12 Palestinians killed. 6 Israelis killed.
After dark, Israel sends F-16s to drop 1,100-lb.
bombs on PA security targets in Gaza City, Nablus, Ramallah, and Tulkarm,
killing 12 Palestinians, wounding 90--marking Israel's 1st use of
warplanes against the Palestinian areas since the 1967 war. (Sharon makes
the decision to use F-16s in a mtg. with FM Shimon Peres and DM
Benjamin Ben-Eliezer; he has not met with his security cabinet in 3 wks.)
Britain, European Union (EU), Russia, the UN, the
U.S. condemn the sharp escalation; urge PA, Israeli leaders to bring
violence to a halt. (AP, BBC, HA, JP [Internet], MM, REU 5/18; AFP, Interfax
5/18, al-Quds 5/19, JT, MA, RMC 5/20 in WNC 5/21; LAW, PCHR, NYT, WP, WT
5/19; QA 5/19, El Pais (Madrid) 5/22 in WNC 5/23; HP, NYT, WT 5/20;
al-Ra'i 5/20, MA 5/21 in WNC 5/22; MM 5/21 PCHR 5/24; LAW 5/25; MEI 6/1)
The UN Security Council (UNSC) accepts UN Secy.-Gen. Kofi Annan's
5/2 proposal for a staged reduction of UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
troops. (UN press release 5/18) (see Peace Monitor in JPS 120)
In Netanya, Israel, a Hamas suicide bomber kills 5 Israelis,
injures 110. An
IDF officer is also killed when his car is ambushed in the West Bank.
1 Palestinian killed.
Nr. Hebron, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian doctor at a
checkpoint; Jewish settlers destroy a Palestinian garden, vineyard,
orchard. (LAW 5/22; MEI 5/31)
3 Palestinians killed. 7 Israelis killed.
The IDF expels Mahmud al-Safuri, brother of detained Islamic Jihad military cmdr. Haj
`Ali al-Safuri, fr. Jenin to Gaza for 2 yrs. for allegedly aiding his
brother in staging attacks; this is the first such forced transfer since 9/4/02 . The IDF also seals the West
Bank, places closures on most villages, cities; continues operations in Bayt
Hanun, fatally shooting 1 Palestinian, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes,
bulldozing more land, tightening the closure; fatally shoots a 2d Palestinian
in Khan Yunis; chases, fires on a group of laborers on their way to work in
Israel, causing 1 Palestinian to suffer a fatal heart attack; bulldozes
120 dunams of land in Abasan; demolishes 10 Palestinian homes in Rafah
r.c.. Sharon convenes a cabinet mtg. to discuss responses,
overrules calls to expel PA head Yasir Arafat. (WT 5/18; ITAR-TASS 5/18
in WNC 5/19; HA, MM, NYT, WP 5/19; MM, PCHR 5/20; HA, MM, PR 5/21; LAW, PCHR
5/22; HA 5/23; al-Haq 5/24; NYT 6/13)
In light of the Jerusalem bombing, Sharon postpones plans to leave for
Washington today to meet with Pres. George W. Bush regarding
implementation of the road map; convenes his security cabinet to
discuss retaliation. (NYT, WP, WT 5/19; VOI 5/20 in WNC 5/21)
A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device on a bus outside French Hill
settlement in East Jerusalem, killing 6 Jewish settlers, 1 West Bank
Palestinian laborer, wounding 12 settlers; as rescue workers arrive at the
scene, a 2d Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device in the area, killing
only himself. (Reports indicate that the 2 bombers today and the 1 yesterday
were friends fr. Hebron, possibly mbrs. of the same soccer team.) Palestinian gunmen
fatally shoot an alleged collaborator in Nablus.
24 Palestinians killed.
In the pre-dawn hours, the IDF imposes a 24-hr. curfew, begins
house-to-house searches in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah bordering the
Philadelphi Route, occupies some buildings as observation posts; begins digging
a trench to separate a section of Rafah r.c. fr. the rest of the camp,
demolishing at least 3 Palestinian homes, cutting water and electricity
supplies. Around daybreak, the IDF begins bulldozing operations, launches
3 missile strikes inside Rafah: the 1st killing 3 Hamas mbrs., wounding 5
gunmen and bystanders; the 2d killing 1 Hamas mbr. laying a roadside bomb
nr. a mosque where Palestinians are leaving dawn prayers, also killing 5
bystanders, wounding several others, starting a fire that severely
damages the mosque; the 3d hitting a residential area, killing 7 Palestinians
(many in their homes), wounding at least 16. The IDF reports killing at
least 3 more Palestinians, demolishing at least another 9 Palestinian
homes during the day. A 20th Palestinian reportedly dies when
explosives he is handling detonate. At least 2 ambulances are
deliberately targeted by IDF snipers. The IDF also fires on residential
areas of Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF ambushes, assassinates
wanted al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Muhammad Obeid as he drives nr.
Sanur nr. Jenin, also wounding his passenger; raids Jenin r.c., fatally shoots
wanted AMB mbr. Ahmad Judah in an apparent assassination, wounding a 2d
Palestinian; fatally shoots an AMB mbr., a Palestinian gunman in
separate incidents in Nablus; conducts arrest raids targeting Hamas in
Tulkarm; orders the confiscation of 380 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem
for construction of the separation wall. A Palestinian dies of
injuries received in 4/04. (BBC, HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, PRCS, PM, WP 5/18;
ITAR-TASS, ITV, MENA, PSCT, VOI, VOP, XIN 5/18 in WNC 5/20; HA, NYT, PR, WP, WT
5/19; PCHR 5/20; NYT 5/21; PR 5/26)
2 Palestinians killed.
In the sharpest escalation of violence since the 2/8 truce, the IDF
fatally shoots a Hamas mbr. nr. the Rafah border after he fires on an IDF
position. In response, Hamas fires some 20 mortars at Jewish
settlements in s. Gaza, causing light damage. Palestinian Authority (PA)
police dispatched to halt the fire are shot at by Palestinian gunmen (Hamas
says it is not involved), stoned by bystanders. The IDF, blaming the PA
for failing to take adequate steps, then launches an air strike against the
Hamas mbrs. targeting the settlement, killing 1 Hamas mbr., wounding 1.
Hamas mortar fire continues during the day, lightly wounding 1 settler. The
IDF also patrols in Nablus, fires on residential areas; conducts arrest
raids, house searches in Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Efrat uproot
olive and almond trees, bulldoze Palestinian land nr. al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem to
widen a settler bypass road. (JAZ 5/18; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/19;
IMEMC, JAZ 5/20; OCHA 5/25; PCHR 5/26)
In Fara' r.c., 3 armed, masked Palestinians
raid an UNRWA clinic, order a doctor to leave permanently, harass the staff,
then raid an UNRWA girls' school, threaten the principal, demand that a teacher
be fired; no group claims responsibility; UNRWA protests to the PA, criticizing
the PA's failure to protect UN institutions.
The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, Jenin,
Nablus, and Tulkarm, firing on residential areas. (HA, MM, XIN
5/18; MM 5/19; HJ 5/20 in WNC 5/21; PCHR 5/25)
Palestinians fire 6 rockets
fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Unidentified Palestinians
fire on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Tapuach settlement, injuring 2 Jewish
settlers. In Tulkarm, Fatah gunmen surround a building where PA Dep. PM Nasir
al-Sha‘ir (Change and Reform) is meeting with the Tulkarm governor, forcing the
mtg. to end, and Sha’ir to leave under police escort. Some 2,000 Fatah mbrs.
parade through Gaza City in a show of force in reaction to the deployment of the
Interior Min.’s predominantly Hamas ESF. The National and Islamic Higher Comm.
for the Follow-up of the Intifada (NIHC) sponsors a rally in Gaza calling for
the immediate dissolution of the new ESF, activation of the PA security forces
to prevent lawlessness, and holding of national unity talks. Late in the
evening, Hamas, Fatah gunmen exchange fire outside the Palestinian Council (PC)
building in Gaza City, leaving 2 Fatah mbrs., 1 Hamas mbr. wounded.
2 Palestinians killed.
In Gaza, the IDF assassinates
IQB mbrs. Ra’ed Habib and Munir al-Jamal in an air strike on
their car in Gaza City, wounding 6 bystanders; makes 5 other air strikes on Hamas
and ESF targets in Bayt Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, wounding 10 bystanders, destroying 2 alleged
weapons factories, damaging several homes. In
retaliation, Hamas fires 17 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, injuring 2 Israelis in Sederot. The Israeli
navy fires on Palestinian
fishermen off the Gaza City coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires
on residential areas of Kafr Dan nr. Jenin, wounding 3 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around
Nablus and
neighboring Balata r.c.; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and
international activists holding a
weekly nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Bil`in nr.
Ramallah, injuring 2. Jewish settlers scuffle with Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists
demonstrating against the wall in Bani Na`im nr. Hebron; the IDF intervenes, detaining 5 activists. (AP, WP 5/18; NYT, WP, WT 5/19; PCHR 5/21; OCHA
5/23; PCHR 5/24)
Meanwhile,
Fatah-Hamas
fighting in Gaza continues, leaving 4 Palestinians dead and more than a
dozen wounded. Incidents include Abbas’s presidential guard firing RPGs
and mortars at the predominantly Hamas Islamic University in Gaza City. A 7-yr.-old Palestinian boy dies of
injuries received in the 5/17 Fatah
attack on a funeral in Rafah.
The Israeli Army removed a major roadblock south of Hebron. Dozens of settlers from Hebron and the surrounding area protested against the move and demanded that Israeli and Palestinian motorists drive on different roads "for security reasons," Israel's Public Radio reported. (AFP)
A number of former Israeli army and security officials sent a letter to Prime Minister Olmert and other top ministers which said: "Recognizing that ending the Hamas regime in Gaza is not a realistic goal... non-public negotiations should take place with Hamas through Egypt or anyone else acceptable to both sides." Signatories included ex-Mossad Chief Ephraim Halevi, former Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak and the former commander of Israeli troops in Gaza, Shmuel Zakai. (Haaretz)
"We are convinced that in no way can we allow the situation in the south to continue as it has in the past few months," Prime Minister Olmert told a meeting of his Cabinet. "The decisive crossroads regarding how to handle things is very close." (AP)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit's talks with his Israeli counterpart had focused on the ongoing efforts to establish calm in the Gaza Strip and the latest developments concerning the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossam Zaki said. A Hamas delegation was scheduled to meet in Cairo on 20 May with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman to hear from him the Israeli response to the truce proposal. (Xinhua)
President Bush told the World Economic Forum on the Middle East: "Last year at Annapolis, we made a hopeful beginning toward a peace negotiation that will outline what this nation of Palestine will look like a contiguous State where Palestinians live in prosperity and dignity... And I firmly believe that with leadership and courage, we can reach that peace agreement this year... Palestinians must fight terror and continue to build the institutions of a free and peaceful society. Israel must make tough sacrifices for peace and ease the restrictions on the Palestinians. Arab States, especially oil-rich nations, must seize this opportunity to invest aggressively in the Palestinian people and to move past their old resentments against Israel. And all nations in the region must stand together in confronting Hamas, which is attempting to undermine efforts at peace with acts of terror and violence." Egyptian President Mubarak noted in his opening address that the "international atmosphere has not supported Middle East peace effectively." Anyone who believes that cover will be provided for an agreement that does not fulfil the demands [of the Palestinians] is mistaken," he added. Jordan's King Abdullah II declared that after years of delay progress was possible in the Middle East process. "How much further ahead we would be if extremists forces had not had this issue to manipulate," he said. (AFP, www.weforum.org, www.whitehouse.gov)
US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said that President Bush was open to a return trip to the Middle East though none was on the schedule. He said, "I think the President will come back here when there is work for him to advance the process." "We are not at the point where the President is going to have a meeting with President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert to try to declare a vision," he added. (AFP, AP)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters that Palestinian and Israeli negotiators were holding serious discussions in private and these talks would likely intensify in the coming months. "They are not going to talk in front of the cameras about what it is they're doing, and if they did, the negotiations would be dead on that day," she said. (AFP)
The Israeli army evacuated a settlement outpost near Nablus. Several settlers who refused to leave were arrested. (AFP)
A rocket fired from Gaza struck south of Ashkelon. No one was injured. (Haaretz)
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reiterated the demand that Israel release 450 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. "Those who kidnapped Shalit maintain their demands on the number and identities of the Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit," he said in a televised speech. (AFP)
PA President Abbas told reporters in Sharm el-Sheikh during the World Economic Forum: "[US President] Bush's speech in front of the Knesset angered us… We don't want the Americans to negotiate on our behalf... All that we want from them... is a minimum level of neutrality." (AFP)
A Palestinian taxi driver said that he had been brutally beaten by IDF soldiers at the entrance to Qalqilya. He was transferred to a hospital in moderate-to-serious condition. (Ynetnews)
Israel had moved ahead with a plan to expand a settlement in the West Bank, an official said, as Israeli contractors visited the site called “Maskiyot.” David Elhayani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council that oversees “Maskiyot,” confirmed to Reuters he had published a tender last week for contractors to launch infrastructure work for 20 homes at what was once a military base. "The [Israeli] Prime Minister is slapping [US President] Obama in the face by expanding the settlement under the false pretence of natural growth," said Kadima lawmaker Shlomo Molla. (Reuters, Ynetnews)
In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry reiterated its condemnation of the Israeli decision to expand the “Maskiyot” settlement in the northern Jordan Valley. “This decision is in breach of Israel’s commitments, particularly those made under the Road Map. The settlement issue is one of the main obstacles to peace,” the statement said. (www.ambafrance-us.org)
During a two-hour meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House, US President Obama said that Israel must take “difficult steps” towards peace. He said it was in the interest of every country, including the US, to “achieve a two-State solution in which Israelis and Palestinians are living side by side in peace and security”. All parties must honour previous obligations that had been outlined in the Road Map, the President said, adding, “We have to make progress on settlements”. Mr. Obama added, “Settlements have to be stopped.” On his part, Mr. Netanyahu sidestepped the issue of Palestinian sovereignty, favouring a more limited form of self-government for Palestinians. While promising to resume peace talks immediately, Mr. Netanyahu said that any deal depended on the acceptance across the Arab world of Israel’s right to exist. Mr. Obama told the Prime Minister that the US would soon present a new peace initiative to include Arab nations alongside Israel and the PA in peace negotiations. (Haaretz, Timesonline.co.uk )
The Head of the Negotiations Affairs Department of the PLO, Saeb Erakat, welcomed in a statement US President Obama’s unequivocal support for the establishment as an independent Palestinian State and his call for Israel to abide by its Road Map obligations, including a freeze on all Israeli settlement activity. He said, “Moving the Middle East peace process forward hinges on Israel implementing its obligations under existing agreements. Only a reversal in Israel’s policies on the ground can restore credibility to the peace process.” (www.nad-plo.org)
Saeb Erakat denied media reports that secret negotiations with Israel had resumed. He told Ma’an News Agency
that contacts with the Israeli side were restricted to daily life issues. “President Abbas expressed the Palestinian political standpoint in a letter to US President Obama, to the EU, and to the UN. He asserted to them that Israel’s insistence on turning its back to previously signed agreements, and continuation of settlement activity means completely terminating any hope of resuming peace talks,” Mr. Erakat said.
(Ma’an News Agency)
Palestinian officials told Ma’an News Agency in Cairo that PA President Abbas would ask Prime Minister Fayyad to form the new PA Government as soon as possible, which could be completed as early as this evening. (Ma’an News Agency)