The Palestine Chronology

The IDF fires missiles at Tal al-Za‘atar in n. Gaza, allegedly targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs. attempting to fire a rocket, but no injuries are reported; shells Jabaliya r.c., hitting a home, wounding 2 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin, Ramallah; patrols in Nablus; captures 4 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak across the Israeli border fence in central Gaza to find work; detains a Palestinian in Ariel settlement who apparently was living there secretly with his Jewish settler girlfriend (a fmr. IDF intelligence officer). Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF outpost nr. Mevo Dotan settlement nr. Jenin; the IDF returns fire, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding and arresting 2. Palestinians also fire an antitank missile at an IDF patrol nr. Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. In Hebron, 10s of Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba (some reports say Avraham Avino) attack and threaten 10s of Palestinians, vandalize and attempt to break into Palestinian homes, seriously injuring a 12-yr.-old Palestinian girl. Some 50 Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai attack a Palestinian home where a number of international peace activists are visiting; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (IMEMC, PRCS 5/28; YA 5/29; OCHA 6/1; PCHR 6/2)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 1 Palestinian dead. Overnight, Palestinian assailants throw hand grenades at an IDF post nr. Gaza's Dayr al-Balah refugee camp. In retaliation, the IDF sends tanks and bulldozers into the camp at dawn, firing 15 shells, demolishing 5 Palestinian homes and a PSF post; the 700 yd. incursion, the deepest into PA-controlled territory since IDF field cmdrs. were given (5/6) free rein to carry them out, leaves 27 Palestinians homeless. Later, the IDF fires machine guns toward journalists, Palestinians digging through the rubble in search of their possessions. The IDF also directs shells, heavy machine gun fire on residential areas of Bethlehem, Jabaliya, Jericho, Khan Yunis; opens a new settler bypass road linking the Jewish settlements of Mevo Dotan, Homesh, Shaked. A pipe bomb explodes in the Old City of Jerusalem, wounding 2 people. For the 2d day, Jewish settlers in Hebron attack, seriously injure 3 Palestinians (ages 6, 14, 16). (HP, PMC, WP 5/12; PCHR 5/17)

In Amman, Jordanian security forces violently disperse 100s of Jordanians taking part in 2 Palestinian solidarity rallies sponsored by the Muslim Brotherhood to mark the 53d anniversary of the Nakba. (HP 5/12; al-Ra'i 5/12, JT 5/13 in WNC 5/14; QA 5/14 in WNC 5/15; MM 5/15; JT 5/16 in WNC 5/17; MEI 5/18)