The IDF attempts to assassinate senior Hamas military leader Jamal Jarrah, firing 2 missiles at his car as he drives in Gaza City, wounding 1 of his passengers, 10 bystanders; the attack marks Israel’s 1st targeting of a Hamas figure since 10/20 and comes soon after the IDF’s 12/26 declaration that it would not target the group. The IDF fires on farmers nr. Morag settlement (killing 1 Palestinian), Palestinian workers laying a sewage channel (seriously wounding 1), Palestinians passing nr. an IDF patrol in Ramallah (wounding 6), residential areas of Dayr al-Balah and Rafah (injuring 3); bulldozes 25 dunams of land nr. Dayr al-Balah; conducts house-to-house searches in Nablus, arrest raids in Jenin. A Jewish settler driving nr. Hebron hits, injures a 5-yr.-old Palestinian boy. (HA 12/30; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 12/31; PCHR 1/1)
Tuesday, December 30, 2003