Wednesday, April 2, 2003

The IDF raids Tulkarm r.c., rounds up all males ages 14–40, detains some 2,000, buses them outside of the r.c., bars those released fr. returning home for 3 days, begins house-to-house searches, breaking through walls to move btwn. residences; raids Jenin, firing on residential areas; conducts other arrest raids in Bethlehem, Hebron (targeting Hamas); demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in Amari r.c., 1 in Bayt Hanina, 1 in Hebron; blows up a Palestinian apartment in Tulkarm, damaging 2 others. Outside Rafah, an IDF tank rolls over, detonates an explosive device, injuring 4 IDF soldiers; in response, the IDF raids Rafah, fatally shooting 4 Palestinians, wounding 8, demolishing at least 4 Palestinian homes; 1 IDF soldier is injured in the raid. A 15-yr.-old Palestinian dies of injuries received on 3/28. The 1st Jewish settlers move into homes in Ras al-Amud/Ma’ale Ha’Zeitim. In the Negev, the IDF sprays toxic chemicals on bedouin crops. (GS, HA, PM, PR 4/2; VOI 4/2 in WNC 4/3; ADL, HA, PCHR 4/3; HA, WP 4/4; AFP 4/7 in WNC 4/9; PR 4/9; LAW, PCHR, WJW 4/10)