The Palestine Chronology

The IDF conducts late night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. In retaliation for the killing of a Palestinian girl on 1/26, the AMB, PRCs fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebron. Across Gaza, 1,000s of Hamas supporters hold peaceful rallies after midday prayers to celebrate Hamas’s election victory. Meanwhile, some 15,000 Fatah mbrs. carry out angry marches across Gaza, burning cars, firing in the air, demanding that the party’s leadership resign over the party’s failure in the 1/25 elections; more than 1,000 armed Fatah mbrs. protest outside Abbas’s Gaza residence alone (he is in Ramallah); in Khan Yunis, Hamas mbrs. trade fire with Fatah mbrs. tearing down Hamas campaign protesters and PA security forces in 2 incidents, leaving 6 Palestinians (including 1 Hamas mbr., 2 PA security officers) wounded. (IMEMC, NYT, REU, YA 1/27; NYT, WP, WT 1/28; PCHR 2/2)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm, nr. Hebron (occupying 1 house as an observation post), and in Bethlehem, Nablus. (IMEMC 1/25; PCHR 1/26, 2/2)

PA legislative elections are held. Hamas’s Change and Reform party wins a surprise majority, taking 74 seats. Fatah wins 45 seats, PFLP’s Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa wins 3, Independent Palestine wins 2, Third Way wins 2, Alternative wins 2; and independent candidates allied with Hamas win 4 seats. Hamas says it will meet with Abbas, as head of Fatah, and the smaller parties in several days to discuss formation of a unity government. (CSM, IMEMC, JT 1/25; AP, BBC, CSM, DS, HA, JAZ, NYT, PCHR, REU, WP, WT, XIN, YA 1/26; AP, CSM, DS, Financial Times, JT, JTA, NYT, WP, WT 1/27; al-Ayyam, VOI 1/27 in WNC 1/28; XIN 1/29; NYT, Palestine Center press release 1/30; see also Palestine Center information brief no. 125 12/14)