The IDF pulls some troops out of Bayt Hanun, where it has demolished 14 Palestinian homes since 5/16; some 600 Palestinians demonstrate against Hamas for firing rockets fr. the Bayt Hanun area, prompting the IDF incursion on 5/15. The IDF also tightens the closure, curfews on Hebron; reinforces troops around Qalqilya, closing the only entrance to the city; issues a confiscation order for 1,700 dunams of land in Nahalin and Husan, w. of Bethlehem, for construction of a new settler bypass road; confiscates a 3-story building, conducts arrest raids in Nahalin; arrests senior PA intelligence official Ahmad Barqawi in Ramallah on suspicion of having himself carried out several attacks on Israelis; delays transportation of a Palestinian heart attack victim to a Jenin hospital, allowing him to die; halts at a road block, beats 2 photojournalists in Bethlehem; demolishes 15 Palestinian homes in Rafah, 2 in Nablus; fires on residential areas of Tal al-Sultan. The IDF also raids the Hebron offices of the international peace group Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), checks passports and visas of all CPT volunteers, photographs several mbrs.; tells mbrs. they may not go near any Jewish settlement, may not operate in the PA-controlled H1 area of the city, must limit operations in Israeli-controlled H2 (where CPT offices are located), may not return to H2 if they leave. (CPT press release, HA, HP, MM 5/20; HP, WP, WT 5/21; VOI 5/21 in WNC 5/22; HA, LAW, PCHR 5/22; PR 5/28; MEI 5/30)
Bush phones Abbas, then Sharon to tell them that he is still committed to the road map, invites the leaders to send envoys to Washington to discuss implementation. (HA 5/20; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/21)