The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, the UN reports that 2 Palestinians have been killed and 3 injured in tunnel collapses on the Rafah border in the past 2 days. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Nablus in the evening, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 1; fires live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 2), Jayyus (beating 2 women), al-Ma‘sara nr. Bethlehem (also beating 2 women), and Ni‘lin (injuring 12); makes late-night incursions into Tubas and neighboring al-Fara‘a r.c., patrolling streets and firing on residential areas, wounding 2 Palestinians. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar nr. Nablus stone Palestinian cars driving in the area. In Gaza, interfactional fighting breaks out at the funeral in al-Maghazi r.c. for an Islamic Jihad mbr. killed by IDF crossborder fire on 3/5; 3 Palestinians are injured. (OCHA 3/10, 3/11; PCHR 3/12)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late night arrest raids in and around Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, and in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas (firing live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 6); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (injuring 2 Palestinians, 1 international). Israel imposes new restrictions requiring Palestinian medical personnel fr. the West Bank who work in Jerusalem to enter Jerusalem only through the Qalandia checkpoint, the most crowded checkpoint, causing them significant delays. Heavy rains cause the collapse of 10 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, trapping and injuring at least 7 Palestinians. Egypt allows the entry of a delegation of Islamic Jihad officials fr. Gaza who are heading to Damascus for a wk. of internal discussions on Egypt’s proposed national unity plan ahead of national unity talks in Cairo on 11/9. Inside Israel, Hebrew University student Ali Baher, an Israeli Palestinian, is detained by campus security, questioned for 3 hrs., charged with “inappropriate conduct” for refusing on political grounds to shake hands with Pres. Shimon Peres, who randomly approached Baher while he was touring the campus library meeting with students; the university evicts Baher from campus housing and orders a disciplinary hearing (date not set) to decide whether he should be suspended. (MNA 11/2; OCHA 11/5; PCHR, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel press release 11/6)

Concerned by the escalating settler violence directed at Israeli security forces, the Israeli cabinet at its weekly meeting votes to suspend all direct and indirect government funding to unauthorized settlement outposts (especially citing infrastructure such as roads, garbage collection, and school buses) in the 1st de facto admission that public funds are used to advance illegal settlement. Olmert also proposes increasing arrests and administrative detention of Jewish settlers who break the law. The Jerusalem District Juvenile Court remands and indicts 3 Jewish settler girls (ages 12, 15, 17) for reckless endangerment, aggravated assault of security forces, and obstruction of a police officer for attacks against Israeli border police in Givat Harsina on 10/30. IDF district cmdr. Noam Tivon cancels plans to give a speech at a yeshiva in Efrat settlement nr. Bethlehem after Jewish settlers fr. Hebron threaten to hold a massive demonstration to block his visit, calling him an “expulsion criminal” for previously ordering the removal settlers fr. the unauthorized Federman Farm outpost. (YA 11/2; NYT, WP 11/3; WT 11/4; MM 11/4, 11/7)

The IDF patrols in Aqaba e. of Tubas; raids, searches a home in ‘Aqraba nr. Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 1). Unidentified assailants detonate a bomb nr. a police patrol in al-Bureij r.c., wounding 2 Hamas-affiliated policemen. (OCHA 1/16; PCHR 1/17)

The IDF shoots, wounds, then beats a Palestinian in Hebron for no apparent reason; sends troops into Nablus, erects checkpoints, searches several Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulances; conducts arrest raids in al-Tawani nr. Hebron, Tubas, Yatta; fires steel-coated rubber bullets, tear gas at Palestinians, Israelis, international peace activists conducting a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring an Israeli. (OCHA 4/6; PCHR 4/7)