During the day, IDF troops make brief incursion 400 m into Gaza n. of Bayt Hanun and 300 m into s. Gaza nr. Abasan to level land to clear lines of sight. Between midday and evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 13 mortars and 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel in 4 barrages (6 mortars land inside Gaza), causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with air strikes on 2 tunnels on the Rafah border and a suspected weapons depot in n. Gaza, killing 2 Palestinians (both in the tunnels). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Surda village n. of Ramallah in the evening without incident; conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in villages s. of Nablus; makes similar late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Nablus. (YA 6/24; JP 6/25; WP, WT 6/26; PCHR 7/1; OCHA 7/2)
Thursday, June 24, 2010