Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas...
A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus in Jerusalem during morning rush hr., killing 18 Israeli Jews, 1 Israeli Arab, injuring 50. Late in the evening, as the IDF sends...
In Washington, PM Barak holds 2d round of talks with Pres. Clinton, who announces plans to expedite approval of the $1.9 b. in additional economic aid that the U.S. promised Israel, the PA, Jordan...
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Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists (including Palestinian Authority [PA] PM Salam Fayyad, PA communications advisor Sabri Saydam, Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Nabil Shaath, PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Taysir Khalid, Palestinian National Initiative party head Mustafa Barghouti, and the mayor of Geneva), some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in a nonviolent march to the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian and international activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in protests against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinians staging a nonviolent march to land located between Dayr Nizam and al-Nabi Salih recently confiscated for the expansion of Halamish settlement (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); conducts late-night patrols in Rumana village w. of Jenin. Hamas accuses Fatah of links to the 1/20/10 assassination of Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades founder Mahmud al-Mabhuh, saying that 2 Palestinian suspects in custody in Dubai in connection with the assassination, Anwar Shhaybar and Ahmad Hassanayn, were former Fatah security officers and current employees of a senior Fatah official. Fatah denies the accusation. (NYT 2/20; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)
A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus in Jerusalem during morning rush hr., killing 18 Israeli Jews, 1 Israeli Arab, injuring 50. Late in the evening, as the IDF sends tanks troops into Jenin town and r.c. in response, imposing a curfew and firing on Palestinians who resist, the Israel cabinet convenes to discuss what further action to take. Afterward, Israel announces the launching of Operation Determined Path, under which "Israel will respond to acts of terror by capturing PA territory. . . . Additional acts of terror will lead to the taking of additional areas," which would be held indefinitely. During the day, the IDF assassinates Islamic Jihad student leader Yusif Bisharat in Hebron; raids the Nablus home of PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. and DFLP mbr. Taysir Khalid; shells residential areas of Gaza City, injuring 8; conducts arrest raids in villages around Jenin; bulldozes Palestinian agricultural land nr. Kefar Darom settlement. An elderly Palestinian dies of a heart attack when troops enter her Jenin home. An ailing Palestinian dies when the IDF bars his ambulance fr. crossing a checkpoint. Jewish settlers under the protection of IDF troops take over a building nr. the old city of Jerusalem. (AP, JP, LAW, MM 6/18; AFP, ATL, Interfax 6/18 in WNC 6/19; ATL 6/18, JT, al-Quds 6/19 in WNC 6/20; HP, LAW, MM, NYT, PCHR, UPMRC, WP, WT 6/19; WP 6/20; NYT 6/21; AYM 6/23 in WNC 6/26; MM 6/24, MEI 6/28; New Haven Register 7/3)
In light of the Jerusalem bombing, Bush postpones a speech outlining U.S. policy on the peace process, which he had planned to give today. (WP 6/19; NYT 6/20; AYM 6/20 in WNC 6/24)
In Washington, PM Barak holds 2d round of talks with Pres. Clinton, who announces plans to expedite approval of the $1.9 b. in additional economic aid that the U.S. promised Israel, the PA, Jordan after Wye talks. Congress has refused to approve the disbursements since fmr. PM Netanyahu suspended Wye implementation on 12/2/98. Barak, Clinton also agree to create a Strategic Policy Planning Group composed of senior Israeli, U.S. security officials that would report to them every 4 mos. (CSM, GIU, MM 7/19; MENA, Petra-JNA 7/19 in WNC 7/20; al-Ayyam 7/19 in WNC 7/21; MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/20; WJW 7/22; JP, MEI 7/30)
In Damascus, Spanish PM José María Aznar discusses peace process with Pres. Asad; announces that Spain will loan Syria $55 m. in development aid, marking the 1st loan by an EU state to Damascus. (ABC [Madrid], SATN 7/19 in WNC 7/20; MBC 7/20 in WNC 7/21; MM, WP 7/21)
Damascus-based PLO opposition groups report that Syrian VP `Abd al-Hailm Khaddam has met with the heads of Fatah Uprising, PFLP, PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC), Saiqa to ask them to end their armed struggle against Israel, switch focus to political activities. Unnamed Syrian officials confirm the report, say no discussion has been held with Hamas, Hizballah, Islamic Jihad. (JT 7/19 in WNC 7/20; al-Ayyam, al-Manar 7/19, SA 7/24 in WNC 7/26; CSM, MM, NYT, WT 7/20; SA 7/20 in WNC 7/21; WT 7/21; QA, RMC, SA 7/21 in WNC 7/22; MM, WJW, WT 7/22; MEI 7/30; NYT 8/8) (see 6/16)
DFLP delegation led by Taysir Khalid meets with Fatah delegation headed by Arafat to discuss a reconciliation agmt. that would bring the DFLP into the final status negotiating process. (al-Ayyam 7/21 in WNC 7/26)
For the 1st time, 4 non-Jews are appointed to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Comm.: Israeli Arab MKs Hashem Mahameed (United Arab List) and Nawaf Massalha (One Israel), Druze MKs Salah Tarif (One Israel) and Ayoub Kara (Likud). Likud calls the appointments a security risk. (NYT, WT 7/20; MM 7/21, 7/22; JP 7/23; MA 7/23 in WNC 7/28; MM 7/29; JP 8/13)
IDF begins work on relocating its Jinin headquarters in anticipation of the resumption of FRD fr. the West Bank. (NYT 7/20)
Israel's new internal security M Ben-Ami says Israel will allow Orient House to remain open, after finding that the PLO has ceased conducting political activity fr. the building. (NYT 7/20; WP 7/22) (see 5/11, 6/11)
Israel's Justice M Beilin says that he plans to cancel the legal basis for holding Lebanese detainees without charge or trial. Beilin also says that he will work toward ending administrative detention for Palestinians. (WP 7/20, 7/22)
A roadside bomb explodes in s. Lebanon, killing 1 SLA mbr. (VOL 7/19 in WNC 7/20)
