49 / 15150 Results
  • May 9, 2018

    Approximately 20 Grad and Fajr-5 rockets are fired from Syria toward northern Israel. Four of them are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, and the rest explode over Syrian...

    Read more
  • July 3, 2015

    In the West Bank, an Israeli officer shoots and kills a stone-throwing Palestinian youth during clashes nr. the Qalandia checkpoint s. of Ramallah. There are no other serious injuries. IDF troops...

    Read more
  • April 27, 2013

    Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Grad rocket fr. Gaza into southern Israel at night, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF retaliates with air strikes on 2 sites in the southern Gaza Strip,...

    Read more
  • April 17, 2013

    In the West Bank, IDF soldiers and Palestinians clash in al-Khader nr. Bethlehem (4 serious injuries), in Bayt Ummar nr. Hebron (6 injuries), and in Ramallah (1 injury). The IDF patrols in al-...

    Read more
  • October 27, 2012

    Palestinian newspaper al-Quds alArabi reports that PA pres. Abbas has sent letters to world leaders, including U.S. pres. Obama and the heads of EU mbr. states, to ask that they back the...

    Read more
  • October 12, 2012

    Israeli newspaper Yedi’ot Ahronot reports that in 2010 Israeli PM Netanyahu engaged in mos. of secret, U.S.-brokered discussions with Syria about a negotiated peace treaty including Israeli...

    Read more
  • September 6, 2012

    The IDF kills 3 Palestinians from a small Islamist resistance group in a morning air strike nr. Bayt Hanun. The armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) fires Grad...

    Read more
  • August 28, 2012

    An Israeli court in Haifa rules that the IDF was not responsible for the killing of American activist Rachel Corrie in 2003 in the Gaza Strip (see QU in JPS 128). (REU 8/28)

    Unidentified...

    Read more
  • June 26, 2012

    Russian pres. Putin meets with PA pres. Abbas in Ramallah and tours holy sites in Bethlehem. Putin calls the Palestinian conditions on resuming negotiations with Israel ‘‘responsible’’ and...

    Read more
  • June 15, 2012

    Unidentified assailants fire 2 Grad rockets from the Egyptian Sinai into Israel, striking n. of Elat, causing no damage or injuries. No group takes responsibility. (HA 6/16, 6/17)

    The IDF...

    Read more
  • April 8, 2012

    In response for the Israeli air strike on Gaza on 4/7, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 rockets (including 1 manufactured Grad) fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on...

    Read more
  • April 5, 2012

    A Grad rocket fired fr. the Egyptian Sinai lands in nr. Elat in s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries, but raising fears ahead of the Passover weekend, when 1,000s of tourists usually visit the...

    Read more
  • February 18, 2012

    During the day, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 manufactured Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel (causing no damage or injuries) and 1 homemade Qassam rocket (which lands inside Gaza, damaging a...

    Read more
  • December 9, 2011

    Overnight, Palestinians fire 11 rockets (including 1 manufactured Grad) fr. Gaza into Israel, retaliating for the 12/8 assassination, causing no damage or injuries. In the morning, Israel carries...

    Read more
  • October 29, 2011

    During the day, the IDF carries out 3 air strikes on an Islamic Jihad training camp in s. Gaza, killing 5 Islamic Jihad mbrs. allegedly responsible for the rocket fire on 10/26 (including field...

    Read more
  • October 26, 2011

    Quartet reps. hold separate talks with Palestinian and Israeli officials to urge the sides to resume direct talks, but report no progress. (WP 10/27)

    Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Grad...

    Read more
  • October 4, 2011

    Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets toward Israel; 1 lands inside Gaza and the other in Israel, neither causing damage or injuries. The IDF makes a day-long incursion into s. Gaza to...

    Read more
  • August 26, 2011

    Hamas officials say that all main Gaza factions have agreed to reimpose their cease-fire immediately, while Egyptian mediators work to secure the compliance of smaller factions. Islamic Jihad says...

    Read more
  • August 25, 2011

    Overnight and during the day, the IDF carries out multiple air strikes on Gaza in retaliation for the 8/24 rocket fire, hitting smuggling tunnels, a suspected weapons depot, and a rocketfiring...

    Read more
  • August 18, 2011

    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 (...

    Read more
  • August 15, 2011

    Israel approves construction of 277 new apartments in Ariel settlement deep in the West Bank, which Israel seeks to retain under final status. The Quartet condemns the decision, stating that “...

    Read more
  • August 3, 2011

    The small Salafist group, Abdullah Azzam Brigades fires 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to a road in 1 instance but no injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 2...

    Read more
  • April 15, 2011

    Early in the morning, Hamas authorities in Gaza storm a house in Gaza City where they believe Italian peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni is being held by Tawhid and Jihad, only to find that he had...

    Read more
  • April 10, 2011

    Through UN and Egyptian emissaries, Israel and Gaza’s factions agree to a new cease-fire ending 4 days of heavy violence. Before the agreement is announced in the evening, Palestinians fire around...

    Read more
  • April 7, 2011

    In retaliation for a 4/1 air strike that killed 3 senior Hamas mbrs., Hamas militants fire an advanced Russian-made laser-guided Kornet antitank missile fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting a school bus...

    Read more
  • March 24, 2011

    Palestinians fire at least 7 mortars, 6 homemade Qassam rockets, and 2 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day, causing no injuries. Israel retaliates with several air...

    Read more
  • March 23, 2011

    Overnight, Israel makes an air strike on Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. Between dawn and mid-morning, Islamic Jihad fires 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza...

    Read more
  • March 22, 2011

    Israel makes 2 air strikes on Gaza targeting the launch site of 4 mortars fired into Israel minutes earlier (causing no damage or injuries), hitting a nearby residential area, killing 4...

    Read more
  • February 24, 2011

    In response to the cross-border exchange on 2/23, Palestinians fire 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, striking Beersheba for the 1st time since Operation Cast Lead (OCL; 12/27/08–1...

    Read more
  • January 31, 2011

    Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel in 2 barrages; 1 Grad strikes in Netivot, causing minor damage, while the other lands nr. Ofakim, causing no damage or injuries....

    Read more

Approximately 20 Grad and Fajr-5 rockets are fired from Syria toward northern Israel. Four of them are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, and the rest explode over Syrian territory, causing no major damage or injury. The IDF accuses Iran of being behind the attack and retaliates, bombing dozens of alleged Iranian weapons storage, logistics, and intelligence sites in Syria; 27 people are killed, including 19 Iranians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (JP 5/9; CNN, HA, JP, MEMO, NYT, TOI, YA 5/10; HA 5/11; AP 5/12)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land and repair the border fence near Khan Yunis. Later, they open fire on Palestinian farmers working near Gaza City and al-Bureij refugee camp and Great March of Return protesters near Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Jabaliya refugee camp, and al-Bureij refugee camp; 6 Palestinians are injured. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya and Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a makeshift Palestinian home near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 8 Palestinians during late-night raids near Jericho, Tubas, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jenin; and patrol near Hebron and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces establish a checkpoint in Abu Dis, sparking minor clashes with Palestinian minors; 1 Israeli border police officer and 7 Palestinians are injured (3 Palestinians are arrested as well). (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 5/9; PCHR 5/10)

In the West Bank, an Israeli officer shoots and kills a stone-throwing Palestinian youth during clashes nr. the Qalandia checkpoint s. of Ramallah. There are no other serious injuries. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against the Israeli occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, Jalazun r.c., and outside Ofer Prison), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 1 Palestinian is seriously injured. The IDF also patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah, ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c., and 1 village nr. Jericho. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles nr. Nablus, causing damage. Following yesterday’s crackdown on Hamas mbrs., the PASF arrests 21 Palestinian youths affiliated with Hamas’s student organization at an-Najah National University nr. Nablus. (MNA 7/2; HA, MNA, NYT 7/3; TOI, WAFA 7/4; PCHR 7/9; EI [video] 7/13)

In Egypt, SPIS fires 3 Grad rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. (AFP, MNA 7/3; HA 7/4)

The UNHRC votes, 41–1, with 5 abstentions, to adopt a res. welcoming the report produced by the Council’s commission of inquiry, which was published on 6/22. The U.S. casts the lone vote in opposition and India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Paraguay, and Macedonia abstain. (HA, JTA, MEE, MNA, REU, YA 7/3; JP 7/4; YA 7/5; TOI 7/6; JTA 7/7)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Grad rocket fr. Gaza into southern Israel at night, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF retaliates with air strikes on 2 sites in the southern Gaza Strip, causing no injuries. In the West Bank the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Hebron, 1village nr. Jenin and 1 village nr. Tulkarm at night. At night, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in al-Azza r.c. in Bethlehem at night. (HA, JP 4/28; PCHR 5/2)

Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas calls on all factions to cooperate with him to form a government of technocrats and to set a date for elections. Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri says that there has been no consultation with the movement so far and warns against unilateral steps. (MNA 4/27)

In the West Bank, IDF soldiers and Palestinians clash in al-Khader nr. Bethlehem (4 serious injuries), in Bayt Ummar nr. Hebron (6 injuries), and in Ramallah (1 injury). The IDF patrols in al-Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Hebron at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Tubas, Jenin, al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Tulkarm at night. (PCHR 4/18)

The Mujahidin Shura Council, which has previously fired projectiles from the Gaza Strip into Israel (3/21, 4/2), claims responsibility for firing 2 Grad rockets from the Egyptian Sinai that hit the Israeli resort city of Eilat, causing no damage or injuries. The group states that the attack was intended to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. (NYT, REU, YA 4/17)

The U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee adopts Senate Resolution 65 (S. Res. 65), introduced on 2/28, which stipulates that Washington will support Israel—though no specific are given—in the event that it takes military action against Iran. (YA 4/17)

Palestinian newspaper al-Quds alArabi reports that PA pres. Abbas has sent letters to world leaders, including U.S. pres. Obama and the heads of EU mbr. states, to ask that they back the Palestinian bid for non-member status at the UNGA. (JP 10/28)

The Israeli military carries out an air strike nr. Khan Yunis, killing 1 armed Palestinian, wounding another. PRC mbrs. fire a Grad rocket that lands nr. Beersheba, causing no injuries. Unidentified Palestinians fire another 2 rockets into Israel late at night, causing no injuries. A smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses, killing 3 Palestinians. An estimated 160 Palestinians have died in the tunnels since 2006. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests the secy.-gen. of the Palestinian parliament, Mahmud al-Ramahi, at the Huwwara checkpoint nr. Nablus; he had been released from Israeli jail less than 4 mos. before. (MNA 10/27; JP, REU 10/28)

Israeli newspaper Yedi’ot Ahronot reports that in 2010 Israeli PM Netanyahu engaged in mos. of secret, U.S.-brokered discussions with Syria about a negotiated peace treaty including Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights. The U.S. State Dept. confirms that Netanyahu relayed a message to Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad, but Netanyahu denies the accuracy of the story. (HA, NYT, REU, YA 10/12)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Grad rocket from the Gaza Strip into Israel, causing no injuries. IDF troops on the Gaza border fire a missile at an olive grove nr. al-Bureij r.c. at night, injuring 1 Palestinian child inside a nearby home, and fire 1 missile at an open area nr. Nussayrat r.c. at night, causing no injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire at Palestinian fishermen in the morning, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 2 villages nr. Jenin at night. The IDF also uses tear gas against Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals taking part in a nonviolent protest in Bil‘in village nr. Ramallah against the separation wall and settlements. (JP 10/12; IMEMC 10/13; PCHR 10/18)

The IDF kills 3 Palestinians from a small Islamist resistance group in a morning air strike nr. Bayt Hanun. The armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) fires Grad rockets from Gaza into Israel, causing no injuries. The IDF also makes a brief morning incursion into s. Gaza nr. Khan Yunis to level land along the border fence. IDF troops on the Gaza border nr. Jabaliya open fire into Gaza, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; in Palestinian-controlled areas of Hebron, 1 village nr. Qalqilya, and 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon; and in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Qalqilya at night. (MNA 9/6; PCHR 9/13)

Palestinians angry at rising prices and cost of living protest in West Bank cities, and taxi drivers observe a strike. One demand of demonstrators is that the PA abolish the 1994 Paris Protocol governing economic relations with Israel, claiming that it disproportionately benefits the latter. Some demonstrations call for the resignation of PA PM Salam Fayyad. (MNA 9/6)

An Israeli court in Haifa rules that the IDF was not responsible for the killing of American activist Rachel Corrie in 2003 in the Gaza Strip (see QU in JPS 128). (REU 8/28)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar and 5 Grad rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, causing no injuries. (MNA 8/28; 8/29)

Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries, and arrest 2 men in the morning. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 5 wells and several tents in villages s. of Hebron, and additional property in 1 village nr. Jericho and 2 villages nr. Hebron. (MNA 8/28; PCHR 8/30)

Russian pres. Putin meets with PA pres. Abbas in Ramallah and tours holy sites in Bethlehem. Putin calls the Palestinian conditions on resuming negotiations with Israel ‘‘responsible’’ and reiterates that Russia would recognize a Palestinian state. (WT 6/27) 

Jewish settlers begin evacuating Ulpana outpost, moving into new mobile homes placed on an Israeli border police base next to neighboring Beit El settlement. Meanwhile, Israel’s Jerusalem planning comm. approves construction of 180 new housing units for Armona Hanatsiv settlement on 67 d. of confiscated Palestinian land in Sur Bahir. (NYT, WP 6/27)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage in 1 instance but no injuries; 2 of the rockets are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome antimissile system. Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, and nr. Bethlehem and Jenin. The IDF also makes a late-night raid into Salfit, searching the offices of Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Council (PC) mbrs. Omar ‘Abd al-Raziq and Nasser ‘Abd al-Jawwad as well as a nearby house. OCHA reports that in the previous week, the IDF demolished another 3 residential structures, 9 animal pens, and 1 portable kitchen in Wadi al-Malih village in the Jordan Valley nr. Tubas (an area designated as an IDF firing zone), where several structures were demolished on 6/5/12. (JP 6/26; PCHR 6/28; OCHA 6/29)

As civil war escalates in Syria, Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) col. Ahmad Salih Hassan is shot dead near Damascus. The PLA is technically a wing of the PLO but is incorporated into the Syrian army. Government sources blame the Free Syrian Army (FSA) for Hassan’s killing, whereas opposition groups claim he was killed by government forces for refusing orders to target the FSA. Hassan is the 6th PLA officer to be killed since 1/2012. A new charity funded by 3 Russian Jewish billionaires and comanaged with the Israeli government plans to offer a $1-m. ‘‘Genesis Prize’’ for excellence in any field. The prize is intended to ‘‘honor those who attribute their success to Jewish values’’ and to ‘‘recognize the role of Jewish identity in encouraging universal achievements.’’ (NYT 6/27)

An Iranian detained in Kenya ca. 6/20 on charges of plotting an attack on Israelis there says that he was interrogated by Israeli agents. Israel’s amb. to Kenya refuses to comment other than to say the matter is an internal Kenyan issue. (WT 6/28)

Unidentified assailants fire 2 Grad rockets from the Egyptian Sinai into Israel, striking n. of Elat, causing no damage or injuries. No group takes responsibility. (HA 6/16, 6/17)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Qalqilya in the morning; in Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the afternoon (stopping to harass PA security officers manning a checkpoint in Qalqilya); and in al-Nabi Salih and 1 village nr. Jenin late at night. 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), rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 1 Palestinian cameraman is moderately wounded by a rubber-coated steel bullet in al-Nabi Salih, and 3 Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum. (PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22)

Nr. Tripoli, Lebanon, Palestinian refugees surround and throw stones at Lebanese soldiers who attempt to block a Palestinian from bringing a motorcycle into Nahr al-Barid r.c. The soldiers open fire on the crowd, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding another. (WP 6/16)

In response for the Israeli air strike on Gaza on 4/7, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 rockets (including 1 manufactured Grad) fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Gaza City fire warning shots at a Palestinian scavenging for scrap metal nr. the border fence, lightly wounding him. 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 Qalqilya (twice), 1 village nr. Jenin (where troops fire stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries), and 1 village nr. Salfit in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr Jenin and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; patrols in Aqabat Jabir r.c., Jericho and 1 nearby village, Kafr Qaddum, Nablus, and Salfit late at night; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Nabi Salih. Hamas authorities in Gaza hang 3 Palestinians, 1 convicted of collaborating with Israel and 2 convicted of murder. (JP, YA 4/8; WT 4/9; PCHR 4/12; OCHA 4/13)

The New York Times runs a special investigative report on the decades-long relationship between Israeli PM Netanyahu and U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-MA) that began when both worked as corporate advisers at Boston Consulting Group in 1976 and attended weekly brainstorming sessions together. The relationship has continued to the present with the men routinely engaging in “unusually frank exchange[s] of advice on topics like politics, economics, and the Middle East.” Of the friendship, Romney says: “We can almost speak in shorthand. We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.” Netanyahu also notes their “easy communication.” (NYT 4/8)

A Grad rocket fired fr. the Egyptian Sinai lands in nr. Elat in s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries, but raising fears ahead of the Passover weekend, when 1,000s of tourists usually visit the resort town. No group claims responsibility. (HA, JP, YA 4/5; WP 4/6; YA 4/7)

The IDF makes a day-long incursion into n. Gaza e. of Jabaliya to level land and clear lines of sight; during the operation, troops fire 4 artillery shells and direct gunfire at surrounding agricultural areas to keep Palestinians away. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire into the Erez industrial zone late at night, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning and afternoon; conducts late-night arrest raids, houses searches in Nabi Salih; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin, 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Tulkarm. (PCHR 4/12; OCHA 4/13)

Palestinian sources report that in the previous week, the PASF arrested university prof. and single mother Ismat Abdul-Khaleq and placed her in solitary confinement over a Facebook posting in which she criticized Abbas’s government and called for the PA to be dismantled. She is the 5th prominent Palestinian arrested in the past year for criticizing the PA on Facebook. The others are: Radio Bethlehem 2000 director George Canawait, arrested in 9/2011 for criticizing the PA Health Min.; al-Quds TV employee Mahmdouh Hamara, arrested in fall 2011 for posting an unflattering picture of Abbas; and journalists Rami Samara and Youssef al-Shayeb, arrested in 2/2012 and 3/2013 respectively, for “defaming public officials” by writing news items on PA corruption. Most of the arrests have been carried out under an 1960 Jordanian law, not the PA press and communications law of 1995. Most of those arrested have been released within 2 weeks. (WP 4/6; NYT 5/7)

During the day, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 manufactured Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel (causing no damage or injuries) and 1 homemade Qassam rocket (which lands inside Gaza, damaging a Palestinian home, but causing no reported injuries). Late at night Israeli warplanes make 2 air strikes targeting 1 Palestinian home in Gaza City (the shell does not explode, but injures 3 Palestinians) and a Hamas training site (causing no injuries, but resulting in extensive damage to an adjacent school). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Jenin (summoning 1 Palestinians for questioning by Israeli intelligence), and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the morning; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon; patrols in Jericho late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. (JP, YA 2/18; PCHR 2/23; OCHA 2/24)

A meeting of all Palestinian factions set for today at the request of Palestinian Authority (PA) pres. and Fatah head Mahmud Abbas and Hamas leader Khalid Mishal to endorse several compromises that would facilitate implementation of the 5/2011 Fatah-Hamas unity deal and appointment of a transitional government to take Palestinians toward new elections does not take place because of divisions within Hamas. Senior Hamas members in Gaza are reportedly angry at Mishal and the external leadership for failing to consult adequately with the Gaza leadership over the idea of Abbas serving as both PM and president in the transitional government. (NYT 3/8) (see Quarterly Update in JPS 164 for details)

Overnight, Palestinians fire 11 rockets (including 1 manufactured Grad) fr. Gaza into Israel, retaliating for the 12/8 assassination, causing no damage or injuries. In the morning, Israel carries out more air strikes on 2 alleged Hamas training sites in Gaza City, killing a Palestinian bystander and his 12-yr.-old son and damaging a home, injuring 11 civilians (including 3 children, 2 women); Israel says it regrets the civilian casualties but blames Hamas for operating in densely populated areas. In retaliation, Palestinians fire another 6 rockets (including 1 Grad) fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night the IDF makes an air strike on a Hamas training camp in Rafah, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm (firing tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinian youths, causing no serious injuries) and 1 village nr. Salfit in the afternoon; conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Salfit; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, Ni’lin, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers beat and fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian and lightly injuring 4 others in Nabi Salih. The incident, in which a man throwing a stone at an armored personnel carrier is hit in the head with a tear gas canister at close range, is caught on camera. (JP 12/9; JP, NYT 12/10; IDFS, WP 12/11; PCHR 12/15; OCHA 12/16)

Unidentified assailants detonate a roadside bomb nr. a UNIFIL patrol nr. Tyre in s. Lebanon, wounding 5 French UNIFIL soldiers in the 3d such attack in 2011. No group claims responsibility. (NYT 12/10; WP 12/12)

During the day, the IDF carries out 3 air strikes on an Islamic Jihad training camp in s. Gaza, killing 5 Islamic Jihad mbrs. allegedly responsible for the rocket fire on 10/26 (including field cmdr. Ahmad Shaykh Khalil) and wounding 3. Over the course of the day, Islamic Jihad responds with a volley of at least 24 rockets and mortars on s. Israel; at least 1 Grad strikes Ashqelon, killing 1 Israeli and wounding 2. Late at night, the IDF carries out another 9 air strikes on 8 Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza City, Bayt Hanun in n. Gaza, Dayr al-Balah in c. Gaza, and Khan Yunis and Rafah in s. Gaza, killing another 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. and wounding at least 1 Islamic Jihad mbr. and 2 bystanders. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 2 nr. Tulkarm. (YA 10/29; NYT, WP 10/30; PCHR 11/3; OCHA 11/4; JPI 11/11)

Quartet reps. hold separate talks with Palestinian and Israeli officials to urge the sides to resume direct talks, but report no progress. (WP 10/27)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF retaliates with 6 air strikes on Gaza, destroying an agricultural storehouse in Wadi al-Silqa in c. Gaza (also damaging 5 homes) and 3 storage sheds in Khan Yunis, and hitting a Hamas training site in Dayr al-Balah in c. Gaza; no injuries are reported. Israeli naval vessels intercept and confiscate a Palestinian fishing boat off the c. Gaza coast, arresting 2 fishermen. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah. (IDFS, PCHR, YA 10/27; PCHR 11/3; OCHA 11/4)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets toward Israel; 1 lands inside Gaza and the other in Israel, neither causing damage or injuries. The IDF makes a day-long incursion into s. Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of al-Qarara and Khan Yunis; helicopters escorting the troops occasionally fire on the surrounding area to keep Palestinians indoors, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF levels 15 d. of Palestinian agriculture land along the separation wall n. of Hebron, including uprooting and confiscating 600 trees, destroying irrigation infrastructure, bulldozing several storehouses and a tent, and confiscating 2 mobile storage structures and 2 generators; bulldozes 3 agricultural storehouses, 5 tents, and several wells in Kafr al-Dik village nr. Salfit. (YA 10/4; PCHR 10/6; OCHA 10/7)

Hamas officials say that all main Gaza factions have agreed to reimpose their cease-fire immediately, while Egyptian mediators work to secure the compliance of smaller factions. Islamic Jihad says it will observe the moratorium as long as Israel also ceases fire. Israel does not comment. Before the new cease-fire goes into effect, the PFLP and other unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Grad and 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israel does not respond. Israeli DM Barak authorizes construction of a kindergarten in Hebron’s Beit Romano settlement, home to some of the most extremist Jewish settlers. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers uproot olive trees in Qasra village nr. Nablus; when local Palestinians try to drive them away, IDF troops intervene, firing tear gas and live ammunition at the Palestinians, seriously injuring 1. The IDF also patrols in Kafr al-Dik village nr. Salfit. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, al-Ma‘sara, and Ni‘lin, as well as at the Qalandia crossing into Jerusalem. IDF soldiers beat and fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no serious injuries, and arrest 2 Palestinians. (AP, MNA, YA 8/26; MNA, WP 8/27; PCHR 9/8; OCHA 9/9)

In Egypt, 100s of protesters rally outside the Israeli emb. after Friday prayers demanding the expulsion of the amb. (WP 8/28)

Overnight and during the day, the IDF carries out multiple air strikes on Gaza in retaliation for the 8/24 rocket fire, hitting smuggling tunnels, a suspected weapons depot, and a rocketfiring team, killing 9 Palestinians (including at least 4 militants) and wounding 29. Unidentified Palestinians fire at least 15 rockets (including at least 1 Grad and 9 Qassams) and mortars into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jenin and surrounding villages throughout the evening. Jewish settlers fr. Migron outpost nr. Ramallah set fire to nearby Palestinian olive groves, burning 100 trees. (AP, IDFS, MNA 8/25; JP, NYT, WAFA, YA 8/26; PCHR 9/8; OCHA 9/9)

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)

Israel approves construction of 277 new apartments in Ariel settlement deep in the West Bank, which Israel seeks to retain under final status. The Quartet condemns the decision, stating that “unilateral action by either party will not be recognized by the international community.” During the day, IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on Palestinian fishermen on the beach nr. Bayt Lahiya (wounding 1) and on farmers who stray too nr. the border fence e. of Khuza in s. Gaza (wounding 1). Late in the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 9 air strikes on 3 Hamas training facilities (Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah) and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, wounding a 7-yr.-old boy outside his home. Separately, the IDF makes an air strike on 3 armed Palestinians preparing to fire another rocket into Israel, killing 1 Hamas mbr. and seriously wounding 2. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. (HA, JTA, MNA 8/15; AP, JP, NYT, REU, WP 8/16; MNA, WP 8/17; PCHR 8/18; OCHA 8/19)

The small Salafist group, Abdullah Azzam Brigades fires 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to a road in 1 instance but no injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 2 air strikes on alleged Hamas training facilities in Gaza City and 1 on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, injuring 2 Palestinian children. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm. (AFP, JTA, PCHR 8/4; PCHR 8/11; OCHA 8/12)

Early in the morning, Hamas authorities in Gaza storm a house in Gaza City where they believe Italian peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni is being held by Tawhid and Jihad, only to find that he had already been hung; 5 suspects are arrested in the raid. During the day, Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas sends a message to Israel stating that it is doing everything possible to prevent rocket fire. The IDF makes 2 latenight air strikes on empty Hamas training sites in Gaza City and Shati’ r.c., causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah; makes a latenight raid into Bayt Umar, harassing and beating the family of an organizer of the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall for 2 hrs. before leaving; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and nr. Qalqilya. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 2 Palestinians (including a child). (IsRN, NYT 4/15; JP, NYT, WP 4/16; PCHR 4/21; OCHA 4/29)

Through UN and Egyptian emissaries, Israel and Gaza’s factions agree to a new cease-fire ending 4 days of heavy violence. Before the agreement is announced in the evening, Palestinians fire around 20 rockets and mortars (including 1 Grad) fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; Israel does not immediately respond; 1 rocket is fired after the announcement. In the West Bank, the IDF declares Awarta a closed military zone, then raids 10s of homes arresting 20 Palestinian youths and 3 women. The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 neighboring villages, 3 villages nr. Qalqilya, and 3 nr. Ramallah. During a morning patrol in Zabbuba village nr. Jenin, IDF troops raid an Internet café in search of stonethrowing youths who confronted them, arresting 4 children age 11–17. Israeli interior M Eli Yishai, under pressure fr. Netanyahu, postpones a meeting of Jerusalem’s planning committee (set for later this wk.) until 5/5 (after Passover) to discuss building 980 settlement housing units in Jabal Abu-Ghunaym and 600 units in Pisgat Ze’ev. (AP, HA, IsRN, JP, REU, XIN 4/10; JTA, NYT, WP 4/11; PCHR 4/14; OCHA 4/15)

In Syria, after heavy clashes with protesters after Friday prayers on 4/8 and with mourners after funerals on 4/9, Pres. Bashar al-Asad deploys soldiers and tanks for the 1st time to surround and cut off towns where protests are being held. Instead of quelling protests, clashes continue and casualties slowly but steadily mount through the end of the quarter. Nationwide Friday protests (4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/6, and 5/12) steadily grow more massive (into the 10,000s) and the regime’s response more extreme. Shelling, sniper fire, and arrest raids became routine. In between Friday protests, Syrian forces raid areas where protests or funerals are the largest; Baniyas, Dara‘a, Homs, Latakia, and the Kurdish region remain frequent targets. Still, the various protests seem isolated, with little overarching organization. As of this date, human rights groups in Syria believe that at least 170 Syrians have died and some 800 have been detained since clashes began. The govt. has also expelled many media organizations and cut Internet and phone access to keep news of the clashes sparse. (NYT, WP, WT 4/11; NYT, WP 4/12; NYT, WP, WT 4/12–13; NYT, WP 4/14NYT, WP 4/15–16; WP 4/18; NYT, WP 4/19; NYT, WP, WT 4/19–20; NYT, WP 4/21; NYT 4/22)

In retaliation for a 4/1 air strike that killed 3 senior Hamas mbrs., Hamas militants fire an advanced Russian-made laser-guided Kornet antitank missile fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting a school bus and wounding the bus driver and 1 student and marking a serious escalation of crossborder violence. During the rest of the day, Palestinians fire around 45 rockets and mortars into Israel, damaging 1 house but causing no injuries; the barrage includes 2 Grad rockets that were intercepted by Israel’s new Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF retaliates with heavy artillery fire (10s of rounds fired) and more than 20 air strikes (including missiles dropped fr. war planes and fired fr. helicopters and drones) against at least 16 targets across the Gaza Strip, killing 5 Palestinians (1 Hamas mbr. and 4 civilians) and wounding 20 (at least 19 civilians), and collaterally damaging 10s of homes. In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes 3 roads, 10 electricity poles, 2 walls surrounding a home, and part of a room of a house nr. Tubas; patrols in and around Tulkarm town and r.c., in al-Bireh, and in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries); conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon. (IsRN, JP 4/7; NYT, WP 4/8; IFM 4/9, 4/10; HA 4/11; PCHR 4/14; OCHA 4/15)

After 4 days of violent protests in Yemen (at least 12 dead, more than 270 injured), the GCC begins efforts to broker a deal for Saleh’s rapid transition fr. power. (NYT 4/8; see also NYT, WP 4/4; NYT, WP, WT 4/5–6)

Palestinians fire at least 7 mortars, 6 homemade Qassam rockets, and 2 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day, causing no injuries. Israel retaliates with several air strikes and tank fire on Hamas buildings and a launching site, lightly injuring 3 Palestinians. The largest strike (4 missiles) targets the fmr. PA General Intelligence building outside of Jabaliya in the evening, heavily damaging the building and collaterally damaging 30 homes, 4 businesses, and 2 schools. Sources say that Hamas seems to have stepped back fr. rocket and mortar fire since its large barrage on 3/19, with most fire now coming fr. Islamic Jihad and other groups. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 3 wells nr. Bethlehem (all more than 100 yrs. old); bulldozes a Palestinian road nr. Salfit for the 2d time in 3 mos. (Jewish settlers seek to annex the waterrich area to the Yakir and Revava settlements; Palestinian residents paved the road to claim ownership and repaved it after the IDF bulldozed the 1st time); patrols in 4 village nr. Qalqilya, 4 nr. Ramallah, and 2 each nr. Jenin (where troops fire tear gas at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and Jericho, as well as searching 2 open areas nr. Tulkarm. (HA, IsRN, JP, JTA 3/24; NYT, WP, WT 3/25; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/1)

By this date, allied air strikes on Libya have reportedly “all but destroyed” the Libyan air force and air defenses and the focus has shifted to targeting Qaddafi’s ground forces. At this stage, NATO takes the lead fr. the U.S. in enforcing the no-fly zone. The intervention is not enough to give Libyan rebels the upper hand, however; fierce fighting continues nationwide through the end of the quarter. (NYT 3/24, 3/25)

In Yemen, Pres. Saleh, responding to growing pressure (see 3/18), reins in the military and states that he would step down if he could arrange “an honorable transfer of power” that would keep the govt. in “safe hands.” Over next 2 wks., Saleh and the opposition hold talks but cannot reach an agreement. Meanwhile, protests continue (mostly nonviolent, ranging in size fr. the 1,000s to around 100,000). (NYT, WP, WT 3/25; NYT, WP 3/26–27; WP 3/28, 3/29; NYT 3/29; NYT, WP 3/31–4/1;NYT 4/3)

Overnight, Israel makes an air strike on Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. Between dawn and mid-morning, Islamic Jihad fires 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage and slightly injuring 1 Israeli. Later, unidentified Palestinians fire 7 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, some of which allegedly contain white phosphorous, causing no damage or injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF carries out several air strikes on training sites, rocket launching sites, and smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, causing no reported injuries. In the afternoon, suspected Palestinian assailants leave a bomb nr. Jerusalem’s central bus station and convention center that detonates, killing 1 British woman, injuring 38 Israelis; the PA immediately condemns the incident; no group claims responsibility. In the West Bank, the IDF blocks a funeral procession fr. using a main road in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, sparking a clash in which 2 Palestinian mourners are wounded by live ammunition and 4 are arrested. Hours later, the IDF sends undercover units into Bayt Umar to raid and search a gas station, beating the owners and confiscating a computer. Several hours after that, the IDF returns to block the main entrance of the village with cement blocks and sand barriers. The IDF also patrols in Jericho (photographing the Intercontinental Hotel) and 3 villages nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, IFM, IsRN, JTA, MNA, REU, YA 3/23; IsRN, JP, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WT 3/25; PCHR 3/31; JPI, OCHA 4/1)

In Syria, security forces make a predawn assault on the main mosque in Dara‘a, where antigovernment protesters have taken refuge, killing 15. Clashes last throughout the day and spread to 4 nearby villages. Over the succeeding days, clashes spread to towns and villages across the nation, becoming nr. daily events but remaining relatively small (in the 1,000s) and uncoordinated. Hot spots include Baniyas, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Latakia (which was reported to be “near anarchy”), and the Kurdish zone. (Only a few protests are reported in Damascus.) Govt. forces routinely dispersed the rallies, violently killing around 100 nationwide by 4/4. Meanwhile, Syrian activists mobilize through online social networking sites to call for mass protests every Friday until the regime falls. (NYT, SANA 3/23; NYT, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WP 3/26–28; NYT, WP, WT 3/29; NYT, WP 3/30; NYT, WP 3/31, 4/1; NYT 4/2, 4/3; NYT, WP 4/4; WT 4/5; NYT, WP 4/6; NYT 4/7; NYT, WP 4/8; WP 4/9; NYT, WP 4/9, 4/10)

Israel makes 2 air strikes on Gaza targeting the launch site of 4 mortars fired into Israel minutes earlier (causing no damage or injuries), hitting a nearby residential area, killing 4 Palestinian civilians (including 3 children) and wounding 11 (4 critically); Netanyahu expresses regret for accidentally harming civilians but accuses Palestinian militants of using civilians as human shields to carry out rocket and mortar attacks (even while there was no rocket fire at the time of the strikes). In the evening, Palestinians fire a manufactured Grad rocket and several mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Later, the IDF carries out a 3d air strike, killing 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. preparing to launch a rocket into Israel. The IDF also makes a brief incursion into Gaza northeast of Gaza City to level lands and clear lines of sight. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishermen off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on Awarta, imposing a curfew and arresting 9 Palestinians, possibly in connection to the 3/11 Itamar murders; patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and Salfit. (IRM 3/22; NYT, REU, WP, WT 3/23; NYT, PCHR 3/24; OCHA 4/1)

The Knesset passes (37-25, with 58 abstaining or not voting) the “Nakba Law,” which allows state funding to be reduced to communities or groups that commemorate the Nakba, deny Israel is a Jewish state, question whether Israel is a democracy, or harm Israeli national symbols. It also passes (35-20, with 65 abstaining or not voting) the “Admissions Committee Law” allowing Negev and Galilee Jewish communities with fewer than 400 families to reject potential residents (i.e., Palestinians) who are “socially unacceptable.” (IsRN 3/23; JTA 3/24)

The IDF detains 2 Lebanese shepherds who accidentally crossed the Blue Line into Israeli territory and turns them over to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). (DS 3/23)

In response to the cross-border exchange on 2/23, Palestinians fire 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, striking Beersheba for the 1st time since Operation Cast Lead (OCL; 12/27/08–1/18/09), damaging a house but causing no injuries. The IDF retaliates with multiple air strikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets, killing 2 Hamas mbrs. in Rafah and wounding 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs. elsewhere. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Qalqilya and 4 nearby villages, in Jericho and 1 nearby village, as well as in 2 villages nr. Salfit and Tulkarm. In Ramallah, up to 1,500 Palestinians rally in support of national unity and an end to the Hamas-Fatah divide, which they say “opens the door for the occupiers to do whatever they want”; though representing Fatah, Hamas, and leftist factions, they show only the Palestinian flag—a rare gesture in recent years. Hamas authorities in Gaza ban a similar planned rally. (HA, JP, MNA 2/24; WP 2/25; PCHR 3/3; OCHA 3/4)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel in 2 barrages; 1 Grad strikes in Netivot, causing minor damage, while the other lands nr. Ofakim, causing no damage or injuries. Israel files a formal complaint with the UN regarding the Grad fire. 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 and late-night patrols in village nr. Jenin, Tulkarm, and Ramallah; and conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers gather nr. Bayt Lid junction nr. Tulkarm to throw stones at Palestinian cars on the Tulkarm–Nablus road, causing no injuries. (PCHR 2/3; OCHA 2/4)