Despite political attempts at peace, Israeli-Palestinian clashes
continue unabated, with the IDF continuing to fire live ammunition at
Palestinians, but causing no fatalities. 1 Palestinian dies of injuries
received earlier. In a joint operation, Shin Bet and IDF special
forces capture 8 Palestinians suspected in the killing of the IDF
reservists in Ramallah on 10/12. The PA says the 8 may have been taken in
area A, which would be the 1st incursion into area A since clashes began. In
Gaza, 2 roadside bombs explode as a convoy of Jewish settlers under IDF
escort pass, causing no injuries. In Gaza, the IDF clears 35 dunams of
woodland along the road to Erez checkpoint. (Abu Dhabi TV [Internet], ADM, BBC,
MM, PCHR, UPMRC press release 10/18; HA [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT, YA 10/19;
Globes [Internet] 10/25)
Israeli, PA, U.S. security officers meet to
discuss implementing Sharm agmts. Although Israeli officials for the 1st
time acknowledge that Arafat does not have "monolithic control" over
Palestinian protesters, Israel expects "total tranquility" by the afternoon of
10/20, is still working on plans for a unilateral separation fr. the
Palestinians. (REU 10/18; NYT, WP 10/19; HA [Internet] 10/20; MENL, NYT 10/22)
In implementation of the Sharm agmts., the PA releases
a statement, read on Palestinian TV, urging Palestinians to "refrain from
anything that would lead to tension or violence and to work to calm down the
situation." Barak orders IDF troops to do their utmost to avoid
causing casualties. By the end of the day, Israel lifts the internal closure on
areas A, pulls tanks back fr. Nablus, reopens border crossings with Egypt and
Jordan, and reopens the Gaza airport (see 10/7). Hamas reports that the
PA has rearrested all mbrs. released since 9/28, plus others. (MM, PCHR 10/18;
NYT, WP, WT 10/19; MEI 10/27)
Rallies protesting Israeli actions are held in Canada,
Italy, Portugal. In the U.S., similar demonstrations are
held in Providence, San Francisco. (Diario de Noticias 10/18 in WNC
10/19)
4 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
Israel cuts off all contact with the PA; gives Shin Bet,
the IDF the "green light" to step up assassinations. Some MKs say
Sharon should banish Arafat fr. the West Bank, Gaza.(HP, MM 10/18; MENA, XIN 10/18 in WNC 10/19; NYT, WP, WT
10/19; MM 10/23)
The IDF reoccupies areas A in Jinin, Nablus, and
Ramallah, sending in tanks and troops, shelling buildings, killing 3
Palestinians. In Bethlehem, 3 Palestinians, including Fatah
tanzim leader Atif Ubayyat, 1 of Israel's most wanted, are killed
when an explosion destroys their car. The deaths, which Palestinians claim were
an assassination, spark a serious gun battle around the city; (HP, MM, PMC
10/18; AP, HP, NYT, WP, WT 10/19; WP 10/20; PCHR 10/24)
The PA
arrests 3 PFLP leaders, but says it has not identified Ze'evi's
assassins, will not extradite them to Israel once it does. Israel says if
the killers are not extradited, it will treat the PA as a sponsor of terrorism.
(The State Dept. refuses to back Israel's extradition demand.) Sharon
declares that "Arafat has 7 days to impose absolute quiet in the
territories. If not, we will go to war against him. As far as I'm concerned, the
era of Arafat is over."
Palestinians in
Bayt Jala also fire a mortar at Gilo for the 1st time in 2 mos., causing no
damage. Palestinian gunmen fire on a group of Jewish settlers hiking in
the Jordan Valley, killing 1 Jewish settler, wounding 2.
1 Palestinian killed.
After a yr. of gunfire, stone-throwing, physical assaults, vandalism by local
Jewish settlers, 150 Palestinian residents of Yanun in the West
Bank evacuate their village, move to neighboring Aqraba, marking the 1st time
that harassment by settlers has forced out an entire village; Yanun's mayor says
he has protested settler violence to the Israeli authorities for 4 yrs. without
results. The IDF withdraws to the outskirts of Jenin; sends tanks,
bulldozers into Gaza City to demolish the Gaza harbor offices, a road linking
Gaza City to the central Gaza Strip; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis;
bulldozes 10 dunams of Palestinian land nr Aley Sinai settlement, 2.5 dunams in
Dayr al-Balah. Some 200 Jewish settlers return to Havat Gilad, which
the IDF has begun dismantling; troops to do not attempt to disperse them.
Jewish settlers uproot 92 olive trees in al-Khadir. (HA 10/18; AP, GS, HA,
NYT 10/19; NYT, PM 10/21; AYM 10/21 in WNC 10/23; MA 10/21 in WNC 10/25; LAW,
PCHR, PR 10/23; MEI, MM 10/25)
A Hamas mbr. detonates a roadside bomb, throws grenades at
an IDF post nr. Dugit settlement in Gaza, injuring 2 IDF soldiers before
being shot dead.
4 Palestinians killed.
The IDF continues its search for tunnels in Rafah (it has found only 3
since operations began on 10/10), demolishing another 9 Palestinian homes,
firing on Palestinians allegedly planting a roadside bomb, killing 2 Hamas
mbrs., 1 Palestinian bystander. The IDF also fires on
stone-throwing children in Tulkarm (killing a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy),
residential areas of Khan Yunis. The PSF says it has now arrested 10
Palestinians (4 PRC mbrs., 6 PFLP mbrs.) in connection with the
10/15 Erez bombing. (NYT, WP, WT 10/19; PR 10/22; PCHR 10/23)
5 Palestinians killed.
The IDF fatally shoots 5 Palestinians in incidents across the
Gaza Strip: 2 are killed attempting to cross the border fence into Israel, 2 are
killed while allegedly planting a roadside bomb, 1 is fatally shot nr. a Jewish
settlement. The IDF also shells residential areas of Khan Yunis,
seriously injuring a 3-yr.-old and 6-yr.-old in their beds; fires on residential
areas, stone-throwing Palestinians in Balata r.c., Bayt Furik; arrests 70
Palestinians harvesting olives nr. Bayt Jala; conducts arrest raids, house
searches in Bethlehem, Dura, al-Khadir, Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah, Silwad,
Tulkarm. A Palestinian dies of injuries received a wk. earlier in Rafah.
(REU 10/18; VOP 10/18 in WNC 10/20; BBC, WP
10/19; JAZ, VOI 10/19 in WNC 10/21; PR 10/20; PCHR 10/21)
At midday in Gaza City, PA preventive security officers, PA military
intelligence officers exchange gunfire, toss grenades at each other, leaving
1 preventive security officer seriously injured, 3 others lightly injured; later
in the day, the same group exchanges fire again, leaving 2 people injured;
Fatah, PA officials meet later to contain the crisis, the
reasons for which are unknown.
The IDF seriously injures a Palestinian woman in a hit-and-run nr.
Bayt Fajjar; bulldozes 24 d. of agricultural land, including 150 olive trees, in
`Azun `Atma; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c., Dahaysha r.c.,
Dura, Kharsa nr. Hebron; moves into and fires on residential areas of Bayt 'Awa
nr. Hebron, then fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops,
seriously wounding a 13-yr.-old boy, moderately wounding a 12-yr.-old boy;
conducts late-night patrols in Jenin, firing on residential areas. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh
set fire to 300 d. of Palestinian olive groves in nearby Salim. (HA, IMEMC,
PM, REU 10/18; WP, WT 10/19; PCHR 10/20)
Palestinians throw a pipe bomb at an Israeli border police patrol s. of
Jerusalem, lightly injuring 3 officers. A previously
unknown group calling itself Knights of the Storm (thought to be a Fatah
offshoot) claims to have kidnapped 2 Palestinian collaborators in Gaza City,
saying they took action when the PA security forces failed to do so.
2 Palestinians killed.
For the 1st time since disengagement was completed, IDF tanks, troops
reoccupy a section of Gaza’s Rafah border btwn. Kerem Shalom and the Rafah
crossing in search for smugglers tunnels, killing 2 Hamas gunmen, finding 5
tunnels during the day. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on
Qabatya, conducting major arrest raids and house searches, detaining 15
Palestinians (including children ages 7, 10, 12, 15), withdrawing in the
afternoon; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jenin. Under IDF protection,
Jewish settlers fr. Suissa raze and set up tents and a mobile home on 5 d. of
Palestinian land to expand the settlement, fire on Palestinian homes, damaging
3. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 10/19; PCHR 11/2)
In Gaza, the IDF conducts arrest
raids, house searches in Shuka, exchanging fire with local gunmen, wounding 1 armed Palestinian, 1 bystander. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Sarra
nr. Nablus, firing percussion grenades in residential areas, then firing rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians who confront them, causing no reported casualties; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem (confiscating 1 car, destroying 2) and Tulkarm (firing on residential
areas, seriously wounding an 8-yr.-old girl), and nr. Hebron, Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba barricade a road used by Palestinians nr. the
settlement. (NYT 10/19; OCHA 10/24; PCHR 10/25)
An ESF officer, 3 mbrs. of the Fatah-affiliated
Hillis clan are killed, 30 Palestinians are wounded in an armed clash in
Gaza City that erupts when ESF officers came to a house looking for clan
members believed to have opened fire on a traffic police checkpoint on 10/16, wounding 3 bystanders.