March 5, 2004

The IDF sends troops into Ramallah to surround Arafat’s headquarters, check identities of anyone going in or out; tightens roadblocks around al-Ram and the n. Jordan Valley; reinforces troops in, fires on residential areas of Rafah; fires on residential areas of Jaba’ nr. Jenin, seriously wounding a 10-yr.-old Palestinian playing outside his home; conducts arrest raids in Balata r.c., Bethlehem, Nablus, Qalqilya. A 10-yr.-old Palestinian dies of injuries received in the IDF assassination of 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. on 2/28. Jewish settlers in Hebron uproot 150 Palestinian trees along the road fr. Kiryat Arba to the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. (VOP 3/5 in WNC 3/12; WT 3/6; MM 3/8; LAW, PCHR 3/11; MEI 3/19)