5 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
Israeli-Palestinian clashes escalate due to the Nakba anniversary,
leaving 5 Palestinians, 1 Israeli settler dead, some 250
Palestinians wounded. In an apparent assassination in Gaza, the IDF fires
a tank shell at the car driven by `Abd al-Hakim al-Manama, bodyguard of Hamas
spiritual leader Shaykh Yasin, killing him and a passenger. In Ramallah, an
IDF soldier shoots French TV reporter Bertrand Aguirre, who
captures his targeted shooting on video; Aguirre escapes fatal injury because he
is wearing a bulletproof vest. A Palestinian woman gives birth at an
IDF checkpoint when soldiers refuse to let her pass to reach a hospital. The
IDF directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Rafah,
Tulkarm. (AP, LAW 5/15; HP, NYT, WP, WT 5/16; PCHR 5/17; CSM 5/18; JP 5/25)
The Higher Follow-Up Comm. for the Arab Community (HFCAC), composed of
Israeli Arab political and community leaders, reports that Israel is
restricting the freedoms of Israel Arabs in light of the al-Aqsa
intifada. Israeli Arab journalists, poets have been detained for questioning,
warned against "incitement" for writing on the intifada; community activists
have received threatening telephone calls fr. police, intelligence officials;
Israel police have opened investigations against 4 Israeli Arab MKs; 1 Israeli
Arab has been placed under administrative detention; several Israeli Arabs have
had their passports confiscated for taking part in a trip to Syria. (HFCAC press
release 5/15)
Israel reinforces troops in Shaba` Farms, directs machine gun fire
across the border into Lebanon, flies helicopters along the border area.
(RL 5/15 in WNC 5/16)
In Washington, PA senior negotiator Abbas holds talks with Secy. of
State Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice on halting
violence, Arafat visiting the U.S. (WP, WT 5/16; MENA 5/16 in WNC 5/17;
NYT 5/17, 5/21)
Israel, the PA submit their official responses to the Mitchell
Comm. report, generally welcoming the report as a basis for a cease-fire.
(MM 5/15; NYT 5/16; AYM 5/16 in WNC 5/18; NYT 5/17) (see Peace Monitor; see
Docs. B4, C3)
Palestinians mark Nakba commemoration day (expulsion of 800.000 palestinians from Palestine by Israel in 1948) by observing 3 minutes of
silence. Large rallies are held in every major Palestinian city in the West Bank
and Gaza, after which a recorded message by Arafat is read over
loudspeakers. Israeli Arabs hold marches to the sites of their destroyed
villages. Marches, rallies are also held in Amman (where 1,000s demonstrate),
Cairo, Tehran, Washington. (MM 5/15; IRNA, MENA 5/15 in WNC 5/16; SA 5/15, HJ,
JT, al-Quds 5/16 in WNC 5/17; NYT, WP, WT 5/16; WJW 5/17; HA, WP 5/18)
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF continues to surround all major Palestinian population centers
in the West Bank, barring travel btwn. towns and villages except through heavily
guarded checkpoints. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian is killed by IDF tank
fire. The IDF demolishes at least 3 Palestinian homes in Rafah;
directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Khan Yunis.
(XIN 5/15 in WNC 5/16; PCHR, WT 5/16)
Palestinians reportedly fire mortars at IDF targets in Gaza, causing no
damage. Palestinians across Gaza take part in rallies commemorating the
anniversary of the Nakba.
In his Nakba day address to the PC, Arafat accepts responsibility for
mistakes made by the PA; calls for broad reforms, new elections, national
unity. (HA 5/15; AFP, XIN 5/15 in WNC 5/16; MENA 5/15, al-Safir 5/16 in
WNC 5/17; AP, MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/16; al-Quds 5/16, Interfax 5/17 in WNC
5/20)
6 Palestinians killed. 2 Israelis killed.
The IDF launches a major predawn raid on Bayt Hanun, sending 70 tanks
and armored vehicles into the area, firing on residential areas, killing 5
Palestinians (including a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy who is allowed
to bleed to death over 3 hrs., as the IDF bars access to medical workers),
wounding 20, demolishing at least 4 Palestinian homes, bulldozing 100s of
orange trees, conducting house-to-house searches; says troops plan to stay in
the town for several days. The IDF also surrounds the adjacent town of
Bayt Lahia, Jabaliya r.c. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, WT 5/15; MENA 5/15 in WNC 5/16; HA, MM, NYT, WP
5/16)
A Palestinian gunman opens fire at the Qarni
crossing, killing 2 Israeli civilians before being shot dead by the IDF.
Another Palestinian gunman fires on a vehicle nr. Neve Tzuf settlement,
lightly injuring 1 Jewish settler. Palestinians fire a Qassam
rocket nr. Jabaliya, which lands in the Negev desert. Palestinians
across the West Bank, Gaza hold rallies, marches to mark the 55th anniversary of
the Nakba.
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF fires missiles at the Gaza City office and home of Islamic
Jihad’s Gaza head Hindi, who is not there at the time, wounding 8
Palestinians; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; fires on
stone-throwing youths nr. Kefar Darom settlement, wounding 1 seriously. The
IDF also temporarily halts house demolitions in Gaza on order fr. the
Israeli High Court, which agrees to hear a petition against the bulldozing
by a Palestinian human rights group. In Tel Aviv, more than 120,000 Israelis
attend a Peace Now rally calling for a full Israeli pullout fr. Gaza. A
Palestinian dies of injuries received during the IDF’s 5/11 raid on Gaza
City. (NYT, WT 5/15; PSCT, VOP 5/15, HA, JP, VOI, YA 5/16 in WNC 5/18; NYT, WP,
WT 5/16; PCHR 5/20)
Powell meets with PA PM Ahmad Qurai` in Amman, urges him to
“seize the opportunity” presented by Sharon’s unilateral disengagement. (VOP,
XIN 5/15, AYM, MA, MENA, XIN 5/16 in WNC 5/18; NYT, WP, WT 5/16; WP 5/17)
The IDF lifts the seal on the West Bank, Gaza (imposed on 5/10); fires
on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy;
shoots, wounds 2 Palestinians who toss Molotov cocktails at an IDF patrol nr.
Ramallah, causing no damage or injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches
in al-`Arub r.c. nr Hebron; arrests 3 Palestinians attempting to sneak into
Israel fr. Dayr al-Balah to find work. Jewish settlers fr. Ma'on attack, attempt to force
4 Palestinian farmers off their land. (PM 5/15; HA, WP 5/16; OCHA 5/18; PCHR
5/19)
Palestinians fire an anti-tank
rocket at Israeli civilian workers installing a fence along the Philadelphi
Route in Rafah, lightly injuring 4; fire 2 mortars at Gush Katif, causing
no damage or injuries.
The IDF fires missiles fr. a drone at a car driving in Abasan, wounding 3 AMB
mbrs., 1 bystander in an attempted assassination, also damaging several stores;
shells n. Gaza, injuring a 50-yr.-old farmer working his field nr. Bayt Lahiya;
sends 2 tanks and a bulldozer into Gaza to level land along the border nr. Bayt
Hanun for construction of the border fence; sends troops into Hawara, imposes a
curfew; patrols in Nablus, firing on residential areas; conducts arrest raids,
house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. A leaflet signed by the AMB warns that “we
won’t remain idle in the face of the siege imposed on the Palestinian people by
Israel, the U.S., and other countries. . . . We will strike at the economic and
civilian interests of these countries, here and abroad.” ARB that will destroy
everything” if international spokesman Abu Harun also threatens that funding is
not restored soon. (IMEMC 5/15; the ARB would launch “a merciless intifada JP
5/16; PCHR 5/18)
1 Palestinian killed.
In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night
arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron. (BBC, HA, NYT,
OCHA, WP 5/16; PCHR, WP 5/17; WP 5/18)
In Gaza, Fatah-Hamas fighting intensifies, leaving at least 15 Palestinians
dead. Among the incidents: PA presidential guardsmen fatally shoot Izzeddin al-
Qassam Brigades cmdr. Ibrahim Maniah nr. Qarni (Hamas claims he was assassinated,
Fatah says he died in an exchange of gunfire); in retaliation, Hamas mbrs.
attack a PA presidential guard training facility at the Qarni crossing with
rockets, mortars, and RPGs, also firing on other PA security forces who come to
the guardsmen’s aid, killing 8 national security officers. IDF troops on the Gaza border nearby fire on 2 guardsmen fleeing the scene toward the border fence,
killing 1. Outside Abbas’s Gaza City offices, PA security forces loyal to Abbas
halt, harass, shoot execution-style 2 Palestinian reporters for a pro-Hamas
newspaper. A 12th Palestinian is killed in interfactional fighting in Gaza City.
Across the Strip, Palestinian civilians stay in their homes and most stores
close, while Fatah and Hamas gunmen take up strategic positions along roads and
atop high buildings, and Egyptian mediators work to establish a new cease-fire.
PA National Security Adviser Muhammad Dahlan, currently abroad, orders 500
Fatah-affiliated PSF mbrs. undergoing training in Egypt to return to Gaza
immediately to help defend the pro-Abbas forces; Israel gives its consent for
the forces to enter. Hamas also fires more than 20 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel,
hitting a house and empty school, seriously wounding 1 Israeli, moderately
wounding another.
1 Palestinian killed.
In Gaza, the IDF
begins digging a trench (around 300 ft. long, 10 ft. wide, 15 ft. deep) fr. an
IDF post e. of Abasan to Khuza, firing on nearby residential areas, causing no
reported injuries. IDF troops at the Erez crossing fire bullets, tear
gas at 100s of Palestinians staging a nonviolent protest against the Israeli siege.
IDF troops on the c. Gaza border e. of Juhur al-Dik fire on 3
Palestinian girls who stray nr. the border fence, wounding 1. In the West Bank,
the IDF patrols in Taqou’ nr. Bethlehem; conducts late-night arrest
raids, house searches in Nablus. A Palestinian civilian wounded during
the 5/4 IDF incursion into Khuza dies. (CNN 5/15; PCHR 5/22)
Under a deal brokered by the Arab League,
the Hizballah-led opposition and Lebanon’s ruling coalition agree
to open talks in Qatar on 5/16 to negotiate an agmt. on a cabinet and
new electoral law, to be followed by election of consensus pres. candidate Gen.
Michel Suleiman. Hizballah removes roadblocks leading to Beirut airport,
allowing some flights to resume in the evening. (BBC 5/15; NYT, WP, WT 5/16; WP
5/18)
Palestinians
in Israel and the occupied territories commemorate the Nakba by visiting the
sites of Palestinians villages destroyed in 1948, holding somber rallies and
moments of silence, and, in Qalandia r.c., releasing 1,000s of black balloons
(1 for each day since the State of Israel was declared).
Pope Benedict XVI ended his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. “Let it be universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders,” the Pope said on the tarmac of Tel Aviv airport before boarding the plane for Rome. “Let it be likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland. … Let the two-State solution become a reality, not remain a dream,” he said. (AP)
OCHA said in a report that the basic right of many Palestinians to human dignity had continued to be undermined during the month of April. In the West Bank, over 100 Palestinians, including many children, had been displaced when their homes were demolished by the Israeli authorities for lack of permits, a more than two-fold increase in displacement compared to March 2009. The report indicated that hundreds of Palestinian homes had been raided and searched by the Israeli Army in the course of over 350 operations throughout the West Bank. (www.ochaopt.org)