In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill 3 Palestinians in Jenin, and wound 11, during the course of an arrest raid targeting 1 of the deceased, a wanted mbr. of the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades. The other 2 men are killed when they attempt to recover the body of the 1st. A funeral march for the 3 men attracts more than 10,000 mourners, who chant slogans for revenge, an end to peace talks, and for Hamas-Fatah reconciliation. In a joint statement, Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and Islamic Jihad’s Sayara al-Quds Brigades threaten a “painful” retaliation, and accuse the PA of complicity in the killings. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that the security establishment is pointing to “increasing opposition” in recent mos. by residents when soldiers enter refugee camps for raids and other operations. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 3 nearby villages; patrols in Hebron in the morning, and in 2 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Jenin and Tulkarm at night. In East Jerusalem, some 150 Palestinians protest outside Damascus Gate, angry at the deadly raid in Jenin. Subsequent clashes with Israeli security forces result in no injuries. (JP, MNA, REU 3/22; PCHR 2/27)
PA Pres. Abbas tells an emergency meeting of the Fatah Central Cmte. in Ramallah that the he won’t make any concessions on the rights of Palestinians rights “regardless of the pressures and threats.” Abbas briefs officials on his latest trip to Washington—he returned on 3/20—and the state of the peace talks. The cmte. expresses support for Abbas’s positions, including a fully independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. (YA 3/22)