Sunday, March 2, 2003

The IDF continues its “preemptive operation” in Khan Yunis, blowing up a 7-story apartment building, firing on a hospital, wounding 8 Palestinians inside; Palestinians fight back with guns, grenades, causing no injuries; troops pull out in the morning. During funerals for 2 Palestinians killed in Khan Yunis on 3/1, armed Palestinians fire in the air, drawing fire fr. IDF troop guarding a nearby Jewish settlement, which kills a 9-yr.-old Palestinian boy. A 2d Palestinian dies of injuries received on 10/22/02. The IDF also fires on residential areas s. of Bethlehem, Rafah; demolishes 9 Palestinian homes in Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem. The Israel Lands Admin. demolishes 17 Israeli Arab homes in Kafr Qasim. (AP, HA 3/2; HA, NYT 3/3; MM 3/4; PR 3/5; PCHR 3/6; MEI 3/7; LAW 3/13)