The Palestine Chronology

The IDF makes a failed assassination attempt on Hamas mbr. Khalid Massud, firing missiles at his car as he drives btwn. Gaza City and Jabaliya r.c.; 1 Palestinian bystander is killed, Massud and 25 bystanders are wounded. The IDF alsosends troops back into Nablus to raid a hospital, arrest and take away 2 AMB mbrs. wounded on 8/22, including 1 who was in intensive care; fires on, shells Palestinians in Hebron (wounding 5), Khan Yunis (wounding 2). Some 50 Palestinians, including Waqf official Mustafa Abu Zahara, stage a sit-down prayer vigil blocking Israeli police fr. leading a group of Jewish tourists fr. entering the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif; Abu Zahara, several others are arrested. (HA, JP 8/26; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/27; PCHR 8/28)

The IDF seals the West Bank and Gaza; surrounds, tightens closures on all Palestinian cities; sends additional tanks to the outskirts of Ramallah; conducts arrest raids in Hebron, detaining 17 Palestinians, including relatives of the 8/19 bomber; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Late in the evening, the IDF imposes curfews on, sends tanks and troops into Hebron (raiding, searching 3 mosques), Jenin, Nablus (where residents report hearing helicopters, machine gun fire through most of the night), Tulkarm (where the IDF fatally shoots 1 Palestinian, wounds 7). Israel also opens the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif to non-Muslims without agreement of the Waqf; some 150 Jews under police protection visit the site. (HA, REU 8/20; YA 8/20 in WNC 8/22; MM, NYT, PCHR, PM, WP, WT 8/21)

Abbas convenes the PA Executive Authority (EA, or cabinet) to discuss how to respond to the 8/19 suicide bombing; puts 4 recommendations to PA head Yasir Arafat for approval, threatening to resign if he does not accept them all, which he does. (HA 8/20; HA, NYT, WP 8/21; AYM 8/24 in WNC 8/26)

Israeli PM Ariel Sharon convenes his security cabinet, which approves “a series of military steps” against Hamas, Islamic Jihad, which Israel would launch only if the PA fails to take action itself. (HA 8/20; JP, YA 8/20 in WNC 8/22; NYT, WP 8/21; IDF Radio, QA, VOI, YA 8/21 in WNC 8/23)

U.S. Pres. George W. Bush phones Sharon to tell him that Israel has a right to defend itself following the “vicious” 8/19 bombing, reportedly does not urge restraint. U.S. Secy. of State Colin Powell phones Abbas tourge him to take action against Palestinian militant groups immediately. (HA 8/20; WP 8/21; HA 8/24; AYM 8/24 in WNC 8/26)

The IDF completes its redeployment fr. Bayt Hanun, opens Gaza’s main north– south road to joint patrols with the PSF, removes many roadblocks and checkpoints in n. Gaza. Nr. Nablus, AMB gunmen ambush, fatally shoot a Bulgarian who works at a nearby Jewish settlement; the AMB has not signed on to the Hamas–Islamic Jihad–Fatah cease-fire. Israel acknowledges that for several days, police have been escorting Jews on tours of the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, despite the government’s failure to reach an agmt. on such visits with the Waqf; the holy site was closed to non-Muslims after Sharon’s controversial visit to the site in 9/01 that sparked the current intifada. Israeli authorities inform residents of Bayt Iqsa, northwest of Jerusalem, that 14,000 dunams of their communal land will be expropriated for construction of a new Jewish settlement to be called Alona. (BBC, HA, MM 6/30; MM, WP 7/1; PR, WT 7/2; AYM 7/2, al-Quds 7/3, MENA 7/4 in WNC 7/10; PCHR 7/3; REU 7/4; PR 7/9; HA 7/14)

Dahlan, Gilad finalize details for an IDF redeployment fr. Bethlehem, which they set to begin on 7/2. (HA 6/30; HA, NYT, WP 7/1)

The IDF completes demolition of 4 bridges linking Bayt Hanun, Gaza City; pulls forces out of Bayt Hanun. Late in the evening, the IDF sends tanks, helicopter gunships into central Gaza City in its deepest incursion into Gaza since the al-Aqsa intifada began, marking a major military escalation just 3 days before Israeli elections. IDF soldiers clash with Palestinians fr. around the area who race to block the incursion, killing 12 Palestinians (3 of them armed, 2 of them children), injuring at least 40, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes and 2 workshops, raiding 10s of buildings and shops. IDF troops guarding Gan Or, Neve Dekalim settlements fire on residential areas of Khan Yunis. Jewish settlers fire at 2 Palestinians grazing sheep nr. Mod’in settlement, killing 1. (HA 1/25; AFP 1/25 in WNC 1/31; HA, LAW, NYT, WP, WT 1/26; WP 1/27; ATL 1/27 in WNC 1/28; LAW, PCHR, PR 1/29; MEI 2/7; WP 2/10; MEI 2/21)

Ha’Aretz reports that “several wks. ago” Sharon met secretly with YESHA rabbis, promised that he would open the Temple Mount to Jewish worshipers soon. One rabbi warned Sharon that he came to power in part because of his 9/00 visit to Temple Mount, that he risks losing power if he does not follow through and reopen the holy site to Jews soon. Sharon says he will “work behind the scenes” to achieve that goal, that he would be interested in joining a growing number of Jewish protesters who circle the Temple Mount once a mo. to protest the ban on Jewish worship at the site. (HA 1/25)