The Palestine Chronology

Israeli naval commandos board the FMG-IHH aid boat Rachel Corrie, carrying medical supplies and construction materials, off the Gaza coast without incident, guiding it into Ashdod port, detaining 11 activists (including Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, fmr. UN diplomat Dennis Halliday, and prominent Malaysian writer and parliamentarian Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria) and 8 crew. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. (IFM, NYT, WP 6/6; PCHR 6/10; OCHA 6/11)

In Washington, Israeli DM Barak presents U.S. envoy Mitchell and other U.S. officials with a compromise settlement freeze proposal, offering a “complete freeze” to settlement construction for 3–6 mos., excluding construction already under way and/or in East Jerusalem. (WP 7/1)

The Israeli navy halts a ship of international peace activists organized by the Free Gaza Movement attempting to sail fr. Cyprus to Gaza with humanitarian supplies to challenge Israel’s blockade; the IDF detains the 21 persons on board, including former House rep. Cynthia McKinney (D/Green Party-GA) and Nobel laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire (all 21 are deported on 7/6). The UN reports that in the previous wk., 1 Palestinian was killed and 6 were injured in a tunnel collapse on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF partially demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Tur nr. Jerusalem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and Jenin. (IFM, WP, WT 7/1; OCHA, PCHR, WJW 7/2; NYT 7/3; WT 7/7; WJW 7/9)

Overnight, the IDF sends bulldozers into Khuza to level 45 d. of agricultural land and a poultry farm; sends undercover units into Gaza City, where they fire on a group of Palestinian resistance mbrs. in what may be an assassination attempt, wounding several, then fatally shooting a Palestinian bystander who comes to their aid. During the day, the IDF levels land along the border fence inside Gaza nr. Rafah. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches nr. Hebron. Some 300 Palestinian, Israeli, and international peace activists take part in the weekly nonviolent protest in Bil‘in against the separation wall; many demonstrators were participants at a wk.-long conference held in Bil‘in on Palestinian nonviolent resistance that ended today; several, including European Parliament VP Luisa Morgantini, Irish Nobel laureate Mairead Corrigan, and Italian judge Julio Toscano are among those injured when the IDF fires tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse the crowd, lightly injuring 13. The IDF also fires tear gas, percussion grenades at a similar protest al-Ma‘sara (no injuries reported). Jewish settlers fr. Hashmonim fire live ammunition at Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, causing no reported injuries. In Gaza City, Hamas-affiliated police attempt to arrest suspected drug dealers, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves 4 Palestinains dead (3 suspects, 1 policeman), 10 policemen wounded. (BBC 6/6; OCHA 6/11; PCHR 6/12)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Furik nr. Nablus (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, wounding 9), Tubas; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinians and Israeli and international peace activists protesting the separation wall nr. Bil‘in, injuring 17 (including Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead McWayer and 4 journalists). For a 4th day, Jewish settlers occupying a Palestinian home in Hebron attempt to break into several nearby Palestinian homes, vandalize Palestinian property, beat Palestinian residents. In Gaza, a Palestinian is injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. (OCHA 4/25; PCHR 4/26)