May 12, 2009

The IDF sends troops into Gaza to bulldoze land nr. the border fence e. of Jabaliya. The UN reports several previously unreported Gaza incidents that took place between 5/7 and 5/12 (no exact dates given): the IDF killed 1 armed Palestinian and wounded 1 armed Palestinian and 7 civilians (no details); Palestinians fired “several” rockets and mortars into Israel, causing no injuries but damaging 1 house; the IDF made several air strikes on Rafah border tunnels in response; there were 6 incidents of IDF gunfire and shelling across the border at Palestinian farmers, in 1 case setting 15 d. of wheat ablaze nr. al-Qarara. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a morning incursion into Qalqilya to raid and search the home of a wanted Palestinian (not at home), arresting his mother. Jewish settlers perform religious ceremonies at the vacated Homesh settlement site northwest of Nablus. Jewish settlers in Hebron stage a provocative march through the town (fr. Kiryat Arba through Wadi al-Husayn, Wadi al-Nasara, Jabir, al-Salayma, the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs, al-Sahla, and al-Shuhada to Ramat Yishai settlement) in a show of force, vandalizing Palestinian homes and threatening Palestinians along the way; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (OCHA, WP, WT 5/13; PCHR, WJW 5/14)