The Palestine Chronology

Hamas takes responsibility for planting a bomb in a chicken coop nr. Gaza’s Qarni crossing, luring an IDF bomb squad to the site, and detonating the device, killing an IDF solider and a bomb-sniffing dog, wounding 4 soldiers. The IDF retaliates with gunfire nearby, killing 2 Hamas mbrs., 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding 10 bystanders, bulldozing 30 d. of land. The IDF raids a charitable society, orphanage, and school reportedly tied to Hamas in Bani Na‘im, confiscating files, sealing 3 offices; raids the Prisoners’ Supporters Society in Hebron, confiscating computers, files; fires on residential areas of Brazil r.c., Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Beitunia, Hebron and nearby Bayt ‘Awwa, Qalqilya and neighboring ‘Azun and Jayyus, Taqu‘a, Zabbuba nr. Jenin; begins large-scale bulldozing operations nr. Jaba‘ village northwest of Hebron for construction of the separation wall; fires rubber bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians demonstrating against the separation wall in Budrus nr. Ramallah, also arrests 40 Israeli protesters demonstrating with them. The AMB kills a Palestinian collaborator believed to have passed information to the IDF that led to the killing of 3 AMB mbrs. on 11/21. A carload of Jewish settlers twice attempts to run down a group of Palestinian teenagers on their way to school; the settlers then emerge fr. the car, attempt to kidnap a Palestinian boy, scuffle with teenagers; the IDF intervenes, orders settlers to leave but does not arrest them. (IMEMC, MM 12/7; VOI 12/7 in WNC 12/9; NYT, WP, WT 12/8; VOI 12/8 in WNC 12/10; PCHR 12/9; MEI 12/17)

The IDF retakes Bethlehem, which had had only a small troop presence since the IDF turned the security of city over to the PSF on 8/19/02; imposes a curfew; surrounds the Church of the Nativity to prevent armed Palestinians fr. seeking refuge there; conducts arrest raids, detaining 20 Palestinians; blows up the house rented by the family of the 11/21 bomber; encircles nearby Dahaysha r.c.; occupies 15 buildings, including a hospital, orphanage, 2 houses, 6 police stations, the local PSF headquarters; occupies as many as 30 Palestinian homes in al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem, expelling the families; raids the home of Israeli UNRWA worker Allegra Pacheco, holding her at gunpoint for 2 hrs., arresting her husband. Senior Irish UNRWA official Iain Hook is fatally shot inside the UNRWA’s Jenin r.c. compound by an IDF soldier who mistook his cell phone for a grenade as an IDF operation unfolded nearby to capture wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. Abdallah Wahash, who is arrested; an 11-yr.-old Palestinian throwing stones at the troops is also shot dead. The IDF also raids, shells residential areas of, demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in al-Qarara; bulldozes 8 dunams of land in al-Qarara, 28 dunams s. of Dayr al-Balah; conducts house searches, arrest raids in Satar al-Sharqiyya (targeting Hamas mbrs.), Tulkarm. A Hamas sniper fatally shoots an IDF soldier on patrol nr. Gush Katif settlement. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. the Rafah-Egypt border, injuring 2 IDF soldiers. Late this evening, 2 Islamic Jihad suicide bombers detonate their explosives-packed boat next to an Israeli naval patrol boat off the coast of Gaza, injuring 4 IDF soldiers. (HA, MM, NYT, PM, WP, WT 11/22; AFP 11/22 in WNC 11/25; AP, HA, NYT, WP, WT 11/23; NYT, WP 11/24; HA 11/25; NYT, WT 11/26; HA, LAW, PCHR 11/27; CSM, JP, WJW 11/28; HA 12/2; NYT 1/4)

Christian Coalition leaders end a wk. long solidarity visit to Israel, saying they will use their “fact-finding mission” to help galvanize support for Israel in the U.S. (WT 11/27)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 4 Palestinians dead. The IDF declare a curfew, reinforces its positions in Bayt Jala, saying forces will remain in the town indefinitely--marking Israel's 1st reoccupation of West Bank area A. State Dept. spokesman Richard Boucher warns Israel that it is inflaming the conflict, urges Syria to keep a rein on Hizballah. Among the buildings taken over by the IDF are 5 Palestinian homes and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's orphanage, where troops turn the upper floors into a firing base for heavy machine guns. Residents of the occupied homes, orphanage are confined to a single room of their homes; the Lutheran bishop accuses the IDF of using the 45 children in the home as human shields. Troops also level a number of Palestinian houses; skirmish with Palestinians at Aida refugee camp, nr. Bayt Jala. Fighting around Bayt Jala and Gilo intensifies throughout the day, leaving 1 Palestinian dead, at least 6 injured. Palestinians fire 6 mortars at Gilo, causing damage but no injuries, marking the 1st sustained mortar attack in the West Bank. The IDF also sends undercover units into Hebron to capture PSF Hebron cmdr. Abdallah Salim; sends forces into Rafah refugee camp to demolish another 14 homes, wounding 12 Palestinians; sends troops into Dayr al-Balah camp, touching off gun battles; bulldozes part of a school, 50 olive trees in Abu Najim; shells residential areas of Dayr Samit, Dura, Kharsa; conducts arrests raids in Jalbun; seals a main north+nsouth Gaza road. (AP, BDL, HA, LAW, MM, REU 8/28; XIN 8/28 in WNC 8/29; BDL, NYT, WP, WT 8/29; PMC, WJW 8/30; MEI, WT 8/31; JP 9/7)

In Ramallah, 10,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral of PFLP leader Mustafa. In refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, 1,000s of Palestinian refugees protest Mustafa's assassination. In Amman, 100s of demonstrators call for the Israeli amb. to be expelled. Outside the Israeli DMin. in Tel Aviv, 100s of Israelis demonstrate against the IDF incursion into Bayt Jala, Bethlehem. (AP, GS, JP 8/28)