The Palestine Chronology

Israeli warplanes make 6 late-night air strikes targeting a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border in Yibna r.c. (causing no injuries); a home in Rafah (phoning the family 5 mins. in advance to warn them to leave); an open area nr. Khan Yunis (no injuries); a storage building in Nussayrat r.c. (no injuries); and a grocery store in Bayt Lahiya (damaging 13 nearby buildings; lightly injuring 3 bystanders, including 2 children). Israeli drones make air strikes on 2 Palestinian homes in Jabaliya (lightly injuring 1 Palestinian; damaging 8 homes, an elementary school nearby). In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes 30 d. of Palestinian land in Jayyus village n. of Qalqilya, in an area where Jewish settlers have previously attempted to place mobile homes to expand Tzofim settlement; patrols in 6 villages nr. Ramallah and 2 villages nr. Qalqilya in the morning; and in Tulkarm and 3 nearby villages, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon. The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya. (JP 2/3; PCHR 2/9; OCHA 2/10)

UN Secy.-Gen Ban makes a brief visit to Gaza to inaugurate a UN-funded housing project. Relatives of Palestinians jailed in Israel try to block his entry to the Erez crossing to protest his refusal to meet with them. During the visit, Ban calls on Israel to maintain the cease-fire with Gaza and allow Gaza’s borders to open for trade. Later, he addresses the Herzliya conference, telling Israeli officials and analysts to “think carefully about how to empower those on the other side who wish for peace.” (WP, WT 2/3)

The IDF attempts to assassinate wanted Palestinian Resistance Comm. (PRC) leader Jamal Abu Samhadana, firing a missile at his car as he drives in Gaza, wounding him, 2 bodyguards, 1 bystander; fatally shoots a Palestinian who enters a closed military zone nr. the Gaza-Egypt border; fires a missile at the Bayt Lahiya home of AMB cmdr. Mahmud al-Madhun in an attempt to assassinate him; bulldozes 50 d. of land in Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Kafr Khalil nr. Qalqilya, Nablus, Tulkarm r.c.; sends troops into al-Qarara to patrol; temporarily detains PA presidential candidate Bassam Salhi at a checkpoint into Jerusalem, saying he does not have a permit to enter the city to campaign. Israeli contractors guarded by Jewish settlers fr. Tzofim nr. Qalqilya uproot 117 olive trees in nearby Jayyus for creation of a new settlement enclave to be called North Tzofim. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in a 4/21/04 IDF raid on Gaza City. (HA, JAZ 12/9; JAZ, VOP 12/9 in WNC 12/11; HA, JAZ, NYT, WP 12/10; VOP, YA 12/10 in WNC 12/14; PRCS 12/15; PCHR 12/16; MEI 12/17)

Israel eases the IDF's open-fire restrictions, allowing soldiers initiate fire if Palestinians who "appear to be preparing an attack." A Jewish settler is fatally shot outside Tzofim settlement. The IDF seals neighboring Qalqilya in response. The IDF also directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bethlehem; tightens the closures on Jinin, Khan Yunis, Tulkarm. 2 roadside bombs explode nr. IDF convoys in the West Bank, causing no damage. (PMC, WP, WT 8/8)

The U.S. rejects PA requests to intervene with Israel to prevent the further deterioration of violence and to send international observers to the region immediately, instead dispatching Dep. Asst. Secy. of State Satterfield for a week-long tour of the region. He will discuss regional tensions with officials in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and the West Bank and Gaza, but will not bring new initiatives. (NYT, WP, WT 8/8; NYT 8/10; JT 8/12 in WNC 8/14)