The Palestine Chronology

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian nr. Bayt Furik (nr. Nablus); demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Mughraqa; fires on residential areas in Rafah, Tulkarm. (VOP 11/15 in WNC 11/18; PCHR 11/20)

The IDF expels another 2 West Bank Palestinian administrative detainees to Gaza; demolishes at least 4 Palestinian homes in Rafah; fires on residential areas of Tarqumiyya (nr. Hebron); bulldozes 3 dunams of land in al-Mughraqa. The IDF, border police fire tear gas, percussion grenades into a peaceful crowd of more than 300 Palestinians, 30 ISM volunteers staging a nonviolent march fr. Tulkarm toward the separation wall, beating and arresting several marchers. (ISM press release 11/13; PCHR 11/20)

On the 3d anniversary of the outbreak of the al-Aqsa intifada, 1,000s of Palestinians across the occupied territories stage rallies in support of Arafat. The IDF sends tanks into, fires on residential areas of Jenin, al-Maghazi r.c., Nablus; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths in Bayt Furik, wounding a 12-yr.-old; searches a home, assaults a Palestinian in Shaykh Ajlin; bulldozes 3 dunams of land in al-Maghazi r.c., an olive grove and road in al-Mughraqa. Palestinians fire 5 mortars at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. (WP, WT 9/29; PCHR 10/2)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Rafah; sends tanks into Bayt Furik and Silat al-Harith, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians, wounding 3; bulldozes 19 dunams of land in al-Mughraqa; conducts arrest raids in Salfit. Palestinian gunmen ambush, fatally shoot an IDF soldier nr. Jenin; AMB, Islamic Jihad both take responsibility. Palestinian gunmen fire o n an IDF patrol nr. Rafah, wounding 1 soldier. An Israeli court releases 2 Jewish settler terrorism suspects without pressing charges; 13 others are still under arrest. (HA 9/4; NYT, WP 9/5; PCHR 9/11)

Abbas convenes the Palestinian Council (PC) to present a report on his 1st 100 days in office; asks PC mbrs. to affirm unequivocally his policies (including unification of the PA security forces under his command) or demand his resignation. Outside the PC session, at least 50 Palestinian protesters (some reports say 200), including 5 masked, armed AMB mbrs., call on Abbas to resign. (BBC, HA, MM, NYT, WT 9/4; AFP, QA 9/4 in WNC 9/6; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/5; MENA 9/5 in WNC 9/9; MEI 9/12)

In a 7-hr. operation, the IDF evacuates the 1st inhabited unauthorized settlement outpost, Mitzpe Yitzhar, a particularly militant outpost nr. Nablus, housing 2 settler families: An initial contingent of around 25 unarmed soldiers attempting to remove 2 tents, a few tin shacks, and 1 concrete block building is obstructed by around 100 Jewish settler youths. The IDF calls in unarmed reinforcements, places closures on surrounding settlements, as 100s of settlers converge on the outpost during the day, scuffling with troops, leaving 30 settlers and soldiers injured; settlers also set fire to Palestinian wheat fields, olive groves in the area in an attempt to disrupt the IDF operation. The IDF also bulldozes 15 dunams of land in Bayt Hanun, 5 dunams in Bayt Lahia, 1 dunam in al-Mughraqa. An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonates a device inside a small store in Baysan, inside Israel, killing 1 Israeli. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MM 6/19; VOI, YA 6/19 in WNC 6/21; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/20; MM 5/23; PR 6/25; MM, PCHR 6/26; MEI 6/27; MA 6/11 in WNC 6/13)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device in Hebron, killing 2 Jewish settlers. Nr. Qalqilya, 2 Palestinian gunmen infiltrate a settlement, wound 2 Jewish settlers before being killed; no group takes responsibility. The IDF continues operations in Bayt Hanun, fatally shooting an Islamic Jihad mbr., wounding 24, bulldozing land, firing on residential areas; demolishes 7 Palestinian homes in Rafah refugee camp (r.c.), 2 in al-Mughraqa; bulldozes 120 dunams (4 dunams = 1 acre) of Palestinian agricultural land in Khan Yunis. The IDF also fires flares e. of Khan Yunis, staring a fire in a wheat field; bars Palestinian firefighters fr. reaching the area, allowing 32 dunams to burn. In Hebron, Jewish settlers beat a pregnant Palestinian, causing her to suffer a miscarriage; set fire to a Palestinian home. (NYT, WP 5/18; MM 5/19; PR 5/21; LAW, PCHR 5/22; NYT 5/30)

Despite the Hebron bombing, new Palestinian Authority (PA) PM Mahmud Abbas, Israeli PM Ariel Sharon meet in Jerusalem regarding the road map, marking their 1st meeting and the 1st senior-level PA-Israeli talks since 9/26/00. Sharon says he cannot accept the road map but offers to redeploy the IDF from 1 (unnamed) West Bank Palestinian city and fr. n. Gaza in exchange for a commitment to crack down on militant groups. (NYT, WP, WT 5/18; MM 5/19; AYM 5/20 in WNC 5/23; NYT, PR 5/21; HA 5/23; al-Musawwar 5/23 in WNC 5/27; HA 5/28; MEI 5/30)

The IDF fires on, seriously wounds Islamic Jihad mbr. Anas Sharita in an attempt to arrest him in Nablus; conducts arrest raids in Jenin (targeting Islamic Jihad, including 2 mbrs. arrested in a hospital, where 1 was receiving treatment for gunshot wounds), Qalqilya (targeting the PFLP); fires on Palestinians at Surda checkpoint nr. Ramallah for no apparent reason, wounding 5; demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in al-Mughraqa, 1 in Bayt Hanun (also bulldozing 37 dunams of land). Late in the evening, Hamas mbr. Shibli Tamasi is killed, 3 Palestinians are wounded in a mysterious explosion in Idna. Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. (HA 4/23; HA, LAW, PCHR 4/24; PR 4/30; LAW, PCHR 5/1)

The IDF says that it plans to deport fr. Hebron to Gaza several relatives of Muhammad Qawasmi, the 3/5 Haifa suicide bomber, claiming they either knew of or assisted in planning the bombing. An Israeli wounded in the 3/5 attack dies of her injuries, bringing the toll to 17. The IDF demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in al-Mughraqa, 3 in Rafah, 1 in Jenin, 1 in al-Qarara (killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 3 in the operation); fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Hebron, Nablus (detaining a wheelchair-bound Palestinian); fires shells at an ambulance in Rafah, injuring the driver. The IDF also arrests senior PFLP leader and PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Adnan Jabir in Bethlehem, making him the 4th PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. arrested by the IDF; the others are Taysir Khalid (DFLP), ‘Abd al-Rahim Maluah (PFLP), and Raqad Salim (Arab Liberation Front). (HA 3/11; NYT 3/12; LAW, PCHR 3/13)

The IDF demolishes 14 Palestinian homes in Rafah, 2 in al-Mughraqa; fires on residential areas of Rafah. (PCHR 2/20)

After 6 days of mtgs. in Ramallah with the Quartet reps. of the EU, Russia, the UN (the U.S. declines to send a rep.), Arafat publicly declares his intention to appoint a PM. (HA, MM, WT 2/14; NYT, WP 2/15; MM 2/17, 2/18, 2/20; MEI 2/21)

At the UNSC, UN weapons inspectors give their 2d report on Iraq, saying that they have not found any evidence of WMDs, there is no “convincing evidence” that Iraq is evading inspections, but Iraq has not accounted for all of the weapons it was believed to have held previously. An irate Powell reiterates U.S. claims that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction, duping the inspectors. (HA, MM 2/14; NYT, WP, WT 2/15; MEI 2/21)

The IDF imposes a curfew on Nablus, closes local al-Najah University, sparking clashes with local students that leave 9 Palestinians injured; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes nr. Netzarim settlement; bulldozes 41 dunams of land in al-Mughraqa; uproots 150 trees at an al-`Arub agricultural center; conducts arrest raids in al-Bireh, Birzeit, Jenin, and Qarawat Bani Zaid, targeting the tanzim, arresting at least 14 Palestinians. (HA 12/14; LAW, PCHR, PR 12/18)

The IDF breaks into a home in Nur al-Shams r.c., assassinates Hamas's Tulkarm military cmdr. Tariq ‘Abid Rabbuh, also wounding 5 Palestinian bystanders; assassinates Hamas mbr. Jadallah Shuka nr. Bethlehem; demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in Hebron, 2 nr. Bethlehem, 1 in Bayt Kahil; bulldozes 5 dunams of land, several roads, the main water network in al-Mughraqa; bulldozes some 2.5 dunams of land in Dayr al-Balah; conducts an arrest raid in Qarawat Bani Zaid. An explosion in Bureij r.c., kills a wanted Islamic Jihad mbr., wounds another; the PSF suspects the men were preparing a bomb. Some 30,000 Hamas supporters rally in the Gaza Strip marking the 15^th anniversary of the founding of the movement. (JTA 12/13; HA, NYT, WP 12/14; LAW, PCHR 12/18)

The IDF fires flechette shells, live ammunition at 5 unarmed Palestinian laborers attempting to sneak into Israel nr. the Qarni border crossing, killing them; the IDF says it thought they were attempting to infiltrate Israel to stage an attack. The IDF also fires on 2 PFLP mbrs. attempting to infiltrate a Gush Katif settlement, killing 1, allowing the other to escape; fatally shoots an armed Palestinian attempting to infiltrate a kibbutz in Israel; bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah r.c.; bulldozes 3 unoccupied Palestinian homes, 4 dunams of land in al-Mughraqa; conducts an arrest raid in Qalqilya. Palestinian gunmen fatally shoot 2 IDF soldiers in Hebron, nr. the cite of the 11/15 Islamic Jihad ambush. (REU 12/12; MM, NYT, WP 12/13; NYT 12/14; MM, PM 12/16; LAW, NYT, PCHR, PR 12/18; MEI 12/20)

The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Mughraqa; shoots a deaf and dumb 15-yr.-old Palestinian in Nablus, paralyzing him; conducts arrest raids in Dayr al-Balah, Hebron, Tulkarm; fires on residential areas of Tulkarm; shells residential areas nr. the Egyptian border in Rafah, damaging a PRCS office. (NYT 12/5; LAW, PCHR 12/11)

The IDF attempts to assassinate Islamic Jihad’s Jabaliya military cmdr. Imad al-Barqawi, a 2d Islamic Jihad mbr. who flee their vehicle before it is destroyed by a helicopter gunship; fires on residential areas of Rafah, a Palestinian car nr. Khan Yunis (seriously injuring 1 Palestinian woman); conducts arrest raids in Dayr al-Balah, Yabad; bulldozes 7 dunams of land, 2 wells in al-Mughraqa. (NYT, WT 12/2; LAW, PCHR 12/3; PR 12/4)

In response to an Islamic Jihad ambush of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and settler security officers in Hebron on 11/15, the IDF sends tanks into Hebron, bulldozes 5 Palestinian homes and a 50-dunam olive grove btwn. Kiryat Arba and the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs, imposes a curfew, conducts arrest raids, detaining 40 Palestinians. Right-wing MK Benny Elon holds a prayer rally of Jewish settlers at the site of the ambush; afterward Jewish settlers briefly rampage through Palestinian areas (vandalizing homes with spray-painted messages such as “vengeance” and “every Arab killed —for me it’s a holiday”) until IDF soldiers stop them. The IDF also fatally shoots a Palestinian in Hebron; fires on Palestinians in Jenin, killing 1 Palestinian; shells, fires on residential areas of Nablus, killing 1 Palestinian; bulldozes 2 dunams (4 dunams = 1 acre) of Palestinian land, an electricity generator in al-Mughraqa; shells a workshop in Khan Yunis, destroying it; detains, searches a Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance for 5 hrs., holding the driver for failure to pay a parking ticket. (PM 11/16; NYT, WP, WT 11/17; MM 11/18; AN 11/18 in WNC 11/19; PCHR 11/20; MEI 11/22; PRCS press release 11/23)

U.S. Amb. Indyk, U.S. Consul General Ronald Schliecher hold talks with Sharon on the Mitchell Comm. findings, especially regarding a settlement freeze. Sharon calls for an unconditional cease-fire, which he says must be followed by a 2-mo. "cooling-off period" before any "concessions" can be discussed; orders the IDF to "stop taking the initiative in attacking Palestinians." The PA says sees no reason to clamp down on the intifada, make preemptive arrests without some confidence building gestures fr. Israel. (MM 5/22; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/23; MA 5/23 in WNC 5/24; MM, NYT, PCHR 5/24; MM 5/25; QA 5/25 in WNC 5/29; MEI 6/1)

Although Sharon calls on the IDF to stop instigating attacks, the IDF continues to retaliate for Palestinian actions, responding to "life-threatening" incidents of stone-throwing with live fire, rubber-coated steel bullets, shells, and heavy machine gun fire, particularly at residential areas east of Jerusalem, Hawara, Khan Yunis. The IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, 1 in al-Mughraqa; bulldozes Palestinian land in Beitunia, Hebron, al-Mughraqa, al-Qarara; erects new posts in al-Qarara, outside Ramallah. 100s of Palestinians stage a nonviolent march in Hebron to protest continued Israeli attacks on medical workers. Also in Hebron, Jewish settlers stone Palestinian cars, and the IDF declares the vegetable market and Old Quarter a closed military zone. Jewish settlers also stone Palestinian cars on the Nablus-Qalqilya road; shoot and wound a Palestinian herder in Tubas, kill 3 sheep. Palestinians fire 2 mortars at Netzer Hazani settlement in Gaza. 1 Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. (Gush Shalom press release, HP 5/22; NYT, WP 5/23; NYT, PCHR 5/24; LAW 5/25; NYT 6/2)

PNA Justice M Freih Abu Middein announces investigation into death in custody of Rafah r.c. resident.  Prisoner held on suspicion of drug smuggling, collaboration.  Justice Min. statement says prisoner died of "excessive violence" during interrogation.  3 interrogators detained and under investigation.   Palestinian human-rights orgs., including Hanan Ashrawi's Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights, call it a "case of maltreatment and torture."  (NYT 7/10; CSM, MM 7/11)

Israel announces 24-hr. closure of Gaza Strip to start early 7/11 in response to weekend clashes btwn. Palestinians, IDF.  (WSJ, WT 7/11; CSM 7/12)

Israeli Civil Admin., with PLO approval, appoints Fateh mbr. Ghassan al-Shak`a mayor of Nablus.  (Israeli Channel 2 TV 7/10 in FBIS 7/11)

Israel welcomes King Hussein's offer of a summit mtg. with PM Rabin.  (CSM 7/11)

Arafat performs `umra pilgrimage in Mecca, returns to Tunis. PNA Planning M Nabil Shaath says Arafat visit restored Palestinian-Saudi relations PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Yasir `Abd-Rabbuh tells reporters PLO HQ, including Political Dept., International and Pan-Arab Relations Dept., and Returnees Dept. will remain in Tunis despite Arafat's move to Gaza.  (MENA 7/10 in FBIS 7/11; MM 7/11; WT 7/13)

Israeli navy kills 2 PFLP frogmen off coast nr. Naqura.  (Qol Yisra'el 7/11 in FBIS 7/13; MM 7/12; JP 7/23)