1 Palestinian killed. 1 Israeli killed.
The IDF undercover agents kidnap a Palestinian suspected of
training to be a suicide bomber. A Palestinian is reportedly
beaten to death in IDF custody nr. Tulkarm. A pregnant Palestinian
woman, denied passage through 3 IDF checkpoints to reach a hospital, gives
birth in her car. The PA releases a list of 60 Jewish settlers
wanted for planning attacks on Palestinians; says that if Israel does not arrest
them immediately, it will "deal with them as terrorists." (AFP [Internet], PMC
8/6; WT 8/7)
A Jewish settler is killed by
Palestinian gunfire nr. Tapuach settlement.
The PC announces formation of a subcomm. to draw plans for forming a
unity government with opposition nationalist and Islamist groups. (AYM
8/6 in WNC 8/13; AYM 8/8 in WNC 8/10; JT 8/8, SA 8/10 in WNC 8/13; WT 8/9; AKH
8/10 in WNC 8/14) (see Peace Monitor)
2 Palestinians killed.
The IDF assassinates wanted AMB mbrs. Ali Ajuri
(who allegedly plotted the 7/17 Tel Aviv bombing, reportedly is the leader of
al-Nathir) and Murad Marshud, firing air-to-surface missile at them
in Jenin. Israel orders Ajuri's brother, sister deported to Gaza for sheltering
him. The IDF also captures an armed Egyptian infiltrator, who
crossed the border into Israel nr. Elat; imposes a curfew on al-Qarara, orders
all men over age 15 to surrender for questioning, conducts house-to-house
searches, bulldozes 3 dunams of agricultural land. (AP, HA, LAW, MM 8/6; LAW,
NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 8/7) (see 7/19)
Throwing out appeals by 49 Palestinian families,
Israel's High Court upholds the IDF's right to demolish homes of
Palestinians accused of "terrorist" attacks without giving family mbrs. warning.
Currently, 107 homes that housed suicide bombers are slated for demolition, plus
100s of other homes belonging to other "suspected terrorists." (HA, MM, NYT, WP
8/7; al-Quds 8/7 in WNC 8/12)
Israel releases 335 Palestinian prisoners (see 8/4). The IDF
makes a rare raid on Jericho, imposing a 5-hr. curfew, arresting 15 mbrs. of
the Palestinian security services for allegedly plotting an attack. In Nazareth, Israeli Jewish youths throw
stones at Israeli Arab vehicles, damaging 6 cars, lightly injuring 1
woman. (BBC, HA, MM, NYT 8/6; HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 8/7)
Palestinians toss a grenade at Neve Dekalim settlement in Gaza,
causing no damage or injuries.
3 Palestinians killed.
The IDF reopens the Rafah checkpoint where some 2,500
Palestinians have been stranded on the Egyptian border since 7/18; some 1,400
enter today; it is expected to take 2 more days for all 2,500 to cross. The
IDF also fatally shoots an Islamic Jihad mbr. attempting to lay a
roadside bomb outside a Gaza settlement; fatally shoots wanted Hamas mbr.
Muhammad Balasma nr. Nablus in what may be an assassination; fatally shoots
a Palestinian teenager nr. the Qarni crossing into Israel; fires on
residential areas of Rafah; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Dahaysha
r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Hebron, several
villages around Jenin. (BBC, MM 8/6; VOI, VOP 8/6, YA 8/7 in WNC 8/10; NYT, WP,
WT 8/7; NYT 8/8; PR 8/11; PCHR 8/12)
The IDF makes a predawn raid on Mughraqa in s. Gaza, sending in troops
backed by more than 20 armored vehicles to search houses; raids al-Quds
University campus in East Jerusalem, arresting Palestine National Council
mbr. Ali Abu Hilal, dir. of the university's Center for Democracy and Human
Rights; imposes a curfew on `Azun nr. Qalqilya; fires on residential areas of
Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and al-Ram
nr. East Jerusalem, nr. Nablus; patrols in Araba nr. Jenin, Ubaydiyya nr.
Bethlehem, Tulkarm town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing youths, wounding 1),
Za`tara nr. Bethlehem; fires on unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into
Israel w. of Hebron to find work, wounding 2. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah
severely beat a 16-yr.-old Palestinian in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr.
Kiryat Arba severely beat a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy in Hebron. A Jewish
settler driving nr. Hebron chases, fires on a carload of Palestinian workers
returning fr. their jobs in Israel, seriously wounding 1, lightly wounding a 2d.
In Jerusalem, 20 Jewish settlers try to force their way into the al-Aqsa
Mosque but are barred by Palestinian guards. (HA, REU, XIN 8/6; REU
8/8; OCHA, PR 8/10; PCHR 8/11)
The AMB, DFLP fire
mortars at the IDF post at Erez crossing, causing no injuries. The Fatah
offshoot Abu Rish Brigades fires a rocket at Neve Dekalim, causing
no damage or injuries. Palestinians fire on an IDF patrol nr.
Tulkarm r.c., causing no injuries but prompting troops to enter the camp, return
fire, injuring 1 Palestinian bystander. PA judges go on strike and
demonstrate outside the main court headquarters in Gaza. PA High Court chief
justice Surani (whose home was attacked on 8/2) resigns to protest
inadequate security (he retracts the resignation on 8/8).
2 Palestinians killed.
Overnight, the IDF pulls troops out of Rafah and al-Shuka and back into the
Dahaniyya airport, ending a 3-day offensive; troops go back into al-Shuka
briefly during the day to surround, evacuate, blow up a Palestinian home, also
bulldozing 20 d. of surrounding agricultural land. Late in the evening, the IDF
makes an air strike destroying a Palestinian home nr. Bayt Lahiya, damaging 2
others after warning residents by phone to evacuate. In the West Bank, the IDF
sends troops into Silat al-Harithiyya nr. Jenin, occupies a house as a sniper
post, shoots and assassinates wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. Sami al-‘Imari; arrests,
searches the Ramallah home of Change and Reform PC mbr. Fadl Hamdan; conducts
arrest raids, house searches and fires on residential areas of Shayukh nr.
Hebron in a raid targeting the AMB; searches vehicles, an Internet caf´e in
Hebron; issues military orders confiscating 10s of d. of agricultural land
southwest of Hebron for construction of the separation wall. Jewish settlers
driving nr. Nablus open fire at a Palestinian truck driving ahead of them,
killing a 48-yr.-old Palestinian, wounding his son. Unidentified gunmen ambush
the car of the PA military intelligence head for n. Gaza as it drives through
Jabaliya, wounding him, 2 passengers. (OCHA 8/9; PCHR 8/10)
The IDF intensifies air strikes across Lebanon, hitting targets in s. Beirut,
Ansar, al-Jibbayn, Nabatiyya, Naqura, Qana, Tyre (striking within 40 yards of a
UN humanitarian aid convoy traveling with prior coordination with the IDF,
hitting a car traveling in the opposite direction), killing 10s of Lebanese
civilians, several Lebanese soldiers, 1 PFLP-GC mbr. Ground operations continue
across s. Lebanon, with Hizballah claiming to disable 4 tanks (in Adassiyya, Ras
al-Biyada, Wadi Hunin), acknowledging the death of 3 Hizballah mbrs. The IDF
says that it has taken prisoner 22-yr.-old Hizballah mbr. Hasan Ali Sulayman,
who has allegedly admitted under interrogation to involvement in the 7/12
capture of 2 IDF soldiers. Hizballah fires around 160 rockets into n. Israel,
killing 3 Israeli civilians (1 an Israeli Palestinian) in Haifa, and killing 12
IDF reservists, wounding 5 in Kfar Giladi on the border with Lebanon. (REU 8/6;
NYT, WP, WT 8/7; IFM 8/8; PCHR 8/10)
2 Palestinians killed.
For unclear reasons, IDF troops at the Erez crossing fire on ESF troops manning the Palestinian side,
killing 1 ESF officer, wounding a baggage porter. An IDF helicopter fires a missile
at a suspected rocket launching site nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no injuries. In
the West Bank, the IDF bars an ailing 75-yr.-old Palestinian woman
living in a village btwn. the Green Line and the separation wall fr.
crossing a checkpoint at the wall to reach a Jenin hospital, allowing her to die; conducts arrest raids, house searches
nr. Tulkarm. In ongoing settler
violence in Hebron (see 8/5), Jewish settlers attack and vandalize
Palestinian property in the central market area, set fire to the al-Kayal
Mosque, burn a business and 2 Palestinian homes; the IDF observes but
does not intervene. Later in the day, Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba
attack, vandalize several Palestinian homes in Hebron. Jewish settler
security guard is injured when his car hits a roadside bomb on the
settlers-only road to Elon Moreh settlement nr. Nablus. (OCHA 8/8; PCHR 8/9)
Israeli police arrested 23 demonstrators outside the home of IDF Col. Aviv Reshef, the military commander in Bi'lin, near Ramallah, during a protest against the killings of two young Palestinians in the village. (Ma'an News Agency)
Israeli troops arrested seven Palestinians, including a municipal council member, in Nablus, witnesses and local sources said. (Ma'an News Agency)
Speaking at a conference of Kadima party activists ahead of the scheduled party primary, frontrunner Shaul Mofaz, Israel's Transportation Minister, said he pledged to "keep Jerusalem united as Israel's eternal capital." (Haaretz)
Israel freed two West Bank Hamas officials imprisoned over a year ago: Adli Yaish, Mayor of Nablus and former Minister of Local Government in the Hamas-led Cabinet, and Issa al-Ja'abari. (Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, Ma'an News Agency, Reuters)
Israel freed five Palestinian prisoners as part of a prisoner exchange with Hezbollah, the Prisons Administration said. The prisoners, all minors, were released from Hasharon prison in the West Bank, where they had been jailed for throwing rocks or firebombs; they were due to be released by the end of next year. (AFP)
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak ordered the demolition of the East Jerusalem home of the Palestinian who had killed eight Jewish religious students at a yeshiva in Jerusalem. (AFP)
Prime Minister Olmert met with PA President Abbas at Mr. Olmert's official residence in Jerusalem. The meeting was attended by the negotiating teams. Palestinian officials said the two leaders were expected to discuss the political crisis in Israel and its impact on the peace talks. (AP, Ma'an News Agency, Xinhua)
"Hamas will not open the file of the prisoner swap until the occupation literally commits itself to what was agreed upon in the lull deal," said Osama al-Muzini, a Hamas official who follows up the case of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (Xinhua)
A 26-year-old Palestinian woman tried to stab security personnel at a checkpoint in southern Jerusalem, Israel's Army Radio reported. She was overpowered, arrested, and taken for interrogation. (The Jerusalem Post)