Lebanese residents of Hula on the border with Israel
report that the IDF has violated the blue line, confiscating 4,000 m2
of land to build a road. (RL 9/6 in WNC 9/7)
On the sidelines of the UN summit in New York, Clinton
meets separately with Barak, then Arafat to discuss ways of
advancing the peace talks. The leaders propose various ideas for moving beyond
the Jerusalem issue but agree on none. (MM 9/6; HJ 9/6 in WNC 9/7; MM, NYT, WJW,
WP, WT 9/7; al-Quds 9/7 in WNC 9/8; CSM, MM, WP 9/8; Arab News
[Jeddah] 9/11 in WNC 9/14; NYT 9/12; WJW 9/14; MEI 9/15) (see Peace Monitor)
2 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
The IDF makes a failed attempt to assassinate senior Fatah
tanzim mbr. Ra'id Karmi, firing missiles at his car as he, 3 tanzim
mbrs. drive through Tulkarm; Karmi (wanted for kidnapping, killing 2 Israelis in
Tulkarm on 1/23) is injured, 2 tanzim mbrs. are killed, 1
Palestinian bystander is seriously wounded. In response, other tanzim
mbrs. fire on an IDF patrol nr. Tulkarm, killing 1 soldier,
wounding 1. In Hebron, a group of Jewish settler children (ages 5+n12)
hit, throw stones at 2 foreign aid workers; the IDF refuses to
apprehend the children. (Christian Peace Team press release 9/6; LAW 9/6; HA,
HP, WP 9/7; LAW 9/20)
Peres announces that he, Arafat plan to hold the 1st of 3 mtgs. on
implementing a cease-fire next wk., but that the exact time and location have
not been agreed. (AFP, REU 9/7)
2 Palestinians killed.
Before dawn, IDF helicopters rocket, destroy a Khan Yunis foundry
believed to be a bomb-making factory. The IDF raids Jenin town, fatally
shooting 2 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Lahia. (NYT, WP
9/6; NYT, WP, WT 9/7; LAW, PCHR 9/11)
An IDF investigation finds that soldiers acted appropriately in 3
recent attacks that killed 12 Palestinians: the 8/28 shelling of a bedouin
family, the 8/31 Daraghma assassination, the shooting of 4 Palestinian laborers
on 9/1. The IDF says soldiers adhered properly to open-fire regulations, but
refuses to explain the regulations. (NYT, WP 9/7; MEI 9/13) (see 9/1)
2 Palestinians killed.
An IDF warplane drops a 550-lb bomb on a Gaza City building in an
attempt to assassinate Hamas founder and spiritual leader Shaykh Ahmad Yasin,
several senior Hamas leaders meeting there, destroying the top floor of the
3-story building, lightly injuring Yasin, 14 others. Following the attack, the
IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement across the West Bank.
The IDF also fatally shoots a Palestinian teenager suspected of
attempting to infiltrate Israel nr. Jabaliya, initially wounding him in the leg,
then denies access to an ambulance for 19 hrs., allowing him to bleed to death;
fires on stone-throwing Palestinian children in Bayt Furik (wounding 2, ages 9,
10), Nablus (wounding 4); also fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah;
conducts arrest raids in Asira, Bayt Furik, Rafah. Wanted Hamas mbr. Massud
dies of injuries received in an IDF assassination attempt on 8/26. (AFP 9/6; HA,
NYT, WP, WT 9/7; IDF Radio, IRNA, MA, MENA, NHR, al-Quds, SA, VOI 9/7 in
WNC 9/9; DUS, al-Quds 9/7, AN 9/8 in WNC 9/10; MM 9/8; QA, SFR 9/9 in WNC
9/12; PCHR 9/11; MEI 9/12)
With no PC vote of confidence forthcoming, Abbas resigns as PM,
citing no way of reaching a workable security arrangement with Arafat,
lack of support fr. the U.S., ongoing militarism and little diplomatic
effort by Israel. (NYT 9/6; MENA, al-Quds, XIN 9/6, JP, JT, MA,
MENA, XIN, YA 9/7 in WNC 9/9; HA, NYT, WP, WT 9/7; AN, DUS, al-Ra’i, 9/7,
AN, AYM, ITAR-TASS, SA 9/8 in WNC 9/10; AYM 9/7, 9/9 in WNC 9/11; MM 9/9; Le
Monde 9/9 in WNC 9/12; MM 9/10)
The IDF blows up a Palestinian home in Dahaysha r.c.; bulldozes
1 Palestinian home, 5 d., 2 wells, a bird farm in Umm al-Qurrais nr.
Rafah; fires on residential areas of Bayta, Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house
searches in Tulkarm and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Qalqilya. (VOI 9/6 in WNC
9/8; PCHR 9/9)
1 Palestinian killed.
Israeli DM Shaul Mofaz orders IDF cmdrs. to carry out stringent
roadblock checks, demanding that troops "show no pity for anyone, even if it
causes traffic hold ups and anger". In Gaza, the IDF fires on a group of
at least 60 stone-throwing Palestinians that attempts to enter the vacated Neve
Dekalim site, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 3. In the
West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tubas nr. Jenin; imposes a brief curfew on,
raids and searches homes in Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids,
house searches nr. Hebron; bulldozes 3 d. of Palestinian land at the entrance of
Bayt Wazzan nr. Nablus for construction of an IDF checkpoint. (HA, YA 9/6; WP
9/7; NYT, PCHR, WT 9/8)
Palestinians in
Gaza fire 2 rockets at the Negev, causing no damage or injuries.
In Gaza, the IDF continues operations in Khuza‘a, wounding 8 Palestinians
(including at least 4 civilians), bulldozing areas of agricultural land. In the
West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units in a car with Palestinian license
plates into Jenin to assassinate Islamic Jihad cmdr. Mujahid al- Sabi‘, also
firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 1; raids Kafr Dan,
firing on residential areas, wounding 1 Palestinian; conducts arrest raids,
house searches in Askar r.c. and nr. Bethlehem, Jenin, Tulkarm. (PCHR, WP 9/7;
PCHR 9/14)
Israel announces that, in a deal brokered by the UN, it will remove its air
and naval blockade on Lebanon as of 6:00 P.M. local time on 9/7 as British,
French, German, Greek, Italian forces take over naval patrols and assist the
Lebanese army in border patrol, but says it will reserve the right to attack any
smugglers it detects crossing the Syrian border. (IFM 9/6; NYT, WP, WT 9/7)
10 Palestinians killed.
Overnight in Gaza, the IDF sends
troops and tanks, supported by helicopters, into areas around Khan Yunis and
al-Qarara, searching and occupying homes, temporarily detaining 150
Palestinians, bulldozing 66 d. of agricultural land, clashing with and shelling
local gunmen, killing 4 armed AMB and Hamas mbrs.; troops withdraw in
the afternoon. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm, in Jenin (firing on residential areas and stone-throwing youths
who confront them, wounding 3 children ages 10–13). (BBC 9/6; NYT, WP, WT 9/7; OCHA 9/12; PCHR 9/13)
Overnight, the IDF sends at least 5
war planes over Turkey and into n. Syria to make an air strike on
an industrial building under construction in an open area nr. the Euphrates river, causing no injuries. Syria responds with antiaircraft fire, causing no damage. Syria denounces Israel’s actions and says it is measuring its response, while Israeli PM Ehud Olmert’s office imposes a news blackout. By late in the day, Israel, Syria issue statements declaring that neither side intends to be drawn
into a war. (BBC, REU 9/6; NYT, WP 9/7; WT 9/8; WP 9/13; NYT 9/18; HA 11/22) (see Quarterly Update)
In central Gaza, 6 Islamic Jihad mbrs. attempt to
break through the border fence to attack an IDF post inside Israel but are shot dead by IDF soldiers.
Some 30,000 Hamas supporters rally in Gaza City in support of ousted PA PM Ismail Haniyeh. ESF officers raid al-Hadath press office in al-Bureij r.c., confiscating documents, computers.
At a two-day informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) held in Avignon, France, which opened the previous day, "the ministers evoked the reinforcement of the European Union's commitment to the peace process in the Middle East, particularly in the context of the meeting of the Quartet that would be held in parallel with the United Nations General Assembly. They agreed on the necessity for the European Union to play an active role in the coming months to support the dynamic created by the Annapolis process." (www.ue2008.fr)