August 3, 2003

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who allegedly fails to stop at a roadblock; places a curfew on Palestinian villages nr. a settler bypass road outside Dayr al-Balah. In apparent reaction to the IDF shooting of a car carrying 3 children on 7/25, AMB gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Har Gilo settlement, nr. Bethlehem, injuring a Jewish settler, her 3 children. Arafat releases the 17 AMB mbrs. fr. detention in his compound (see 8/2) after they promise to adhere to the cease-fire; the PA says it was unwilling to risk a confrontation with the AMB over the men’s arrest. (HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/4; IDF Radio, VOI, XIN 8/4 in WNC 8/6; MM 8/5; PCHR 8/7; MEI 8/8)