The Palestine Chronology

Unidentified persons detonate an IED along Gaza’s northern border, targeting an IDF patrol in the area. The attack causes no serious damage or injuries. This is the 4th time in recent weeks that Palestinians in Gaza have targeted IDF border patrols with explosives. Following the attack, Israeli forces shell a Hamas post near Gaza City, injuring 1 Palestinian. Late at night, the IAF conducts air strikes on 2 locations in Gaza City and several more in southern Gaza, causing damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Barta‘a near Jenin, the hometown of the Palestinian who allegedly rammed and killed 2 Israeli soldiers on 3/16. They search several homes, damage a number of vehicles, and assault a Palestinian youth. IDF troops arrest 9 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin, and Qalqilya; and patrol near Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Hebron. Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian shepherd working near Hebron, causing moderate injuries. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian demolishes his own home in the Old City in order to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in Issawiyya. (HA, JP, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/17; HA, WAFA 3/18; PCHR 3/22)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says he plans to order the punitive demolition of the Barta‘a home of the Palestinian who allegedly rammed and killed 2 Israeli soldiers on 3/16. “I’m sending condolences from the bottom of my heart to the families of the IDF officer and of the soldier who were murdered yesterday by a terrorist, and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded,” he tweets. (HA 3/17; TOI 3/18)

In Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians laying a roadside bomb nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya; makes an air strike on a group of IQB mbrs. in Khuza, wounding 2; makes a late-night air strike on and fires a surface-to-surface missile across the border at a 2d group of IQB mbrs. nr. Khuza, killing 3 Hamas mbrs. An explosion destroys Hamas field cmdr. Hasan Abu Shaqfa’s Bayt Lahiya home, killing Abu Shaqfa, 4 other Hamas mbrs., a 4-mo.-old girl, and another bystander and damaging several surrounding homes; Hamas initially says the explosion was caused by an IDF air strike and fires 21 rockets (reported by the IDF to include 3 Gradstyle rockets) and 22 mortars into Israel in response (lightly injuring 1 Israeli), but later (6/14) reports that explosives the Hamas mbrs. were handling detonated prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., in Balata r.c. and al-Far‘a r.c. (firing on residential areas, wounding 1 Palestinian), and nr. Hebron. Nr. Nablus, 2 Jewish settlers attempt to break into a Palestinian car and shop in Hawara village, are confronted by local Palestinians, whom they then attack with knives and iron bars; the IDF arrests the settlers. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/13; WP 6/15; OCHA 6/18; PCHR 6/19)

Israeli human rights groups petition the Israeli High Court to halt the government’s 10/24 plan to cut electricity to Gaza to pressure Hamas, arguing collective punishment, forcing the IDF to suspend implementation.Israelsays that it will continue to cut 1% of Gaza’s electricity for 15 mins. at a time as a “symbolic” response to Palestinian rocket fire until Israel’s atty. gen. rules otherwise. Overnight and into the afternoon, IDF troops conduct arrest raids, house searches in Khan Yunis, also bulldozing 30 d. of agricultural land. During the day, the IDF sends infantry units into the Bayt Lahiya area (to engage several armed Palestinians laying a roadside bomb, killing 1 Palestinian, arresting another), the border area e. of Jabaliya r.c. (where they clash with armed Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian), and areas nr. Abasan (where they engage with armed Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 4). Palestinians fire an RPG at an IDF jeep patrolling the Gaza border nr. al-Bureij r.c., missing the target, causing no damage or injuries. A Palestinian is injured in Dayr al-Balah when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets on Palestinian children holding 2 peaceful demonstrations in Hebron and nearby al-Arub r.c. in support of Palestinian prisoners, injuring 3 (ages 13, 16, 17) and arresting 1 (age 14); conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and in Tulkarm (also firing on residential areas, causing damage but no injuries). In Ramallah, Palestinians demonstrate for the release of Hamas mbrs. held by the PA; PA security forces disperse the protesters. An ESF officer dies of injuries received in the 10/18 clash with the Fatah-affiliated Hillis clan in Gaza City. (NYT, WT 10/29; OCHA 10/31; PCHR 11/1)

Israel allows the Rafah crossing to open for the 1st time since 4/19. Gunfire breaks out among the 5,000 Palestinians waiting to enter Egypt, leaving a PA presidential guardsman dead; UN monitors overseeing the passage say Israel’s closures have left the crossing too crowded to operate. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire tank shells, heavy machine guns at DFLP mbrs. planning a roadside bomb nr. the border fence, killing 1 DFLP mbr. The IDF also sends tanks, bulldozers into Gaza to level land along the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c. In Bayt Hanun, a PRC mbr. is killed when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinians and international and Israeli peace activists holding a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, wounding 6 Palestinians, 1 French activist. Some 200 Palestinians fr. villages nr. Bethlehem hold a nonviolent protest in the area against the separation wall. A Jewish settler fr. Kiryat Arba beats a Palestinian child working in his family’s garden; when his father and brother come to his aid, the settler fires at them, causing no injuries; the IDF intervenes, beating and arresting the father and older brother for “threatening” the settler. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron beat 3 Palestinian shepherds grazing their sheep nearby and 3 peace activists (including an Israeli rabbi) accompanying them for protection. In Israel, 100s of Palestinian Israeli residents of Jaffa protest actions by the Israel Land Administration (ILA) in the past yr. to evict some 500 Arab families from the al-Ajami and Givat Aliya neighborhoods so as to develop the seafront properties; the ILA calls the Palestinian families “invaders” who built on the sites illegally. A Palestinian dies of injuries received during an IDF raid on Gaza City on 10/16/06. (HA 4/27; NYT 4/28; OCHA 5/2; PCHR 5/3)

IDF troops on the Gaza border shoot, wound a Palestinian farmer working his field nr. Jabaliya r.c.; fire on a group of Palestinians who stray nr. the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c., causing no injuries; send bulldozers, tanks into Gaza to level land along the border fence nr. Rafah. In Jabaliya r.c., 2 Palestinian children are injured when they accidentally trigger an unexploded IDF tank shell. In Gaza City, a Hamas mbr. dies when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; occupies a Palestinian home nr. the Hawara checkpoint into Nablus as an observation post; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, Nablus (Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF vehicle during the raid, injuring 2 IDF soldiers). Nr. Jenin, 2 Palestinian boys are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance. The Foreign Press Association bureau in Jerusalem organizes a demonstration by foreign reporters outside the Erez crossing into Gaza in support of kidnapped BBC reporter Johnston. (REU, WT 4/25; PCHR 4/26; OCHA 5/2; PCHR 5/3)

In the pre-dawn hours, the IDF imposes a 24-hr. curfew, begins house-to-house searches in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah bordering the Philadelphi Route, occupies some buildings as observation posts; begins digging a trench to separate a section of Rafah r.c. fr. the rest of the camp, demolishing at least 3 Palestinian homes, cutting water and electricity supplies. Around daybreak, the IDF begins bulldozing operations, launches 3 missile strikes inside Rafah: the 1st killing 3 Hamas mbrs., wounding 5 gunmen and bystanders; the 2d killing 1 Hamas mbr. laying a roadside bomb nr. a mosque where Palestinians are leaving dawn prayers, also killing 5 bystanders, wounding several others, starting a fire that severely damages the mosque; the 3d hitting a residential area, killing 7 Palestinians (many in their homes), wounding at least 16. The IDF reports killing at least 3 more Palestinians, demolishing at least another 9 Palestinian homes during the day. A 20th Palestinian reportedly dies when explosives he is handling detonate. At least 2 ambulances are deliberately targeted by IDF snipers. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF ambushes, assassinates wanted al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Muhammad Obeid as he drives nr. Sanur nr. Jenin, also wounding his passenger; raids Jenin r.c., fatally shoots wanted AMB mbr. Ahmad Judah in an apparent assassination, wounding a 2d Palestinian; fatally shoots an AMB mbr., a Palestinian gunman in separate incidents in Nablus; conducts arrest raids targeting Hamas in Tulkarm; orders the confiscation of 380 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in 4/04. (BBC, HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, PRCS, PM, WP 5/18; ITAR-TASS, ITV, MENA, PSCT, VOI, VOP, XIN 5/18 in WNC 5/20; HA, NYT, PR, WP, WT 5/19; PCHR 5/20; NYT 5/21; PR 5/26)

The IDF assassinates wanted PFLP mbr. Imad Mabruk in al-`Ayn r.c.; fatally shoots an armed Palestinian nr. a Jewish settlement in Gaza; arrests 3 Hamas mbrs. nr. Ramallah carrying 44 lbs. of explosives, allegedly en route to stage a suicide bombing; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Rafah, 1 in Sawahara; conducts arrest raids in Kefar Darom, Nablus. A Palestinian wounded in Tulkarm on 2/9 dies of his injuries. A roadside bomb explodes nr. an IDF patrol in Rafah, causing no injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF seals the West Bank, Gaza for 3 days, citing concerns there will be anti-Israeli attacks during the Id al-Adha holiday. (AP, HA 2/10; VOI 2/10 in WNC 2/11; HA, NYT, WT 2/11; VOI 2/11 in WNC 2/12; PR 2/12; PCHR 2/20)

The IDF retakes Bethlehem, which had had only a small troop presence since the IDF turned the security of city over to the PSF on 8/19/02; imposes a curfew; surrounds the Church of the Nativity to prevent armed Palestinians fr. seeking refuge there; conducts arrest raids, detaining 20 Palestinians; blows up the house rented by the family of the 11/21 bomber; encircles nearby Dahaysha r.c.; occupies 15 buildings, including a hospital, orphanage, 2 houses, 6 police stations, the local PSF headquarters; occupies as many as 30 Palestinian homes in al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem, expelling the families; raids the home of Israeli UNRWA worker Allegra Pacheco, holding her at gunpoint for 2 hrs., arresting her husband. Senior Irish UNRWA official Iain Hook is fatally shot inside the UNRWA’s Jenin r.c. compound by an IDF soldier who mistook his cell phone for a grenade as an IDF operation unfolded nearby to capture wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. Abdallah Wahash, who is arrested; an 11-yr.-old Palestinian throwing stones at the troops is also shot dead. The IDF also raids, shells residential areas of, demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in al-Qarara; bulldozes 8 dunams of land in al-Qarara, 28 dunams s. of Dayr al-Balah; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Satar al-Sharqiyya (targeting Hamas mbrs.), Tulkarm. A Hamas sniper fatally shoots an IDF soldier on patrol nr. Gush Katif settlement. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. the Rafah-Egypt border, injuring 2 IDF soldiers. Late this evening, 2 Islamic Jihad suicide bombers detonate their explosives-packed boat next to an Israeli naval patrol boat off the coast of Gaza, injuring 4 IDF soldiers. (HA, MM, NYT, PM, WP, WT 11/22; AFP 11/22 in WNC 11/25; AP, HA, NYT, WP, WT 11/23; NYT, WP 11/24; HA 11/25; NYT, WT 11/26; HA, LAW, PCHR 11/27; CSM, JP, WJW 11/28; HA 12/2; NYT 1/4)

Christian Coalition leaders end a wk. long solidarity visit to Israel, saying they will use their “fact-finding mission” to help galvanize support for Israel in the U.S. (WT 11/27)