2001 Settlement Timeline
December 30, 2001
The Israeli Committee for Zoning and Construction approves plans for the construction of 630 Palestinian housing units in East Jerusalem's Jabal al-Mukkabar neighborhood. (al-Quds)
December 25, 2001
The British department store Harrod's decides to pull from its shelves selected goods produced in Israeli settlements. Within days the store reverses its decision. (Associated Press)
December 23, 2001
The Israeli Tourism Ministry announces a three-year, $1.5 million tourism development project in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. (Arutz 7)
December 19, 2001
Settlers level Palestinian land in Kfar Qalil village. (Hear Palestine)
December 18, 2001
More than 20 shootings by Palestinians are reported in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, matching the daily average. (Ha'aretz)
December 17, 2001
Palestinian gunmen launch ambushes at various locations in the West Bank less than 24 hours after PA leader Arafat orders a cease-fire. Three Palestinians are killed by IDF gunfire. (Ha'aretz)
December 15, 2001
The IDF divides the Gaza Strip into three sections, halting all traffic to and from Gaza City, the Katif bloc, Khan Yunis, and Rafah. (Arutz 7)
December 14, 2001
In Khan Yunis, Israeli tanks demolish 35 houses, leaving 345 people homeless. The action is Israel's most extensive demolition of homes since the start of the al-Aqsa intifada. (Independent)
December 13, 2001
The IDF closes the Netzarim and Katif bloc junctions in Gaza, hindering traffic to and from Gaza City and Khan Yunis.
December 12, 2001
The IDF opens fire against Palestinians attempting to break through the gate surrounding Neve Dekalim. (Arutz 7)
Palestinian gunmen ambush an Israeli bus near Emmanuel, in the West Bank, killing 10 and injuring 26. Fatah and Hamas take responsibility for the attack. Israel responds by severing contact with PA leader Arafat, bombing Palestinian security targets and invading Palestinian Area A to arrest suspects and confiscate weapons. The Israeli cabinet decides that "Arafat is no longer relevant." (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, Reuters)
Ha'aretz reports that Hebron settlers have agreed to use bulletproof school buses. The settlers have objected to doing so for years out of ideological conviction.
Palestinians fire six mortar shells into a central Katif bloc neighborhood. According to Avner Shimoni, a local leader, the continuous attacks have caused psychological trauma to the residents.
December 11, 2001
Israeli forces bomb a Force 17 building in response to Palestinian mortar fire at a Katif bloc settlement. (Ha'aretz)
December 6, 2001
Six mortars are fired at the Katif bloc in Gaza. (Ha'aretz)
December 5, 2001
In Nablus, Israeli forces in the Elon Moreh settlement attack the Asira area. (Hear Palestine)
December 4, 2001
Israeli tanks invade Beituna west of Ramallah. Homes north of Khan Yunis are attacked from the settlement of Gane Tal. (Hear Palestine)
December 3, 2001
The Israeli government declares the Palestinian Authority "an entity that supports terrorism." (Arutz 7)
December 2, 2001
Two Palestinian men dressed as IDF soldiers kill an Israeli on the road between the Gaza settlements of Alei Sinai and Nisanit. (Jerusalem Post)
November 30, 2001
The Knesset approves $13 million for roads in the West Bank. (Arutz 7)
November 27, 2001
U.S. chief mediator, Anthony Zinni, begins a two-week visit to the region by joining Prime Minister Sharon on a helicopter tour of the West Bank. (Arutz 7)
In the Katif bloc, an Israeli settler is killed and three others are injured in a shooting attack. (Ha'aretz)
November 26, 2001
Palestinians report that 200 dunams belonging to Deir al-Balah have been seized by Israeli settlements. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinians shoot at Gilo. The settlement had been relatively quiet since the IDF pulled out of Beit Jala and Bethlehem in early October. (Jerusalem Post)
November 25, 2001
Prime Minister Sharon announces a halt in the construction of the Kissufim Bridge in Gaza. Setters in the area strongly oppose the bridge. (Arutz 7)
Palestinians fire 15 mortar shells at the Katif bloc and Netzarim in Gaza. (Ha'aretz)
Yediot Aharanot reports that the number of IDF special operations--penetrations, preempted strikes, arrests, ambushes and assassinations--has risen by 400 percent in the preceding three months.
November 24, 2001
Israeli interior minister Eli Yeshai visits the East Jerusalem settlement of Ir David (City of David) and promises to allocate funds for its continued growth. It currently houses 25 families. (Ha'aretz)
One IDF reservist is killed and two are injured at Kfar Darom in Gaza. The fatality is the first from a Palestinian mortar attack since the start of the al-Aqsa intifada.
November 22, 2001
The European Union Commission takes its first step toward imposing tariffs on goods produced in Israeli settlements that are labeled as made in Israel. Duty free export of such products violates the Israel-EU trade agreement. (Ha'aretz)
November 21, 2001
The Jordan Valley Regional Council offers free housing for settlers. (Hear Palestine)
November 19, 2001
Prime Minister Sharon orders the resumption of construction on 12 housing units in Hebron's Tel Rumeida settlement. (Ha'aretz)
About 100 settlers in the Katif bloc protest against the construction of the Kissufim Bridge over a thoroughfare used by Palestinians. They argue the bridge will be dangerous for people using it. (Arutz 7)
Ha'aretz reports that 480 mortars have been fired in Gaza since the start of the intifada, injuring approximately 20 Israelis.
November 18, 2001
A rocket launched by Hamas strikes a settlement in the Katif bloc. Shooting is reported at Ariel and Psagot, near Ramallah. (Ha'aretz)
November 14, 2001
The Israeli Housing Ministry is preparing tenders for 200 housing units in the neighborhood of Nofei Sela in Ma'ale Adumim. (Ha'aretz)
The IDF destroys several PA buildings in Khan Yunis in response to Palestinian mortar shells fired at the Katif bloc on November 13. (Ha'aretz)
November 11, 2001
Hear Palestine reports that a group of settlers has set up caravans and generators on Palestinian land in the town of Ya'bid in the Jenin area.
November 9, 2001
An Israeli woman is killed on the road between Mevo Dotan and Shaked. (Arutz 7)
November 6, 2001
One Israeli is killed while driving along the Nablus bypass road. Another is killed in an ambush south of Nablus. (Ha'aretz)
November 4, 2001
Two Israeli teens are killed after a gunman from Islamic Jihad fires at a bus in East Jerusalem's French Hill settlement. (Ha'aretz)
Israeli forces bulldoze land southwest of Kfar al-Dik. (Hear Palestine)
November 3, 2001
Dozens of settlers attack Yanoun, outside Nablus, beating inhabitants with stones. (Hear Palestine)
October 30, 2001
Israeli forces destroy Palestinian houses in Beit Hanina and Shufat in East Jerusalem. (Agence France Presse)
October 27, 2001
Settlers from Keddumim destroy more than 50 dunams of cultivated land in the Palestinian village of Jit. (Hear Palestine)
October 26, 2001
Three Hamas members are killed in an attempt to storm the Dugit settlement in Gaza. (Ha'aretz)
October 24, 2001
Palestinians shoot at Gilo, Givat Hananiah, north of Talpiot, and Psagot. (Arutz 7)
Settler fire wounds six Palestinian workers near Beni Naim east of Hebron. (Ha'aretz)
October 20, 2001
Israel begins construction of a one-kilometer road between settlements in the Katif bloc and Salah al-Din Street. (Hear Palestine)
October 19, 2001
The IDF moves into Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem and Beit Jala. A Gilo resident is wounded by shots fired from al-Walja. (Ha'aretz)
October 18, 2001
One Israeli is killed and two are injured after an attack on the road southeast of Ma'ale Adumim. (Jerusalem Post)
Palestinian gunmen fire at Gilo.
October 17, 2001
Israeli minister of tourism Rehavam Ze'evi is assassinated in East Jerusalem. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian claims responsibility. (Ha'aretz)
October 15, 2001
Israeli settlers from Shvut Rachel attack Palestinian farmers in Tarmas'iya, near Ramallah. (Hear Palestine)
October 14, 2001
The IDF withdraws from positions in Abu Sneineh and Harat al-Sheikh overlooking the Hebron settlements and removes the Surda and Qalandia checkpoints surrounding Ramallah. (Arutz 7)
October 10, 2001
Jordan Valley settlers establish a new settlement, Givat Sal'it, in memory of two settlers killed on September 24. Ten people living in caravan homes will populate the outpost. (Arutz 7)
Israeli police are reported to believe that a Jewish underground movement operating in the occupied territories is behind a shooting attack the preceding week, in which two Palestinians were wounded. It is the sixth such attack in recent months. (Ha'aretz)
October 5, 2001
The IDF bulldozes 1,000 dunams of Palestinian agricultural land, including 10 water reserves and hundreds of fruit trees, between the Alei Sinai and Dugit settlements in Gaza. (Hear Palestine)
Palestinian gunmen kill an Israeli motorist east of Tulkarem. (Ha'aretz)
The IDF takes over ten houses and imposes a curfew in Abu Sneineh. The move gives Israel control of 10 percent of Hebron's Area A. (Ha'aretz, UPI)
At least six Palestinians and one Israeli are killed in fighting in two Hebron neighborhoods.
October 2, 2001
On the road between French Hill and Ramot, two Israelis are injured after their car is fired upon. No one is injured in a shooting on the Begin Highway. (Ha'aretz, Arutz 7)
Palestinian gunmen kill two Israelis and wound 16 after entering Gaza's Alei Sinai settlement. (Mideast Mirror)
September 30, 2001
Palestinian gunmen fire at two cars along the Nablus bypass road and at Ginot Shomron. (Arutz 7)
September 29, 2001
Shootings are reported at the settlements of Homesh, Neve Dekalim, Psagot, and Tapuach. Two cars are shot at on the highway between Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem. (Arutz 7)
September 28, 2001
Settlers from Eliahu and Mehola in the Jordan Valley destroy dozens of dunams of land and greenhouses in the Palestinian village of Bardala. (Hear Palestine)
September 24, 2001
Hear Palestine reports that the IDF is constructing a new road between Kfar Darom and the Abu Arif road.
Two Israeli women are killed by Fatah members in two separate drive-by shootings near the West Bank settlements of Shadmot Mehola and Tekoa. (Reuters)
A new military location is established on agricultural land along the green line near the Alfe Menashe settlement south of Qalqilya. (Hear Palestine)
September 22, 2001
Three mortars are fired at the Kfar Darom settlement. The IDF responds by entering Area A in Deir al-Balah. (Arutz 7)
September 18, 2001
Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Yasir Arafat declares a unilateral cease-fire. He says that "violence begets violence" and condemns "all military and paramilitary activities committed against civilians" on both sides of the conflict. (Palestine Report)
September 17, 2001
In an attempt to boost ridership, bus fares are halved for travel on Israeli buses within the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (Arutz 7)
Prime Minister Sharon tells IDF Radio that it is "the right of every Jew to visit the Temple Mount. The day will come when our relationship with them [Arabs] will be such that everyone will be able to visit."
Israeli forces bulldoze 200 dunams of Palestinian agricultural land between the Katif bloc settlements and the main north-south road through the Gaza Strip. (Hear Palestine)
September 16, 2001
The Israeli Housing Ministry announces plans to build another 70 units in Har Homa. Fewer than half of the 2,300 units under construction have been sold. (Ha'aretz)
Intense gun battles occur between Israelis and Palestinians in Psagot, north of Jerusalem. (Arutz 7)
September 15, 2001
A 23-year-old Israeli is killed in a drive-by shooting along the road between Ramot and French Hill in East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)
September 13, 2001
Palestinian gunmen shoot at IDF soldiers in the Har Homa settlement in southern Jerusalem. The IDF replies with tank fire. (Jerusalem Post)
An Israeli woman is killed at Alfe Menashe. (Arutz 7)
September 12, 2001
The IDF attacks Jenin, blowing up two Force 17 posts. Three Palestinians are reported dead. A Palestinian training base in Jericho is also destroyed in the most extensive Israeli operations inside Palestinian Area A since September 2000. (Israel Radio, Mideast Mirror)
A settler is killed in a drive-by shooting near Qalqilya. (Arutz 7)
Hear Palestine reports new settlement and road construction on Palestinian owned land near the Katif bloc. The land is to be used to link the settlements.
Palestinian gunmen open fire on Katif bloc communities. Pipe bombs are found at the Tunnels Highway between the Etzion bloc and Jerusalem and on the Qalqilya bypass road. Both are defused. (Arutz 7)
September 10, 2001
Jordan Valley settlers protest for greater security during a demonstration outside Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office. (Arutz 7)
A number of settler caravans are moved onto Palestinian land south of the Kfar Darom settlement. (Hear Palestine)
September 9, 2001
Palestinians kill two Israelis in a shooting north of the Adam Bridge junction along the Jordan Valley highway. In response the IDF closes parts of the road to Palestinian vehicles. (Ha'aretz, Arutz 7)
September 8, 2001
Armed settlers under the protection of Israeli soldiers attack shops in Hebron. (Hear Palestine)
Israeli forces in the Psagot settlement attack Palestinian homes in al-Bireh as well as a Palestinian security checkpoint.
September 7, 2001
Ha'aretz reports that the road from Modi'in and Ben Shemen to Jerusalem will be fully lit at night. Traffic on the road has been targeted by Palestinian gunmen, causing motorists to take the long route via the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway.
The northern Jerusalem settlement of Pisgat Ze'ev is attacked by Palestinian gunmen for the first time. A motorist is lightly injured by the shooting. (Arutz 7)
Hear Palestine reports that Israeli forces continue to dig ditches along the "demarcation line" northwest of Jerusalem, as well as in areas near the Shufat refugee camp, near Beit Hanina, and Beit Iksa.
September 6, 2001
The IDF issues orders for the confiscation of 200 dunams of land in Salfit. (Hear Palestine)
September 5, 2001
UNRWA reports that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have destroyed 27 homes in Rafah since August 28, leaving 45 families (200 people) homeless. (Hear Palestine)
An Israeli settler is shot and wounded in Neve Tzuf. (Jerusalem Post)
September 4, 2001
Violent confrontations erupt in Deir Ammar, near Ramallah, after Israeli settlers lay claim to land owned by Palestinians. (Hear Palestine)
September 3, 2001
Six Israelis are lightly injured by two car bombs and two other explosions in the East Jerusalem areas of French Hill, Gilo, and Ma'alot Daphna. (Arutz 7)
September 2, 2001
The Karnei Shomron-Alfe Menashe route is temporarily closed after Israeli cars are firebombed. (Arutz 7)
September 1, 2001
Arutz 7 reports that Gilo in East Jerusalem has installed bulletproof windows in schools prior to the start of the new academic year.
August 31, 2001
Yerushalim reports that a proposed electronic security fence around the settlement of Efrat will be financed in part through private American contributions.
August 30, 2001
Israeli forces under the cover of heavy gunfire penetrate PA-controlled Abu Snaina, in Hebron. Hear Palestine
August 29, 2001
Settlers shoot at a Palestinian car driving near the Anatot military camp in Anata, northeast of Jerusalem, killing one civilian and injuring two others. An organization calling itself Elazar takes responsibility.
August 28, 2001
PA leader Yasser Arafat orders gunmen to stop shooting toward Gilo. Arutz 7
After two weeks of relative calm, Gilo comes under renewed fire. Israel reoccupies Beit Jala, taking over a number of buildings reportedly used by Palestinians to fire at Gilo.
August 27, 2001
In response to Israel's assassination of Abu Ali Mustafa, head of the Popular Front For the Liberation of Palestine, the head of security for four Nablus area settlements is shot and killed. Arutz 7
YESHA announces that the settler population in the West Bank and Gaza has increased by 17,000 since August 2000, to a total of 227,000. Arutz 7
August 25, 2001
Palestinian gunmen kill two Israelis traveling on the Jerusalem-Modi'in highway. Arutz 7
August 23, 2001
B'Tselem reports that between January and August 20, 2000, Israel demolished 9 Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem and 12 in the rest the West Bank. During the same period in 2001, Israel demolished 25 houses in East Jerusalem and 99 in the West Bank. Newsday
August 22, 2001
Ha'aretz reports IDF statistics showing a marked decline in the number of shooting incidents in the occupied territories in the proceeding two weeks--shooting has been directed at IDF outposts rather than settlers and civilians.
August 21, 2001
Settlers are among the suspects in the poisoning of agricultural animals near the settlement of Itamar. Ha'aretz
A Jerusalem official reports that 22 allegedly illegally built Palestinian homes have been demolished in 2001, compared to 17 during a similar period in 2000. Yediot Aharanot
The Sharon government transfers $50 million to the Jerusalem municipality for infrastructure improvements in East Jerusalem, part of an effort to equalize services throughout the city. Ha'aretz
August 20, 2001
A tender is published in Yediot Aharanot for the construction of 131 dwelling units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Pisgat Ze'ev.
Settler set up four new caravans in Susia, south of Yatta. In the town of Dura, Israel bulldozes land for settlement expansion. Hear Palestine
August 19, 2001
The Israeli construction company Mashov announces plans to develop 217 new dwellings in the Givat Ze'ev settlement. Prices will range from $180,000 to $280,000, and units will be ready for occupancy in June 2003. Ha'aretz
August 18, 2001
The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) announces that it is suspending patrols to the area of the old city of Hebron because of settler assaults against its observers.
August 17, 2001
Israeli forces set up a six-meter-high fence around Husan village, along the bypass road leading to the Betar Ilit settlement. Hear Palestine
August 16, 2001
Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer threatens to invade Beit-Jala and confiscate homes he claims are being used to fire at the settlement of Gilo.
August 15, 2001
In southern Nablus, Israeli settlers attack Palestinian vehicles with stones and clubs and prevent their crossing at gunpoint. Hear Palestine
August 9, 2001
One Israeli is killed by Palestinian gunfire between Einav and Avnei Hefetz, near Tulkarem. Israel Line
Elon Moreh settlers begin clearing Palestinian land in Banoun in preparation for settlement construction. Hear Palestine
August 7, 2001
A settler from the Jordan Valley is shot and killed while driving between Ariel and the Tapuach junction. Jerusalem Post
August 6, 2001
Israel opens a new settlement road to connect the Karmel and Ma'on settlements. Hear Palestine
Official Palestinian sources report that Israeli occupation forces have razed and burned 3,669 dunums of agricultural land since late September 2000. They have also uprooted and burned 26,570 olive trees. Palestine Media Center
Israel closes off five large Palestinian towns (Nablus, Tulkarem, Jericho, Ramallah and Qalqilya) and partially closes off three others (Hebron, Bethlehem and Jenin) following the previous day's shooting.
August 5, 2001
Palestinians fire on a three-car convoy of settlers traveling near Alfei Menashe. A pregnant woman is killed and five other people are wounded. Israel Line
Settlers occupy and enclose with a fence hundreds of dunums of Palestinian land east of Jaloud. Hear Palestine
August 2, 2001
Arutz 7 reports Palestinian gunfire and grenade attacks against the towns of Beit-Chaggai, P'sagot, Susia, Nvei D'kalim and on the Ayosh juction. Mortar shells are launched at Ali Sinai and Kfar Darom. Ganim and Kadim are reported without electricity, in addition to having to rely on water from tanks supplied by the army. Israel Electric Company technicians refuse to enter PA-controlled Jenin to restore power.
July 31, 2001
Eli Malka, deputy mayor of the Golan Regional Council, notes, "This has been our best year in the past 15 years--in terms of construction, development, population, tourism, and general serenity. The cloud of uncertainty that has been hanging over our heads for the past ten years has lifted, and there are now at least 14 communities in the Golan that are building and selling plots and growing. In less than a year, we have absorbed over 300 new families, with more on the way. There is currently not one empty house in the Golan." Arutz 7
Ma'ariv reports that the IDF has requested $80 million to defend settlements along the Green Line. The funds will be used to purchase thousands of bulletproof vests and security rooms for protection against mortars.
Palestinians fire 26 mortar shells and detonate 100 hand grenades at several settlement communities in Gaza. Ha'aretz
July 29, 2001
The Telegraph reports that since Palestinians began firing at Gilo from Beit Jala in October 2000, 500 buildings in Beit Jala have been damaged, five people have been killed and more than a hundred wounded in Israeli retaliatory attacks.
July 28, 2001
According to the Independent, the 35,000 Palestinians living in the Israeli-controlled sector of Hebron have been under curfew for more than 128 days since last September.
July 26, 2001
Ha'aretz reports that sales of apartments in Har Homa have significantly risen, following the Housing Ministry's decision to grant special incentives to prospective buyers. Overall, 730 homes in the settlement have been purchased.
A 17-year-old Israeli is killed by gunfire while traveling on the Jerusalem-Givat Ze'ev road. The Jerusalem Post
According to the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Law and the Environment (LAW), Israel has demolished 249 homes and destroyed 12,370 trees since September 2000.
July 23, 2001
Ten percent of small and medium-size settler enterprises have closed since October 2000 and an additional thirty percent have stopped conducting business. Ha'aretz
An 18-year-old Israeli is kidnapped from Pisgat Ze'ev and murdered. A Fatah group claims responsibility. Arutz 7
July 19, 2001
Three Palestinians, including an infant, are killed and five are injured in a drive-by shooting near Hebron. An organization calling itself "The Committee for Safety on the Roads" claims responsibility. Ha'aretz
July 18, 2001
YESHA announces the start of construction on 200 settlement units in the Neghuhot military post near Hebron. Land belonging to the Palestinian residents of Dura is being confiscated for the transformation of the military camp into a settlement. Al Hayat, Al Jadida
Fourteen Palestinian factions issue statements vowing to target "every soldier and every settler" in the aftermath of a helicopter gunship attack in Bethlehem the previous day. Ha'aretz
July 17, 2001
Israeli forces assassinate a Hamas leader in Bethlehem. In retaliation, and for the first time since the outbreak of the al-Aqsa intifada, Palestinians fire two mortar shells at the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo. Jerusalem Post, Ha'aretz
July 13, 2001
Arutz 7 reports, "Civilians and soldiers are working together in YESHA. Civilian civil patrols on the roads of Judea and Samaria have become more widespread over the past few days. Armed residents patrol and man strategic hilltops in complete coordination with the IDF. An army officer briefs the participants before each mission."
A settler from Kiryat Arba dies after being shot the previous night. In response to the murder, Israeli forces have forbidden Hebron's Palestinian residents from exiting the city by car. Ha'aretz
July 11, 2001
Ha'aretz reports that there were more than 700 shooting incidents on roads in the occupied territories in the preceding nine months. Of the 49 Israelis killed on the West Bank, 27 were shot while driving.
July 10, 2001
sraeli prime minister Ariel Sharon visits the Golan for the first time since taking office and announces, "There will be no real peace if we're not here. . . . Only by expanding the existing communities and enlarging the Jewish population on the Golan Heights will the Jewish establishment here become irreversible reality." Arutz 7, Israel Line
July 8, 2001
Settlers set up caravans in Ramin, north of Einav settlement, and attack Palestinian inhabitants of Beit Lid, Saffarin and Shufa on route to Tulkarem. Hear Palestine
July 6, 2001
Kol Hazeman reports that 31 settlers have been killed by Palestinians since October 2000.
July 2, 2001
A tender for the sale of 39 building plots in Elkana is published. Ma'ariv
Israel bulldozes 100 dunums of land in Surif, Hebron, to expand a newly established settlement point. Hear Palestine
June 30, 2001
Residents of al-Nabi Salah, Beit Rima, Dayr Ghassana, Dayr Nitham, Kfar Ein, and Qarawat Bani Zayd have been without water for more than 20 days. Settlers cut off their supply.
June 28, 2001
One settler is killed and another is injured by Palestinian gunfire near the settlement of Ganim, in the Jenin region. Al Quds
Israel bulldozes vast areas in Gaza's Beit Lahya for a new bypass road for Dugit and other settlements. Hear Palestine
Settlers establish a new settlement point near Saffarin. Hear Palestine
June 27, 2001
Ma'ariv reports that urban settlements will now be responsible for marketing their lands directly to developers. Published tenders and national oversight will no longer be required.
It is reported that since the start of the al-Aqsa intifada, Israel has demolished 83 houses and shelled more than 2,000 Palestinian homes in Rafah. Palestine Report
June 25, 2001
Gunfire is exchanged in Hebron for the first time in one month. Ha'aretz
Israeli defense minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer announces that 15 new settlement outposts on the West Bank will be dismantled for security reasons. Ha'aretz
The Israel Land Authority publishes tenders for 38 plots in Ma'ale Adumim. Ha'aretz
June 24, 2001
Israeli bulldozers destroy vast areas of agricultural land, greenhouses and water reserves, in the al-Mighraqa area, south of Gaza, near Netzarim settlement. Hear Palestine
June 23, 2001
Settlers from Yitzhar destroy property, burn fields, and set fire to a Palestinian police car in Burin. One hundred fifty settlers from Shilo attack Palestinian residents and burn fields in Sinjil and Turmus. Palestinian Media Center
June 21, 2001
According to data released by MK Mossi Raz, apartment sales in the occupied territories in, 2001
were down 44 percent compared to the same period in 2000. Sales rose in Geva Benjamin, Givat Ze'ev and Ma'ale Adumim, around Jerusalem--but fell in Alfei Menashe, Ariel, and Efrat. AFP, Ha'aretz
According to a poll in Yediot Aharanot, 20 percent of Israeli settlers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip can conceive of relocating to Israel as the al-Aqsa intifada continues. Nineteen percent would consider pulling out "on condition of being able to obtain a home to replace that which they would have to abandon." Twenty-four percent say they would be unlikely to leave. Fifty-four percent are strongly opposed to leaving.
June 20, 2001
Another settler from Chomesh is killed by Palestinian gunfire. Arutz 7
Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti is reported by IDF radio to have said, "We will continue to besiege the settlers until all of them leave the territories." Ha'aretz
June 19, 2001
Israeli settlers from Einav set fire to 2,200 dunums of planted fields belonging to the nearby village of Beit Lid. Palestine Media Center
June 18, 2001
A settler from Chomesh is killed in a drive-by shooting. Arutz 7
June 17, 2001
Hundreds of Palestinians from Khan Yunis storm the gate to the Neve Dekalim settlement. A 12-year-old Palestinian boy is reported killed when Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers shoot rubber-coated bullets into the crowd. Arutz 7
June 14, 2001
Settlers set up six caravans between Dayr Samit and Dura in Hebron, the site of a settlement point that was dismantled in 1992. Hear Palestine
June 13, 2001
Israel confiscates 500 dunums of Palestinian land in al-Quarara, near the Gush Katif settlements, in the Gaza Strip. The land will be razed to establish an empty security belt between the settlement bloc and Palestinian areas. Hear Palestine, Al Quds
The Land Defense Committee reports that during the first week of June 797 dunums of cultivated land were burned; 4 workshops, 2 green houses, 3 homes and two schools were set on fire by settlers; and two new settlement points were established, one near Jit, village west of Nablus, and another in al-Khader village. Al Quds
June 11, 2001
The Israel infant injured June 5 in a stoning incident dies. (Arutz-7)
The Israeli Ministry of Education extends the school year by one month for kindergarten through ninth grade in Gaza and West Bank settlements to compensate for lost school days since the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000. (Ha'aretz)
The Israeli Ministry of the Interior demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem that had been built without a permit. (Ha'aretz)
June 10, 2001
Yesha News reports that for the first time in months, there has been no reported shooting in the West Bank for the previous 24 hours.
June 9, 2001
Seven mortar shells are fired into Atzmona in Gush Katif, lightly injuring a worker from Thailand. (Arutz-7)
Israeli forces place a number of caravans in the al-Qarinat area in Sorif, the site for a new settlement. (Hear Palestine)
Israeli authorities level vast areas of Palestinian land in al-Kader and Bethlehem in preparation for the construction of a bypass road to newly established settlements. (InfoPal)
June 8, 2001
Israeli authorities continue "shaving" lands adjoining the Abud bypass road near Neve Tzuf, where Palestinian gunmen had fired at passing cars from behind the trees on at least 15 occasions in the preceding months. (Arutz-7)
Israeli authorities begin razing large areas of Palestinian agricultural land near Anin, Baqa al-Sharqiya, Um Rihan, and Tura, which border the Green Line north of Tulkarem. (Al Quds)
Settlers attack Palestinian homes and shops on al-Wad Street in Jerusalem from midnight to dawn. (Ramatta Daily)
Settlers set fire to Palestinian fields, including four dunums of wheat, in Kafr Qalil, south of Nablus and to fields in al-Sawiya village, which remains under curfew for the second consecutive day. (Ramatta Daily)
Ha'aretz reports that since the beginning of the al-Aqsa intifada, 30 Israelis (including 22 civilians) have been killed by Palestinian gunfire in drive-by shootings or from ambushes of passing Israeli vehicles.
June 7, 2001
Settlers establish a new settlement point on the bypass road around Nablus where a settler was killed the preceding week. Israeli forces ask the settlers to leave and declare the site a closed military zone. (Hear Palestine)
June 6, 2001
Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrate in Jerusalem calling for the defeat of Arafat. (Jerusalem Post)
Israeli forces confiscate 200 dunums from Deir Qadis village for annexation to the Kiryat Arba settlement. More than 1,000 olive trees in the area are razed in preparation for the construction of bypass roads. (Palestine Media Center)
In Ramallah, European Union Middle East envoy Miguel Angel Maratinos tells reporters, "Settlers attacking villages and destroying houses is not the best element to create confidence between the two sides."(AFP)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) releases figures citing 5,289 Palestinian bombing and shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and military targets in the territories between September 29, 2000, and May 31, 2001. According to the Israeli police, there were 2,227 reported stoning attacks against settlers from January to April 2001.(Mideast Mirror)
Settlers from Shilo raid the Palestinian village of al-Sawiya, setting fire to three homes and a greenhouse and destroying property. Settlers set fire to greenhouses and homes in Luban Sharqiya in the northern West Bank. Palestinians are attacked by settlers in Hebron. (Reuters)
June 5, 2001
YESHA Council head Benny Kashriel states, "I don't think that Sharon is turning his back on YESHA, as some others might have said. I rather think that his policy of trying to score points with the Americans and Europeans is mistaken. . . . We have always built on YESHA, we continue to build, and we will build--period. Almost all of Judea and Samaria was built out of struggles with the government, unfortunately; it is strange that our own government, and especially this one, should fight against settling the Land of Israel, but if that's how it is then that's how we'll do it." (Arutz-7)
In a meeting with YESHA Council members, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon denies requests for additional bypass roads and settlement construction.
In the wake of Arafat's call for a cease-fire, a Hamas official states, "The Intifada will continue and this means targeting the [Israeli] army and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza." (Reuters)
A six-month-old Israeli boy is seriously wounded when Palestinians stone a settler's car at the Shilo junction north of Ramallah. (Ha'aretz)
Settlers burn Palestinian wheat and olive trees in Jeet, near Nablus. Settlers from Yitzhar burn 20 dunums of cultivated land and three floors of stored grain in Hawara and Beita villages. (Hear Palestine)
June 4, 2001
Settlers from Neve Ya'acov attack Palestinian residents of Dahiyat al-Barid. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers open fire on a Palestinian in the al-Baqa quarter in Hebron. Attacks on Palestinians in Hebron by settlers continue throughout the day. (Hear Palestine)
PA leader Yasser Arafat issues orders to his forces and all paramilitary organizations to stop firing at soldiers and settlers in the territories. His orders also include keeping Palestinians away from friction points and preventing bombs and bombers from entering Israel. (Ha'aretz)
Fifty dunums of Palestinian land in Deir al-Balah is leveled and annexed to Kfar Darom. Israeli officials claim that the area was being used to fire mortar shells at the settlement. (Palestinian Media Center)
June 3, 2001
According to the Palestinian Authority (PA), a settler kills two Palestinians and wounds a third while they were driving near Ramallah. (Ha'aretz)
Israeli authorities ban all private Palestinian vehicles from traveling on Israeli-controlled roads in the occupied territories and set up additional roadblocks around Palestinian villages. (Ha'aretz)
June 1, 2001
The Israeli Housing Ministry approves 314 additional units in the Adam settlement in Givat Benjamin. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers place four caravans on a hill south of al-Khader village near Bethlehem. The preceding week, more than 30 settlers took over a hilltop in al-Khader as well. (Hear Palestine)
May 31, 2001
Settlers attack Palestinians in al-Libban, Awarta, Beit Furik, Borin, Nablus, Salem and Zawiya. Settlers from Yitzhar set fire to agricultural land in Hawara and Ramin. (Hear Palestine and Ha'aretz)
Settlers from Itamar stone Palestinian cars, severely injuring at least one person. (Ha'aretz)
Settlers from Efrat block the Jerusalem-Gush Etzion highway to Palestinian traffic. Settlers attack Palestinians traveling along the Qalqilya-Nablus road, injuring at least two people and closing the highway. (Arutz 7 and Ha'aretz)
Settlers establish an outpost on the Yitzhar-Kedumim road where Gilad Zar was shot and killed. (Arutz 7)
Settlers from Meyo Dotan burn the fields of near by Palestinian residents and attack and shoot at least two of them. (Arutz 7)
A founding member of the Mevo Dotan settlement is shot and killed in a drive-by shooting near Tulkarem. He is the fourth settler killed on West Bank roads within a week. (Mideast Mirror, Arutz 7)
May 30, 2001
Settlers establish control over a hill in al-Khader, in Bethlehem. More than 10,000 Palestinians south of Bethlehem are placed under closure. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers under IDF protection attack Palestinians and their property in Burqa, Borin, and Deir Sharaf, injuring at least six people. (Hear Palestine)
The eulogy of Gilad Zar, a settler from Kedumim killed yesterday, is interrupted by shouts from the mourners calling for war: "You [government ministers] must make war! Stop sitting quietly and eulogizing us! Fight them! You have tanks, anti-aircraft, and planes! Make war already! We are sick of this! It is no shame to fight--this is what we must do!" (Arutz 7)
Addressing the Knesset, prime minister Sharon states "As you are aware, I have chosen to announce a [unilateral] cease-fire. Protecting the citizens of Israel is, of course, our duty and we need to do everything in our power to secure the lives of Israeli citizens. I know that tempers are flaring, and justifiably so. I see terrible pain, and I watch in awe the heroic stand of the residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, their self-control and dedication to the Land of Israel. We are indebted to the residents who stand with the IDF on the front lines, and I take this opportunity to convey my warmest wishes to the settlers." (Arutz 7)
May 29, 2001
Arutz 7 reports gunfire from the Palestinian village of al-Bireh toward Psagot.
Settlers from Kiryat Arba destroy cars and throw stones at Palestinians and their homes in Hebron. The settlers also raid and attack shops in the Palestinian market. Settlers from Kfar Etzion attack and destroy Palestinian cars along the Hebron-Jerusalem road. (Hear Palestine)
The IDF closes the main north-south road in Gaza, dividing the strip into two parts. Israeli forces dig trenches around the Jabalia refugee camp. (Hear Palestine)
May 28, 2001
Two settlers are killed and five others wounded in a drive-by shooting near Neve Daniel, outside Bethlehem. The IDF retaliates by surrounding villages in Bethlehem and erecting road blocks. (Ha'aretz)
Ma'ariv reports that Israel's minister of Jerusalem affairs has met with foreign investors to convince them to buy property for settlers from Palestinian Jerusalemites. (Al-Quds and Hear Palestine)
Settlers from Yitzhar attack a Palestinian teacher, severely beating him and shooting him in the leg. (Hear Palestine)
A settler is killed in a drive-by shooting incident near Kedumim. (Ha'aretz)
May 27, 2001
A settler from Tekoa shoots two Palestinian motorists, injuring both. (Arutz 7)
May 24, 2001
In retaliation for mortar shells fired on Netzarim, seven IDF tanks invade territory under Palestinian control, firing shells and machine guns, closing the main road and destroying several grape farms. (Hear Palestine)
Shootings occur along the trans-Judea highway, closing the road to traffic. Five mortar rockets are fired at Neve Dekalim. (Arutz 7)
May 23, 2001
UN Middle East envoy Terje Larson states that an Israeli settlement freeze would be "one of the most important confidence-building measures." (CBS News)
The Knesset upgrades the status of the Atarot industrial area to a frontline community, giving businesses special benefits and their products higher priority ratings. (Arutz 7)
Labor Minister Shlomo Benizri recommends in a security cabinet meeting that the first row of Palestinian homes in Beit Jala be destroyed. Residents of Gilo plan a demonstration outside Sharon's home demanding an end to the shooting attacks on their settlement. (Arutz 7)
Palestinians fire on Gilo, injuring one person, and on Kfar Darom and Tekoa. Shots are fired at Malha, part of West Jerusalem, for the first time. (Ha'aretz and Arutz 7)
An Israeli on his way to supervise the construction of a bypass road is killed on a road outside Ariel; his bodyguard is wounded. (Ha'aretz)
May 22, 2001
Hear Palestine reports dozens of settlers from Hebron, under IDF protection, smashing Palestinians' car windows and stoning their homes. The IDF subsequently declares the market and residential areas of the Old Quarter closed military zones.
Hear Palestine reports settlers from Kedumim attacking Palestinian cars on the Qalqilya-Nablus road.
May 20, 2001
In retaliation for gunfire on Psagot, an IDF tank fires three shells into the home of Palestinian Preventative Security chief Jibril Rajoub. (Ha'aretz)
May 17, 2001
Rene Kosirnik, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross' delegation to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories states, "The installation of a population of the occupying power in occupied territory is considered an illegal move, it is a grave breach of [law]. In principle it is a war crime." (Hear Palestine)
Settlers from Rimonim block Palestinian traffic on Route 60 between Ofra and Jerusalem. (Arutz 7)
An IDF solider is killed and his mother seriously wounded in a drive-by shooting near Neve Tzuf. (Ha'aretz)
May 16, 2001
A Palestinian dies from wounds suffered when settlers unleashed a dog on him in the Khan Yunis region. (Al Ayyam, Palestine Report)
May 15, 2001
According to Ha'aretz, IDF forces take over a Palestinian building outside the Kfar Darom settlement in Gaza. The building houses an office of the Palestinian Housing Ministry and the only cheese factory in Gaza.
A settler is shot and killed in a rive-by shooting on the Allon Road, near Ma'ale Mikmash. (Ha'aretz and Arutz 7)
May 14, 2001
According to the IDF, there have been more than 150 mortar attacks in the Gaza Strip since September 2000.
Palestinians fom Beit Jala fire on Gilo, wounding four settlers. Gunfire also penetrates Psagot. (Arutz 7)
May 13, 2001
Hear Palestine reports settlers raiding the Palestinian villages of Hussan and Tku, near Bethlehem, attacking residents and destroying homes. Witnesses report that IDF troops were involved in the attacks.
A settler traveling between Ma'ale Levona and Shilo is injured in a drive-by shooting. (Arutz 7)
May 12, 2001
LAW reports Israeli forces placing the Palestinian village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, under curfew. During the curfew, settlers attack the town, destroying the contents of a brick factory. Israeli military forces later destroy the factory, claiming that shots were fired from it at settlers driving on the Ramallah-Nablus road.
Palestinians fire three mortar shells on Neve Dekalim in Gush Katif, injuring one settler. (Arutz 7)
Hear Palestine reports settlers from Tekoa setting fire to Palestinian agricultural crops near the settlement. Villagers say the settlers have taken advantage of the closure imposed on the village, which prevents them from reaching their farmland.
Hear Palestine reports four Palestinians injured in an attack perpetrated by settlers.
May 11, 2001
Foreign minister Shimon Peres, hoping to allay Palestinian objections over the physical expansion of settlements, states that all new construction in the settlements will be in the existing territorial areas of the settlements. (Ha'aretz)
Housing minister Natan Sharansky, states, "There's no real demand [for new housing]. The construction industry is on the verge of bankruptcy and there's no demand in Ashdod, Carmiel, or Ariel. We'll see what happens in a few months." (Ha'aretz)
Palestinians fire mortar shells at Kibbutz Nir Am in the western Negev. According to Arutz 7, more than 140 mortar shells have been fired from Palestinian areas into Israeli settlements and communities since September 2000.
May 10, 2001
Palestinians fire on Gilo. (Arutz 7)
May 9, 2001
The Egged Bus Cooperative begin using bulletproof buses in Jerusalem. The first routes are to Gilo. (Arutz 7)
Hear Palestine reports that settlers from Itamar are leveling, confiscating, and surrounding Palestinian land with barbed wire in efforts to expand the settlement. The settlers repeatedly attack Palestinian farmers and prevent them from reaching their land.
May 8, 2001
Hear Palestine reports settlers from Betar attacking the Palestinian village of Hussan near Bethlehem. Settlers fire shots at the villagers, wounding at least one and forcing the IDF to intervene.
Two Israeli boys are found stoned and stabbed to death in a cave near the Tekoa settlement.
May 7, 2001
Israel Radio reports government plans to build five new towns in the northwest section of the Negev Desert to prevent future land swaps with the PA.
A settler from the Ma'ale Yisrael outpost, near Ariel, is killed while on volunteer guard duty near Itamar. (Arutz 7)
May 6, 2001
For the first time since September, the Israeli army invades Palestinian-held territory in Beit Jala in retaliation for gunfire on Gilo. (The Independent)
May 5, 2001
According to Hear Palestine and Al-Quds, the Israeli army bulldozes Palestinian farm lands, uprooting 300 olive trees near Yabed to open a new road for settlers connecting the Hermesh, Katzin, Mevo Dotan, and Shaked settlements.
May 4, 2001
LAW reports that Israeli forces in the Homesh settlement shell Silat Al Thahir, destroying many Palestinian homes.
Settlers from Beit El erect an outpost on the Ofra-Jerusalem road where a settler was killed on May 1. Soldiers are stationed there and at two other outposts on the road. Meretz Party leaders call on the IDF to evacuate the settlers and dismantle the new outpost. (Arutz 7)
May 2, 2001
Arutz 7 reports that the IDF has destroyed ten Palestinian buildings and homes in Rafah.
May 1, 2001
A settler is killed in a drive-by shooting on the Ofra-Jerusalem road. (Mideast Mirror, Arutz 7)
April 28, 2001
Arafat orders his police to end mortar attacks from Palestinian-held territory, for the second time in a month, after shelling wounds five settlers in Netzer Hazani in Gaza. (CNN)
April 24, 2001
Ha'aretz reports that since September 2000, Palestinians have fired more than 500 times on the Jewish quarter of the Old City in Hebron.
Palestinians fire three mortar shells at Gadid in the Katif bloc. (Arutz 7)
April 23, 2001
In a meeting with Gush Katif settlers, Sharon "agreed that not one home would be dismantled, . . . and that every house and community are exactly where they should be and that we must continue to grow." (Arutz 7)
Arutz 7 reports Palestinian gunfire on Gilo.
The Palestinian National Security Directorate for the Gaza Strip reports Israeli forces attempting to open a new settler access road between Kissufim Road and the Katif bloc. The land for the construction is under full Palestinian sovereignty.
April 20, 2001
The Jewish Quarter Development Corporation announces plans to build hundreds of new apartments in the Jewish and Muslim Quarters of the Old City. The Corporation also plans to build a one-half kilometer long tunnel from the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall. The estimated cost of the project is $125 million. (Jerusalem Post)
April 19, 2001
Defense Minister Ben Eliezer states, "Israel has not given up its policy of no longer regarding Area A delineations as a barrier to IDF actions against mortar attacks. But future IDF actions will carry a small signature, and will not include large-scale troop movements." (Ha'aretz)
Two mortar shells fall on Atzmona and Morag. The Ramattan Daily reports the firing of two mortars at a bulldozer near Kfar Darom.
April 18, 2001
A resolution adopted by the UN Commission on Human Rights calls for the cessation of settlement expansion. A second resolution calls for Israel to stop imposing its laws and jurisdiction over Syrian citizens in the Golan Heights.
The IDF fires machine guns, tanks, and grenades at Beit Jala in retaliation for machine-gun fire on Gilo. Israel Radio reports Palestinians shelling the Erez industrial area, Kfar Darom, and Neve Dekalim. (Arutz 7 and the Independent)
Hear Palestine reports Israeli bulldozers leveling hundreds of fruit trees in Khaza, near Khan Yunis, dozens of trees near Qalqilya, and more than 300 dunums of land near the Gush Katif settlement. Settlers from Efrat uproot 300 grape vines and 40 olive trees in al-Khader.
April 17, 2001
The IDF shells residential areas in Beit Jala in retaliation for Palestinian gunfire directed at Gilo. (Hear Palestine)
Israel attacks Gaza by sea, land and air, and splits it into three sections. The IDF spokesman describes the action as "not conquest, but control of an area some several hundred meters inside the strip, in order to prevent Palestinian fire." The Independent reports Israeli troops invading Palestinian-controlled territory four times in recent days, leveling orchards and destroying homes. IDF Maj. Gen. Yom Tov Samia says "Quite a large bite was taken out of Area A [Palestinian-controlled Gaza . . . the goal] is for Arafat to get up in the morning and understand that a strip one kilometer wide and three kilometers long, with all of its bases and Palestinian police stations, has been wiped off the map." (Ha'aretz)
April 16, 2001
Arafat issues orders to his security forces to stop attacking Israeli settlements with mortars. (Mideast Mirror)
According to an Israeli housing ministry report, most of the thousands of housing units constructed in public housing projects in Givat Ze'ev and Ma'ale Adumim over the past six years remain unsold and empty. Of the 3,470 units offered in Ma'ale Adumim, 1,610 or 47% remain unsold; 790 of the 810 units constructed in Givat Ze'ev remain unsold (97%). (Despite the empty units, the ministry issued a tender for an additional 496 units for Ma'ale Adumim on April 5th.) The ministry also reveals that 76% of the housing units offered in Har Homa between 1999-2000 (2,200) remain unsold. In efforts to encourage prospective settlers, housing minister Sharansky proposes a grant of $6,250 and a subsidized mortgage for an equal amount. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are currently 6,130 units under construction in settlements throughout the West Bank and Gaza. Under Barak, tenders were published for 3,575 units in settlements. The current settler population is 196,800 in 145 settlements. (Peace Now and Hear Palestine)
IDF air and ground forces attack Beit Hanun in northern Gaza, in retaliation for the firing of mortar shells on the Israeli community of Sderot. (Arutz 7)
April 15, 2001
Settlers in Hebron begin a sit-in, demanding that the IDF take over the Abu Sneineh hills. (Arutz 7)
Participants in a conference coordinated by the High Coordinating Committee of National and Islamic Groups for the Intifada call on the PNA to ban all goods produced in the settlements from Palestinian markets. (Ramattan Daily)
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions reports that more than 500 Palestinian homes have been destroyed by Israeli bulldozers and missiles since September. (Agence France Presse)
The Ramattan Daily reports the arrival of trucks carrying mobile housing units and building materials at Dugit, west of Beit Lahia. It also reports Israeli forces bulldozing Palestinian land near Abu Holy, adjacent to Gush Katif, in efforts to open a new road to Kfar Darom.
The IDF cuts electrical power and fires heavy machine guns in the al-Qarara area, near Khan Yunis, after five mortar shells fall on Netzer Hazani in Gush Katif. Exchanges of gunfire occur at the Ayosh junction and Psagot. (Arutz 7, Hear Palestine)
The IDF completely destroys a row of 30 houses in the Khan Yunis refugee camp, closest to the Neve Dekalim industrial zone. At least two Palestinians are killed and dozens wounded in the attack. (Ha'aretz)
April 12, 2001
The Guardian reports Israeli army estimates that more than 70 mortar shells have been fired at settlements and army bases since February 24.
April 11, 2001
The IDF fires two missiles at Kufr Aqab, straddling the border between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in retaliation for alleged shooting attacks. (Ha'aretz)
Israel Radio reports that two mortar shells are fired at Nisanit, in northern Gaza. The Israeli Army retaliates by firing four missiles at a Palestinian security location in Beit Hanun, destroying the building.
The IDF invades Palestinian-held territory and destroys 11 to 15 Palestinian houses and an olive grove in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza, claiming that the area was used to fire mortar shells at settlements. (Arutz 7, Reuters, Hear Palestine)
April 6, 2001
The IDF erects an outpost along the road between Shilo and Ma'ale Levona. Similar posts have been established near Elon Moreh and Ofra in efforts to deter shootings at drivers.
April 5, 2001
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher criticizes Israeli settlement policy stating, "Continuing settlement activity by Israel does risk further inflaming of an already volatile situation in the region. This is provocative and we have consistently encouraged both sides to refrain from provocative acts."
Sweden, which holds the rotating European Union presidency, condemns Israel's settlement policy, stating, "All settlement activities are illegal and constitute a major obstacle to peace."
Israeli housing minister Natan Sharansky publishes tenders for the construction of 496 settler homes in Ma'ale Adumim and 212 in Alfe Menashe, the first by the Sharon government. "In recent days, we saw how important it is to lend a hand and support the citizens who were sent by the Israeli government to settle the territories. . . . This expansion is necessary because of the natural growth in these towns," Sharansky notes.
The Israeli Committee Against House emolitions reports that Israeli forces destroyed more than 20 Palestinian homes and building in the preceding three days.
Mortar shells land in Morag and Nisanit. The IDF orders all settlers into bomb shelters, although no injuries are reported. (YESHA News Daily)
The IDF fires on Palestinians marching toward a military outpost by the Kfar Darom settlement. Palestinian security forces prevent a second demonstration from reaching the settlement. (Ramattan Daily)
Hear Palestine reports armed settlers throwing rocks at Palestinian cars and blocking traffic on Salahedin Road near the Katif bloc for the second day in a row. Witnesses report that the settlers are protected by five tanks and a score of soldiers. The IDF closes the major road because of settler violence.
April 4, 2001
New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton donates $1,200 to Israeli teachers and medics in the West Bank and Gaza to purchase protective gear. She pledges to work with State Assemblyman Dov Hikind to raise one million dollars for Israeli civilians targeted by Palestinian fire in the Occupied Territories. (Jerusalem Post)
The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israeli civil administration has leveled 14 Palestinian buildings in Hebron and Jerusalem. (Hear Palestine reports 28 buildings being destroyed on the same day.) The municipal body has demolished 25 Palestinian buildings in the West Bank this week.
The YESHA News reports, "Over the past few weeks, security chiefs of YESHA Jewish communities have been debating a change in the basic concept of the operation of their volunteer emergency squads. Until now, emergency squads have been trained to behave as an infantry unit, prepared to come into direct contact with terrorists infiltrating a community. The emphasis will now shift to marksmanship for longer-distance contact, changing the squad into an anti-sniper type unit. The reason for the change is that the modes of operation of Arab terrorists have recently changed from actual infiltrations into communities, to sniper and mortar attacks from outside community boundaries."
Israeli minister of defense Ben Eliezer approves construction of permanent residential units in the Dugit settlement. The ministry of agriculture is expected to subsidize water prices for the settlement. (Hear Palestine)
Palestinians fire on Netzarim. (YESHA News Daily)
April 3, 2001
Hear Palestine reports vast destruction of Palestinian agricultural land in Aghwar Toubas by settlers from Shadmot Mehola. Witnesses report the destruction of cultivated vegetables and theft of water generators.
The IDF begins clearing land for the construction of a bypass road near Alfe Menashe, following the March 30 military order to confiscate 100 dunams of Palestinian agricultural land near the settlement. (Hear Palestine)
Palestinians fire mortars at Atzmona in Gush Katif, injuring three settlers. Israeli Air Force helicopter gunships bomb a Palestinian Force 17 base near Gaza City and other Palestinian targets near Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis and Rafah in retaliation. (Ha'aretz, Arutz 7)
April 2, 2001
Ha'aretz reports the restoration of residency rights to 818 Palestinian Jerusalemites in 2000. In the first three months of 2001, 100 Palestinians regained their permanent residency status, as opposed to 183 in 1999.
Following the funeral of the infant killed on March 26 in Hebron, Sharon declares the Hebron settlement will remain "forever." (Hear Palestine)
Opposition Meretz Party chairman Yossi Sarid states that Jews should be evacuated from Hebron immediately. "People that bite the hand that protects them, the hand of police officers and soldiers, cannot be considered balanced or normal people. . . . Whoever does not evacuate the Jews from there is bringing danger on himself, not just in the territories, but in the entire region." (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post)
An IDF solider is killed in a gun battle with Palestinians at Rachel's Tomb. The IDF closes the Tunnel Road because of Palestinian fire on the Otniel settlement in the Hebron Hills. (Arutz 7)
April 1, 2001
Labor cabinet minister Ephraim Sneh tells Israeli Radio that he understands official complaints against settlers in Hebron. "Whoever doesn't hurry up and hustle to do what they want is considered a traitor. . . . They view the IDF as a tool to carry out their objectives, which, is to seize control of Palestinian Hebron." (Ha'aretz and Peace Now report)
The Palestine Media Center reports that since March 26, more than 25 Palestinian-owned shops and houses have been set on fire by settlers; several attempts have been made by settlers to seize shops and houses; and settlers have entered parts of H1 in violation of the Hebron Protocol of 1997.
The National Religious Party's Yitzak Levy, calls on prime minister Sharon to take over the Abu Sneineh hills in Hebron. "Either evacuate all the Jews or protect them by placing the overlooking hills under IDF control. This must be part of a new policy under which all areas used to launch attacks on Israelis, such as the hill opposite the Tunnels Highway connecting Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, are taken over by the IDF." (Arutz 7)
The IDF exchanges gunfire with Palestinians near al-Khader, Hebron, and settlements south of Har Hebron, near the Jenin bypass road, Nablus and Rachel's Tomb. (Ha'aretz, Arutz 7)
March 31, 2001
The Jerusalem municipality issues demolition orders for three homes in al-Thuri, five in Ras Amud and five in Um Tuba. The municipality has issued more than 22 demolition orders for Palestinian properties in East Jerusalem and two for Israeli properties in West Jerusalem since the beginning of the year.
The IDF exchanges fire with Palestinians near Gilo.
March 30, 2001
Denmark declares a boycott of Israeli settlement products and demands that the European Union freeze cooperation agreements with Israel. (Hear Palestine)
Hear Palestine reports the destruction of more than 800 dunums of Palestinian crops between Gaza City and the Green Line.
The Israeli military commander of the West Bank issues an order to confiscate 100 dunums of Palestinian agricultural land for the construction of a 1.5 km road connecting a military base near Alfe Minashe with the security coordination office. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers confiscate 200 dunums of Palestinian land in al-Buwayt along a bypass road and raise tents on the confiscated land. Settlers confiscate more than 100 dunums of Palestinian agricultural land in Wadi al-Sumsum in an effort to expand the settlement of Tene. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers from Revava and Yakir attempt to establish an outpost near the Palestinian village of Der Istiya, where an attack on a settler allegedly occurred. The IDF convinces the settlers to abandon the outpost in exchange for razing the hilltop. (YESHA News Daily)
March 29, 2001
The Israeli minister of infrastructure, Avigdor Lieberman, states he will suggest the approval of a plan to distribute free land to settlers in efforts to expand existing settlements in the occupied territories. (Hear Palestine)
Palestinians fire at an IDF outpost near Neve Dekalim. The IDF shoots and kills a Palestinian from Arafat's Force 17 bodyguard service as he opened fire on Netzarim. (Arutz 7)
March 28, 2001
Former general security service head Carmi Gillon, states, "The security situation would not be improved if Abu Sneineh, Beit Jala, or any other places were taken back. Israel would have tens of thousands Palestinians to contend with and control. Similarly, the idea of separation is an impossible mission when you have 200,000 Jews living in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip, and a mixed Jewish-Arab population in Jerusalem. It would only become feasible when a decision is reached over Israel's borders." (Jerusalem Post and Peace Now)
March 27, 2001
Fourteen settlements are added to the list of official development areas, giving them and their residents economic and tax benefits: Avne Hefetz, Bat Ayn, Bruchin, Dugit, Eshkolot, Etz Efraim, Kedar, Negohot, Na'ale, Ofarim, Rahelim, Revava, Sansana and Shima. (Arutz 7)
Israeli bulldozers continue to clear land for the expansion of the Avne Hefetz settlement. Settlers set up roadblocks to prevent Palestinians, who have been under closure for the preceding five months from reaching their farmland. (Hear Palestine)
Arutz 7 reports Katif bloc settlers staging a massive demonstration on the road leading to army headquarters, demanding that the army put a stop to the shootings on Neve Dekalim.
Hebron settlers tear down the doors to Palestinian produce stalls and seize buildings, claiming that they were originally Jewish buildings and would now be used for a memorial to the child slain on March 26. (Ha'aretz)
A suicide bomber wounds 17 people at the French Hill junction in Jerusalem. The YESHA Council calls for an expanded closure on the West Bank: "Today's attacks once again prove that Palestinian terrorism does not differentiate between Hebron and Jerusalem. . . . Too much blood has already been spilled for the Sharon government not to reach the realization that the government must end its policy of restraint. Abu Sneineh must be taken today, and a hermetic closure must be imposed on all of YESHA, which has become a place of refuge for terrorists." (Arutz 7 and YESHA News Daily)
March 26, 2001
Three mortar shells are fired at Morag. (YESHA News Daily)
In Hebron, a Palestinian fires on a settler home wounding one adult and killing a baby girl. The IDF responds with heavy machine-gun fire and tank shells, injuring at least 16 Palestinians. Settlers smash windows and vandalize Palestinian cars, prompting the IDF to restrain the settlers. Settlers also torch the Hebron Waqf administration building. (Ha'aretz)
March 25, 2001
Shots are fired at Neve Dakalim and Psagot. (YESHA News Daily)
A security officer for the Shomron Regional Council is shot at the Yitzhar junction between Tapuach and Nablus. (Arutz 7)
March 24, 2001
Ha'aretz reports exchanges of gunfire near Gadid, Neve Dakalim, and Psagot.
March 22, 2001
Bulldozers resume work on a new bypass road in Ras Kark near the Talmon settlement. (Hear Palestine)
Betselem reports six Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the start of the Intifada in September 2000.
March 21, 2001
Palestinians fire two homemade mortars at Morag and three at Netzarim, forcing settlers into bomb shelters. (Ha'aretz, YESHA News Daily)
March 20 2001
The Housing Ministry completes a master plan for the construction of a new settlement in the West Bank. The settlement, Giva'ot, will be in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, between Alon Shvut and Betar. The Ministry hopes to link the settlement to Betar. (Independent Media Review and Analysis)
A water pipe in Shave Shomron is blown up. (YESHA News Daily)
Residents of the Israeli town of Bet Hefer demand that a wall be built around the area in order to prevent firing on the community. (YESHA News Daily)
A security officer guarding the Shomron settlement is shot and wounded. (Arutz 7)
March 19, 2001
The Jerusalem municipality planning board approves the construction of an additional 2,832 housing units in the Har Homa settlement. In response, Palestinian parliamentary speaker Ahmed Qurai [Abu Ala] declares, "Israel must stop all settlement actions before negotiations can be resumed. There can be no trust if this situation persists." (Hear Palestine and Palestine Media Center)
The Palestine Media Center reports that the settlements of Shave Shomron, north of Nablus, and Alfe Menashe, near Kfar Thulath, are expanding. Near the Palestinian village of Beita, the IDF has set up a new outpost to help secure the settler bypass road.
Palestinians fire on the Beka'ot settlement in the Jordan Valley. (Arutz 7)
Settlers open fire on farmers near Surif, north of Hebron, and deny them access to their fields. (Palestine Media Center)
A settler from Efrat is shot and killed while driving near the Etzion bloc.
March 17, 2001
The IDF begins reconstruction of a fence separating Israel from the Gaza Strip after portions of it were destroyed during the recent violence. (Arutz 7)
March 16, 2001
The IDF announces that it will spend tens of millions of shekels to bulletproof homes in Beit Hagai, Psagot and Vered Jericho. (YESHA News Daily)
Dozens of Kiryat Arba settlers block the junction where the Cross-Judea highway meets the Jerusalem-Hebron highway, demanding that the Cross-Judea highway reopen to settlers. (Arutz 7)
Settlers demonstrate on the Dolev-Beit El road, demanding its reopening. (Arutz 7)
March 14, 2001
Contesting the ownership of a house, settlers occupy a Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. (Jerusalem Times Weekly)
The IDF purchases 1,000 bulletproof vests for distribution in settlements. (YESHA News Daily)
The IDF announces the introduction of new security methods for the settlements. The experimental system will track movements around the settlement using optical sensors connected to a central computer. (YESHA News Daily)
A settler is wounded on a road in Gadid in the Katif bloc. Two mines are safely dismantled in nearby Morag. (Arutz 7)
March 13, 2001
Gunfire is directed at settlers cars in Alfe Menashe and Ma'ale Shomron. (Arutz 7)
Hear Palestine reports that two caravans are placed on agricultural land in Beita by Israeli settlers.
March 12, 2001
Defense Minister Ben Eliezer, in a meeting with YESHA council leaders, states that he will improve security along the Tunnel Road, the Jordan Valley highway, and the Modi'in highway. A YESHA leader states, "We think the encirclement of Arab villages is an important measure, but even more intense actions must be taken. . . . Suicide terrorists must be deterred in other ways such as having their homes destroyed and their families exiled. The pressure on the Palestinians must be increased until we are able to travel freely on the roads." (Arutz 7)
Moria Shlomot, the director of Peace Now states: "The day will come when we'll have to explain to our children why the State of Israel starved a whole civilian population and how the army of a people who experienced the ghettos cut off entire villages with ditches and barbed wire. Any rational person understands that this measure will not improve security. Determined terrorists will cross any obstacle, but the despair caused by poverty and starvation will only serve to push more and more people into the hands of Islamic fundamentalists. Sharon's assistants, Benjamin Ben Eliezer and Shimon Peres, will never shake off the permanent stain caused by a policy whose only purpose is to appease the settlers."
Yediot Aharanot reports the approval of new army tactics in the West Bank. The plan includes the division of the West Bank into 60 cells, each receiving individual treatment according to local events. The plan includes the detachment of rural areas from urban areas, segregation of the big cities, and entry into Areas A for combat operations--including the use of tanks.
Israel Radio reports the establishment of 90 new roadblocks separating Palestinian Authority (Areas A) from Areas B and C and an increased army presence at the entrances to Palestinian cities. The army denies that these measures are collective punishment but rather they are measures to protect settlers. The closure is the most intense since the occupation in 1967. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers from Shvut Rachel bulldoze land adjacent to the Jalud and Qaryout villages with the aim of confiscating and annexing it to the settlement. (Hear Palestine)
March 11, 2001
Hebron settlers commemorate the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinians in the Ibrahimi mosque. Settlers, many of whom hold pictures of and are dressed like the perpetrator of the killing, fire live ammunition into the air, vandalize property, and pelt Palestinians with stones and bottles. (Palestinian Media Center)
Residents of Khan Yunis and settlers in Gush Katif exchange fire. (Arutz 7)
March 9, 2001
Settlers attack Kfar Kik and Broqin, destroying both towns' electrical units. (Hear Palestine)
Settler place three caravans near the Anata settlement in an effort to connect it with Kfar Adumim. (Hear Palestine)
YESHA News Daily reports firing on the Morag settlement.
March 8, 2001
Palestinians fire two mortar shells at Netzarim; exchanges of fire also occur near Neve Dekalim. (Arutz 7)
Tanzim leader, Marwan Barghouti, states, "If [Israel] want[s] occupation and settlements, they can't have security." (InfoPal)
Bulldozing commences and six caravans are installed south of Ya'ebad, near Jenin, in an effort to establish a new settlement. (Hear Palestine)
March 7, 2001
Shots are fired toward Netzarim, Ofra, Psagot, and Shilo. A bomb explodes between the Tunnel Road and Gilo. (Arutz 7)
Palestinians fire on an Egged bus traveling north of Ofra on Route 60 and on the Ma'ale Levona settlement. (YESHA News Daily)
March 6, 2001
In a farewell statement to the General Staff, Barak states that separation, either in an agreement or unilaterally, will entail abandoning isolated settlements. "There is a supreme preference to reach a separation with an agreement, but without an agreement, we should enact a unilateral separation accompanied by setting up blocs of settlements and wide security zones on the eastern border and around Modi'in. [We should have] control over the central heights and, at the right moment, we should transfer some of the isolated settlements to settlement blocs or inside the State of Israel." (Hear Palestine)
Palestinians fire on Psagot. The IDF returns fire. (Arutz 7)
Hear Palestine reports new settlement expansion and land confiscation near Jalud in Nablus.
March 5, 2001
O.C. Southern Command Doron Almog states, "There is no difference between Netzarim and any other town in Israel. The IDF is obligated to protect and defend them all." (Arutz 7)
March 3, 2001
Israel's Channel One reports "The IDF is acting to capture territories as a strategic aim in the present conflict. This was revealed by a senior military source. According to the source, the IDF is capturing territories inside Area A, in order to improve positions and also to make clear to the Palestinians that there is a territorial price to the conflict." The Jerusalem Post reports that "the IDF is working to widen the margins of the settlement blocs in the Gaza Strip in order to bolster settlers' security and send a message to the Palestinians that violence on their part will yield only losses."
The PCHR reports a settler from Shilo shooting and killing a Palestinian from Qariout. One Palestinian dies and two are wounded due to shelling by the Israeli army from Psagot. LAW reports a settler from Gilo shooting and killing a Palestinian traveling from Ramallah.
March 2, 2001
A settler from Ma'ale Adumim is shot near the French Hill Junction in Jerusalem. (Arutz 7)
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) reports that a Palestinian child is killed in "indiscriminate and unjustifiable firing into Palestinian homes neighboring the Psagot settlement."
March 1, 2001
Arutz 7 reports that business owners in the Neve Dekalim industrial zone in Gaza claim to be on the verge of collapse due to closures and shootings.
Al-Quds reports settlers confiscating 4,000 dunams of agricultural land from the village of Sinjil, in Ramallah. The land is between the settlements of Shilo, Eli and Ma'ale Levona.
An exchange of gunfire occurs around Psagot. (Arutz 7)
February 28, 2001
Palestinians fire on a car near French Hill in Jerusalem, injuring one passenger. (YESHA News Daily)
February 26, 2001
A YESHA council spokesman states, "Arafat is an enemy. . . . After seven years of war and him sending his own people to kill, we need to assassinate him." (Hear Palestine, Ha'aretz)
February 25, 2001
Shootings, in which two settlers from Ateret are wounded, prompts the closing of the road north of Ramallah. (Ha'aretz)
In response to fire on the Ele Sinai settlement, the IDF destroys two Palestinian posts in Palestinian Authority territory and again bisects the Gaza Strip. (Ha'aretz)
February 24, 2001
Shots are fired at the settlements of Mevo Dotan, Psagot and Gedid. (Ha'aretz)
February 23, 2001
Yerushalim reports an upcoming tender for the construction of 696 units at Tel Zion at the settlement of Kochav Ya'acov northeast of Jerusalem.
Shots are fired at Homesh and Psagot. (YESHA News Daily)
The IDF cuts Gaza in half, preventing travel from Gaza City in the north to Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south. (Arutz 7)
February 22, 2001
Ma'ariv reports that the head of Israel's military courts in Beit El frees 6 Palestinians because career officers in the IDF refuse to travel to Beit El, north of Ramallah.
February 21, 2001
Five mortar shells are fired into the Gaza settlements of Ele Sinai and Dugit. (YESHA News Daily)
The Supreme Council of Fatah calls for an end to firing on Israeli positions and settlements from residential Palestinian areas, stating the firing "gives the IDF an excuse to open fire with machine guns and tanks into Palestinian residential neighborhoods." (Ha'aretz)
Bulletproof windows will be installed in about 900 settlement homes including all those in Gilo that face Beit Jala at a cost of approximately $8.75 million. (Arutz 7)
Ha'aretz reports an average of ten shooting incidents and one roadside bomb blast per day in the Gaza Strip over the last few days. More than half of all bombs placed were on the Karni-Netzarim road. The IDF has destroyed several houses, cleared trees and diverted parts of the road.
February 20, 2001
Israeli soldiers fire first on Beit Jala, ending the policy of only returning fire. (Arutz 7)
The Jerusalem Post reports IDF bulldozing of two Palestinian houses near Beit Umar, south of Jerusalem. Israeli officials claim the houses were illegally built.
February 19, 2001
Palestinians fire on the settlements of Elisha, Gilo, Kadim, and Psagot. (YESHA News Daily)
The IDF allows Israelis to travel along the Trans-Judea Highway (Route 35) for the first time in months. The Hebron Hills Regional Council is running bullet-proof bus service along the route. (YESHA News Daily)
The IDF closes the Tunnel Road after exchanges of fire between the IDF and Palestinians near al-Khader and Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion. The IDF cuts off access to the settlement of Homesh after the discovery of suspected roadside bombs. (YESHA News Daily)
February 18, 2001
Palestinians in Beit Jala fire on Gilo. The IDF returns fire with machine guns, tanks, and missiles. (YESHA News Daily)
The IDF closes the Tunnel Road between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion after exchanges of gunfire and installs protective concrete slabs along the route. (Ha'aretz, Israel Radio)
After serving seven and half years of an eleven year sentence, the Israeli High Court paroles Yoram Skolnick who murdered a Palestinian suspected of stabbing a settler. (Ha'aretz)
February 16, 2001
Kol Ha'Ir reports the cancellation of a tender for the creation of a high-tech park in Pisgat Ze'ev due to lack of interest, due to "the security situation in recent months."
IDF deputy chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon states that the Israeli retreat from Joseph's Tomb in October 2000 "fired up the fighting spirit of the Palestinians. It will be a grave error if Israel continues to pull out of other areas or settlements under fire." (Ma'ariv)
February 15, 2001
According to Arutz 7, power is cut to the Ma'aleh Hever settlement in Hebron due to Palestinian gunfire.
The IDF kills a Palestinian attempting to enter the Kfar Darom settlement in Gaza. It was the second such attempt in three months. (Ha'aretz)
Arutz 7 reports the refusal of insurance companies to insure workers in the Barkan and Atarot industrial areas.
The IDF closes roads in Givat Ze'ev after Palestinians fire at a house there. (Jerusalem Post, Arutz 7)
February 14, 2001
Palestinians fire on Elon Moreh. Two bombs are discovered along the Tunnel Road. (Arutz 7)
February 13, 2001
The Knesset passes a bill giving Israelis eligible for housing subsidies an extra $15,000 (for dwellings on privately owned land) to $20,000 (for dwellings on state land) toward an apartment in Jerusalem. The Finance Minister opposes the law because it will cost about $40 million per year. (Ha'aretz)
Israeli cars are shot at along the road to Beit El. Palestinians fire on Gilo. (Arutz 7)
Palestinian gunfire penetrates the industrial zone of Neve Dekalim in the Katif bloc, injuring one worker. (Arutz 7)
Settlers from Gush Etzion block area roads to Palestinian motorists. (YESHA News Daily)
The IDF closes all roads leading to and from Gush Etzion to settler traffic due to gunfire. (Arutz 7, Ha'aretz)
February 12, 2001
The IDF demolishes two Palestinian homes and a large orchard in southern Gaza. Officers justify the razing as an effort to expand the no-man's-land zone around Kfar Darom and provide added security to the settlement. (YESHA News Daily)
A militant element of Fatah declares "the settlements that Sharon spent his life building at the expense of Palestinian land will be turned into hell and fire. The downfall of Sharon and his settlements is our goal and the goal of our bullets and our resistance." (Los Angeles Times)
Settlers from the Etzion bloc attack Arab motorists with stones at the Efrat junction. They also attempt to block area roads to Arab motorists. (YESHA News Daily)
February 11, 2001
A settler from the Etzion bloc is killed along the Tunnel Road. Palestinians fire on Gilo. (YESHA News Daily)
February 10, 2001
A mortar shell is fired on Netzarim and settlers are ordered into bomb shelters. (YESHA News Daily)
February 9, 2001
Barak informs President George W. Bush that "nothing is agreed until it's all agreed," asserting that concessions he made during negotiations with PA leader Yasser Arafat do not commit prime minister-elect Sharon to the same. (Ha'aretz)
February 6, 2001
Ariel Sharon defeats Ehud Barak in the election for prime minister of Israel.
February 5, 2001
Shots are fired at the Kadim settlement. (Arutz 7, YESHA News Daily)
The IDF announces that more vehicles will be stationed on the roads in the West Bank. All entrances and exits to Palestinian cities will be "encircled" and Palestinians will only be permitted to travel by public transportation. All dirt roads used to bypass closed roads will be off limits as well. (Arutz 7)
The IDF destroys six Palestinian homes near the Karni crossing in Gaza in an effort to prevent shootings at Israeli targets. (Arutz 7)
Shots are fired at Psagot and Efrat. (Arutz 7, YESHA News Daily)
February 4, 2001
According to Ha'aretz, settlers return to the abandoned Havat Maon outpost that was destroyed a year earlier following an agreement between the YESHA council and the government.
Three Beit El settlers are arrested for blocking an intersection near Ramallah and denying access to Palestinian motorists. The settlers call on the IDF to implement a promise to prohibit all Palestinian vehicles from using roads used by settlers. (Ha'aretz)
Hear Palestine reports the leveling of grape vines and almond trees north of the Beit Umar village in efforts to expand the Etzion bloc. Hear Palestine reports the confiscation of more than 1,000 dunums of Palestinian land near Jericho for the construction of a bypass road.
The IDF closes the Tunnel Road after shots are fired from al-Khader. (Arutz 7)
February 1, 2001
Israeli worshippers outside Rachel's Tomb are fired upon. (Arutz 7)
An Israeli is shot and killed north of Jenin. (Ha'aretz)
A settler traveling from Jerusalem to his home in Karmei Tzur, in the Etzion bloc, is shot and killed near a refugee camp in Bethlehem. It is the first shooting incident in Bethlehem after several weeks of relative calm. (Ha'aretz)
The IDF imposes a ban on private Palestinian cars traveling on roads controlled by Israel in the Etzion bloc. (Ha'aretz)
January 31, 2001
The IDF announces plans to distribute maps to settlers demarcating roads on which travel forbidden due to violence, roads that are officially open but require special security coordination, and roads open to travel. (YESHA News Daily)
Settlers from Kokhav HaShahar and Rimonim block the Allon Road to Palestinian traffic. Beit El settlers block Palestinian motorists from traveling the stretch of highway from the T junction to the Ayosh Junction. (Arutz 7)
The YESHA rabbis council calls on IDF chief of staff Mofaz to forbid Palestinian traffic through YESHA or resign. (Arutz 7)
Hear Palestine reports the establishment of a new settlement on land from Kufer Thuluth. Bulldozing and razing are underway to link Ma'ale Shomron and Ginat Shomron.
January 30, 2001
The head of the Golan Regional Council meets with Likud Party members and discusses a multiyear plan for expanding the Jewish presence in the region. (Ha'aretz)
A mortar shell is fired into the Netzarim settlement, damaging a house. Chief of staff Mofaz predicts that should the conflict worsen, there will be more Palestinian attempts to attack settlements. (Ha'aretz)
Barak states, "just as we set a limit to Lebanon and had the strength to leave it . . . we shall have the strength to take our boys out of Judea and Samaria. We will do everything for a peace deal--but if it is not possible, we will bring separation within two or three years, and we will not stay forever in Itamar Cimmel and Netzarim."
January 29, 2001
A settler from Ofra traveling from the Atarot industrial area is shot and killed at the Adam junction, north of Neve Ya'acov. (Arutz 7)
Neve Dekalim is fired on. IDF soldiers kill a Palestinian in an exchange of gun fire. (Arutz 7)
January 28, 2001
Settlers from the Eshkalot settlement, south of Hebron, set up a checkpoint in the al-Ramadin area, stopping Palestinian cars and searching them. (Hear Palestine)
Netzarim, Neve Dekalim, and Psagot are fired on. (Hear Palestine)
January 25, 2001
Palestinians fire on Psagot for the second day in a row. Three settlers are arrested in connect with retaliatory attacks on Palestinian property. (Arutz 7)
An Israeli traveling from the Atarot industrial zone to Givat Ze'ev is shot and killed in his car. (Israel Line)
January 24, 2001
According to Israeli reports, ten factories in the Erez industrial park in Gaza have been forced to close due to violence in the area. An Israeli official tells Ha'aretz that if the industrial zone is forced to shut down, it would be "just like evacuating a settlement." (Palestine Report)
Shots are fired into the Netzarim and Psagot settlements. (Arutz 7)
January 23, 2001
Israeli forces close al-Nafaq in Beit Jala and al-Khader after finding two explosives on bypass roads used by settlers. (Hear Palestine)
Two firebombs are thrown at the Givat HaMatos settlement in East Jerusalem. Shots are fired at IDF outposts near Gadid and Neve Dekalim. (Arutz 7) An Israeli car is fired on while traveling from Givat Ze'ev to Atarot. (Israeline)
January 22 2001
The Israeli High Court convicts a West Bank settler of second-degree manslaughter in the death of a Palestinian boy, sentencing him to six months of pubic service and fifteen months probation. (Ha'aretz)
Twenty-five settlers from the Modi'in area file suit in the Israeli High Court against IDF chief of staff Shaul Mofaz, demanding increased security along the Modi'in-Jerusalem bypass road, especially during the night. (Arutz 7)
January 21, 2001
Shots are fired on Ateret, Neve Dekalim, and Psagot. (Arutz 7)
The Council of Jewish Settlements of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza YESHA Council) call on settlers to support the candidacy of Ariel Sharon for prime minister. (Ha'aretz)
January 20, 2001
The IDF constructs a new road north of Mawasi to connect the Katif bloc and Tel Katifa. The road, lined with barbed wire, will prevent Palestinians from entering Mawasi from Deir al-Balah. An IDF spokesperson states that the construction is in response to the killing of a settler by Palestinians. (Hear Palestine)
January 18, 2001
Palestinians fire on Israeli cars between Nahliel and Neria and on Netzarim in Gaza. Palestinians throw two firebombs at Psagot, setting fire to an apartment. (Arutz 7)
January 17, 2001
Palestinians throw three Molotov cocktails at Israeli cars in Pisgat Ze'ev. Palestinians fire on Psagot. (Arutz 7)
January 16, 2001
Settlers kidnap, shoot and kill a Palestinian man. (Hear Palestine)
January 15, 2001
Israeli bulldozers level more than 30 dunams of land belonging to Palestinians for the expansion of the Harsina settlement in Hebron. (Hear Palestine)
The Israeli army places a curfew on Dahiyat al-Barid in the West Bank in retaliation for shootings at Neve Ya'acov. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers set fire to Palestinian homes, fields, and greenhouses near al-Mawasi, close to the Kfar Yam settlement in Gaza, in retaliation for the killing of a settler. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinians fire on Israeli targets in Hebron, Neve Dekalim, and Elon Moreh. A bomb explodes near an Israeli convoy traveling from Netzarim to the Karni checkpoint in Gaza. (Arutz 7)
Israeli forces move the Kiryat Sefer checkpoint from the entrance of the settlement to the eastern entrance of the Palestinian village of Na Elin, over 500 meters from the settlement, and block the village entrance with large cement blocks. Israeli forces place Na Elin and neighboring villages under strict closure. (Hear Palestine)
Israel Radio reports that settlers in Hebron have been authorized to set up armed patrols, supervised by the Israeli police.
Hear Palestine reports that settlers cut down more than 200 olive trees in Hawara, near Nablus. The head of the Hawara municipality states that settlers have destroyed more than 1,700 trees since the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada.
January 14, 2001
Israeli forces continue to bulldoze land from Beit Lahiya near the Ele Sinai settlement. Bulldozers begin constructing a one km road linking the Kfar Darom settlement to agricultural land in the east. The road cuts through land from the Palestinian village of al-Azaiza in Deir Balah. (Hear Palestine)
A settler from the Katif bloc is kidnaped and killed.
The IDF establishes two new outposts at the sites previously occupied by settlers from Ofra and Beit El. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinians fire at Neve Ya'acov in northern Jerusalem for the first time. (Arutz 7)
January 13, 2001
Hear Palestine reports the bulldozing of more than 300 dunams of Palestinian land near the Ele Sinai settlement in Gaza.
January 10, 2001
Palestinians shoot at the Ayosh junction, Einav, and Psagot. Palestinians also fire on Israeli cars near Elon Moreh, Itamar, and Kadim. (Arutz 7)
January 9, 2001
The Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheik Arama Tsabari, issues a ruling that the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and its adjoining plaza are all properties of the Muslim Waqf and "there can be no compromise on [the] matter." (Arutz 7)
The Tunnels Road between the Etzion bloc and Jerusalem closes temporarily as a result of intermittent shooting. (Arutz 7)
Palestinian students throw stones at an Israeli bus carrying settlers from Homesh, near Jenin. The settlers respond with fire aimed at the school and adjacent homes, killing one Palestinian. (LAW)
January 8, 2001
About 300,000 Israelis gather in a mass rally opposing the division of Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians. (Arutz 7)
Palestinians fire on Israeli cars traveling near Jerusalem, injuring one boy. Palestinians from the Aida refugee camp fire on the Gilo settlement. (Arutz 7)
Israeli settlers shoot and kill a Palestinian during clashes with security services in Kfar Haris. (LAW)
January 7, 2001
Two former security officers send a public letter to Barak warning of security threats to the Temple Mount by extremist, messianic groups. They state "Calls made by rabbis are liable to be interpreted as sanctions given to an attack against the Temple Mount [by Jewish groups]. . . . Exhortations to destroy the mosques and take vengeance for the murder of Binyamin Kahane [make] the [Haram al-Sharif and other Islamic sites] prime targets for attacks by Jews." (Ha'aretz)
Shooting occurs near the Elon Moreh, Neve Dekalim, and Psagot settlements and at an Israeli bus traveling in the Jordan Valley. (Arutz 7)
January 5, 2001
Palestinians vandalize water pipes in the Yitzhar settlement. The West Bank civil administration spokesman states that since October 2000 about eight cases of vandalism to water installations have occurred throughout the territories.
January 4, 2001
Settlers in Netzarim take cover in bomb shelters for the first time in three months due to a fierce gun battle between the IDF and Palestinians. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers march to Jerusalem while chanting "Israel is fighting for her soul." (Arutz 7)
Settlers from Kokhav HaShahar block the Allon highway to Palestinian traffic. (Arutz 7)
Beit El settlers occupy an outpost on the Jerusalem-Ramallah road, stating they will not move until the IDF takes over the site. (Ha'aretz and Arutz 7)
Settlers from Beit El, Elon Moreh, Kedumim and Yitzhar close their schools and workplaces to protest recent violence and shooting attacks. (Ha'aretz and Arutz 7)
Barak rejects a recommendation by his security services to allow Jews to visit the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif). The chief rabbis of Israel reject an appeal from National Religious Party members calling for a halakhic ruling permitting Jews to enter the holy site. (Ha'aretz, Arutz 7)
January 3, 2001
Prime ministerial candidate Ariel Sharon declares that he will not dismantle any settlements in the West Bank and Gaza if elected. (IDF Radio)
January 2, 2001
Settlers from Homesh attack Palestinian farmers in Sila, near Jenin, preventing them from cultivating their land. (Hear Palestine)
Settlers from the Jordan Valley stage a protest demonstrating against possible concessions in the region. (Ha'aretz)
Settlers obstruct Palestinian traffic on the road around the Tapuah junction, hurling stones at Palestinian motorists. (Ha'aretz)
The IDF razes three Palestinian homes in Ayn Yabrud, next to Ofra. (Arutz 7)
January 1, 2001
Settlers from Ofra seize a hilltop where a previous attack on settlers occurred. The residents vow not to leave, claiming that the site is part of Ofra's expansion plan and that it was seized as "a fitting Zionist response to Palestinian terror." (Ha'aretz)
Groups of settlers block seven junctions around Ramallah to private Palestinian cars to protest roadside attacks on settlers. (Ha'aretz)
A settler shoots at a Palestinian car traveling on the Nablus-Deir Estya road, injuring two passengers. (Hear Palestine)
An Israeli bus is shot at near Shavei Shomron; no injuries are reported. (Arutz 7)