3 Palestinians killed.
In Gaza, IDF helicopters fire rockets at a car driven by
most-wanted Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades leader Muhammad Dayif, his aide
Adnan Ghul; both escape unhurt but an accompanying vehicle is hit, killing
Ghul's son and a bodyguard. Nr. Rafah, the IDF opens fire on Palestinians
inspecting a building just bulldozed by Israeli soldiers; 1 PSF officer
is killed. In response to Palestinian gunfire directed at Psagot settlement,
which causes no injuries, the IDF enters PA-controlled Ramallah and
bulldozes a PSF office. (LAW 8/22; NYT, WP, WT 8/23; MM, WT 8/24; MEI 8/31)
After Palestinians fire a mortar at a
Jewish settlement in Gaza, damaging 1 home, the IDF fires 2 missiles at a
PSF post, destroying it and wounding 7 PSF officers.
Palestinians also fire on an Israeli truck leaving a Jewish settlement,
wounding 2 Israelis.
Israel's Interior M Eli Yishai says he has initiated steps to revoke the
residency status of 4 East Jerusalem Palestinians arrested for
participation in a Hamas cell (see 8/21); he says, "There is no need to wait for
a trial because the evidence is clear and based on intelligence of their
terrorist activity." Israeli police detain senior Greek Orthodox
Church official Atallah Hanna at his East Jerusalem home on charges of
"expressing support for terrorist organizations," "illegally entering an enemy
country" (Lebanon and Syria); release him after 5 hrs. of questioning. The
IDF arrests the head of Hamas's Qalqilya political wing; bulldozes 7
dunams of olive groves in Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids in Dura. (AFP, HA
8/22; MM, WT 8/23; MM 8/27; LAW, PCHR 8/28)
Israeli PM Ariel Sharon cancels plans to make a trip to the U.S. to
attend a rally in support of Israel in Tallahassee with Florida gov. Jeb Bush,
brother of U.S. Pres. George W. Bush, on 9/9, a day before the Florida
Democratic primary; go to LA to attend another rally hosted by a Republican
candidate in tight midterm elections there. Democrats had denounced the visit,
which was arranged with Pres. Bush's sway, but Sharon says he decided he
would have to stay in Israel to prepare for a budget battle which will take
place in 10/02. Sharon canceled two previous trips to Florida when he cut short
previous trips to the U.S. because of bombings in Israel. (NYT, WP 8/23; MA 8/23
in WNC 8/26)
IDF snipers fire on 3 wanted AMB mbrs. in
a “semi-open room” atop a Nablus hospital, assassinating 1 AMB mbr.,
wounding 2. The IDF retakes control of Gaza’s main north–south road,
setting up checkpoints that divide the Strip into thirds; makes brief incursions
into Bayt Jala, Bayt Sahur; reestablishes checkpoints it abandoned in recent
wks. as part of the process of road map implementation; bulldozes 8 dunams of
land in Rafah; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Nablus, 1 in Tulkarm;
fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. The IDF also arrests an IDF
soldier, resident of a West Bank Jewish settlement, for participation in a
militant settler cell, bringing to 9 the number of Jewish settlers recently
arrested on terrorism charges. Israel breaks ground on a new section of
the separation wall n. of Abu Dis. (BBC, MM 8/22; HA, NYT, WP, WT 8/23;
HA, MA 8/25 in WNC 8/27; WP 8/26; PCHR 8/28; HA 9/29)
In Gaza City, 10,000s of Palestinians march in the funeral procession
for Hamas’s Abu Shanab.
1 Palestinian killed.
The IDF reimposes a curfew (lifted on 8/19) on Nablus, then sends
jeeps to the central market square to fire on surrounding areas to force dealers
to close stalls and Palestinians to return home, injuring 15 Palestinians
(including 8 children). The IDF also bulldozes Palestinian land in
Bardala in the northeastern tip of the Jordan Valley for construction of
security and tax offices; fires on residential areas in Rafah, nr. Ramallah.
Palestinian Hussein Jabari dies of injuries sustained in the IDF
assassination attempt against his brother, Ahmad Jabari. (WP 8/23; PR 8/25; PCHR 8/26; MM 8/27)
Palestinian
Authority (PA) Prisoner Affairs M Hisham `Abd al-Raziq, 70 Palestinian
figures begin a hunger strike in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian
prisoners; Israeli prison officials say that the number of
hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners has nearly doubled to 2,900 since the
strike began on 8/15.
The IDF completes the evacuation of settlers fr. Gaza, with
residents of the last inhabited settlement, Netzarim (est. 1972, pop. 496, size
1,760 d., hrs. to evac. 7), and 300 disengagement protesters leaving willingly
after holding final prayer service, with only minor scuffles with soldiers;
Netzarim residents say they have applied to the Israeli government to move
to the West Bank settlement of Ariel. The IDF also raids, searches houses
in al-Mawasi. Overnight, 10s of armed Jewish settlers protesting
disengagement march through at least 8 West Bank Palestinian villages nr.
Homesh and Sanur, firing in the air, occupying the rooftops of Palestinian
homes, vandalizing property; the IDF intervenes to remove them. During
the day, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron,
occupying 2 houses as observation posts; conducts house searches, interrogations
nr. Jenin, occupying 2 Palestinian homes as observation posts. Jewish
settlers fr. Eli stone, lightly injure 2 Palestinians. Jewish settlers
fr. Einav attack Palestinians, damage Palestinian crops and homes in Ramin
village nr. Nablus. (HA, IMEMC, XIN 8/22;
HA, NYT, WP, WT 8/23; PCHR, PR 8/25; NYT 8/28)
A French sound technician kidnapped in Gaza on 8/14
turns up at a PA police station in Gaza City; no group claims responsibility,
though there are rumors that he was kidnapped by a prominent clan and was
released only after Abbas freed 6 family mbrs. fr. jail.
In Gaza, the IDF sends troops, tanks into Khuza‘a nr. Khan Yunis allegedly to
look for smugglers tunnels, ordering farmers to leave the area, bulldozing 20 d.
of agricultural land, opening fire on residential areas and on a camera crew
covering the incident, injuring 1 Palestinian; sends troops into Gaza nr. the
Qarni crossing, conducting house searches and arrest raids, wounding 5 Hamas
mbrs. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and
around Hebron (raiding, temporarily occupying a PA police office as an
observation post), nr. Tulkarm. (AP, REU, WP 8/22; OCHA 8/23; PCHR 8/24)
Fuel imports to Gaza resume for the 1st
time since 8/15 after the EU receives assurances that Hamas will
not benefit fr. electricity sales. The IDF bulldozes Palestinian land
along the Gaza border e. of Jabaliya r.c. to improve lines of sight. The Israeli
navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, damaging 10 boats, arresting 8 fishermen, forcing others to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Salfit; patrols in Jenin
town and r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, in `Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a r.c. (3 IDF soldiers are wounded in an exchange of fire with armed
Palestinians). (PCHR 8/23; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30)
Israel reopened its border crossings with the Gaza Strip which had been closed on 20 August following a Qassam rocket attack. Israeli Defence Ministry official Peter Lerner indicated that trucks carrying fuel, livestock, stationery for schools, food and medical supplies would enter through the Nahal Oz, Kerem Shalom and Sufa commercial crossings. (Haaretz, Ma'an News Agency, Reuters, Xinhua)
Israeli soldiers prevented demonstrators in the village of Al-Ma'sarah, near Bethlehem, from reaching the land slated for confiscation for the construction of the separation wall and fired live ammunition and sound bombs. Two children were injured with shrapnel and dozens of persons suffered from tear gas inhalation. (Ma'an News Agency)
Seven Palestinians from towns around Bethlehem were arrested by Israeli forces. (Ma'an News Agency)
Benny Kashriel, mayor of "Ma'aleh Adumim", the largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank, said that he intended to appeal the decision of the High Court of Justice of Israel regarding the rerouting of part of the separation wall. (BBC, Haaretz, IMEMC, Reuters, Xinhua)