Some 150 Jewish settlers set fire to Palestinian cars, 15 dunams of wheat
fields, some 1,700 olive trees nr. Nablus; attack farmers attempting to put out
the fires. The IDF imposes a curfew on Bayt Lahia. (AP 6/21; NYT, WT
6/22; PMC 6/22; LAW 6/23; HP 6/26)
In Gaza, Palestinians fire a large-caliber mortar, antitank grenades at
2 IDF border posts, lightly wounding 1 soldier, damaging 1 building.
12 Palestinians killed.
Before dawn, the IDF reoccupies Askar r.c., Balata r.c., Camp No. 1,
Nablus, Tulkarm town and r.c.; reinforces troops around Hebron; imposes 24-hr.
curfews on Aida r.c., Awarta, Bayt Furik, Bayt Jala, Dayr al-Ghusun, Hawara,
Jarushiyya, al-Khadir, Sayta, Shuwayka, al-Til. In Jenin, troops blow up a
building, also collapsing a house next door, killing 1 Palestinian boy.
Later, an IDF tank opens fire with shells, machine guns on a crowded
market in Jenin, killing 4 Palestinians, injuring 26 among 100s who had
gathered to shop, believing that the IDF had eased the curfew; 20 cars, 30
stores are also destroyed. (In another neighborhood, 2 children playing
in front of their home are killed when the IDF fires a tank round to
break up a crowd "violating the curfew," which residents thought had been
lifted.) In Shaykh Ajlin, the IDF opens fire on a group of Palestinian
children and an AP reporter, killing 1 Palestinian boy. Following a funeral settlers killed on 6/20, Jewish settlers
attack the Palestinian village of Hawara (see 6/17), killing 1 Palestinian,
firing on and throwing rocks at buildings, setting a car and shop ablaze,
attacking journalists. (AP, LAW, WP 6/21; XIN 6/21, MA 6/23 in WNC 6/24; NYT,
UPMRC, WP, WT 6/22; HP 6/23; PRCS press release 6/24; LAW 6/26; PCHR 6/27; MEI
6/28; HA 7/2; BBC, HA 7/5)
The Israeli inner cabinet agrees in principle to expel the families
of Palestinian suicide bombers fr. the West Bank to Gaza as a "disincentive
for attackers." (NYT, WP, WT 6/22; HP, JPI, NYT 6/23; MM 6/24, 6/27; MEI 6/28)
In Gaza,
Palestinians fire an anti-tank rocket at an IDF post, seriously
injuring 1 soldier; the IDF demolishes a naval police post, bulldozes 4.5 dunams
of Palestinian land in response. Nr. Erez crossing, a Palestinian throws
a grenade at an IDF checkpoint, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF
fatally shoots him, also killing 2 Palestinian laborers waiting to cross
the checkpoint.
2 Palestinians killed.
The IDF assassinates senior Hamas mbr. Abdallah Qawasmi,
ambushing and shooting at his car as he drives through Hebron; Israel claims
Qawasmi plotted the 6/11 Jerusalem bus bombing; Sharon calls the killing
a “successful and very important act.” The IDF also bulldozes a
Palestinian home, a poultry farm, 3 dunams of land nr. Dayr al-Balah. A
Palestinian dies of injuries received during the IDF assassination of Lidawi
on 6/13, bringing that toll to 1. (NYT, WP, WT 6/22; VOI 6/22 in WNC 6/24; MM,
WP 6/23; AYM 6/23, al-Ra’i 6/24 in WNC 6/26; PR 6/25; PCHR 6/26; MEI
6/27)
The IDF fires on a delegation of British, UN officials touring
the destruction in Rafah, causing no injuries; Britain lodges a formal complaint
with Israel. Nr. Salfit, the IDF also fires a new type of gas at
Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists staging a nonviolent protest
against the separation wall, sending some 50 protesters to the hospital
with severe convulsions, temporary blackouts, impaired vision, difficulty
breathing; troops then raid a local hospital that treated the injured, beat
medical workers. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Dayr
al-Balah, Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids and house searches, demolishes 2
Palestinian homes, severely damages 11 in Wadi al-Silqa. (JTA 6/21; VOI 6/21 in WNC 6/23; MM 6/22; PR 6/23;
PCHR 6/24; NYT 6/25)
Palestinians
fire a mortar at Kefar Darom settlement, killing a Thai worker in a
greenhouse; fire a Qassam rocket toward Israel, causing no damage or
injuries. Unidentified assailants fire 25 shots at the empty, parked car
of senior Fatah mbr. and Arafat loyalist Hani al-Hassan; Hassan blames
Palestinian collaborators.
Overnight, the IDF arrests 52 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in the
largest raids against the group in the West Bank since 3/05; half of the mbrs.
are arrested in Hebron, others in Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah. Minutes before
Sharon and Abbas hold their 1st mtg. since the 2/8 Sharm al-Shaykh summit to
coordinate disengagement, IDF aircraft fires 2
missiles at a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya in what Israeli
officials say is a failed attempt to assassinate a wanted Islamic Jihad mbr.
The Israel FMin. says that "the message was very clear—that Israel cannot
accept the fact that Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the al-Aqsa Brigades have
weapons." The PA urges Islamic Jihad, the AMB to abide by
the cease-fire. The IDF also conducts arrest
raids, house searches in Nablus, Qalqilya and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm.
(AFP, HA, JAZ 6/21; VOP 6/21 in WNC 6/21; Daily Star, HA, NYT, PR, WP, WT
6/22; PCHR, WP, WT 6/23; VOI 6/23 in WNC 6/24; QA 6/27 in WNC 6/28; Jordan
Times 7/1)
The Knesset Interior Comm. discusses the civilian aspects of the Or
Commission's 9/1/03 report into the 10/00 riots during which 13 Israeli
Palestinians were killed by police. Fmr. High Court Justice Theodore Or says
that the government has done nothing to implement his comm.'s recommendations
(particularly for achieving equal rights for Israeli Palestinians),
address the issues raised in the report. (YA 6/21)
Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement
in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries.
2 Palestinians killed.
In Gaza, the IDF makes 2 air strikes on Islamic Jihad mbrs. driving in Khan
Yunis, missing the car, hitting the street and a house, killing 2 Palestinian
bystanders, including a pregnant woman, and wounding 15 bystanders; prevents EU
monitors fr. reaching the Rafah crossing, forcing it to close for the day;
closes the Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings for the day, citing security threats;
detains 2 unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak across the Gaza border into
Israel to find work; fires on 2 Palestinians swimming off the Gaza coast nr. the
Egyptian border, suspected of smuggling, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF
patrols in Dura (firing on residential areas, then firing live ammunition at
stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries), Nablus (firing
rubber bullets at stone-throwing youths, wounding 12); conducts arrest raids,
house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron, and in Bethlehem and Jalazun
r.c. nr. Ramallah.
(OCHA 6/21; ITV, MENA, VOI, YA 6/21 in WNC 6/22; HA, MM, PCHR, WP, WT 6/22; VOI,
YA 6/22 in WNC 6 /23; HA 6/24; OCHA 6/28; PCHR 6/29)
Palestinians fire 2 rockets
fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In Gaza City, a bomb goes off in a car driven by a mbr. of
the Fatah-dominated PSF, injuring the 3 people in the car; no group claims
responsibility. Unidentified gunmen shoot, wound 2 Fatah mbrs. in Khan Yunis.
In Gaza, the IDF
bulldozes Palestinian land along the border e. of Jabaliya r.c. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids,
house searches nr. Jenin and in Balata
r.c., Nablus. (PCHR 6/28)
Israeli forces raided civilian houses and arrested 19-year-old Adnan Sha'abneh and 16-year-old Bader Nabil Jamal in
Zububa village, north-west of Jenin. Nine people were arrested the same day in the Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah.
(Ma'an News Agency, WAFA)
The Civic Coalition to Defend Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, a network of 18 Palestinian human rights NGOs, launched
a campaign to mobilize the international community to end Israel's "de facto expulsion" of Palestinians from Jerusalem.
The Coalition called on activists and Governments around the world to take concrete action to pressure Israel into
ending violations against Palestinians' housing and residency rights in the city. The Coalition would also be targeting
multinational corporations which provide services that assist in the occupation of Jerusalem. (Ma'an News Agency)
Israeli forces raided the Nur Shams refugee camp and other areas in and around Tulkarm, handing over written orders summoning five Palestinians from the camp and another from the town of Dubanah for interrogation by the Israeli intelligence, Palestinian sources said. (Ma’an News Agency)
At the weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the diplomatic speech that he had made at Bar-Ilan University last week. Mr. Netanyahu, among other things, said the following: “. . . The two main points that I sought to emphasize were: First of all, that we are talking about two States for two peoples and one of these is the Jewish People, and the Jewish People are entitled to a national State of their own. … It was important to me to emphasize that the Palestinian side must recognize Israel as the national State of the Jewish People just as we are being asked to recognize the Palestinian State as the national State of the Palestinian people. Moreover, a peace agreement must put an end to their claims in this regard and to all claims, and put an end to the conflict. … The second issue, of course, is demilitarization because security will not be achieved except by demilitarization and demilitarization does not detract from the Palestinian self-determination. I do not understand why, for the purpose of Palestinian self-determination, they need Kassams and GRAD missiles. I can understand that they need a strong police force and security services; we are encouraging this but they do not need tanks, artillery or missiles. … Therefore, on these principles – recognition of Israel as the national State of the Jewish People and an end to claims, and the clear demand that the international community guarantee effective demilitarization measures – I think that we have thereby covered the areas of a very broad consensus among the Israeli public”. (www.pmo.gov.il)
Israel's coordinator for activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Amos Gilad, had allowed a 350 head of cattle shipment into the Gaza Strip after US pressure on Israel to lift restrictions on food going into Gaza. The preparations were also ongoing for the importation of more cattle next week, and for nearly 4,000 during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Haaretz)
Settlers from the settlement of “Sasia” set fire to a large tent. Three Palestinians inside it, who hailed from a small hamlet near Yatta, south of Hebron, narrowly escaped death, local residents said. (Ma’an News agency)
After meeting with President Mubarak in Cairo, Israeli Defense Minister Barak said at a press conference that regional talks would be better for Israel than bilateral negotiations with the Palestinians towards a peace accord. He said that in negotiations with the Palestinians, Israel was the only one that could give. The Palestinians were the underdog and the talks were asymmetrical. But in regional talks, Mr. Barak said it would become clear that Israel was the isolated party. He said topics could include the struggle against radical Islamic terrorism and economic projects. Mr. Barak's office released a transcript of his remarks where he also said, "The Arab side has much to give in the form of confidence building measures and steps toward normalization.” (AP)
Israeli Defence Minister Barak met in Cairo with Egyptian President Mubarak, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Intelligence Chief General Omar Suleiman. After the meeting, Mr. Barak said that a new negotiating team was examining ways to move forward in the case of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Egyptian sources said Mr. Barak’s visit was to hear about Cairo's plan to advance a broader deal for a ceasefire and a rapprochement between the Palestinian factions. (Haaretz)
The armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for launching two mortar shells at an Israeli position east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces launched an incursion deep into the camp, located in the central Gaza Strip. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the incursion. The Israeli military also said that it had defused four explosive devices along the border. (Ma’an News Agency)
During a workshop in Cairo, Hamas official and former PA Minister of Health Bassam Naim said that 22 per cent of medicines donated to the Gaza Strip were either expired or recycled, and were unfit for consumption. He said that some medicines had become abundant, while others remained scarce due to inappropriate selection. He also said the Union of Arab Physicians began a distance training programme for Gazans who worked in the health sector. (Ma’an News Agency)