August 16, 2007

In the West Bank, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers conduct arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron; patrol in and around Jenin. In Gaza, where Israel has completely sealed borders to all but humanitarian aid since Hamas’s 6/15/07 ouster of Fatah (see Quarterly Update), 3 Hamas mbrs. are injured when rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) they are handling explode prematurely. The Hamas-dominated Executive Support Force (ESF) detains pro-Fatah Palestinian Authority (PA) Atty. Gen. Ahmad Mughami when he returns to Gaza, which he had fled during the 6/07 intra-Palestinian clashes, and orders him to stay away fr. his offices; Mughami refuses to resign, is released. (NYT 8/17; OCHA 8/22; PCHR 8/23)