Tuesday, November 9, 2004

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians who enter a closed military zone nr. the Israeli border fence east of Gaza City; fires on stone-throwing youths and market areas in Nablus, killing a 14-yr.-old Palestinian; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Jenin; blows up a Palestinian home nr. Nablus; bulldozes 20 d. in Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids in Beitunia, Jenin (also sealing 4 offices of Islamic charities). Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket into s. Israel, fire 2 mortars into Jewish settlements in s. Gaza, causing light damage but no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’ale Shomron nr. Qalqilya uproot 10s of Palestinian olive trees, bar local Palestinian residents fr. harvesting their groves; IDF soldiers observe but do not intervene. ( JP, VOP, YA 11/9 in WNC 11/11; WP 11/10; VOI 11/10 in WNC 11/12; PRCS 11/11)

Arafat reportedly slips deeper into a coma, possibly suffering a stroke, and is put on life support. In light of Israel’s refusal to allow his burial in Jerusalem, the PA requests that he be buried in Ramallah after lying in state in Cairo. Doctors still do not know the cause of Arafat’s illness, though they have completely ruled out malignancy, poisoning. (AP, BBC, MM, REU 11/9; AFP, JAZ, JT, VOI, VOP 11/9 in WNC 11/11; Financial Times, NYT, PR, WP, WT 11/10)