April 6, 2006

As Operation Southern Arrow on Gaza continues, the IDF conducts air strikes on 2 AMB targets in Bayt Lahiya where AMB mbrs. allegedly are meeting to plan rocket launches against Israel; makes air strikes on the presidential landing strip in Gaza City for a 2d time (see 4/5), on a Muslim youth association building in Gaza City (causing damage but no injuries); fires some 300 artillery shells into Gaza (injuring 2 Palestinians nr. their homes in Bayt Hanun and Bayt Lahiya) in response to Palestinians firing some 12 rockets towards Israel in recent days; also drops 1,000s of leaflet on n. Gaza warning Palestinians against approaching areas fr. which rockets are launched. The IDF also arrests, questions, releases PA Jerusalem Affairs M Khalid Abu ‘Arafa, a Jerusalem resident, as he leaves Jerusalem for the West Bank, saying he is on a list of individuals barred fr. entering the West Bank for security reasons; continues arrest raids, house searches in Nablus (see 4/5), firing on residential areas, occupying a Palestinian home as an observation post, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 8 plus an American journalist covering the demonstration; bars Palestinian vehicular traffic into or out of Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, in and around Jenin. In separate raids on Nablus late in the evening, an IDF undercover unit shoots, wounds a PA police officer who mistakes their raid on an apartment for a burglary (the officer is uniformed and identifies himself before being shot); fires on a Palestinian vehicle that enters an area in which an arrest raid is underway, wounding 4 bystanders, fatally shooting a 5th bystander who attempts to leave the scene to get medical help. (HA, MM 4/6; Voice of al-Aqsa 4/6 in WNC 4/9; NYT, WT 4/7; Guardian 4/8; HA 5/7; PCHR 4/13)