Wednesday, November 5, 2003

The IDF eases the encirclement (in place since the 9/9 suicide bombings) of 6 major Palestinian cities, excluding Jenin and Nablus, in an apparent bid to aid Qurai‘ in forming a cabinet; confiscates 424 dunams of Palestinian land in the n. Jordan Valley for construction of the separation wall; blows up a Palestinian home in Silwad (nr. Ramallah); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Qalqilya; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; shells a main water reservoir in Bayt Hanun, cutting the water supply to the area. Palestinians who are allowed to reach their olive groves for the 1st time since the harvest began report that Jewish settlers have felled 100s of trees nr. Sawiyya (nr. Ely settlement) outside Hawara (where a curfew remains in effect; see 11/4); the IDF confirms the reports, also requests an additional NIS 20 m. fr. the Finance Min. for the fortification of Jewish settlements. Jewish settlers also beat up a Palestinian in East Jerusalem. (AFP, HA, MM 11/5; VOP 11/5 in WNC 11/7; NYT, PCHR 11/6; VOP 11/6 in WNC 11/8; MA 11/7 in WNC 11/11; PCHR 11/13)