1 Palestinian killed.
Low-level Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 1
Palestinian dead. In a predawn raid, the IDF sends bulldozers and
tanks into Rafah, under cover of shells and machine gun fire, to demolish at
least 19 Palestinian homes. Jewish settlers close the
Hebron+nBethlehem road, attack Palestinian vehicles. (LAW 6/23; MEZ, WT 6/24; AFP
[Internet] 6/28; MEI 6/29)
The PA detains
Islamic Jihad Gaza head Abdallah Shami for "acting against the Palestinian
interests" for criticizing the cease-fire.
2 Palestinians killed. 1 Israeli killed.
The IDF calls up another 3,000 reservists; shells a building in
Tulkarm r.c., killing 1 PSF officer (children nearby reportedly were
stoning the tank); imposes 24-hr. curfews on Abu Dis, Anabta, Araqa, Bayt Jibrin
r.c., Bayt Wazzan, al-Funduq, Hashimiyya, Kafr Rumman, Yamun, Zawata; conducts
arrest raids and house-to-house searches in Jenin town and surrounding villages,
fatally shooting a 2d Palestinian in Yamun; directs shells, heavy machine
gun fire at the al-Mawasi checkpoint and residential areas in Dahaysha r.c.,
Khan Yunis; fire live ammunition, rubber bullets at Palestinians approaching
al-Bireh, Jawal, Surda checkpoints into Ramallah; bulldozes nearly 100 dunams of
agricultural land n. of Bayt Lahia. An IDF soldier dies of injuries received on 6/15; a Palestinian
boy dies of injuries received on 6/21. (HP 6/23; NYT, WP, WT 6/24; RMC 6/24
in WNC 6/25; NYT 6/25; QA 6/25 in WNC 6/26; LAW 6/26; PCHR 6/27)
The PA places Hamas spiritual
leader Shaykh Ahmad Yasin under house arrest, arrests 11 Hamas mbrs. in
Gaza.
The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in Jenin; conducts arrest
raids in Nablus. Nr. the Negev village of Tal Arad, 5 Israeli policemen
attempt to arrest a bedouin youth for throwing stones at cars, sparking a
riot by 10s of local bedouin in which the police shoot, wound 3 bedouin;
2 bedouin, 5 policemen are also injured in scuffles. Jewish settlers
set up a new unauthorized outpost, nr. the site of 1 taken down last wk.
Israel bars entry at the Ben-Gurion Airport to a delegation of
Belgian, Dutch doctors on a mission to assess the damage to the Palestinian
health care system in the West Bank, Gaza. (HA, Medical Fact Finding
Mission–Palestine press release 6/23; PCHR, WJW 6/26)
Palestinians fire a
Qassam rocket at Sederot, lightly injuring 1 Israeli.
4 Palestinians killed.
The IDF raids Nablus, fatally shoots local Islamic Jihad military
cmdr. Shadi Salim in an apparent assassination, severely beats a 2d
Palestinian. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in
Dahaysha r.c. and nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm; fatally shoots a Palestinian who
allegedly attempts to infiltrate Gaza’s Gan Or settlement; fires on residential
areas of Rafah. A Palestinian dies of
injuries received during the 7/22 IDF raid on Bayt Hanun; a 2d Palestinian
dies of injuries received during the 5/18 IDF raid on Rafah. (HA 6/23; VOI, VOP
6/23 in WNC 6/25; PCHR 6/24; PR 6/30; PCHR 7/1)
Egyptian envoy Sulayman presents Arafat, PA PM Ahmad Qurai`,
Sharon with a detailed timetable for moving forward with Sharon’s
disengagement plan in a way that would link disengagment to the road map, a
comprehensive cease-fire. (AP, MM 6/23; MENA, VOI, VOP 6/23 in WNC 6/25; MM
6/24; AYM, VOP 6/24 in WNC 6/26; NYT 6/25; Globes 7/8 in WNC 7/9)
Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF
patrol in Rafah, causing no damage or injuries.
The IDF fires on residential areas of, conducts arrest raids and house
searches in, Qalqilya; raids, searches houses in al-Til nr. Bethlehem and Saida
nr. Tulkarm, occupying 6 houses as observation posts. (NYT, WP 6/23; YA 6/24; BBC, HA 6/25; OCHA, PR 6/29; PHRC 6/30)
Palestinians fire a
mortar at Neve Dekalim, injuring 1 Jewish settler; fire on a Jewish
settler vehicle nr. Salfit, wounding 1 Jewish settler. After the PA police
in Jenin arrest a Palestinian militant for firing on the home and setting fire
to the car of PC mbr. Jamal Shati al-Hindi, Palestinian gunmen
stage a drive-by shooting of the police station in Jenin, killing the PA
police officer who made the arrest; the AMB stresses that its mbrs.
were not involved.
The IDF makes its 1st arrest raid into Gaza since the 9/05 disengagement,
temporarily closing the Rafah crossing and sending troops 1,000 m into Rafah to
detain 2 wanted Palestinians, allegedly mbrs. of Hamas; Hamas denies the men
belong to the group. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in and
around Nablus, in Tulkarm r.c. (firing on residential areas), and nr. Hebron,
Jenin, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa s. of Hebron beat a Palestinian
grazing animals nearby. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to 3 Palestinian
cars, a tractor outside Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Tal Rumayda in Hebron attack
4 international peace activists escorting Palestinian children to school; IDF
soldiers observe but do not intervene. (MM 6/23; HA 6/24;
WP, WT 6/25; OCHA, World Council of Churches press release 6/28; PCHR 6/29)
Islamic Jihad fires 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no
damage or injuries. Mbrs. of the Hamas-dominated ESF fire on
the home of a PSF mbr. in Khan Yunis, wounding 1 bystander.
In Gaza, the IDF sends
tanks, troops into al-Qarara, occupying homes as sniper posts, exchanging fire with Palestinians who also fire 15
mortars at IDF tanks; no injuries
are reported; the IDF withdraws late in the evening. In the West Bank, the IDF broadens its crackdown on Hamas,
arresting the head of the IQB; sends troops
into al-`Aqaba village in the Jordan Valley, raiding the home of the mayor, demanding that he remove a Palestinian flag
atop the local school, raiding the school and
removing the flag when he refuses; conducts patrols in, fire on residential
areas of Nablus, causing no injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus, Tulkarm. An ESF
mbr. dies of injuries received in a
1/25 Fatah attack on his patrol in Jabaliya r.c. (NYT, WP, WT 6/24; OCHA 6/27; PCHR 6/28)
While daily clashes at Nahr
al-Barid continue, Lebanese soldiers raid an apartment building in Tripoli suspected of housing an arms cache,
resulting in a clash with 6 suspected FI
mbrs. (3 Saudis, 1 Chechen, 2 Lebanese). During the 10-hr. battle, the 6 militants, 2 bystanders, 1
soldier, 1 police officer are
killed, 12 soldiers are wounded. (WP 6/24; NYT, WP, WT 6/25)
A 67-year-old Palestinian was shot in the shoulder and neck by Israeli forces while he was in his garden, which is
located 350 metres from the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. (Ma'an News Agency)
Israeli troops stormed at dawn the village of Deir Abu Masha'l, north of Ramallah, arresting five Palestinians. (WAFA)
Israeli army bulldozers uprooted more than 200 olive trees in Beit Hanina, north of Jerusalem. (Ma'an News Agency)
During a speech before the Knesset, President Sarkozy of France offered to help the parties reach an agreement. He
stated that France was "ready to provide its guarantee, ready to mobilize its diplomatic service, its resources, and
its soldiers." "There can be no peace without a halt to settlement activity," he said. Knesset member Avshalom Vilan
(Meretz) expressed hope that France would help advance the initiative to compensate Israeli settlers in the West Bank
who wished to leave voluntarily, for which President Sarkozy had expressed support. (Reuters, Ynetnews)
Israel's High Court of Justice rejected a petition by the parents of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to keep the
Gaza crossings with Israel closed. (Haaretz)
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak expressed hope that Hamas and Israel would abide by the truce during talks with
visiting Israeli Prime Minister Olmert. Mr. Mubarak and Mr. Olmert discussed a package of measures aimed at ending the
violence in Gaza, Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad told reporters. "We received assurances that Rafah
crossing will not open until [captured Israeli soldier Gilad] Shalit's case is solved," said a senior Israeli official
who took part in the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh. During their meeting, Mr. Olmert asked Mr. Mubarak to lead "intensive
negotiations" with Hamas to free Shalit, according to the official. (Reuters, WAFA)
Maj. Peter Lerner, of the office of the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, indicated that
the increase in shipments of goods to the Gaza Strip, which is part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, from 60 to 90
trucks a day, "does not go beyond humanitarian goods at the moment". Israeli officials were not able to say when
restricted items such as raw materials, agricultural products, cement, spare parts and numerous other items would be
allowed into Gaza. (IRIN)
Israeli bulldozers started to raze agricultural land in the village of Beit Hanina At-Tahta located near the "Ramot"
settlement north of Jerusalem for the construction of the separation wall. Israeli forces prevented villagers from
approaching their land after having declared the area a closed military zone. (Ma'an News Agency)
The EU announced a €5 million contribution to provide vital equipment to the Palestinian Civil Police.
(www.delwbg.ec.europa.eu)
A mortar shell fired from the Gaza Strip landed in an open area in Israel's western Negev region. It was the first
breach of the ceasefire. No injuries or damage were reported. (Ynetnews)
The IDF said it detained six Palestinians in the area of Qalqilya, in the West Bank, overnight. (Ma’an News Agency)
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu arrived in Italy on his first trip to Europe since being elected. Any new Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories would be an obstacle to peace in the Middle East, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said after meeting with Mr. Netanyahu. Speaking at a joint press conference with the Israeli leader, Mr. Berlusconi said he had ''stressed the need to send significant signals on stopping settlements which represent an obstacle to peace''. He said Italy approved of Mr. Netanyahu's vision of a demilitarized Palestinian State, saying that ''… we think this [State] should exist, just as we think Israel should be recognized'' by Arab countries. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Italy would ask Mr. Netanyahu to quickly open talks with PA President Abbas and would appreciate the “gesture” of a moratorium on expanding existing settlements. (www.ansa.it, AP, Haaretz)
In an interview with Bild newspaper, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “I think they [Arab States] should have embraced my proposal. What’s wrong with the idea that the Arab world recognize Israel as the nation-State of the Jewish people with full and equal citizenship for its minority populations? What’s wrong with the idea that the Palestinian State next to Israel not be a militarized one that could threaten Israel? Whoever really wants peace has no reason to reject my proposals.” (www.pmo.gov)
Dozens of Israeli demonstrators formed a human chain to block the roads leading to the “Karni”, “Erez” and “Kerem Shalom” crossings to disrupt UN aid deliveries into Gaza, in a protest demanding the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Raed Fattouh, a Palestinian border crossings official, said that the demonstrators had forced most of the trucks to turn back from the crossing. Out of more than 60 truckloads of goods, only four had been able to make deliveries through the “Kerem Shalom” crossing. Limited quantities of cooking gas and industrial diesel for Gaza’s sole power plant were to be shipped through the “Nahal Oz” crossing. On the Gaza side of the Erez crossing, 100 Palestinians held a demonstration against the Israeli blockade and demanded the release of the roughly 8,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. (AP, Ma’an News Agency)
Israel’s Minister of Public Security Yitzhak Aharonovitch under heavy guard visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, accompanied by Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen and Jerusalem District Police Chief Aharon Franco. Mr. Aharonovitch and his delegation then moved to the Dome of the Rock, where the Islamic Waqf was currently performing maintenance work. “His purpose was to incense the Muslims and try to show them who's in charge,” said MK Taleb A-Sanaa (United Arab List). According to Mr. Aharonovitch's media adviser, Tal Harel, the visit was routine “to see how the police would deploy in case of an emergency,” and had been coordinated in advance with the Waqf. Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa denounced Mr. Aharonovitch's visit as “provocative” and “childish.” (DPA, The Jerusalem Post, Ma’an News Agency, Reuters)
In an interview with Italy's RAI TV, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that international "arguing" over Israel's stance on settlements was impeding progress on the Middle East peace progress. He also said that Israel had been forthcoming with its intentions to halt construction while still allowing for natural growth in existing communities, which he called "an equitable position which reflexes our willingness to enter immediately in peace negotiations and get on with peace,” adding, "I think that the more we spend time arguing about this, the more we waste time instead of moving towards peace." Mr. Netanyahu called his endorsement of a Palestinian State without military capabilities a "winning formula for peace.” (Haaretz)
Activists for Bimkom Association discovered that Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak had recently authorized the Civil Administration to submit a plan for the construction of 300 housing units in the unauthorized outpost of “Givat Habrecha”, near the settlement of “Talmon”. The new construction was located around 13 kilometres east of the Green Line, on the Palestinian side of the wall. The objections submitted by Bimkom argued that adjacent to the area of the plan on the ground, which even according to the Civil Administration was private Palestinian land, several permanent structures were put up by the residents. (Haaretz)
Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign said 304 Palestinians faced house demolition in the Jordan Valley. Demolition and eviction orders had been given to the communities in Al-Hadidiya and Khirbet ar-Ras al-Ahmar on 31 May. (WAFA)
Israel released former PLC Speaker Abdel-Aziz Dweik after three years of detention. Mr. Dweik was received by a large delegation of Fatah and Hamas political supporters, such as Hamas leaders Omar Abdul-Raziq, Mahmoud al-Ramahi, Fathi Qar’awi, and Abdul-Rahman Zeidan. PA President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad called Mr. Dweik as he arrived at the At-Tayba military checkpoint to congratulate him on his release. It was not clear whether Mr. Dweik would resume his duties as PLC speaker. “My body is free, but my soul is still in jail with the other prisoners,” he declared. Hamas’ spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, said 35 more of their parliamentarians were still in Israeli prisons. (AP, Haaretz, Ma’an News Agency)
A second member of the PLC, Jamal Hweil, from Hebron, had been released after serving a seven-year prison sentence. He was elected to the PLC while in Israeli custody. (Ma’an News Agency)
PA Minister of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqe said Palestinian prisoners were waiting for Israeli prison authorities to allow them take the Tawjihi high school matriculation exams. In 2009, 1,821 Palestinian prisoners registered to take the exams. Mr. Qaraqe said any attempt to prevent the prisoners from taking the exam would be “in contravention of the Geneva convention.” (Ma’an News Agency)
After talks with Egypt’s President Mubarak in Cairo, Russian President Medvedev said that Moscow aimed to hold a Middle East peace conference before the end of 2009. Mr. Mubarak said, "I affirmed Egypt's support for holding the proposed international conference in Moscow to push peace efforts, and our support for everything that contributes towards achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region". Mr. Medvedev asked "What is the basis for a solution to this problem? Those are international legal norms and certain principles including the principle of two States, discussions on [Israeli] settlements and the future capital," adding, "These are difficult questions but Russia is ready to help solve them". (Reuters)
EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier said in Brussels that the international community and the European Union “cannot afford to fail” in their search for peace in the Middle East. In a wide ranging speech, Mr. Solana reiterated his position that the Israeli Prime Minister’s recent acknowledgment of the notion of a Palestinian State was a first step, but insisted that continued settlement activity in the Palestinian territories remained a stumbling block. (www.euromedinfo.eu)
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry briefed the Security Council about the situation in the Middle East. He said that the unresolved crisis in the Gaza Strip had negative repercussions on all efforts to advance the peace process, and wreaked unacceptable havoc on the fabric of civilian life in Gaza. Mr. Serry said that a commitment by Israel and the Palestinians to change the dynamics in Gaza was vital and announced that the situation there will be among the issues to be discussed at the 26 June Quartet meeting in Italy. He said that what was needed was for both the Israeli and Palestinian Governments to be clearly committed to a two-State solution achieved peacefully through negotiations on all core issues. Mr. Serry deemed it completely unacceptable that no reconstruction materials were allowed into Gaza, when an entire civilian population was trapped in a war zone given the scale of damage caused by Israel’s military operation earlier this year. (www.un.org, Ma’an News Agency)
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon sent letters of commendation to two UNRWA field officers, Scott Anderson and Jodie Clark, praising their “prompt and courageous action” during Israel's 22-day offensive in Gaza. (UN News Centre, WAFA)
The Fatah Revolutionary Council met in Ramallah to schedule the “Sixth General Conference: The Conference of Founder Yasser Arafat“, on 4 August in Bethlehem. It would be the first Fatah leadership meeting in 20 years, congregating 1,550 active Fatah members from the West Bank, Gaza and the Diaspora. (Palestine Press Agency)
A USAID $1.1 million renovation project had improved conditions in eight public schools in Jenin, including additional school classrooms, improved sanitary facilities, new computer labs and libraries, painted and fixed infrastructure, and improved student safety. This project was part of the US Government's $17 million development assistance package for Jenin to improve Palestinians’ quality of life. A hospital had been renovated and road and water projects in the Jenin Governorate, as well as sports facilities and community infrastructure, had been developed. (WAFA)
The PA Ministry of Social Affairs and the EU would launch a social allowance payment funded by Italy and Austria, which would be disbursed every three months for 49,600 needy families across the West Bank and Gaza. The EU had announced that it would double the social allowance to the poorest families in Gaza. (WAFA)