16 Israelis killed.
After the suicide bomb in Jerusalem, angry Israelis in Jerusalem, Jewish
settlers in Hebron attack Palestinians in the streets, with little
intervention fr. Israeli police, soldiers. Fearing a massive Israeli
strike, Palestinians throughout the occupied territories close offices
and stores, take refuge in their homes. The
IDF directs heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Bayt Lahia,
Jericho, Khan Yunis, Nablus, Rafah; bulldoze a Palestinian home in Gaza.
(AP, BBC, HA 8/9; ITAR-TASS, MENA 8/9 in WNC 8/10; NYT, PMC, WP, WT 8/10; JT
8/10 in WNC 8/13; WP 8/11)
Immediately after the bombing, the IDF senior command, Israeli
cabinet convene separately to discuss response scenarios. The cabinet agrees
to a new strategy of hitting PA targets only with the aim of forcing
Arafat to choose btwn. a full cease-fire, destruction of the PA. This
evening, Sharon meets with his security cabinet, which also
decides to set up new police stations in East Jerusalem. (HA 8/9; CNN, HA, JP
[Internet], LAW, NYT, REU, WP, WT 8/10; MENA 8/10 in WNC 8/13; WT 8/11; Times
[London] 8/13; WT 8/15)
Late tonight (2:00 a.m. local time), Israel sends F-16s to
destroy a PSF post in Ramallah; sends more tanks into Gaza, bulldozing 1
PSF post. Israeli security forces occupy 10 unofficial PLO offices in
East Jerusalem, including Orient House (the symbolic PLO FMin.); also
detain 8 Orient House employees for questioning, confiscate files, remove
the Palestinian flag, raise an Israeli flag. The IDF takes over the Abu
Dis mayor's residence, several surrounding homes Israel claims are used as PA
security command centers, marking the 1st reoccupation of sites in area B.
Sharon declares that "Orient House will not open again. Ever. We will not
leave Abu Dis." The State Dept. says the actions mark a "political
escalation." Russia warns Israel has crossed a "dangerous line." In
response, Israel removes the Israeli flag fr. Orient House. (HA 8/9; CNN, HA, JP
[Internet], LAW, NYT, REU, WP, WT 8/10; MENA 8/10 in WNC 8/13; WT 8/11; JT,
al-Quds 8/12 in WNC 8/14; Times [London] 8/13; AYM 8/13, SA 8/14 in
WNC 8/15; ATL 8/15 in WNC 8/16)
A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device at a crowded West Jerusalem
pizzeria, killing 13 Israelis, 1 American, 1 Brazilian and
wounding at least 90. Palestinian gunmen
fire on a vehicle nr. Jinin, killing 1 Jewish settler, wounding 3.
A PA security court in Nablus sentences another Palestinian to
death for collaborating with Israel in the 2/19 assassination of Hamas mbr.
Mahmud Madani. (Independent [Internet] 8/10)
3 Palestinians killed.
The IDF exchanges gunfire with armed Palestinians in
Tulkarm r.c., fatally shooting a Palestinian bystander; closes a settler
bypass road s. of Jerusalem for several hrs. after reports of "suspicious
figures" in the area (who turn out to be shepherds carrying crooks); conducts
arrest raids in Dayr al-Balah, Qalqilya; bulldozes 2 dunams of agricultural land
in and shells residential areas of Khan Yunis. 1 Palestinian dies of
injuries received during the 7/22 IDF air strike; a 2d Palestinian dies
of injuries received on 8/7. (NYT 8/10; PCHR 8/16)
The IDF conducts arrest raids nr. Nablus, targeting Hamas;
fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis. (VOI 8/9 in WNC 8/12; PCHR 8/14)
Palestinians
fire 2 mortars at Gush Katif settlement, causing no damage or injuries.
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF resumes work (halted by Israeli court order in late 2002) on a
settler bypass road in Hebron linking Kiryat Arba settlement to the Ibrahimi
Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs, demolishing 3 600-yr.-old historic buildings
(including 11 residential apartments); local Jewish settlers harass
Palestinians in the area. The IDF also continues operations in Rafah
begun overnight, demolishing 12 Palestinian homes; uproots 130 dunams of
citrus groves s. of Gaza City; raids the offices of the al-Islah Islamic
Association in Bethlehem, confiscating computers, files; fires on
residential areas of Khan Yunis, al-Qarara; conducts arrest raids, house
searches in Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Yatta. Jewish settlers burn 60 olive
trees in Marda village nr. Salfit. A 12-yr.-old Palestinian shot by the
IDF in Khan Yunis on 8/7 dies of his injuries. (HA, PM 8/10; PR 8/11; PCHR 8/12)
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF delays passage of an ambulance through the separation wall
gate at Kafr Qadim to a hospital in Qalqilya, allowing a Palestinian
heart attack victim to die; imposes curfews on `Ayn al-Bayda, Bardala, Kardala
in the n. Jordan Valley; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around
Hebron, nr. Bethlehem, and in `Azun, Khan Yunis, Nur al-Shams r.c.; searches a
home in Azariyya; patrols in villages around Jenin, in Nablus. (IMEMC, XIN 8/9; IMEMC, JAZ 8/10)
During Abbas's
speech to the PC in Gaza City, several armed AMB mbrs. break into the
courtyard of the PC building, stage a brief sit-in demanding jobs and government
support, leave without incident when PA officials promise to look into their
demands.
6 Palestinians killed.
In Gaza, the IDF closes the Nahal Oz pipeline, Qarni crossing for the day;
makes an air strike on a group of PRC mbrs. n. of Gaza City, killing 2 PRC
mbrs.,a 3yr.- old girl in a house nearby, wounding 2 PRC mbrs.; makes air
strikes destroying the home of an Islamic Jihad mbr. in Bayt Hanun, a 2d home
elsewhere in Gaza (warning residents to leave beforehand). A Palestinian is
killed in Jabaliya r.c. when he accidentally detonates unexploded IDF ordnance.
In the West Bank, the IDF also makes air strikes on a house in Jenin r.c.,
assassinating Islamic Jihad mbrs. Amjad al-‘Ajami, Muhammad Atik, wounding 12
bystanders (including 7 children); conducts arrest raids, house searches in and
around Hebron and Jenin, in Nablus, nr. Tulkarm (targeting PA security force
mbrs.). (BBC, REU 8/9; PCHR 8/10; OCHA 8/16; PCHR 8/17)
The Israeli security cabinet approves plans to expand ground operations in s.
Lebanon, speed IDF deployment to the Litani River. The IDF immediately begins
reinforcing troops on the n. Israel border (anticipating a build-up of as many
as 5,000 troops) and moves an additional 1,000 troops into s. Lebanon. The IDF
continues air, naval, and artillery strikes across Lebanon, shelling ‘Ayn
al-Hilwa r.c. (allegedly targeting the home of a Hizballah mbr., killing at
least 2 persons, wounding 5), making an air strike on an apartment in Mashghara
in the Biqa‘ Valley just n. of the Litani (killing a Hizballah official, 8
family mbrs.), hitting targets in s. Beirut. Ground operations also continue in
s. Lebanon, with heavy clashes reported in Aita al-Sha‘b (4 IDF soldiers
killed), Bint Jubayl, Dibil (9 IDF soldiers killed), Labuna, Jibbayn, al-Khiyam,
Marja’uyun (1 IDF solider killed), Qantara, Taybeh, resulting in Israel’s
highest daily toll to date, with 15 IDF soldiers dead and 38 wounded; the IDF
claims to have killed 40 Hizballah mbrs. Hizballah fires some 170 rockets into
n. Israel, hitting targets in Acre, Kiryat Shimona, Ma’alot, Safad. (BBC, HA,
IFM, NYT, WP 8/9; NYT, WP, WT 8/10)
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF makes air
strikes on a suspected Islamic Jihad rocket launch site nr. Rafah
airport, sends in troops to occupy and search the area, causing damage but no
injuries; fatally shoots an Islamic Jihad mbr. laying a roadside bomb
nr. an IDF observation tower at the Nahal Oz crossing. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house
searches in and around Qalqilya and in Jenin town
and r.c.; seals 8 Palestinian shops in the Old City of Hebron nr. Beit Romano
settlement, declaring the area a closed military zone. A 15-yr.-old Palestinian
is injured by IDF UXO nr. Jenin. (NYT 8/10; OCHA 8/15;
PCHR 8/16)
The Hamas-led admin. in Gaza fires Exec. Dir. Hazza’ Abed,
Public Relations Dir. Juma’ al-Saqqa
of Gaza City’s al-Shifa hospital, charging them with financial improprieties
and corruption, and arresting Saqqa; Fatah claims that the men were
removed for political reasons. In Gaza City, unidentified assailants detonate
an explosive device outside the Fatal al-Yasir offices, causing damage but no injuries.