2 Palestinians killed.
Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue. A critically ill Palestinian
dies when the IDF bars his transportation through a checkpoint to a
hospital; a 2d Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. In
retaliation for the death of 2 Rumanian workers on 5/9, the IDF shells
Gaza City, targeting and severely damaging Fatah and PSF offices,
the PA Transportation Min., PSF central prison, injuring 5 PSF
officers, 8 civilians. The IDF also shells residential areas of Rafah;
bulldozes 2 Palestinian homes in Rafah, 200 dunams of agricultural land
in al-Qarara; surrounds 15 Palestinian homes (occupied by 150 people) nr. Kefar
Darom settlement with barbed wire, barring any entry or exit to the area for 7
hrs. In Hebron, Jewish settlers severely beat 3 Palestinians (ages 9, 27,
54). (AFP [Internet], LAW, MEZ, PCHR 5/10; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/11; Interfax, QA
5/11 in WNC 5/14; HP 5/12; PCHR 5/17; LAW, MEI 5/18; JP 5/25)
U.S. Secy. of State Powell praises the Mitchell Comm.'s
preliminary report, says it could become the basis of a peace initiative. (HA,
NYT, WP 5/11)
The House votes (252-165) to pass an amendment to the foreign
operations budget that would withhold $244 m. in UN arrears slated for
payment in 2002 unless the U.S. regains it seat on the UNCHR.
(NYT, WP, WT 5/11; MM 5/14) (see 5/3)
Israel backs off its attack on Gaza, sends home some reserves called up
on 5/9 (see Quarterly Update). The Church of the Nativity standoff ends:
13 Palestinians are sent to Cyprus, where they will stay while their final
destinations are worked out; 26 Palestinians are bussed under U.S. emb. watch to
Gaza, where they are freed to a hero's welcome; the remaining 84 civilians,
clergy are allowed to go free after an identity check; the church is inspected
and found to be dirty but only with minor damage. The IDF withdraws
troops to the outskirts of Bethlehem by the end of the day. In Tulkarm, the IDF blows up the home of
the 3/27 Hamas suicide bomber, leaving 21 family mbrs. homeless, severely
damaging a home next door. Israel says it has now arrested 4 Jewish
settlers in the plot to bomb Maqassid Hospital on 4/29 (see 4/28). (HA, LAW, MM, WP 5/10; AYM, MENA 5/10, QA, al-Quds
5/11 in WNC 5/13; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/11; HA, WT 5/12; JP 5/16; MENA 5/16 in WNC
5/17; MEI 5/17; NYT 5/18)
In Beersheba, 2
Palestinians detonate an explosive device, injuring 4 Israelis;
Israeli police capture both. In Gaza,
the PSF arrests another 7 Hamas mbrs.; Israel complains
they are low-level mbrs.
The IDF imposes a tight curfew on Hebron; demolishes 3 Palestinian
homes in Khan Yunis, 1 in Bayt Hanun; fires on residential areas of Khan
Yunis; bulldozes 25 dunams of land in Khuza, 20 dunams e. of Bayt Hanun; arrests
another 3 ISM volunteers in Tulkarm; bars 6 foreign aid workers
fr. entering Gaza, without giving a reason (see 5/5). (GS, HA 5/10; AFP, Arab
News 5/11; AIDA 5/12; PCHR 5/15)
Powell arrives in Israel for mtgs. aimed at starting implementation of
the road map with Abbas (who has accepted the plan), Sharon
(who has not); meets with FM Shalom, who reiterates Israel’s position
that Abbas must dismantle militant groups before Israel would take steps to
implement the road map. (HA 5/10; XIN 5/10 in WNC 5/12; HA, NYT, WP, WT 5/11;
MEI 5/16)
The IDF conducts arrest raids in Askar r.c., Balata r.c; blows up 2
Palestinian homes in Rafah, 1 nr. Dayr al-Balah; demolishes 2 Palestinian
homes, bulldozes 40 dunams of land in al-Qarara. (MM 5/10; PCHR 5/13)
The IDF seals the West Bank, Gaza through 5/14, while Israelis mark
their memorial and independence days, and Palestinians observe the Nakba; seals
Sammu`, al-Rihiyya nr. Hebron for the day; imposes a curfew on Hawara nr.
Nablus; tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement on the Ramallah–Nablus
road; removes earthen barriers blocking the main road fr. Nablus to the Jordan
Valley; raids, searches 2 CEC offices in Jerusalem, confiscates
documents, arrests 2 employees. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim bar
Palestinian farmers fr. reaching their land in Kafr Qadim; the IDF says
the farmers will henceforth require permits to access the land. (HA, IMEMC, MM
5/10; JTA, OCHA 5/11; PCHR 5/12)
The IDF continues to shell n. Gaza, wounding 2 Palestinian women nr. a hotel
in Bayt Lahiya; conducts air strikes on 2 ARB training sites outside Khan Yunis,
causing damage but no injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and
around Nablus, in Jenin (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the
troops, wounding 5), and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. (PCHR 5/11, 5/18)
Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr.
Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Haniyeh meets with Fatah, Hamas
leaders in Gaza, who afterward publicly pledge to take steps to ease tensions.
IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on Palestinian agricultural areas e. of
Khan Yunis, sparking a fire that destroys a wheat field; discover, disarm a
roadside bomb nr. the former Kissufim crossing e. of Khan Yunis. The Israeli
navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them
to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on Nablus,
firing on residential areas and exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen who
confront them, shooting and wounding a pregnant Palestinian woman inside her
home, causing her to lose her baby; 2 armed Palestinians, 1 IDF soldier are also
wounded. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem
(targeting the AMB) and in Balata r.c., Tulkarm; issues stop-work orders for 10
Palestinian homes, a mosque in villages nr. Negohot settlement w. of Hebron that
would constrain eventual expansion of the settlement. Israel’s Jerusalem
Construction and Planning Comm. approves plans to build 3 new ultra-Orthodox
settlements on the outskirts of occupied East Jerusalem to create territorial
unity btwn. Jerusalem and Gush Etzion s. of Bethlehem and btwn. Jerusalem and
Beit El n. of Ramallah; the plans call for 20,000 housing units in the new
settlements, plus 500 new units for settlers in Abu Dis. (PLONAD 5/10; MM, NYT 5/11; OCHA 5/16; PCHR 5/17)
Abbas deploys 3,000 PA
security forces under his control in Gaza City and n. Gaza as part of a new,
high-profile “law and order” campaign meant to undermine Hamas. In Bureij r.c, unidentified gunmen fatally shoot a Fatah
mbr. in a drive-by attack on a Fatah base. Unidentified assailants ambush,
kidnap a PA colonel driving in Nussayrat r.c.; no group claims responsibility.
Overnight, the IDF sends troops,
bulldozers into Khuza, exchanging fire with local gunmen (wounding 1) and
bulldozing 62 d. of agricultural land, 20 greenhouses before withdrawing in the
early morning. In the West Bank, the IDF
patrols in, fires on residential areas of Jaba’ nr. Jenin, firing on
stone-throwing youths who then confront the troops, wounding 6; fires
rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and
international peace activists holding a nonviolent demonstration nr. Tulkarm
against Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement, injuring 2 demonstrators
and 2 journalists covering the event; conducts late-night arrest raids, house
searches nr. Hebron. (NYT, WT 5/11; PCHR 5/15)
Hizballah begins
to pull back from areas captured on 5/9. Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman orders
all gunmen to leave the street, but some Future Movement supporters
angry over their perceived loss in Beirut attack Hizballah and SSNP offices in
n. Lebanon and the Biqa` Valley, leaving 12 Lebanese dead (at least 11
of them SSNP mbrs.), 20 wounded; heavy clashes are also reported in Tripoli
(btwn. supporters of Future Movement and Alawi mbrs. of the Arab
Democratic Party seeking to settle Sunni-Alawi scores fr. the 1980). (WT
5/10; NYT, WP 5/11; see also REU 5/8)
Palestinians shut down 2 of 3 turbines at Gaza’s power plant
for lack of fuel. Hamas mbrs. fire 15 rockets fr. Gaza into
Israel, causing damage but no injuries.
Haaretz reported that the Israeli Government and settler organizations were working to surround the Old City of Jerusalem with nine national parks, pathways and other sites, drastically altering the status quo in the city. The secret plan was assigned to the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA). In a report presented to former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on 11 September 2008, the JDA described the purpose of the project as “to create a sequence of parks surrounding the Old City,” all in the aspiration “to strengthen Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.” (Haaretz)