This day in the History of the 2^nd Intifada

May 11 2001

1 Palestinian killed.

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 1 Palestinian dead. Overnight, Palestinian assailants throw hand grenades at an IDF post nr. Gaza's Dayr al-Balah refugee camp. In retaliation, the IDF sends tanks and bulldozers into the camp at dawn, firing 15 shells, demolishing 5 Palestinian homes and a PSF post; the 700 yd. incursion, the deepest into PA-controlled territory since IDF field cmdrs. were given (5/6) free rein to carry them out, leaves 27 Palestinians homeless. Later, the IDF fires machine guns toward journalists, Palestinians digging through the rubble in search of their possessions. The IDF also directs shells, heavy machine gun fire on residential areas of Bethlehem, Jabaliyya, Jericho, Khan Yunis; opens a new settler bypass road linking the Jewish settlements of Mevo Dotan, Homesh, Shaked. For the 2d day, Jewish settlers in Hebron attack, seriously injure 3 Palestinians (ages 6, 14, 16). (HP, PMC, WP 5/12; PCHR 5/17)

Overnight, Palestinian assailants throw hand grenades at an IDF post nr. Gaza's Dayr al-Balah refugee camp. A pipe bomb explodes in the Old City of Jerusalem, wounding 2 people.

In Amman, Jordanian security forces violently disperse 100s of Jordanians taking part in 2 Palestinian solidarity rallies sponsored by the Muslim Brotherhood to mark the 53d anniversary of the Nakba. (HP 5/12; al-Ra'i 5/12, JT 5/13 in WNC 5/14; QA 5/14 in WNC 5/15; MM 5/15; JT 5/16 in WNC 5/17; MEI 5/18) (see Peace Monitor)

May 11 2002

1 Palestinian killed.

The IDF says the Gaza operation has been postponed, but troops remain massed on the border, most reservists have not been sent home. The IDF opens fire with live ammunition on Palestinian boys throwing stones at Erez crossing, killing a 13-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding 2. (XIN 5/11 in WNC 5/13; AFP, NYT, WP, WT 5/12; NYT, WT 5/13; AYM 5/13, SA 5/14 in WNC 5/15; MM 5/14; MEI, MM 5/17)

May 11 2003

1 Israeli killed.

The IDF places its tightest seal on the Gaza Strip since the al-Aqsa intifada began, barring everyone except diplomats and aid workers fr. entering or exiting (though 9 international aid workers are denied entry for no reason; see 5/10), requiring journalists to apply for entry and to coordinate their trips with the IDF. International medical relief organization Médecins du Monde permanently ends its operations in Gaza, saying IDF measures make it impossible to continue work; numerous other international aid groups suspend Gaza operations. The IDF demolishes at least 3 Palestinian homes in Rafah, also bulldozing 40 dunams of land; conducts arrest raids in Jenin. (XIN 5/11; AIDA, HA, MM, NYT 5/12; AYM 5/13 in WNC 5/15; PR 5/14; PCHR 5/15)

Palestinian gunmen fire on a vehicle nr. Ofra settlement, killing 1 Jewish settler; the AMB, PFLP each claim responsibility.

May 11 2004

8 Palestinians killed. 6 Israelis killed.

The IDF stages a major raid on Gaza City, meeting heavy resistance; Hamas and Islamic Jihad mbrs. detonate a roadside bomb, destroying an IDF armored personnel carrier (APC), killing 6 IDF soldiers (the highest IDF toll since 11/02); AMB, Islamic Jihad mbrs. take the soldiers’ remains. The IDF sends in massive reinforcements, vows to conduct house-to-house searches until the remains are found, bulldozing roads and water systems, cutting electricity, uprooting trees, crushing Palestinian cars, fatally shooting 8 Palestinians, wounding more than 120. Hamas officials, Muslim authorities, the PA, and International Comm. of the Red Cross unsuccessfully appeal to the Palestinian militants to release the remains. The IDF also imposes a curfew on, fires on residential areas of Ya`bad nr. Jenin; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, Dura, Tulkarm, Yamun nr. Jenin. UNRWA reports that the IDF has demolished or damaged beyond repair 131 Palestinian homes in Gaza since 5/1, leaving more than 1,100 Palestinians homeless. (BBC, HA, MM, NYT 5/11; PSCT, VOI, VOP 5/11 in WNC 5/13; MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 5/12; HA, JP, MA, QA, YA 5/12 in WNC 5/14; PCHR, WJW, WT 5/13; QA 5/13 in WNC 5/18; MEI 5/14)

May 11 2005

The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, seriously injuring a 57-yr.-old Palestinian woman. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian children outside an elementary school in Hebron, injuring 1. (PCHR 5/12; OCHA 5/18)

May 11 2006

The IDF sends troops into Gaza to level 20 d. of land along the s. border nr. al- Qarara; sends undercover units into Bala’a and Thinnaba nr. Tulkarm to arrest 5 wanted Palestinians; conducts additional arrest raids in and around Nablus, nr. Hebron; patrols in al-Fara‘a r.c., firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 1; raids a girls’ high school in ‘Anata, East Jerusalem, firing tear gas to disperse students and parents attending graduation ceremonies. Jewish settlers fr. the unauthorized outpost of Brakha Bet nr. Nablus break into a Palestinian quarry in nearby Hawara, set fire to several trailers, including 1 in which they know a Palestinian guard is inside; they beat the guard when he escapes the fire; settlers attacked the same quarry on 4/22. (MM 5/12; HA, IMEMC 5/13; HA 5/14; PCHR 5/18)

Fatah, Hamas mbrs. clash in n. Gaza, leaving 4 mbrs. fr. each side wounded; no reason for the violence is reported.

May 11 2007

The IDF sends tanks, bulldozers into Gaza e. of al-Maghazi r.c. to level land along the border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Til; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinians, Israeli and international peace activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 3 and arresting 10. Palestinians also take part in weekly nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Wadi Nis nr. Um Salamuna. Jewish settlers fr. Susia attack Palestinian farmers and a shepherd working in their fields nearby; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (IMEMC, MM 5/11; NYT 5/12; OCHA 5/16; PCHR 5/17)

Fatah-affiliated PA security forces deploying in central Gaza on orders (5/10) from Abbas clash with local Hamas mbrs. in Gaza City and Jabaliya r.c. in the heaviest Fatah-Hamas fighting in 2 mos., wounding at least 10 Palestinians; Hamas mbrs. also seize several PA police cars, equipment; ESF mbrs. do not engage in the fighting.

May 11 2008

1 Palestinian killed.

Gaza’s power plant shuts down completely for lack of fuel. A Palestinian teenager (brother of the teenager who died on 5/8) succumbs to injuries sustained during the IDF’s 5/7 raid on Abasan. In the West Bank, the IDF imposes a 1-day curfew on Azun nr. Qalqilya; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., nr. Hebron. (WP 5/12; PCHR 5/15)

In Beirut, calm prevails but many roads remain closed and some Hizballah mbrs. continue to patrol streets. Hizballah and Junblatt supporters exchange fire in the villages of Aley, Kayfun, and Shuwayfat s. of Beirut. Hizballah sends fighters convoys toward Druze leader Walid Junblatt’s stronghold in the Chouf mountains, but they are ambushed en route by Druze militias fighters (some of whom had supported the opposition and stood with Hizballah until it moved deep into the Chouf, then switched sides to defend the Druze heartland), withdrawing with heavy casualties. (NYT, WP, WT 5/12; NYT 5/16; NYT, WP 5/18)

May 11 2009

The Israeli military arrested three Palestinians in Hebron and three others in Jenin during raids.

Two IDF soldiers were arrested for allegedly looting a Palestinian home in Gaza during the army’s offensive there. The soldiers were suspected of stealing a credit card belonging to a Palestinian whose home they had entered and using it to purchase goods worth thousands of shekels. (Haaretz)

Christian clerics and Palestinian officials said that some 150 of 250 Christians from the Gaza Strip who applied to attend a Papal mass in Jerusalem or Bethlehem had been denied permits to do so. (Reuters)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli police and intelligence forces entered the Ambassador Hotel, shutting down a temporary Palestinian Media Centre planned in advance of the Pope’s visit to Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh for the first time since taking office. Following the meeting, Mr. Netanyahu told reporters: “We want, as soon as possible, to resume the peace talks with the Palestinians, and I hope they will resume in the coming weeks.” (Haaretz)

At Sharm el-Sheikh, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he appreciated Egypt’s efforts for “strengthening and establishing peace”. Continuing, he said: “We wish to expand this peace, first and foremost with our Palestinian neighbours. We want to see Israelis and Palestinians living together with the prospect of peace, security and prosperity. We believe that these three things go hand in hand, one does not come at the expense of another, one does not come in place of another, but rather peace, security and prosperity go together”. (www.pmo.gov.il)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II told The Times of London that America was putting the final touches to a hugely ambitious peace plan for the Middle East, aimed at ending more than 60 years of conflict between Israel and the Arabs. The Obama administration was pushing for a comprehensive peace agreement that would include settling Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians and its territorial disputes with Syria and Lebanon, King Abdullah said. “If we delay our peace negotiations, then there is going to be another conflict between Arabs or Muslims and Israel in the next 12-18 months,” the King said. “What we are talking about is not Israelis and Palestinians sitting at the table, but Israelis sitting with Palestinians, Israelis sitting with Syrians, Israelis sitting with Lebanese,” he added. (The Times)

Pope Benedict XVI said at a welcoming ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv: “In union with people of good will everywhere, I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding difficulties, so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognised borders. In this regard, I hope and pray that a climate of greater trust can soon be created that will enable the parties to make real progress along the road to peace and stability.” (AP, www.vatican.va)

The Security Council met to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Council President Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, said that the most pressing topic was to reaffirm the international legal basis for a two-State solution, and backing the Arab Peace Initiative, relevant Council resolutions and the Road Map was of special importance. The task before the Council was to ensure progress in the negotiations and the rapid resumption of the peace process, which should not be hampered by emotions. The Moscow conference would be the next important step, and a schedule had been agreed, taking into account the views of the main stakeholders, he said. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the Middle East Quartet was expected to meet soon for close consultations with the League of Arab States. There was a deep crisis of confidence among ordinary people on the ground, and for good reason, he said. Palestinians continued to see unacceptable unilateral actions in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank, such as house demolitions, intensified settlement construction, settler activity and oppressive movement restrictions due to permits, checkpoints and the barrier, which were intimately connected to settlements. “The time has come for Israel to fundamentally change its policies in this regard, as it has repeatedly promised to do, but not yet done,” Mr. Ban said. On Gaza, he said Israel’s continuing closure policy did not weaken its adversaries. However, it did cause untold damage to civilian life. Four months after the conflict, during which 3,800 houses and 2 health centres had been destroyed and 34,000 homes, 15 hospitals, 41 health care centres and 282 schools damaged, only food and medicine were allowed into the territory. That was completely unacceptable, he said. Israel should respond positively to repeated calls to allow glass, cement and other building materials into Gaza. The United Nations sought the support of all Council members, as well as the Quartet, for its efforts in Gaza. The Organization was ready to work with local businessmen to help start action to repair and rebuild houses, schools and clinics, he said. The Council adopted the following presidential statement (S/PRST/2009/14):

“The Security Council stresses the urgency of reaching comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Vigorous diplomatic action is needed to attain the goal set by the international community -- lasting peace in the region, based on an enduring commitment to mutual recognition, freedom from violence, incitement and terror, and the two-State solution, building upon previous agreements and obligations.

“In this context the Security Council recalls all its previous resolutions on the Middle East, in particular resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003), 1850 (2008), 1860 (2009), and the Madrid principles, and the Council notes the importance of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

“The Security Council encourages the Quartet’s ongoing work to support the parties in their efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

“The Security Council reiterates its commitment to the irreversibility of the bilateral negotiations built upon previous agreements and obligations. The Council reiterates its call for renewed and urgent efforts by the parties and the international community to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on the vision of a region where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders.

“The Security Council further calls upon the parties to fulfil their obligations under the Performance-Based Road-map refraining from any steps that could undermine confidence or prejudice the outcome of negotiations on all core issues.

“The Security Council calls on all States and international organizations to support the Palestinian Government that is committed to the “Quartet” principles and the Arab Peace Initiative and respects the commitments of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the Council encourages tangible steps towards intra-Palestinian reconciliation, including in support of Egypt’s efforts, on this basis. It calls for assistance to help develop the Palestinian economy, to maximize the resources available to the Palestinian Authority and to build Palestinian institutions.

“The Security Council supports the proposal of the Russian Federation to convene, in consultation with the Quartet and the parties, an international conference on the Middle East peace process in Moscow in 2009.” (UN News Centre)

A Qassam rocket was fired from the northern Gaza Strip into Israel’s western Negev region. The rocket exploded in an open area, causing no injury or damage. (Haaretz)

According to Israeli news reports, a mortar shell was launched from the Gaza Strip and landed in the western Negev causing no injuries or damage. (Ma’an News Agency)

PA President Abbas told a meeting of Fatah that a new Palestinian Government would be formed within 48 hours. Palestinian officials said Mr. Abbas would once again ask Salam Fayyad to form the new Government that would not include Hamas. (AFP)

During a fiscal Cabinet meeting, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said that an incoming new Government would prioritize the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, as well as create a suitable atmosphere for the success of the national dialogue. (Ma’an News Agency)

The South African Government expressed regret at an Israeli decision to prevent PA President Abbas’ envoy Abdul Rahim Mallouh from travelling to the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma, which took place in Pretoria the previous day. (www.dfa.gov.za)

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