The Palestine Chronology

In Kiryat Motzkin, nr. Haifa, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device outside a cafe, wounding 15 Israelis. Islamic Jihad takes responsibility. (The bomber, Muhammad Nasr, was a fmr. PSF guard who quit his job at the Jinin jail after Islamic Jihad leader Iyad Hardan, who had befriended Nasr during his incarceration there, was assassinated on 4/5.) Afterward, Israeli Jews attack, severely beat an Israeli-Arab family in Haifa. Meanwhile, the IDF directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Hebron, fatally shooting a 7-yr.-old Palestinian girl in her home, wounding 19 others; on hearing the news of the girl's death, the child's grandmother has a fatal heart attack. The IDF also occupies the Palestinian Telecommunications (Paltel) building in Abu Dis, which handles Palestinian telephone service in the Jerusalem area; Israel says Paltel may continue operations in coordination with IDF officers posted on site. The IDF directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bethlehem; demolishes a Palestinian home, bulldozes agricultural land in al-Qarara. Jewish settlers uproot a Palestinian olive grove nr. Ma'ale Shomron settlement. Demonstrations continue outside Orient House. Peace Now sponsors a protest vigil outside the PM's office in Jerusalem. Israeli police set up a new police post at Damascus Gate, new security cameras in several areas in the Old City. (AFP [Internet], IDF press release 8/12; HP, NYT, WP, WT 8/13; MENA, al-Ra'i 8/13 in WNC 8/14; NYT 8/14; MA 8/14 in WNC 8/15; MEZ 8/15; Independent [Internet] 8/16)

Sharon authorizes Peres to open security talks with senior PA officials but requires him seek special permission to meet with Arafat. (FMin. press release 8/12; AP, HP, WT 8/13; AYM 8/13 in WNC 8/14; WT 8/14; al-Ra'i 8/16 in WNC 8/17)

In Cairo, FM Maher, Mubarak's senior adviser Osama Baz meet with Oslo architect and fmr. Israeli MK Yossi Beilin to discuss ways achieving an Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire, renewing negotiations. (MENA 8/13 in WNC 8/14)