The Palestine Chronology

An IDF soldier, who deserted 2 mos. ago to protest disengagement and moved to the right-wing West Bank settlement of Tapuach, boards a Haifa–Shafa‘ Amr bus, still dressed in fatigues and carrying his military issue weapon; when the bus enters the Israeli Palestinian town of Shafa ‘Amr, the driver asks him whether he’s on the right bus; the soldier then shoots the Israeli Palestinian driver dead and opens fire on the passengers, killing another 3 Israeli Palestinians, wounding 20 before a mob beats him to death. Sharon denounces the “reprehensible act by a bloodthirsty Jewish terrorist”; YESHA settlers council also condemns the attack; the U.S. terms it a “terrible act of terrorism.” In Gaza City, the PA opens (symbolically on Arafat’s birthday) a 2-wk. “victory festival” to celebrate the pending disengagement and a wk.-long UNDP-funded publicity campaign called “Gaza—Reclaiming our Gem”; 10,000s of Palestinians, predominantly Fatah supporters, rally outside Gaza’s PC headquarters to hear speeches by Abbas, Qurai‘, Dahlan, who emphasize national unity, call on Palestinians not to take any actions that would jeopardize the national image, emphasize that the world is watching how Palestinians react to disengagement and assume responsibility for Gaza. The IDF raids Ramallah, arrests Islamic Jihad spokesman Shaykh Khadir ‘Adnan; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c. (arresting a PA security officer), Bayt Fajjar, Hebron (occupying 2 houses as observation posts), al-Til, Yatta; patrols in Bethlehem; arrests a PA security officer at a checkpoint outside Jerusalem. A Jewish settler fr. Neve Dekalim throws a Molotov cocktail at a Palestinian home in al-Mawasi, causing damage but no injuries. Israel announces plans to build 72 new housing units in Beitar Ilit settlement nr. Jerusalem. A Palestinian dies of injures received on 8/2 in Bayt Hanun. (IMEMC, HA, REU, YA 8/4; AFP, BBC, JAZ, MA, NYT, WP, WT, YA 8/5; VOP 8/5 in WNC 8/5; NYT, WP, WT 8/6; OCHA, PR 8/10; PCHR 8/11)

The BBC reports that papers in the British National Archives show that in 1958, Britain secretly sold Israel 20 tons of heavy water vital for production of plutonium and the manufacture of nuclear weapons at its Dimona reactor. No “peaceful use only” condition was placed on the sale. (BBC 8/4) The World Bank releases a report showing Israel to be 2d only to Italy as the most corrupt, least efficient of developed countries. The report states that “Israel is considered one of the riskiest places in the Western world, with an unstable, inefficient regime, low accountability, a relative high rate of state corruption, and poor law enforcement.” (HA 8/4)

An IDF aircraft fires 2 missiles at a well in Bayt Hanun, destroying it. Around 40 Jewish settlers fr. Tal Yam outpost in Gaza (see 6/27) chanting “Death to Arabs” occupy 2 Palestinian homes in al-Mawasi, throw stones at Palestinians and IDF soldiers nearby, severely beat 1 Palestinian in what observers describe as a near lynching (the incident, caught on video by an Israeli cameraman, is described by Sharon on 6/30 as “a barbaric, wild, and heartless act”); an Israeli reporter pulls the critically injured Palestinian to safety; the IDF arrests the settlers, evicts them fr. the area. The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinians; raids, occupies 2 Palestinian homes in al-Til as observation posts; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c. and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm. The AMB, Islamic Jihad, the PRCs take joint responsibility for firing 2 mortars at Netzarim, causing no damage or injuries. During the day, Palestinians fire 10s of rockets, at least 1 mortar at Gaza settlements, lightly injuring 1 foreign worker in Gush Katif. Israeli police arrest around 150 Israeli disengagement protesters who attempt to block roads across Israel during rush hour, causing limited tie-ups. (AFP, XIN 6/29; VOI 6/29 in WNC 6/30; BBC, PCHR, Palestine News Network, WP, XIN 6/30; HA 7/2; JP 7/2 in WNC 7/3; UPI, YA 7/3; NYT 7/5; OCHA, PR 7/6; PCHR 7/7; NYT 7/15)

The IDF clashes with 4 mbrs. of the AMB, Islamic Jihad at an IDF outpost outside Gaza’s Kefar Darom settlement, killing 1 Islamic Jihad mbr., wounding an AMB mbr., while the 2 other gunmen flee. The IDF also opens the Rafah crossing, with severe restrictions on who may cross, but otherwise continues to seal the Gaza Strip; raids a suspected Islamic Jihad weapons factory in Jenin, arrests 1 Islamic Jihad mbr.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, in Mughraqa, nr. Tulkarm; bulldozes 1 d. of Palestinian agricultural land bordering Kefar Darom. Around 30 armed Jewish settlers (young disengagement protesters who moved to Neve Dekalim in recent days) attack a group of Palestinians in al-Mawasi, beating 3, shooting and wounding 1; Israeli soldiers observe but do not intervene, delay the checkpoint crossing of an ambulance transporting the wounded man to the hospital. Soon after, Palestinians fire 4 mortars at Neve Dekalim, 1 rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba occupy 3 Palestinian stores in the Palestinian section of Hebron for use as a synagogue, uproot 33 olive trees, destroy a harvest of plums. (HA, XIN 6/18; VOI, VOP 6/18 in WNC 6/19; WP 6/20; OCHA, PR 6/22; PCHR 6/23; IMEMC 6/24)

In disputed circumstances, the IDF fires 2 missiles at Hamas mbrs. reportedly driving a car transporting a rocket launcher in Khan Yunis, but the Hamas mbrs. escape unharmed; around the same time Hamas mbrs. fire 9 mortars, 1 Qassam rocket at nearby IDF targets and settlements, damaging a bus, lightly wounding 2 IDF soldiers; The IDF says it retaliated against the Hamas mbrs., who attacked 1st; Hamas says the IDF targeted its mbrs. 1st, and they responded. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Gaza’s al-Mawasi area and nr. Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm. A Palestinian teenager stabs, wounds an Israeli policeman in West Jerusalem, is arrested. Jewish settlers set fire to a Palestinian store in Hebron. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 6/7 in Khan Yunis. (PRCS 6/8; AFP, VOI, VOP, XIN 6/8 in WNC 6/9; NYT, PCHR, WT 6/9; OCHA, PR 6/15; PCHR 6/16)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askara nr. Bethlehem, Burkin nr. Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Neve Dekalim seize 18 d. of Palestinian lands in al-Mawasi in s. Gaza. Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino chase Palestinians, throw stones at Palestinian homes in Hebron. PA police reportedly fire on the car of Jenin AMB head Muhammad Abu Araj, hitting him in the leg; AMB mbrs. return fire, without causing injuries. The IDF jails the 1st IDF reservist, Arkadi Moter (who is also a Jewish settler) for refusing to serve in protest of Gaza disengagement. Separately, the IDF places a Jewish settler, Niria Ofen, in administrative detention until 9/30/05 for suspected militant activity related to disengagement. Armed AMB mbrs. shut down the central Gaza PA Central Election Comm. (CEC) offices apparently in effort to overturn what they call “fraudulent election returns” in Bureij, Rafah that favor Hamas. Later they occupy the CEC offices in Bayt Lahiya, where Hamas already officially had been declared winner, and refuse to leave. (JAZ, MM, NYT, WP 5/9; AP, MM, NYT 5/10; AP, OCHA, PR 5/11; PCHR 5/12)

IDF soldiers based at Neve Dekalim settlement fire heavy machine guns on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding 2 Palestinian children; arrest 4 Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel e. of Dayr al-Balah to find work; conduct arrest raids, house searches in al-Ras nr. Tulkarm; level 4 d. of agricultural land along a settler bypass road in al-Mawasi. Some 25 AMB gunmen invade a youth center in Balata r.c., try to disrupt vote counting for elections for the center’s board that Hamas seemed to be winning (at the time of the break in, 81% of the votes had been tallied, showing a clear victory for Hamas), firing in the air, destroying furniture, declaring the vote invalid. (NYT 4/3; HA 4/4; OCHA 4/6; PCHR, PR 4/7)

The IDF fires on stone-throwing Palestinians nr. Ramallah; shoots, wounds a Palestinian who strays too close to Rafiah Yam settlement in s. Gaza; conducts arrest raids, house searches in the Wadi al-Husayn area of s. Hebron, rounding up all men and holding them for 5 hrs. of interrogation; places temporary curfews on Bardala and Kardala e. of Jenin, orders all Palestinian males ages 15– 60 to surrender for ID checks; also conducts arrest raids in al-Mawasi nr. Khan Yunis. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba beat a Palestinian in Hebron; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (HA 3/18; JP 3/28; OCHA, PR 3/23; PCHR 3/24)

Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo pledge to extend the unofficial truce until the end of 2005, provided that the lull in violence continues and that Israel follows through on its Sharm al-Shaykh pledges to turn over security control of West Bank cities and release a significant number of Palestinian prisoners.Abbas and the factions agree to form a comm. to study rebuilding the PLO on new foundations that would allow Hamas, Islamic Jihad to join. (Daily Star, MM, REU 3/17; BBC, HA, MM, NYT, VOP, WP, WT 3/18; JAZ 3/19; AP, JAZ 3/21; PR 3/23; MEI 4/1)

The IDF arrests a 16-yr.-old Palestinian at Hawara checkpoint nr. Nablus for carrying a bag with “an apparent explosive belt, an improvised weapon, and 20 bullets”; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Ithna, al-Mawasi, Nablus; sends troops into al-Fara’a r.c. to search local Palestinians on the street, fires on Palestinian youths who throw stones at troops; issues military orders confiscating at least 130 d. of agricultural land s. of Nablus to establish a buffer zone around Emmanuel settlement; issues a military order confiscating 25 d. of Azariyya land for separation wall construction. A DFLP mbr. throws grenades at an IDF vehicle in s. Gaza, slightly wounding 2 soldiers; soldiers shoot, kill the assailant. 2 AMB mbrs. fire on an IDF jeep nr. Hebron, wounding 4 IDF soldiers, escaping. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in IDF shelling of Bayt Lahiya on 1/4/05. (IMEMC 2/3; HA, WP 2/4; NYT 2/6; PCHR 2/10; OCHA 2/23)

Inside Israel, some 1,000 Israeli border police backed by 16 bulldozers level 4,000 d. of bedouin land in the al-Araqib area of the Negev, seal off all roads leading to the area to prevent the bedouin owners fr. returning. The Israel Lands Dept. says the goal of the operation is to “salvage the state’s lands from the Arab bedouins who seized and exploited them.” (JAZ 2/4)

2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. ambush a Jewish settler vehicle outside Gaza’s Morag settlement, detonate 2 bombs killing 1 Jewish settler, fire on IDF soldiers who arrive on the scene, wounding 3, before being shot dead by the IDF. The IDF fatally shoots 2 Hamas mbrs. in an exchange of fire during an arrest raid in Qarawat Bani Zayd, later demolishing the Palestinian home in which they hid; fires on residential areas of Rafah, Tarqumiyya nr. Hebron; occupies the property of a Palestinian company in Dayr al-Balah, converting the corporate campus into a military camp; conducts arrest raids in al-Mawasi in s. Gaza, Qalqilya, Tubas. (VOI, VOP 1/12 in WNC 1/14; NYT, PCHR, WP 1/13; OCHA 1/19; PR 1/20; MEI 1/21)

An Israeli court imposes light sentences on 5 Israeli Palestinian leaders of the Islamic Movement, including movement founder Shaykh Raed Salah, who were arrested on 5/13/03 and accused of funneling $10 m. to Hamas, having contacts with Iranian agents. The 5 admitted to “security offenses”; the other charges were dropped. (NYT 1/13)

The IDF confiscates 352 d. in northwest Jerusalem for construction of the separation wall; fires nr.aPalestinian polling station in Khan Yunis; obstructs Palestinian movement in al-Mawasi; fires on 3 Palestinians attempting to infiltrate Gaza fr. Egypt, wounding and detaining all 3. Palestinians fire 3 Qassam rockets at the western Negev, causing no damage or injuries. (JAZ 1/9; VOI 1/10 in WNC 1/12; OCHA 1/19)

After a robust campaign period, PA presidential elections are held. Abbas wins with 62% of the vote. Hamas, Islamic Jihad do not participate. (HA, NYT, WP 1/9; HA, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, JAZ, MENA, Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation TV, PSCT, al-Quds, al-Ra’i, VOI, VOP, XIN, YA 1/9 in WNC 1/11; JAZ 1/9, AFP, AP, ATL, HA, Interfax, ITAR-TASS, JAZ, MENA, PSCT, VOI, VOP, XIN, YA 1/10 in WNC 1/12; HA, MM, National Democratic Institute press release, NYT, WP, WT 1/10; VOP 1/10, AYM, HJ, JP 1/12 in WNC 1/15; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/11; VOP 1/11 in WNC 1/13; PR 1/12; HJ 1/12 in WNC 1/14; MEI 1/21)