The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, IDF troops block a large funeral procession in a village nr. Hebron for the Palestinian man who died on 4/9 from health issues he developed in Israeli prison. The soldiers violently disperse stone-throwing mourners, killing 1 Palestinian and injuring 13 with live ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF also violently disperses Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly nonviolent demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Silwad, Nabi Salih, Jalazun r.c., and outside Ofer Prison), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and outside an Israeli settlement nr. al-Bireh; 15 Palestinians are moderately injured and 4 are arrested. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians and assaulting 1; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah, and 3 nr. Jericho. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 4/10; PCHR 4/16)

The Palestinian Medical Examination Union decides to halt the transfer of medical tests to Israeli labs, effectively signing the group on to the boycott of Israeli goods and products. (MNA 4/10)

Breaking the Palestinians’ nonintervention policy on the Syrian conflict, Senior Fatah official Tawfiq al-Tirawi calls for Palestinian fighters in Syria and Lebanon to defend Yarmouk r.c. against ISIS, which launched attacks in the camp on 4/1. Later, UN Dep. Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy flies to Damascus for consultations with the Syrian govt. about Yarmouk. (GDN, MNA 4/10)

The IDF makes an air strike on a Hamas training facility nr. Jabaliya r.c., killing 2 Hamas mbrs.; fires at least 4 missiles at another empty training facility in al-Mawasi, destroying it; sends ground troops into areas nr. Jabaliya, shooting and wounding 1 Palestinian. In Nussayrat r.c., 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs. are killed when a bomb they are making explodes prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Ramallah to ambush, assassinate AMB mbr. Omar ‘Abd al-Halim, wounding 5 bystanders; sends undercover units into Kafr Dan nr. Jenin to ambush, assassinate Islamic Jihad mbr. ‘Id Hisham Khalil; makes arrest raids in and around Jenin town and r.c. (fatally shooting Muhammad Marai‘, who announced a wk. ago the formation of a new Fatah splinter group, the Martyr Abu Ammar Brigades, in what may be an assassination) and in Nablus (detaining Fatah PC mbr. and PA General Intelligence Nablus head Jamal Tirawi, 3 others), Tulkarm r.c. (al-Haq press release, NYT, OCHA 5/30; NYT, PCHR, WP 5/31)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on, wound a Palestinian farmer who strays nr. the border fence e. of Jabaliya. In Khan Yunis, a 6-yr.-old Palestinian is killed, 2 children (ages 2 and 5) are injured when they accidentally trigger an explosive device in their home. In the West Bank, the IDF raids an internet caf´e in Orayf nr. Nablus, detaining, beating, releasing 2 14-yr.-old Palestinians they accuse of throwing stones; sends undercover units into Ramallah to raid a caf´e, arrest a wanted Palestinian (a bodyguard for Fatah PC mbr. Jamal al-Tirawi); patrols Tubas; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; fires on stone-throwing youths nr. Jenin, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 2; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at 10s of Palestinians holding nonviolent protests against the separation wall at 2 points along the wall outside Qalqilya, injuring several. A 15-yr.- old Palestinian injured by IDF fire at the Qalandia checkpoint on 3/28 dies. (OCHA 4/4; PCHR 4/5)

Overnight, the IDF kills 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. (Nidal Khalluf, Samir al-Shalabi) in an exchange of gunfire in Burkin nr. Jenin; fatally shoots AMB local cmdr. Samir Saadi in an exchange of gunfire during arrest sweeps nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, in Tulkarm. In light of Saadi’s killing, the AMB Jenin faction says it will no longer observe the unilateral truce. Palestinians later fire 2 mortars at an IDF post on the Gaza border, causing no damage or injuries. During the day and into the late evening, the IDF raids Balata r.c., fatally shoots 2 wanted AMB mbrs. (Ala’ al-Tirawi, Jamal al-Jirmi), wounds 1 in what may be an assassination; seals Madama and Asira nr. Nablus; launches arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Furik, Dahaysha r.c. and nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm. Some 50 Jewish settlers fr. Bayt Hadassah in Hebron, escorted by IDF troops, throw stones, bottles at Palestinian homes in Hebron, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. (HA 9/29; IMEMC, NYT 9/30; NYT 10/1; PCHR 10/6)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus in Tel Aviv, killing 5 Israelis, injuring more than 50. Sharon convenes his cabinet, which unanimously decides to launch Operation Matter of Time to "isolate” Arafat, calls for the immediate extradition of around 20 wanted Palestinians (including Force 17 head Mahmud Damara, PA General Intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi) allegedly among the 200 Palestinians hiding in Arafat's offices (8 surrender in the evening). The IDF immediately reimposes 24-hr. curfews on all West Bank areas except Hebron; sends tanks into Ramallah to surround Arafat's offices (1 tank fatally shoots a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy 6 times; troops shoot, wound 2 Arafat bodyguards in the PA headquarters compound); fires on "Palestinian schoolchildren challenging the army's attempt to impose a curfew" in Amari r.c., killing a 11-yr.-old Palestinian; shells residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Hanun (where an IDF tank runs over a roadside bomb, injuring 2 soldiers), Jenin r.c. (blowing up 1 Palestinian home), Nablus, Qalqilya, the Tulkarm area; bulldozes 19 dunams of agricultural land nr. Kefar Darom settlement. Jewish settlers open fire on a Palestinian taxi nr. Tulkarm, seriously injuring the driver. (AP, HA, JTA, LAW, MM, PM 9/19; ATL, ITAR-TASS 9/19 in WNC 9/20; MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/20; Interfax, MA, Radio Monte Carlo 9/20 in WNC 9/23; MEZ, NYT 9/21; AYM 9/23 in WNC 9/25; LAW, PCHR, PR 9/25; MA 9/25 in WNC 9/26; WJW 9/26; MEI 9/27)

Early this morning, IDF helicopters, tanks attack the PSF West Bank headquarters in Beitunia, where some 200 PSF officers and staff have encamped since 3/30, setting the building ablaze. The CIA intervenes to secure the safe evacuation of the staff, surrender of 180 officers, but some refuse to leave. In Ramallah, the IDF continues house-to-house searches, stumbling upon 22 PSF officers hiding in an apartment, fatally shooting 2 though none resist arrest; raids, shuts Ramallah's al-Quds Educational TV, arresting 2 employees; revokes the credentials of 2 Abu Dhabi TV journalists, threatens legal action against CNN and NBC for broadcasting fr. Ramallah; confiscates 3 ambulances, detains 9 paramedics. PRCS suspends services in Ramallah, noting the IDF now has 15 medical workers in custody. This afternoon, the IDF lifts the Ramallah curfew for 3 hrs. so residents can buy food, bury those killed since 3/29 (bodies have been double-stacked in morgues, with no electricity). In Bethlehem, IDF troops order all men age 14-45 to surrender; fight their way to the doorway of the Church of the Nativity, where some 200 Palestinian gunmen, civilians have now sought refuge; fire on 20 journalists on the balcony of the Star Hotel, injuring 1; fire a warning shot at a clearly marked Reuters car. Palestinians also take refuge in Bethlehem's Omar Mosque, Santa Maria Church, the Russian Orthodox Church and hospice; the IDF surrounds those holy sites, occupies Bethlehem University as its main staging area. In Aida and Dahaysha, the IDF orders Palestinian women age 15-25, men age 14-45 to surrender. A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates a device at an IDF checkpoint into Jerusalem, killing only himself, causing no injuries. At least 7 Palestinians are killed today, including 2 motorists ambushed by settler vigilante group Tears of the Orphans and Martyrs (see 3/5) nr. Tulkarm, a mother and son shot by the IDF and allowed bleed to death, a woman shot dead by an IDF sniper as she left a Ramallah hospital (troops fire on medical workers attempting to retrieve her body). 3 Israelis injured in the 3/27 Netanya attack die, bringing the toll of the bombing to 23; 1 Israeli injured in the 3/31 Haifa attack dies, bringing that toll to 16. Israel expands its list of "wanted" Palestinians to include some of Arafat's top aides, including intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi, PSF 2d in command in Gaza Rashid Abu Shabak, Fatah tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti, but not PSF heads Dahlan or Rajub. (AP, HA, PRCS press release, NYT, WP, WT 4/2; MENA 4/2 in WNC 4/3; NYT, WP, WT 4/3; WP 4/4; QA 4/4 in WNC 4/5; MEI 4/5)

Sharon tells envoys of EU, Russia, UN they may meet with Arafat if they agree to escort him into exile. Peres proposes that Arafat "voluntarily" leave the territories asylum in foreign country. (AP, HA, MM 4/2; AFP 4/2 in WNC 4/3; NYT, WP 4/3)

AMB gunmen ambush, abduct, fatally shoot a Jewish settler nr. Bayt Sahur. Unidentified Palestinian gunmen fatally shoot a 2d Jewish settler, wound a 3d nr. Givat Ze'ev. Both settlers killed are U.S. passport holders. The IDF tightens blockades around Bethlehem, Ramallah; conducts arrest raids in Qalqilya. Jewish settlers uproot an olive grove nr. Keddumim. The PSF arrests PFLP head Ahmad Saadat in Ramallah after luring him to a mtg. with PA West Bank intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi; the Israel claims the arrest was only meant to impress a visiting U.S. congressional delegation. In Bethlehem, Gaza City, and Ramallah, 100s of Palestinians gather to protest Saadat's arrest. Demonstrators outside Arafat's office in Ramallah denounce Tirawi as a collaborator. The PSF also shuts the Gaza City office of al-Risala, the NISP's newspaper. (AFP, BBC 1/15; AFP, JP, LAW, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/16; HA, MM, NYT, WP 1/17; al-Quds 1/17 in WNC 1/18; al-Safir 1/18; al-Nahar 1/19 in WNC 1/22; MEI 1/25)

In light of increasing violence, the U.S. places Zinni's 3d trip to the region, set to begin on 1/18, on hold. (WT 1/16; MM 1/21)