Thursday, May 30, 2002

In a predawn operation, the IDF sends tanks, troops, APCs into Hebron fr. 3 directions; surrounds several houses; arrests 4 Palestinians, including senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad Sidr. The IDF also reenters Jenin, imposes a curfew; conducts arrest raids in villages around Bethlehem, Tulkarm; raids, shells residential areas of Khan Yunis and Rafah, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 15, arresting 23. (The IDF withdraws to the outskirts of Bethlehem, Hebron by nightfall.) At least 3 Palestinians are killed before dawn: 1 shot by the IDF emerging fr. a taxi in Salfit, 1 shot by the IDF while trying to circumvent a checkpoint nr. Nablus, 1 who dies of a heart attack at an IDF crossing in Khan Yunis. The IDF is reportedly setting up numerous new roadblocks, checkpoints n. of Jerusalem. Israeli police arrest a Palestinian man, his Israeli Christian wife on charges of driving 2 suicide bombers fr. the West Bank into Israel. (HP, NYT, WT 5/30; HP, NYT, WP 5/31; WT 6/1; WP 6/2, LAW 6/5; WJW 6/6; NYT 6/13)

U.S. Asst. Secy. of State William Burns arrives in Cairo on the first leg of a 4-day regional tour to confer with Egyptian, EU, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian leaders. (HA 5/30; MENA 5/30 in WNC 5/31; MM, NYT, WT 5/31; WP, WT 6/1; MENA 6/1 in WNC 6/3)