The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uproot 450 olive and almond tree saplings in Deir Sharaf. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians with live ammunition during raids in Tubas, Kafr al-Labad, and Hebron. Israeli forces also seize 3 vehicles in al-Zawiya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze 5 dunams of land planted with grape vines, uprooting 300 trees in Battir. Israeli forces also arrest 41 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tubas, Arrabah, Ein as-Sultan refugee camp, Bethlehem, Salem, Bayt Ibia, and Yatta. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, killing at least 118 people. Israeli forces also continue to raid al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at a radar station in Shebaa Farms. Israeli forces bomb Tayr Harfa. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb a “UAV ground control station” and shoot down a drone over the Gulf of Aden. (HA 1/31; AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/1; UNOCHA 2/2)

More than 27,019 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 66,139 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,391 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,293 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 200 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Israelis block trucks carrying aid to Gaza arriving at Ashdod port. The New York Times says its analysis found that Israeli forces have destroyed hundreds of buildings in Gaza in at least 33 controlled demolitions, including schools, mosques, and entire sections of residential neighborhoods. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzerini says UNRWA could be forced to shut down all its operations if funding does not resume. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/1; UNOCHA 2/5)

Israel releases 114 Palestinian detainees, taken from Gaza to Israel, via the Karem Abu Salem crossing. (HA 2/1

PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks to Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a phone call, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, WAFA 2/1)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says Hamas is studying the proposed ceasefire deal. (AJ, HA, REU 2/1)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade has been disbanded and that Israeli forces will push toward Rafah. Gallant also calls UNRWA “Hamas with a facelift.” (AJ, AP 2/1; AJ, NYT, REU 2/2)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli military to examine if it could distribute aid in Gaza instead of UNRWA. Channel 7 reports that Foreign Minister Israel Katz called UNRWA a “part of Hamas’s murder machine.” (AJ, HA 2/1)

U.S. president Joe Biden signs an executive order allowing the U.S. to sanction people participating in acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank. The Department of the Treasury subsequently sanctions 4 settlers, David Chai Chasdai, Yinon Levi, Einan Tanjil, and Shalom Zicherman. In response to the sanctions, Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calls on the U.S. to rethink its policy in the West Bank and calls the settlers “heroic.” Finance Minister Smotrich calls the decision “anti-Semitic.” Axios reports that the Biden administration considered adding Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to the list. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/1; HA, HA, NYT 2/2; HA 2/4)

UK foreign secretary David Cameron tells AP that UK recognition of the state of Palestine “cannot come at the start of the [peace negotiation] process, but it does not have to be the very end of the process,” saying “[w]hat we need to do is give the Palestinian people a horizon towards a better future, the future of having a state of their own.” Cameron also says that for the UK to recognize the state of Palestine Hamas leaders will have to leave Gaza. Cameron also meets with Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati in Beirut. Israeli diaspora minister Amichai Chikli compares Cameron’s statement on recognition of Palestine to UK appeasement of Nazi Germany prior to World War II. (AJ, AP 2/1; AJ, HA, REU 2/2)

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar tells reporters that Ireland wants the EU to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the basis that Israel may be breaching the agreement’s clause on human rights. (REU 2/1)

Belgian minister of development cooperation Caroline Gennez says she and Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will summon the Israeli ambassador over the bombing of the Belgian development agency’s office in Gaza. (AJ 2/1; REU, WAFA 2/2)

The digital access group Access NOW says at least 30 people in Jordan, including journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and political activists, have had their cellphones hacked using Pegasus spyware made by the Israeli company NSO Group. (AP 2/1)

In Gaza, Israeli drones bomb sites near Jabaliya refugee camp and near al-Bureij refugee camp allegedly being used as staging areas for incendiary kite and balloon attacks; there are no reported injuries. On the other side of the border fence, Israeli firefighters put out 10 small fires allegedly sparked by such attacks. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse dozens of Palestinians gathering near al-Bureij refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 1 Palestinian is injured. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Rafah and Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces level Palestinian lands near Bethlehem to make space for the expansion of settlements in the area. IDF troops arrest 9 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids near Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Hebron; and patrol near Tulkarm and Hebron. A raid near Ramallah sparks clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian minors; there are no reported injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in Silwan. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 8/4; PCHR 8/9)

A Palestinian minor succumbs to injuries sustained when Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinian protesters along Gaza’s border on 8/3, bringing the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 140. (MNA, WAFA 8/4)

Israeli naval forces intercept the second ship of a planned flotilla sailing toward Gaza in a symbolic effort to break the Israeli blockade. As they did with the flotilla’s lead ship on 7/29, Israeli naval forces commandeer the ship, escort it to the port at Ashdod, and detain all 12 activists on board. “The forces made it clear to the sailors that they were violating the blockade and that any humanitarian supplies can be delivered to Gaza through the port of Ashdod,” the IDF states. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/4)

A small Salafi group fires a rocket from Gaza into Israel, which explodes in Sderot, causing no injuries and minor damage. Holding Hamas responsible, the IDF fires tank shells and launches at least 25 air strikes on Hamas military sites in Bayt Hanun, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, causing substantial damage. After the air strikes, the Israeli press reports that Hamas sent a message via a 3d party pledging to try to deescalate tensions and to stop small armed groups from firing more rockets. Meanwhile, an Israeli jet crashes on its return trip from a sortie in Gaza, killing the pilot and injuring another Israeli airman. An IDF spokesperson says that the 2 men ejected from the aircraft before the crash, and that the cause of the crash was unknown. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/5; PCHR, TOI 10/6)

The IDF lifts its 3-day general closure of the West Bank overnight, allowing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to use border crossings into Israel again. They also lift their 1.5 mo. closure of Kifl Haris village nr. Salfit. The village was closed after reports of stonethrowing in the area. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces level 36 dunams (9 acres) of Palestinian land nr. Hebron, destroying numerous plum and olive trees. IDF troops arrest 17 Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches nr. Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in Issawiyya and al-Tur. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City and Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers and shepherds working nr. Gaza City, causing no injuries. (MNA, WAFA 10/5; PCHR 10/13)

A delegation of ICC officials, including chief prosecutor Bensouda, arrives in Israel for a 5-day educational visit. They will meet with both Israeli and Palestinian officials. Bensouda is still conducting the preliminary examination into alleged war crimes that she initiated in 1/2015 at the Palestinians’ request. However, the ICC officials explicitly state that they are not in Israel to “engage in evidence collection in relation to any alleged crimes” or to “assess the adequacy of the respective legal systems to deal with crimes that fall within ICC jurisdiction." (HA, JP, TOI 10/5)

Israeli naval forces intercept the ship Zaytouna around 35 naut. mi. off the coast of Gaza and peacefully arrest its all-female crew of solidarity activists. The takeover and escort to the port of Ashdod are “uneventful,” according to the IDF. The women are then detained at Givon Prison ahead of their likely deportation. PLO secy.-gen. Saeb Erekat says, “We strongly condemn the Israeli aggression today against the international flotilla that attempted to break the illegal Israeli siege over 1.8 m. people in Gaza.” (EI, HA, MNA, NYT, WAFA 10/5)

Israeli naval vessels seize a Palestinian fishing boat off the s. Gaza coast; hold 4 fishermen for questioning at Ashdod Port, releasing them late in the evening but confiscating their boat. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; 3 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon (firing tear gas at stone-throwing youths in 1 incident); and 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Tulkarm late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists hold a nonviolent demonstration in Bayt Umar to protest the planned expansion of nearby Karmei Tzur settlement. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no serious injuries. (PCHR 1/12; OCHA 1/13)

Israeli naval vessels fire on and heavily damage a Palestinian fishing boat off the Rafah coast, rescuing the 2 fishermen and taking them to Ashdod port, where they are questioned and returned to Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 barnyards in the Wadi Hassasa area nr. Bethlehem; confiscates a tractor fr. a Palestinian farmer in Wadi Fukin nr. Bethlehem; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah; and conducts daytime arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. (PCHR 6/30; OCHA 7/1)

Cyprus bans all departures from its seaports to Gaza, warning pro-Palestinian activists connected with the Freedom Flotilla II not to use the country as a springboard to challenge Israel’s Gaza blockade. (REU 6/23)

The IDF fires on a PRC border patrol unit nr. the Gaza border fence, killing 1 Hamas mbr. Israeli naval forces detain a fishing boat of the n. Gaza coast, directing it to Ashdod port; the 6 fishermen onboard are released hours later, but their boat is confiscated. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm. (NYT 12/29; PCHR 12/30; OCHA 12/31)

Israeli naval vessels intercept a catamaran of Jewish activists off the Gaza coast, escorting it to Ashdod port without incident (see 9/26). The IDF carries out air strikes on a group of armed Palestinians preparing to fire a rocket into Israel from an area nr. al-Bureij r.c. in c. Gaza (killing 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs.) and on the Nussayrat r.c. home of a Gaza Education Min. employee, causing heavy damage but no injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the evacuated settlement sites near the border, wounding 1 deaf Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols late at night, without incident in Qiffin village nr. Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (CNN, JP, MNA, NYT 9/28; NYT, WT 9/29; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

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)

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)

Israeli naval vessels fire on, surround 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to sail to Ashdod port, confiscating the boats, arresting 3 fishermen, and returning 1 to Gaza through the Erez crossing. IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire on an unarmed Palestinian teenager who strays into the 300 m. buffer zone e. of Gaza Valley village, moderately wounding him. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Bethlehem, Nablus. Hamas police in Gaza detain BBC reporter Paul Martin for 15 days of questioning on suspicion of unspecified security offenses. Martin was testifying on behalf of Muhammad Abu Muayliq, a fmr. member of the Abu Rish Brigades (a Fatah offshoot) on trial in a Hamas military court for collaboration with Israel, and was arrested in the courtroom during the trial when Abu Muayliq allegedly implicated him in “violating Palestinian law and security in Gaza.” (NYT 2/16; OCHA, PCHR 2/18)

Israeli naval vessels intercept a Palestinian fishing boat that approaches the boundary of the permitted fishing zone off the Bayt Lahiya coast, damaging the boat, forcing the fishermen to jump into the sea, and then detaining them, taking them to Ashdod port in Israel for several hrs. of questioning, before releasing them to Gaza. A smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses, killing 3 Palestinians. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Palestinians in Silwan report that during the previous wk., Israeli workers and archeologists resumed work on 2 archeological tunnels under the city leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque (see Quarterly Update in JPS 154). A group of right-wing Jews breaks into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to hold prayers marking Hanukkah, but Waqf officials ask Israeli police to intervene, and police remove them peacefully. Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem celebrating Hanukkah attack a number of Palestinian shops and residents in the Old City; Israeli security forces observe but do not intervene. The PASF crackdown on Hamas mbrs. in the West Bank winds down today, with the UN reporting at least 80 and as many as 300 detained. The Israeli High Court rules that a 2007-imposed ban on family visits by Gazans to Palestinians held in Israeli jails is valid. (OCHA, PCHR 12/16; PCHR 12/23; HA 12/31)

Israel allows 636 Palestinians to transit through the Rafah crossing (618 going into Egypt, 18 returning to Gaza). Israeli naval vessels halt and confiscate 2 Palestinian fishing boats operating 600 m off the Rafah coast, taking the fishermen to Ashdod port and returning them to Gaza after interrogation. IDF troops make a brief incursion into Gaza nr. Qarni crossing to level at least 60 d. of crops obscuring soldiers’ lines of sight into the Strip. In the West Bank, the IDF imposes a curfew on Kafr Haris nr. Salfit, patrols streets for several hrs. before escorting 10s of Jewish settlers into the village to visit historic tombs; they all depart late in the evening. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, the IDF forces a Palestinian family to demolish their home in the Wadi al-Juz neighborhood, threatening to levy a $2,500 fine if the IDF were to carry out the demolition. (OCHA, PCHR 8/13) 

Israeli naval vessels fire on and detain a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of n. Gaza, ordering 3 fishermen to strip naked and swim to the gunboat and the 4th fisherman to accompany the gunboat to Ashdod port; the fishermen are released in the evening. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on residential areas of al-Shuka, moderately wounding a Palestinian woman. In the West Bank, an IDF soldier is killed in a friendly fire incident nr. Ramallah. The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem. (OCHA 5/13; PCHR 5/14)

At an emergency session in Cairo, the Arab League states unanimously reject the Obama admin.’s request as relayed by King Abdallah (see 4/21) to amend the 2002 Arab League initiative by dropping demands for the Palestinian right of return as a means of jumpstarting comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace talks. (Irish Times 5/8; NYT 5/12; see also AP, UPI 5/6)

Israeli naval vessels fire on and chase 30 Palestinian fishing boats (69 fishermen) off the n. Gaza coast to force them back to shore, seizing 3 boats, demanding that the 8 crew mbrs. of 1 boat strip naked and jump into the water, then detaining them and taking them to the Ashdod port. In the West Bank, the IDF lifts the closure on Khirbat Safa imposed on 4/2 and withdraws fr. the area, but reenters the vicinity later in the day after Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn fire toward the village, causing no injuries; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths nr. Jericho, wounding 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., al-Fara‘a r.c., Nablus, Tulkarm, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. Israeli security forces demolish a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (OCHA 4/8; PCHR 4/9)

In ongoing clashes in n. Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots wanted Hamas senior cmdr. ‘Abd al-Rauf Nabhan in Jabaliya in what may be an assassination; shells the Bayt Lahiya home of 1 of the Palestinians who carried out the 3/14/04 Ashdod port bombings, killing 2 family mbrs., wounding 6; shells residential areas of Bayt Hanun, Jabaliya. In s. Gaza, the IDF fires on a PA roadblock outside Khan Yunis, killing 2 PA security officers (1 an AMB mbr., 1 an Abu Rish Brigades mbr.), sends heavy equipment, troops into Rafah, orders residents to leave their homes, demolishes 14 Palestinian homes completely; later fires on residential areas of Rafah, seriously wounding a man asleep in his home; fires on stone-throwing youths in Khan Yunis, damaging a nearby hospital building and ambulance. In the West Bank, the IDF fires on stone-throwing youths in Balata r.c. Masked Jewish settlers attack, beat, lightly injure an Italian peace activist escorting Palestinian children home fr. school in Hebron. (VOI, VOP 10/9 in WNC 10/12; WP 10/10; PCHR 10/14)

The IDF opens the Qarni commercial crossing (closed since the 3/14 Ashdod port bombings) for transportation of goods fr. Israel into Gaza only; conducts arrest raids nr. Bethlehem, Hebron; fires on Palestinians who confront troops searching several Palestinian men, injuring 2; fires on residential areas of Balata r.c.; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in al-Qarara nr. Khan Yunis; seizes around 400 dunams of land in Jinata nr. Bethlehem for construction of a settler bypass road that will divide the village in half. (VOI 5/31 in WNC 6/2; PCHR 6/3)

An AMB mbr. and a Hamas mbr., both fr. Gaza’s Jabaliya r.c., stage a double suicide bombing inside Israel’s Ashdod port, some 30 mi. north of the Strip, killing 11 Israelis, wounding 20, and marking the 1st suicide bombing inside Israel staged fr. Gaza and the 1st targeting civilian infrastructure. Hamas, AMB issue a communiqu´e stating that “joint, qualitative operations” involving various factions will be their practice in the future. In response, the IDF launches air strikes against 3 metal foundries, a printing press (alleged weapons factories) in Gaza City, wounding 1 Palestinian. The IDF also fatally shoots 3 armed Palestinians attempting to infiltrate Netzarim settlement; fatally shoots a Palestinian during an arrest raid in Rafah; fires on Palestinians playing soccer on a field nr. Neve Dekalim settlement, wounding 1; fires rubber bullets, stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, international demonstrators protesting the separation wall nr. Mod’in Ilit settlement, wounding 10; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c., al-Qarara and nr. Nablus, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’ale Shomron nr. Qalqilya bulldoze 150 dunams of adjacent Palestinian land. Jewish settlers fr. Asfar nr. Hebron confiscate 60 dunams of nearby Yatta village land (see 3/6). (BBC, HA 3/14; VOP 3/14 in WNC 3/16; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/15; MM 3/16; QA, al-Quds 3/16 in WNC 3/18; MM, PR 3/17; HA, PCHR, WJW 3/18; MEI 3/19; JPI 3/26; WP 4/1)

The upper house of Jordanian parliament overturns (45-3) 3 laws on Israel, installs in their place legislation to allow economic and neighborly cooperation. (RJ 7/31 in FBIS 7/31; MM 8/1; MEI 8/4; JP 8/12) (see 7/26)

213 arrested, 25 injured when 400 Israeli police, soldiers evict 600 settlers fr. hilltop taken to expand Efrat settlement in protest over government plans to extend Palestinian self-rule. The hill is to be turned over to the PA under expanded self-rule. After the incident, 100s of the settlers set up tent camp nr. Beit El settlement nr. Ramallah. (IDF Radio, QY 7/31 in FBIS 7/31; MM, WT 8/1; QY 8/1 in FBIS 8/2; CSM, WT 8/2; NYT 8/7) (see 7/24)

When it docks at Ashdod port, boat broadcasting Channel 7--an antigovernment pirate station, known as "Settler Radio"--is raided, shut down by Israeli Communications Min. officials. 100s of Israelis protest. (QY 7/31 in FBIS 8/1; MM 8/1; JP 8/12)

As 1st step toward extradition fr. the U.S., Jerusalem court issues arrest warrant for Abu Marzuq on charges of funding terrorist operations.  (IDF Radio 7/31 in FBIS 7/31; IDF Radio, QY 7/31, JP 8/1 in FBIS 8/1; WP 8/1; WJW 8/3; MEI 8/4) (see 7/28)

Armed settlers try to attack Faisal Husseini while visiting Arab Children's Home in East Jerusalem, are stopped by Israeli police. (VOP 7/31 in FBIS 8/1) (see 7/29)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Five Palestinians are sentenced to life imprisonment for alleged kidnap, torture, and murder of Dani Katz, 15, in December 1983 [LT 10/15]. Israeli military asks SLA to stop harassing UNIFIL troops in Lebanon following reports of serious incidents involving the SLA [JP 10/15].

Arab World: The Times quotes senior PLO official as saying the organization is near bankruptcy because Arab countries have not met their financial commitments [LT, MG 10/14]. U.S. State Dept. spokesman says body of man washed up near Syrian port of Tartus may be that of Leon Klinghoffer [NYT 10/15]. Tunis branch of the Palestine Liberation Front issues statement acknowledging the real target of the hijackers of the Achille Lauro was the Israeli port of Ashdod [WP 10/15]. Pres. Mubarak demands public apology from the U.S. to "all Egyptians" for interception of Egyptian plane carrying 4 hijackers [WP, LAT 10/15].

Other Countries: Britain calls off talks with joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation on M.E. peace process, saying the Palestinian members of the delegation refused to sign a previously agreed upon statement renouncing "terrorism" and explicitly recognizing Israel's right to exist. The Palestinians state they had not seen the statement before and could not sign it unless it had already been approved by the entire PLO Executive Committee. British For. Sec. Geoffrey Howe states he is "very disappointed and surprised" by the PLO delegates' refusal to do so [NYT, WP, DT 10/15]. The EEC announces its decision to cancel scheduled talks with the joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation following Britain's decision [DT 10/15]. UN General Assembly averts U.S. boycott by dropping invitation to Yasir Arafat to attend 40th anniversary commemoration [NYT, WP 10/15]. The Times reports China and North Korea have denied entry to Kozo Okamoto, only survivor of the Japanese Red Army attack on Lod airport in 1972, who was released in the 5/20 prisoner exchange [LT 10/14]. The Guardian reports Spanish police are nearly positive the corpses of 2 Israelis found in Barcelona were members of Mossad [MG 10/14]. President of Ivory Coast announces his country is prepared to renew ties with Israel [JP 10/15].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Gasoline bomb thrown at Israeli bus near Ramallah slightly injures 1 passenger [JP 10/15].

Arab World: Israeli fighter bombers fly deep into Jordanian territory at dawn; no attacks reported [NYT 10/15]. Syria states a shoulder-held missile was recently fired at an Israeli jet near the Golan Heights but missed its target. Syria sent a formal apology to Israel for the attack, saying it was ordered by a junior-level commander and did not reflect a change in Syria's adherence to the cease-fire. Israel reportedly accepted the explanation [NYT, WP 10/15].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli officials state that during his upcoming visit to Washington, P.M. Peres will seek to use the publicity of the Achille Lauro affair to exclude the PLO from the M.E. peace process [WP 10/14]. P.M. Peres denies he notified the Soviets he might be willing to return the Golan Heights in exchange for an increase in Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union and restoration of diplomatic ties [JP 10/14].

Arab World: Muhammad 'Abbas states 4 hijackers told him they did not kill anyone, that Leon Klinghoffer probably died of a heart attack [NYT 10/14]. 'Abbas is quoted as saying the original destination of the hijackers was "the Israeli port of Ashdod for the purpose of carrying out a suicide mission inside the occupied territory" [MG 10/14].

Other Countries: U.S. delivers "firm and severe" protest over Italy's decision to let 'Abbas and another PLO official leave for Yugoslavia [WP 10/14]. FBI Dir. William Webster states Yugoslavia has turned down U. S. request to detain 'Abbas [LAT 10/14]. FBI head William Webster states bombing of Santa Ana office of ADC "corresponds to some bombings on the East Coast, directed at people believed to be hostile to Israel," implies the Jewish Defense League is under suspicion [MG 10/14].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Palestinian attacks an Israeli with a hatchet in the town of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, wounding him slightly. Part of the town is placed under curfew [TS, MG 10/14].