The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, forcing them to return to shore. On the Rafah border, 3 Palestinians are killed when a smuggling tunnel collapses; Hamas blames Egyptian efforts to seal tunnels using water, gas, explosives for killing 8 Palestinian smugglers since 8/1, calling the tactics irresponsible. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, wounding 7; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Qabatya and Tubas, nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers in Hebron unsuccessfully attempt to set fire to al-Ras Mosque (see 8/7). (OCHA, WT 8/13; PCHR, WT 8/14)

Egyptian border police discover, demolish 20 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border; smugglers exchange fire with police, leaving 2 unidentified individuals dead and 4 wounded inside Egyptian territory. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, wounding 7. For a 2d day, armed Jewish settlers attempt to enter Shu‘fat r.c. to establish an unauthorized outpost; the IDF bars their entry. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba dump trash in front of the entrance of Hebron’s al-Ras Mosque. Jewish settlers fr. Givat Ha’avot settlement in Hebron vandalize 5 nearby Palestinian homes. The Israeli Interior Min. approves construction of 400 new settler housing units in Neve Ya’acov settlement n. of Jerusalem, and authorizes tenders to be issued for construction of 286 housing units in Beitar Ilit nr. Bethlehem (approved by the Housing Min. on 5/21) and 130 units in Har Homa in East Jerusalem (some of which may have been approved by the Interior Min. on 7/9). Israel also reportedly agrees to transfer settlers living in the unauthorized outpost of Migron nr. Ramallah to another settlement (as yet undecided) where 40 new units would be built to accommodate them. (OCHA 8/13; PCHR 8/14)

In the West Bank, the IDF raids and searches homes nr. Jenin but makes no arrests; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation). Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba and a nearby unauthorized outpost in Wadi al-Nassara attack Palestinian homes for a 2d day, causing damage but no reported injuries. Jewish settlers with a bulldozer occupy and level a plot of Palestinian land s. of Bethlehem; the IDF removes the settlers. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar nr. Nablus throw a large rock at a passing Palestinian car, seriously injuring a Palestinian woman and lightly injuring her child; the IDF evacuates the mother to a hospital in Israel. In Gaza, Hamas-affiliated police detain several senior Fatah officials in what Hamas calls a response to Fatah’s detention of West Bank Hamas loyalists on 7/28. Egyptian border police demolish a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, suffocating 5 Palestinians. (NYT 8/2; OCHA 8/6; PCHR 8/7; 8/13)