The Palestine Chronology

No violence is reported in Gaza. Israel allows in 293 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial goods. In the West Bank, the IDF raids Battir village nr. Bethlehem early in the morning and occupies a Palestinian home, stating the home is needed for several days “for security purposes”; makes a latenight raid on a market in al-Fara‘ r.c. nr. Tubas, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 2 but making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, nr. Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah. (PCHR 1/29)

Obama’s newly appointed Middle East envoy George Mitchell begins an 8-day “listening tour,” with planned stops in Israel, Ramallah, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, and Britain. He will not meet with Hamas officials. (Globes, MM, al-Ra’i, YA 1/26; MM, NHR, NYT, QA, al-Thawra [Damascus], WP 1/27; WJW 1/29)

Egyptian FM Musa arrives in Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince `Abdullah on possible Arab summit. Trip was previously unplanned, prompted by Arafat's surprise visit to the kingdom, which ended 5/26. (MM 5/27, 6/1)

House Speaker Gingrich, Arafat meet in Ramallah. U.S. congressional delegation then leaves for Jordan. (NYT, WP, WT 5/28; MM, PR 5/29; al-Thawra 5/31 in WNC 6/8; MEI, MM 6/5; JP 6/6)

Syria's Pres. Asad receives congressional delegation led by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). (MM 5/28)

Iran, Saudi Arabia sign wide-ranging cooperation agmt. (WP, WT 5/28)

Knesset passes (50-45, with 1 abstention) 1st reading (of 3) of motion to change Israel's election system back to pre-5/96 process, eliminating direct election of PM. Motion is expected to be overturned. (MM 5/28; MEI 6/5)

In s. Lebanon, 2 Golani Brigade mbrs. are killed, 2 wounded by Hizballah roadside bomb. Separately, 1 civilian is injured by IDF shelling. (MM 5/28; RL 6/3 in WNC 6/4; JP 6/6)

Secy. of State Albright stops briefly in Egypt to meet with Pres. Mubarak before heading to Saudi Arabia for talks with King Fahd, urges both countries to participate in the 11/97 Doha economic summit. (MENA 9/13, RE 9/15 in WNC 9/16; NYT, WP, WT 9/14; al-Thawra 9/14 in WNC 9/17; MM 9/15; WP 9/18; MEI 9/26)

Israel's urban planning commission approves plans by American Jewish developer Irving Moskowitz to build 70 housing units for Jews in the Palestinian neighborhood of Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem. Under heavy police protection, 50 Jewish settlers (3 families, plus armed guards) fr. the radical group Ateret Cohanim move into 2 buildings, which purportedly were purchased by Moskowitz fr. local Palestinians. Israeli police say the occupation is legal. Netanyau condemns the action but says little can be done to reverse it. (RL 9/13, ITV 9/14, IDF Radio 9/15 in WNC 9/16; LAW 9/14; WP 9/15; WT 9/16; CSM 9/17; WJW 9/18; PR 9/19; MEI, PR 9/26)

Pres. Gorbachev warns that Gulf war is threatening to go beyond UN mandate to remove Iraq from Kuwait [NYT, WP 2/10; MEM 2/11].

SCUD missile hits Tel Aviv neighborhood, wounding 26 Israelis, none seriously [IDF 2/9 in FBIS 2/11; NYT, WP 2/10].

Front-page editorial in Al Thawra, leading Syrian newspaper, urges Iraqis to "liquidate" Saddam in extraordinary personal attack on Iraqi pres. [NYT 2/10].

British For. Sec. Douglas Hurd arrives in Riyadh from Ta'if, continues discussions with Saudi and Kuwaiti leaders [SPA 2/9 in FBIS 2/11].

Jordanian newspaper publishes "complete text" of minutes of meeting between UN Sec.-Gen. Perez de Cuellar and Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on 1/13 [DUS 2/9 in FBIS 2/11].