The Palestine Chronology

The AMB, Hamas, Islamic Jihad take joint responsibility for an attack on Erez Crossing in which 3 Palestinian gunmen dressed in IDF uniforms open fire, killing 4 IDF soldiers, wounding another 4 before being shot dead. In 2 attacks in Hebron, 2 Palestinian gunmen fatally shoot an IDF soldier, wound another before being shot dead; no group claims responsibility for that attack. Meanwhile, the IDF fires on a car outside Yamun, wounding 2 Palestinians. Late in the evening, the IDF raids, imposes curfew on Balata r.c.; bulldozes Palestinian land around Askar r.c. (MENA 6/8 in WNC 6/10; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/9; QA, SFR 6/9 in WNC 6/11; NYT 6/10; JP 6/11 in WNC 6/13; LAW, PCHR 6/12)

The IDF conducts a predawn raid on Jenin, placing the town under curfew, prompting an exchange of gunfire in which 1 IDF soldier is wounded; fires on a Swiss envoy’s diplomatic vehicle at Erez crossing for no apparent reason, causing damage but no injuries (Switzerland files a formal protest.); fires on stone-throwing youths in Tulkarm, killing 1 Palestinian; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Bayt Furik, 1 outside Hebron, 1 in al-Til; confiscates 7 dunams of land in Habla, nr. Qalqilya; fires on residential areas of Bayt Furik, Khan Yunis, Tulkarm r.c.; conducts arrest raids in Abu Dis, Balata r.c., Bethlehem, Kafr Dan, Qalqilya, Tubas, Yamun; tightens roadblocks around Ramallah. In Hebron, 5 Palestinian children are injured when they trigger unexploded munitions while playing. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; detonate a roadside bomb underneath an IDF vehicle in Gaza, causing damage but no injuries. Extremist rightwing Jewish settlers affiliated with the “hilltop youth” and the outlawed Kach movement announce plans to launch a “personal incitement campaign” against Sharon in light of his approval of the road map. (HA 5/27; AFP 5/27 in WNC 5/28; NYT, WT 5/28; MA 5/28 in WNC 5/29; LAW, PCHR 5/29)

The IDF reports that in the past 24 hrs., it arrested 1,300 Palestinians for being inside Israel illegally, deported all but 19 to the occupied territories. Today, the IDF opens fire on stone-throwing youths in Yamun, killing a 15-yr.-old Palestinian, wounding 6 others ages 9–14; raids the only emergency medical clinic in the Old City of Nablus, vandalizing the building, destroying medicine; fires on residential areas of Bayt Hanun, injuring 7 children on their way to school; conducts arrest raids in Hebron (targeting Hamas), Silat al-Haratiyya, Silat al-Dahir, Tamun, Tubas, Yabad; digs trenches alongside roads in Araba, Yabad, bulldozes land in Khan Yunis, Rafah. The IDF seizes a boat off the northern coast manned by a Hizballah mbr. and 7 arms smugglers, carrying explosives detonators. Israel claims that the boat was bound for Egypt, the Hizballah mbr. intended to infiltrate Gaza from there, carrying arms ordered by Arafat; Arafat and Hizballah deny this. The Israeli Housing Min. issues tenders for construction of 502 new housing units in Ma’ale Adumim settlement. Israel announces plans to banish 2 West Bank Hamas mbrs. being held in administrative detention to Gaza for 2 yrs., citing “security reasons.” (HA, HP, UPMRC 5/22; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/23; JP 5/23 in WNC 5/27; PR 5/28; LAW, PCHR, WJW 5/29)

Abbas opens talks with Hamas, Islamic Jihad leaders on a cease-fire. The groups say they would agree to halt attacks inside Israel if Israel stopped targeting militants. (HA 5/22; HA, WP, WT 5/23; JP, SA 5/23 in WNC 5/27)

The IDF raids Gaza’s Massadir village, imposing a curfew, ordering all men ages 20–50 to surrender for questioning, arresting 34; Palestinians fr. neighboring villages gather outside Massadir, throw stones at troops, who fire on them, killing 2 Palestinians, wounding 14. The IDF also confiscates a Palestinian home in Hebron, expelling the family; fires on residential areas, demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Balata r.c., Jenin (cutting electricity), al-Yamun. (NYT 4/7; PR 4/9; LAW, PCHR 4/10)

A Hamas suicide bomber fr. Hebron detonates a device on a bus in Haifa, killing 14 Israelis, 1 American, wounding 40; Israel seals the West Bank and Gaza borders until further notice, vows to respond “but not [on] a scale that would disrupt any U.S. preparations for a possible attack on Iraq.” Overnight, Palestinians also reportedly fire 13 antitank missiles and grenades at IDF forces on the Rafah border, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Nablus, 1 in Qalqilya, a mosque in Rafah r.c. that had been heavily damaged in earlier attacks; conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, Qalqilya (targeting Fatah), Ramallah (nabbing senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbr. Abdallah Barghouti), Yamun; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. Late in the evening, the IDF launches a major raid into Jabaliya r.c., sending in 50 tanks and helicopters, firing several missiles, killing 3 Palestinians, wounding 11; fatally shoots Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad al-‘Asas in an exchange of gunfire in Bethlehem, leaving 1 IDF soldier wounded. A Jerusalem court sentences Israeli Arab Murad Ajluni to life plus 20 yrs. for taking part in a 3/02 AMB shooting in Tel Aviv that left 3 Israelis dead. (HA 3/5; Interfax, VOI 3/5 in WNC 3/6; HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/6; MA 3/6 in WNC 3/7; HA 3/7; LAW, PR 3/13; PCHR 3/13; JPI 3/14)