The Palestine Chronology

An 11-yr.-old Palestinian girl is fatally shot in a Rafah school yard. Palestinians say the gunfire came fr. an IDF post outside a nearby Jewish settlement, but the IDF denies this, claming that the girl was hit by gunfire fr. local Palestinians who were celebrating their return fr. the Hajj; residents say no such celebrations were taking place. In retaliation, Hamas fires 6 mortars, 6 Qassam rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza, causing damage but no injuries. Islamic Jihad fires 3 rockets at Netzarim, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF bulldozes at least 800 d. of agricultural land outside Yatta, apparently to turn the land over for Jewish settlers’ use; begins bulldozing Palestinian land in al-Ram northwest of Jerusalem on a settler bypass road. (VOI 1/31 in WNC 2/1; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/1; PR 2/2; PCHR 2/3)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians (at least 1 is unarmed—a mentally handicapped man who strays into a closed military zone) in separate incidents outside Jewish settlements in Gaza. An AMB gunman ambushes, fatally shoots 1 IDF soldier, wounds 3 nr. Nablus; the IDF conducts arrest raids in the area in response. Hamas fires 6 mortars, 1 Qassam rocket at Jewish settlements in Gaza, causing no damage or injuries; Islamic Jihad fires 3 rockets at Nisanit settlement in n. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. (HA 1/7; VOI, VOP 1/7 in WNC 1/11; NYT, WP 1/8; NYT 1/9; OCHA 1/12; PCHR 1/13)