The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted olive trees in Deir Istiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Jabalia refugee camp, Bureij, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, killing dozens of people, including at 2 UNRWA shelters in Nuseirat refugee camp. 8 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In the Indian Ocean, an Israel-linked tanker was hit by a drone 120 miles west of India, causing damage. The U.S. military also said 2 ballistic missiles were fired from Yemen at commercial vessels, missing their targets. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/23; AJ 12/24; UNOCHA 12/26)

More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,000 children and 6,200 women, and around 54,000 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 296 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 75 children. More than 3,800 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7. 148 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 771 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 65,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The UN distributed around 4,000 gallons of fuel, goods, and medical supplies to hospitals in northern Gaza, including to al-Shifa Hospital, which was hosting 50,000 internally displaced Palestinians. There was no information about aid deliveries into Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/23; UNOCHA 12/26)

Hamas issued a statement saying it lost contact with a group holding 5 Israeli captives due to Israeli air attacks. The Gaza Ministry of Health said 137 Palestinians have been publicly executed by Israeli forces in Jabalia refugee camp. The Israeli military said it was not aware of executions carried out by its forces. (AJ, HA, REU 12/23)

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi spoke with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing the situation in Gaza. (AJ, AX, HA 12/23)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he did not ask for Israel to agree to a ceasefire. The White House described the call as long and private and said the 2 discussed Israel’s objectives and phasing, while Biden called on Israel to protect civilians. (AJ, AP, HA 12/23; AJ, AJ 12/24)

The Intercept reported that the Israeli military was censoring 8 subjects, preventing Israeli media from reporting on them without prior approval from the military censor. The subjects included captives held by Hamas, military operational details, military intelligence, weapons systems, certain rocket attacks on Israel, cyberattacks, visits by officials to combat zones, and the security cabinet. (AJ, INT 12/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor during a late-night raid in Jenin refugee camp where Islamic Jihad commander Bassam al-Saadi was arrested after being shot and injured; 2 others were also arrested during the raid at al-Saadi’s home. A general strike was declared in Jenin after the killing and arrests. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 22 with baton rounds and 75 others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 3 houses and 1 demolition order for a house in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli forces also demolished 1 car wash in Bizarya and 1 home in Sabastiyya, displacing 8. 16 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ya‘bad, Nablus, al-Far‘a refugee camp, al-Ama‘ari refugee camp, Jannatah, and al-Azza refugee camp; 4 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition while protesting the raid in al-Far‘a refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished commercial structures in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (AP, MEE 8/1; AA, AJ, ALM, HA, HA, HA, JP, MEMO, NA, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/2; MDW, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO 8/3; MEMO, PCHR 8/4; UNOCHA 8/19)

Haaretz reported that Egyptian military intelligence officials were meeting with leaders of militant factions in Gaza to prevent a response to the arrest to Islamic Jihad commander al-Saadi (see above). Israel also closed all crossings to Gaza in anticipation of a retaliatory attack. (HA, HA, WAFA 8/2)

The EU, Finland, and Italy contributed $16 million to the PA to help pay for referrals to East Jerusalem hospitals. (WAFA 8/2; MEMO 8/3)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers blocked the main entrance to al-Naqura. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man, alleging that he had tried to stab a soldier at the Gush Etzion Junction between Bethlehem and Hebron. The PA called it an extrajudicial execution. 9 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Kobar, Kafr Ni‘ma, Ni‘lin, Beita, Izbat al-Tabib, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces evicted the 18-member Salhiya family from their home in Sheikh Jarrah, leading to a standoff where members of the family threatened to blow up a gas container on top of the house if the Israeli forces proceeded to demolish their home. A large crowd protested in support of the family. Several European representatives to Palestine and Israel, with some present at the scene, also condemned the eviction and called on Israel to stop it immediately. 1 Palestinian demolished his own commercial structure in Sheikh Jarrah. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land north of Beit Lahiya. Israeli forces also opened fire at agricultural lands east of al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (+972, AJ, AJ, F24, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, Twitter, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 1/17; EI, MEMO, MEMO 1/18; MEMO 1/19; PCHR 1/20)

Palestinian news outlet Safa and Israeli Channel 12 reported that the PA had frozen its work on preparing material for the ICC as a result of agreements made between PA president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz. (MEMO 1/18)

Israeli media reported that Libyan warlord and presidential contender Khalifa Haftar’s plane landed at Ben Gurion airport for a couple of hours before taking off again. In November it was reported that Haftar’s son and advisor Saddam Haftar had visited Israel for meetings with Israeli officials. (MEMO 1/17)

A possible drone attack in the UAE killed 3 Indian and Pakistani nationals and wounded 6 others at an oil facility and started a fire at the airport in Abu Dhabi. The Yemeni Houthi group said it was behind the attack. In a letter by Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, Israel offered the UAE “security and intelligence support” after the attack, saying “Israel stands with the UAE.” The UAE has been conducting air strikes with its coalition partner Saudi Arabia for years in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, causing many civilian deaths. (AJ, HA, MEMO 1/17; AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, MEMO, REU, REU 1/18; AJ, AP, MEMO 1/19; HA 1/20)

Off the n. Gaza coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently disperse around 300 Israeli settlers in the Beit El settlement protesting the High Court’s 7/26 injunction on building in the settlement and its order for 2 residential buildings to be demolished by 7/30; 2 settlers are arrested. The settlers throw stones at empty Palestinian vehicles in the area. A separate group of over 200 Israeli settlers reoccupies the Sa-Nur settlement outpost nr. Jenin that was evacuated in 2005, calling for the govt. to approve the return of settlers to the site. Overnight in East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian stores, 2 warehouses, and 3 residences in Silwan; assault and arrest 2 Palestinians during a raid in Ras al-Amud. Israeli settlers assault an elderly Palestinian in Ras al-Amud, lightly injuring her. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/28; HA, PCHR 7/30)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that his govt. is taking “legal action” against the High Court’s 7/26 demolition order for the 2 residences in the Beit El settlement. His comments follow 2 days of minor clashes between settlers and Israeli troops in and around Beit El. (HA, JP, TOI 7/28)

Netanyahu meets with Cypriot pres. Anastasiades in Cyprus and, according to PA sources, Anastasiades reportedly outlines a new European and Cypriot initiative to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations . The PA sources say that Anastasiades discussed the initiative with PA pres. Abbas on 7/27, and it includes an invitation for Netanyahu and Abbas to separately address EU leaders in Brussels at a future summit. (JP 7/27; JP, MNA, REU, TOI 7/28)

The U.S. Parole Commission announces that imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard’s parole has been approved and that he will be released from prison on 11/21, having completed a 30-year sentence after being convicted of passing military intelligence to Israel in 1985. Pollard will be required to stay in the U.S. for 5 years after his release. Secy. of State Kerry reiterates that Pollard’s release is not connected to the tension surrounding the nuclear deal reached by the P5+1 and Iran on 7/14. (EI, HA, MNA 7/28; HA 7/29)

The IDF shoots and injures 1 Palestinian during clashes in Abu Dis, East Jerusalem, sparked by a visit to the neighborhood by an Israeli intelligence officer. In the West Bank, IDF forces uproot around 700 olive trees in a village nr. Jenin. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning, in 1 village nr. Jenin and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon, and in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, 3 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village each nr. Qalqilya, nr. Ramallah and nr. Tulkarm at night. IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in Hebron in the afternoon. The IDF makes an incursion into Gaza nr. Khan Yunis to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence. (MNA, PCHR, WAFA 4/25; PCHR 5/2)

The Israeli air force shoots down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Mediterranean Sea as it approaches the Israeli coast from the direction of Lebanon. No group claims responsibility, and Hizballah specifically denies involvement. (REU 4/25)

Israeli newspaper Ha’Aretz claims that the Obama admin. aims to host a Middle East peace summit in Washington in 6/2013, bringing together Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. U.S. officials deny the report. (HA 4/25)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 rockets or mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (2 synchronized) in the evening; conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and Jericho; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and Nablus, firing tear gas and stun grenades at stonethrowing youths who confront them in Nablus (causing no serious injuries). Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Kafr Qaddum, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; a Palestinian child (al-Nabi Salih) and 1 Swedish activist (Kafr Qaddum) are moderately injured by tear gas canisters, and 1 Palestinian (Kafr Qaddum) is moderately injured by a rubber-coated steel bullet. (YA 7/28; 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

Pres. Obama signs into law the U.S.-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act, which calls for an unprecedented strengthening of military, intelligence, and technology cooperation intended to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge. Experts describe the act as prescribing a ‘‘laundry list of security enhancements’’ for Israel (see QU in JPS 165 for details). (JTA, White House press release 7/27; WP 7/28, 7/30; Defense News 8/1)

Hamas acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh meets with Egyptian pres. Morsi in Cairo to discuss Fatah-Hamas reconciliation prospects and ways of further easing the siege of Gaza. (WP 7/28)

Hamas’s acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh authorizes a senior CEC team to begin updating Gaza’s voter rolls, in keeping with agreements reached in Cairo on 5/20/12. The CEC estimates that since the rolls were last updated for the 1/2006 elections, the number of eligible but unregistered Gaza voters has grown to as many as 250,000. (NYT 5/29)

In Hamza village, just n. of Jerusalem, Israeli security forces demolish a gas station, car wash, 2 auto body shops, and 2 cafeterias, confiscating several motorcycles, fuel pumps, gasoline, and equipment. Deeper in the West Bank, IDF soldiers nr. Qalqilya fire tear gas, stun grenades at a group of Palestinian laborers attempting to cross into Israel without permits to find work, causing no injuries but starting a small fire that burns a grove of 20 Palestinian olive trees. The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jenin in the morning; in 1 village nr. Jericho in the afternoon; and in 2 villages each nr. Ramallah, Salfit, and Tulkarm and 1 nr. Jenin late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Kafr Qaddum and nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, and Salfit. (PCHR 5/31; OCHA 6/1)

A Turkish court indicts 4 fmr. senior IDF commanders (fmr. IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and those who headed the Israeli navy, air force, and military intelligence) who were in authority when Israel killed 9 Turks aboard the Mavi Marmara aid flotilla ship to Gaza in 2012 (see QU in JPS 157). The 4 officials are unlikely to appear for trial but may be tried in absentia. (NYT, WP 5/29; NYT 6/5)

The Washington Post runs (5/28) a special report alleging proof of an elaborate plan orchestrated either by Iranback Hizballah elements or operatives based in Iran to assassinate U.S. embassy officials and their families in Azerbaijan. The U.S., however, refrains at this stage from accusing Iran or Hizballah of direct involvement. (WP 5/28)

IDF troops make 2 brief incursion into Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya in the north and Khan Yunis in the south. IDF soldiers on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers who stray too near the border fence, forcing them to leave. IDF soldiers on the s. Gaza border open fire on Palestinian agricultural areas e. of Abasan, causing no reported damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the evening; and in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, including rearresting a PA General Intelligence officer released in the 2011 prisoner swap that freed captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

News hits the media that the new U.S. amb. to Israel Dan Shapiro recently told a meeting of the Israeli Bar Association that the U.S. is ready and willing to use military force against Iran if diplomacy and sanctions fail, stating that the military option is ‘‘not just available, but it’s ready. The necessary planning has been done.’’ A tape of Shapiro’s address was leaked to the AP, with an anonymous Israeli official stating: ‘‘Quite clearly he didn’t mean this to be public. ... For the Iranians to understand that he really means it, they have to hear it publicly and clearly.’’ (AP, ITV 5/17; NYT, WT 5/18; see Quarterly Update [QU] in JPS 165 for details on Iran.)

At a private fundraising event in Florida that is secretly taped and leaked to the media on 9/18/12, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney states that ‘‘the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace’’ and are ‘‘committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel.’’ He also opposes creation of an independent Palestinian state, assuming that it would become a client state of Iran. In terms of a U.S. mediating role in the peace process, he states: ‘‘The idea of pushing on the Israelis—to give something up, to get the Palestinians to act, is the worst idea in the world.’’ In response to the leak, which was seen (e.g., NYT 9/19)

as likely to damage Romney’s ability to act as a peace broker if elected, Romney publicly states on 9/18 that he stands by his longtime support for the U.S. official position advocating a negotiated 2-state solution. (Mother Jones 9/18; NYT 9/19)

Israeli DM Ehud Barak meets with U.S. secy. of defense Leon Panetta in Washington to request an additional $680 m./yr. in aid over 3 yrs. to help purchase 3–4 new Iron Dome antimissile batteries and another $168 m. for 3 other missile programs jointly developed with the U.S. (This is on top of an increase of $99.9 m. in funding for FY 2013 already requested by the Obama admin.) With the appeal coinciding with Israel cutting its defense budget by 5% per year for 2013 and 2014, critics complain (e.g., WP 5/17) that the U.S. is effectively helping balance Israel’s budget before balancing its own. (WP 5/17)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fatally shoot a 65-yr.-old Palestinian farmer working his land nr. the border fence. IDF troops make a brief incursion into c. Gaza e. of Gaza Valley village to level lands and clear lines of sight, and into the border area n. of Bayt Hanun to issue demolition orders for several structures, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, injuring 1. Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel in 2 barrages, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes nr. Qalqilya; conducts numerous patrols in villages and open areas around Qalqilya during the day, stopping Palestinians to check IDs and raiding 1 home, but making no arrests; patrols without incident in 2 villages nr. Jenin, 2 nr. Salfit, and 2 nr. Tulkarm in the morning and afternoon; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Nabi Salih, Nur Shams r.c. (searching the home of and arresting a PA military intelligence officer, confiscating his computers and cell phones), and Salfit (searching the home of and arresting Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. Omar ‘Abd al-Rizk; see Quarterly Update for details). In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolish 2 Palestinian stables in al-Tur and Wadi al-Juz neighborhoods. (AP 1/10; NYT 1/11; PCHR 1/13; OCHA 1/14)

In 4 separate instances, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. Jewish settlement sites, wounding 5. In the West Bank, IDF troops and intelligence units raid the homes of 3 local Islamic Jihad leaders in Jenin to “discuss the current political situation” and to question them on their recent detention by PA security forces (PASF); also raid and search the Dura home of elected Palestinian Council (PC) mbr. Shaykh Nayif Mahmud al-Rajub; conducts late-night house searches nr. Bethlehem. The IDF also demolishes a printing press in Issawiyya nr. Jerusalem, firing rubbercoated steel bullets and tear gas and beating stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, seriously injuring 1, lightly injuring 8. (PCHR 12/2; OCHA 12/3)

Overnight the IDF raids the PA Military Intelligence headquarters in Ramallah, arrests 18 wanted AMB mbrs. who had been taking refuge there, 50 other PA Military Intelligence officers and employees (most of whom are released after interrogation); the IDF claims that the 18 were funded by Iran through Hizballah to carry out attacks on Israeli targets but offers no proof. During the day, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border send bulldozers 500 m into the border area nr. Bayt Hanun to level land, while IDF troops in the West Bank seal a Hamas-affiliated social services office and kindergarten in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem, another charitable society and kindergarten in neighboring al-Khadir. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Azariyya nr. Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, al-Til nr. Tulkarm, Tulkarm r.c. In Israel, Israeli police arrest Shaykh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, on suspicion of provocative behavior for attending a rally in East Jerusalem protesting Israel’s construction at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. In Gaza’s Nussayrat r.c., 4 unknown gunmen kidnap, break the hands of, then release a PA security officer. A PA General Intelligence Service mbr. dies of injuries sustained in interfactional fighting in Jabaliya on 2/2. (NYT, PCHR 3/8; OCHA 3/14; PCHR 3/15)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border shoot, wound a Palestinian farmer who strays nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya. AMB mbrs. fire an RPG at an IDF observation post on the Gaza border e. of Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF directs heavy machine gun fire in return, killing 1 AMB mbr. The Israeli navy fires on the Gaza beach nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 11 bedouin homes nr. 3 Jewish settlements southwest of Jenin; bulldozes 38 d. of Palestinian olive, almond trees nr. Nablus; raids the offices of the al-Ihsan Charitable Society in Hebron, confiscating files, computer discs; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm, Tulkarm r.c. The PA fires 470 mbrs of the security forces (at least 150 fr. the Presidential Guard; the remainder fr. Force 17, Military Intelligence, the PSF) for “mutinous behavior”. Today, 10s of fired security officers stage a sit-in outside the PC offices in Gaza to demand that the PA rescind their dismissals. (Jerusalem Post 2/13; OCHA 2/14; PCHR 2/15; OCHA 2/21)

The worst Fatah-Hamas fighting in Gaza to date leaves a total of 18 Palestinians dead (including 2 children ages 5 and 7, 6 presidential guardsmen; including 12 in Gaza City, 3 in Jabaliya r.c., 1 in Abasan, 1 in Bayt Lahiya), more than 220 injured, with factions exchanging mortar, RPG fire; setting fire to and ransacking rival meeting halls, security compounds (including the n. Gaza headquarters of the PA Military Intelligence, PSF, General Intelligence, as well as a Force 17 barracks, ESF offices, and barracks for the Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades). In the most serious incidents; the Fatahdominated presidential guard attempts to overrun the Hamas-controlled PA Interior Min. offices in Gaza City, exchanging fire with the ESF there, as well as torching parts of Islamic University (a Hamas stronghold); Hamas mbrs. later attack several buildings at Fatah-dominated al-Quds University and destroying the Palestinian Labor Voice radio station in Jabaliya; and Fatah mbrs. raid a mosque in Abasan, firing on worshipers, killing 1, wounding 8, kidnapping 6. A Palestinian woman wounded in the ESF–Presidential Guard exchange on 2/1 dies. Egyptian mediators resident in Gaza broker talks with Hamas, Fatah officials, who order their mbrs. in the afternoon to begin observing a cease-fire, but exchanges continue late into the evening. (As Egyptian officials leave the talks, their convoy comes under fire, causing no injuries.) In Rafah, 300 Palestinians march calling for a halt to intra-Palestinian violence. In the West Bank, unidentified gunmen fire on the home of mayor of Qalqilya, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, the IDF surrounds a mosque in Bayt Kahil during noon prayers, searches and questions worshipers as they leave; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar settlement shoot, wound a 15-yr.-old Palestinian shepherd outside Nablus. (MM 2/2; NYT, WP 2/3; MM 2/6; OCHA 2/7; PCHR 2/8)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on residential areas of Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1 Palestinian; fire on residential areas of alQarara in s. Gaza, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus (detaining a PA Military Intelligence officer whose brother is wanted). In Gaza City, the Daghmash clan kidnaps several Hamas mbrs.; later in the day, Daghmash mbrs. fatally shoot 3 mbrs. of the Diri clan, a pro-Hamas family, and wound 5 others. In the West Bank, suspected Fatah gunmen kidnap Dep. Mayor of Nablus Mahdi Hambali in Nablus, Interior Min. official Ihad Ghidhan from the Interior Min. offices in Ramallah; Ghidhan is shot, wounded, released later in the day. Suspected Fatah mbrs. also shoot, wound Hamas-affiliated al-Najah University lecturer Marwan Qaddumi in his home in Nablus. In Hebron, AMB mbrs. enforce a strike, prevent stores fr. opening to protest Hamas attacks in Gaza. In Gaza City, a Hamas mbr. dies of injuries he sustained on 12/29 when explosives he was handling detonated prematurely. (HA, NYT, WT 1/7; OCHA 1/10; PCHR 1/11)

In Gaza, the IDF withdraws fr. Khuza‘a, ending a 3-day operation. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in cars with Palestinian license plates into Qabatya, shoots, wounds 2 Palestinians (at least 1 of whom is a wanted AMB mbr., Rashid Zakarna), also shoots, wounds 2 unarmed Palestinians who come to their aid; the units detain all 4 men, shooting execution style Zarkana and 1 of the men who came to his aid, Kamil al-Lubani; the units then raid a wedding party nearby, firing indiscriminately, wounding 12 Palestinian civilians (1 is declared clinically dead). The IDF patrols in Hebron; raids the Prisoners’ Supporters Association (PSA) offices in Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Salfit, confiscating computers and files, sealing the offices for 2 yrs.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin (also raiding the offices of attorney Fadl Bushnaq, confiscating computers and files, sealing the office for 2 yrs.; bulldozes 50 d. of Palestinian land nr. Kiryat Arba in Hebron for construction of a new settler-only bypass road. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba, escorted by the IDF, bulldoze a large area of Palestinian land w. of the settlement. In Khan Yunis, unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on a Force 17 officer, wounding a bystander. Elsewhere in Gaza, unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on a PA military intelligence officer, killing a Palestinian bystander. (OCHA 9/13; PCHR 9/14)

Israel lifts the air blockade on Lebanon but continues to patrol off the Lebanese coast after its self-declared 6:00 P.M. deadline, stating that too few international vessels have taken up patrols to enforce an arms embargo. Israel also continues surveillance overflights of Lebanon, saying it has no plans to end them. (NYT, WP, WT 9/8)

Overnight, the IDF pulls troops out of Rafah and al-Shuka and back into the Dahaniyya airport, ending a 3-day offensive; troops go back into al-Shuka briefly during the day to surround, evacuate, blow up a Palestinian home, also bulldozing 20 d. of surrounding agricultural land. Late in the evening, the IDF makes an air strike destroying a Palestinian home nr. Bayt Lahiya, damaging 2 others after warning residents by phone to evacuate. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into Silat al-Harithiyya nr. Jenin, occupies a house as a sniper post, shoots and assassinates wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. Sami al-‘Imari; arrests, searches the Ramallah home of Change and Reform PC mbr. Fadl Hamdan; conducts arrest raids, house searches and fires on residential areas of Shayukh nr. Hebron in a raid targeting the AMB; searches vehicles, an Internet caf´e in Hebron; issues military orders confiscating 10s of d. of agricultural land southwest of Hebron for construction of the separation wall. Jewish settlers driving nr. Nablus open fire at a Palestinian truck driving ahead of them, killing a 48-yr.-old Palestinian, wounding his son. Unidentified gunmen ambush the car of the PA military intelligence head for n. Gaza as it drives through Jabaliya, wounding him, 2 passengers. (OCHA 8/9; PCHR 8/10)

The IDF intensifies air strikes across Lebanon, hitting targets in s. Beirut, Ansar, al-Jibbayn, Nabatiyya, Naqura, Qana, Tyre (striking within 40 yards of a UN humanitarian aid convoy traveling with prior coordination with the IDF, hitting a car traveling in the opposite direction), killing 10s of Lebanese civilians, several Lebanese soldiers, 1 PFLP-GC mbr. Ground operations continue across s. Lebanon, with Hizballah claiming to disable 4 tanks (in Adassiyya, Ras al-Biyada, Wadi Hunin), acknowledging the death of 3 Hizballah mbrs. The IDF says that it has taken prisoner 22-yr.-old Hizballah mbr. Hasan Ali Sulayman, who has allegedly admitted under interrogation to involvement in the 7/12 capture of 2 IDF soldiers. Hizballah fires around 160 rockets into n. Israel, killing 3 Israeli civilians (1 an Israeli Palestinian) in Haifa, and killing 12 IDF reservists, wounding 5 in Kfar Giladi on the border with Lebanon. (REU 8/6; NYT, WP, WT 8/7; IFM 8/8; PCHR 8/10)

The IDF sends undercover units into Ramallah’s central shopping district, where they arrest Islamic Jihad’s Qalqilya military leader Muhammad Shubaki; when the unit is confronted by armed militants and stone-throwing protesters, the IDF sends in uniformed reinforcements that clash with the Palestinians, leaving 1 PA General Intelligence officer, 3 bystanders dead, at least 35 Palestinians and 1 IDF soldier wounded. The IDF also sends bulldozers, tanks, jeeps 200 m inside the Gaza border nr. Bureij r.c. to level land for ongoing construction of a cement wall along the n. Gaza border; raids the municipal offices in Maithalun nr. Jenin, removes the Palestinian flag fr. the building, fires tear gas; patrols in Farkha nr. Nablus (firing on residential areas), Kafr Dan; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Bethlehem, and nr. Hebron, Jenin. In central Gaza, PSF chief for central Gaza Nabil Hudud dies when a bomb rigged to his car explodes; no group claims responsibility; Fatah and Hamas gunmen, however, exchange fire outside Gaza’s Shifa Hospital after Hudud’s body is brought in. In Khan Yunis, unidentified gunmen kidnap, shoot 3 Hamas mbrs., killing 1; no group claims responsibility; Hamas accuses the PA security forces. (AFP, Guardian, HA, NYT, PCHR, Palestine Monitor [Internet], WP 5/25; OCHA, PCHR 6/1)

The IDF makes 1 air and 3 artillery strikes on a field deep inside the n. Gaza no-go zone nr. Bayt Lahiya, killing 2 Palestinians; occupies the PA military intelligence headquarters in Jenin, forcing all PA officers to leave, arresting 1; conducts arrest raids in and around Jenin town and r.c., and in Hebron, Nablus, al-Til, Tulkarm, Yatta. Some 50 AMB gunmen occupy a PA Interior Min. office in Gaza for several hrs., demanding jobs. Some 30 armed mbrs. of a Palestinian clan that clashed with PA police in Gaza City on 12/29 and 12/30 rally outside the Rafah crossing, threaten to bar PA officials fr. crossing if their relative is not freed by police.AMB mbrs. protesting the Fatah party list (see 12/28) take over a West Bank hotel, demand that foreign election observers leave. (REU, XIN, YA 12/31; IMEMC, NYT, WP 1/1; PCHR 1/5)

Before dawn, the IDF sends undercover units into Nablus to arrest 6 Palestinians, including PA General Intelligence officer Amjad Mus‘ad; in the evening, fires 27 artillery rounds at n. Gaza in response to 3 mortars fired by Palestinians towards Israel, causing no damage or injuries on either side; late in the evening, undercover units return to Nablus, surround a PA security vehicle patrolling the area, order the7 PA security officers to lie on the ground, confiscate their weapons and phones, hold them for an hr., release them. The IDF also lifts the seal on the West Bank and Gaza imposed on 12/5, opens Qalandia crossing (closed since 12/8); raids and closes 10s of shops in Anabta, withdraws, later returns to conduct arrest raids and house searches; bulldozes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem, sparking clashes with 10s of local Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Tulkarm. IDF soldiers bar an ambulance fr. transporting a critically ill 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy to a hospital in Jerusalem, beating a female paramedic and driver, arresting the paramedic; a 2d ambulance arrives, takes the patient to a Ramallah hospital. In Dayr al-Balah, 10 AMB gunmen angry over the Fatah primaries raid a PA election office, force it to close. In Gaza City, unidentified gunmen fire on a PA police patrol, killing 1 PA policeman, wounding a 2d; the incident may be connected to the Bayt Hanun clan violence (see 12/7) as the dead policeman belongs to 1 of the families. (AP, HA, IMEMC, PCHR, PRCS, XIN, YA 12/12; AP, NYT 12/13; PCHR 12/15; PLO press release 12/21)

Israel lifts the seal on Gaza imposed after the 7/12 bombing (the seal on the West Bank remains in place), but cancels 7,000 work permits for Gazans, renewing permits of only 2,000 workers and 200 merchants. The IDF reinforces troops in Gaza, sending tanks and armored vehicles, expanding construction of roads in central Gaza in preparation for disengagement; announces that it will replace its rubber-coated steel bullets that have killed scores of Palestinians with compressed sand bullets originally developed for close-quarter hostage rescues; says sand bullets have already been used against Palestinians protesting the separation wall. Gaza settler leaders begin collecting settlers’ weapons ahead of disengagement; some settlers say they will not give up their arms. The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids in al-Bireh (targeting Islamic Jihad), Halhul nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on attack, beat 3 Palestinian farmers working their land nearby; the IDF intervenes, declares the area a closed military zone, orders farmers to leave, arresting 1 farmer and 1 international peace activist. Late in the evening, AMB n. Gaza cmdr. Ahmad Abu Zayid is fatally shot by an unidentified gunman; initial reports indicate his death is a result of intra-Palestinian fighting, but the AMB later accuses Israel of assassinating him, saying that earlier in the evening, Israeli security personnel (suspected Shin Bet) questioned his family regarding the car he drives, whether he has a bodyguard, whether he travels armed. A grenade explodes outside the Gaza City home of PA Atty. Gen. Hussein Abu Assi causing serious damage but no injuries; no group takes responsibility (see 6/28). In Gaza City, unidentified gunmen driving in a car open fire on 2 PA military intelligence officers, injuring them. Nr. Khan Yunis, 2 Palestinians are killed when explosives they are handling detonate. (IMEMC, WAFA, YA 8/1; AP, Deutsche Presse Agentur, PCHR, YA 8/2; JP, PR, WT 8/3; PCHR 8/4; FT 8/8)

The IDF conducts arrest raids in Dura, Qabatya, al-Til. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa attack, beat 3 Palestinian farmers working their land in Yatta; the IDF intervenes to arrest a 4th farmer. Relatives of PA military intelligence officer ‘Abid (kidnapped 7/28) abduct 2 foreign UN workers in Gaza City to pressure the PA to get ‘Abid released; the PA secures ‘Abid’s release within hrs., and the UN workers are freed. (AFP, IMEMC, PCHR 7/29; PCHR 8/4; HA 8/8)

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 conducts arrest raids, house searches around Bethlehem and in al-‘Azza r.c., Bayt Surik nr. Jerusalem, Yatta; halts a taxi nr. Ramallah, detains 1 passenger— Samir Burnat, a leading organizer of nonviolent protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in. Some 40 mbrs. of PA military intelligence loyal to Musa Arafat (forced to retire in 4/05) attack the PC building in Gaza City and block the main road to Rafah checkpoint, temporarily detain PA Amb. to North Korea Shakir Abu Aida in protest against Abbas’s recent age limits for PA security officers, release him unharmed. Palestinian attorneys stage a 1-day strike to protest the PA’s failure to protect judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers fr. increasing vigilantism. (HA 6/4; AP, IMEMC, NYT 6/5; PCHR 6/9; al-Ahram 6/10; PR 6//15; BBC 6/16)

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian motorist who fails to stop at a flying checkpoint btwn. Nablus and Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and Hebron, in Nablus, in and around Tulkarm. Some 50 armed PA military intelligence officers block main roads in Gaza City, raid the PC offices in Rafah to protest the PA’s decision to meld military intelligence into the regular PA security forces. (PCHR 6/2; JP 6/2 in WNC 6/3; OCHA 6/8; PCHR 6/9)

During the day in Gaza, the IDF assassinates Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades 2d in command ‘Adnan al-Gul (a founding mbr. of Hamas whom Israel considers responsible for the development of Qassam rockets and whom it has tried to assassinate on at least 4 previous occasions), firing 2 missiles at him as he leaves a building in Gaza City, also killing senior field cmdr. Imad Abbas, wounding 4 bystanders; attempts to assassinate PRC military cmdr. ‘Abd al-Rahman Qarmut, firing a missile at his home in Jabaliya r.c., wounding him and his child; fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians (1 AMB, 1 Islamic Jihad) who attempt to infiltrate Israel nr. the Nahal Oz crossing outside Gaza City; conducts 2 raids into Rafah, shelling residential areas, demolishing 7 Palestinian homes, bulldozing 9 d. Also in Rafah, an IDF soldier investigating a smugglers’ tunnel is killed by an explosion, possibly fr. a booby trap; Hamas claims responsibility. In Hebron, the IDF raids 2 mosques during evening prayers, interrogates and checks IDs worshipers; raids a university, checks students’ IDs; raids, occupies a Palestinian home. In Qalqilya, the IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket at Sederot, a mortar at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers attempt to steal olives fr. a grove in al-Mughayyir; Palestinians confront and scuffle with them; 1 settler opens fire, injuring 1 Palestinian; the IDF intervenes, detains the gunman. Islamic Jihad mbrs. stop the car of PA military intelligence officer Hajij al-Sirhi in central Gaza, seize the car and 2 rifles; Sirhi reportedly impounded the car fr. Islamic Jihad mbrs. several mos. earlier. (VOI, VOP 10/21 in WNC 10/23; BBC, NYT, WP, WT 10/22; AFP, VOP 10/22, HJ, VOI 10/23 in WNC 10/26; PR 10/17; PCHR 10/28)

The IDF fatally shoots 5 Palestinians in incidents across the Gaza Strip: 2 are killed attempting to cross the border fence into Israel, 2 are killed while allegedly planting a roadside bomb, 1 is fatally shot nr. a Jewish settlement. The IDF also shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, seriously injuring a 3-yr.-old and 6-yr.-old in their beds; fires on residential areas, stone-throwing Palestinians in Balata r.c., Bayt Furik; arrests 70 Palestinians harvesting olives nr. Bayt Jala; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Dura, al-Khadir, Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah, Silwad, Tulkarm. A Palestinian dies of injuries received a wk. earlier in Rafah. At midday in Gaza City, PA preventive security officers, PA military intelligence officers exchange gunfire, toss grenades at each other, leaving 1 preventive security officer seriously injured, 3 others lightly injured; later in the day, the same group exchanges fire again, leaving 2 people injured; Fatah, PA officials meet later to contain the crisis, the reasons for which are unknown. (REU 10/18; VOP 10/18 in WNC 10/20; BBC, WP 10/19; JAZ, VOI 10/19 in WNC 10/21; PR 10/20; PCHR 10/21)

The IDF closes the Rafah crossing to Egypt indefinitely, citing security concerns; conducts an overnight raid into Saida nr. Tulkarm, firing on residential areas, rounding up residents for questioning, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing 2 wanted Palestinians; conducts house searches in Bizariyya in the West Bank, causing a 57-yr.- old Palestinian woman to suffer a fatal heart attack; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c., ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya, Bayt Rima, al-Khadir, al-Mughraqa; fires on Palestinians waiting to cross a checkpoint in the al-Mawasi area of s. Gaza, wounding 5; fires on residential areas of Rafah; bulldozes large areas of agricultural land, demolishes 2 civilian cars in Bayt Hanun. A 4-yr.-old Palestiniandies of injuries received in Rafah on 7/7. (VOP 7/18 in WNC 7/21; PR 7/21; PCHR 7/22)

Outside the PC headquarters in Gaza, Fatah mbrs. continue to protest against Musa Arafat’s appointment. In the evening, some 150 armed AMB mbrs. attack the PA military intelligence headquarters in Rafah, using a bulldozer in an attempt to break into the complex, exchanging gunfire with security guards, leaving 18 Palestinians (including at least 3 AMB mbrs., several bystanders) wounded. AMB mbrs. also attack the PA military intelligence building in Khan Yunis, setting 2 offices ablaze, stealing weapons, freeing some detainees, wounding a security guard in an exchange of fire; staging marches in Nussayrat r.c. Navy security chief Juma Ghali, an Arafat loyalist, resigns his position to protest the Musa Arafat appointment. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/19; SA 7/19 in WNC 7/21; AYM 7/19 in WNC 7/24; PR 7/21; WP 7/22)

A Palestinian suicide bomber fr. Bethlehem detonates a device on a bus in Jerusa-lem, killing 11 Israelis, wounding 48 (8 of them seriously). Hamas, Islamic Jihad both take responsibility, but family, friends of the bomber say he supported Islamic Jihad. Sharon convenes his security cabinet; does not invite fmr. PM and current FM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is challenging him for the PM candidacy in the upcoming Likud primaries on 11/28. Fearing that Sharon will stage a major retaliatory attack, the PSF evacuates its offices in Bethlehem. After the mtg., Sharon spokesman Raanan Gissin states that in light of U.S. military intentions against Iraq, “We are not going to allow any kind of escalation.” The IDF shells a PA military intelligence post nr. Netzarim settlement, killing 1 PA intelligence officer; makes a predawn raid on 3 villages nr. Khan Yunis in s. Gaza, demolishing the home of a senior DFLP mbr., firing on residential areas, wounding 4 Palestinians; bulldozes 39 dunams of Palestinian land e. of Dayr al-Balah, 11.5 dunams and several structures nr. Bayt Lahia. (HA, MM, NYT, WP 11/21; ATL, Interfax 11/21 in WNC 11/22; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/22; QA 11/22, MA 11/24 in WNC 11/25; LAW, PCHR 11/27)

IDF commandos ambush, assassinate wanted PA intelligence officer Ayid Mansur outside his home in Nablus. The IDF fatally shoots 1 Palestinian nr. the new security wall in Zita; raids a makeshift PSF jail in Tulkarm, arresting 6 PSF officers, 12 prisoners (the PSF officers, 9 prisoners are later released); conducts arrest raids, searches houses, blows up 2 Palestinian homes in Bayt Hanun; fires on residential areas, bulldozes 1 Palestinian home and part of a mosque in Brazil r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house-to-house searches, fires on residential areas in Askar r.c.; raids Qalandia r.c., detaining 50 Palestinians; directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bayt Lahia, Gaza City, Rafah; bulldozes 17.5 dunams of Palestinian land s. of Khan Yunis. Some 40 prominent Israelis outraged by recent Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian olive pickers travel to the West Bank to participate in a Palestinian olive harvest. (GS, LAW, PCHR 10/30; PCHR, PR 11/6; MEI 11/8)

DM and Labor party head Ben-Eliezer resigns fr. the government hrs. before Sharon’s FY 2003 budget passes (67-45) in the Knesset, with all 25 Labor party MKs voting against. Afterward, the 5 other Labor Ms, including FM Shimon Peres, resign. (HA, MM 10/30; MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/31; JT 10/31 in WNC 11/1; al-Quds 11/2, MENA 11/3 in WNC 11/5; AYM 11/2 in WNC 11/8; JPI, MEI 11/8)

A AMB sniper using a decades-old carbine rifle fatally shoots 7 IDF soldiers, 3 Jewish settlers, wounding 6 others at a checkpoint nr. Ofra settlement before escaping, leaving his gun behind. In response, IDF tanks, helicopters, F-16s strike PSF targets in Bethlehem, killing 4 PSF officers, wounding 20. In retaliation for the Beit Israeli suicide bombing on 3/2, IDF helicopters rocket the PA headquarters, a small factory in Bethlehem. The IDF also shells the PA military intelligence office in Salfit, killing 1 PA intelligence officer, wounding 5; shells a building within Arafat's compound in Ramallah; briefly invades Qalqilya. In Gaza, an AMB gunman fatally shoots an IDF soldier. Sharon convenes his inner cabinet to chart an intensified policy of "sustained military pressure" against the PA, militant Palestinian groups. Jewish settlers rally outside the PM's residence in Jerusalem, demanding harsher attacks on the Palestinians. 100s of Hamas supporters rally in Jabaliya. Arafat condemns the Beit Israeli attack, but says nothing about today's AMB strikes. (HA, NYT, WP, WT 3/3; AFP, XIN 3/3 in WNC 3/4; JP [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/4; MM 3/5; AKH 3/6 in WNC 3/7; WJW 3/7; MEI 3/8; JP 3/15)