June 1, 2008

Overnight in Gaza, the IDF sends troops, bulldozers into Bani Suhayla nr. Khan Yunis, bulldozing 125 d. of agricultural land, several greenhouses, 1 Palestinian home before withdrawing in the morning; during the operation, troops fire a tank shell at armed Palestinians approaching the area (wounding 3) and detain 11 Palestinians (including 1 child) for questioning. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Qabatya, and nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police and intelligence officers break up a memorial service for the late Palestinian political figure Faisal Husseini, declaring it an illegal political gathering, arresting 4 Palestinians. A Jewish settler deliberately drives into a flock of Palestinian sheep nr. Hebron, killing 3 sheep, injuring 2. The Israeli Housing Min. says it is moving ahead with previously announced plans to build 884 new Jewish settler housing units in East Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev (763 units) and Har Homa (121 units) settlements. Meanwhile, in Bayt Furik, angry Palestinians demonstrate, throw stones at a Palestinian Authority (PA) police station in Nablus, denouncing the PA’s recent confiscation of 86 unlicensed and stolen vehicles, injuring 3 policemen; the PA police fire live ammunition and percussion grenades at the protesters and beat several, injuring 8 Palestinians and causing an elderly Palestinian woman to have a fatal heart attack. In Gaza’s al-Maghazi r.c., unidentified gunmen fire on a group of Hamas mbrs., who return heavy fire; no injuries are reported. In Gaza’s Shati’ r.c., a bomb explodes outside a store, causing damage but no injuries; no group takes responsibility. (NYT 6/2; OCHA 6/4; PCHR 6/5; REU 7/14)