Clashes btwn. the IDF, Palestinians continue in Rafah for a 4th day, leaving 2 IDF soldiers, 2 Palestinians dead. Palestinians report near-continuous IDF shelling. The IDF announces plans to bulldoze 100s of Palestinian homes along the Rafah border with Egypt to widen (by “a couple of hundred meters”) the Philadelphi Route (now 4.5 mi. long and 250 m wide); bulldozes more Palestinian homes, as 1,000s of Palestinians flee the area. Human rights groups report that the IDF has demolished 72 Palestinian homes in Rafah completely, another 27 partially since 5/12. The IDF also fires on a Palestinian car nr. Netzarim settlement, wounding a pregnant Palestinian; demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in al-Qarara, 1 nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem; fires on residential areas of Tulkarm. (BBC, MM 5/14; MA, MENA, VOI, VOP, YA 5/14 in WNC 5/18; NYT, WP, WT 5/15; PCHR 5/20)
Friday, May 14, 2004