The Palestine Chronology

The IDF launches a predawn raid (dubbed Operation Root Canal) on Rafah, sending in up to 100 tanks and armored personnel carriers, 2 helicopters, and special forces units, allegedly to look for smugglers’ tunnels to Egypt, seizing a strip of land some 150 m. deep, occupying 8 apartment buildings (some for use as sniper towers, knocking holes in the walls to position guns). AMB, Hamas gunmen fire on the invading troops, detonate roadside bombs, sparking an exchange that leaves 7 Palestinians dead (4 armed men, including 1 AMB mbr. and 1 Hamas mbr.; 3 children), 1 IDF soldier and some 56 Palestinians (including 19 women, 6 children, 6 elderly, 1 medic) wounded, most when a helicopter fires missiles at a crowd in Brazil r.c., others when soldiers fire machine guns to “drive families away from” their homes. Rafah’s Najjar Hospital reports that it is “overwhelmed” with casualties, but cannot transport them to other facilities due to IDF travel restrictions; says the IDF is delaying ambulances fr. reaching the wounded for hrs. The IDF demolishes at least 4 Palestinian homes in the operation (allegedly used for cover by Palestinian gunmen), uncovers 2 tunnels. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Jenin, on stone-throwing Palestinians in Bayt Furik; destroys a well in Bayt Hanun. (AP, BBC, HA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 10/10; NYT, WP, WT 10/11; PR, WP 10/15; PCHR 10/16; MEI 10/24)

The IDF assassinates senior Hamas political leader and spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab, firing 5 missiles at his car as he drives through Gaza City, also killing 2 bodyguards, wounding at least 19 bystanders. Hamas, Islamic Jihad declare the cease-fire officially over. The IDF also imposes curfews on all Palestinian cities; continues operations in Nablus, where tanks and troops have entered the heart of the city, demolishing 1 Palestinian apartment, raiding and evacuating the staff of a medical clinic for 6 hrs.; sends 5 bulldozers, 100 special forces units into Nazlat Issa, nr. the Green Line, to demolish at least 7 Palestinian homes, 115 shops, 2 factories, several warehouses; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Jenin, 2 in Hebron (including the home of the 8/19 bomber); shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids in Qabatiyya. Palestinians fire 12 mortars at Gush Katif, 5 Qassam rockets at s. Israel, damaging 2 buildings but causing no injuries. The IDF arrests a Hebron settler for alleged membership in a Jewish militant group. (BBC, HA, MM, PCHR, PM 8/21; MA, MENA, al-Quds, VOI, XIN, YA 8/21 in WNC 8/23; XIN 8/21, AYM, JP, QA, al-Quds, al-Ra’i, SA 8/22, JT, al-Quds 8/24 in WNC 8/26; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/22; WT 8/23; PR 8/27; PCHR 8/28; MEI 9/12)