2 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
In response to the attack on a settler family on 8/25, the IDF
dispatches F-15s and F-16s to bomb the PA Military Intelligence
headquarters outside Gaza City and the PSF headquarters in Salfit,
killing 1 PSF officer, wounding 18 Palestinians. Also in Gaza City,
IDF shells, destroys the PSF headquarters and bulldozes 2 PSF
checkpoints; helicopters hover over Arafat's headquarters but do not fire. This
evening, after the AMB fatally shoots an Israeli civilian driving
outside Tulkarm, the IDF shells PSF buildings and checkpoints in Tulkarm,
al-Bireh, killing 1 PSF officer. Sharon meets with Ben-Eliezer,
Peres; reportedly decides to step up retaliatory attacks on PA targets,
shorten the time btwn. incident and retaliation, even if this means striking
occupied buildings. (AP, NYT, WT 8/26; NYT, WP, WT 8/27; MA 8/27 in WNC 8/28;
al-Quds 8/29 in WNC 8/30; al-Quds, Star 8/30 in WNC 8/31)
AMB fatally shoots an Israeli civilian driving
outside Tulkarm
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF sends tanks into Jenin town, r.c. to arrest wanted Hamas
mbr. Jamal Abu al-Hayja, demolish at least 1 Palestinian home; fires
rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian stone throwers in Ramallah during a
temporary lifting of the curfew, injuring 6 Palestinians (including a
photographer for Reuters). Israel announces that 7 Israeli Arabs
fr. the n. village of Bana were arrested "some time ago" by Shin Bet for
involvement in a Hamas bombing on 8/4/02; says it may run its buffer fence w. of
some Israeli Arab towns as a result, effectively treating them as part of the
West Bank. A Jewish settler kills a Palestinian child in a
hit-and-run nr. Hebron. (NYT, WT 8/27; PCHR 8/28; MEI 8/30)
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF makes a failed assassination attempt on Hamas mbr. Khalid
Massud, firing missiles at his car as he drives btwn. Gaza City and Jabaliya
r.c.; 1 Palestinian bystander is killed, Massud and 25 bystanders are
wounded. The IDF also sends troops back into Nablus to raid a hospital,
arrest and take away 2 AMB mbrs. wounded on 8/22, including 1 who was in
intensive care; fires on, shells Palestinians in Hebron (wounding 5), Khan Yunis
(wounding 2). (HA, JP 8/26; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 8/27; PCHR 8/28)
Some 50 Palestinians, including Waqf official Mustafa
Abu Zahara, stage a sit-down prayer vigil blocking Israeli police fr.
leading a group of Jewish tourists fr. entering the Temple Mount/Haram
al-Sharif; Abu Zahara, several others are arrested.
2 Palestinians killed.
After Palestinians fire several Qassam rockets toward Sederot
(causing no damage or injuries) and a mortar at Gush Katif (damaging a
building), the IDF closes the Rafah crossing linking Egypt and Gaza;
shuts main roads in Gaza to Palestinian traffic, dividing the Strip into thirds;
attempts to assassinate for a 2d time (the 1st was on 5/15/00) Islamic Jihad
military cmdr. Muhammad Khalil by firing rockets at his Rafah home, wounding
him and 5 family mbrs., killing 1 Palestinian neighbor. Senior AMB
mbr. Shadi Awamir is killed, 2 Palestinians are injured in a mysterious
explosion in his home in Gaza City in what may be an assassination. The IDF
demolishes 12 Palestinian homes, fires on residential areas in Rafah;
conducts a major raid on Nablus, firing on the Old City fr. helicopters,
searching and occupying Palestinian homes as gun posts, clashing with local
Palestinians, wounding at least 15 (including 5 children); fires on Palestinians
waiting to cross Gaza’s Abu Huli crossing, wounding 3; conducts arrest raids,
house searches in Bayt Dajan nr. Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah. (VOI 8/26 in WNC
8/28; NYT, WP 8/27; HA, VOI 8/27 in WNC 8/31; PCHR 9/2)
The IDF arrests a Palestinian on the Gaza beach in al-Mawasi for no
apparent reason; imposes a day-long curfew on `Azun nr. Qalqilya, searches
several homes, arrests 1 Palestinian; conducts arrest raids, house searches in
Marda nr. Nablus. A Jewish settler who set herself on fire on 8/17 to
protest the disengagement dies of her injuries, marking the only fatality of the
disengagement process. (WP 8/27; PCHR 9/1)
1 Palestinian killed.
In Gaza, the IDF sends troops fr. Dahaniyya airport, escorted by helicopters
and drones, into al-Shuka to conduct arrest raids; fires on Palestinian
fishermen on the Gaza beach, injuring 1. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a major
raid on Nablus, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, killing
a 16-yr.-old Palestinian, wounding at least 11, demolishing 4 Palestinian homes
before leaving without making any arrests. The IDF also patrols in Ras ‘Atiya
nr. Qalqilya, conducting random ID checks, firing on residential areas; conducts
arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar nr. Nablus
area fire on Palestinian children in Bayt Furik, seriously wounding a 12-yr.-old
boy. Unidentified gunmen shoot, wound a local Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine (PFLP) leader in Jabaliya r.c. (AP, IMEMC, NYT 8/27; WP 8/28; OCHA
8/30; PCHR 8/31; PMG 9/1)
In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike
on a suspected rocket-launching site nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no injuries. The UNRWA
appeals to Israel to allow 5 truckloads of paper into Gaza so that
textbooks may be printed for students, who resume classes on 9/1, arguing that the paper constitutes humanitarian aid; Israel refuses, saying the paper might be used to print books “with Hamas ideology . . . or for other
propagandist endeavors.” UNRWA also argues that Israel should resume imports of
construction materials to Gaza for homes, schools, other infrastructure projects, the deterioration of which constitutes a public health concern. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches in Nablus and neighboring Askar r.c. A Jewish settler
in Hebron injures a Palestinian woman in a deliberate hit-and-run incident. (UNIS 8/27; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30; OCHA 9/13)
Clashes with FI in Nahr al-Barid
r.c. leave 3 Lebanese soldiers dead. (WP 8/27)
The
Palestinian Union of Medical Professions in Gaza announces a work
slowdown, with mbrs. working only btwn. 8:00 a.m.
and 11:00 a.m., to protest the Hamas acting government’s replacement
of senior health officials at several clinics and hospitals.
Israel closed its border crossings with the Gaza Strip. (Ma'an News Agency)
An Israeli military court sentenced the Mayor of Jenin, 62-year-old Hatem Jarrar (Hamas), to six years in prison, an Army statement said. Mr. Jarrar had been convicted on 21 August for being a member a "terrorist organization", the statement said. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Rice said that "God willing, with the good will of the parties, and the tireless work of the parties, we have a good chance of succeeding" and that there could still be a Mideast peace agreement before the end of President Bush's term in office. Ms. Rice also had a three-way meeting with the heads of the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams, Ahmed Qureia and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. (AP, Ma'an News Agency)
Speaking alongside US Secretary of State Rice in Ramallah, PA President Abbas said that the PA leadership was not prepared to miss any opportunity and intended to exert every effort to resolve the conflict with Israel. He stressed that a comprehensive and not a partial solution was needed. (The Jerusalem Post)
In its semi-annual report, Peace Now said that Israel was erasing the Green Line and continuing to build settlements. Over 1,000 new buildings were being constructed in the settlements with approximately 2,600 housing units. Approximately 55 per cent of the new structures were located to the east of the separation wall. The Israeli Housing Ministry initiated 433 new housing units during the period January to May 2008, compared to 240 during the same period in 2007. Construction initiated by the Ministry accounted for 64 per cent of all construction in the West Bank. The number of tenders in East Jerusalem had increased by a factor of 38 (1,761 housing units compared to 46 in 2007). (Haaretz, Ma'an News Agency, www.peacenow.org.il)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated the US position that Israel should stop expanding settlements on Palestinian territory. She said, "Settlement activity is not conducive to creating an environment for negotiations, yet negotiations go on." Ms. Rice also said that settlement activity threatened to undermine the talks. PA President Abbas said that settlements "are undoubtedly a main obstacle in the road of the peace process." (AP, Ma'an News Agency, The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)
Israeli Defence Minister Barak met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Alexandria to discuss Egypt's efforts to broker a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas. Mr. Barak said that Israel viewed Egypt as a central factor in the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. They also discussed the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and efforts of Egypt to curb arms smuggling in to the Gaza Strip. Mr. Barak said that Egyptian authorities had cracked down on smuggling across the border but that the measures were still not enough. Israel Radio said that Egyptian security forces had recently discovered 140 smuggling tunnels under the borders with the Gaza Strip, using high-tech equipment Egypt received from the United States. These details were communicated to Mr. Barak during his meeting with Egyptian Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi and Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman. (Haaretz, Ma'an News Agency)