At an EU mtg. in Strasbourg, PC speaker Ahmad Qurai`,
Knesset speaker Avraham Burg offer their personal recommendations for
Jerusalem, possibly as trial balloons. Qurai` proposes the whole city be placed
under international control, "neither under Israel nor Palestinian sovereignty,"
until the issue can be resolved. Burg calls for "divine sovereignty," under
which Jerusalem "would be not only the capital of Israel . . . but would become
the international capital of democracy." (AFP 9/5 in WNC 9/8; MA [Internet], MM
9/6; MM 9/7)
After Palestinians fire mortars at a Jewish settlement in Gaza,
causing no damage, the IDF shells a Force 17 office in Bayt Hanun,
injuring 1 Palestinian. (WT 9/6)
1 Palestinian killed. 3 Israelis killed.
The IDF conducts arrest raids in
Balata r.c., Nablus, Surif; raids a clinic in Bayt Lahia, halts an ambulance,
detains and beats 1 paramedic; fires on residential areas of Rafah, on
Palestinians waiting to cross a Dayr al-Balah+nKhan Yunis checkpoint. The
IDF issues evacuation orders to 4 Palestinian families in Ras
al-Amud, Silwan. (AP, MM 9/5; NYT, WP, WT 9/6; NYT 9/7; LAW, PCHR 9/11)
In response to the 2 Gaza attacks, Ben-Eliezer formally calls off
implementation of Gaza First agmt. (WP 9/6)
Israeli border police manning a West Bank crossing intercept a car
carrying a 1,300 lbs. fertilizer-gasoline bomb, with a cell phone rigged as a
detonator; 2 Palestinians escape. No group claims responsibility, but the
IDF suspects Islamic Jihad. Late in
the evening, Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket in Gaza, luring a Merkava
tank to the scene, then detonating a large roadside bomb under the tank, killing
2 IDF soldiers, wounding 2 (marking the 2d fatal roadside bombing of a
tank; see 3/14/02); the popular resistance comms. (PRCs) take
responsibility. Nr. Bayt Lahia, a Palestinian gunman ambushes an IDF
patrol, killing 1 IDF soldier, wounding 1 before being shot dead.
1 Palestinian killed. 1 Israeli killed.
The IDF sends naval commandos into Nablus, shells and destroys 2
floors of a 7-story apartment building in an apparent attempt to assassinate or
capture wanted Hamas mbr. Muhammad Hanbali; the incursion sparks a gun
battle in which Hanbali, 1 IDF commando are killed, 4 commandos are
wounded; the IDF then demolishes the entire apartment building, saying it
suspects Hamas mbrs. are still inside; no bodies are found. The IDF also
bulldozes 1 Palestinian home, 22 dunams of land, 2 irrigation networks in
Rafah; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; fires on stone-throwing
Palestinians in Bayt Furik, wounding 2. An Israeli dies of injuries
received in the 8/19 suicide bombing, bringing that toll to 22. (AFP, BBC, HA,
MM 9/5; WP, WT 9/6; PCHR 9/11; MA 9/12 in WNC 9/16)
The IDF tightens roadblocks btwn. Jerusalem, Ramallah; imposes a
curfew on Silwad nr. Ramallah; shoots, wounds a mentally handicapped
Palestinian who strays into a closed military zone nr. Morag; conducts
arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, and in Aida r.c., Balata
r.c., Bayt Rima and Dayr Ghassana nr. Ramallah, Madama nr. Nablus, Salfit;
begins work on new segments of the separation wall running s. of Hebron
and btwn. East Jerusalem and the Qalandia checkpoint s. of Ramallah, bulldozing
500 d.; reportedly bulldozes large areas in Wadi al-Malih in the n. Jordan
Valley. Palestinians in Nablus report that the IDF is digging a
trench 3 m deep and 4 m wide to encircle Salim, Azmut, Dayr Hatab, Bayt Dajan,
and Bayt Furik villages (combined population 30,000); 3 km have been completed.
(JAZ 9/5; MENA 9/5 in WNC 9/7; VOI 9/6 in WNC 9/8; PR 9/8; PCHR 9/9; PR 9/15)
Armed Palestinians calling themselves the Fatah Fighters kidnap
the PA’s security dir. for the Rafah checkpoint Saad al-Sayfan, accusing
him of corruption. 15 armed Palestinians occupy the Khan Yunis governate
building for 2 hrs., demand that the PA compensate local Palestinians who
have lost their homes to IDF bulldozing. Palestinians fire 5 mortars
at Gush Katif, causing no damage or injuries. A PA court in Gaza opens a
trial against 7 alleged collaborators, including Muhammad and Rami Abu Qaynas,
accused of providing Israel with information used to assassinate Hamas leader
`Abd al-`Aziz Rantisi on 4/17/04.
Israel approves construction of 117 new housing units in Ariel
settlement in contravention of the road map. The IDF patrols in, fires on
residential areas of Tulkarm r.c.; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians youths
at a flying checkpoint outside Jenin, wounding 1, arresting 1; conducts arrest
raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in villages around Nablus,
Tulkarm. Jewish
settlers fr. Kiryat Arba throw stones, bottles at Palestinian homes,
injuring a 3-yr.-old and a 12-yr.-old Palestinian child. (AP 9/5; NYT,
REU 9/6; WP 9/7; PCHR 9/8)
An explosion destroys the Gaza City home of a Hamas mbr., killing 4
Palestinians, wounding more than 12; neighbors say the blast was apparently
caused by explosives kept in the home that detonated accidentally. For a 2d day, 10s of
unemployed Palestinians demonstrate outside a Khan Yunis municipal building
demanding jobs and better living conditions, scuffling with and pelting PA riot
police with stones, leaving 7 officers, 3 demonstrators injured.
10s of PA security forces deploy in Taybeh after 100s of armed men
tied to 1 Muslim family fr. Dayr Jarir burn 13 homes of an extended Christian
family there. The disputes stemmed fr. an affair btwn. a Muslim woman and a
Christian man and the honor killing of the woman involved. Christians in
Taybeh, however, fear an undercurrent of anti-Christian sentiment is to
blame and could result in wider clashes. (AP 9/5; BBC 9/14)
5 Palestinians killed.
The IDF makes 2 air strikes on cars in Rafah r.c., assassinating 4 Hamas
mbrs., wounding 27 bystanders, including 5 children); sends troops, 15 armored
vehicles, accompanied by drones, into Khuza‘a, occupying Palestinian homes as
operational posts, firing on residential areas, killing 1 Palestinian and
wounding 3 on the roof of their home; shoots, wounds a Palestinian shepherd who
strays nr. the central Gaza border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests
Force 17 head Mahmud Damra on charges of orchestrating a 2000 attack that killed
3 Israelis and numerous attacks since then; conducts arrest raids, house
searches in and around Nablus. (NYT, WP, WT 9/6; PCHR 9/7)
In Gaza City, 1,000s of Fatah-affiliated PA
security officers rampage through Gaza City, firing in the air, vandalizing the
PC offices, demanding the payment of their overdue salaries. Meanwhile in the
West Bank, Fatah gunmen enforcing the Government Employees Union strike
intimidate other PA businesses fr. opening as well, prompting the whole West
Bank to observe a general strike for safety.
The IDF sends troops into n. Gaza, bulldozing Palestinian land and searching for rockets and rocket launchers, reportedly uncovering 4 rockets, 11 launchers; Palestinians fire 2 antitank missiles at
the troops, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Nablus (where 3 IDF soldiers
are wounded when an explosive device detonates nr. their patrol) and nr.
Qalqilya, Tulkarm. (IFM 9/5; PCHR 9/6; OCHA 9/12; PCHR 9/13)
Israeli forces arrested 13 Palestinians in Beit Kahil, north of Hebron, another four in towns surrounding Ramallah, and two Hamas-affiliated activists near Bethlehem. (Ma'an News Agency)
Israel approved the recent shipment from Jordan of about 1,000 new assault rifles for PA President Abbas' security forces, Israeli defense officials said. (The Jerusalem Post, Ma'an News Agency, Haaretz, Reuters)
Palestinian Legislative Council member Samira Halaykah Dweik said that former speaker Abdel-Aziz Dweik was moved by Israel from Megiddo prison to Hadareim prison. Another lawmaker, Samir Al-Qadi, was moved from Ofer prison to Megiddo. (Ma'an News Agency)
France was looking at the possibility of sending a European Union (EU) mission to help security in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, diplomats said before a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. A diplomat working for the French Presidency of the EU said that Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner would put preliminary ideas for a European role in a possible international force to his peers at a meeting in Avignon, France, the following day. "If there is an [Israeli-Palestinian] peace agreement by the end of this year, the international community must mobilize to provide guarantees for this agreement … The international community, not only the EU but including the EU, would help guarantee this agreement with an international force that would include Europeans, so that the withdrawal of Israeli forces could go smoothly," the diplomat said. (Haaretz, Reuters)
An investigation carried out by Israeli human rights group Yesh Din and published by Haaretz indicated that there was ongoing cooperation between the Israeli military and settlers in illegally confiscating and controlling privately owned Palestinian land. The army issued military orders confiscating land and the settlers took over, with the Palestinian residents not even seeing the related documents. In recent weeks, settlers had constructed two homes in an outpost, north of the settlement of "Beit El". The Israeli Army had issued orders confiscating the land in question. Yesh Din said that according to official documents, vast areas of the northern neighbourhoods of "Beit El" were built on private Palestinian land. (IMENC)
Israeli President Shimon Peres appeared side by side with PA President Abbas at the Ambrosetti Forum, an annual gathering of global political and business leaders in Italy. President Abbas pledged to try to reach a final status peace agreement by the end of the year, but he admitted that the goal might not be achieved. President Abbas also rejected the notion that Israeli Prime Minister Olmert might put forth a partial document outlining the area in which they do agree and leaving open other issues. "It is necessary for the agreement to address all issues … It's all or nothing, really," said President Abbas. (AP, Haaretz)
Hundreds of Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli soldiers in the West Bank after the army prevented them from attending Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Israel had restricted Palestinian access to men older than 50 and women over 45. Israeli police said that 90,000 worshippers attended prayers at Al-Aqsa, with no incidents. (AP, Haaretz)