The Palestine Chronology

The IDF seals Jericho for the day; closes the Gaza coastal and the Jenin–Nablus roads to Palestinian traffic; makes an incursion into Shaykh Ajlin neighborhood in Gaza City, shells residential areas, bulldozes 69 d. of agricultural land; fires on Brazil r.c.; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, and in Hebron, Nablus, and Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm. A West Bank Palestinian sneaks across the Green Line, fatally stabs an Israeli woman outside her home in Moshav Nehusha, 1 mi inside Israel; no word on whether he is arrested or escapes. Palestinians fire an antitank missile at a Jewish settlement in Gaza, damaging a synagogue but causing no injuries. (JTA 12/21; VOP 12/21 in WNC 12/23; PCHR, WP 12/23)

Hamas takes responsibility for planting a bomb in a chicken coop nr. Gaza’s Qarni crossing, luring an IDF bomb squad to the site, and detonating the device, killing an IDF solider and a bomb-sniffing dog, wounding 4 soldiers. The IDF retaliates with gunfire nearby, killing 2 Hamas mbrs., 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding 10 bystanders, bulldozing 30 d. of land. The IDF raids a charitable society, orphanage, and school reportedly tied to Hamas in Bani Na‘im, confiscating files, sealing 3 offices; raids the Prisoners’ Supporters Society in Hebron, confiscating computers, files; fires on residential areas of Brazil r.c., Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Beitunia, Hebron and nearby Bayt ‘Awwa, Qalqilya and neighboring ‘Azun and Jayyus, Taqu‘a, Zabbuba nr. Jenin; begins large-scale bulldozing operations nr. Jaba‘ village northwest of Hebron for construction of the separation wall; fires rubber bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall in Budrus nr. Ramallah, also arrests 40 Israeli protesters demonstrating with them. The AMB kills a Palestinian collaborator believed to have passed information to the IDF that led to the killing of 3 AMB mbrs. on 11/21. A carload of Jewish settlers twice attempts to run down a group of Palestinian teenagers on their way to school; the settlers then emerge fr. the car, attempt to kidnap a Palestinian boy, scuffle with teenagers; the IDF intervenes, orders settlers to leave but does not arrest them. (IMEMC, MM 12/7; VOI 12/7 in WNC 12/9; NYT, WP, WT 12/8; VOI 12/8 in WNC 12/10; PCHR 12/9; MEI 12/17)

The IDF shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, killing 2 Palestinian youths; fires on residential areas of al-Brazil r.c., al-Mughraqa; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c., ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c., Bayt Rima, al-Khadir, Nablus. The IDF also issues a military order prohibiting Palestinians fr. construction 300 m east and 100 m west of the 1948 truce line; moves a checkpoint fr. the Green Line in the n. Jordan Valley south toward Bardala village, well inside the occupied West Bank, raising suspicions that Israel is still actively considering construction of a wall through the Jordan Valley. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron kidnap, hold for 12 hrs. 2 14-yr.-old Palestinians grazing animals nr. a settlement. (VOI, VOP 11/5 in WNC 11/9; NYT 11/6; PRCS 11/11)

The IDF continues bulldozing operations in Khan Yunis, pulling out early in the morning; imposes a daylong curfew on Wadi al-Hussein nr. Hebron, also transforms an empty Palestinian house into an observation post; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Aza r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Dayr Ghassana nr. Ramallah. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 8/19 in Brazil r.c. (PRCS 8/20; PCHR 8/26)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Nablus but by evening lifts the curfew, withdraws troops, ending Operation Full Court Press. The IDF fires on 2 Palestinians who stray into a closed military zone in Rafah, injuring 1, then fatally shoots another Palestinian youth who attempts to reach him to provide aid; later shells residential areas of Rafah, killing a 62-yr.-old Palestinian; fires tear gas, live ammunition at Palestinians waiting to cross al-Mahatin checkpoint nr. Dayr al-Balah in central Gaza; fires on residential areas of Brazil r.c., Khan Yunis (seriously damaging a hospital); bulldozes 60 d. of agricultural land, shells residential areas in Wadi al-Silqa in s. Gaza; occupies a building under construction in Hebron as a military post. Late in the evening, the IDF sends bulldozers into Khan Yunis, demolishing 4 Palestinian homes. Palestinians fire 5 Qassam rockets at Sederot, lightly inuring 1 Israeli. (HA, XIN 8/19; NYT 8/20; PCHR 8/26)

The IDF continues operations in Nablus, conducting house searches, firing on stonethrowing youths, fatally shooting a 9-yr.- old Palestinian sitting on the stoop of his home. The IDF also fatally shoots 2 al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbrs. laying a roadside bomb outside Gaza’s Atzmona settlement; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Brazil r.c.; directs heavy machinegun fire at residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem and nr. Khan Yunis, Qalqilya, Ramallah; raids the offices of the National Society in Dahaysha r.c., arresting 3 employees, confiscating computers, sparking clashes with local Palestinians, wounding 5. The Israeli Housing Min. issues tenders for construction of 1,001 new housing units in 4 Jewish settlements (Ariel, 214; Beitar Ilit, 604; Karnei Shomron, 42; Ma’ale Adumim, 141). (HA, MM 8/17; VOP 8/17 in WNC 8/19; MM, NYT, PCHR, PR, WP, WT 8/18; PCHR, WJW 8/19; MM 8/20, 8/23; MEI 8/27)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fires missiles at 4 Palestinians allegedly preparing to fire a Qassam rocket fr. Bayt Hanun into Israel, killing 2; continues large-scale operations (dubbed Operation Full Court Press) in Nablus that began on 8/7, imposing a curfew, fatally shooting a Palestinian standing on his roof, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops; blows up 3 residential buildings housing 13 Palestinian families (76 individuals) in Rafah; fires on residential areas of Brazil refugee camp (r.c.), Khan Yunis, Rafah; bulldozes 2 wells, a commercial building in Bayt Hanun; conducts arrest raids, house searches in villages outside Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Bayt Hanun, orders Palestinians to evacuate several homes nr. Erez Crossing, searches and digs around homes for several hrs. looking for tunnels. Islamic Jihad fires 2 mortars at Gaza’s Gush Katif settlement as a solidarity gesture with the Palestinian prisoners (on hunger strike since 8/15), causing no damage or injuries. A Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. (AP 8/16; PRCS press release, WP, WT 8/17; PR 8/18; PCHR 8/19)

The IDF shells, directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Brazil r.c., Khan Yunis, Rafah (wounding 1 woman inside her home); sends troops into Balata r.c., Nablus under cover of shelling, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 6; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Yatta. A 13-yr.- old Palestinian dies of injuries received during the 8/8–9 IDF raid on Rafah. A newspaper runs an ad signed by 144 prominent Palestinians, demanding government reform, new elections. More than 100 unemployed Palestinian university graduates temporarily occupy a PA building in Gaza, demanding the PA find them jobs. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai throw stones at, lightly injure a 15-yr.-old Palestinian in Hebron. (HA, WT 8/14; WP 8/15; PR 8/18; PCHR 8/19)

The IDF demolishes 1 Palestinian home, bulldozes 14 dunams of agricultural land nr. Khan Yunis; demolishes a Palestinian home in Brazil r.c.; conducts arrest raids in Balata r.c., Bethlehem, al-Fawwar r.c., Hebron, Nablus, and the villages of Tura and Zinnab in the n. West Bank; shells residential areas of Rafah; fires on residential areas of Nablus. (VOI 5/28 in WNC 6/1; PCHR 6/3)

The IDF begins redeploying troops to the outskirts of parts of Rafah (Brazil r.c., Tal al-Sultan), but bulldozes 298 dunams of agricultural land and 1 Palestinian home in the Tal al-Sultan area. The UN begins moving 10,000 gallons of emergency water supplies into Rafah. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Nablus, Qalqilya; bulldozes a road, 4 dunams of land nr. Khan Yunis; fires on residential areas nr. Khan Yunis, Qalqilya, Tulkarm. An 18-yr.-old Palestinian dies of injuries received during the 5/12 IDF raid on Gaza City. A 2d Palestinian dies of injuries received during the 5/15 IDF raid on Rafah. (AP, MM, WP 5/21; VOI 5/21 in WNC 5/25; WT 5/22; PCHR 5/27)