The Palestine Chronology

The IDF conducts a major late-night operation targeting Islamic Jihad in and around Jenin, raiding and searching the homes of at least a dozen local Islamic Jihad figures (arresting all but 1) and raiding, searching, and confiscating the files of 2 charities affiliated with Islamic Jihad. The Jenin offices of the Palestine People’s Party are also searched. During the day, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian construction company building in Jinsafut nr. Qalqilya; sends undercover units in a civilian vehicle with Palestinian license plates into al-Bireh to raid and search a restaurant, arresting 4 Palestinians and seizing surveillance tapes; conducts early morning patrols in Silat alDahir nr. Jenin (photographing old houses and alleys), Iraq Burin nr. Nablus (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing youths who confront them, seriously wounding 1), and Tulkarm; conducts afternoon and evening patrols in ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya (without incident) and in Bayt Liqya and Nabi Salih (in both cases firing live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stonethrowing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries); conducts late-night patrols in Alar nr. Tulkarm and late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to Palestinian crops s. of Nablus; the IDF hinders Palestinian fire crews from reaching the scene. The IDF escorts 1,600 Jewish worshipers to visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus; some 200 Israelis who did not have authorization for the visit sneak in with the group, refuse to leave, and are forcibly removed by soldiers. (MNA 5/30; PCHR, WJW 6/2; OCHA 6/3)

At a massive rally in Istanbul commemorating the 1st anniversary of Israel’s 5/2010 attack on the aid flotilla to Gaza that killed 9 Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, the flotilla organizers, the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement (FGM), and the Turkish charity Humanitarian Relief Foundation (known by its Turkish acronym IHH), announce plans for at least 1,500 activists and 10 boats to set sale in late 6/2011 as part of the “Freedom Flotilla II” to break the Gaza siege. Israel denounces the effort as supporting “a designated terrorist group” (Hamas) and warns it will use force if necessary to halt the flotilla. (DPA, REU 5/30)

Overnight, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, heavily damaging a factory in Sederot, but causing no injuries; the IDF retaliates with air strikes on at least 1 smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, 1 suspected weapons factory in al-Zaytun, causing no reported injuries. During the day, IDF troops reenter (see 6/29) the fmr. n. Gaza settlement sites n. of Bayt Lahiya, firing warning shots at Palestinians scavenging construction materials and forcing them to flee, causing no injuries. IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the industrial zone, causing no injuries. IDF senior officers take U.S. special envoy Mitchell to Kerem Shalom crossing to witness Israel’s easing of restrictions on imports to Gaza (up 30% since 6/20), including the transfer of the 1st load of goods fr. the FGM-IHH flotilla. Gaza’s electricity plant receives a shipment of industrial fuel allowing it to resume operations after a 4-day halt (the longest complete stoppage of the facility since the beginning of 2010). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya and nr. Hebron. In Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest PC mbr. Abu Tir for being in the city illegally; he was ordered (see 5/21) to leave voluntarily or face expulsion to Gaza. Israeli sources reveal that Israel’s Jerusalem Planning Committee recently approved construction of 1,400 new hotel rooms in Jabal Mukabir in East Jerusalem. Israel begins barring all West Bank Palestinian-made products fr. entering East Jerusalem as of 7/1 on the grounds that they did not meet Israeli standards, though the move is widely seen as retaliation for the PA’s boycott on settlement-made good enacted in 4/2010. (IFM, JP, NYT, PCHR, WP, YA 7/1; PCHR 7/7; OCHA 7/9)

Israeli naval commandos board the FMG-IHH aid boat Rachel Corrie, carrying medical supplies and construction materials, off the Gaza coast without incident, guiding it into Ashdod port, detaining 11 activists (including Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, fmr. UN diplomat Dennis Halliday, and prominent Malaysian writer and parliamentarian Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria) and 8 crew. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. (IFM, NYT, WP 6/6; PCHR 6/10; OCHA 6/11)

Overnight, Israeli naval commandos in boats and helicopters easily commandeer 5 small boats in the FGM-IHH flotilla to Gaza without incident, but open fire on passengers when they attempt to seize the main vessel (Mavi Marmara) sailing with the group, killing 9 Turkish activists (1 with dual U.S. citizenship); another 53 passengers (23 seriously, including 1 Australian) and 7 Israeli commandos (1 seriously; 1 stabbed, several with gunshot wounds) are injured. The IDF claims commandos acted in self-defense, saying they faced a premeditated attack by passengers; FGM-IHH says passengers were unarmed and nonviolent and at most acted in selfdefense. In light of the incident, the U.S. cancels a meeting at the White House between U.S. Pres. Barack Obama and Israeli PM Netanyahu scheduled for 6/1 and issues a statement saying that the U.S. is “deeply concerned by the suffering of civilians in Gaza” and “will continue to engage the Israelis on a daily basis to expand the scope and type of goods allowed into Gaza.” (IFM 5/31; IFM, NYT, WP, WT 6/1; AHR 6/3; JPI 6/11; ITIC 7/6; Counterpunch 6/10; JPI 7/16)

Meanwhile, IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging construction materials fr. destroyed buildings inside the Erez industrial zone, causing no reported injuries. Israeli border police fire tear gas at Palestinian and international activists staging a nonviolent demonstration against Israel’s attack on the flotilla nr. the Qalandia crossing into Jerusalem, hitting an American activist in the head with a tear gas canister (she loses an eye). (PCHR 6/3; OCHA 6/4; WJW 6/10)

Three Israeli navy missile ships make first contact with 6 boats fr. the FGM-IHH flotilla late at night in international waters, warning them that they are approaching Israeli waters and must either turn around or divert to Ashdod port; the activists respond that they will continue on to Gaza, stating they are unarmed civilians. (The other 2 boats remain in Cyprus because of poor weather.) In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. (NYT, WT 5/31; PCHR 6/3; OCHA 6/4)

Israel warns that it will not allow passage to a flotilla of 8 boats organized by the Free Gaza Movement (FGM) and a Turkish organization, Humanitarian Relief Fund (going by the acronym IHH), currently en route to Gaza in an effort to defy Israel’s siege and deliver 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid, saying it will send Israeli naval commandos to intercept the boats and escort them to Ashdod port, where the 100s of activists onboard would be deported. The U.S. urges restraint. (NYT, WP, WT 5/28)

IDF troops on the Gaza border nr. the former Nahal Oz crossing fire on armed Palestinians laying a roadside bomb nr. the border fence, injuring 7; the Palestinians respond with mortar fire, causing no injuries. The IDF also makes air strikes, directs tank fire at an area s. of Qarni crossing in response to mortar fire fr. the area; 2 Palestinian civilians, no Israelis are injured in the exchange. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on a Palestinian home in ‘Arab al-Ramadin village nr. Hebron, firing tear gas in the home (8 family mbrs. are evacuated to a medical center for treatment); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron (including arresting a 12-yr.-old boy, who is released on 5/28). (YA 5/28; PCHR 6/3; OCHA 6/4)

Israel charges 2 Israeli Palestinians, Ameer Makhoul (dir. of Ittijah, a union of Arab organizations in Israel) and Omar Said (also a pro-Arab advocate), with espionage for allegedly passing information on the location of IDF facilities to Hizballah, a charge the men deny. (WP, WT 5/28)