The Palestine Chronology

The IDF shells n. Gaza, killing a 15-yr.- old Palestinian farm worker, wounding 3, claiming that the teenager, who was working in a field, approached an abandoned rocket launcher used on 10/7 with plans to retrieve it; in separate incidents fires at 2 Palestinians who stray near the n. Gaza border fence, seriously wounding a mentally handicapped man in his 50s, lightly wounding a 2d man; fires on 2 Palestinians scavenging metal nr. the central Gaza border fence, wounding 1; sends troops into al-Shuka late in the evening, fatally shooting a Palestinian civilian on the street for no apparent reason. In Rafah, a Palestinian is killed when a bomb he is handling explodes prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who allegedly attempts to stab an IDF soldier at Hawara checkpoint nr. Nablus; sends undercover units into Qalqilya in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest a Force 17 mbr.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Tulkarm town and r.c. (raiding a store, confiscating money, causing a woman to have a stroke). Jewish settlers march through Hebron, stone Palestinian homes. A Force 17 mbr. dies of injuries received during 10/1 clashes btwn. the PA security forces and Hamas. (NYT 10/10; OCHA 10/11; PCHR 10/12)

Israel's air, land, and sea assaults continue, leaving at least 16 Palestinians dead, more than 70 injured. The IDF enters Tulkarm r.c. and Nur al-Shams r.c., meeting fierce resistance. In Tulkarm r.c., IDF fire kills 2 Palestinian ambulance workers, wounds 4 others, plus 10s of Palestinians. IDF soldiers halt an ambulance in Salem, abduct a wounded Palestinian. After a Hamas gunman sneaks into a Atzmona settlement in Gaza and opens fire, killing 5 Jewish settlers and wounding 23 before being shot dead, the IDF sends 10s of tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs) into Aida, Bethlehem, Dahaysha, 2 neighboring villages, meeting little resistance; soldiers cut electricity, conduct house-to-house searches, occupy numerous homes and schools as observation and staging posts. F-16s bomb PA security offices in Bethlehem, destroying the Force 17 headquarters, a clinic. A PFLP suicide bomber detonates a device in Ariel settlement, lightly injuring 5 settlers; another Palestinian with a large bomb in a backpack is captured, disarmed in a Jerusalem cafe. A Palestinian gunman seriously wounds a Jewish settler nr. Nablus. IDF gunboats shell PA government buildings, political offices, intelligence headquarters, and a PSF compound in Gaza City, injuring 13 PSF officers and leaving only 2 of 25 buildings in the compound standing. The IDF also sends tanks into Jenin; shells PSF offices in Halhul, Hebron, Yatta; shells, destroys the PFLP headquarters in Bayt Hanun; invades the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce, confiscating files related to Palestinian land, property ownership; demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Tayasir, Jenin; fire on a Palestinian school in Hawara. Some 150 Israeli intelligence officers, border police, troops seal off the Jabal Mukabir section of East Jerusalem, where they surround the home of human rights activist Khader Shkirat, briefly take him into custody, search his home. (AP, CNN, HP, LAW, NYT, WP 3/7; AFP 3/7 in WNC 3/8, 3/11; LAW, MM, NYT, WP 3/8; MA 3/8 in WNC 3/11; LAW 3/13, 3/20; MEI 3/22)

U.S. Pres. George W. Bush orders U.S. special envoy Anthony Zinni back to the region to attempt to secure an Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire. (AP 3/7; NYT, WP, WT 3/8; MM 3/11; AYM 3/12 in WNC 3/14; MEI 3/22)

U.S. special envoy Ross announces that Israel, the PA have resumed security cooperation, result will make or break long-term peace efforts. (MM 8/12; AFP 8/12 in WNC 8/13; MM, WP, WT 8/13; MM, CSM, NYT 8/14)

In Nablus, 10,000 Palestinians march to protest U.S., Israeli efforts to press Arafat to crack down on anti-Israeli militants in the West Bank, Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza stage a smaller rally. (CSM, WP, WT 8/13)

Syria formally rejects an Israeli proposal for a new formula to resume negotiations. (MM 8/13; YA 8/13 in WNC 8/14; YA 8/14 in WNC 8/15)

MEPFA expires, forcing the PLO to close its office in Washington. The U.S. will continue diplomatic contacts with the PA. U.S. assistance to Palestinian projects will not be interrupted. (NYT, WP, WT 8/13; MM, WP 8/14; PR 8/15) (see 8/1)

PA military court finds 3 Force 17 mbrs. guilty of treason for "spying for the Israeli intelligence service"; condemns 1 to death, 1 to life with hard labor, 1 to 15 yrs. with hard labor. (NYT, WP, WT 8/13) (see 7/19)

Israel eases restrictions on produce crossing fr. the West Bank and Gaza, allowing 3 trucks of eggplants into Israel. (IDF Radio 8/12 in WNC 8/13; WT 8/13)

Nr. Bethlehem, 2 Palestinian cousins sneak through the IDF blockade of the city--1 to get heart medication, 1 to get money owned him by his employer nr. Jerusalem. They are caught, severely beaten by the IDF, sent back to a hospital in Bethlehem. (WP 8/16)

Palestinian woman gives birth at an IDF checkpoint outside Ramallah after soldiers refuses to let her into the PA-controlled city to reach a hospital. (WT 8/13)

SLA vacates 7 Lebanese villages s. of Sidon, turning them over to the Lebanese army. (RL 8/12 in WNC 8/13)

Israel releases Joseph, Jean Nahra, who were kidnapped in s. Lebanon by the IDF 7/9, taken to al-Khiyam prison. Israel has never explained their detention. (WT 8/13) (see 8/7)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Al-Am'ari camp remains under curfew for 3rd day [FJ 11/28].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Troops open fire during demonstration in Nablus, wound 3 Palestinians. In Kafr al-Dik 1 Palestinian is shot. In 'Ayn Bayt al-Ma' 3 Palestinians are shot, wounded. In Khan Yunis troops open fire, wound 2 Palestinians [FJ 11/28].

Arab World: IDF planes attack Force 17 positions in Lebanon, kill 7 Palestinians, wound 9 [FJ 11/28].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli troops raid homes in West Bank, place 5 Palestinians under administrative detention; military spokesman says nearly 100 Palestinians are now under administrative dtention [NYT 1/2]. Demonstrations are held throughout Gaza Strip to mark 21st anniversary of founding of Fateh. Israeli troops use clubs, tear gas, water cannon, live ammunition to break up protests; curfew is imposed on entire Gaza Strip [FJ 1/3; DW 1/4]. One Palestinian is shot and wounded by Israeli troops in Nablus [FJ 1/3]. Israel completes switch to new shekel, equal to 1,000 of the old shekels [WP 1/2].

Arab World: Jerusalem Post reports Fateh's Force 17 commando unit moved headquarters to Cairo last month. (Unit originally relocated to Amman in 11/85, was ordered out by King Hussein) [JP 1/1]. Col. Qadhdhafi warns any Israeli or American reprisal for the Rome and Vienna airport attacks would lead to full-scale war [NYT, WP 1/2].

Military Action

Arab World: Body of second Lebanese Jew killed by Organization of the Oppressed of the Earth is found, following group's statement he was killed in revenge for 12/31 SLA raid on S. Lebanese village of Kunin [WP, NYT 1/2].