The Palestine Chronology

Some 200 Egyptian border police begin deploying along the Rafah border to prevent smuggling and illegal crossings after the IDF completes its Gaza withdrawal; all 750 will be deployed within 4 days. IDF moves into Bayt Furik nr. Nablus, fires on residential areas, then fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 1; conducts house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. Some 200 armed AMB mbrs. take over 2 PA buildings in central Gaza demanding jobs. Masked Palestinian gunmen kidnap an Italian journalist in Dayr al-Balah, release him unharmed several hrs. later without explanation. (HA, JAZ 9/10; HA, NYT, WP, WT 9/11; PCHR 9/15)

The IDF confirms that in recent wks. it has confiscated 2,000 d. of Palestinian agricultural land btwn. Jenin, Nablus for temporary housing for IDF soldiers responsible for evacuating 4 n. West Bank Jewish settlements under disengagement. The IDF also sends troops into Bayt Furik nr. Nablus, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 2; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Ramallah; occupies a Palestinian home in Gaza City as an observation post; patrols in villages nr. Jenin; fires on Palestinian farmers conducting a peaceful march to their lands being razed by the IDF for construction of the separation wall, wounding 3. Palestinian gunmen fire on Qadim settlement in the n. West Bank, causing damage but no injuries. Palestinians fire a mortar at an IDF base outside Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement, causing no damage or injuries. An Israeli border policeman injured on 7/3 dies. (HA 7/4; YA 7/4 in WNC 7/5; VOI 7/5 in WNC 7/6; OCHA 7/6; PCHR 7/7)

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who strays too close to Gaza’s Neve Dekalim settlement; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. In Silwan, East Jerusalem, 50 Jewish settlers (11 families) escorted by heavily armed Israeli border police occupy a multistory building, a Palestinian home they claimed to have purchased, evicting Palestinian residents, sparking clashes btwn. the IDF, Palestinians (9 of whom are arrested). The IDF dismantles 2 unauthorized settlement outposts: 1 nr. Hebron comprising a single tent that served as a synagogue, the other nr. Bethlehem comprising 2 containers; 300 Jewish settlers scuffle with the troops at the Hebron site, resulting in some moderate injuries. Palestinians fire an antitank rocket at IDF forces nr. Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. (AP, PR, REU 3/31; VOI, VOP 3/31 in WNC 4/2; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 4/1; MM 4/6; PCHR 4/8)

Abrams, Burns, Hadley return to the region for consultations with Israeli, Palestinian officials on Sharon’s disengagement plan. (WP 3/27; HA 3/28; MM, NYT, WT 4/1; VOP 4/1 in WNC 4/3; HA, MM, NYT, WT 4/2)

The IDF assassinates wanted al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Tariq Zaghal in Tulkarm, also killing 3 Palestin-ian bystanders; later IDF troops fire on stone-throwing Palestinian youths protesting the assassination, killing a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy. The IDF also fatally shoots 2 Palestinians outside Kefar Darom settlement in Gaza; demolishes 9 Palestinian homes in the Shaykh ‘Ajlin neighborhood of Gaza City; raids a clinic in Jenin, destroying medical equipment, barring dialysis patients fr. taking their treatments. In Hebron, Israeli border police ambush, hold at gunpoint a group of 15 Palestinian journalists, seriously beat 1. (NYT, PCHR, WP 11/20; NYT 11/21; REU 11/23; UPMRC 11/27)

The Labor party elects Haifa mayor Amram Mitzna as its candidate for PM in the 1/28/03 elections. Mitzna takes 54% of the vote over fmr. Israeli DM Benjamin Ben-Eliezer’s 38% and Labor mbr. Haim Ramon’s 7%. Mitzna says he will run on a platform calling for immediate, unconditional resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians, withdrawal of settlers from all of Gaza and some of the West Bank, and unilateral withdrawal fr. the West Bank if peace talks fail; says he would withdraw fr. Gaza by the end of 2003 if elected. (MM 11/19; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/20; MENA 11/20 in WNC 11/21; WT 11/21; JT, MA 11/21 in WNC 11/22; MA 11/22, SA 11/23 in WNC 11/25; JT 11/26 in WNC 11/27; JPI 11/29; AYM 12/13 in WNC 12/16)

The IDF completes its withdrawal to the outskirts of Qalqilya, Tulkarm; makes a fresh incursion into Dura, detaining at least 70 Palestinians. In Jenin r.c., 13 IDF soldiers conducting house-to-house searches are killed when Palestinian suicide bomber in a building rigged with explosives reportedly detonates a series of devices, collapsing the building, and Palestinian snipers fire on soldiers who come to the rescue. In Nablus, a French TV cameraman is wounded by IDF gunfire. The IDF shells, destroys a PSF post in Kefar Rai; bulldozes a PSF post, olive groves in Dayr al-Balah. A convoy of 100s of Israeli Arabs attempting to deliver food to Jenin r.c. is halted outside Jerusalem by Israeli border police, attacked by Jewish settlers, shot at apparently by an IDF soldier, who wounds 2 before being subdued, arrested. (AFP, AP, BBC, MM, UPMRC, WP, WT 4/9; AP, CNN, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/10; MEI 4/19, 5/3)

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Firebomb thrown at border police vehicle near jenin, no injuries reported; Balata camp still under curfew.

Arab Governments: King Hussein says US refusal to deal directly with PLO, US failure to get Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and halt to settlements are partly to blame for breakdown of his talks with PLO; Hussein also says Jordan will take measures to restrict movement of Palestinians from West Bank to Jordan, to prevent Israel from forcing the Arab population to emigrate.

US and Other Countries: Shultz says he is willing to go to Damascus when there is genuine progress on agreement for Israeli withdrawal, returns to Beirut, meets Gemayel and Salem for line by line review of 22 page draft agreement and annexes.