The Palestine Chronology

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving a total of 7 Palestinians dead. IDF forces in Rafah refuse to allow a PA delegation to cross the checkpoint into Egypt unless they consent to be strip searched, which they refuse. Palestinians throw grenades at, fire on IDF posts on the border with Egypt, causing no injuries. The IDF shells residential areas of Rafah in response, hitting a Palestinian home and killing senior tanzim mbr. Samir Abd al-Az (Abu Zayd), his 2 young children in what may be an assassination. Palestinians fire mortars at an Israeli settlement in Gaza, causing no damage; the IDF responds by shelling, destroying a PA Preventive Security Force (PSF) post, a Force 17 office nr. Khan Yunis, injuring 3 PSF officers. IDF troops fatally shoot a 13-yr.-old Palestinian boy in Rafah, 2 Palestinians nr. Nablus; direct shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Hebron, Jenin, Khan Yunis. (HP 8/19; MENA 8/19 in WNC 8/20; AFP, HP, LAW, NYT, WP, WT 8/20; JT 8/20 in WNC 8/21; NYT 8/21; LAW 8/22; AYM 8/24 in WNC 8/27)

Israeli FM Shimon Peres says that Israel and the PA have had contacts "on different levels" regarding implementing cease-fire, that he plans to meet with PA head Yasir Arafat soon. The PA says it supports holding an Arafat-Peres mtg. in principle. (MM, NYT 8/20; AYM 8/20 in WNC 8/21; al-Quds 8/21 in WNC 8/22; MA 8/23 in WNC 8/24)

Palestinians across the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem observe a general strike. IDF soldiers seriously beat mbrs. of an Egyptian TV crew filming the strikes nr. Qalqilya; fatally shoot 1 Palestinian wanted for killing a Jewish settler on 7/24. The IDF also bars a pregnant Palestinian fr. crossing a checkpoint to reach a hospital to deliver her baby; directs shells/heavy machine gun fire residential areas of Gaza City, Rafah; shuts the Rafah crossing; reinforces the closures on Jinin, Khan Yunis, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian residents of Hebron. Israeli police arrest 10 protesters outside Orient House. (AP, HA, HP, REU 8/13; AYM 8/13 in WNC 8/14; CNN, NYT, WP, WT 8/14; MENA 8/14 in WNC 8/15; NYT 8/15)

     Late this evening, the IDF sends tanks and bulldozers, escorted by helicopters, into Jinin to surround PA offices, demolish the local PSF headquarters and a PSF checkpoint; soldiers also occupy the local governor's office. The PSF, which evacuated the sites hrs. earlier, does not engage the IDF troops; the incursion sparks only isolated exchanges of gunfire, which leave 3 Palestinians wounded. Israel says the move--marking the IDF's 1st sustained foray into a major PA-controlled city--is to punish the PA for not halting a number of recent suicide bombers who have come fr. Jinin; says it has no intention of permanently reoccupying the area. (AP, HA, HP 8/13; CNN, NYT, WP, WT 8/14; ITAR-TASS 8/14 in WNC 8/15; MEZ, NYT, WT 8/15; SA 8/16 in WNC 8/17)

Egypt dispatches a high-level delegation, led by Mubarak adviser Baz, to Washington for 4-days of talks with U.S. officials to urge the U.S. to focus on restarting Israeli-Palestinian negotiations as well as resuming security contacts. (MENA, SA 8/13 in WNC 8/14; WP 8/14; MENA, SA 8/14 in WNC 8/15; NYT 8/16)

In Nablus, 10,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral of those in the 7/31 IDF attack in Nablus. Palestinians across Jerusalem, Gaza, the West Bank observe a general strike; marches are held in Jinin, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tulkarm, refugee camps in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel continues to defend the assassination strike, saying it will carry out more such assaults if Israeli lives are at risk. Meanwhile, 1 Palestinian is killed in a severe clash with the IDF in Hebron. The IDF also directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah, Ramallah, Silat Dahir, Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, searches in Abu Dis, al-Arub, Nablus; reinforces positions around Birzeit, Jinin, Qalqilya, Tulkarm. A pipe bomb explodes in Jerusalem, causing no injuries. Palestinian gunmen kill 3 suspected Palestinian collaborators in Bethlehem, Ramallah. (REU 8/1; HP, NYT, WP, WT 8/2; LAW 8/6; MEI 8/10)

Responding to Mubarak's urgent appeal (8/1), Bush states that "we're still very much engaged in the process . . . that we take violence very seriously," but not indicating the U.S. will do more. Egyptian FM Maher says Egypt is "astonished that the United States has not reacted with the necessary firmness to this [latest] Israeli behavior." (NYT, WP, WT 8/8; AKH 8/8 in WNC 8/10)

The PA suspends participation on the trilateral security comm. to protest Israel's 7/31 strike against Hamas. (WP 8/2, 8/6)