Wednesday, January 12, 2005

2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. ambush a Jewish settler vehicle outside Gaza’s Morag settlement, detonate 2 bombs killing 1 Jewish settler, fire on IDF soldiers who arrive on the scene, wounding 3, before being shot dead by the IDF. The IDF fatally shoots 2 Hamas mbrs. in an exchange of fire during an arrest raid in Qarawat Bani Zayd, later demolishing the Palestinian home in which they hid; fires on residential areas of Rafah, Tarqumiyya nr. Hebron; occupies the property of a Palestinian company in Dayr al-Balah, converting the corporate campus into a military camp; conducts arrest raids in al-Mawasi in s. Gaza, Qalqilya, Tubas. (VOI, VOP 1/12 in WNC 1/14; NYT, PCHR, WP 1/13; OCHA 1/19; PR 1/20; MEI 1/21)

An Israeli court imposes light sentences on 5 Israeli Palestinian leaders of the Islamic Movement, including movement founder Shaykh Raed Salah, who were arrested on 5/13/03 and accused of funneling $10 m. to Hamas, having contacts with Iranian agents. The 5 admitted to “security offenses”; the other charges were dropped. (NYT 1/13)