The Palestine Chronology

The IDF conducts searches, arrest raids in Balata r.c., al-Bireh, Jenin, al-Amari r.c.; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Balata r.c., Jenin. An Islamic Jihad mbr. is killed when his car mysteriously explodes in s. Gaza in what may be an assassination. A leaflet signed by the AMB denounces the Geneva Accord, threatening Palestinians who took part in its drafting. At the Rafah-Egypt border crossing, some 200 Palestinians harass some 50 Palestinian drafters of the Geneva Accord en route to the Geneva Accord unveiling in Switzerland, hitting and kicking several drafters, causing no serious injuries. (Daily Star, JP, NYT 12/1; LAW, PCHR 12/4; PR 12/10) 

In Amman, King Abdallah of Jordan receives Qurai‘, agrees to transmit to Bush a series of PA ideas for restarting road map implementation when he visits Washington on 12/4. (VOP 11/30 in WNC 12/2; MEI 12/19)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Nablus; conducts arrest raids nr. Nablus. On the last Friday of Ramadan, Muslims across the Middle East hold Jerusalem Day rallies in support of the Palestinian claim to Jerusalem. In Tehran, 10,000s of Iranians demonstrate; some 10,000 rally in Bahrain; 1,000s rally in Beirut; Iraqis in Baghdad, Najaf hold rallies for the 1st time in yrs., chanting “Sharon is God’s enemy! America is God’s enemy!” and “No to America!”; in the West Bank, Gaza 1,000s of Palestinians protest against the Geneva Accord. (HA 11/21; IRNA, VIRI 11/21 in WNC 11/25; NYT 11/22; PCHR 12/4)

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who strays too close to Netzarim settlement; bulldozes 3 dunams of land in al-Mughraqa; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Hebron. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF vehicle, damaging it but causing no injuries; fire on an IDF position outside the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries; fire on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Hebron, damaging it but causing no injuries. (VOI, YA 11/20 in WNC 11/22; PCHR 12/4)

The IDF continues operations in Rafah, bulldozing 2 shops, 2 greenhouses; fires on residential areas of Gaza City; conducts house searches, arrest raids in villages around Ramallah, in Salfit. An IDF soldier dies of injuries received in the 9/9 Rishon Letzion suicide bombing, bringing that toll to 9. The Palestinian Authority (PA) Preventive Security Forces (PSF) arrests 1 of its own officers in connection with the fatal shooting of 2 IDF soldiers on 11/18. Palestinians fire 3 mortars at a Jewish settlement in Gaza, causing light damage, no injuries. (JP, MM 11/19; VOI, YA 11/19 in WNC 11/21; PCHR, WP 11/20; PCHR 12/4)

A joint task force comprising the Jewish Agency, Israeli government, IDF announces plans to invest tens of millions of dollars in a project to bring Jewish Diaspora youths (ages 18–26) to Israel for yr.-long visits aimed at “reinforcing Jewish identity and Zionist feelings in the Diaspora.” The goal is to bring 20% of Jewish Diaspora youths to Israel by 2010, in hopes that 30% of those would eventually immigrate. (HA 11/19)

An al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) gunman opens fire on an IDF checkpoint outside Jerusalem, killing 2 IDF soldiers; the gunman escapes toward al-Khadir village; the IDF seals al-Khadir, conducts house-to-house searches, arresting 3 Palestinians. The IDF raids Rafah, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves 1 Palestinian dead and 11 wounded, demolishing 7 Palestinian homes, damaging 2 others; fires on Palestinians at Qarni and Surda crossings for no apparent reason, wounding 3; shoots, wounds a 16-yr.-old Palestinian who breaks curfew in Asira nr. Nablus; fires on stone-throwing youths in Burqa nr. Nablus, wounding 3; fires on Palestinian farms nr. Netzarim settlement, killing 1 horse, wounding another; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus. The IDF also arrests a Palestinian farmer harvesting his olive grove nr. Salfit, threatens to bulldoze the grove and family home if the family returns to the site; 50 mbrs. of Rabbis for Human Rights, B’Tselem intervene, harvest the olives for the family, vow to stay on the site, block bulldozing until the issue is resolved. In Gaza, Palestinians fire an antitank missile at a Jewish settler convoy, causing no damage or injuries. (BBC, HA, ISM press release, MM 11/18; NYT, WP 11/19; VOP 11/19 in WNC 11/21; PCHR 11/20)

The IDF expels another 2 West Bank Palestinian administrative detainees to Gaza; demolishes at least 4 Palestinian homes in Rafah; fires on residential areas of Tarqumiyya (nr. Hebron); bulldozes 3 dunams of land in al-Mughraqa. The IDF, border police fire tear gas, percussion grenades into a peaceful crowd of more than 300 Palestinians, 30 ISM volunteers staging a nonviolent march fr. Tulkarm toward the separation wall, beating and arresting several marchers. (ISM press release 11/13; PCHR 11/20)

The IDF reinforces its troop presence in n. Jerusalem, surrounding villages; sends tanks, troops into Maghazi r.c. in search of wanted Palestinians, shells residential areas (wounding 5, destroying 1 Palestinian home), exchanges fire with Hamas mbrs. attempting to block the incursion, killing Hamas mbr. Mu‘amin Mughari; opens fire on a group of Palestinians nr. the Qarni crossing, killing a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy; raids Jenin, capturing local Islamic Jihad cmdr. Amjad Obeid, sparking rioting and an exchange of gunfire in which 1 Palestinian is killed; raids, fires on residential areas of Balata r.c. (killing 1 Palestinian), Rafah; fatally shoots 2 Palestinian teenagers apparently attempting tosneak across the Israeli border at Bayt Hanun to find work; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Jenin, 1 in Rafah, a greenhouse nr. Rafah. The PSF arrests 2 AMB mbrs. for plotting attacks inside Israel. Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. A Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. (AP, MM, NYT 11/7; al-Quds 11/7 in WNC 11/11; WP 11/8; PCHR 11/13)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Nablus, killing a Palestinian woman inside her home; fires on a taxi circumventing a roadblock, killing 1 Palestinian passenger; fires flechette shells, live ammunition at Palestinians who approach the Israeli border nr. Khan Yunis, killing 2 Palestinians, wounding 6 (2 dead, 4 wounded are apparently fr. the same family); demolishes 3 Palestinian homes nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids in the Hebron area, Nablus, Qalqilya; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, nr. Tulkarm. The PSF reports that it has in custody 2 Palestinians who have confessed to obtaining the explosives used in the 10/15 bombing of a U.S. convoy in Gaza. (HA, JTA 11/6; WP 11/8; PCHR 11/13)