This day in the History of the 2nd Intifada

December 21 2000

1 Palestinian killed. 1 Israeli killed.

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue. 1 Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. The IDF halts an ambulance carrying a wounded Palestinian to a hospital in Ramallah, forces the ambulance to drive to an IDF post where the soldiers arrested the wounded man, detained him for 2 hrs. before transporting him to a hospital inside Israel. (LAW 12/21; WP 12/22; LAW 1/30)

Israel, the PA begin direct negotiations at Bolling AFB. The PA team walks out of talks when Ben-Ami begins talking about Israel annexing 10% of the West Bank in a final agmt. whereas he had earlier said 5% but agrees to continue talks after conferring privately with Ross. This evening, Clinton phones Egypt's Mubarak to brief him on the talks. Mubarak, Arafat then speak by phone. (REU 12/21; HJ, MENA 12/21 in WNC 12/26; WP, WT, YA 12/22; WT 12/23; WT, YA 12/24)

1 Jewish settler is shot dead in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank.

December 21 2001

Hamas agrees in writing to suspend suicide bombings in Israel, mortar attacks on Israeli targets for the sake of Palestinian unity (see 12/19). Islamic Jihad also agrees to a temporary halt to suicide bombings. Meanwhile in Gaza, 100s of Palestinians attend the funeral for an Islamic Jihad mbr. killed on 12/20. As the funeral procession passes, the PSF headquarters in Jabaliya, masked Islamic Jihad mbrs. smash a police car, open fire on PSF officers, sparking a riot involving 1,000s of Palestinians and an exchange of gunfire that leave at least 6 Palestinians (all civilians) dead, more than 80 injured. Tonight, 60 of Gaza's local leaders hold an emergency mtg. to discuss arrangements to prevent further intra-Palestinian clashes. Following Friday prayers in Ramallah, reps. of all Palestinian factions, followed by 100s of Palestinians, stage a peaceful unity march on occupying IDF tanks, but the march turns violent when a few demonstrators throw stones at the tanks, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets on demonstrators, injuring 2. (AFP, HA 12/21; MA, VIRI 12/21, AYM 12/22, 12/24 in WNC 12/26; LAW, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 12/22; WP 12/23; NYT 12/24; SA 12/26 in WNC 12/27; AYM, SA 12/27 in WNC 12/28)

December 21 2002

3 Palestinians killed.

A 12-yr.-old Palestinian girl is killed by stray IDF gunfire on the way home fr. school in Rafah. The IDF shoots, wounds a 3d Palestinian who ventures too close to Kefar Darom settlement; fires on a Palestinian vehicle driving nr. Dayr al-Balah, injuring the driver. (NYT, WT 12/22; LAW, PCHR 12/25)

A PSF officer is shot, wounded by an Islamic Jihad mbr. when he stops the Jihad mbrs. car nr. Bayt Hanun, suspecting it was heading to the border to shoot a mortar into Israel.

December 21 2003

3 Palestinians killed.

The IDF conducts an overnight raid of Nablus, detaining regional Hamas spokesman Adnan Asfur; continues house-to-house searches in Balata r.c. for the 6th day, during which a 5-yr.-old Palestinian playing in his yard is killed by stray gunfire, a 53-yr.-old Palestinian dies fr. tear gas inhalation during a raid on his home; demolishes 7 Palestinian homes in Rafah, also firing on residential areas; begins implementing an order to raze 3,000 dunams of land in and around Tarqumiyya nr. Hebron for Jewish settlement infrastructure; bulldozes 14 dunams of land in Wadi al-Silqa nr. Dayr al-Balah. A Palestinian teen dies of injuries received on 12/16. 13 reservists of the IDF elite commando unit Sayaret Matkal sign an open letter to Sharon refusing to serve in the occupied territories, stating, “We have long ago crossed the line between fighting a just cause and oppressing another people.” (HA, REU 12/21; IDF Radio 12/21 in WNC 12/23; HA, MM, NYT, PM, PRCS, WP, WT 12/22; MM 12/23; PR 12/24; PCHR 12/25)

December 21 2004

The IDF seals Jericho for the day; closes the Gaza coastal and the Jenin–Nablus roads to Palestinian traffic; makes an incursion into Shaykh Ajlin neighborhood in Gaza City, shells residential areas, bulldozes 69 d. of agricultural land; fires on Brazil r.c.; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, and in Hebron, Nablus, and Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm. (JTA 12/21; VOP 12/21 in WNC 12/23; PCHR, WP 12/23)

A West Bank Palestinian sneaks across the Green Line, fatally stabs an Israeli woman outside her home in Moshav Nehusha, 1 mi inside Israel; no word on whether he is arrested or escapes. Palestinians fire an antitank missile at a Jewish settlement in Gaza, damaging a synagogue but causing no injuries.

December 21 2005

1 Palestinian killed.

Two IDF undercover units riding in vehicles with Palestinian plates raid Jenin, fatally shoot a Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades cmdr. Zayid Musa in an apparent assassination; open fire on Palestinians who gather to protest the killing, wounding 5; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Alar, Qalqilya and nr. Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah Israel warns that Israel may cut off Gaza's electricity supply if rocket attacks continue. (IMEMC 12/21; JAZ, NYT, PCHR 12/22, 12/29)

In Gaza, the principal and vice principal of the American International School (1 Australian, 1 Dutch) are kidnapped, held for 8 hrs., released unharmed by PFLP mbrs. seeking the release of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat, who has been jailed by the PA at Israel's request since 4/02.

December 21 2006

1 Palestinian killed.

The IDF patrols in Tulkarm town and r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. A Palestinian dies of injuries received when the Israeli navy fired on the Rafah coast on 12/13. (MM 12/22; NYT, WT 12/23; OCHA 12/27; PCHR 12/28)

Palestinians fire 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring a 2-yr.-old Israeli boy.

December 21 2007

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil`in (injuring 5) and al-Ma`sara (injuring 3). (NYT 12/22; OCHA 12/26; PCHR 12/27)

December 21 2008

An Israel helicopter hit eastern Gaza City with two air-to-ground missiles, wounding three Palestinian militants and one child, Palestinian security sources said. (AP, Xinhua)

The top candidates to become Israel's next prime minister, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Likud Party chief Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to topple Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The statements followed a cabinet meeting in which outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert cautioned against rushing into a large-scale ground operation in Gaza in response to escalating rocket fire by militants. The Israeli military still carried out air strikes against rocket launchers but military sources said the air force now had a green light to go after other Hamas targets as well. (Reuters)

Head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency Yuval Diskin warned Israel's Cabinet that Hamas now had rockets that could reach the larger city of Ashdod farther north on the Mediterranean coast and even the outskirts of Beersheba, 30 miles (50 km) to the east. (AP, Reuters)

Some 27 rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. One rocket hit a house in Sderot, scattering rubble and furniture inside. (DPA, Haaretz)

NEWS

Electronic Intifada:

Day 439: Questions and answers

19 Dec 2024 17:24

MEDIA ENCLOSURE: http://electronicintifada.net/sites/default/files/2024-12/day_439.mp3

Choose hope

19 Dec 2024 09:16

Easing Gaza's pain

17 Dec 2024 13:37

MEDIA ENCLOSURE: http://electronicintifada.net/sites/default/files/2024-12/day_432.mp3

MEDIA ENCLOSURE: http://electronicintifada.net/sites/default/files/2024-12/document_2_-_ares20248257631_attachment_redacted.pdf