Monday, January 4, 1988

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs David Mellor tours Gaza Strip's Jabalya camp, calls camp conditions "affront to civilized values." Mellor later meets with F. M. Peres in Jerusalem. Partial commercial strikes continue through W. Bank and Gaza Strip. Army announces release of 54 detainees [WP 1/5]. Lawyers visit recently opened Dhahriyyah detention center, describe conditions as "terrible and unbelievable" [FJ 1/10]. Prisoner strike at Ansar 2 enters 3d day [FJ 1/10]. Jerusalem district court orders Arab Studies Society head Faysal Husayni placed in solitary confinement [FJ 1/10]. Nayif 'Abd al-Rahim al-Suf is sentenced to 17 years in prison for killing Israeli soldiers, attempting to kill another person, and Fateh membership [FJ 1/10].

Arab World: More than 100 Egyptians hold sit-in protest at al-Tajammu' party headquarters in Cairo in solidarity with Palestinians in occupied territories, call for closing of Israeli embassy [FJ 1/10].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: In Jerusalem suburb of Ram, Israeli troops fire tear gas, rubber bullets to disperse crowds throwing rocks, burning tires. Demonstrations are also reported in Ramallah and Bir Zeit. Refugee camps at Tulkarm and Qalqiliyyah are placed under curfew [WP 1/5]. Jabalya camp in Gaza is ordered under curfew after demonstrations [FJ 1/10]