The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 5. Israeli forces also ordered a stop-work for a school in Kisan and seized 1 bulldozer. 4 Palestinians were arrested at military checkpoints near Bethlehem and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested in Issawiyya and 2 Palestinians were handed notices that they were banned from the Haram al-Sharif compound for 4 and 5 months. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles off the shore west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian agricultural lands and shepherds east of al-Maghazi and Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA 6/6; PCHR 6/11)

The former leader of Islamic Jihad in Palestine, Ramadan Shalah, died after having been in a coma for more than 2 years. PA president Mahmoud Abbas expressed his condolences to the Shalah family and said Palestine had “lost a great national figure.” (AJ, WAFA 6/7)

In Israel, thousands of protesters demonstrated against the Israeli government’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. During the protest, a video message from U.S. democratic senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) urged protesters to stand up against authoritarian leaders and annexation and called for an end of the occupation of the West Bank. According to Sanders’s foreign policy advisor, Matt Duss, Sanders made the address following a request by Israeli-Palestinian MKs Ayman Odeh and Aida Touma-Sliman. (HA, REU, TOI 6/6; AJ, HA, HA, HA 6/7)

In the West Bank, IDF troops uproot more than 1,200 olive tree saplings, raze 40 dunams (4 dunams = 1 acre) of land, and demolish a water tank nr. Nablus. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Jenin, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in Qalqilya and 1 village each nr. Jenin and Hebron in the afternoon, and in 4 villages nr. Jenin, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 village nr. Bethlehem and in Tulkarm at night. (MNA 5/16; PCHR 5/23)

Palestinian Authority (PA) Pres. Mahmud Abbas holds talks in Cairo with Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi about the peace process, and efforts to advance national reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas. While in Cairo, Abbas also meets with Palestinian Islamic Jihad head Ramadan Shallah. (JP, MNA 5/16)

Armed men kidnap 7 Egyptian security officers in the Sinai, in between Arish and Rafah. There is no indication of the identity or motives of the kidnappers. (AP, REU 5/16)

The IDF places closures on all West Bank Palestinian towns; shuts main Gaza roads, dividing the Strip into 4 sections; calls up additional reserves to strengthen patrols along the Green Line; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Salfit; searches an elementary, a secondary school in Husan while classes are in session, severely beating 1 teacher, 1 student who attempt to block soldiers. (HA, NYT 10/7; VOI 10/7 in WNC 10/9; MA 10/7 in WNC 10/10; MM, NYT 10/8; PCHR 10/9; MM 10/20)

The IDF releases a map pinpointing what it says are the homes and offices of Palestinian militant leaders in Damascus (including Hamas’s Musa Abu Marzuq and Khalid Mishal, Islamic Jihad’s Ramadan Shallah, PFLP-GC’s Ahmad Jibril; 10 sites listed as the military or media offices of Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP-GC), saying it illustrates the extent of the Palestinian “terror network” in Syria; separately Sharon says that Israel would attack its enemies “any place, in any way.” Israel reinforces troops, artillery on its n. border. (AN, BBC, HA, NYT 10/7; VOI 10/7 in WNC 10/9; MA 10/7 in WNC 10/10; AP, HA, MM, NHR, NYT 10/8)

The IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement in Gaza, shuts main roads, dividing the Strip into 3 sections; fatally shoots a wanted tanz im mbr. in Tulkarm in what may be an assassination; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Hebron, 1 in Jamayn, 1 in Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Ramallah, Tamun; fires on residential areas of Rafah. As IDF operations in Nablus continue, a Palestinian sniper shoots, wounds an IDF soldier. Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket at Netzarim settlement, 2 across the Gaza border into Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. Israel issues tenders for construction of 126 new housing units in Efrat settlement. (HA, REU 2/20; HA 2/21; al-Quds 2/21 in WNC 2/24; LAW 2/23; LAW, PCHR 2/27)

After 10 yrs. of federal investigations trying to link him to terrorism, U.S. authorities arrest Palestinian-born U.S. permanent resident Sami al-Arian, a fmr. University of South Florida professor, on charges of fundraising for Islamic Jihad, and “conspiracy to commit murder via suicide attacks.” Another 7 individuals are also charged, several of whom are abroad, including Damascus-based Islamic Jihad head Ramadan Shallah. Arian has been an active fundraiser for 2 Muslim organization that do social work in the territories; the U.S. alleges that he in fact has laundered and funneled money to Islamic Jihad military activities as the organization’s chief financial officer since 1984. (The State Dept. listed Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organization in 1995.) U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft says that provisions of new antiterrorism legislation made the arrest possible. (HA, NYT, WP 2/21; WT 2/22; MM 2/26; MEI 3/7)