The Palestine Chronology

The IDF conducts daytime patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Umar. Jewish settlers fr. Karmei Tzur nr. Bethlehem attack a Palestinian farmer working his land nearby, beating him and damaging his bulldozer and car; the IDF intervenes, ordering the Palestinian to leave. Jewish settlers fr. Bat Ayin nr. Hebron uproot 14 trees on a nearby plot of Palestinian land. (PCHR 5/17; OCHA 5/18)

A day after announcing the arrest of a suspect in the 5/1 shooting that resulted in the death of Jenin governor Moussa, masked PASF officers ambush, blindfold, shackle, and detain fmr. Jenin al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) leader Zakariya Zubeidi, accusing him of involvement in the shooting. (WP 5/14)

Gaza border fire on agricultural areas nr. al-Qarara, causing no damage or injuries. In the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israeli, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, Israeli warplanes carry out 2 airstrikes targeting a factory nr. Rafah and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 5 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning and in Nabi Saleh (nr. Ramallah) late at night. Palestinians and international activists hold a nonviolent demonstration in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron to protest Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian land for the expansion of Karmei Tzur settlement. The IDF beats and fires percussion grenades at protesters, moderately injuring 1 Palestinian. (JP, YA 2/25; Times of Israel [online], YA 2/26; PCHR 3/1; OCHA 3/2)

Israeli naval vessels seize a Palestinian fishing boat off the s. Gaza coast; hold 4 fishermen for questioning at Ashdod Port, releasing them late in the evening but confiscating their boat. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; 3 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon (firing tear gas at stone-throwing youths in 1 incident); and 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Tulkarm late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists hold a nonviolent demonstration in Bayt Umar to protest the planned expansion of nearby Karmei Tzur settlement. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no serious injuries. (PCHR 1/12; OCHA 1/13)

A Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) suicide bomber dressed as an IDF soldier detonates a device in a Netanya market, killing 2 Israelis, wounding 50. The PFLP says the attack is to protest the PA's continued detention of the group's leader, Ahmad Saadat, under U.S.-British supervision in connection with the 10/01 PFLP assassination of Tourism M Rehavam Ze'evi. The IDF sends tanks, APCs into Ramallah after shots are fired at a Jewish settler driving nearby; troops withdraw to the outskirts of the city a short time later. The IDF also makes incursions into several villages nr. Hebron, Tulkarm; partially demolishes 2 factories, bulldozes a strip of agricultural land, 7 greenhouses nr. Qarni crossing in Gaza; lifts a week-long 24 hr. curfew on the al-Mawasi area of Gaza. (AP, Palestine Media Center 5/19; AFP 5/19 in WNC 5/20; NYT, WP, WT 5/20; Interfax 5/20 in WNC 5/21; WT 5/21; LAW 5/22; JPI 5/31)

Israel releases tenders for the construction of 957 housing units in Jewish settlements. (HA 5/19; WT 5/21)

The European Union (EU) says that Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain have agreed to take the 13 Palestinians deported to Cyprus on 5/10 as part of the Israeli-PA deal to end the Church of the Nativity stand-off. (AFP, CNA 5/19 in WNC 5/20; NYT 5/20)

Around 90 Peruvian converts to Judaism are airlifted to Israel to take up residence in Alon Shvut, Karmei Tzur settlements. The Ashkenazi chief rabbinate sent a delegation of rabbis on a 2 wk. mission to impoverished rural areas Peru in early 5/02 to convert anyone "who said they were willing to immigrate to Israeli immediately." (HA 7/19; WT 7/24)