The Palestine Chronology

The IDF continues to shell the n. Gaza no-go zone; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dayr al-Ghusun nr. Tulkarm, Jenin town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront troops, wounding 9), al-Til, Yatta; removes without incident 3 unauthorized settlement outposts nr. Beit El, Kiryat Arba, Shvut Rachel. Some 100 PA policemen occupy the Rafah border terminal to protest the death of a policeman on 12/29; EU monitors shut the crossing, leave the area for several hrs., until the demonstration breaks up. In Gaza City, a Palestinian clan attacks a PA police station, trades gunfire with police for a 2d day in an attempt to force them to free a jailed relative; a 14-yr.-old Palestinian is fatally shot in the crossfire. During the day, the AMB, Hamas hold separate rallies in Gaza protesting the kidnapping of 3 Britons on 12/28; the Britons are released late in the evening; just before freeing them, a group calling itself the Brigades of the Mujahiddin (reportedly connected to Fatah) issues a videotaped statement claiming responsibility, calling on Britain to take a harder line with Israel. (IMEMC, JAZ, YA 12/30; NYT, WP, WT 12/31; HA 1/1; PCHR 1/5)

IDF conducts air strikes on 2 cars in Gaza City, assassinating 4 PRC mbrs. and wounding 1 bystander in one case, and wounding Islamic Jihad spokesman Khadir Habib and 3 bystanders in the other. Later, Palestinians fire 5 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; in response, the IDF fires artillery shells at n. Gaza areas, carries out 2 air strikes on a n. Gaza access road, wounding 2 Palestinians. During the day, the IDF also conducts arrest raids in and around Jenin, in Nablus (reportedly finding a Qassam rocket, explosives in the search of a Hamas building). Late in the evening, the IDF makes air strikes on the Bayt Lahiya home of a PRC leader, injuring a relative, and on an Islamic Jihad charity in Rafah, causing damage but no injuries; conducts an air strike on an agricultural school in Bayt Hanun, injuring 1 Palestinian; launches 4 air strikes on open areas of n. Gaza, causing no damage; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah. Israel approves construction of 200 new housing units in Ma’ale Adumim settlement and 40 in Ariel Brakha, Nokdim. A group of AMB mbrs.storms the Fatah headquarters in Gaza, demanding jobs; exchanges fire with another group of Fatah mbrs. who drive them away, leaving 3 wounded. (BBC, HA, IMEMC, JAZ, REU, YA 12/14; DS, JAZ, NYT, PCHR, PMC, WP, YA 12/15; PLO press release 12/21; PCHR 12/22)

Overnight, the IDF launches a major raid on Nablus, surrounding and searching houses, assassinating senior Hamas military cmdr. for the n. West Bank, Amjad Hinnawi, and arresting several other Palestinians. The IDF also partially demolishes an apartment building in alZababda nr. Jenin; imposes a curfew on parts of Hebron, conducts arrest raids and house searches, occupying 1 Palestinian home as an observation post; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Yatta (arresting local Islamic Jihad leader Mahmud al-Haddar), nr. Bethlehem. A Palestinian gunman fires on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Halhul, causing damage but no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar burn 30 Palestinian olive trees in Nablus. In Rafah, gunmen of a previously unknown group called the Islamic Army raids and orders closed a PA Central Election Commission (CEC) office, saying that the upcoming parliamentary elections are un-Islamic and a plot by the U.S. and Israel; CEC officials refuse to leave, PA security forces arrive, the gunmen leave. (HA 11/14; IMEMC, REU, WP 11/15; PCHR 11/17)

Israel says that Operation First Rain will continue despite Hamas’s 9/25 pledge to halt rocket fire and nearly 48 hrs. of Palestinian quiet. Overnight, the IDF continues major arrest sweeps across the West Bank. Before dawn, the IDF launches multiple missile strikes in Bayt Hanun, Gaza City, Khan Yunis against alleged weapons factories run by the AMB, Hamas, PFLP and in Rafah against the home of PFLP mbr. Hisham ‘Abid Rabbuh in what may be an assassination attempt, injuring 2 Palestinians (including his wife). Palestinians fire 1 mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers in Hebron attack, beat an Israeli Palestinian and Jewish film crew recording a documentary on human rights abuses by settlers. The IDF reports that it has found outside Ramallah the body of a Jewish settler reportedly kidnapped in the city on 9/21, has arrested a Hamas mbr. in connection. (AFP, IMEMC, NYT, YA 9/26; HA, NYT, WT 9/27; REU 9/28; MEI, PCHR 9/29)

Sharon narrowly survives a challenge to his party leadership by Netanyahu when the Likud Central Comm. votes down (52%–48%, with 90% of the 3,000 mbrs. voting) a measure to hold early party primaries in 11/05, 6 mos. ahead of schedule. (NYT, WP, WT 9/27)

1,000s of Palestinians continue to cross the Rafah border, while Egyptian border guards attempt to assert some control; PA security forces do not attempt to block movement; Hamas mbrs. blow an opening in the concrete wall on the Palestinian side to facilitate passage. Hamas mbrs. disrupt a disengagement celebration at an abandoned settlement site nr. Khan Yunis, attack a Palestinian rap group in protest over their “Western” music. Abbas cancels plans to attend another national unity celebration at Neve Dekalim out of concern about gunmen. Meanwhile, the IDF raids an Internet caf´e in East Jerusalem, confiscating computers and disks, searches staff and customers; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; imposes a curfew on Zabbuba nr. Jenin. Jewish settlers in Hebron attack Palestinian homes, vehicles in and around the city. (JAZ 9/14; BBC, HA, IMEMC, PCHR, WT 9/15; PCHR 9/22)

A day after the IDF completes withdrawal fr. Gaza, Sharon, DM Mofaz separately vow that Israel will “make every effort to direct resources to the development” of West Bank settlement blocs. Meanwhile, Palestinians continue looting fmr. Gaza settlement sites for a 2d day, overwhelming PA security forces to strip some greenhouses. Egypt, daunted by the number of Palestinians seeking to cross the Rafah checkpoint, declares the border open for several days as a good-will gesture, allowing 1,000s on either side of the border to cross; many Palestinians rush to buy Egyptian goods (including food, medicine, sheep for the upcoming Ramadan holidays) that are dramatically cheaper than those in Gaza, and visit family and friends they have not seen in yrs. before the border is resealed. Israel criticizes the lax Egyptian, PA security; Egypt, the PA blame Israel for failing adequately to coordinate disengagement. Egyptian border guards patrolling the border find a smugglers tunnel containing 38 fire arms, 3 rocket propelled grenades (RPGs); the PA security forces seize the weapons. Palestinian militant groups hold larger rallies than on 9/12 (including 10,000s of Palestinians at a Hamas rally in Gaza City), celebrating the disengagement as a victory of the resistance; at Islamic Jihad rallies, mbrs. display their arms, but at Hamas rallies, mbrs. do not; Abbas warns that he will no longer tolerate the “chaos of weapons.” In the West Bank, the IDF occupies the top floor of a 4-story residential building nr. Hebron as an observation post, fires on stone-throwing youths who challenge the troops, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 4; demolishes a Palestinian home in ‘Issawiyya, East Jerusalem, nr. French Hill settlement. (HA, NYT, YA 9/13; AFP, IMEMC, Independent, NYT 9/14; PCHR 9/15)

Just past dawn, the IDF pulls its last troops out of Gaza, issues a declaration ending military rule in the Strip. Palestinians storm past PA security forces to enter the evacuated settlements, scavenging some synagogues and demolished homes for anything that could be sold or used, setting 4 synagogues on fire; the PA security forces bulldoze several synagogues, bar Palestinians fr. ransacking greenhouses (purchased by U.S. philanthropists and given to the PA as economically viable operations to aid the Palestinian economy), but leave a large factory in Kefar Darom unguarded, allowing it to be stripped of equipment. Palestinians also remove IDF roadblocks across Gaza, flock to beaches to swim for the 1st time since the start of the intifada. The AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah hold marches and celebrations, with factional flags more numerous than Palestinian flags. Egyptian border guards along the Rafah border fatally shoot a Palestinian while attempting to control crowds who flock to the crossing; 100s of Palestinians break through the border fence and enter Egypt. The IDF fires on Palestinian youths who approach the border fence in Bayt Lahiya, seriously wounding a 13-yr.-old. In the West Bank, the IDF imposes an overnight curfew on al-Til, conducting house searches and ID checks, withdrawing late morning; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, Tulkarm; occupies the top floor of a Palestinian home nr. Hebron as an observation post. (AP, JAZ, NYT, REU 9/12; CSM, HA, JT, JTA, NYT, WP, WT 9/13; IMEMC, Independent 9/14; BBC, PCHR 9/15)

The IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement inside Gaza, declares the n. West Bank a closed military zone in preparation for disengagement; begins going door to door in the Gaza settlements, asking residents to leave within 48 hrs. In Aley Sinai, 56 of 59 families who had agreed to leave rescind their decision, vowing to resist evacuation until the Israeli government finds permanent living solutions for the community as a whole; the government had promised them space together in an Ashkelon hotel, but only today learned that not enough space was available. During the day, some 1,000 right-wing settlers in various locations in s. Gaza simultaneously begin marching toward Gush Katif to block troops, but are prevented fr. reaching the settlement bloc by IDF troops and border police. Other settler youths slash the tires of several army jeeps, spray liquid soap on windshields to limit visibility, spread nails on roads to delay convoys of movers. Jewish settlers fr. Neve Dekalim vandalize, attempt to set fire to several Palestinian homes in al-Mawasi. In Gan Or, local settlers who want the IDF’s help to evacuate scuffle with settler youths blocking soldiers fr. entering the settlement. In the West Bank, the last residents of Ganim (est. 1983, pop. 172) and Qadim (est. 1983, pop. 169) evacuate voluntarily by evening, while settlers in the other 2 West Bank settlement slated for removal, the hard-line enclaves of Homesh (est. 1980, pop. 228) and Sanur (est. 1982, pop. 105), refuse to accept their notices. The major Palestinian factions, including Hamas, agree to oversee jointly how the PA uses land evacuated by settlers and the IDF; the PA expects 5% of the land to revert to individual Palestinian owners, with the rest being state land that will fall under PA jurisdiction. In a signal to reassure Palestinians about how it will handle land use, the PA security forces demolish a house, cabana, pool built illegally on Gaza public land by 2 senior PA security officials; when a neighbor of one of the officials tells journalists that the demolitions were good because his neighbors “were criminals . . . a gang,” several PA security officers beat him, threaten to shoot him, before he retreats into his house. (BBC, HA, NYT 8/15; HA, NYT, WP, WT 8/16; PR 8/17; PCHR 8/18)

Meanwhile, the IDF continues arrest raids, house searches in villages around Tulkarm; launches arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Birzeit, alMawasi; searches homes in Kafr Qadim; occupies 5 Palestinian houses (2 nr. Gaza’s Dugit settlement, 1 in Mughraqa, 1 nr. Tulkarm, 1 in Wadi al-Silqa) as observation posts; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebron. The ICRC resumes field activities in Gaza, which were suspended on 8/7 after shots were fired at its Khan Yunis offices. (IMEMC 8/15; NYT 8/16)

Some 20 IDF soldiers patrolling in Rafah exchange fire with Hamas mbrs., leaving 1 armed Palestinian injured. The IDF bulldozes part of a cemetery in Rafah to widen the Philadelphi route; sends troops into Bayt Furik nr. Nablus, fires on residential areas, then fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 2; temporarily seals ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus, searches houses; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qabatya nr. Jenin, in villages around Hebron; occupies a Palestinian home in Mughraqa as an observation post. An Israeli border policeman is seriously injured in a fall during scuffles with Palestinians at a separation wall demonstration nr. Har Adar. Palestinians fire 6 mortars at Jewish settlements in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. (XIN 7/3; VOI 7/3 in WNC 7/4; YA 7/4 in WNC 7/5; OCHA 7/6; PCHR 7/7)

The IDF raids Qabatya nr. Jenin to arrest wanted Islamic Jihad cmdr. Marawa Khalil (also reported as Murwa Kamil), exchanges gunfire with him, attracting a mob of stone-throwing Palestinians; in the ensuing 90-min. clashes, Khalil and an unarmed Palestinian bystander are fatally shot, 9 Palestinians (including at least 3 bystanders) and 1 IDF soldier are wounded, Khalil’s house is demolished; 100s of Palestinians later march in Jenin, protesting the IDF operation and calling for revenge. In retaliation for the raid, Islamic Jihad fires mortars at Gaza’s Ganei Tal settlement, hitting a greenhouse and killing 2 Palestinian and 1 Chinese laborer, wounding 5 Palestinians. In further response to 6/6 events in Jerusalem, Hamas fires 3 Qassam rockets at Sederot and several mortars at Gaza settlements, causing light damage, no injuries; Israeli FM Silvan Shalom blames Hamas for “trying very hard to undermine our efforts to move toward peace with the Palestinian Authority.” The IDF also fatally shoots an Arab (identity unknown, carrying Egyptian bank notes) who tries to scale the Rafah border fence; fires a missile at Palestinian resistance mbrs. in Bayt Hanun, causing no damage or injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. (PRCS 6/7; MENA, VOP, XIN 6/7 in WNC 6/8; NYT, OCHA, PR, WP, WT 6/8; VOP, XIN 6/8 in WNC 6/9; PCHR 6/9; al-Ahram 6/10; PR 6/15)

In the sharpest escalation of violence since the 2/8 truce, the IDF fatally shoots a Hamas mbr. nr. the Rafah border after he fires on an IDF position. In response, Hamas fires some 20 mortars at Jewish settlements in s. Gaza, causing light damage. Palestinian Authority (PA) police dispatched to halt the fire are shot at by Palestinian gunmen (Hamas says it is not involved), stoned by bystanders. The IDF, blaming the PA for failing to take adequate steps, then launches an air strike against the Hamas mbrs. targeting the settlement, killing 1 Hamas mbr., wounding 1. Hamas mortar fire continues during the day, lightly wounding 1 settler. The IDF also patrols in Nablus, fires on residential areas; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Efrat uproot olive and almond trees, bulldoze Palestinian land nr. al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem to widen a settler bypass road. In Fara’ r.c., 3 armed, masked Palestinians raid an UNRWA clinic, order a doctor to leave permanently, harass the staff, then raid an UNRWA girls’ school, threaten the principal, demand that a teacher be fired; no group claims responsibility; UNRWA protests to the PA, criticizing the PA’s failure to protect UN institutions. (JAZ 5/18; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/19; IMEMC, JAZ 5/20; OCHA 5/25; PCHR 5/26)

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)

The IDF imposes a curfew on Silat alDahir, searches Palestinian vehicles; conducts arrest raids, house searches in alRashayda nr. Bethlehem. 2 Jewish settlers fr. Halamish uproot olive trees on nearby Palestinian land, fire in the air and beat a Palestinian who attempts to stop them; the IDF brings the settlers in for questioning later, but releases them. In Rafah, 8 Palestinians are injured in fist-fights and stonethrowing exchanges btwn. Fatah, Hamas supporters over claimed irregularities in the 5/5 municipal elections. (IMEMC 5/6, 5/7; VOP 5/8 in WNC 5/9; PCHR 5/12)

The IDF fatally shoots 3 14-yr.-old Palestinians playing soccer nr. the Philadelphi Route in Rafah, alleging that the youths strayed into a closed military zone, were acting suspiciously, and may have been involved in arms smuggling. Hamas, the PRCs retaliate by firing 25 mortars at nearby Jewish settlements, causing no damage or injuries; Hamas, Islamic Jihad say the mortar fire is a 1-time response, not a declaration to the end of the truce; the PA sends a “strongly worded” letter of protest to Israel saying it views the IDF strike with the “utmost gravity”; the UNRWA also protests. The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; searches a kindergarten in Hebron, holding 80 children in 1 room for more than 90 minutes; raids, searches an Internet caf´e in Qalqilya, interrogates clients, arrests 1; conducts arrest raids and house searches, fires on residential areas of Silwad nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Ithna nr. Hebron, Kafr Ni’ma nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai vandalize 4 Palestinian houses in Hebron, severely beat 2 Palestinian teenagers. A group of female Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba break the windows of a Palestinian house in Hebron. A Palestinian dies of injuries received on 1/9. (IMEMC 4/9; VOI 4/9, 4/10 in WNC 4/10; NYT, WP, WT 4/10; MM, PRCS 4/11; XIN 4/12; OCHA, PR 4/13; PCHR 4/14; MM 4/18; PR 4/20)

The U.S. group Yedidim, an alliance of 1,000s of Baptist churches and Jewish synagogues across the U.S., says it is preparing a series of protests in Gaza before and during Sharon’s Crawford visit to protest and block disengagement plans, stating “we are working right now to send thousands of people, thousands of Zionist Christians. We will go over there and stand in the Gaza Strip with our friends and see what they will do about evicting Americans.” Some 5,000 Christian Zionist plan to protest at Crawford on 4/11. (WT 4/9)

The IDF bars Palestinian access to Jerusalem through the Qalandia crossing for Friday prayers, sparking riots by Palestinians waiting to cross, then fires live ammunition at the crowd, wounding 2; occupies a Palestinian home nr. Ramat Yishai settlement as a military post (the house is near one seized by settlers on 4/2); sends troops into Bil‘in, fires on residential areas, checks residents IDs; fires on residential areas of Rafah. 10,000s of Hamas supporters demonstrate in Gaza City, threatening to end the truce if the Jewish extremists group Revava (“The 10,000”) follows through on threats to hold a rally at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem on 4/10. Israeli authorities tighten security at the site, prepare to bar Jewish demonstrators fr. entering the area. (WP, WT 4/9; NYT 4/10; OCHA 4/13; MM, PCHR 4/14)

IDF troops in Hebron beat, temporarily detain 7 unarmed PA traffic policemen in the Bab al-Zawiyya district in the Palestinian sector of the city, claiming they were in a prohibited area (see 3/29), beat 3 of the policemen; fire live ammunition, tear gas at Palestinians who attempt to intervene, causing no injuries; fire on residential areas. The IDF also raids, searches a house in East Jerusalem, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrols inside Tamun nr. Jenin, randomly checking Palestinian IDs; uproots 100 olive trees in Bil‘in for construction of the separation wall. For the 2d day, a Jewish settler fr. Kiryat Arba shoots, wounds a Palestinian farmer working his nearby field. A Palestinian Resistance Comm. (PRC) gunman shoots, seriously wounds a Jewish settler working in a greenhouse in Morag settlement, claiming the act is in retaliation for recent Israeli violations of the unofficial truce. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF patrol in Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas complains that the PA has recently fired a number of teachers working in PA schools who are Hamas supporters. (AFP, IMEMC, YA 4/5; HA, NYT, OCHA, WT 4/6; PCHR 4/7)

The IDF severely beats an 80-yr.-old Palestinian at a flying checkpoint outside Tulkarm, accusing him of warning wanted Palestinians of the presence of the IDF in the area; arrests 3 unarmed PA traffic policemen in the Palestinian section of Hebron on charges that they were in a prohibited area; arrests 3 Palestinians in Gaza on suspicion of smuggling arms; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Asira nr Nablus; begins construction of a new 2-km section of the separation wall w. of Ramallah. An AMB mbr. being pursued by the IDF is killed in a car crash in Ramallah. In Rafah, 5 unidentified Palestinians beat, moderately injure Hamas municipal elections candidate Azmi Abu Mur. (PR 3/30; AYM, HJ 3/30 in WNC 3/31; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/6)

An IDF patrol enters Sabastia nr. Nablus, chases a taxi, causing it to crash; denies an ambulance permission to take the injured driver to the hospital, arresting him instead. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Nablus and Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Gush Katif bar Palestinians fr. traveling the coastal road btwn. Rafah and Khan Yunis, beat 4 Palestinian youths (ages 9–15) on their way to school in al-Mawasi. Some 20,000 Hamas supporters attend a rally in Nablus marking the anniversary of Shaykh Ahmad Yasin’s assassination, launching Hamas’s campaign for upcoming legislative council elections. (VOI, VOP 3/27 in WNC 3/28; PR 3/30; JP 3/30 in WNC 3/31; PCHR 3/31)

Abbas, Sharon hold their 1st talks in Sharm al-Shaykh, then each meets separately with Mubarak, King Abdallah of Jordan. Afterward, Abbas announces that “Palestinian will stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere,” Sharon vows to “cease all military activity against all Palestinians anywhere,” including assassinations, to the extent that the Palestinians halt violence. Sharon announces a package of gestures to be implemented if quiet is maintained, including Israel’s turnover of security control for 5 West Bank cities, a prisoner release, easing restriction on Palestinian movement. Hamas, Islamic Jihad say that they will not officially sign onto the cease-fire, but will not abrogate it. (BBC, HA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 2/8; AFP, ATL, AYM, HJ, ITAR-TASS, JAZ, MENA, QA, VOI, VOP 2/8, XIN 2/9 in WNC 2/9; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/9; al-Quds 2/12 in WNC 2/13; PR 2/16; MEI 2/18)

The IDF reopens Qarni commercial crossing after a 4-wk. closure, allowing only about one-third of normal traffic through, limiting imports to basic goods and exports to flowers, tomatoes; raids, searches a secondary school in al-Khadir; conducts arrest raids in al-Mawasi; confiscates a strip of land 2 d. long and 350 m. wide to create a corridor linking Hebron’s Tal Rumayda settlement with Shuhada Street. Late in the evening, after the Sharm al-Shaykh summit, AMB gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle in the West Bank, throw Molotov cocktails at IDF jeeps that arrive on the scene, causing no injuries. PA security forces find, seal 2 smugglers’ tunnels in Rafah. The NIHC protests the PA security forces’ arrest of 3 DFLP central comm. mbrs. on 2/5; demands the immediate release of Issam Abu Duqqah, who is still in custody. (HJ, VOI, YA 2/8 in WNC 2/9; WT 2/9; PCHR 2/10; PR 2/16)

An 11-yr.-old Palestinian girl is fatally shot in a Rafah school yard. Palestinians say the gunfire came fr. an IDF post outside a nearby Jewish settlement, but the IDF denies this, claming that the girl was hit by gunfire fr. local Palestinians who were celebrating their return fr. the Hajj; residents say no such celebrations were taking place. In retaliation, Hamas fires 6 mortars, 6 Qassam rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza, causing damage but no injuries. Islamic Jihad fires 3 rockets at Netzarim, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF bulldozes at least 800 d. of agricultural land outside Yatta, apparently to turn the land over for Jewish settlers’ use; begins bulldozing Palestinian land in al-Ram northwest of Jerusalem on a settler bypass road. (VOI 1/31 in WNC 2/1; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/1; PR 2/2; PCHR 2/3)

The IDF shells residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, killing a 3-yr.-old Palestinian girl outside her home; assassinates Hamas mbr. Mahir Abu Sunayna, firing on his car as he drives in Qalqilya, wounding and arresting 2 AMB mbrs. riding with him, wounding a 15-yr.-old bystander; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Nr. Khan Yunis; 100 Jewish settlers protesting the deployment of PA security forces clash with PA officers, IDF soldiers, and Israeli police; slash PA and IDF jeep tires; 5 settlers are arrested. Palestinians fire 2 mortars at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. (JAZ 1/26; PCHR, WP, WT 1/27; OCHA, PR 2/2; PCHR 2/3)

Sharon adviser Dov Weisglass, PA Negotiation Affairs M Saeb Erakat,Abbas security adviser Muhammad Dahlan hold the 1st high-level public political talks since Israel suspended contacts on 1/13 to begin planning for an Abbas-Sharon mtg. (BBC 1/26; HA, NYT, WP, WT, XIN 1/27; NYT 1/29; al-Ra’i, VOP 1/30 in WNC 1/31; PR 2/2)

The IDF reopens the Rafah crossing (closed on 12/12) to Palestinians entering Gaza as a gesture to Abbas for taking steps on security; fatally shoots a 14-yr.-old Palestinian carrying a toy gun in Tubas; fires on 3 Palestinian children walking nr. a Rafah mosque, killing a 2d 14-yr.-old Palestinian; cuts down an olive grove nr Salfit for road construction; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt ‘Awwa, Bani Na‘im, Bayt Hanun, Sammu‘a nr. Hebron. Hamas fires an antitank missile at an IDF bulldozer in Bayt Hanun, injuring 3 IDF soldiers. DFLP mbrs. fire a missile at an IDF jeep nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. (JTA 1/20; VOI 1/20 in WNC 1/21; MM, NYT, WP 1/21; OCHA 1/26; PCHR 1/27)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians allegedly planting a roadside bomb in n. Gaza; demolishes a 3-story Palestinian building, severely damages 7 Palestinian homes and 10 shops in Nablus; fires live ammunition, tear gas on a group of Palestinians who approach the closed Abu Huli checkpoint holding white flags and seeking special permission to pass, leaving 3 Palestinians seriously wounded; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; finds a smugglers’ tunnel in Rafah; conducts arrest raids nr. Tulkarm. Hamas mbrs. fire on an IDF patrol near the n. Gaza border, wounding 3 soldiers. Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries; detonate a roadside bomb underneath an IDF bulldozer, causing damage but no injuries. An ailing Palestinian stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing dies, reportedly bringing to 6 the number of Palestinians who have died at the crossing since it was sealed by Israel on 12/12. (AP, UPI, XIN 1/19; VOI, VOP 1/19 in WNC 1/20; NYT, PR 1/20; VOP 1/20 in WNC 1/21; PCHR 1/27)

Abbas meets with his Gaza security cmdrs. and advisers, orders PA security forces to deploy along the Gaza borders within 2 days to prevent rocket fire into Israel. (A PA security official speaking on condition of anonymity expresses concern that the security force may not have enough manpower to take adequate action.) Abbas also meets with Islamic Jihad leaders, who agree to continue discussions on a cease-fire. (AP, JTA, UPI 1/19; JAZ, Jordan Times, MENA, al-Quds, VOP 1/19 in WNC 1/20; FT, NYT, PR, WP, WT 1/20; VOI 1/20 in WNC 1/21; see also JTA 1/14)

Sharon convenes his security cabinet to discuss possible military action in Gaza, approves plans for a “large-scale invasion” of northern Gaza if Abbas does not bring Palestinian violence under control quickly. In light of Abbas’s efforts, the security cabinet unanimously agrees to allow Israel to resume security contacts with the PA. Israeli, PA security officials immediately meet to discuss Abbas’s plan to deploy security forces along the Gaza-Israel border. (AP 1/19; VOI 1/19 in WNC 1/20; HA 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/20)

Sharon orders the IDF to intensify operations against Palestinian militants and to act “without restrictions, I emphasize, without restrictions” to halt “terrorism,” stating that Abbas is “not lifting a finger” to stop attacks on Israelis. The IDF withdraws fr. Gaza City (having bulldozed a total of 80 d., wounding at least 13 Palestinians since 1/15) but continues targeted operations in the outskirts of the city; shells Khan Yunis, damaging 1 Palestinian home, then firing on the family when they emerge to check the damage, killing a Palestinian mother and son, wounding the father, saying soldiers fired on suspicious “figures gathering information about IDF troops” in the area; separately fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, hitting Nasser Hospital; fires on residential areas of Balata r.c., Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, Hebron, Husan, Ithna, Saida. Hamas fires 3 mortars at an IDF post in Gaza, 1 Qassam rocket at Gadid settlement, causing no damage or injuries. Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF patrol in Jenin, wounding 4 soldiers. (AFP, HA, JAZ, VOI, VOP, YA 1/16, MENA 1/17 in WNC 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/17; JTA 1/18; HA, OCHA 1/19; PR 1/20; PCHR 1/27)

Abbas is sworn in as PA pres.; reappoints Qurai‘ as PM, calls on him to form a government; calls for immediate talks with Israel, recommends going beyond the road map to include parallel talks on final status issues. Israel replies that there is “no necessity to find an alternative to the road map.” Abbas also vows to hold legislative elections on 7/17. (AFP 1/15; JAZ, PSCT, VOP 1/15 in WNC 1/20; NYT, WP, WT 1/16; PCHR 1/27)

The IDF makes a predawn raid on the al-Zaytun neighborhood of Gaza City launching Operation Eastern Step (billed by the IDF as pinpoint operations against Palestinians launching mortars and rockets fr. the area), shelling residential areas, raiding and occupying buildings as observation posts, bulldozing Palestinian land, sparking clashes, killing 5 Palestinians (2 resistance mbrs., 3 civilians), wounding 10. In retaliation, Hamas fires 6 mortars at Gaza’s Netzarim settlement (injuring a 7-yr.-old Jewish settler, lightly injuring another child), Sederot (killing 1 Israeli, lightly injuring 2). The IDF also fires on a group of children playing near what they mistakenly believe to be an unoccupied IDF post on the Rafah-Egypt border, other Palestinians race to extract the children and also come under fire, leaving 1 Palestinian adult and a child dead, 6 Palestinians wounded; fires missiles fr. a helicopter, destroying a workshop, severely damaging a home in Bayt Lahiya; fires on residential areas of Rafah; demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Khan Yunis; bulldozes 40 d. in Shaykh Ajlin; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dayr al-Hatab nr. Nablus, Dura, Issawiyya, Jericho, Yatta. (XIN 1/15; JP, VOI, VOP 1/15 in WNC 1/20; HA, NYT, WT 1/16; PCHR 1/18; OCHA 1/19)

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 fires on residential areas of Rafah; shells residential areas of Bayt Hanun; conducts arrest raids nr. Bayt Lahiya. Hamas fires a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza at the IDF’s Nahal Oz base inside Israel, wounding 12 IDF soldiers. 2 AMB mbrs. attempt to raid an IDF post at the Bayt Hanun crossing in n. Gaza, are shot dead. A Palestinian fires grenade, a rifle at IDF soldiers at the Erez checkpoint, causing damage but no injuries before being shot dead. (MM, PR, REU 1/5; IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WT 1/6; PCHR 1/13)

The IDF fires tank shells at Palestinians harvesting strawberry fields outside Bayt Lahiya, killing 7 Palestinian children (ages 10–17) wounding at least 2 adults, 5 children; fires on Palestinians working agricultural land southeast of Gaza City, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 5; fires on residential areas of Brazil r.c., Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, and in Bethlehem, al-Fawwar r.c., Silwad, ‘Anin nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, Rafah. Hamas fires 2 Qassam rockets fr. Khan Yunis at nearby settlements and fr. n. Gaza at Sederot, injuring 2 Israelis. (FT, IMEMC 1/4; VOI, VOP 1/4 in WNC 1/6; MM, NYT, PM, PR 1/5; IDF Radio, al-Quds, VOI, YA 1/5 in WNC 1/7; PCHR 1/6; MEI 1/7)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Nablus, Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Beitunia, Beita nr. Nablus, Dura, al-Majd nr. Hebron; raids the Nabih Salih campaign headquarters of an unidentified candidate in the 1/9 elections, confiscating election placards, documents. In Bayt Lahiya, a Hamas mbr. dies either when a rocket he is preparing explodes prematurely (according to the IDF) or when he is hit by an IDF tank shell (according to Palestinians). Jewish settlers clash with IDF soldiers who remove 2 structures at an unauthorized West Bank settlement outpost of Mitzpe Yitzhar; 1 soldier is wounded, 15 settlers are arrested; 1 soldier is arrested for encouraging his colleagues to refuse to evacuate the site (he is court-martialed and ordered jailed for 28 days on 1/4). (VOI, VOP 1/3 in WNC 1/5; NYT, WP, WT 1/4; VOI 1/4 in WNC 1/6; WT 1/5; HA, PCHR 1/6)