The Palestine Chronology

IQB mbrs. fire 1 manufactured Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, striking nr. Ashqelon, causing damage but no injuries, marking a serious escalation; the last time Ashqelon was hit by Palestinian rocket fire was in 2/09. Several hrs. later, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF carries out 3 air strikes targeting a training camp for the Hamas-affiliated police in Gaza City (wounding 5 policemen and 16 bystanders, damaging 30 surrounding buildings) and smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border (causing no reported injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya village nr. Ramallah at midday without incident; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall and land confiscations in Bil‘in (a 45- mbr. Spanish delegation and a 30-mbr. German delegation take part), Ni‘lin, and Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving scores suffering tear gas inhalation and arresting 1 Palestinian and 1 international activist. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha nr. Nablus set fire to 100 olive trees and large tracks of agricultural land; IDF soldiers initially fire tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinian civil defense workers who attempt to put out the fire, but finally let the firefighters pass more than half an hour later, after the PA liaison dept. intervenes. (HA, JP, YA 7/30; HA, NYT, WP 7/31; IFM, MEZ 8/1; PCHR 8/5; OCHA 8/13)

Overnight, the IDF makes 3 air strikes on smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border and 1 air strike on an iron pipe store in Nussayrat r.c. in retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire on 7/24, destroying the shop and cutting electricity around Nussayrat, but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm in the morning, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm; makes a late-night raid on the Qalqilya home of the PA Undersecy. for Civil Affairs Ma‘ruf Zahran while he is on vacation in Turkey, searching the home and arresting his son. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops enter Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb. In 2 separate incidents nr. Nablus, Jewish settlers attack and vandalize Palestinian homes, in 1 case also setting fire to nearby olive groves. (IDF 7/26; PCHR 7/29; OCHA 7/30)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level lands e. of al-Qarara village to clear lines of sight, firing at Palestinians in the area but causing no injuries. In 2 separate incidents on the Rafah border, 1 Palestinian is fatally electrocuted in a smuggling tunnel, 4 are injured in a tunnel collapse. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Hebron. (OCHA, PCHR 7/22)

Israel reports that a Libyan ship that had threatened to run the Gaza blockade (see 7/11) has diverted toward the Egyptian port of al-Arish, defusing a potential crisis; the Egyptian Red Crescent Society will take the goods to Gaza through the Rafah terminal. (Israel had been urging Egypt and Italy to intervene with Libya to encourage it to divert the boat.) Meanwhile, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border shell residential areas of Gaza Valley village after spotting “suspicious figures” in the area, hitting 1 home, killing 1 Palestinian woman and wounding 3 civilians in and around the house. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Salfit. Israeli authorities demolish 6 Palestinian homes in and around East Jerusalem (3 in Issawiyya, 1 in Bayt Hanina, 2 in Jabal Mukabir). (NYT, WP, WT 7/14; PCHR 7/15; OCHA 7/16)