The Palestine Chronology

As Operation Autumn Clouds continues, a female Palestinian suicide bomber, claiming retaliation for a 6/9/06 IDF attack on the Bayt Lahiya beach that killed 8 Palestinians, detonates a device nr. IDF troops in Bayt Hanun nr. the site of a mosque where the IDF killed 2 Palestinian women on 11/3, lightly wounding 2 IDF soldiers. The IDF conducts at least 2 air strikes on Jabaliya, killing at least 2 armed Palestinians, 1 Palestinian schoolboy, wounding several students on their way to school; fatally shoots 1 armed Palestinian in clashes in Bayt Lahiya. Late in the evening, the IDF begins withdrawing troops fr. Bayt Hanun but does not say whether it is ending operations there; Olmert vowed on 11/5 not to halt operations until Palestinian rocket fire, which has increased since the troops entered, is significantly reduced. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Ramallah, and in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ nr. Nablus, Bayt Jala. (NYT, WP, WT 11/7; PCHR 11/9)

Lebanese political factions reopen a wk. of national dialogue to discuss Hizballah’s demand to form a new national unity government. (NYT, WT 11/6; WT 11/11) (see 10/31)

Overnight and during the day, the IDF sends additional troops into Gaza’s coastal area nr. al-Khuza, sparking clashes with AMB and Hamas gunmen, fatally shooting 3 Hamas mbrs., wounding 2 armed Palestinians, 2 civilians (including a 12-yr.-old boy), bulldozing areas of agricultural land, destroying electricity, water, phone networks in the area. Also in Gaza, the IDF fires on residential areas of al-Shuka, wounding 1 Palestinian; makes an air strike destroying a workshop in Gaza City. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in a car with Palestinian plates into Jenin r.c. to arrest a wanted Islamic Jihad mbr.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Nablus, in Hebron. (WP 11/1; OCHA 11/1; PCHR 11/2)

Hizballah leader Hasan Nasrallah says that he will rally large public demonstrations if Lebanese PM Fuad Siniora’s government does not agree to form a new unity government giving Hizballah control of 30% of the 24 cabinet seats, giving Hizballah veto power over any major government decision. (Hizballah made the demands after 2 national polls suggested that a unity government would have the support of about 70% of the population.) Nasrallah also says that “serious negotiations” are under way for the release of 2 captured IDF soldiers. (WP, WT 11/2)

Israel extends the seal on the West Bank and Gaza (imposed on 3/11) until after the 3/28 Israeli elections. The IDF arrests 3 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel fr. n. Gaza to find work; patrols in Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus; seizes 766 d. of Palestinian land in Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall. (AFP, IMEMC 3/19; PCHR 3/23)

The UN warns that Gaza is dangerously short of basic foodstuffs and faces a major humanitarian crisis as a result of Israel’s continued closure of the Qarni trade crossing. The UNRWA Gaza dir. reports that the agency has run out of food to distribute to impoverished families. In a bid to avert a crisis, U.S. Amb. to Israel Richard Jones calls an emergency mtg. with Israeli, PA delegations (with the participation of reps of the EU, Egypt) in Tel Aviv to discuss declining humanitarian conditions in Gaza; says shortages of food, medicine are beginning to threaten Palestinians’ basic welfare. The sides agree to open Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing in s. Gaza on 3/20 for the transport of humanitarian goods fr. Egypt. (AFP, AP 3/19; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/20)

Having failed in its negotiations with Fatah and other parties to form a national unity government or agree on a national unity program, Hamas presents its cabinet slate to Abbas for approval and issues the draft national unity program as its platform. (AP, NYT, WT 3/19; AP, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/20; HA 3/21; MM 3/22; MM, Washington Jewish Week 3/23)