Thursday, June 24, 2004

The IDF fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians who allegedly attempt to attack an IDF post nr. Gaza’s Dugit settlement; imposes an around-the-clock curfew on Palestinian areas of Hebron; arrests an ambulance driver transporting an ailing child at a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya; fires on, shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah. The IDF also launches a major raid on Nablus to “clear the casbah of Palestinian fugitives,” surrounding refugee camps in search of 7 wanted AMB mbrs., sending in 100s of troops, taking over more than 12 buildings; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Dayr al-Balah, Hebron and nr. Tulkarm; evacuates an apartment building in Bethlehem, then blows up 1 unit, severely damaging several others; bulldozes 1 Palestinian home, some olive trees in the n. Gaza Strip. Homeless Palestinians end their sit-in strike (begun 6/19) after the PC announces plans to build some homes for the homeless. (VOI, VOP 6/24 in WNC 6/26; MM, NYT 6/25; NYT 6/26; PR 6/30; PCHR 7/1)