Tuesday, May 23, 2006

The IDF sends bulldozers 300 m into central Gaza to level land along the border; sends troops into Nablus, firing tear gas at Palestinian children on their way home fr. school; sends troops into Tulkarm to search a car, confiscate a computer; patrols in Kafr Dan nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids in and around Hebron and Ramallah (capturing Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades West Bank head Ibrahim Hamid), in Jericho, and nr. Qalqilya. An Israeli court rejects an appeal by East Jerusalem Palestinians challenging the route of the separation wall around Ma’ale Adumim, determining that the DMin. has given “adequate consideration of the barrier’s impact on residents while balancing the security needs of Israeli citizens.” (AFP, MM 5/23; NYT, WP, WT 5/24; PCHR 5/25)