Before dawn, 10 gunmen fr. the militant Salafist group Soldiers of the Companions of God (SCG) approach the Gaza side of the Nahal Oz crossing in several trucks and on 5 horses and begin laying roadside bombs when they are fired upon by IDF troops on the Israeli side, sparking an exchange of fire that leaves 4 SCG gunmen dead; no IDF soldiers are injured. The IDF briefly sends tanks and helicopters into Gaza to clear the area. In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes 40 d. of Palestinian agricultural land, 7 wells, and several greenhouses e. of Hebron; patrols in Sa‘ir village nr. Hebron at midday, chasing and detaining 4 stone-throwing youths who confront them; conducts synchronized late-night house searches in ‘Aida r.c. and al-Duha village nr. Bethlehem. (NYT 6/9; OCHA, PCHR 6/11; JPI 6/19; REU 8/15; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 8/09)
Monday, June 8, 2009