attacks on civilian vehicles with antitank weapons are reported in the Elat area. Israeli security forces engage in firefights with the infiltrators over the next several hours, killing at least 7 attackers, noting that 3 of the bodies were booby trapped. At one point, IDF troops pursue the attackers into Egypt and clash with Egyptian border guards, killing an Egyptian military officer and 2 Egyptian border police and injuring 2 others. Israel accuses Hamas of sending terrorists fr. Gaza through the Rafah smuggling tunnels into Egypt and then on to Israel, and criticizes Egypt’s inability to secure its borders. The IDF quickly launches 12 air strikes on s. Gaza in retaliation, primarily targeting the Popular Resistance Committees (PRCs)—an umbrella group comprising mbrs. of all Gaza factions, including Fatah and Hamas. In total, 7 Palestinians (including 2 children) are killed and at least 23 Palestinians (including 7 children, 6 women) are wounded. Among the dead are 5 senior PRC members who were targeted for assassination, including PRC leader Kamal Abu Abed al-Nairab, PRC chief military cmdr. Imad Hamad, and a PRC rocket expert. Later in the evening, gunfire erupts again in Elat, killing 1 Israeli border policeman and critically injuring another. The PRCs fire 4 rockets (including at least 1 manufactured Grad rocket) fr. Gaza into Israel, where at least 3 are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system; no damage or injuries are reported. By late evening, the Israeli DMin. reports no further fire, but says assailants may still be on the loose. Hamas and the PRCs deny any part in the attacks. Egyptian and American analysts (e.g., NYT, WT 8/19) say that “it is not a remote possibility for [Egypt’s radical militant elements] to cross the border and launch attacks against Israeli targets. It makes a lot of sense” given Egypt’s recent crackdown on al-Qa‘ida-inspired Islamist militants in the n. Sinai (see 8/13). (AHR, AP, HA, IFM, JP, JTA, MNA, REU, WAFA, YA 8/18; NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 8/19; al-Masri al-Yawm 8/20; JAZ 8/21; PCHR 8/25; OCHA 8/26)

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah during the day and in Jenin, Jericho, and 2 villages nr. Ramallah and Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Beit El nr. Ramallah enter nearby Dawar al-Qare’ village and set fire to 2 cars. (PCHR 8/25)

During the day, the IDF fires tear gas, stun grenades to disperse Palestinians holding a nonviolent demonstration in Iraq Burin to protest Israeli land confiscations, causing no reported injuries; soldiers then erect a checkpoint at the village entrance and declare the area a closed military zone. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah barricade the entrance to Nabi Salih village and stone Palestinian vehicles; the IDF removes the settlers. In the evening, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them) and in 1 village nr. Jericho (without incident). (PCHR 7/28; OCHA 7/29)

Across Israel, as many as 30,000 Israelis inspired by the Arab Spring march to protest housing prices. (WP 7/24; NYT, WP 7/27)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day (1 early in the morning and 3 late at night), causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. A Palestinian is fatally electrocuted in a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians staging a nonviolent march in Iraq Burin to protest confiscation of their lands for the expansion of local Jewish settlements, causing no serious injuries; conducts daytime patrols in Jericho and 1 village nr. Qalqilya; conducts latenight patrols in Bayt Liqya; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (YA 7/16; AFP, JP, JTA, YA 7/17; PCHR 7/20; OCHA 7/22)

Today 10s of international activists predominantly from Europe begin flying into Ben-Gurion Airport, taking part in a nonviolent protest action called for by around 40 Palestinian civil society groups and termed the “Welcome to Palestine air flotilla”; Israel fears that as many as 700 pro-Palestinian activists may try to flood the airport in hopes of being deported and creating an international media spectacle to embarrass Israel. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho and 2 villages nr. Ramallah without incident and in Bayt Liqya (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stonethrowing Palestinians who confront them, causing no serious injuries). Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in al-Ma‘sara nr. Bethlehem, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers beat the protesters and fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at them, lightly injuring several. (AP 7/8; WP 7/9; PCHR 7/14; JPI, OCHA 7/15)

A Freedom Flotilla II boat manages to depart from Corsica but is detained before it reaches international waters. Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In retaliation, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the n. Gaza border with Israel, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Hebron and 3 villages nr. Qalqilya during the day, without incident; patrols in Tulkarm in the afternoon, randomly stopping and searching Palestinian vehicles; patrols in ‘Azun in the afternoon, detaining 2 Palestinian teenagers for several hours; patrols in Bayt Liqya at night, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, causing no serious injuries. (AFP 7/3; WP, WT 7/4; JP 7/6; PCHR 7/7; OCHA 7/8)

Fayyad says the PA will pay government employees only half their salaries for 7/2011 because of “the failure of donors, including our Arab brothers, to fulfill their pledges.” He calls the situation “without a doubt, the worst financial crisis the [PA] has ever faced.” (NYT 7/4; 7/28)

The IDF conducts a major late-night operation targeting Islamic Jihad in and around Jenin, raiding and searching the homes of at least a dozen local Islamic Jihad figures (arresting all but 1) and raiding, searching, and confiscating the files of 2 charities affiliated with Islamic Jihad. The Jenin offices of the Palestine People’s Party are also searched. During the day, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian construction company building in Jinsafut nr. Qalqilya; sends undercover units in a civilian vehicle with Palestinian license plates into al-Bireh to raid and search a restaurant, arresting 4 Palestinians and seizing surveillance tapes; conducts early morning patrols in Silat alDahir nr. Jenin (photographing old houses and alleys), Iraq Burin nr. Nablus (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing youths who confront them, seriously wounding 1), and Tulkarm; conducts afternoon and evening patrols in ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya (without incident) and in Bayt Liqya and Nabi Salih (in both cases firing live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stonethrowing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries); conducts late-night patrols in Alar nr. Tulkarm and late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to Palestinian crops s. of Nablus; the IDF hinders Palestinian fire crews from reaching the scene. The IDF escorts 1,600 Jewish worshipers to visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus; some 200 Israelis who did not have authorization for the visit sneak in with the group, refuse to leave, and are forcibly removed by soldiers. (MNA 5/30; PCHR, WJW 6/2; OCHA 6/3)

At a massive rally in Istanbul commemorating the 1st anniversary of Israel’s 5/2010 attack on the aid flotilla to Gaza that killed 9 Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, the flotilla organizers, the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement (FGM), and the Turkish charity Humanitarian Relief Foundation (known by its Turkish acronym IHH), announce plans for at least 1,500 activists and 10 boats to set sale in late 6/2011 as part of the “Freedom Flotilla II” to break the Gaza siege. Israel denounces the effort as supporting “a designated terrorist group” (Hamas) and warns it will use force if necessary to halt the flotilla. (DPA, REU 5/30)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jericho, 3 villages nr. Qalqilya, and 2 villages nr. Ramallah during the day; in 1 instance (in Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah), troops fire live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas at stonethrowing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus beat a Palestinian shepherd grazing his flock nr. the settlement, severely injuring him. (PCHR 6/2; OCHA 6/3)

The IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya, al-Bireh, Jericho, 5 villages nr. Tulkarm (randomly stopping vehicles and checking IDs in 1 instance), and 1 nr. Ramallah. During another late-night patrol in Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, the IDF temporarily detains 2 PASF officers conducting their own patrol but releases them after intervention fr. the local District Coordination Office. (OCHA, PCHR 5/12)

In Syria, troops escalate the crackdown nationwide: massive arrest sweeps rounding up men age 18–50 are reported in Baniyas, Homs, the suburbs of Damascus, and elsewhere, with govt. forces reportedly using soccer stadiums, schools, and govt. buildings as makeshift detention centers. As of this date more than 700 Syrians are believed to have been killed and 10,000 arrested since clashes began. (NYT, WP, WT 5/10; NYT 5/13)

Fatah/PA head Abbas and Hamas leader Khalid Mishal formally sign their national unity deal in Cairo. (MNA, YA 5/4; NYT, WP 5/5; MNA 5/11; OCHA, PCHR 5/12)

In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into ‘Araba village nr. Jenin, surrounding a home and arresting a wanted Palestinian; makes a late-night incursion into Siris village nr. Jenin, surrounding a home, firing percussion grenades, ordering all men to leave the house, checking their IDs, and arresting 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun, Bayt Liqya, and Tubas. A Hamas mbr. dies in a Cairo hospital of injuries received during IDF shelling of Rafah on 4/8. Hamas authorities in Gaza execute a Palestinian convicted of collaborating with Israel and sentenced to death in 10/2009. (PCHR 5/5)

Argentina and Uruguay recognize Palestine as “a free and independent state” within the 1967 borders. The Israeli FMin. calls the moves “disappointing” and “regrettable.” (JAZ, YA 12/7)

To mark the anniversary of the founding of their movement, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) mbrs. fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF fires warning shots at an unidentified Palestinian nr. the Qarni crossing into Gaza, causing no reported injures; restricts animal fodder and wheat imports through the crossing for the rest of the week as punishment. The IDF makes an incursion into s. Gaza to level lands along the border fence e. of Khan Yunis, firing on surrounding areas, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 10 residential structures belonging to 15 Palestinian families (101 persons, including 42 children), a school, and 2 other small classroom structures, and at least 17 animal shelters in Khirbat Tana nr. Nablus. The IDF also conducts daytime patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya and 2 e. of Tulkarm; conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Liqya, firing live ammunition, tear gas, and stun grenades on stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. In Gaza, a Hamas-affiliated military court sentences 4 Palestinians to death (3 for a 2007 kidnapping and murder; 1 for collaborating with Israel). (JP, MNA 12/6; OCHA 12/8; PCHR 12/9; OCHA 12/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians and international activists demonstrating against Israeli land seizures nr. Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, injuring 2 Palestinians moderately (including an 8-yr.-old) and 6 lightly, and arresting 5 international activists and a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy; conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and Jit nr. Qalqilya (without incident); conducts late-night house searches nr. Hebron, summoning 3 Palestinians for interrogation. (PCHR 11/25; OCHA 11/26)

Israel’s Interior Min. says it will move forward with plans to build 1,300 new Jewish settlement housing units in East Jerusalem (978 in Har Homa/Jabal Abu Ghunaym, 320 in Ramot). At the same time, Israel issues construction tenders for 800 units in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, which Israel intends to keep under final status. Meanwhile, Israel’s Jerusalem municipal authorities issue a report stating that the municipality is currently building more than 13,500 housing units for Jews in various Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. The UN, U.S., and PA denounce the plans. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in Zayta village nr. Tulkarm in the morning; patrols in Bayt Liqya late at night, firing rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. (HA, JAZ, MNA, YA 11/8; HA, NYT, WP, WT 11/9; OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

Pres. Obama dispatches U.S. Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on a 3-day regional tour of the Middle East, with stops in Syria (to warn Damascus against interfering in Lebanon), Turkey (to urge Turkey to repair its ties with Israel), Lebanon (to show support for Pres. Michel Suleiman), and Israel and Ramallah (to explore ways of reviving the peace talks). (XIN 11/8; AP 11/9; NYT 11/11)

In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land around Eli settlement; patrols without incident in villages nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarm; patrols in Bayt Liqya late in the evening, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops enter Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb and afterward harass local Palestinians. (OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

IDF troops on the e. Gaza border fire on Islamic Jihad mbrs. planting roadside bombs nr. the border fence e. of Jabaliya r.c., killing 1 Islamic Jihad mbr. and damaging a nearby Palestinian home. Earlier in the day, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in demolished buildings nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1. In the West Bank, IDF troops and intelligence units raid the homes of 2 local Hamas leaders and 1 local Islamic Jihad leader in Jenin, stating they had not come to arrest the men but to speak with them; the intelligence officers’ questions focus on relations between the PA and Hamas, the prospects for national reconciliation, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and prospects for peace, the PA dismissal of Hamas mbrs. fr. public jobs, and the financial and political bans on Hamas. The IDF also bulldozes 18 d. of Palestinian agricultural land in Issawiyya nr. Jerusalem; patrols in Bayt Liqya late at night without incident; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin; conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm, stopping Palestinian drivers to search their vehicles and check their IDs. Palestinians in Dayr al-Khattab village nr. Nablus report that in the previous wk. settlers fr. nearby Elon Moreh settlement pumped wastewater onto the villages agricultural lands, damaging 220 olive trees. Inside Israel, 100s of Israeli police escort 10s of right-wing Jewish extremists chanting “death to terrorists” on a march through the Israeli-Palestinian town of Umm al-Fahm in a show of force, sparking stone-throwing clashes with Palestinian residents; Israeli police respond with tear gas, stun grenades, and batons; 10 people are arrested, and around 24 injured (including 2 Israeli Arab MKs). (Financial Times, YA 10/27; NYT, PCHR 10/28; PCHR 11/4; OCHA 11/5)

The IDF makes 2 brief incursions into Gaza to clear lines of sight along the border e. of Jabaliya r.c. in the n. and al-Qarara in the s., exchanging gunfire with Palestinians in the s., causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in Bayt Liqya and Jit nr. Qalqilya during the day and in Jinsafut village nr. Qalqilya late at night; conducts late-night house searches nr. Hebron, making no arrests. Israel releases Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Council mbr. Ali Romanin, who was detained by the IDF in 2006 as a bargaining chip following the capture of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Jewish settlers fr. Beitar Ilit nr. Bethlehem set fire to 30 d. of nearby Palestinian agricultural land, damaging at least 600 trees. OCHA (10/22) reports that in the previous week an ailing 2-yr.-old Palestinian girl fr. Gaza died as a direct result of Israel delaying her transfer to an Israeli hospital for treatment. (MNA 10/19; PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. settlement sites, wounding 1. In the West Bank the IDF conducts evening patrols without incident in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Tulkarm; makes a late-night incursion into Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. (PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction material inside the demolished Erez industrial zone straddling the border, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya late at night, without incident; conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in 3 villages nr. Jenin. (PCHR 10/14; PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

In the afternoon, the IDF makes an air strike on a car crossing a bridge btwn. c. Gaza’s Nussayrat r.c., and al-Mughraqa village in an attempt to assassinate local Fatah cmdr. ‘Abd al-Ra’uf Ahmad Safadi, striking in front of the car, injuring Safadi, a passenger in his car, and 2 children nearby (ages 2 and 10). In addition, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. settlement sites, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on Bardala village in the Jordan Valley, raiding and searching several homes and summoning 2 Palestinians for questioning; patrols without incident in Fasayil village nr. Jericho in the morning and in al-‘Auja village nr. Jericho and Bayt Liqya village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon; conducts late-night house searches nr. Tulkarm, making no arrests. (PCHR 10/14; OCHA 10/15)

IQB mbrs. fire 1 manufactured Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, striking nr. Ashqelon, causing damage but no injuries, marking a serious escalation; the last time Ashqelon was hit by Palestinian rocket fire was in 2/09. Several hrs. later, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF carries out 3 air strikes targeting a training camp for the Hamas-affiliated police in Gaza City (wounding 5 policemen and 16 bystanders, damaging 30 surrounding buildings) and smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border (causing no reported injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya village nr. Ramallah at midday without incident; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall and land confiscations in Bil‘in (a 45- mbr. Spanish delegation and a 30-mbr. German delegation take part), Ni‘lin, and Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving scores suffering tear gas inhalation and arresting 1 Palestinian and 1 international activist. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha nr. Nablus set fire to 100 olive trees and large tracks of agricultural land; IDF soldiers initially fire tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinian civil defense workers who attempt to put out the fire, but finally let the firefighters pass more than half an hour later, after the PA liaison dept. intervenes. (HA, JP, YA 7/30; HA, NYT, WP 7/31; IFM, MEZ 8/1; PCHR 8/5; OCHA 8/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in nonviolent weekly demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation; 1 Israeli arrested) and Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, international activists, some of whom throw stones, taking part in weekly demonstrations against settlement expansion in Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih (7 Palestinians injured); conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah, making no arrests. (OCHA, PCHR 4/15)