Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 Qassam rockets toward Israel during the day; 3 land in open areas inside Israel (causing no injuries) and the 4th lands harmlessly inside Gaza. IDF troops enter the Erez industrial zone to chase away Palestinians scavenging for building materials amid the debris of destroyed buildings, detaining 17 (including 4 children) and confiscating 4 carts of goods (15 of the Palestinians are released on 3/21; the other 2 are arrested). In the West Bank, Jewish settlers fr. Brakha attempt to enter the nearby village of Iraq Burin nr. Nablus, sparking a clash with Palestinian villagers who attempt to fend them off; the IDF intervenes, firing rubbercoated steel bullets and tear gas, killing a 16-yr.-old Palestinian, and seriously wounding a 2d Palestinian. (YA 3/20; HA, NYT, WP 3/21; OCHA, PCHR 3/25)
Saturday, March 20, 2010