The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers (including children) fr. Federman Farm outpost nr. Hebron stone a nearby Israeli border police unit, injuring 2 officers, claiming the unit intended to re-evacuate the outpost. As part of the ongoing Operation Dawn of the Nation, the PA security force unit newly deployed in Hebron makes a predawn raid on nearby al-Burj village, apparently coordinated with the IDF; masked officers arrive in 20 jeeps with dogs, search homes of Hamas members and supporters suspected of “carrying out anti-Israeli activities,” detaining about 25 before withdrawing in the evening. (HA, IMEMC 11/1; OCHA 11/5; PCHR 11/6)

On the Rafah border, 3 Palestinians are killed when a smuggling tunnel collapses. Egyptian security forces discover and demolish 3 tunnels on the Rafah border, giving a warning in advance to allow anyone in the tunnels to leave. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Fara‘a r.c., Ni‘lin. A new 585-mbr. PA security unit, part of which was trained under U.S. auspices in Jordan, takes up patrols in Hebron and immediately launches an expanded arrest campaign targeting Hamas; this is dubbed Operation Dawn of the Nation (see 9/14). (BBC, NYT 10/25; WT 10/26; OCHA 10/29; PCHR 10/30)