Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue at a low level for a
3d day, as severe weather continues. In Hebron,
the IDF evacuates a number of Palestinian residents bordering on the
Jewish settlement enclave, confiscates their homes as new military posts.
Jewish settlers chop down Palestinian olive groves nr. Nablus. The IDF
again shells Bayt Jala. (ADM, MM 10/25; NYT, WT 10/26)
In Gaza, IDF, PA security
officials hold expanded talks on lowering friction and violence in the
field; plan further talks btwn. West Bank security coordinators.
In Gaza, a
roadside bomb goes off nr. an IDF convoy, causing no injuries.
Demonstrations against in solidarity with the Palestinians
are held in Montreal, outside the U.S. emb. in Jakarta. (al-Awda
Internet news group 10/25)
5 Palestinians killed.
The IDF pulls out of Bayt Rima. Heavy clashes continue in Bethlehem
and Tulkarm, leaving a total of 5 Palestinians dead, including a Hamas
mbr. killed by an IDF sniper in Bethlehem. The IDF also shells
residential areas of Rafah; bulldozes a Palestinian home in Dayr
al-Balah; conducts an arrest raid in Jinin. Journalists in Gaza report that the
IDF bulldozing is "methodically creating free-fire [buffer] zones along
the periphery of the Strip." (NYT, REU 10/25; HA, NYT, WP 10/26; LAW 10/31)
Sharon briefs his cabinet on U.S. demands for Israel to withdraw
fr. areas A. Afterward, he reiterates that the IDF will only pull back if the
PA adheres to stringent cease-fire demands, including the arrest and
extradition of "terrorists." The cabinet declares that Israel "reserves the
right to freedom of activity." In response, the U.S. convenes the
trilateral security comm., and envoys fr. the EU, Russia, the
UN, and the U.S. meet with Arafat. After the PA
pledges that areas A would not be used as staging areas for attacks on Israel
after a withdrawal, Israel agrees to begin pulling out of reoccupied Palestinian
towns by 10/28. (WP, WT 10/26; NYT, WP 10/27)
The IDF launches Operation Vanguard in response to the
10/21 Hadera bombing, sending 100s of troops (including 90 snipers), heavy
vehicles into Jenin town and r.c., where the bombers lived. Troops occupy 50
buildings; conduct house-to-house searches, arrest raids; meet some resistance
in the r.c., exchanging gunfire with residents, leaving 6 Fatah mbrs.
seriously wounded. The IDF says the incursion is expected to last several days,
troops are prepared to stay indefinitely. The IDF also shells residential
areas nr. Erez crossing; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron;
bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah, 23 dunams of olive groves in Dayr
al-Balah; begins construction of a new IDF post nr. Netzarim; makes a limited
pullout fr. Palestinian areas of Hebron; eases curfews in Nablus, Qalqilya,
Tulkarm. Palestinian residents of Yanun harvesting their olive groves are
chased off by Jewish settlers just 2 days after the IDF promised
them protection. Jewish settlers complete rebuilding Havat Gilad. (HA,
MM, NYT, WP 10/25; NYT, WP, WT 10/26; MENA 10/27 in WNC 10/28; WP 10/28; LAW,
PCHR 10/30)
1 Palestinian killed.
IDF commandos raid 3 Palestinian hospitals in Nablus, confining
doctors and staff for over 1 hr., detaining 2 wanted Palestinians (1
taken fr. the intensive care unit in critical condition). The IDF also
conducts arrest raids in Qalqilya; fires on residential areas nr. Jenin, nr.
Khan Yunis, in Nablus, nr. Rafah. A Palestinian dies of injuries received
in the 10/20 IDF attack on Nussayrat r.c., bringing that toll to at least 11.
(BBC 10/25; WP, WT 10/26; PCHR 10/30)
11 Palestinians killed.
The IDF continues operations in Khan Yunis, shelling, firing on, and
conducting air strikes on residential areas, killing at least 11 Palestinians
(1 PA security officer, 3 armed Palestinians, 7 civilians, including an
11-yr.-old boy) wounding at least 70, demolishing at least 26 Palestinian
homes; 2 IDF soldiers are also wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade. The
IDF arrests Tulkarm dep. Hamas cmdr. Ahmad Awad; sends troops into
Bayt Furik, fires on residential areas, then fires on stone-throwing youths who
confront the troops, wounding a 13-yr.-old Palestinian; sends troops into Shaykh
Ajlin, demolishes 1 Palestinian home, bulldozes 4 d., conducts arrest
raids; bulldozes 20 d. surrounding Gaza's Dugit settlement; conducts arrest
raids, house searches, sets fire to 2 workshops in Hebron; fires on residential
areas of Yamun. Jewish settlers occupy a vacant Palestinian home in the
Rachel’s Tomb complex in Bethlehem that they claim to have purchased 2 yrs. ago;
local Palestinians deny this. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai settlement
nr. Hebron occupy a vacant Palestinian home (residents had been forced to leave
because of repeated settler attacks). (BBC, MM, PM, PRCS 10/25; VOI, VOP 10/25 in
WNC 10/27; MM, NYT, WP, WT 10/26; PCHR 10/28; PR 11/3)
Palestinian female prisoners in
Israel's Tel Monde prison begin a hunger strike to protest their living
conditions, frequent strip searches.
The IDF carries out predawn air strikes on an AMB building in
n. Gaza (severe damage, no injuries), on an Islamic Jihad cultural center
in Rafah (damaging the building and 2 nearby houses, injuring 5 bystanders).
During the day, the IDF launches an air strike on an open area of n. Gaza
used for launching rockets (no injuries); conducts arrest raids, house searches
nr. Nablus. Late in the evening, IDF fires 12 artillery
shells at open areas of n. Gaza (no injuries); declares the al-Masriyin areas of
Bayt Hanun a closed military zone, warning Palestinians there not to leave their
homes for several hrs.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around
Bethlehem, Hebron. Jewish settlers throw stones at Palestinian cars on
the Ramallah–Nablus road. (HA, REU, WP 10/25; NYT, WP 10/26; PCHR 10/27)
10,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral for Islamic
Jihad's Saadi (assassinated on 10/24) in Tulkarm. The Knights of the
Storm release 2 alleged collaborators it kidnapped in Gaza City on 10/18,
shooting each in the leg.
In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around
Nablus, in Abu Dis and Qabatya, nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Gil’ad attack
Palestinians harvesting an olive grove nr. Qalqilya, injuring 5. (OCHA 11/1; PCHR 11/2)
Unidentified
assailants stab, wound a Fatah mbr. in al-Bureij r.c.
3 Palestinians killed.
Israeli human rights groups petition the Israeli High Court to halt the government’s
10/24 plan to cut electricity to Gaza to pressure Hamas, arguing collective
punishment, forcing the IDF to suspend implementation. Israel says that it will continue to cut 1% of Gaza’s electricity for 15 mins. at a time as a
“symbolic” response to Palestinian rocket fire until Israel’s atty. gen. rules
otherwise. Overnight and into the afternoon, IDF troops conduct arrest
raids, house searches in Khan Yunis, also bulldozing 30 d. of agricultural
land. During the day, the IDF sends infantry units into the Bayt Lahiya
area (to engage several armed Palestinians laying a roadside bomb, killing 1 Palestinian, arresting another), the border area e. of Jabaliya r.c. (where
they clash with armed Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian), and areas nr. Abasan (where they engage with armed Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 4). In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets
on Palestinian children holding 2 peaceful demonstrations in Hebron and nearby
al-Arub r.c. in support of Palestinian prisoners, injuring 3 (ages 13, 16, 17) and arresting 1 (age 14); conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and in Tulkarm (also firing on residential areas, causing damage but no injuries). ( NYT, WT 10/29; OCHA 10/31; PCHR 11/1)
Palestinians fire an RPG at an IDF jeep patrolling the Gaza border nr.
al-Bureij r.c., missing the target, causing no damage or injuries. A
Palestinian is injured in Dayr al-Balah when explosives he is handling detonate
prematurely.
In Ramallah, Palestinians demonstrate for the release of Hamas mbrs. held by the PA; PA
security forces disperse the protesters. An ESF officer dies of injuries
received in the 10/18 clash with the Fatah-affiliated Hillis clan in Gaza City.
Two Palestinian young men were shot and wounded by Israeli troops' near Nablus. Witnesses said that the Israeli army raided the al-Far'a refugee camp amid intensive gunfire. Seven Israeli army jeeps entered the camp and looked for "wanted" militants of the Islamic Jihad. Also, Hamas sources said Israeli naval gun ships opened fire at fishing boats of Palestinian fishermen in the sea of the Gaza Strip, causing no damages or injuries. Sources said the naval forces targeted the Palestinian fishermen's boats almost daily as they approached the restricted area off the shores of Gaza. (Xinhua)
A new contingent of 585 Palestinian security officers was deployed in Hebron as part of PA President Abbas' efforts to reinforce law and order in the West Bank. The deployment had taken place in coordination with the Israeli army which said in a statement, however, that the Palestinian operation was a temporary measure to help combat Hamas and maintain public order and did not constitute a transfer of overall security responsibility from Israeli to Palestinian forces. Hundreds of Palestinian security forces had been deployed earlier in the West Bank towns of Jenin and Nablus. PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said that the deployment was part of a plan by the PA to bring security to its people, just like in any other country in the world. (AFP, AP, Haaretz, Ma'an News Agency)
In an interview with Swedish Radio, Nobel peace prize winner Martti Ahtisaari said it was a disgrace that the international community had not managed to resolve the conflict in the Middle East, blaming the failure on a lack of political will. He said he was ashamed that neither Europe nor the US had been capable of reaching a solution. "It is clear a Palestinian State is needed. The Israelis need to be guaranteed peace," he said. He also criticized the Western boycott of Hamas. (AP)
Three Palestinians were killed when a tunnel beneath the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed. Palestinian medics said that the deaths brought the number of Palestinians killed in such tunnels to 50. Rafah Mayor Eissa Al-Nashar estimated that there were 400 tunnels used to bring food, livestock, household items and fuel into the Gaza Strip. (DPA)