The Palestine Chronology

Overnight, Hamas, the PRCs reportedly fire another 45 mortars, 30 rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza (lightly damaging 1 house) and the Negev in retaliation for the deaths of 3 Palestinians on 4/9. The IDF arrests Fatah mbr. Firas Tanbur in Nablus on charges of planning a terrorist attack on behalf of Hizballah; Palestinians confront soldiers with stones during the raid; soldiers respond with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas, injuring 10. The IDF also raids, searches an elementary school in, imposes a curfew on al-‘Asa’sa nr. Jenin; fires on stonethrowing Palestinians nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin; occupies a Palestinian home in Ramallah as an observation post; sends troops into Aida r.c. to break up a nonviolent protest against threats by Revava to attack al-Aqsa mosque. Some 3,000 Israeli police bar a rally at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif by Revava attended by only 50 rightwing Israelis. Israel reports that Egypt recently arrested a Fatah Hawks mbr. on charges of smuggling Strela surface-to-air missiles into Gaza. (HA, MM, NYT 4/11; XIN 4/12; OCHA, PR 4/13; MM, PCHR 4/14)

The Israeli DMin. approves a “series of pinpointed, intensive actions” in Rafah in response to the 12/11 Hamas–Fatah Hawks attack. Hamas Nablus cmdr. Ihsan Shawahna is killed, 3 IDF soldiers are injured in an exchange of fire during an IDF arrest raid in Nablus. The IDF further tightens Palestinian movement around Bethlehem, Tulkarm (see 12/10); raids an Islamic charitable society in Dura, confiscates books fr. the library, seals the offices; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Aida r.c., Bethlehem, Duha, Nablus. Late in the evening, the IDF sends bulldozers into Khan Yunis, demolishes 11 Palestinian homes. (HA, MA, VOP, YA 12/13 in WNC 12/15; PR 12/15; PCHR 12/16)