The Palestine Chronology

For a 3d day, IDF troops at the Erez crossing fire at Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border fence, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the 1st such incident since the Gaza ceasefire went into effect on 11/26, an Islamic Jihad mbr. receives a phone call fr. the IDF warning him to evacuate his home pending an air strike; family and neighbors surround the home and no strike is carried out. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, in Silat al-Harithiyya, nr. Nablus. Inside Israel, Israeli forces demolish 21 bedouin homes in Twayyil in the Negev. An ESF mbr. is injured in an exchange of fire btwn. ESF, Fatah mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya. ESF, Force 17 mbrs. clash nr. Abbas’s office in Gaza City, leaving a Force 17 mbr. wounded. After nearly 6 mos. of silence, the PRC faction holding captured IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit say that he is in “good health” and is being treated according to “Islamic standards.” (Negev Coexistence Forum press release 1/9; OCHA, WP, WT 1/10; PCHR 1/11)

The IDF begins dismantling observation posts around Gaza settlements, replacing them with armored vehicles and tanks in preparation for disengagement; sends troops into Nur al-Shams r.c., searches homes, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them, killing 1 Palestinian bystander, wounding at least 1; fires tank shells at a graveyard in Khan Yunis where Palestinian reportedly were preparing to launch a mortar, causing damage but no injuries; fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in ‘Azun, Balata r.c., Dura, al-Khadir; occupies a house in Silat al-Dahir, turns it into an observation post; patrols in Nablus. Palestinian gunmen loyal to Fatah head Qaddumi kidnap 2 foreign UN workers, their Palestinian driver in Khan Yunis to pressure the PA to secure the release of Fatah mbr. Farah (arrested 8/7); the PA security forces storm the home of a local AMB cmdr., exchange fire with the kidnappers (2 kidnappers, 1 bystander are injured), free the 3 captives unharmed; Farah remains in custody. Citing incidents in Khan Yunis today and on 8/7, the ICRC suspends operations in Gaza to protest the lack of security. (FT, IMEMC, UNIS, XIN 8/8; FT, HA, IMEMC, JP, NYT, PRCS, WT 8/9; OCHA, PR 8/10; PCHR 8/11)

The IDF begins delivering letters to the roughly 1,600 Jewish settler families in the Gaza Strip and 4 West Bank settlements slated for removal under disengagement, giving them until 8/15 to evacuate their homes and receive full compensation; those remaining on 8/17 will be forcibly removed, will not be allowed to return to collect their belongings (which will be packed and shipped by the IDF), will not receive full compensation. (HA 8/8; NYT 8/9)