1 Israeli killed.
Israeli-Palestinian violence continues, leaving 1 Jewish settler
dead. The IDF tightens the closure on Tulkarm; flies
helicopters over Bethlehem. Jewish settlers block roads, stone passing
Palestinian vehicles nr. Qalqilya; shoot at water tanks on buildings in
Ramallah; vandalize Palestinian homes in Silat al-Dahir, which is under its 10th
day of curfew. (HP 6/28; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/29; Between the Lines 7/01)
After mtg. separately with Arafat and Sharon, Powell
announces that the sides have agreed that after 7 days of "complete quite," they
will observe a 6 wk. cooling-off period, followed by a "several mos." of
confidence building, only after which negotiations would resume. FM Peres
says that if even 1 Palestinian attack takes place during the 7-day or 6 wk.
periods, the clock would reset to zero. At least 3,000 Palestinians rally
in Gaza City to protest Powell's visit. (AP, CNN, USIS Washington File
6/28; XIN 6/28 in WNC 6/29; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/29; HJ 6/29, MENA 6/30, 7/1 in WNC
7/2; AYM 6/30 in WNC 7/6; WP 7/1; MM 7/2; WJW 7/5; MEI 7/13) (see Peace Monitor)
Palestinians fire 3 large mortars at a Jewish settlement in Gaza,
causing no damage.
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF blows up the PA headquarters in Hebron on top of 10+n40
Palestinians Israel is "certain" are inside; an initial search turns up no
bodies, indicating that, in fact, no one was inside. In Gaza, a Palestinian
woman sleeping in a tent is killed by IDF fire. (NYT, PRCS press release, WP, WT 6/29; NYT, WP, WT
6/30; al-Quds 6/30 in WNC 7/3; MM 7/1)
In Gaza, the PSF
allows Hamas's Shaykh Yasin to leave his house arrest, address a
demonstration in the city.
The IDF arrests an ailing Palestinian being transported by
ambulance to Jordan (with the permission of Israeli, Jordanian authorities) for
treatment. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Abasan, Khan Yunis;
conducts arrest raids in Nablus, Tulkarm. (HA, NYT 6/29; JP 7/2 in WNC 7/10;
PCHR 7/3)
Rice holds talks with Abbas, Dahlan in Jericho on her 1st
visit as Bush’s personal envoy on the peace process. (HA 6/28; NYT, WT 6/29; MM
6/30; NYT 7/1; PR 7/2)
Palestinians fire 5 mortars
at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries.
1 Palestinian killed. 3 Israelis killed.
After rocket attack, Sharon convenes
his security cabinet, which declares that the IDF will respond with
“harsher measures than in the past” in Gaza. During the day, the IDF
blows up 2 abandoned 5-story apartment buildings in al-Qarara hiding the
entrance of the tunnel to the IDF post attacked on 6/27; bulldozes 21
Palestinian homes, 101 dunams of agricultural land; demolishes a cement
factory. The IDF also fatally shoots a mentally handicapped Palestinian
who enters a closed military zone nr. Rafah; rockets the empty al-Jil
press office in Gaza City, injuring 2 bystanders; fires on residential areas of
Khan Yunis, Rafah. Late in the evening, IDF tanks roll into Bayt Hanun in
n. Gaza, launching Operation Active Shield, allegedly meant to prevent
Qassam rocket fire. In the West Bank, the IDF destroys 80 wells in Yamun
nr. Jenin; fires on residential areas of Jenin town and r.c.; conducts arrest
raids nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. (MM 6/28; VOP, MA, VOI 6/29 in WNC
7/1; MM, NYT, WP, WT 6/29; MM, PR 6/30; PCHR 7/1; MEI 7/9)
Hamas fires 5 Qassam rockets into Sederot, killing an
Israeli man and a 3-yr.-old boy, seriously injuring the boy’s mother
in the 1st fatal Palestinian rocket attack inside Israel. An Israeli businessman who
frequently travels to the West Bank is found fatally shot in Bayt Rima nr.
Ramallah; the AMB claims responsibility, alleging that he conducted
illegal business with corrupt PA officials.
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian allegedly attempting to
plant a roadside bomb outside Morag; conducts arrest raids, house searches in
Hebron and nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm. In al-Mawasi, Jewish settlers attack
several Palestinian homes, seize 1, clash with Palestinians, leaving 1 Jewish
settler injured; the IDF intervenes, removes the settlers; later the settlers
return, throw stones at Palestinians, attempt to run them down, causing no
injuries. Also in Gaza, Jewish settlers attack a car carrying 3
Palestinian journalists, lightly injuring them. (IMEMC, JAZ, REU 6/28; HA, IMEMC, XIN 6/29;
PHRC 6/30)
Islamic Jihad fires 2
rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. PA Atty. Gen. Hussein
Abu Assi says that he has instructed police to detain more than 5 fmr. PA
officials on charges of misuse of public funds. Some fmr. officials may have
to be extradited fr. Arab countries.
2 Palestinians killed.
Overnight, the IDF launches Operation Summer Rains, sending ground troops
into s. Gaza; retaking the Dahaniyya airport area as a base, demolishing 5
Palestinian homes and bulldozing land to improve lines of sight, and blowing up
3 bridges to control movement between the Rafah and Gaza City environs;
conducting 7 air strikes on Gaza’s only electricity plant nr. Gaza City and 6
transformer stations, wounding 2 Palestinians, blacking out 45% of the Strip,
and leaving Gaza fully dependent on electricity fr. Israel); shelling open areas
of s. Gaza; repeatedly breaking the sound barrier over the Strip. The IDF’s
elite Givati Brigade deploys outside n. Gaza, prepared to enter if rocket
attacks resume. Midafternoon, IDF artillery begins shelling n. Gaza for the 1st
time since the 6/9 incident that killed 8 Palestinians. After Palestinians fire
2 rockets into Israel in response (causing no damage or injuries), the IDF warns
n. Gaza residents to evacuate the area, with Olmert saying that IDF operations
will escalate until Shalit is released. In a warning to Syrian pres. Bashar
al-Asad and Hamas’s Damascus-based leadership, the Israeli air force makes
overflights of Asad’s residence in Latakia (where he is believed to be staying)
and along the Syrian coast. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Iktaba nr. Tulkarm; raids
a Fatah office in al-Bireh, confiscating computers, arresting 3 Palestinians;
conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Hebron. In Khan Yunis, 2
Palestinian children are killed when they accidentally detonate unexploded IDF
ordnance. In West Jerusalem, around 100 ultra-Orthodox Jews attack a tour group
of 50 pro-Israel Christians for wearing shirts saying “love your neighbor as
yourself”; Israeli police intervene to stop the attack but make no arrests; 3
tourists, 1 police officer are injured. (AP, BBC, B’Tselem press release, HA,
IFM, IMEMC, ITV, MM, NYT, PCHR, REU, Voice of the Arabs [Cairo], WP, WT, YA
6/28; OSC 6/28 in WNC 6/30; BBC, CSM, HA, IMEMC, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 6/29;
Globe, PCHR 6/29; HJ 7/1 in WNC 7/1; see also AFP, MENA, PSCT 6/27 in WNC 6/28;
OCHA 6/30; PCHR 7/6; REU 7/11)
Palestinians fire 6 more rockets toward
Israel, but all land inside Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. The AMB says it
has kidnapped a 62-yr.-old Israeli man fr. Rishon Letzion, inside Israel, who
has been missing since 6/26; issues a statement threatening to target Israeli
embassies abroad.
The IDF continues
operations in Nablus, clashing with AMB gunmen who detonate explosives
as soldiers approach, wounding 10 soldiers; during the incursion, the IDF
arrests 2 AMB mbrs., blows up 1 Palestinian home, damages 4 others, and
fires on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 15 (ages 12–19).
The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and neighboring
Qalqas (detaining 51 Palestinians, including 17 children; releasing 40 later in
the day). In Gaza, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land on the Gaza side of the Erez crossing; sends troops into
agricultural areas s. of Gaza City, where they clash with Palestinian gunmen, seriously wounding 1. (NYT 6/29; OCHA
7/4; PCHR 7/5)
As part of the ongoing
offensive against FI, the Lebanese army raids a hillside cave outside Tripoli, killing 6 FI mbrs.,
securing an arms cache. (WP, WT 6/29)
1 Palestinian killed.
IDF troops killed 7-year-old Mohamed Al Allami during a military operation in the village of Beit Omer, south of
Hebron, local sources said. Witnesses said that the boy had been helping his father in preparation for a family event.
(WAFA)
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket or mortar shell into southern Israel in violation of the truce
agreement, an Israeli military spokesman said. (AFP)
The Islamic Jihad threatened to resume rocket attacks if Israel continued military operations in the West Bank. (AFP)
The Independent fact-finding mission headed by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, sent by the Human Rights Council to inquire into alleged war crimes in Gaza, started public hearings in Gaza to collect testimonials from war victims. The first testimony heard was from the Director of the World Health Organization operations in Gaza, who underlined the shortage of equipment and medicines in hospitals, which prevented them from providing appropriate services for the large numbers of injuries. A testimony from Dr. Iyad Sarraj, child psychologist, stressed that around 20 percent of children in Gaza suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome brought on by witnessing violent acts. Other sessions will be held in Geneva on 6 and 7 July. (AFP, BBC, Ma’an News Agency)
Fatah and Hamas began a sixth round of talks in Cairo, MENA news agency reported. Senior Fatah official Nabil Sha’ath said disagreements arose with Hamas insisting on making the political prisoners issue a priority on the agenda. Mr. Sha’ath added that a special committee was working on resolving the problem. Fatah and Hamas would also meet with Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman ahead of a 7 July target date to sign an agreement which would lay out an electoral law, define the make-up of security forces and of a committee that would liaise between Gaza and the West Bank ahead of an election in 2010. Smaller Palestinian factions would join the talks on 5 July, Mr. Sha’ath told (AFP)
Chinese Ambassador to the PA Yang Weiguo visited Tulkarm in the West Bank to witness the impact of Israeli restrictions. He met the Governor of Tulkarm, Talal Dweikat, who thanked China for its continuous support to the Palestinian people and the PA and updated the Chinese Ambassador on the Israeli separation wall, the settlements and the presence of 16 Israeli chemical factories to the west of Tulkarm which posed a major health hazard for the residents. (Ma’an News Agency)