1 Palestinian killed.
A Palestinian dies after IDF soldiers bar
his crossing through a checkpoint to Nablus hospital for kidney dialysis. The
IDF also bulldozes Palestinian land nr. Kissufim crossing in Gaza and in
Abud, Luban al-Sharqiyya, al-Khadir, al-Sawiya in the West Bank. Jewish
settlers fire on Palestinian cars nr. Alon Moreh settlement. (HP, IGPO, PMC
6/10; MM, NYT 6/11; PMC 6/12)
Tenet discusses his cease-fire plan with PA security officials in
Ramallah, but a 3-way mtg. with Israeli security officials is postponed
to give the U.S. more time to review both sides' 6/9 responses. (JT, SA 6/10 in
WNC 6/11; WT 6/11; DUS, HJ, MA, al-Ra'i 6/11 in WNC 6/12)
Palestinians fire 8 mortars at 2 Jewish settlements in Gaza,
damaging greenhouses.
2 Palestinians killed.
IDF continues operations in Ramallah, conducting house-to-house searches,
arresting 27 Palestinians, occupying a PSF post and detaining 30 PSF
officers, surrounding hospitals and PRCS offices, firing on 2 ambulances. The
IDF also continues arrest raids in Hebron, sends troops in and out of
Tulkarm repeatedly during the day. A mysterious predawn explosion at the home of
a senior PA military intelligence official in Jabaliya injures 40
Palestinians; an ill Palestinian dies at a checkpoint nr. Jenin; a 2d
Palestinian dies of injuries received on 5/28. (LAW, NYT, PRCS press release
6/10; NYT, UPMRC, WP, WT 6/11)
The YESHA settlers council launches a PR campaign to "stress the
morality and justice of the Jews' right to the Land of Israel"; says it recently
hired a company to handle overseas PR, organized a delegation to meet with U.S.
congressmen and investors, held a seminar for settlement spokesman, published a
brochure for settlers on how to deal with the media. (Hatzofe 6/10 in WNC 6/11)
Sharon meets with Bush at the White House. Afterward, Bush says
that the time is not yet ripe to begin working toward a final status agmt.; PA
must first make reforms. Asked about Israel's ongoing incursions into
Palestinian towns, Bush says "Israel has a right to defend herself." (HA, MM
6/10; MA, XIN 6/10 in WNC 6/11; AYM 6/10, MENA 6/11 in WNC 6/12; MM, NYT, WP, WT
6/11; JT, QA, al-Quds 6/12 in WNC 6/13; MM, Jerusalem Times, WJW,
WP 6/13; MENA 6/13 in WNC 6/14; MEI 6/14; MA 6/14 in WNC 6/16; MA 6/14 in WNC
6/17; MM 6/17; al-Quds 6/18 in WNC 6/19)
8 Palestinians killed.
The IDF attempts to assassinate, wounds Hamas political leader and
chief spokesman `Abd al-`Aziz Rantisi, firing missiles at his car as he
drives through Shati` r.c., killing a bodyguard and a Palestinian
woman walking nearby, wounding 27. In a rare acknowledgment, Israel
confirms it targeted Rantisi, saying it took the decision after Rantisi called
off Hamas cease-fire talks with the PA. Later in the day, IDF helicopters
fire missiles at a 2d car in Jabaliya, allegedly targeting 2 Palestinians who
fired 5 Qassam rockets at Sederot earlier, causing no damage or injuries;
3 Palestinian bystanders are killed, 30 (including the 2 targets)
are wounded. The IDF also fatally shoots wanted Palestinian
Issam Ibrahim in Jenin in what may be an assassination; fatally shoots 2
Palestinians in s. Gaza; fires on, wounds a Palestinian nr. Morag
settlement; fires on residential areas of Hebron, Khan Yunis; bulldozes 5 dunams
of land in Jabaliya; conducts arrest raids in Battir, Bayt Iba, Dura, Haris,
Hebron, Jericho, Nablus (targeting Hamas), Qatanna, Tulkarm, al-Walaja, Yatta;
dismantles another 5 unauthorized settlement outposts, all of them
uninhabited. The Israeli High Court blocks the removal of 1 occupied
outpost, Havat Gilad, which Israel attempted to dismantle in fall 2002.
Jewish settlers rebuild 1 outpost taken down on 6/9. (BBC, HA, LAW, MM 6/10;
ITAR-TASS, VOI, MENA 6/10 in WNC 6/12; MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 6/11; AFP, AKH, DUS,
HA, IDF Radio, JP, JT, MA, MENA, NHR, QA, al-Quds, VOI, YA, XIN 6/11 in
WNC 6/13; JPI, LAW, PCHR, WP 6/12; AYM, JP 6/12 in WNC 6/14; PR 6/18, 6/25; MEI
6/27; MEI 7/11)
Abbas condemns the Rantisi attack as a “terrorist attack in
the full meaning of the word,” saying it was aimed at sabotaging the road map;
Hamas says it is a “declaration of war,” vows to “commit operations that
will shake Israel.”
3 Palestinians killed.
The IDF fatally shoots a 14-yr.-old Palestinian in Nablus, an
18-yr.-old Palestinian in Bethlehem; occupies a Palestinian home,
fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem, mortally
wounding 1 Palestinian bystander, barring others fr. removing him to an
ambulance, allowing him to bleed to death; bulldozes 5 Palestinian homes,
200 dunams of citrus groves in Bayt Hanun; demolishes a Palestinian home
in Bayt Surik in n. Jerusalem; bulldozes 16 dunams of land in al-Qarara, 13
dunams and an irrigation network in Wadi al-Silqa; conducts arrest raids in
Hebron, Jenin (where Palestinian gunmen fire on troops, injuring 1 IDF
soldier) and nr. Ramallah; fires tear gas, rubber bullets at Palestinian,
Israeli, international peace activists staging a nonviolent demonstration
against the separation wall nr. Salfit, injuring 50. IDF undercover
units raid a wedding in Ramallah, arrest 3 wanted Hamas mbrs., 1 of
whom is the groom. (VOI, YA 6/10 in WNC 6/12; NYT, WP 6/11; VOI, VOP
6/11 in WNC 6/15; PCHR 6/17)
Hamas distributes $100,000 in aid to 87 families fr.
the Zaytun section of Gaza City whose homes were damaged or demolished during
the 5/11–13 IDF raids there.
The IDF patrols Ithna nr. Hebron, fires on residential areas; conducts
arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm. (NYT 6/12; PR
6/15; PCHR 6/16)
Some 40 armed PRC mbrs. angry
over a shooting incident in Gaza on 6/9 fire on the Gaza home of PA police
cmdr. Rashid Abu Shibak, causing damage but no injuries, sparking a 5-hr.
clash with PA security forces (during which the PRC mbrs. also fire
rocket-propelled grenades); at least 3 Palestinians are wounded.
The IDF conducts arrest raids, house
searches in Dahaysha r.c., Jenin and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah (NYT, WP
6/11; PCHR 6/15)
In retaliation for the death of 8 Palestinians in IDF shelling of the Gaza
beach on 6/9, Hamas mbrs. fire at least 15 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing
no damage or injuries. Mbrs. of the AMB-Nablus faction kidnap an American
tourist in the city, thinking he is Israeli; hold him for several hours,
demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange, but free him when
they realize he is not Israeli.
In response to the 6/9 Islamic Jihad–AMB attack, the IDF
makes 3 predawn air strikes on Gaza City, destroying a study center and
charitable association run by Islamic Jihad and an alleged AMB weapons depot,
wounding 7 bystanders. The IDF ends operations in Shuka, releasing all
but 6 Palestinians detained at the start of the incursion on 6/8. Citing
intra-Palestinian fighting, Israel forces the closure of Rafah crossing,
barring EU monitors fr. reaching the site. In the West Bank, the IDF
conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers burn 200 d. of
Palestinian agricultural land nr. Tulkarm. (NYT,
WP, WT 6/11; OCHA 6/13; PCHR 6/14)
In Gaza, Fatah-Hamas
fighting that erupted in Rafah on 6/9 escalates sharply, spreading across
the Strip (Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabaliya r.c., Rafah), with 100s of gunmen
exchanging RPG and machine gun fire, and sides kidnapping rival mbrs. and
setting up security checkpoints, leaving at least 4 Palestinians dead,
36 wounded (mostly civilians). Incidents include a PA presidential guard mbr.
being shot and thrown off an 18-story Gaza City building, the retaliatory
abduction and killing of a Hamas cleric, and the murder of an ESF officer by
throwing him off a high-rise building. Late in the evening, Fatah, Hamas
officials call on their fighters to leave the streets and observe a cease-fire.
3 Palestinians killed.
Palestinian officials said three Palestinian militants had been killed in an Israeli attack in Jabaliya in the northern
Gaza Strip. Health officials said four people were also wounded. Hamas said that the three dead militants belonged to
the group. (AP)
Israel's Industry, Trade and Labour Minister, Eli Yishai, said, during a Cabinet meeting: "It is impossible to accept a
virtual calm, but if this will be a serious ceasefire, then there's room to talk." Construction and Housing Minister
Ze'ev Boim said that "Israel must launch an operation against Hamas." Support for a military operation also came from
Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit. In another meeting to be held shortly, the entire Security cabinet would convene to
discuss the situation in Gaza. (Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post)
In an interview with pan-Arab news channel Al-Arabiya, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "I think that the
bloodshed is itself a barrier to the solution, but I believe that overcoming the problem lies in rallying support from
various societies. There is an ongoing process that enables us to reach this goal. The greatest challenge we face is
developing an effective peace process. … There is evidence of the possibility of reaching a solution to the situation
between the Israelis and the Palestinians based on the two-State idea. I believe that the solution lies in achieving
justice for the Palestinians and guaranteeing security for the Israelis." (www.fco.gov.uk)
In an interview with Palestinian journalists in the West Bank city of Al Bireh, Jon Wilks, the official Arabic-language
spokesperson of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said the United Kingdom (UK) and the EU wanted the Gaza
border crossings opened, but only under three conditions: a ceasefire with Israel, Palestinian national unity and an
agreement to work out a political resolution with Israel. Mr. Wilks exprssed the UK's readiness for hosting another
international conference to promote investment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (Ma'an News Agency)
In their 2008 EU-US Summit Declaration, leaders welcomed the recent steps forward towards peace in the Middle East and
said they would pursue complementary efforts to support the parties' efforts to reach a political agreement by the end
of 2008, as foreseen at the Annapolis conference. They called on Israel and the Palestinians to implement their Road
Map obligations in full. (www.eu2008.si)
Four Qassam rockets fired by Gaza militants struck the western Negev and 10 mortar shells struck near the Nahal Oz
border crossing. There were no reports of casualties in the attacks. (Haaretz)
"We have approached the US Administration with an official request to prevent an Israeli military attack on the Gaza
Strip," a senior PA official in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post. "We fear that [Prime Minister] Olmert will order an
attack on the Gaza Strip to divert attention from the latest corruption scandal." (The Jerusalem Post)
Mr. Yusuf Zumor of the PA Finance Ministry said that after a delay, Israel had made a monthly tax transfer of $54
million, $20 million short of the expected amount. (AP)
PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad signed an agreement with the World Bank for the transfer of $40 million in budget
support for the PA. "This grant aims to support the PA's efforts to accelerate the implementation of reforms described
in the [Palestinian Reform and Development Plan] PRDP, especially those aimed at strengthening its fiscal position and
improving public financial management," said David Craig, World Bank Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza.
(www.worldbank.org)
The EU announced that it would contribute €23 million to the PA to pay salaries and pensions of over 73,000 Palestinian
civil servants and pensioners through PEGASE. (www.delwbg.ec.europa.eu)
Israel’s Security-Diplomatic Cabinet convened to discuss the international pressure to open border crossings into the Gaza Strip. The Cabinet agreed that the IDF must respond to any attacks from Gaza. In a statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu's Office said that it held Hamas responsible for any attacks against Israel from Gaza, while underlining that Israel was considering more ways to ease the restrictions on the Palestinians in Gaza within the requirements of Israel’s security interests. (AFP, Haaretz, www.pmo.gov.il)
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept the two-State solution. Mr. Barak stated that Israel must be committed to the Road Map. He declared that if the two-State solution failed, “There will be only one political entity from the Jordan Valley to the Mediterranean ─ the State of Israel.” He added that, “Under such a scenario, if the Palestinians had the right to vote, it would no longer be a Jewish State, but a bi-national State. And if they don't have the right to vote, it would be an apartheid regime.” (Ma’an News Agency, The Jerusalem Post)
Clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian residents in the neighbourhood of Al-Bustan in Jerusalem when massive numbers of IDF soldiers and border police gave hundreds of demolition orders to Palestinian residents. Under Israeli law, Palestinian homes were allowed to be demolished or evacuated without any formal legal charges being brought forth or any party convicted of a violation of the Israeli Planning and Building Law. Residents clashed fiercely with police, who were said to have been forced to retreat to the entrance of the neighbourhood. (Haaretz, Ma’an News Agency)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urged Israel to lift the two-year ban on visits to Palestinian prisoners by their Gaza families. Some 900 Palestinians, held by Israeli security forces, had been deprived of seeing their relatives since the Israeli authorities ended ICRC-supervised visits in June 2007, according to the ICRC. “This is a humanitarian issue of utmost importance,” said the ICRC's chief representative in Israel, Pierre Wettach. (AFP)
Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he would be attending the 64th General Assembly opening session in New York on 23 September. He said that Israel would be better served if he appeared to present Jerusalem's diplomatic positions instead of Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman. (Haaretz)
After meeting with PA President Abbas in Ramallah, US Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell said the US must create the conditions for the speedy resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, reassuring Palestinians that America would never abandon their legitimate aspirations. "The only viable solution for this conflict is for the aspirations of both sides to be met in two States," Mr. Mitchell said (Haaretz)
EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana urged Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to commit to a two State solution, during a visit to Jerusalem. “I would like to hear a speech in which there's a commitment […] of the [Israeli] Government on the question of settlements and a commitment to re-initiate relations with the Palestinians,” Mr. Solana said, according to AFP. Israeli President Shimon Peres told Mr. Solana that Israel and the Palestinians must move onto the second stage of the Road Map, which stipulates the establishment of a Palestinian State with provisional borders, which “will in a short span of time become permanent borders.” Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni told Mr. Solana that “Even someone that supports two States for two peoples expects that the world in general and Europe specifically will support Israel's stance in the negotiations.” She addressed the need to ensure that “there won't be a terror State or an extreme Muslim State alongside [Israel,] to guarantee that refugees won't be allowed into Israel, [and] to consider the reality of the settlement blocks.” (AFP, Haaretz, Ma’an News Agency, Reuters, The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)
In Jakarta, the United Nations Asian and Pacific Meeting on the Question of Palestine concluded two days of deliberations. According to the Concluding Statement of the Organizers, participants stressed that the creation of two States could only be based on international law, Security Council and all other relevant United Nations resolutions. A negotiated solution to the question of Jerusalem, based on international law, was essential not only for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also for lasting peace in the region as a whole. Participants deplored the lack of pronounced support by the current Government of Israel for a two-State solution and denounced the acceleration of settlement construction, particularly in and around Jerusalem. Grave concern was voiced about the further deterioration of the situation in Gaza and the continued siege of the enclave. Participants were heartened by the recent remarks of US President Obama regarding the need for Israel to cease settlement activity. (UN press release GA/PAL/1131)
Palestinians from the village of Tuqu' in the West Bank rescued an Israeli resident of the “Tekoa” settlement and her four-month-old son after their car overturned on the road and then called an Israeli ambulance. “The human concern overcame any other feeling, as well as the feelings of enmity and hatred that the settlers arouse in the area,” said one of the men who had helped extract the two Israelis from the car. (The Jerusalem Post)
At the biannual meeting in Amman of the Advisory Commission for UNRWA, the US delegation announced a contribution of $55.3 million to the Agency’s General Fund, bringing the total US contribution to UNRWA thus far in 2009 to $154.5 million. (www.unrwa.org)