1 Palestinian killed.
Israeli-Palestinian violence continue, leaving 1 Palestinian dead.
The PA reports a 6-hr. battle btwn. the IDF, Palestinians in Rafah in
which 20 homes are damaged by tank fire, but the IDF claims the damage
was caused by Palestinians tossing 50 homemade grenades at an IDF post.
Jewish settlers fire on a Palestinian car traveling in the West Bank,
wounding 4 Palestinians. (BBC, MM 7/5; AFP [Internet] 7/6)
Palestinians fire mortars at Dugit
settlement in Gaza, causing no injuries.
1 Palestinian killed.
IDF troops open fire on residential areas in Khan Yunis,
killing 1 Palestinian; raid Bayt Furik village, firing on homes,
detaining 4 Palestinians ages 15 and 16; bulldoze 3 dunams of Palestinian land
nr. Shuhada Junction; conduct arrest raids in Tulkarm. (NYT, UPI 7/6;
WP 7/7; LAW, PCHR 7/10)
In Gaza City, 15,000
Palestinians attend the funeral of AMB mbr. Omarayn.
The IDF fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah; bulldozes 14
dunams of land nr. Rafah.
Shin Bet produces a list of 100 Palestinian prisoners, out of the
more than 5,500 (some say up to 8,000) currently held, that it says could be
freed without harming Israeli security. (NYT 7/6; PCHR 7/10)
In s. Gaza, 3 Palestinians apparently planting
a roadside bomb trigger the device, killing 1, wounding the other 2.
3 Palestinians killed.
The IDF sends tanks, helicopters, troops into Rafah allegedly in
search of smugglers’ tunnels, fires on residential areas; stages a major raid
into Jenin to arrest wanted AMB mbr. Khalid al-Hawi, ultimately killing
him in a shootout outside his home; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis
(killing 1 Palestinian child in his bed), fires on residential areas of
Rafah; bulldozes 500 dunams of citrus trees east of Jabaliya r.c.; demolishes 3
Palestinian homes, a farm nr. Hebron for construction of the
separation wall; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Jenin,
Qalqilya, al-Qarara. A 15-yr.-old Palestinian girl dies of injuries
received during an IDF raid on Rafah a wk. ago. (XIN 7/5; VOI, VOP 7/5, VOP 7/6
in WNC 7/9; WT 7/6; PR 7/7; PCHR 7/8)
The IDF bulldozes 8 Palestinian homes, a gas station
constructed without permits in areas of East Jerusalem slated for a new park;
demolishes 22 structures (including a school) in Khirbet Tana nr. Nablus
(pop. 450) built without permits, leaving only 2 buildings in the village and
the 200-yr.-old mosque standing; imposes a curfew on `Ayn al-Bayda nr. Jenin,
searches homes, arrests around 30 Palestinian farmers, shepherds who are not
residents of the village; raids a municipal building in n. Ramallah, arresting 1
Palestinian; fires live ammunition at Palestinians protesting separation wall
construction in Qutna nr. Jerusalem, wounding 2; fires on residential areas of
Aida r.c.; raids, occupies 3 Palestinian homes in Yatta as observation posts. (HA, REU 7/5; IMEMC, OCHA,
PR, XIN 7/6; PCHR 7/7; PR 7/13; HA 7/28; PR 8/3)
The United Church of Christ passes a resolution calling for the use of
"economic leverage" to promote Middle East peace, but rejects resolutions
calling for divestment in companies that supply Israel with bulldozers, military
equipment. Two additional resolutions also denounce all forms of violence in the
Middle East, "including suicide bombing by Palestinians and the use of force by
Israelis in perpetuating occupation of Palestinian lands," and call on Israel to
dismantle the separation wall. (JTA, WP 7/6; AP 7/7; CSM 7/8)
Hamas holds a prayer rally in Nablus calling on Palestinians to boycott the
evening's Palestine International Festival (an annual wk.-long festival,
not held since 2000, that opened in cities across the West Bank on 6/30)
performance in the city by pop singer Ammar Hassan, citing the
impropriety of men and women dancing to “risqué” music as well as of holding
such a celebration when families are still mourning the losses of the intifada;
the AMB assures that it sanctioned the event after Hassan agreed to sing
only "conservative songs"; the performance ultimately is disrupted by some
masked AMB mbrs. fr. Nablus and Balata r.c., who fire guns in the air, destroy
some sets, force Hassan to cut short his performance.
3 Palestinians killed.
Before dawn, the IDF responds to Hamas’s 7/3 rocket fire on Ashqelon by
carrying out air strikes on the PA Interior Min. in Gaza City (destroying it and
wounding at least 7 Palestinians in homes nearby, including 4 children), a
Hamas-run school in Gaza City, a Hamas training camp in s. Gaza. Later, Hamas
fires a 2d 2-engine Qassam rocket that lands outside Ashqelon, causing no damage
or injuries, the Israeli security cabinet authorizes the IDF to step up
operations in Gaza and the West Bank aimed at halting rocket fire and “striking
at institutions and infrastructures that serve terrorism,” particularly
targeting Hamas. During the day, the IDF moves more tanks, troops into n. Gaza
and begins to push south toward Bayt Hanun and Jabaliya r.c., reoccupying fmr.
settlement sites, occupying a 7th Palestinian home as an operational base,
exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen and shelling (fr. land and sea) areas
where militants are allegedly burying explosives, killing 1 Hamas mbr., 1 PA
naval officer, wounding at least 17 Palestinians (10 PA naval officers at a
barracks nr. where the Hamas mbr. was killed, 7 children). In Gaza City, 2
Islamic Jihad mbrs. are killed when explosives they are handling detonate
prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF sends troops into ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr.
Jericho, surrounds a building, orders wanted AMB cmdr. Mahmud Haymur to
surrender, ordering him to undress when he emerges and then executing him by
shooting him in the head at point blank range; surrounds, fires on a PA police
station in Halhul nr. Hebron, demanding custody of an Israeli Palestinian
believed to be held there (police allow soldiers to search the station to
confirm he is not there); raids 3 Islamic charities nr. Hebron, Jenin, and
Nablus, confiscating computers, vandalizing offices; conducts arrest raids,
house searches in and around Jenin and Nablus, nr. Tulkarm and Qalqilya, and in
Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba, under IDF escort, begin work on a
new settler bypass road linking the settlement to the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of
the Patriarchs. (IFM, NYT, PCHR, REU, WP, WT 7/5; HA, NYT, OCHA,
PCHR, WP, WT 7/6; HA 7/8; PCHR 7/13; OCHA 7/18)
In Gaza City, unidentified gunmen assassinate senior Hamas mbr.
Husayn Abu Ajwa, who is considered a leading promoter of religious and political
reform within the movement.
11 Palestinians killed.
The IDF launches a major
day-long incursion (including infantry, tanks, bulldozers, air support) into
areas of Gaza e. of al-Bureij r.c. and al-Maghazi r.c. to “root out terrorist
infrastructures,” sparking heavy clashes with local Palestinians and calling in
air strikes in support; 11 Palestinian gunmen are killed (including at
least 7 Hamas mbrs., 1 Islamic Jihad mbr.), 2 IDF soldiers and 25 Palestinians
are wounded, 1 home is demolished, 80 d. of olive trees and agricultural
land are bulldozed, 1 Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance is confiscated by the
IDF, and at least 9 of about 70 Palestinians interrogated by troops are sent to
Israel for further questioning. (Among the Palestinians wounded is an al-Aqsa
TV cameraman, who is repeatedly shot at close range as he lies prone after
initially being wounded, leaving him a double amputee; an IDF official speaking
anonymously states that al-Aqsa TV employees should not be considered bona fide
journalists but “Hamas operatives in every respect,” alleging that they gather
intelligence and document attacks on Israeli forces for Hamas.) In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm town
and r.c., nr. Qalqilya, and in Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, Tubas. (NYT, WP, WT 7/6; NYT 7/7; WP 7/8; OCHA 7/11; PCHR
7/12)
Islamic
Jihad fires 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the clashes, causing no damage or injuries. The PRC
also fires 2 rockets fr. Rafah toward
Kerem Shalom crossing; 1 explodes on the launcher, injuring 1 PRC mbr., while the other lands inside Gaza, causing no
damage or injuries.
In keeping with a decree issued by PA PM
Fayyad earlier in the wk. changing the
official weekend from Thursday/Friday to Friday/Saturday, Fatah-affiliated PA
employees in Gaza attempt to go their workplaces today (Thursday) but are
blocked by ESF officers who force the ministries to stay closed; Fatah
civil servants pledge not to work on Saturday, in keeping with the decree and
as a protest against Haniyeh’s provisional government. In Gaza City, 2,000 Palestinians hold a peaceful
demonstration calling on Fatah, Hamas to work together. A PSF officer dies of injuries received in
interfactional
clashes in Jabaliya on 6/11.
Israeli forces arrested seven Palestinians in Nablus and Bethlehem, Israeli and Palestinian security sources said.
(DPA)
Israeli forces blockaded the Palestinian village of Bi'lin near Ramallah in what the IDF called an open-ended effort to
curb protests against the construction nearby of the separation wall. Troops were encircling the village under orders
to turn back would-be demonstrators. (Reuters)
Israeli warships fired machine guns on Palestinian fishermen in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.
(Ma'an News Agency)
A group of Israeli settlers beat a 31-year-old Palestinian in the southern Hebron Hills, after having tied him to a
telephone pole. The incident was videotaped by peace activists. (Haaretz)
The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) expressed concern about the consequences of the announced
authorized expansion of the "Beit Romano" settlement in the centre of Hebron's old city. (www.tiph.org)
Egyptian authorities found weapons and explosives in the Sinai desert they believe were destined for the Gaza Strip, a
security official said. (AFP)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a weekly Cabinet meeting that the Government had won a "broad national consensus" in Israel for the concept of a two-State solution. He said that the infusion of "real meaning" into the two-State solution was one of the most important achievements of his Government so far. "The Palestinians will have no choice but to recognize Israel as a Jewish State, the [Palestinian] refugees issue will be resolved outside of Israel, and Israel will be entitled to defensible borders with full demilitarization of the Palestinian State," he said. Listing his 100-days-in-office achievements, Mr. Netanyahu said they included "quiet in southern Israel and the power of deterrence.” (Haaretz)
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad condemned Israel's seizure of an aid vessel in international waters. "It was indeed shocking to hear about the detention of vessels carrying humanitarian aid and the abduction and arrest of the volunteers on board the Gaza-bound ships," he said. He is currently chairman of the Perdana Global Peace Organisation. (Ma’an News Agency)
Speaking at the inauguration of a national park in Ramallah, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Arab Peace Initiative "demands a just solution for the refugees in accordance with resolution 194.” Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s earlier remarks at a Cabinet meeting that the refugee issue would be resolved "outside of Israel", Mr. Abbas said, "When they say this solution is not on the agenda, they do not want to discuss any of the final status issues, nor refugees, nor anything else.” (Ma’an News Agency)