The Palestine Chronology

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who strays too close to Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. In Silwan, East Jerusalem, 50 Jewish settlers (11 families) escorted by heavily armed Israeli border police occupy a multistory building, a Palestinian home they claimed to have purchased, evicting Palestinian residents, sparking clashes btwn. the IDF, Palestinians (9 of whom are arrested). The IDF dismantles 2 unauthorized settlement outposts: 1 nr. Hebron comprising a single tent that served as a synagogue, the other nr. Bethlehem comprising 2 containers; 300 Jewish settlers scuffle with the troops at the Hebron site, resulting in some moderate injuries. Palestinians fire an antitank rocket at IDF forces nr. Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. (AP, PR, REU 3/31; VOI, VOP 3/31 in WNC 4/2; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 4/1; MM 4/6; PCHR 4/8)

Abrams, Burns, Hadley return to the region for consultations with Israeli, Palestinian officials on Sharon’s disengagement plan. (WP 3/27; HA 3/28; MM, NYT, WT 4/1; VOP 4/1 in WNC 4/3; HA, MM, NYT, WT 4/2)

The IDF conducts arrest raids in Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah. Palestinians throughout the territories, Israeli Arabs inside Israel hold demonstrations to mark the 28th anniversary of Land Day, when Israeli forces confiscated 5,500 acres of land fr. Arab villages in the Galilee for the construction of Jewish enclaves, sparking clashes in which 9 Israeli Arabs were killed, 96 were injured, 300 were arrested; IDF troops clash with demonstrators in Beitunia. Palestinians fire an antitank rocket at IDF forces outside Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement, causing no damage or injuries. A group of 81 prominent Palestinians (mostly veteran leftists, some Fatah mbrs.) issue a call for nonviolent protest similar to that made on 3/25, but also warning that Palestinian violence will not cease until Israel halts its attacks on, oppression of the Palestinians. (AFP, MM, XIN 3/30; PR, WT 3/31; YA 3/31 in WNC 4/2; PCHR 4/1; MEI 4/2)

The IDF assassinates Hamas mbr. Nasir Abu Shuka with an exploding cell phone in Bureij r.c.; fatally shoots a PFLP mbr. who throws a grenade at an IDF patrol in Rafah; fatally shoots a Palestinian youth nr. Netzarim settlement; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Jenin, 1 nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Aza r.c., Balata r.c., Bayt Sahur, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus; bulldozes 45 dunams of land in Wadi al-Silqa. In Gaza, an AMB mbr. is killed by friendly fire during an attempted AMB ambush of an IDF patrol. Palestinians also fire an antitank rocket at an IDF patrol nr. Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement, causing no damage or injuries. (HA 2/5; WP 2/6; VOP 2/6 in WNC 2/10; PCHR 2/8, 2/12)