4 Israelis killed.
The IDF detains 15
Palestinians for questioning after Bethlehem killings. YESHA settlers council says the proper
response is to accelerate settlement construction, declare Arafat an enemy of
the state, bring down the PA. The IDF makes 4 incursions into
PA-controlled territory: sending bulldozers covered by tanks into Rafah to
demolish a Palestinian home, shell a PSF post; bulldozing
Palestinian land nr. Gaza City; twice entering Bayt Hanun to bulldoze land, a
PSF post. (AP, MM 5/9; MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/10; LAW, MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/11; WJW
5/17; MEI 5/18)
For the 1st time in 3 yrs., the Israeli government demolishes 2
bedouin homes in the Negev. (Mossawa Center press release 5/17) (see 4/26)
As Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, 2 Jewish settler teenagers
(1 of whom is a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen) are found beaten to death in a cave
nr. Bethlehem; the pair have been missing since 5/8. Sharon calls the
murders a "new escalation," blames the PA. Hamas claims responsibility for a roadside bomb on the
Egypt-Gaza border that kills 2 Rumanian migrant laborers, wounds 1.
Palestinians fire 2 mortars at Nisanit settlement in Gaza, causing no
damage.
The IDF begins masses troops on the
border of Gaza in preparation for a major operation in retaliation for the 5/7
attack, calls up army reserves. The IDF conducts an arrest raid in the
Palestinian sector of Hebron. (AP, HA, MM, NYT, WP 5/9; AFP, ANSA, AYM, JT 5/9
in WNC 5/10; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/10; MA 5/10 in WNC 5/13)
Overnight, the PSF arrests some 16 Hamas mbrs. in connection
with the 5/7 Rishon Letzion bombing.
The IDF demolishes 10 Palestinian homes, bulldozes 4 dunams of
land and large trees in Dayr al-Balah, nr. the Kefar Darom site of the 5/8
suicide attack on an IDF tank; bulldozes 49 dunams of land e. of Bayt Hanun, 15
dunams s. of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, Hebron, Yanun. The
IDF also raids the ISM offices in Bayt Sahur, surrounding the
building with 22 vehicles, detaining 3 ISM mbrs. (2 foreign, 1 Palestinian),
confiscating computers and other equipment. Israel says that information that
2 British suicide bombers attended a memorial service for ISM mbr. Corrie
before staging their 4/29 attack raises concerns that “terrorists” could enter
Israel posing as ISM volunteers. Israel announces that henceforth all
foreign nationals entering Gaza must sign a waiver exempting Israel from any
responsibility should they be killed or injured, promising that they will not
disrupt military activities. (AFP, HA 5/9; VOI 5/9 in WNC 5/12; HA, NYT, WT 5/10; PCHR 5/15) (see 5/3)
Hamas fires 6 Qassam rockets at
Sederot, lightly injuring 2 Israelis. Palestinians also fire 2
mortars at Gush Katif settlement, causing no damage or injuries.
3 Palestinians killed.
The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who strays too close to the separation wall nr. Abu
Dis; conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, Qabatya. (VOI 5/9 in WNC
5/11; AP, MM, NYT 5/10; VOP 5/10 in WNC 5/12; PR 5/12; PCHR 5/13)
Sharon tells his cabinet that he plans to present a revised unilateral
disengagement plan in about 3 wks. The announcement divides the cabinet, with
some mbrs. threatening to quit if Sharon does not go through with his original
plan, others vowing to quit if he does. (HA, VOI, YA 5/9 in WNC 5/11; NYT, WP
5/10; MM 5/11)
In Gaza, 2 Islamic Jihad gunmen open fire on Jewish settlers holding a
memorial service at the roadside site nr. Khan Yunis where 5 Jewish settlers
were killed on 5/2, causing no injuries; IDF troops return fire, killing
both men, and then demolish 11 Palestinian homes, bulldoze 22 dunams of
land that allegedly provided cover for the gunmen. Palestinians fire a
Qassam rocket at the Negev, causing no damage or injuries.
The IDF conducts
arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Ramallah; issues a military order
confiscating Palestinian land s. of Hebron for construction of a settler bypass
road. 6 Jewish settlers destroy an electricity tower serving Palestinians
in al-Mawasi, throw stones at nearby Palestinian homes.
In an independence day interview, Sharon officially delays
disengagement by 3 wks. (to around 8/15), hinting that if Hamas were to
win Palestinian legislative elections in 7/05 and take control of the PA,
disengagement could be canceled. (XIN 5/9 in WNC 5/10; BBC, MM, NYT, WP, WT
5/10; PR 5/11; MEI 5/13)
1,000s of Israeli Palestinians gather at al-Aqsa Mosque in response to
threat by Revava to raid the compound, perform prayers there. Some
2,000 Israeli police and border guards close off the streets to the compound
to bar Jews fr. entering and to regulate Palestinian access more closely. Revava
mbrs. are successfully prevented fr. reaching the compound; a few incidents are
reported of Palestinians throwing stones and the Israeli police firing tear gas
and stun grenades, leaving 7 Palestinians injured. In Jenin, the PA
police exchange gunfire with local AMB leader Abu Araj, his men for a
2d day over Abu Araj's refusal to disarm before entering the local courthouse;
no injuries are reported; senior-level PA-AMB mtgs. are held to defuse tensions.
In Tulkarm, armed Palestinians fire on the PA police headquarters
after police announce plans to crack down on a car theft and arms dealing gang.
(JAZ 5/9; NYT 5/10; PCHR 5/12)
The IDF continues to shell n. Gaza, wounding 2 Palestinian children in Bayt
Lahiya; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and nr.
Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, Tulkarm; detains a British aid worker
for Islamic Relief charity at a checkpoint btwn. Jerusalem and Ramallah, holds
him in military detention without charge (still in custody as of 5/15). (NYT, WP, WT 5/10; PCHR 5/11;
Guardian 5/19; IFM 5/29)
Despite
appeals for calm by their leaderships, Fatah, Hamas gunmen clash for a 2d day,
this time in Gaza City, leaving 9 Palestinians (including 5 school children)
injured. Later, Hamas mbrs. attack the funeral procession of 1 of the Fatah
mbrs. killed on 5/8, detonating 2 explosive devices and exchanging gunfire with
Fatah mbrs., leaving 3 Palestinians wounded.
The IDF fires on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the Gaza border fence nr.
Qarni crossing, wounding 2 (including a 92-yr.old man); sends troops, dogs into
Shuka village nr. Rafah to conduct late-night arrest raids, house searches;
sends a bulldozer, tank into Gaza to level land along the border fence nr. Bayt
Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes the home of a wanted Palestinian
nr. Bethlehem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Qabatya,
Tulkarm and nr. Hebron, Jenin; issues a military order confiscating 369 d. of
land nr. Qalqilya, 338 d. of Palestinian land nr. Tubas for “security purposes.”
(NYT, PCHR, PLONAD, WP, WT 5/10; AHR 5/14; OCHA 5/16; PCHR 5/17)
6 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
In a
mysterious incident northeast of Jerusalem, Ofra settlement guards fire
on 2 Palestinians whom they claim approached the settlement fence carrying a
hunting rifle, killing 1 Palestinian and detaining the other, turning
him over to the IDF, which quickly seals the area; later, the AMB
claims responsibility for an attack on Ofra, but says the man killed was an
innocent bystander and that its mbrs. escaped unharmed. Also in the West Bank,
the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas
at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly
nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil`in (10s
suffer tear gas inhalation) and beat demonstrators at a similar protest
al-Masa’ra (lightly injuring 3). (WP 5/10; NYT 5/11; PCHR 5/15)
Hizballah and
its allies take control of streets in west Beirut, attacking and shutting down
media outlets owned by Saad Hariri’s Future Movement, as the army steps
aside, saying soldiers will keep peace but not take sides. Hizballah also takes
over several government offices, but immediately turns them over to army. Clashes
abate somewhat after Hariri orders his forces not to fight. (BBC 5/9;
NYT, WP, WT 5/10; Los Angeles Times 5/12; NYT 5/18)
Hamas mbrs.
fire 4 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, killing 1 Israeli civilian,
wounding 3, in what may be the 1st fatal Palestinian mortar strike. The IDF
retaliates with air strikes on Gaza Interior Min. security offices in Rafah
(killing 2 Hamas-affiliated security officers, wounding 5 civilians) and
a naval police post on the s. Gaza shore (killing 3 policemen).