The IDF shells residential areas of Bayt Sahur,
setting fire to 1 Palestinian home. (WT 8/25)
As Arafat, Peres continue to express interest in holding
meeting to discuss a cease-fire, Bush suggests that the PA is not
serious about talks, saying, "If they are that interested in peaceful dialogue,
they ought to do everything they can to stop the terrorist activity that has
accelerated in recent months." (NYT 8/25; AFP, al-Quds 8/25 in WNC 8/27;
NYT 8/26; al-Quds 8/29 in WNC 8/30; WJW 8/30)
In Nablus, where the IDF attempted to assassinate a Fatah mbr.
on 8/23, some 20,000 Palestinians attend a rally calling for increased
attacks on Israel.
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF fatally shoots AMB Jenin cmdr. Muhammad al-Ott, wounds
5 in a shoot out in Jenin; fires tank shells at stone throwers in Nablus,
injuring 9 Palestinians; reimposes the curfew on Hebron; shells residential
areas of, razes 69 dunams of agricultural land in Abasan, Khuza; demolishes 3
Palestinian homes in Gaza, allegedly used as cover by AMB mbrs. who
attempted to infiltrate Kefar Darom on 8/23; confiscates an apartment
building in Hebron as an IDF post; raids a Hebron police station, detaining
1 PSF officer. (WP, WT 8/25; al-Quds 8/24, XIN 8/25 in WNC
8/26; NYT, WT 8/26; LAW, PCHR 8/28; NYT 9/2)
In Tulkarm, AMB gunmen fatally shoot a Palestinian
woman who allegedly collaborated with Israel in the 8/7/02 assassination of
local AMB cmdr. Ziad Da'as.
4 Palestinians killed.
The IDF continues operations in Nablus for the 4th day, blowing up a
building in the Old City suspected of being a Qassam missile factory, the 1st
found in the West Bank, and clashing with Palestinian protesters, leaving 12
injured; confiscates 360 dunams of land in Nazlat Issa, 300 dunams of land in
Baqa` al-Sharqiyya; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; shells areas of
Rafah. In response to rockets, the IDF assassinates senior Hamas mbr. Ahmad Aishtawi,
firing rockets at his car in Gaza City, also killing senior Hamas mbr. Wahid
Hamad, 2 aides, wounding more than 12 bystanders (HA, PM 8/24; NYT,
WP, WT 8/25; WT 8/26; PCHR 8/28)
The PSF seals 5 more tunnels on the Rafah border; Israel
says the PA’s actions are not serious. Palestinians fire a
Qassam-2 rocket fr. Gaza toward Ashkelon, causing no damage or injuries.
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF sends troops into Bethlehem, seals and searches a hospital for
3 hrs., detains 2 Palestinians (apparently not patients). The IDF also
stages a major incursion into Askar r.c., rounding up more than 300 Palestinian
men for questioning at an UNRWA school (the UN protests); fatally shoots
a Palestinian farmer, wounds a 2d in al-Qarara; demolishes 1
Palestinian home, searches 3 in al-Qarara; fires on residential areas of
Rafah (breaking windows in a hospital). (AP, JTA,
XIN 8/24; VOP 8/24 in WNC 8/26; WT 8/25; PCHR 8/26)
Palestinians across the West
Bank, Gaza observe a general strike in solidarity with hunger striking
Palestinian prisoners; 80 child prisoners join the strike.
5 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
A day after completing disengagement fr. 25 Jewish settlements, Israel
confirms plans to seize some 1,588 d. of West Bank Palestinian land to complete
10 mi. of separation wall around the southern part of Ma'ale Adumim
settlement, to add 3,500 housing units there (more than twice the number of
units removed under disengagement), to build a police headquarters in the E-1
area btwn. Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem. In Gaza, the IDF raids, searches,
occupies 2 Palestinian homes in Khan Yunis as observation posts; raids, occupies
a Palestinian home in Dayr al-Balah. In the West Bank, IDF undercover units
raid Tulkarm r.c, fatally shooting `Adil Abu Khalil al-Ghawi (Islamic Jihad),
Mahmud Ahadib (AMB), and Majdi Attiya (AMB), also killing 2
bystanders and wounding 3; local Hamas military cmdr. Ribhi Amara, also
possibly a target, escapes unharmed. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house
searches in and around Hebron, nr. Jenin, and in Nablus, Qalqilya. (HA, JP, REU 8/24; VOP 8/24 in WNC 8/25; BBC, HA,
JAZ, PCHR, WP, WT 8/25; MENA 8/25 in WNC 8/26; HA, NYT 8/26; al-Quds 8/26
in WNC 8/27; HA 8/30; PR 8/31; PCHR 9/1; MEI 9/2; HA 9/7; DS 10/10)
In East
Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabs 2 ultra-Orthodox British Jews,
killing 1 before escaping.
Before dawn, the IDF sends troops, tanks, helicopters into s. Gaza, leaving
at least 2 Palestinians wounded. Later in the day, the IDF fires on Palestinian
farmers working their land nr. the central Gaza border, wounding an 11-yr.-old
child. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts air strikes, destroying the home of
an AMB mbr. in Jabaliya r.c. (the IDF phones residents in advance to warn them
to evacuate), damaging 3 nearby houses. Also in Gaza, Palestinian militants blow
a hole in the border wall separating Rafah fr. Egypt to try to allow
Palestinians stranded on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing to leave for Egypt;
the crossing has been open for only a few hrs. since Israel forced its closure
on 6/25, barring EU monitors access. Islamic Jihad fires a rocket fr. Gaza into
Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest
raids, house searches in and around Nablus and in Hebron, Jenin (firing on
residential areas). (PCHR, WP 8/24; NYT 8/25; PCHR 8/31)
4 Palestinians killed.
In Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots 2
armed Palestinians on the border nr. Jabaliya; sends troops into Shuka nr.
Rafah to bulldoze 6 d. of agricultural land nr. the Gaza airport; bulldozes
Palestinian land along the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Sa`ida nr. Tulkarm to raid 2 Palestinian
homes, mortally shooting Islamic Jihad cmdr. Tariq Milhem in an exchange
of fire, allowing him to bleed to death over 2 hrs., also fatally shooting his 11-yr.-old
brother, wounding 2 other family mbrs. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, wounding 1 Palestinian woman; conducts house searches in `Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a; 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, injuring 2. Jewish settlers fire
on a Palestinian wedding party nr. Nablus, wounding 2 Palestinians. Jewish
settlers in Hebron assault an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy riding his bike, breaking his arm. (WT 8/25; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30
Under a temporary cease-fire brokered by
the Palestinian Clerics Association btwn. the Lebanese army and Fatah
al-Islam (FI) militants who have been fighting in and around the
Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Barid nr. Tripoli since 5/07 (see Quarterly
Update), army soldiers escort the remaining families of FI mbrs. (22
women, 41 children) out of the r.c. in anticipation of a final assault. The
army estimates that 70 FI mbrs. are left in the camp and are refusing to
surrender. (NYT, WT 8/25)
Meanwhile, 500 Fatah mbrs. hold an unauthorized protest against the Hamas-led
government outside the main security headquarters in Gaza City, throwing stones at ESF officers guarding the building, who fire into the air and
beat back the demonstrators, injuring 15. Separately in Gaza City, ESF officers raid a wedding to halt celebratory gunfire, scuffling with guests, beating and injuring 1 Palestinian.