Friday, June 1, 2001

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device outside a nightclub in Tel Aviv, killing 16 Israelis and injuring more than 80, mostly teenage Russian immigrants on a Friday night out. Arafat's spokesman condemns the attack, calls on all parties to show restraint. The PA orders Palestinians to close offices and stores and return to their homes, fearing a massive retaliation. Israel seals the West Bank and Gaza; reinforces internal closures on all Palestinian population centers, dividing the West Bank into 8 enclaves, Gaza into 4. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers set up a new enclave on Batn al-Masi hill in the West Bank. A Palestinian known for selling land to Jews is found murdered in Bethlehem. (CNN, HA, IGPO, JP [Internet] 6/1; NYT, WP, WT 6/2; MA 6/2, JT, SA 6/3 in WNC 6/4; NYT 6/3; MM 6/4; DUS 6/4 in WNC 6/5; WJW 6/7; AFP [Internet] 6/8; MEI 6/15)

Before the bombing, Israel allows 10,000s of Palestinians into Jerusalem to attend Faisal Husseini's funeral in Jerusalem. He is buried in a family tomb in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. As Israeli police stand back and watch, Palestinians make their largest open display of Palestinian nationalism in the city since 1967. Some Palestinians throw stones at Sharon's East Jerusalem residence, and a Jewish tourist fires a teargas canister at mourners, but generally the event is peaceful. (AP, HA, YA [Internet] 6/1; MA, Radio France International 6/1, al-Quds 6/2 in WNC 6/4; HP, NYT 6/2; WJW 6/7; JP, MEI 6/15)