2 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 2 Palestinians, 1
Jewish settler dead. Jewish settlers stone
Palestinian cars nr. Keddumim settlement, fire on Palestinians in Bazari
(injuring 2). The IDF shells residential areas of al-Bireh and Ramallah,
damaging offices of the PA Central Bureau of Statistics, the Local Government
Min., WAFA news agency; bulldozes Palestinian land in Bayt Hanun. Sharon
announces that he has given the IDF "freedom beyond imagining" to act
against Palestinians, saying, "There are things we will tell the public about.
There are things we will deny, and there are things that will remain hidden
forever." (MM 5/1; NYT, WP 5/2; MA 5/2 in WNC 5/3; LAW, WT 5/4)
Palestinians fire 2 mortars at a Jewish
settlement in Gaza causing no injuries.
4 Palestinians killed.
The IDF sends tanks, APCs into Tulkarm, imposes a curfew. After the
PA transfers 6 wanted Palestinians to British-U.S.
custody, Israel lifts its 34-day siege of the Ramallah compound, grants
Arafat freedom of movement, withdraws to the outskirts of Ramallah. In
Bethlehem, an IDF sniper wounds 1 Palestinian inside the Church of the
Nativity, evacuates him for treatment. Later, the IDF directs
gunfire, smoke grenades at the Church of the Nativity complex, wounding 3
Palestinians, starting fires in the Franciscan and Greek Orthodox monasteries
that burn uncontrolled for 20 mins. before being extinguished by those inside
(the IDF bars fire fighters fr. the scene); 2 more Palestinians in the church
surrender. In Gaza, 4 Palestinians, including an 11-mo.-old girl are
killed by IDF fire. (MM 5/1; AFP, ITAR-TASS, SA 5/1 in WNC 5/2; HA, MM,
NYT, WP, WT 5/2; MM 5/3; QA 5/3 in WNC 5/6; JP 5/10)
16 Palestinians killed.
The IDF stages a major predawn raid on Gaza City, sending in 30 tanks
plus helicopter gunships to capture senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades cmdr.
Yusuf Abu Hin, killing Abu Hin, his 2 brothers, 10 other
Palestinians (including a 2-yr.-old, 2 13-yr.-olds), wounding more than 60,
demolishing some 20 Palestinian homes; 9 IDF soldiers are also injured.
Israel’s Gaza cmdr. calls the operation “very successful,” blames the Abu Hin
brothers’ failure to surrender for the high death toll. The IDF also
fatally shoots 2 Palestinians in Yatta, including senior AMB mbr.
Khalid Makhamra, in what may be an assassination; fires on residential areas
of al-Brazil, Rafah; fires on stone-throwing youths in Bayt Furik, injuring 10;
conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya; demolishes 2
Palestinian homes in Bayt Furik, 1 in Bayt Sira. A Tel Aviv court convicts a
Nablus tanzim mbr. on 14 counts of murder, conspiracy for organizing
3 fatal attacks on Israelis in 1/02. International aid workers in Gaza
report that since the 4/30 bombing, the IDF has required them to undergo long
(up to 7 hrs.) interviews regarding their activities before entering or leaving
the Strip (see 4/26). (BBC, HA, MM 5/1; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/2; PR 5/7; PCHR 5/8;
AIDA 5/12)
Late in the evening, a
Palestinian fires on an IDF post nr. Hermesh settlement, causing no
injuries; is fatally shot by soldiers.
3 Palestinians killed.
The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, killing an
8-yr.-old Palestinian boy, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians
in which another 14 Palestinians (10 of them children) are wounded; fires on
stone-throwing youths nr. Nisanit settlement, fatally shooting a 15-yr.-old
Palestinian in the head with live ammunition; fatally shoots a
Palestinian man who approaches an IDF patrol in Nablus (reports vary as to
whether he was armed); fires on Palestinians in Bayt Lahiya and Rafah, wounding
3; bulldozes 2 dunams of land in al-Qarara; conducts arrest raids, house
searches nr. Hebron. (VOP 5/1 in WNC 5/4; NYT, WP, WT 5/2; PR 5/5; PCHR 5/6)
The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron,
Jenin; fires on residential areas of Rafah. The IDF also fires
rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians conducting a nonviolent protest
against the separation wall in Bil`in, injuring 10 Palestinians,
including a journalist. (WP, WT 5/2; PR 5/4; OCHA, PCHR 5/5)
1 Palestinian killed.
IDF soldiers manning a checkpoint outside the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the
Patriarchs in Hebron severely beat a 65-yr.-old Palestinian woman, delay an
ambulance fr. treating her for 20 mins. The IDF also conducts arrest raids,
house searches in and around Hebron, Tulkarm (targeting Islamic Jihad; fatally
shooting a 44-yr.-old Palestinian woman and wounding her 3 daughters, occupying
a Palestinian home as an observation post) and in Azun, Balata r.c., Bethlehem,
Jericho, Nablus (firing on residential areas). (IMEMC 5/1; PCHR 5/4)
The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of
Nussayrat r.c., forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF
shoots, wounds a Palestinian farmer working in his field nr. Ibna; conducts
arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron, and in Jenin town
and r.c., Qabatya, Qalqilya. Of note: By this date, the IDF has stopped
requiring special permits for Palestinians to enter the Jordan Valley, but
access is only possible on public transportation through 4 checkpoints. Protesters in cities across Israel begin to march
to Tel Aviv for a major demonstration on 5/3 calling for Olmert’s resignation in
the wake of the Winograd Commission report on Israel’s handling of the summer
2006 war on Lebanon. (OCHA, WP, WT 5/2; PCHR
5/3)
The PA
says that it has made the 1st formal contact with the kidnappers holding BBC
correspondent Johnston, confirming he is still alive, but that their demands for
his release are unacceptable.
2 Palestinians killed.
Overnight, the IDF sends tanks and
troops into Abasan to search homes (reportedly using some Palestinians as human
shields), exchanging fire (including tank shells) with local gunmen (killing 1
Palestinian, wounding 1), detaining 21 (releasing them in the evening), and
bulldozing 225 d. of agricultural land, a greenhouse, an irrigation system
before withdrawing late at night. The IDF also makes an air strike on
Rafah, assassinating Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades cmdr. Nafiz Mansur, who
allegedly had a role in the capture of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit, as he walks
through town, seriously wounding a 15-yr.-old bystander, damaging several
surrounding homes. IDF soldiers at the Kerem Shalom crossing fire on
Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence, causing no reported
injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts
late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c., Tulkarm and nr.
Hebron. (NYT 5/2; OCHA 5/7; PCHR 5/8)
Palestinians fire 30 rockets, mortars fr. Gaza
into Israel, causing no damage or injuries.
In Gaza City, mbrs. of a PRC faction raid and steal office
equipment fr. the offices of a rival PRC faction.
Israeli Air Force aircraft bombed two smuggling tunnels along Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip, after a Qassam rocket from Gaza had hit Israel’s western Negev region the previous day. No injuries or damage were reported in the strike. (Haaretz)
Israeli forces detained three Palestinian youths from the town of Al-Zababdeh, south of Jenin, during a raid. (Ma’an News Agency)
Israeli authorities announced that Palestinians working in Israel would be able to enter only through checkpoints equipped with the new computerized system. According to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, 74,000 Palestinians work in Israel, about three quarters of who are from the West Bank. Under the new system, limits and terms of permits for many Palestinians will change, and for some who arrive at checkpoints later than the time stamped on their permits, access may be revoked for a week or even permanently. (Ma’an News Agency)
Israeli settlers from “Gila,” east of Qalqilya, attacked a 20-year-old Palestinian when he was working on his land. He sustained bruises and burns to the face. (Ma’an News Agency)
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a new report that some 1,500 demolition orders were currently pending in East Jerusalem and thousands more homes were at risk. The report said Israeli zoning restrictions made it difficult for Palestinians to build legally. After annexing East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel had expropriated more than one-third of the land and built homes for 195,000 settlers there. But only 13 per cent of East Jerusalem had been zoned for Palestinian construction. With most of that area already built up and the housing shortage getting worse, Palestinians had been building without permits. Some 28 per cent of Palestinian homes were built in violation of the zoning laws, meaning 60,000 people, or one-fourth the Arab population of Jerusalem, were potentially at risk of losing their homes, according to the report. (AP, www.ochaopt.org)
An Israeli settler from “Efrat” driving a bulldozer destroyed at least 10 dunums of agricultural land near the town of Al-Khadr. (Ma’an News Agency)
A spokesman for the Human Rights Council said UN investigators headed by Richard Goldstone would travel to the Gaza Strip and Israel next week to investigate possible human rights abuses during Israel’s recent offensive. (DPA)
Two Palestinians were lightly injured following confrontations with settlers near “Havat Gilad.” (Haaretz)