on behalf of the Stable URL - palestine-studies.org fileCHRONOLOGY 16 FEBRUARY–15 MAY 2006 COMPILED BY MICHELE K. ESPOSITO This section is part eighty-four of a chronology begun

16 February–15 May 2006Author(s): Michele K. EspositoSource: Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Summer 2006), pp. 178-198Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Institute for Palestine StudiesStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/jps.2006.35.4.178 .

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CHRONOLOGY

16 FEBRUARY–15 MAY 2006

COMPILED BY MICHELE K. ESPOSITO

This section is part eighty-four of a chronology begun in JPS 13, no. 3 (Spring 1984).Chronology dates reflect Eastern Standard Time (EST). For a more comprehensive overviewof events related to the al-Aqsa intifada and of regional and international developmentsrelated to the peace process, see the Quarterly Update on Conflict and Diplomacy in this issue.

16 FEBRUARY

As the quarter opens, the Israel De-fense Forces (IDF) continues OperationBlue Skies (launched 12/28/05) to pre-vent Palestinians fr. firing crude home-made rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, enforcing a1.5-mi-deep no-go zone along the n. Gazaborder using artillery fire fr. inside Israel, oc-casional air strikes, heavy surveillance fr. airand sea, and construction of a border fencealong the n. Gaza border (see Quarterly Up-date in JPS 139). The IDF also continues torestrict the flow of Palestinian goods and in-dividuals into and out of Gaza: Rafah operates8 hrs./day for entry and exit of individuals toand from Egypt; Erez is open as the sole en-try of Palestinian workers to Israel (the IDFhas issued 5,000 permits but only 2,500–3,500 workers can pass because of slowprocessing by the IDF); Qarni is open forthe transit of goods (360 trucks/day enteringGaza, 75 trucks/day exiting with agriculturalgoods); Sufa, for the import of raw materialsonly, is closed since 2/14. In the West Bank,the IDF maintains 100s of checkpoints androadblocks, effectively separating the north-ern and southern West Bank, cutting offaccess to the n. Jordan Valley, and restrict-ing movement within those cantons. Workalso continues on Israel’s separation wall.The IDF conducts arrest raids in and aroundBalata refugee camp (r.c.), Nablus and nr.Bethlehem, Hebron (occupying 1 house asan observation post), Jenin. A Palestinianwoman fr. Bethlehem attempts to stab anIsraeli police officer outside the al-AqsaMosque compound, is arrested. (HA 2/16;OCHA 5/22; PCHR 2/23)

17 FEBRUARY

The IDF bars Palestinians under age 45 fr.attending Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque;

raids al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem, arresting 6youths (aged 14–17) for throwing stonesat Israeli vehicles along nearby Route 60;conducts arrest raids, house searches nr.Qalqilya. (PCHR 2/23)

18 FEBRUARY

The IDF tightens restrictions onPalestinian movement around Ramallah inthe morning, coinciding with the conven-ing of the new Palestinian Council (PC)session (see below); sends troops back intoal-Khadir (see 2/17), sets up roadblocks,conducts ID checks looking for youths whothrew stones at Israeli cars on Route 60,arresting 2; raids, searches a Palestinianhome in Hebron, severely beating but notarresting 1 resident; conducts arrest raids,house searches in Aida r.c., arresting 2 15-yr.-old Palestinian boys. A Jewish settler isstabbed, wounded apparently by a Pales-tinian nr. Ma’ale Adumim. (HA 2/20; PCHR2/23)

The new Palestinian Council (thesecond elected since the PC was formedin 1995) is sworn in in Ramallah, with Gazanreps. participating by video link, since Israelbarred their passage to the West Bank. PAPres. Mahmud Abbas invites the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform party toform a cabinet. (WT 2/18; NYT, WP, WT2/19; al-Hayat al-Jadida 2/19 in WNC 2/20;MM 2/20) (see Quarterly Update for details)

19 FEBRUARY

The IDF sends troops into Balata r.c. inwhat it says is the beginning of an opera-tion targeting the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade(AMB), Islamic Jihad, Popular Front forthe Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) thatwill continue for several days, firing on

Journal of Palestine Studies Vol. XXXV, No. 4 (Summer 2006), pp. 178–198, ISSN 0377-919X, electronic ISSN 1533-8614.C© 2006 by the Institute for Palestine Studies. All rights reserved. Please direct all requests for permissionto photocopy or reproduce article content through the University of California Press’sRights and Permissions website, at http://www.ucpress.edu/journals/rights.htm.



CHRONOLOGY 179

stone-throwing youths who confront thetroops (killing 2 Palestinians, wounding16), occupying an UNRWA school and sev-eral homes as operational bases, demolishinga Palestinian home. The IDF also launchesair strikes on 2 Popular Resistance Comm.(PRC) mbrs. attempting to lay a roadsidebomb or fire rocket nr. the n. Gaza borderfence, killing both; fires across the Israeliborder into Gaza towards Palestinian farm-ers working their fields nr. Abasan, causingno injuries; erects a gate at the entrance toKafr Haris nr. Hebron, facing Ariel settle-ment; conducts arrest raids, house searchesnr. Hebron and in Allar nr. Tulkarm, al-Azzar.c., Bethlehem, Qabatya nr. Jenin; patrols inTulkarm. Palestinians fire 2 rockets intoIsrael, causing no damage or injuries. (VOI,VOP, YA 2/19, VOP 2/20 in WNC 2/20; HA,IMEMC, NYT, WP 2/20; PCHR 2/23)

The Israeli cabinet approves steps toisolate and destabilize the new Hamas-led Palestinian government, includingimmediately halting transfers of VAT taxescollected on the PA’s behalf, a source ofsome $50 m./mo. in revenues for the cash-strapped PA. The UN special envoy Alvarode Soto reprimands Israel, saying “these aremonies that belong to the Palestinians andshould not be withheld.” (Israeli cabinetcommunique 2/19; VOI 2/19, VOP 2/20 inWNC 2/20; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/20; JP2/20 in WNC 2/21; WP 2/21; PCHR 2/23)(see Quarterly Update)

Hamas nominates moderate IsmailHaniyeh, who led the Change and Reformslate in the 1/25/06 elections, as its candi-date for PM to form a cabinet. (VOP 2/19 inWNC 2/20; WP 2/20) (see Quarterly Update)

20 FEBRUARY

The IDF expands its Balata arrest opera-tion to the wider Nablus area, fatally shootingIslamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades leaderAhmad Abu Sharikh, AMB Nablus cmdr.Muhammad Shatawi in apparent assas-sinations; firing on stone-throwing youths,wounding 12. The IDF also shells the n. Gazano-go zone, damaging several homes in Umal-Nasser n. of Bayt Lahiya but causing no in-juries; severely beats a Palestinian teenagerin Hebron; demolishes a Palestinian homenr. Tulkarm; fires on residential areas ofal-Fawwar r.c. nr. Hebron, wounding 2 Pales-tinians; conducts arrest raids, house searchesin Azariyya nr. Jerusalem, Tulkarm, and nr.Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin. Palestinians firea rocket fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing no

damage or injuries. (AP, IMEMC, MM, NYT,WT 2/20; VOI 2/20 in WNC 2/21; IMEMC,NYT 2/21; PCHR 2/23; YA 3/1)

21 FEBRUARY

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing aftera roadside bomb explodes nearby insideGaza, causing no damage or injuries; con-tinues operations in and around Nablus fora 3d day, clashing with local Palestiniansin Balata r.c., wounding 18; demolishes aPalestinian home in Hebron; conducts ar-rest raids, house searches in and aroundHebron, in Qabatya. Armed gunmen fromthe Amr Abu Sitta Battalions (a Fatah off-shoot) raid the Khan Yunis municipal build-ing and a municipal garage, ransacking theoffices and stealing the keys for all municipalvehicles, after municipal officials refuse toloan the group a bulldozer to level land fora barracks. (IMEMC 2/21; NYT, PCHR 2/22;PCHR 2/23; NYT 3/4)

22 FEBRUARY

After the AMB fires 3 rockets fr. Gazainto Israel, causing no damage or injuries, theIDF fires at least 15 artillery shells at n. Gaza,1 of which hits an apartment building in BaytLahiya, wounding a 2-yr.-old Palestinian boy.The IDF also reimposes 2 roadblocks out-side Jericho that were removed under the3/16/05 agmt. turning over security controlof the city to the PA, citing the PA’s 2/9 re-lease of wanted AMB, Islamic Jihad mbrs. fr.the Jericho jail; continues arrest raids, housesearches nr. Nablus; finds an empty rocketcasing in a search in Qabatya; bulldozes aUSAID-funded public park and playgroundin Azun nr. Qalqilya, saying it was built with-out permission (USAID donated $80,000 ofthe $120,000 cost); fires on residential areasof Bani Na‘im nr. Hebron. Israeli under-cover units, driving a car with Palestinianplates, raid Allar, search a home, arrest awanted Palestinian. Some 20 armed gun-men fr. the al-Yasir Brigades (an AMBoffshoot) temporarily occupy the Rafah gov-ernorate offices to protest the appointmentof a Khan Yunis resident as the new Rafahgovernor, demanding that the governor bea Rafah resident. (AFP, PCHR, XIN, YA 2/22;PCHR 2/23, 3/2)

23 FEBRUARY

On the 5th day of IDF operations inthe Nablus area, IDF fire on stone-throwing



180 JOURNAL OF PALESTINE STUDIES

Palestinians in Balata r.c. escalates into heavyexchanges btwn. the IDF and local AMBmbrs., leaving 3 wanted AMB gunmen,2 Palestinian bystanders dead and 2 IDFsoldiers, 22 Palestinian wounded (including3 medical workers treating the injured). TheIDF also fires on stone-throwing Palestiniansnr. Hebron; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in Dura nr. Hebron, Yabad nr. Jenin.(PCHR 2/23; DS, HA, MM, NYT, REU, WP,WT 2/24; PCHR 3/2)

24 FEBRUARY

The IDF officially ends operations in theNablus area, but reenters Balata r.c. andNablus late in the evening, patrolling streetsand firing on residential areas; fatally shoots2 Palestinians laying roadside bombs alongthe Gaza border nr. Dayr al-Balah; makesan air strike on 3 AMB mbrs. driving inBayt Lahiya, missing the vehicle, injuring 2bystanders in an apparent assassination at-tempt; shells uninhabited areas nr. Rafah,causing no damage or injuries; fires on 3 un-armed Palestinians attempting to sneak intoIsrael fr. Gaza nr. Dayr al-Balah to find jobs,killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 2; conductsarrest raids, house searches in and aroundHebron (occupying 1 house as an observa-tion post), in Silwad nr. Ramallah; patrols inAskar r.c. nr. Nablus; fires on stone-throwingPalestinians in Bayt Umar nr. Hebron. Else-where in Gaza, a Hamas mbr. dies in a mys-terious explosion, possibly while preparingexplosives. A Jewish settler fr. a settlementnr. Jericho shoots, wounds a Palestinianfarmer working his nearby land. (REU, XIN2/24; NYT 2/25; PCHR 3/2)

25 FEBRUARY

The IDF makes a rare raid into Jeri-cho, turned over to PA security control on3/16/05, to arrest a wanted AMB mbr. whois also a mbr. of the PA security forces; fireson residential areas of Bani Na‘im (wounding2 Palestinians); conducts arrest raids, housesearches in Budrus nr. Ramallah, Hebron(firing on residential areas, wounding2 Palestinians); patrols in, fires on residen-tial areas of Jenin town and r.c.; raids the PACustoms Dept. in Hebron, confiscating fire-works; sends troops into al-Khadir to arrest3 Palestinian youths for stone-throwing. Af-ter IDF warplanes strike the n. Gaza no-gozone, Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gazainto Israel; the IDF responds by shellingthe no-go zone again; no damage or injuries

are reported on either side. A Palestinianwounded in the IDF shelling of Bayt Hanunon 2/9 dies. (AFP, JAZ 2/25; IMEMC 2/26;PCHR 3/2)

26 FEBRUARY

The IDF shells the n. Gaza no-go zone;shoots, wounds 2 Palestinian teenagers atAnata checkpoint n. of Jerusalem whenthey protest the physical search of ayoung woman; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in al-Arub r.c., Balata r.c. and nr.Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus. All 4 flour millsin Gaza close, saying there is no wheat toprocess due to the IDF closure of the Qarnicrossing; flour stocks in Gaza stores are es-timated to last another few wks. (IMEMC2/27; HA 2/28; NYT 3/1; PCHR 3/2)

27 FEBRUARY

The IDF sends troops into Bani Na‘im,surrounds a house in search of a wantedPalestinian who is not home, fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront thetroops, sparking several hrs. of clashes thatleave 35 Palestinians wounded; conductsovernight arrest raids in and around Jeninand in Askar r.c., Balata r.c., Bethlehem,Hebron, Nablus’s old city, Ramallah; uproots10s of olive trees and bulldozes 2 animalpens for construction of the separationwall nr. Jenin; erects a metal gate, placesbarbed wire at the southern entrance toJamayn nr. Nablus, which faces a settler by-pass road; installs metal gates at entrancesto Marda, facing Ariel settlement. The IDFalso requests that the PA dig a trench 20 mlong by 4 m deep near the Qarni crossing ina search for smugglers tunnels; the PA com-plies but no tunnels are found. (XIN 2/27;PCHR 3/2; OCHA 3/23)

28 FEBRUARY

The IDF conducts arrest raids, housesearches nr. Nablus. Several Jewish set-tlers severely beat a Palestinian woman nr.Hebron. (PCHR 3/2)

1 MARCH

Islamic Jihad senior military cmdr.Khalid Dadu, 9 times the target of failedIDF assassination attempts, is killed in GazaCity when he opens the door of his bomb-rigged car; Israel, which has evacuated itstroops fr. Gaza in 9/05, denies responsibility;



CHRONOLOGY 181

Palestinian collaborators are suspected; Is-lamic Jihad vows retaliation. IDF under-cover units, driving a car with Palestinianplates, enter Anza nr. Jenin, raid a store, ar-rest a wanted Palestinian. The IDF also con-ducts arrest raids, searches in Bani Na‘im andin and around Jenin, Nablus. Israeli policearrest 2 Change and Reform PC mbrs., a3d Hamas mbr. touring al-Makassid hospi-tal in East Jerusalem for “conducting illegalpolitical activities.” AMB gunmen fatallyshoot 1 Jewish settler, wound a 2d at aWest Bank gas station nr. Migdalim settle-ment nr. Nablus. (HA, IMEMC 3/1; AFP, NYT,PCHR, WP, WT 3/2; PCHR 3/9)

The UN Office for the Coordinationof Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warnsthat stocks of basic goods (including flour,sugar, cooking oil) in Gaza could run outwithin days unless Israel reopens the Qarnicrossing (closed from 1/15–2/5, then closedagain on 2/21); says shortages are so severethat aid programs are being affected (e.g., theWorld Food Program, which delivers flourto around 146,000 Gazans, has used up its 2mo. supply buffer and is currently on hold).Meanwhile, costs of basic goods in Gaza areup by 25% due to shortages. Israel claimsthe closing is in response to an “enhancedterrorist threat” and concerns over avian flu,is not punishment for Hamas’s 1/06 electionvictory. (REU 3/1; AFP 3/2; NYT 3/6; WP3/16)

2 MARCH

Mofaz orders Qarni crossing to remainclosed despite warnings by internationalagencies (see 3/1) that some food suppliesare dwindling in Gaza. The IDF conducts 4air strikes on the n. Gaza no-go zone, dam-aging several roads, cutting electricity toparts of Bayt Hanun; begins constructionof a new 20-mi segment of the separationwall s. of Hebron that will isolate 3,000Palestinians and 80,000 dunams (d.; 4 d. =1 acre) of Palestinian land; tightens restric-tions on Palestinian travel around Tulkarm;demolishes a Palestinian home nr. EastJerusalem; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c., Balata r.c.,Tulkarm (firing on residential areas). Inretaliation for the 3/1 assassination of Is-lamic Jihad mbr. Dadu, the AMB, PRCsfire 10 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causingno damage or injuries. Palestinian gun-men occupy the PC building in Gaza, fireweapons, demand to speak to the newlyelected Hamas leadership to demand the

reinstatement of some PA employees whowere laid off 2 wks. ago. A Palestinianstabs, wounds an Israeli truck driver atthe Atarot industrial zone in n. Jerusalem.(AFP, HA, IMEMC 3/2; NYT 3/3; NYT 3/4;PCHR 3/9)

The PA says it will be 2 wks. late in payingcivil servants their 2/06 salaries because ofIsrael’s decision to cut off VAT transfers andthe time it will take to secure additionalfunds. (REU 3/2) (see Quarterly Update)

3 MARCH

The IDF fires a missile fr. an F-16 at acar carrying Islamic Jihad mbrs. in BaytLahiya, missing them in an apparent failedassassination attempt; conducts 2 more airstrikes on the n. Gaza no-go zone, damaginga road; fatally shoots a 15-yr.-old Pales-tinian during a raid on ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’r.c.; patrols in, fires on residential areas ofTubas nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in Tulkarm (targeting the AMB,Islamic Jihad). Palestinians fire 4 rock-ets into Israel, and the IDF responds withartillery fire on the n. Gaza no-go zone, caus-ing no damage or injuries in either case.Jewish settlers severely beat 2 Palestiniansnr. Tubas. (AFP, IMEMC 3/3; NYT 3/4; PCHR3/9)

In Nazareth, 3 Israeli Jews (a father,mother, and daughter), distraught after socialworkers took custody of their other children,set off firecrackers and small gas canisters in-side the Church of the Annunciation dur-ing mass, sparking panic inside the churchbut no injuries. Worshipers restrain and beatthe Israelis, take them outside, where otherresidents hearing of the incident convergeand riot, leaving 13 injured, before police fi-nally are able to intervene and control thesituation. (HA 3/3; HA, NYT, WP, YA 3/4; HA3/5)

4 MARCH

The IDF conducts arrest raids, housesearches nr. Nablus; sends troops intoHebron to conduct ID checks. 10s of Jewishsettlers march through Hebron under IDFescort, calling for the killing or expulsionof Palestinians, vandalizing some homes,beating up several reporters trying to filmthe incident. Several Jewish settlers fr. TalRumayda in Hebron severely beat an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy; the IDF observes butdoes not intervene. (PCHR 3/9, 3/16)




5 MARCH

The IDF sends troops into al-Fara‘a r.c.nr. Nablus, fires on stone-throwing Pales-tinian youths who confront them, wound-ing 2; conducts arrest raids, house searchesin al-Azza r.c. and nr. Jenin, Ramallah.Some 30 armed AMB mbrs. who havebeen absorbed into the PA security forcesbriefly occupy a PA government building inGaza, demanding that their salaries be paid(see 3/2). (REU 3/5; PCHR 3/9)

6 MARCH

The IDF fires missiles at a car drivingin Gaza’s Bureij r.c., assassinating IslamicJihad mbrs. Ashraf Shalluf and MunirSukkar, also killing 3 bystanders (ages11, 14, and 17), wounding 12 bystanders;conducts arrest raids, house searches nr.Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya,Tulkarm and in ‘Aqqaba, nearby Tubas (fir-ing on residential areas and stone-throwingPalestinians who confront the troops),Nablus (firing on stone-throwing youths,wounding 1 bystander). In central Gaza,2 Palestinians are killed when explosivesthey are handling detonate prematurely. Out-side the Gaza PC building, where the new PCis holding its 1st session, 15 Fatah gunmenfire in the air, demanding Fatah PC mbrs.not take part in a Hamas-led government,threatening to kill any Fatah PC mbr. whoagrees to join. (AFP, AP 3/6; HA, IMEMC,MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/7; PCHR 3/9)

7 MARCH

The IDF shells the n. Gaza no-go zone,causing no injuries; arrests Change andReform PC mbr. Ahmad Atwan on hisway to attend a mtg. with several PC mbrs.,PA officials in East Jerusalem; demolishesa Palestinian home nr. East Jerusalem;conducts arrest raids, house searches inBethlehem, Hebron; sends troops into Jeninto conduct ID checks. (JP 3/8; PCHR 3/9)

8 MARCH

The IDF conducts arrest raids, housesearches in Askar r.c., nr. Hebron, and in andaround Tulkarm. Jewish settlers severelybeat 2 Palestinians in Hebron. (IMEMC,PCHR 3/9, 3/16)

9 MARCH

Under international pressure (see 3/1),Israel partially reopens the Qarni cross-ing for the import of medicine, sugar, flour,cooking oil, other staples into Gaza. TheIDF shells the n. Gaza no-go zone, hittingan apartment building in Bayt Hanun, in-juring 3 Palestinians; tightens restrictionson Palestinian movement around Tulkarm;conducts arrest raids, house searches nr.Bethlehem and in Balata r.c., Qalqilya. AMB,Islamic Jihad fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza intoIsrael, causing no damage or injuries. Jewishsettlers fr. Suissa uproot 50 Palestinian olivetrees in Hebron. (IMEMC, XIN 3/9; XIN 3/10;OCHA 3/15; PCHR, WP 3/16)

10 MARCH

The IDF conducts patrols in Tulkarmtown and r.c.; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in Bethlehem, Nablus, Qalandia,Ramallah; issues military orders confiscating210 d. of Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem forconstruction of the separation wall. (XIN3/10; PCHR 3/16)

11 MARCH

The IDF seals crossings into the WestBank and Gaza through 3/15 for the Purimholidays; tightens restrictions on Palestinianmovement btwn. Hebron and Bethlehem;shells the n. Gaza no-go zone in response toPalestinians firing a rocket fr. Gaza intoIsrael, causing no damage or injuries; bars PCsecy. Mahmud al-Ramahi (Change andReform) fr. traveling to Jordan to attend aconference on the role of parliament mbrs.in democratic government; raids al-Shayukhnr. Hebron, searching homes, forcing 10sof stores to close, firing on stone-throwingPalestinians who confront the troops (injur-ing 6); conducts arrest raids, house searchesnr. Tulkarm and in Hebron (severely beating2 Palestinians) and nearby Yatta (occupy-ing 4 homes as observation posts); bansthe call to prayer fr. the Ibrahimi Mosquein Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Ein nr.Hebron uproot 10s of grape vines, demolishfences surrounding Palestinian agriculturalland (IMEMC 3/11; YA 3/12; PCHR 3/16)

12 MARCH

The IDF reopens the Qarni crossing(closed 3/11); further tightens restrictionson Palestinian movement around Tulkarm



CHRONOLOGY 183

(see 3/9); conducts arrest raids, housesearches in ‘Aida r.c., Jenin, Qabatya. Pales-tinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel,damaging 2 greenhouses but causing no in-juries. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Ein uproot200 d. of Palestinian olive trees nr. Hebron.(YA 3/12; PCHR 3/16)

13 MARCH

Israel acknowledges that it has begunwork on a new police headquarters, road net-work, and “other facilities” in Jerusalem’sE-1 development area, marking the 1st step inthe largest settlement construction projectsince 1967 to create “Jewish demographiccontinuity between Jerusalem and Ma’aleAdumim” settlement; the project will in-clude 3,550 housing units, 6 hotels, a park.Israel’s Internal Security M Gideon Ezrasays the U.S. did not object to beginning con-struction. IDF undercover units, travelingin a car with Palestinian license plates, en-ter Jenin, call in 10 IDF vehicles for backup,raid and occupy several homes, arresting 2wanted Palestinians. The IDF also conductsarrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, inand around Hebron, and in Jenin town andr.c., al-Khadir, Nablus; begins constructionof a new settler bypass road on Palestinianland in Hebron to link Abraham Avino andRamat Yishai settlements. Jewish settlersfr. Suissa attack Palestinians, their farm an-imals and vandalize Palestinian homes innearby Yatta. (IMEMC, JAZ, YA 3/14; MM,PCHR 3/16)

14 MARCH

Early in the morning, the British andU.S. monitors guarding 6 political pris-oners in the PA’s Jericho jail pull out ofthe city, citing security concerns. Within20 minutes, the IDF encircles and imposesa curfew on Jericho, sends 80 tanks andarmored vehicles, backed by helicopters,into the city, launching Operation Bringthe Goods Home to take custody of the6 prisoners (including PFLP head AhmadSaadat). IDF troops surround the jail, orderthe 280 prisoners and PA guards to surren-der, begin demolishing the jail and attachedPA barracks, clashing with some prisoners,guards, and local Palestinians. (Althoughthe U.S., Britain deny coordinating withIsrael, Israeli DM Shaul Mofaz says Israelknew of the monitors pending departureand had been plotting the attack for 1 wk.).After 12 hrs., the remaining prisoners, in-

cluding the 6 targeted men, surrender. Atleast 1 PA prison guard and 1 Palestinianprisoner are killed, more than 50 guardsand prisoners are wounded, 10s of localPalestinians are injured. In response to theraid, Palestinian gunmen across Gaza andthe West Bank (reportedly PFLP and AMBmbrs.) raid hotels, news outlets, and foreignoffices, kidnapping at least 9 foreigners,vandalizing foreign-owned offices. Most for-eigners kidnapped are quickly released. PApolice fire on PFLP mbrs. breaking intothe French Cultural Center in Gaza, killing1 PFLP mbr., wounding 9. Some 15,000Palestinians demonstrate in Gaza City. Asa result of the violence, the UN suspendsoperations in Gaza; the EU withdraws ob-servers from the Rafah crossing, forcing itto close. Meanwhile, the IDF also closes theQarni crossing; bars a pregnant Palestinianwoman fr. crossing a checkpoint to reach aRamallah hospital, forcing her to give birthat the checkpoint; conducts arrest raids,house searches in and around Bethlehem,nr. Hebron and Qalqilya, and in ‘Aida r.c.,Jenin town and r.c., Qabatya; begins workon a new segment of the separation wallnr. Dahiyat al-Barid n. of Jerusalem. Israelreleases jailed Change and Reform PCmbr. Omar ‘Abd al-Raziq on bail; he wasdetained 3 mos. ago on charges of belongingto and handling money for Hamas. Jewishsettlers fr. Kiryat Arba hold Purim paradesthrough Palestinian areas of Hebron underIDF escort, vandalizing Palestinian propertyand beating 2 Palestinian children (ages 11,13). (AP, BBC, HA, IMEMC, JAZ, MM, PCHR,REU, XIN 3/14; HA, IMEMC, JAZ, MM, NYT,WP, WT, YA 3/15; DS, MM, NYT, PCHR 3/16;MA, Middle East News Agency, MM, VOP3/18 in WNC 3/19; AP 3/20; MM 3/21, 3/23;HA 4/26; NYT 4/27)

15 MARCH

An IDF drone fires on 4 PRC mbrs.launching rockets nr. Rafah towards theKerem Shalom crossing into Israel; all 4 arewounded; the rockets cause no damage or in-juries. The IDF extends the seal on the WestBank and Gaza (imposed on 3/11) through3/19; fatally shoots 1 Palestinian, wounds 3who stray close to the separation wall westof Ramallah; patrols in Tulkarm; conductsarrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., inand around Hebron, and nr. Bethlehem (alsoraiding the offices of the Women’s Purity As-sociation, destroying furniture, computers),




Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fire on, toss handgrenades at a group of Palestinians in Awartanr. Nablus, wounding 3. Palestinians acrossthe West Bank, Gaza observe a general striketo protest the IDF’s 3/14 raid on Jericho;those protesting in Ramallah clash with IDFsoldiers who fatally shoot 1 Palestinian.Palestinian gunmen release the last 4 for-eigners kidnapped on 3/14. Palestiniansfire rockets fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causingno damage or injuries. (AFP, JAZ, MM 3/15;IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/16; PCHR3/23)

16 MARCH

An IDF soldier is killed during an ar-rest raid in Jenin targeting Islamic Jihadand the Fatah tanzim. The IDF imposes acurfew on Hawara nr. Nablus; conducts ar-rest raids in al-Arub r.c., Jenin town and r.c.(occupying several homes as observationposts), al-Til nr. Tulkarm (destroying 3 cars).Israeli police break up a Palestinian con-ference in Jerusalem on the elections andthe future of the city, seal the venue, arrestseveral speakers and participants, includingPC mbrs., on charges of conducting illegalpolitical activity. Palestinians in Gaza re-port that due to Israel’s ongoing closure ofthe Qarni commercial crossing, all bakeriesin the Strip have closed for lack of flour.Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai nr. Hebronbar Palestinian farmers fr. working their landnearby, cut down several grape vines. (AFP,IMEMC, MM 3/16; PCHR 3/23)

17 MARCH

IDF undercover units raid Yamun nr.Jenin (driving 2 cars with Palestinian licenseplates, followed by 2 bulldozers, and with anIDF helicopter escort) and besiege a Pales-tinian home; fire on a bystander’s car drivingnr. the area, killing an 8-yr.-old Palestiniangirl, wounding her uncle with a bullet tothe head; fire on stone-throwing Palestini-ans who confront the troops, wounding 2(including an 11-yr.-old boy); finally raid thehome, arrest 5 Palestinians, bulldoze part ofthe house and an entire neighboring house.The IDF also sends troops into Tubas, fireson stone-throwing youths who confrontthem, causing no injuries; conducts arrestraids, house searches nr. Hebron, Qalqilya.(DS, IMEMC, WT 3/18; HA, NYT 3/19; PCHR3/23)

18 MARCH

The IDF arrests 3 Change and ReformPC mbrs. outside Jerusalem on their wayto visit al-Quds University in Azariyya; con-ducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus(occupying 1 Palestinian home as an ob-servation post); patrols in Tulkarm. Latein the evening, in response to Palestinianrocket and mortar fire fr. Gaza into Israelthat causes no damage or injuries, the IDFmakes air strikes on a water network in KhanYunis (cutting off water to 6,500 Palestini-ans), open areas nr. Abasan, a water and anelectrical network n. of Rafah, 2 roads lead-ing to the n. Gaza no-go zone nr. Bayt Lahiya.(IMEMC 3/18; VOP 3/18 in WNC 3/19; XIN3/19; PCHR 3/23)

19 MARCH

Israel extends the seal on the WestBank and Gaza (imposed on 3/11) untilafter the 3/28 Israeli elections. The IDF ar-rests 3 unarmed Palestinians attempting tosneak into Israel fr. n. Gaza to find work;patrols in Nablus; conducts arrest raids,house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron,Jenin, Nablus; seizes 766 d. of Palestinianland in Bethlehem for construction of theseparation wall. (AFP, IMEMC 3/19; PCHR3/23)

The UN warns that Gaza is dangerouslyshort of basic foodstuffs and faces a majorhumanitarian crisis as a result of Israel’scontinued closure of the Qarni trade cross-ing. The UNRWA Gaza dir. reports that theagency has run out of food to distribute toimpoverished families. In a bid to avert a cri-sis, U.S. Amb. to Israel Richard Jones callsan emergency mtg. with Israeli, PA dele-gations (with the participation of reps ofthe EU, Egypt) in Tel Aviv to discuss declin-ing humanitarian conditions in Gaza; saysshortages of food, medicine are beginningto threaten Palestinians’ basic welfare. Thesides agree to open Israel’s Kerem Shalomcrossing in s. Gaza on 3/20 for the transportof humanitarian goods fr. Egypt. (AFP, AP3/19; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/20)

Having failed in its negotiations withFatah and other parties to form a nationalunity government or agree on a nationalunity program, Hamas presents its cabinetslate to Abbas for approval and issues thedraft national unity program as its platform.(AP, NYT, WT 3/19; AP, MM, NYT, WP, WT3/20; HA 3/21; MM 3/22; MM, WashingtonJewish Week 3/23) (see Quarterly



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Update, Hroub article in this issue fordetails)

20 MARCH

The IDF reopens the Qarni crossing(closed 3/14) to allow import of flour andsugar, but closes it again 30 minutes later,citing unspecified security concerns. TheIDF also demolishes a Palestinian homenr. Qalqilya; patrols in Qalandia r.c. nr.Ramallah, firing on stone-throwing Pales-tinians who confront the troops, wounding2 conducts arrest raids, house searches nr.Bethlehem, in and around Nablus. The PAsecurity forces clash with armed AMBmbrs. demanding jobs who take over sev-eral public buildings in Gaza (including ahospital and power plant), block a mainhighway Abbas planned to use to leaveGaza after an official visit; at least 23 Pales-tinians (including at least 6 AMB mbrs.) arewounded. Unidentified gunmen fire on,seriously damage the car of Birzeit MayorYusuf Nasr, parked outside his home. (AFP,MM, YA 3/20; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/21; NYT3/22; PCHR 3/23)

21 MARCH

Israeli police detain a car carrying 10Palestinian laborers and explosives btwn.Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, stopping what theIsraeli DMin. says is a major bombing at-tempt meant to disrupt Israel’s 3/28 elec-tions; 1 of the laborers from Yamun, wherethe IDF killed a 8-yr.-old girl during an arrestraid on 3/17, reportedly has ties to IslamicJihad. Israel allows the Qarni crossing toreopen for the importation of basic goods(see 3/20); Jordan sends 200 truckloadsof food aid. The IDF patrols in Askar r.c.,firing on stone-throwing Palestinians whoconfront the troops, wounding 1; conductsarrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya andnr. Bethlehem, Hebron. In the 2d such inci-dent in 2 days, unidentified gunmen fireon, seriously damage the car of QalqilyaMayor Hashim al-Masri, parked outsidehis home.(AFP, IMEMC, REU 3/21; MM, NYT,WP, WT 3/22; JP, Jordan Times 3/22 in WNC3/23; OCHA, PCHR 3/23)

22 MARCH

The IDF raids Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho,fatally shoots wanted Islamic Jihad mbr.Ramadan Mutayr in an apparent assas-sination; 2 other Islamic Jihad mbrs. are

arrested. The IDF also demolishes 2 Pales-tinian homes in Walaja nr. Bethlehem;conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ra-mallah, in and around Nablus and Tulkarm,and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. (IMEMC 3/22;VOP 3/22 in WNC 3/23; NYT, PCHR 3/23;PCHR 3/30)

23 MARCH

The IDF allows wheat, flour, rice, sugarinto Gaza through the Kerem Shalom cross-ing; fatally shoots 2 Palestinians planting abomb on the Gaza border nr. Kerem Shalom;conducts arrest raids, house searches in andaround Tulkarm. Unidentified gunmenraid the broadcast studio of the leftist, anti-PA al-Ru’ah TV nr. Bethlehem, destroying itsequipment. (OCHA 3/23; NYT 3/24; al-Quds3/25; PCHR 3/30)

24 MARCH

The IDF conducts arrest raids, housesearches in and around Hebron (occupyingseveral homes as observation posts; violentlyinterrogating 30 Palestinians in the al-Harayiqsection of the city), in Qalqilya, nr. Jenin.Jewish settlers fr. Suissa and Ma’on, underIDF escort, uproot at least 400 Palestinianolive trees in Yatta. (PCHR 3/30)

25 MARCH

The IDF fatally shoots an unarmed Pales-tinian attempting to sneak across the centralGaza border into Israel to find work; fires amissile fr. an F-16 at a road nr. Nussayrat r.c.in central Gaza; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in and around Hebron, Qalqilya.In Tubas, 2 Palestinians are injured whenthey accidentally trigger unexploded IDFordnance. Around 10 masked Jewish set-tlers fr. Suissa attack 3 Palestinians tendingtheir olive trees nearby. In a separate incidentin Hebron, some 20 Jewish settlers attack,seriously beat an American peace activist as-sisting Palestinians; he escapes his attackersand runs to a nearby IDF post, which re-fuses to assist him. Also in Hebron, Jewishsettlers fr. Kiryat Arba attack a Palestinianhome, injuring 2 children. (IMEMC 3/25;VOP 3/26 in WNC 3/26; AFP 3/26; HA 3/27;MM 3/28; PCHR 3/30)

26 MARCH

Israel allows Gaza’s Qarni crossing toopen for export of goods to Israel, Sufa




crossing (closed since 2/14) for the im-port of construction materials; shells the n.Gaza no-go zone, causing no damage or in-juries; conducts arrest raids, house searchesnr. Hebron, also firing on residential areas,wounding a Palestinian standing on his bal-cony; issues a military order confiscating 80d. of Palestinian land for construction of theseparation wall around Gilo settlementnr. Bethlehem. The IDF says that its liaisonoffices in the West Bank will continue to op-erate after a Hamas-led government is swornin, but will no longer deal with any PA offi-cials; they will deal only with internationalorganizations, Palestinian hospitals, indi-vidual Palestinians. Israeli border policereport that in the previous wk. they arrested550 Palestinians working in Jerusalem with-out permits and another 130 elsewhere inIsrael. (HA, IMEMC 3/26; OCHA 3/29; PCHR3/30)

27 MARCH

The IDF begins imposing new regula-tions (announced 3/25) on Palestinians en-tering Jerusalem through Qalandia crossingnr. Ramallah: only Palestinians holding apermit to enter Israel may cross, even toenter the West Bank village of al-Ram (be-tween Qalandia and the Green Line), effec-tively making the crossing an internationalcheckpoint into Israel and annexing al-Ram.IDF drones fire on the car of AMB cmdr.Muhammad Hijazi as he drives in GazaCity in an apparent assassination attempt;Hijazi survives unharmed but his aide inthe car, 2 Palestinian Security Forces offi-cers nearby are wounded. The IDF also firesartillery shells at a group of Islamic Jihadmbrs. attempting to fire a rocket in the n.Gaza no-go zone, killing 1 Islamic Jihadmbr., wounding 3; fatally shoots an IslamicJihad al-Quds Brigade mbr. SamirFurayhat in disputed circumstances duringan arrest raid on Yamun (Islamic Jihad doesnot claim it was an assassination); conductsarrest raids, house searches in and aroundBethlehem and Tulkarm, in Nablus, nr.Qalqilya. (IMEMC, Jewish TelegraphicAgency, XIN 3/27; PCHR 3/30, 4/6)

28 MARCH

Israel closes all Gaza crossing into Israel,reimposing the full seal on the territories(set on 3/11) for parliamentary elections;sends troops into al-Fawwar r.c. to conductarrest raids and house searches, fires on

stone-throwing youths who confront thetroops, wounding 6; also conducts arrestraids, house searches in and around Hebronand in Bethlehem, Nablus, Tubas. Israelisecurity contractors guarding the sepa-ration wall nr. Jerusalem shoot, wound aPalestinian who strays too close to the wall.Islamic Jihad fires a Grad missile (an East-ern European rocket with a range greaterthan a Qassam but less than a Katyusha)fr. Gaza towards Ashkelon, which lands un-exploded causing no damage or injuries.Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba attack Pales-tinians, vandalize property in Hebron. Sep-arately, Jewish settlers fr. Hebron attackPalestinian children on their way to school bya Palestinian road that passes near a settler-only bypass road. Inside Israel, 2 bedouinare killed in the Negev when they acciden-tally detonate an unexploded Palestinianrocket. (IMEMC, YA 3/28; VOP 3/28 in WNC3/29; HA, MM, NYT, OCHA 3/29; PCHR 3/30;MM 4/7, 4/13, 4/21)

Israel holds parliamentary elections,with voter turnout at a relatively low 63%.The Kadima party, founded by Ariel Sharonand led by Ehud Olmert, wins 29 of the120 Knesset seats (less than expected)compared to Labor with 19 seats, Likud(the biggest loser compared with its 38seats last election) with 12, Shas with12, Yisrael Beiteinu with 11, NationalUnion–National Religious Party with 9,Pensioners’ Party with 7, United TorahJudaism with 6, Meretz with 5, and 3 Arabparties with a total of 10. (MM 3/28; HA, JP,MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/29; NYT, WT 3/30; WP3/31; XIN, YA 4/3)

The PC approves (71–36, with 2 absten-tions) the Hamas-led cabinet. (NYT 3/29;XIN 3/28 in WNC 3/29)

29 MARCH

Israel lifts the seal on the West Bank;partially reopens Qarni crossing for importand export of goods; continues to shell then. Gaza no-go zone fr. land and sea, dam-aging several buildings but causing no in-juries; conducts arrest raids, house searchesin and around Hebron, nr. Tulkarm, and inJalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, Jenin town and r.c.,Nablus, Tulkarm r.c. In Silwan and al-Tur(Mount of Olives), East Jerusalem, 3 Pales-tinian families are evicted fr. their homes(30 Palestinians in 3 apartment buildingsin Silwan; 2 apartment buildings in al-Tur),which they have lived in for at least 40yrs., after an Israeli court rules that the



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buildings were legally acquired by theJewish National Fund in 1923. Jewishsettlers fr. Kefar Etzion uproot Palestinianolive trees nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr.Kiryat Arba, escorted by the IDF, vandalizean empty car belonging to the PA EducationMin. (OCHA 3/29; DS, PCHR 3/30; IMEMC3/31; HA 4/3; PCHR 4/6; HA 4/23)

Abbas swears in the new Palestiniancabinet. PM Haniyeh says his governmentwill allow Abbas to pursue peace nego-tiations with Israel, will continue reformefforts. The U.S. orders its diplomats, con-tractors not to have any further contacts withPA ministries, though contacts with Abbas,his office would be allowed; presses the in-ternational community to do the same. (AP,Canada TV, REU 3/29; AFP, HA, MM, NYT,REU, WP 3/30; VOP 3/30 in WNC 3/31; HA3/31) (see Quarterly Update)

30 MARCH

A Palestinian hitchhiker dressed as anobservant Jew detonates a bomb inside anIsraeli car that picks him up outside Keddu-mim settlement, killing 4 Jewish settlersand himself; AMB–Nablus faction claimsresponsibility. PA FM Mahmud Zahhar(Change and Reform) defends the bomb-ing as legitimate resistance, whereas Abbasdenounces it; Israel accuses the PA of en-couraging terror. Palestinians fire a rocketfr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or in-juries. The IDF responds by shelling n. Gazafr. land and sea, causing no damage or in-juries; makes 6 F-16 air strikes outside BaytHanun and Bayt Lahiya, damaging an electric-ity network, several roads; warns the PA thatit will increase pressure on Palestinians fir-ing rockets fr. Gaza, will fire on any place fr.which fire is directed at Israel, even if PA se-curity forces are operating in the area. TheIDF also closes the only checkpoints allow-ing Palestinian access to the n. Jordan Valley(at least through 4/5); closes all but 1 roadleading into Tulkarm; erects a permanent ob-servation post and tower on the Bethlehem–Hebron road into Hebron; issues militaryorders seizing part of a Palestinian home inHebron nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb ofthe Patriarchs, 200 sq. m. of Palestinian landin al-Arub r.c. nr. Hebron to expand an IDFoutpost; searches the offices of the CulturalForum in Sur al-Bahir outside Jerusalem, con-fiscating files, damaging furniture; breaks upa Land Day rally in East Jerusalem, arrest-ing 4 Palestinians, including 2 journalists;conducts arrest raids, house searches in

Nablus, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers, escortedby IDF troops, attack Palestinian farmers, in-ternational peace activists planting trees onPalestinian land in Hebron. (IMEMC 3/30;MM, NYT, WP 3/31; NYT 4/1; PCHR 4/6)

31 MARCH

Senior PRC cmdr. Abu Yusuf AbuQuka (allied with Hamas) is killed in a carbombing in Gaza City; the PRCs blame PAsecurity forces linked to Fatah (specificallyto Gaza strongman and PC mbr. Muham-mad Dahlan) in collaboration with Israel;the IDF denies involvement. Clashes eruptbtwn. PRC mbrs., PA security forces alliedwith Dahlan at Abu Quka’s funeral later inthe day, leaving 3 Palestinians dead, 35wounded. In light of the 3/30 bombing,the IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinianmovement in the n. West Bank, barring Pales-tinians ages 15–32 fr. crossing checkpointsin the Nablus area; carries out early morningair strikes, fires 10s of shells fr. naval vesselsat the n. Gaza no-go zone, a soccer stadiumin Gaza City, causing damage to a numberof homes but no injuries; makes late-nightF-16 air strikes on a hotel under constructionnr. Bayt Lahiya, partially destroying it; con-ducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron(violently beating a 78-yr.-old Palestinianwoman), nr. Nablus. Some 40 Jewish set-tlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus (including 2off-duty IDF soldiers) beat, fire on Pales-tinian farmers working their fields nr. Salim.(AFP, REU 3/31; HA, JAZ, NYT, WP, WT 4/1;XIN 4/2 in WNC 4/3; MM 4/5; MM, PCHR4/6; HA 4/16)

1 APRIL

In response to Palestinians firing 3rockets fr. Gaza into Israel overnight (caus-ing no damage or injuries), the IDF shellsthe n. Gaza no-go zone fr. land and sea,severely damaging the Bayt Lahiya electric-ity grid, a number of houses, 3 cars. TheIDF also closes the Nablus–Tulkarm roadinto Tulkarm, sealing the city (other accessroads were closed on 3/30); conducts arrestraids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Nablus.Armed Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba up-root and take back to the settlement 60 olivetree saplings fr. nearby Palestinian land.Other Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba van-dalize a Palestinian home; the IDF observesbut does not intervene. Also in Hebron,Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah throw bot-tles and stones at Palestinian school children,




escorted by international peace activists, in-juring 1 activist; the IDF observes but doesnot intervene. Separately, Jewish settlers inHebron throw bottles and stones at Palestini-ans to prevent them fr. using Shuhada Street.Jewish settlers fr. Mehola attack a Pales-tinian shepherd grazing his sheep nr. BaytFurik outside Nablus, violently beating him,stabbing his sheep, killing 15 and wounding5. PM Haniyeh orders all Palestinian gun-men off Gaza City streets to reduce tensionsafter clashes on 3/31; the PRCs say they willobserve the call, but in a show of defiance,300 armed Fatah mbrs. march throughthe streets, firing in the air, demanding thatthe PA arrest PRC mbrs. involved in the3/31 violence. (HA, JAZ 4/1; WT 4/2; PCHR4/6)

2 APRIL

The IDF shells Gaza’s Jabaliya r.c., seri-ously wounding a 7-yr.-old Palestinian boyand his father harvesting vegetables in theirfield; sends undercover units in a car withPalestinian license plates into Qalqilya to ar-rest a wanted Palestinian; later sends troopsinto Qalqilya to arrest another Palestinian,firing on stone-throwing youths who con-front them, wounding 6; conducts otherarrest raids, house searches in and aroundNablus, in Qalqilya (also firing on residen-tial areas), nr. Hebron and Jenin; seriouslybeats a Palestinian in Hebron for no appar-ent reason. In retaliation for the 3/31 AbuQuka assassination, the PRCs fire 3 rock-ets fr. Gaza towards an IDF post at Kissufimcrossing causing no damage or injuries. TheIDF responds by shelling n. Gaza, targetingand hitting a truck hauling vegetables in BaytLahiya (apparently thinking it belonged tomilitants who fired the rockets), injuring 2farmers. A Palestinian dies, a 2d is injuredwhen heavy rain run-off obstructed by theseparation wall, which effectively createsa dam nr. Bil‘in, causes flash flooding thatwashes the men into the razor wire cordon-ing off the wall, trapping them. (IMEMC,JAZ, PRC communique, XIN 4/2; VOP 4/2 inWNC 4/3; PCHR 4/6)

3 APRIL

IDF undercover units raid an apart-ment building in Bethlehem and assassinateAMB West Bank cmdr. Ra’id Ubayyat,wounding and detaining his roommate. TheIDF also sends troops into Qalandia r.c.,fires on residential areas, killing a 5-yr.-old

Palestinian boy; patrols in Jenin; conductsarrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm andin and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus.The AMB fires a rocket fr. Gaza into Israelin response, causing no damage or injuries.The IDF also fatally shoots a stone-throwing13-yr.-old Palestinian nr. Qalandia r.c.; ar-rests 5 unarmed Palestinians attempting tosneak into Israel fr. Gaza to find work; con-ducts arrest raids in Qalqilya. (IMEMC, XIN4/3; VOP 4/3 in WNC 4/4; PCHR 4/6)

4 APRIL

After Palestinians fire rockets fr. Gazainto Israel (causing no damage or injuries),the IDF launches Operation SouthernArrow (as warned on 3/30), making airstrikes on a PA security compound (wound-ing 2 Palestinians; see 3/30) and Abbas’shelicopter pad in Gaza City, firing at least30 shells at residential areas nr. the n. Gazano-go zone (hitting 2 houses, killing 1 Pales-tinian and wounding at least 5), flying mockair raids over Gaza (repeatedly breaking thesound barrier), reducing the distance thatartillery fire may be targeted nr. Palestinianhomes fr. 300 m to 100 m. The IDF alsorecloses the Qarni commercial crossing;conducts arrest raids, house searches inBethlehem, Dura, Nablus. (WP 4/5; VOP 4/5in WNC 4/6; PCHR 4/6; HA 5/14)

According to the biography of fmr.Mossad chief Efraim Halevy, releasedtoday in Britain, just before Israel’s 1997 at-tempted assassination of Hamas politicalleader Khalid Mishal in Amman, KingHussein transmitted a message offering a30-yr. cease-fire fr. Hamas to then Israeli PMBenjamin Netanyahu via a local Mossadrep. The message did not reach Netanyahuuntil after the hit was made. (JAZ 4/4)

5 APRIL

The IDF shells the Gaza coastal road nr.Bayt Lahiya; sends undercover units intoTulkarm to arrest the local Islamic Jihadspokesman; conducts arrest raids, housesearches nr. Bethlehem and in and aroundHebron, Nablus, Tulkarm. (Voice of al-Aqsa,VOP 4/5 in WNC 4/6; PCHR 4/6, 4/13)

6 APRIL

As Operation Southern Arrow on Gazacontinues, the IDF conducts air strikes on 2AMB targets in Bayt Lahiya where AMB mbrs.allegedly are meeting to plan rocket launches



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against Israel; makes air strikes on the pres-idential landing strip in Gaza City for a 2dtime (see 4/5), on a Muslim youth associationbuilding in Gaza City (causing damage butno injuries); fires some 300 artillery shellsinto Gaza (injuring 2 Palestinians nr. theirhomes in Bayt Hanun and Bayt Lahiya) in re-sponse to Palestinians firing some 12 rock-ets towards Israel in recent days; also drops1,000s of leaflet on n. Gaza warning Pales-tinians against approaching areas fr. whichrockets are launched. The IDF also arrests,questions, releases PA Jerusalem AffairsM Khalid Abu ‘Arafa, a Jerusalem resident,as he leaves Jerusalem for the West Bank,saying he is on a list of individuals barredfr. entering the West Bank for security rea-sons; continues arrest raids, house searchesin Nablus (see 4/5), firing on residential ar-eas, occupying a Palestinian home as anobservation post, firing on stone-throwingyouths who confront the troops, wound-ing 8 plus an American journalist coveringthe demonstration; bars Palestinian vehicu-lar traffic into or out of Tulkarm; conductsarrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem,in and around Jenin. In separate raids onNablus late in the evening, an IDF under-cover unit shoots, wounds a PA policeofficer who mistakes their raid on an apart-ment for a burglary (the officer is uniformedand identifies himself before being shot);fires on a Palestinian vehicle that enters anarea in which an arrest raid is underway,wounding 4 bystanders, fatally shooting a5th bystander who attempts to leave thescene to get medical help. (HA, MM 4/6;Voice of al-Aqsa 4/6 in WNC 4/9; NYT, WT4/7; Guardian 4/8; HA 5/7; PCHR 4/13)

7 APRIL

The IDF sets up another artillery batterynr. Kerem Shalom outside the s. Gaza Strip;conducts air strikes on a car nr. Rafah as-sassinating wanted senior PRC militarycmdr. Iyad Abu al-‘Aynayn and 3 otherPRC mbrs., also killing ‘Aynayn’s 5-yr.-oldson, a young bystander, and wounding atleast 14 bystanders, including ‘Aynayn’s 7-yr.-old daughter; steps up shelling across Gaza,particularly around Gaza City, including nr.Abbas’s presidential compound where heis currently staying (no injuries reported);blows up a Palestinian home in Hebron al-legedly used for manufacturing explosives;conducts arrest raids, house searches inBalata r.c. (firing on stone-throwing youthswho confront the troops, wounding 2), nr.

Jenin. After Palestinians fire a rocket fr.n. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage orinjuries; the IDF shells n. Gaza, injuring4 Palestinians nr. Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya.Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino occupya Palestinian house in Hebron, evicting thePalestinian residents (the IDF observes butdoes not intervene); the settlers claim tohave purchased the building, but the Pales-tinian owners deny this; the Israeli CivilAdministration says it is reviewing theclaim. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh beata 73-yr.-old Palestinian farmer working onhis land in nearby Salim. (AFP, HA, YA 4/7;Guardian, HA, NYT, WP 4/8; VOP 4/8 inWNC 4/9; PCHR 4/9; PCHR 4/13)

8 APRIL

On the 5th day of Operation SouthernArrow, the IDF conducts an air strike on acar driving in Gaza City, killing AMB mbrs.Muhammad Abu Shari‘a and MahmudAjjur and seriously injuring a 3d who hadjust fired a rocket into Israel (causing nodamage or injuries), and an air strike on acar nr. Khan Yunis, assassinating at least 6mbrs. of the Abu Rish Brigades (ARB; aFatah offshoot) and wounding 4 other ARBmbrs. and at least 11 bystanders; 3 Pales-tinian children in Jabaliya r.c. and a family of5 in Bayt Lahiya are wounded by shrapnelin continued shelling of n. Gaza. The IDFalso bars Palestinians under age 30 fr. cross-ing checkpoints into or out of the JordanValley; sends troops back into Nablus, fir-ing on stone-throwing youths who confrontthem, wounding 12; conducts arrest raids,house searches in and around Hebron, nr.Jenin (targeting Islamic Jihad, firing onstone-throwing youths who confront thetroops); patrols in Anabta nr. Tulkarm, fir-ing on Palestinian youths who confront thetroops. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa set fire to aPalestinian home, attack Palestinian farmers,shepherds in nearby Yatta. A smugglers tun-nel on the Rafah border collapses, killing 2Palestinians. (IMEMC 4/8; Palestine Satel-lite Channel Television, VOI, VOP 4/8 inWNC 4/9; IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 4/9;PCHR 4/13)

9 APRIL

The Israeli security cabinet formallysevers all direct contacts with the PA, whichit calls a “hostile entity,” and vows to “worktoward preventing any entrenchment of theHamas government’s rule”; says Israel will




not rule out “personal” contacts with Abbasbut views the PA as a single entity, meaningthat opening a separate negotiating channelwith him to bypass the Hamas-led govern-ment is not an option; Israel will also refuseto meet with foreign officials who meet withHamas mbrs. during their regional visits. Af-ter Palestinians fire 5 rockets towards Israel(causing no damage or injuries; 2 land insideGaza), the IDF heavily shells the n. Gazano-go zone and populated areas in Bayt Ha-nun, Bayt Lahiya, and Jabaliya r.c., killing aPA security officer evacuating Palestiniansfr. the area, wounding at least 16 Pales-tinians (including 3 PA security officers),hitting a taxi, and heavily damaging the PACustoms Bureau, a factory, and 1 house.IDF undercover units raid Bayt Ta’marnr. Bethlehem, assassinate PRCs Salah al-Din Brigadeshead Jabir Akhras; the IDFhas attempted to assassinate Akhras severaltimes, most recently 3 mos. ago. The IDFalso sends troops into Nablus, firing on ar-eas of al-Najah University campus (hitting afemale Palestinian student in the face witha rubber bullet, causing her to lose an eye),fatally shooting a Palestinian for no appar-ent reason, conducting arrest raids, housesearches; also conducts arrest raids, housesearches in and around Tulkarm, nr. Hebron,in villages surrounding Nablus; occupies aPalestinian building in Bayt Jala nr. Bethle-hem as an observation post. Palestiniansin Qalqilya report that for several days, theIDF has been harassing, delaying the entry ofnon-Qalqilya residents (primarily shoppersfr. surrounding villages) into the city, barringthem fr. driving cars across the checkpoint.A Palestinian family evicted fr. its homein al-Tur on 3/29 reoccupies its home, but isquickly evicted by the IDF for “squatting.”(HA, IMEMC, PNN 4/9; AP, JP, PCHR 4/9; HA,JP, NYT, WP, WT 4/10; PCHR 4/13; IslamicRepublic News Agency 4/16; HA 4/23)

10 APRIL

The IDF continues heavy shelling ofGaza, including populated areas, hitting ahouse in Bayt Lahiya, killing an 8-yr.-oldPalestinian girl, wounding 12; damagingseveral commercial greenhouses in BaytLahiya. Palestinians fire rockets fr. Gazainto Israel, causing no damage or injuries.The IDF also sends troops back into Nablusand Balata r.c. to conduct arrest raids, housesearches (beating a foreign journalists andmedic in Nablus, occupying several Pales-tinian homes as observation posts in Balata);

also conducts arrest raids, house searches inQalqilya and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin.Jewish settlers fr. Rotem nr. Tubas fenceoff, place a trailer on nearby Palestinian landto expand the settlement. Some 100 Pales-tinian youths demonstrate outside, throweggs at the UN headquarters in Gaza City,where the EU’s Gaza staff is based, to protestthe EU’s 4/7 decision to cut off aid to thePA (see Quarterly Update). (Deutsche Welle,HA, IMEMC, JP 4/10; NYT, WP 4/11; MM,NYT 4/12; PCHR 4/13)

11 APRIL

IDF makes an air strike demolishing anAMB building in Gaza City; blows up aPalestinian home in Jenin that allegedlystored explosives; conducts arrest raids,house searches nr. Jenin and in Bethlehem,Hebron, Tulkarm. Palestinians fire a rocketfr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or in-juries. Abbas dispatches mbrs. of Force 17,the presidential guard, to take control of PAoperations at the Rafah crossing, relievingPA security forces controlled by the In-terior Min. (see Quarterly Update). (MM4/11; MM, NYT 4/12; PCHR 4/13)

Israel’s acting FM Tzipi Livni says thatany Palestinian “fighting against Israeli sol-diers is an enemy and we will fight back, butI believe that this is not under the definitionof terrorism,” only those “who take the livesof civilians are terrorists.” Says that the in-ternational community should “stop callingterrorists those who are freedom fighters.”(AFP, IFM 4/11)

12 APRIL

The IDF opens the Qarni crossing (closedsince 4/4); fatally shoots 2 armed AMBmbrs. attempting to sneak into Israel fr. s.Gaza; conducts arrest raids, house searchesnr. Qalqilya. (OCHA 4/12; PCHR 4/13, 4/20;OCHA 4/23)

13 APRIL

The IDF sends armored bulldozers sev-eral dozen yards into Gaza to look for buriedexplosives; shells the n. Gaza no-go zoneand the border area nr. Khan Yunis, caus-ing no injuries; closes the Kerem Shalomcrossing for the day, the Sufa crossingindefinitely; conducts arrest raids, housesearches nr. Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarm. Some20 AMB gunmen temporarily shut downthe PA Transportation Min., seize the PA



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parliament building in Ramallah, protest-ing the refusal of the new government tomeet their demands to give them taxi li-censes as perks (worth thousands of dollars),promotions for mbrs. in the PA security ser-vices. (AP, HA, MM 4/13; WP, WT 4/14; NYT4/15; PCHR 4/20)

In interviews with the Israeli dailiesMa’ariv and Yedi’ot Aharonot, Israeli Mil-itary Intelligence cmdr. Maj. Gen. AmosYadlin says that Israelis “should not frightenourselves” about Hamas, “Gaza is not ac-quiring the kind of terror capabilities thatshould keep us awake at night,” adding,“[W]e certainly must not regard them as anexistential threat or the end of the world.One must look at Hamas through a com-plex lens and not one-dimensionally. . . .Hamas is an organization with a realisticand pragmatic outlook, which requires itto compromise, at least in the short run,to achieve its long-term goals. The fact thatHamas can reach a cease-fire or very practi-cal arrangements in the short run is basedon the Qur’an, which says that those whohave patience will have Allah on their side.”(MA, MM, YA 4/13)

14 APRIL

The IDF continues to shell n. Gaza(wounding a Palestinian in Jabaliya r.c.),sends armored bulldozers several dozenyards inside Gaza for a 2d day to search forburied explosives, as IDF Dep. Chief ofStaff Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky warnsthat the IDF could launch ground operationsinto Gaza if rocket fire fr. Gaza into Israelkeeps up. The IDF also opens the KeremShalom (closed 4/13) to allow in basic food-stuffs and gas (most trucks entering are forthe UN); raids a girls elementary school inFar‘un in the West Bank; patrols in, fire onresidential areas of Aida r.c.; conducts arrestraids, house searches in and around Nablus,nr. Hebron. In Jabaliya r.c., 1,000s of Pales-tinians rally to denounce the cut off in someinternational aid, continued Israeli shellingand overflights of Gaza. (HA, NYT, WT 4/15;PCHR 4/20)

15 APRIL

The IDF closes Qarni crossing for 2 days;closes the Kerem Shalom crossing for theday; shells Bayt Lahiya (wounding a Pales-tinian outside his home, damaging severalhomes); raids a PA police station in Tamun,confiscating a guard’s gun; conducts arrest

raids, house searches in Madama nr. Nablus,ordering all of the village residents to gatherthe local school for ID checks. At the re-quest of Jewish settlers fr. Suissa, the IDFbeats and forcibly removes a Palestinianfarmer and his 6-yr.-old son fr. their nearbyfarm land. Some 50 masked PA police-men (AMB mbrs.), firing in the air, block amain Gaza road in Khan Yunis, briefly seizea government building to protest a 2-wk.delay in their 3/06 salaries. A Palestinianbystander wounded in the 4/7 IDF assassi-nation of PRC cmdr. Abu al-‘Aynayn dies ofhis injuries. (HA, IMEMC, XIN 4/15; WP, WT4/16; PCHR 4/20; OCHA 4/23)

16 APRIL

The IDF fires artillery shells at the BaytHanun industrial zone, hitting a nearby cattlefarm, killing 46 cows; conducts arrest raids,house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, andin and around Jenin town and r.c. (firingon stone-throwing youths who confront thetroops, wounding 4), Nablus. Israeli po-lice arrest Change and Reform PC mbr.Muhammad Abu Tir in East Jerusalem,where he is a resident, arrest 7 Palestini-ans thought to be planning a Hamas rallyin the city. Jewish settlers in Hebron at-tack a Palestinian boy, attempt to break intoa Palestinian home nr. Beit Hadasah settle-ment. (HA, IMEMC 4/16; PCHR 4/20; OCHA4/23)

17 APRIL

An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber det-onates a device in a Tel Aviv deli, killing 9Israelis, wounding 59. Abbas condemnsthe attack, the deadliest since an 8/31/04bombing killed 16 Israelis in Beershebaand since the 2/05 cease-fire was declared,whereas a Hamas spokesman in Gaza callsthe bombing “a natural result of the contin-ued Israeli crimes against our people”; theU.S. says that “the burden of responsibilityfor preventing terrorist attacks such as thisone rests with the Palestinian Authority.”The IDF continues to shell the n. Gaza no-gozone (killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 2)and the s. Gaza coast from land and sea;makes an air strike on a building in Gaza Cityallegedly used as a factory to make rockets,causing no injuries; reopens the Sufa andQarni crossings (closed on 4/13 and 4/15);sends troops into Nablus, where they fire onPalestinian stone throwers and on residen-tial areas, wounding at least 16 Palestinians




and damaging a clearly marked AP press ve-hicle; conducts arrest raids, house searchesin Jenin town and r.c. (arresting the father ofthe 4/17 suicide bomber), in Tulkarm townand r.c., and nr. Hebron, Qalqilya. Jewishsettlers fr. Elon Moreh fire on Palestinianshepherds, steal some sheep nr. Nablus.(HA, NYT, YA 4/17; MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/18;HA, MM 4/19; PCHR 4/20; OCHA 4/23)

18 APRIL

Israel says that the Hamas-led PA is re-sponsible for the 4/17 suicide bombing butthat it will not launch a large-scale militaryoperation in retaliation so as to “avoid esca-lation”; instead it will increase “diplomaticpressure” on the government, includingrevoking the Israeli residency rights of 3Change and Reform PC mbrs. (includ-ing Jerusalem Affairs M Abu ‘Arafa) fromEast Jerusalem, meaning they would haveto leave the city. The AMB, ARB, PRCs is-sue a joint statement demanding that Abbas“apologize to the entire Palestinian peoplefor the offense he committed” by condemn-ing the 4/17 suicide bombing. Meanwhile,the IDF steps up Operation SouthernArrow, shelling areas of n. Gaza, hitting asewage treatment facility, seriously injur-ing 3 Palestinian children, and wounding afarmer working his field, a shepherd grazinghis sheep, a Palestinian outside his home inBayt Lahiya, a Palestinian walking in a resi-dential area of Bayt Hanun, a truck drivernr. the customs bureau in Jabaliya; detains,severely beats a 16-yr.-old Palestinian boy ata Bethlehem checkpoint for allegedly car-rying a knife; conducts arrest raids, housesearches nr. Jenin, in Nablus (confiscatingthe camera of an AP journalist covering theraid). Israeli police detain PA Jerusalem Af-fairs M Abu ‘Arafa at a checkpoint on theoutskirts of East Jerusalem as he is en routeto a PA cabinet mtg., delaying him 2 hrs.(AFP, AP, IMEMC, JP, NYT, PNN, REU, WP4/18; MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/19; MM, PCHR4/20; HA 4/24)

19 APRIL

The IDF shells n. Gaza in response to aPalestinian rocket fired fr. Gaza into Israelthat causes no damage or injuries; closesGaza’s Sufa and Kerem Shalom commercialcrossings for the day; shells n. Gaza, wound-ing a Palestinian child; sends troops backinto Nablus, who fire on residential areas

and on stone-throwing youths who confrontthem, wounding 5 youths and 2 bystanders;patrols in al-‘Araqa nr. Jenin; fires on resi-dential areas of Azun; conducts arrest raids,house searches nr. Hebron. (MM 4/19; PCHR4/20; OCHA 4/26; PCHR 4/27)

20 APRIL

The IDF sends undercover units intoBethlehem to conduct arrest raids, housesearches; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in and around Nablus and nr.Bethlehem, Jenin, Jericho, Qalqilya; sendstroops into Dura, fires on stone-throwingyouths who confront them, wounding 4;patrols in al-Aqaba nr. Jenin. Some 15 Jew-ish settlers in Hebron attack 2 internationalpeace activists, lightly injuring them. (PCHR4/27)

With PA security forces (predominantlyFatah mbrs.) refusing to deploy on his or-ders, new PA Interior M Said Siyam ap-points PRC head Jamal Abu Samhadana(formerly a Fatah member and senior PAsecurity officer) as inspector gen. of the In-terior Min. to set up a new volunteer securityforce, the Executive Support Force (ESF),to help restore law and order to the streets.The ESF ideally would include mbrs. of “allthe resistance branches.” Israel, the U.S. ac-cuse PM Haniyeh of forming his own militiato counter Abbas. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/21;MM, WT 4/25; XIN 4/30; NYT 5/20) (seeQuarterly Update)

21 APRIL

The IDF closes the Zatara checkpointlinking the n. and s. West Bank (closed al-most continually through the end of thequarter); patrols in, fires on residential areasof Bethlehem (seriously wounding 1 Pales-tinian stone-thrower), Nablus (wounding 3Palestinians); conducts arrest raids, housesearches in Jenin (targeting the AMB) andnr. Hebron, Qalqilya. Islamic Jihad claimsto fire a 2d Grad rocket fr. Gaza towardsAshkelon (see 3/28), but the IDF reportsno rocket fire. A Palestinian stabs, lightlywounds an Israeli border policeman at al-Ram checkpoint into Jerusalem, is arrested.Some 15 Jewish settlers fr. Tal Rumayda at-tack a group of Palestinian girls on their wayto school and 5 international peace activistsescorting them, causing minor injuries. (HA4/23; PCHR 4/27)

Abbas vetoes Siyam’s 4/20 appoint-ment of Abu Samhadana as Interior Min.



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inspector gen. and vows to block his planto set up a new security force (the ESF). InDamascus, Hamas head Khalid Mishal ac-cuses Abbas and Fatah of seeking to forma parallel government, conspiring againstHaniyeh’s new government, committingtreason, surrendering to Israel. Haniyeh de-nounces Mishal’s statements. (NYT, WP, WT4/22; HA 4/23; MM 4/24–26; HA 4/30) (seeQuarterly Update)

22 APRIL

The IDF tightens restrictions on Palestini-ans traveling btwn. the n. and s. West Bank;bars 100s of Armenian worshipers from pro-cessing to the Church of the Holy Sepulchrein Jerusalem to celebrate Orthodox Easter;sends troops back into Nablus, where theyfire on stone-throwing youths who confrontthem, wounding 3 stone-throwers and a jour-nalist covering the clashes; conducts arrestraids, house searches in Hebron. Dozensof Jewish settlers attempting to break intoa Palestinian store in Hebron attack, beat 2female international peace activists block-ing their way; the IDF intervenes to halt theattack. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on ambushand stone an IDF jeep escorting Palestinianschool children to school along a road thatpasses by the settlement, detaining the jeepand children for an hour until IDF reinforce-ments arrive. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzharset fire to 2 new trucks and a generator ata private Palestinian quarry nr. Nablus. InGaza City, al-Azhar University studentsbacking Fatah and rallying in support ofAbbas’s 4/21 veto of Siyam’s security de-cisions occupy a campus building, unfurl aFatah banner, stone students at neighbor-ing Islamic University, largely supportiveof Hamas, who throw stones back; Fatah,Hamas cadres join the clashes, exchanginggunfire, leaving 20 Palestinians wounded. Inthe West Bank, some 4,000 Fatah support-ers take part in several rallies supportingAbbas and denouncing Mishal (see 4/21).Hamas, Fatah leaders meet late in theevening to restore calm. (HA, PCHR, WP4/23; MM, WT 4/24; PCHR 4/27; HA 4/30)

23 APRIL

IDF undercover units raid Bethlehem,open fire on a car, assassinating wantedAMB mbrs. Daniel Abu Hammami andAhmad Muslih, wounding a 3d. The IDFalso closes Kerem Shalom crossing for theday; raids al-Amal Hospital in Nablus, search-

ing wards for wanted Palestinians; raids a PApolice station in Azariyya in East Jerusalem,detaining 2 officers; conducts arrest raids,house searches in and around Hebron andnr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm. In Gaza City, armedFatah mbrs. protest outside the PA HealthMin. offices in Gaza City, demanding assis-tance for relatives in need of medical treat-ment abroad, and begin to riot when theyare told that budget constraints have forcedthe government to slash funding for medicaltransports abroad; when PA police are un-able to quell the demonstration, the HealthM calls in Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigadesmbrs. to support the police, sparking anexchange of gunfire with the Fatah mbrs.,leaving 3 Fatah mbrs. wounded. In Nablus,AMB gunmen (mbrs. of the PA securityforces) fire on the historic Nablus munici-pal building, forcing employees to evacuate,demanding that the Hamas mayor close hisoffices, that the PA pay their salaries. Tocalm tensions, Abbas orders the PA secu-rity forces to cancel plans for a massivepro-Fatah rally in Ramallah against Mishal’s4/21 statements. (IMEMC, PNN, YA 4/23;MM, WP, WT 4/24; OCHA 4/26; PCHR 4/27)

24 APRIL

The IDF shells n. Gaza, hitting a poultryfarm in Bayt Lahiya (wounding 1 Palestinian),damaging 2 Palestinian homes (injuring 2Palestinians), hitting a farm in Bayt Hanun(killing 2 cows); conducts arrest raids in andaround Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron,Jenin, Ramallah. (PCHR 4/27)

25 APRIL

The IDF arrests without charge Hamas’schief West Bank spokesman FarhadAsad; raids an elementary school in Hebron,arresting a 12-yr.-old Palestinian for throw-ing stones; conducts arrest raids, housesearches in and around Nablus (firing onstone-throwing youths who confront thetroops, wounding 6), in Jenin r.c., nr. He-bron. In a rare move, Israel’s JerusalemMunicipality approves 17 proposals forArab construction in the East Jerusalemneighborhoods of Bayt Hanina, Shu‘fat onapproximately 1,000 d. of land; JerusalemMayor Uri Lupolianski calls the decisiona “revolutionary step” that constitutes a“breakthrough” for Palestinian residents ofthe city. (JP 4/25; IMEMC, WP 4/26; PCHR4/27)




26 APRIL

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing; con-ducts arrest raids, house searches in andaround Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron,Jenin (fatally shooting a Palestinian gun-man), Ramallah (searching the home ofChange and Reform PC mbr. Ahmad‘Abd al-‘Aziz Malik). PA security forcesat Gaza’s Qarni crossing prevent 2 Palestinianvehicles of PRC mbrs. carrying explosivesthat attempt to crash through the PA securitybarrier to attack the main transit building;3 PA policemen, 2 gunmen are wounded inthe exchange, and 3 gunmen are arrested;Israel claims that the PRCs were acting un-der the direction of Hamas, which deniesthe charge; PA Interior M Siyam says thatattacking border crossings is against the na-tional interest and should not be done. Mean-while, mbrs. of the Yasir Arafat Brigades(considered an offshoot of the AMB) saythat in response to Siyam’s plans to createthe ESF, they are planning to form a newmilitia “to protect Fatah men against the Is-raeli enemy and against any attempt by anyparty inside the homeland to target them.”(IMEMC, REU 4/26; NYT, PCHR, WP 4/27;IFM, XIN 5/1; OCHA 5/3; PCHR 5/4)

27 APRIL

The IDF closes Gaza’s Kerem Shalomcrossing for 2 days; makes air strikes on 2cars driving in central Gaza, missing 1 carcarrying 5 Islamic Jihad mbrs. but hittingthe 2d, assassinating Islamic Jihad mbrs.Ahmad Abu Nijim and Wa’il al-Qaran,wounding a 3d mbr. and 3 bystanders; ar-rests Change and Reform PC mbr. Ah-mad Mubarak in his home in Jalazun r.c.,giving no reason; sends troops back intoNablus and Askar r.c., conducting arrestraids, house searches and firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them;also conducts arrest raids, house searchesnr. Jenin. (AFP, IMEMC, MM 4/27; NYT, WP4/28; OCHA 5/3; PCHR 5/4)

28 APRIL

The IDF conducts arrest raids, housesearches in Qabatya and nr. Bethlehem,Qalqilya. Palestinians fire 4 rockets fr.Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or in-juries. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba seizeand fence off 7 d. of nearby Palestinian agri-cultural land to expand the settlement. (HA4/30; PCHR 5/4)

29 APRIL

Overnight and throughout the day, theIDF shells n. Gaza, hitting a house and apopulated street in Bayt Hanun (injuring 7Palestinians), hitting a house in Bayt Hanun(wounding 3 Palestinians), wounding 3 farm-ers in fields nr. Bayt Hanun and Bayt Lahiya.Meanwhile, the IDF notes a sharp decline inPalestinian rocket fire over the previous wk.The IDF also unintentionally kills a 3-yr.-oldPalestinian girl nr. Ramallah by shuttinga crossing gate on her head; conducts ar-rest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, nr.Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba van-dalize Palestinian homes in Hebron. Jewishsettlers ambush, attack several Palestiniancars in the Jordan Valley. (IMEMC 4/29; HA4/30; PCHR 5/4)

30 APRIL

The IDF reopens the Qarni crossing(closed on 4/26); conducts arrest raids,house searches in Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin,Nablus. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gazainto Israel, causing no damage or injuries;the IDF responds by shelling n. Gaza, caus-ing no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. KiryatArba vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebronfor a 2d day. (HA, IMEMC 4/30; B’Tselempress release 5/1; OCHA 5/3; PCHR 5/4)

1 MAY

IDF soldiers manning a checkpoint out-side the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Pa-triarchs in Hebron severely beat a 65-yr.-oldPalestinian woman, delay an ambulance fr.treating her for 20 mins. The IDF also con-ducts arrest raids, house searches in andaround Hebron, Tulkarm (targeting IslamicJihad; fatally shooting a 44-yr.-old Pales-tinian woman and wounding her 3 daugh-ters, occupying a Palestinian home as anobservation post) and in Azun, Balata r.c.,Bethlehem, Jericho, Nablus (firing on resi-dential areas). (IMEMC 5/1; PCHR 5/4)

2 MAY

The IDF captures a Palestinian boat smug-gling explosives fr. Egypt to Gaza; beats upa mute 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy who failsto understand their questions at a check-point nr. Jenin; raids, searches, vandalizesthe Greek Catholic Medical Center in BaytSahur nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids,house searches in and around Jenin, nr.



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Bethlehem, in al-Til. In Bayt Lahiya, 2 PAsecurity officers are killed, 1 is woundedwhen they try to disarm an unexplodedIDF shell. Haniyeh calls on militants not tolaunch attacks against border crossings, say-ing that hindering the import of supplies toGaza violates national interests. (HA, IMEMC5/2; PCHR 5/4; HA 5/15)

3 MAY

The IDF closes all Gaza crossings for theday; imposes a curfew on Hawara nr. Nablus,occupies a Palestinian building as an obser-vation post; conducts arrest raids, housesearches nr. Bethlehem. Managing direc-tor of Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, Ibrahimal-Habash, says that 4 patients have died inrecent days from treatable conditions dueto the lack of medicine coming into theStrip and the PA’s inability to pay suppliers,warns that hospital conditions across Gazaare growing critical. (PCHR, WT 5/4; NYT5/8; MM 5/9; OCHA 5/10; PCHR 5/11)

4 MAY

The IDF fatally shoots a Palestiniantaxi driver who stops to wait for a passen-ger nr. a sand barrier set up by the IDF nr.a checkpoint outside Nablus; sends under-cover units in cars with Palestinian licenseplates into Azun and Hebron to arrest wantedPalestinians; also conducts arrest raids in Bal-ata r.c. (exchanging fire with Palestinian gun-men, leaving 3 wounded), Bayt Jala, Nablus,Yatta. Palestinians fire 6 rockets fr. s. Gazainto Israel, causing no damage or injuries.A Jewish settler fr. Kiryat Arba injures a 3-yr.old Palestinian in a deliberate hit and runin Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishaithrow bottles, stones at Palestinian children(ages 7–12) playing nearby. (WP 5/6; PCHR5/11)

The Knesset approves, swears in PMEhud Olmert’s new cabinet, including VicePM and FM Tzipi Livni (Kadima), DMAmir Peretz (Labor). The new coalitioncontrols 67 of 120 parliamentary seats, withKadima holding 29 seats, Labor 19, theultra-OrthodoxShas 12, the PensionersParty 7. (MM 5/4; MM, WP, WT 5/5)

5 MAY

In the 1st attacks authorized by new Is-raeli DM Peretz, the IDF makes 3 air strikeson a PRC camp in Gaza in retaliation for 5/4rocket fire, killing 5 PRC mbrs. (Hamada

Daghmash, Juma’ Daghmash, MahmudDaghmash, Wahid Daghmash, KhalidWakid), wounding 2 in an apparent attemptto assassinate PRC cmdr. Mumtaz Dagh-mash, who lives nearby. The IDF also closesGaza’s Sufa crossing for 2 days and KeremShalom crossing indefinitely; prevents Pales-tinians fr. Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm in the n.West Bank fr. crossing checkpoints into thes. West Bank; shells a rocket launch site inn. Gaza, causing no injuries; fires on stone-throwing youths who confront troops dur-ing an arrest raid by an undercover unit inNablus, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 1,also occupying part of an apartment buildingas an observation post; patrols in Jenin, Yatta(firing on residential areas); conducts arrestraids, house searches in Balata r.c. In Gaza,1,000s of Hamas mbrs. rally in support ofthe PA government. (IMEMC 5/5; NYT, WP,WT 5/6; HA 5/7; OCHA 5/10; PCHR 5/11)

In a formal protest to Israel, UNRWAnotes that the IDF has barred access toJerusalem fr. the West Bank for 4 days, whichthe agency says is unprecedented, hinderingthe movement of its personnel, undermin-ing humanitarian operations. Israel has notformally announced a closure. (Prensa Latina5/5)

6 MAY

The IDF closes Gaza’s Qarni commercialcrossing for the day; shells n. Gaza, killing a65-yr.-old Palestinian farmer, wounding4 working a field nr. Bayt Lahiya and wound-ing a Palestinian outside his home in BaytHanun; sends troops back into Nablus andnearby refugee camps to patrol, search sev-eral stores and homes, occupy an UNRWAschool as a staging post; conducts arrestraids, house searches nr. Jenin, Tulkarm.Jewish settlers fr. Tal Rumayda in Hebronbeat 2 international and 1 Israeli peace ac-tivist, set fire to 3 Palestinian cars; the IDFintervenes to disperse the settlers. Also inHebron, Jewish settlers vandalize a Pales-tinian home. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’onattack a group of Palestinian children re-turning from school, escorted by Israelipeace activists, injuring 5 children. Pales-tinian teachers at 5 schools in Hebroncancel classes and some 1,000 PA offi-cials in Nablus protest the PA’s failure topay salaries for a 2d mo. In Rafah, some150 Palestinian women, children rallyto criticize the government’s failure to easegrowing economic hardships. (AFP, REU5/6; HA, WT 5/7; OCHA 5/10; PCHR 5/11)




7 MAY

In the 2d such incident in 2 days, the IDFshells n. Gaza, killing a 57-yr-old Pales-tinian farmer working his field nr. BaytLahiya, wounding a 59-yr.-old Palestinianwoman outside her Bayt Hanun home. TheIDF also shuts all crossings into Gaza, citingunspecified security threats; conducts arrestraids, house searches in and around Nablus(exchanging fire with armed Palestiniansin Balata r.c., causing no injuries) and nr.Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Qalqilya, Ramallah,Tulkarm. Palestinians fire 4 rockets fr.Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or in-juries. In Hebron, 700 Israeli police sup-ported by 1,000 IDF troops evacuate some3 Jewish settler families who occupied aPalestinian home on 4/7 and 40–50 settleryouths supporting them, sparking scufflesbtwn. troops and settlers that leave 19 offi-cers, 7 settlers injured; an Israeli court ruledthe families’ alleged purchase of the prop-erty fraudulent on 5/5 and ordered them toleave immediately. (HA, IMEMC, WT, XIN5/7; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/8; PCHR 5/11; seealso HA 4/30)

8 MAY

The IDF shells n. Gaza, wounding 2Palestinians outside the Bayt Lahiya hospital;raids several shops, homes, and the Gen-eral Union of Palestinian Workers and theUnion of Ex-Combatants offices in Hebron;fires on residential areas of nearby Halhul;conducts arrest raids, house searches inand around Jenin, Nablus (exchanging gun-fire with Palestinian gunmen in Askar r.c.,wounding 1), in Jericho, and nr. Bethle-hem, Ramallah. In a predawn incident inAbasan nr. Khan Yunis, AMB mbrs. kidnap3 Hamas mbrs., and Hamas mbrs. kidnap4 AMB mbrs. (it is unclear who kidnappedwhom first), sparking a heavy exchangeof fire, with Hamas mbrs. firing an antitankrocket killing 2 AMB mbrs. and Fatah shoot-ing dead 1 Hamas mbr.; some 10 Palestini-ans, mostly bystanders, are wounded; thosekidnapped are released after negotiations.(BBC, MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/8; MM 5/9; PCHR5/11)

9 MAY

The IDF continues to shell n. Gaza,wounding 2 Palestinian children in BaytLahiya; conducts arrest raids, house searchesin and around Hebron and nr. Bethlehem,

Nablus, Ramallah, Tulkarm; detains a Britishaid worker for Islamic Relief charity at acheckpoint btwn. Jerusalem and Ramallah,holds him in military detention withoutcharge (still in custody as of 5/15). Despiteappeals for calm by their leaderships, Fatah,Hamas gunmen clash for a 2d day, this timein Gaza City, leaving 9 Palestinians (includ-ing 5 school children) injured. Later, Hamasmbrs. attack the funeral procession of 1 ofthe Fatah mbrs. killed on 5/8, detonating 2explosive devices and exchanging gunfirewith Fatah mbrs., leaving 3 Palestinianswounded. (NYT, WP, WT 5/10; PCHR 5/11;Guardian 5/19; IFM 5/29)

10 MAY

The IDF continues to shell n. Gaza,wounding 2 Palestinian women nr. a ho-tel in Bayt Lahiya; conducts air strikes on 2ARB training sites outside Khan Yunis, caus-ing damage but no injuries; conducts arrestraids, house searches in and around Nablus,in Jenin (firing on stone-throwing youthswho confront the troops, wounding 5), andnr. Bethlehem, Hebron. Palestinians fire 3rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no dam-age or injuries. Haniyeh meets with Fatah,Hamas leaders in Gaza, who afterward pub-licly pledge to take steps to ease tensions.(PCHR 5/11, 5/18)

11 MAY

The IDF sends troops into Gaza to level20 d. of land along the s. border nr. al-Qarara; sends undercover units into Bala’aand Thinnaba nr. Tulkarm to arrest 5 wantedPalestinians; conducts additional arrest raidsin and around Nablus, nr. Hebron; patrolsin al-Fara‘a r.c., firing on stone-throwingyouths who confront the troops, wound-ing 1; raids a girls’ high school in ‘Anata,East Jerusalem, firing tear gas to dispersestudents and parents attending graduationceremonies. Jewish settlers fr. the unau-thorized outpost of Brakha Bet nr. Nablusbreak into a Palestinian quarry in nearbyHawara, set fire to several trailers, including1 in which they know a Palestinian guard isinside; they beat the guard when he escapesthe fire; settlers attacked the same quarryon 4/22. Fatah, Hamas mbrs. clash in n.Gaza, leaving 4 mbrs. fr. each side wounded;no reason for the violence is reported. (MM5/12; HA, IMEMC 5/13; HA 5/14; PCHR 5/18)



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12 MAY

The IDF makes a predawn raid intoNablus, searching houses and the al-NajahUniversity women’s dorms, arresting 1 Pales-tinian, clashing with AMB gunmen, leaving1 AMB mbr. dead; also conducts arrestraids, house searches nr. Jenin. Palestiniansin Salfit accuse the IDF of recently round-ing up dangerous wild pigs inside Israel andreleasing them in the area; the pigs havebeen devastating agricultural property andthreatening Palestinians nr. Salfit since. TheIDF critically wounds an Australian ac-tivist during the weekly nonviolent protestsagainst the separation wall in Bil‘in, shoot-ing him in the head with a rubber bullet,causing a brain hemorrhage. In Nablus,some 5,000 Palestinians (including armedAMB mbrs.) gather to donate money, jew-elry to the cash-strapped PA; at the sametime, Hamas sponsors a telethon that bringspledges fr. as far as Qatar, Saudi Arabia; offi-cials do not say how much they raise. (AP,IMEMC, World News Australia 5/12; PCHR5/18)

13 MAY

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing forthe day; intercepts a Palestinian fishing boatoff the s. Gaza coast, arresting 2 fishermenon suspicion of smuggling; conducts arrestraids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Hebron.An Israeli wounded in the 4/17 Tel Aviv sui-cide bombing dies of his injuries, bring thattoll to 10. In n. Gaza, an explosive device det-onates outside the home of a senior Fatahmbr., causing no injuries; no group claims re-sponsibility. Hamas, Fatah/AMB leaders inn. Gaza hold another urgent mtg. to reducetensions and prevent violence. The sidesagree to end the public display of weapons,remove roadblocks installed by mbrs. of bothfactions on roads in various areas, form aninvestigative comm. to look into the causesof local tensions and to peacefully resolvethem. (MM, NYT 5/15; PCHR 5/18; IMEMC5/23)

14 MAY

The IDF raids Qabatya, surrounds thehome of senior Islamic Jihad militaryleader Elias al-Ashkar, killing Ashkar and4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in an exchange offire, sparking massive protests in Qabatyain which soldiers kill a 6th Palestinian,

wound 16 (including a journalist); sends un-dercover units into Jenin in car with Pales-tinian license plates, willfully shooting andkilling a PA General Intelligence Service(GIS) officer guarding the GIS headquartersin Jenin, besieging a house nearby, arrest-ing 1 wanted Palestinian; shoots, woundssenior Islamic Jihad political leaderShaykh Mahmud al-Sadi outside Jeninin an apparent assassination attempt; con-ducts additional arrest raids, house searchesin and around Nablus, in Tulkarm, nr. He-bron; raids Aida r.c., chasing and firing onPalestinian children who allegedly threwstones at IDF soldiers, wounding an 11- anda 12-yr.-old with live ammunition; confis-cates goods from, demolishes 13 shops ina farmers market in the Jordan Valley; cap-tures a Palestinian boat smuggling explosivesfr. Egypt to Gaza. A small bomb explodesat a hitchhiking post outside Shiloh set-tlement nr. Ramallah, lightly wounding 1Jewish settler; no group takes responsibil-ity. Unidentified gunmen shoot, wounda bodyguard outside the home of PA GISGaza chief Maj. Gen. Tariq Abu Rajab; nogroup claims responsibility. An Americanwounded in the 4/17 Tel Aviv bombing diesof his injuries, bringing that toll to 11. (AFP,REU, XIN, YA 5/14; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT5/15; PCHR 5/18)

The Israeli High Court upholds (6–5) a2002 law that sharply restricts family reunifi-cation for West Bank and Gaza Palestini-ans married to Israeli Palestinians livingin Israel to women over age 25 and men overage 35. (AP, B’Tselem press release, HA 5/14;HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/15)

15 MAY

The IDF fires missiles fr. a drone at acar driving in Abasan, wounding 3 AMBmbrs., 1 bystander in an attempted assassi-nation, also damaging several stores; shellsn. Gaza, injuring a 50-yr.-old farmer work-ing his field nr. Bayt Lahiya; sends 2 tanksand a bulldozer into Gaza to level land alongthe border nr. Bayt Hanun for construc-tion of the border fence; sends troops intoHawara, imposes a curfew; patrols in Nablus,firing on residential areas; conducts arrestraids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. Aleaflet signed by the AMB warns that “wewon’t remain idle in the face of the siege im-posed on the Palestinian people by Israel,the U.S., and other countries. . . . We willstrike at the economic and civilian interests




of these countries, here and abroad.” ARBspokesman Abu Harun also threatens thatthe ARB would launch “a merciless intifada

CHRONOLOGY SOURCE ABBREVIATIONS

AFP (Agence France-Presse, Paris)AP (Associated Press [Internet])BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation World Service [Internet])DS (Daily Star, Beirut)HA (Ha’Aretz [Internet], Tel Aviv)IFM (Israeli Foreign Ministry, Jerusalem)IMEMC (International Middle East Media Center, Bayt Sahur)JAZ (al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television, Doha)JP (Jerusalem Post [Internet], Jerusalem)MA (Ma’ariv, Tel Aviv)MM (Mideast Mirror, London)NYT (New York Times, New York)OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Weekly

Briefing Notes, Jerusalem)PCHR (Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Gaza)PNN (Palestine News Network, Ramallah)REU (Reuters [Internet])VOI (Voice of Israel, Jerusalem)VOP (Voice of Palestine, Jericho)WNC (World News Connection [Internet], Washington)WP (Washington Post, Washington)WT (Washington Times, Washington)XIN (Xinhua–New China News Agency, Beijing)YA (Yedi’ot Aharonot, Tel Aviv)

that will destroy everything” if internationalfunding is not restored soon. (IMEMC 5/15;JP 5/16; PCHR 5/18)

Palestinians, some holding Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

flags, rally in Ramallah to protest Israel’s raid on the Jericho jail a day earlier, 15 March

2006. (Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images)


http://www.jstor.org/action/showImage?doi=10.1525/jps.2006.35.4.178&iName=master.img-000.jpg&w=328&h=220


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on behalf of the Stable URL - palestine-studies.org fileCHRONOLOGY 16 FEBRUARY–15 MAY 2006 COMPILED BY MICHELE K. ESPOSITO This section is part eighty-four of a chronology begun