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March 31, 2006: The new Hamas government holds an emergency meeting after three Palestinians are killed in factional violence. The meeting followed a day of unrest sparked by the death of Abu Yousef Abu Quka, a Palestinian terrorist with ties to Hamas, in a car bombing. His followers blamed security forces linked to the rival Fatah movement. Earlier Friday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh appealed for calm in Gaza, saying the Hamas-led government he leads would investigate Abu Quka's killing. Haniyeh told Reuters that he asked his interior minister, Saeed Seyam, to conduct an immediate investigation into the death of Abu Quka, a top commander in the Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella group of militants in Gaza often responsible for rocket attacks against Israel. Gunmen later left the streets, heeding calls from government ministers as tensions on Gaza's streets eased, PRC spokesman Abu Abir said. Abu Quka's followers blamed security forces loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement for the assassination. A shootout at the militant's funeral killed four more people - among them a member of the Palestinian security services, a PRC militant and a bystander. Palestinian Health Minister Basim Naeem said 36 people were wounded in the fighting, including seven children. (Amos Harel and Arnon Regular, "Hamas Pledges to Remove Arms from Streets of Gaza," Ha'aretz, March 31, 2006). March 30, 2006: Four Israelis are killed when a Palestinian suicide bomber detonates explosives in a car at the entrance to the West Bank community of Kedumim, west of Nablus. A new group linked to Fatah, the party headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, claims responsibility for the attack. The group, Kateb al-Shahid Chamuda, from the Balata refugee camp in nearby Nablus, identifies the bomber as Mahmoud Masharka, 24, from the West Bank city of Hebron. Al-Manar TV in Lebanon broadcasts a claim of responsibility from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Fatah. (Amos Harel and Jonathan Lis, "Four Israelis Killed in West Bank Suicide Bombing Attack," Ha'aretz, March 30, 2006). March 30, 2006: Palestinian terrorists fire a Qassam rocket at Kibbutz Carmia. The rocket impacts in a soccer field. (DebkaFile, March 30, 2006). March 29, 2006: - The IDF's Nahal Hareidi brigade apprehends an Arab suicide bomber wearing a bomb-belt. The terrorist was caught at the Beka'ot checkpoint in the Jordan Valley, which is manned by members of the special religious brigade. The eighteen–year-old had traveled from Nablus and was supposed to be picked up by Israeli Arab terrorists and driven to a population center to blow himself up among the maximum number of people he could find. The explosives contained in the belt weighed upwards of 80 pounds, local commander Col. Motti Elmoz told Army Radio. - Israel responds to Qassam rocket attacks by attacking launching sites in Gaza from the sea for the first time, using naval vessels to fire artillery at the open fields and launch sites favored by terrorists. - Five Qassam rockets strike the western Negev. (Ezra Halevi, "Suicide Bomber Caught, Navy Shells Rocket Launching Sites," IsraelNationalNews, March 29, 2006). March 28, 2006: A man and a boy are reported dead after a Qassam rocket explodes shortly before noon near Kibbutz Nachal Oz in the western Negev. The two, apparently Bedouin shepherds, were killed in the Qassam attack, originating in Hamas Authority-controlled Gaza. Contrary to reports that the explosion was caused by a rocket that was fired some time in the past, it now appears that the two were killed by a direct hit. A girl who was treated for shock at the site said that she heard a "whistling sound and an explosion." The total number of Qassam rocket fatalities is now eight - five in Sderot, one in Netiv HaAsarah, and two today. (Hillel Fendel, "Two Killed by Kassam Rocket Explosion," IsraelNationalNews, March 28, 2006). March 28, 2006: The IDF confirms that Palestinian terrorists fired a 122 mm Katyusha rocket, a much longer-range projectile than the Qassam, from the Gaza Strip into Israel. According to Israel Channel 10 Television, the rocket was an older model with a range of 12 kilometers (seven miles), and was fired Tuesday morning, apparently by Islamic Jihad, which had vowed to try to disrupt the Tuesday general election. Remains of the rocket were discovered in searches of areas hit by rockets south of Ashkelon. The potential range of the Katyusha is some 15 kilometers, about six kilometers longer than that of the Qassam. This would place a much larger number of Israeli towns and villages in danger of being hit by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, including the southern coastal city of Ashkelon. It is believed that the Katyusha fired from Gaza was smuggled into the Strip, apparently across the Gaza-Egypt border from Sinai. In recent years the Palestinian Authority and terror organizations have tried on numerous occasions to smuggle Katyushas into the territories, but until now, it was thought that Israel had succeeded in foiling all of the attempts. In January, 2002, dozens of Katyushas were aboard the Karine A arms ship, when it was intercepted and impounded by Israeli forces. Palestinian terrorists have fired thousands of Qassams and mortars shells at Israel over the past five years. Of late, the rate of fire has been increasing, to two or more daily. (Amos Harel, "For First Time, Palestinians Fire Katyusha Rocket From Gaza," Ha'aretz, March 28, 2006). March 27-28, 2006: - IDF artillery fire is directed at Qassam rocket launching sites in northern Gaza in response to ongoing rocket attacks into southern pre-19667 Green Line Israel. - Two IDF soldiers are injured while apprehending a Fatah Tanzim terrorist in Palestinian Authority (PA) controlled Bethlehem. Soldiers are attacked with an explosive device and gunfire. Two sustain very light shrapnel injuries. - Two al-Aqsa Brigade terrorists are killed in a targeted surgical strike in Gaza City. According to PA sources quoting eye-witnesses, an IDF helicopter gunship fired air-to-surface missiles at the car carrying the terrorists. IDF officials report the terrorists targeted in the strike were involved in Qassam rocket attacks into pre-1967 Israel. ("Artillery Fire Directed at Kassam Launching Sites," IsraelNationalNews, March 28, 2006; "Two Soldiers Injured in Bethlehem Counter-Terror Operation," IsraelNationalNews, March 27, 2006; "Terrorists Eliminated in IDF Surgical Strike," IsraelNationalNews," March 27, 2006). March 25, 2006: - A Palestinian terrorist carrying a dagger is arrested as he attempts to enter Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station. He later confesses his intention to carry out a stabbing attack. - Palestinian terrorists fire at IDF forces near the village of Merka, southwest of Jenin. ("Arab Caught With Dagger at Tel Aviv Bus Station Intended to Stab Jews," IsraelNationalNews, March 26, 2006; "Arabs Shoot at IDF Troops Near Jenin," IsraelNationalNews, March 26, 2006). March 25, 2006: Palestinian terrorists fire a Qassam rocket at southern Ashkleon, damaging a structure. The Islamic Jihad's military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, claims responsibility for the attack. (Hannan Greenberg, "Qassam Hits Ashkelon Structure," YnetNews, March 25, 2006). March 24, 2006: - Palestinian terrorists fire at IDF forces near the Israeli community of Kedumim. - Palestinians fire Qassam rockets at Kibbutz Carmia, (south of) Zikim, Netiv Ha'asrah and the western Negev. - IDF forces detain a terrorist in Tubas (West Bank) with an explosive device. - Palestinians fire at an IDF vehicle near kibbutz Nir Am (along the Gaza Strip border). (YeshaNews, March 24, 2006). March 23, 2006: - IDF forces kill at least two Palestinian terrorists north of the Kissufim checkpoint (near the Gaza Strip security fence). Soldiers positioned in a watchtower spot the Palestinians placing an explosive device nearby. An IDF tank and IAF plane opens fire. - Two IDF soldiers are lightly hurt in a firefight with Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank city of Nablus. (Amos Harel and Jonathan Liss, "IDF Kills at Least 2 Palestinians Near Gaza Strip Security Fence," Ha'aretz, March 23, 2006). March 22, 2006: - A second would-be Palestinian suicide bomber in two days is apprehended by Israeli security forces. A member of Fatah-Tanzim, he had been assigned to strike inside Israel within days. - Three explosive devices are thrown at an IDF patrol outside Nablus. - A Qassam rocket impacts near Zikkim, south of Ashkelon. (DebkaFile, March 22, 2006). March 22, 2006: IDF forces kill an Islamic Jihad terrorist during an operation in the West Bank city of Jericho. The terrorist is killed when IDF forces open fire after entering a building in which the terrorists had barricaded themselves during the operation. Troops also arrest two other terrorists during the raid. (Jonathan Lis, Amos Harel, "IDF Fire Kills Islamic Jihad Militant in Jericho Operation," Ha'aretz, March 22, 2006). March 21, 2006: At least six people, including Palestinian Authority (PA) security personnel, are injured in gunfights between the PA and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorists. Two bystanders are injured in one clash at the Rafah crossing terminal. Al Aqsa terrorists also storm a PA military hospital in southern Gaza and a power plant, demanding jobs and salaries, according to an Arab rights organization. ("Six Wounded in Intra-Arab Gunfights," IsraelNationalNews, March 21, 2006). March 21, 2006: Two men from the West Bank become the first Palestinians to be charged with membership in Al-Qaida. The two 20-year-old Nablus residents, Azzam Abu Al-Ades and Bilal Hafanawi, are charged in a Samaria military court with planning a terror attack and membership in Al-Qaida. Approximately two months ago, Israeli intelligence officials noted evidence that indicated Palestinians from Nablus and Jenin had made contact with groups identified with Al-Qaida and received from them financial support for their operations. Al-Ades and Hafanawi met with Al Qaida operatives in Jordan, arranged for secret e-mail communication, opened a bank account and received 3,000 Jordanian dinars ($4,240) from Al Qaida to carry out the Jerusalem attack, according to the indictment. They were arrested at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in December 2005 upon their return from the Hashemite kingdom. At the time of their arrest, they were in the planning stage of an attack on the French Hill section of Jerusalem that was to involve a suicide bomber and a car bomb. Al-Ades was recruited into Al-Qaida while studying in Jordan. Hafanawi joined him on his last journey to Jordan. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has also recently said evidence was found indicating Al-Qaida infiltrations into the Gaza Strip. In 2000, a Hamas operative from Gaza, Nabil Ouqal, was tried and convicted for attempting to establish a branch of Al-Qaida in the Strip. (Amos Harel, "West Bank Palestinians Charged with Al-Qaida Membership for First Time," Ha'aretz, March 21, 2006). March 21, 2006: A helicopter-directed police chase on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway ends with the capture of a van transporting a would-be suicide bomber carrying explosives meant for an attack in the center of the country. The van, carrying 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of explosives, is stopped next to Kibbutz Sha'alabim, near Latrun, a rural area midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The 10 men inside the vehicle are taken for questioning, including the prospective bomber. (Jonathan Lis, Amos Harel, "Would-Be Bomber Seized En Route to Suicide Attack," Ha'aretz, March 21, 2006). March 19, 2006: - An unarmed Palestinian Authority (PA) resident is apprehended by soldiers in the Kibbutz Erez area in southern Israel, not far from Gaza’s northern border. - IDF forces identify three PA residents planting a bomb in northern Gaza. - IDF soldiers manning a checkpoint at Jat Junction in Samaria, west of PA controlled Shechem (Nablus), intercepts a 13-year-old Palestinian Authority (PA) resident transporting a pipe bomb and an empty magazine from a pistol. - Palestinian terrorists fire two Qassam rockets at southern Israel from Gaza. - IDF forces prevent an attempted terror attack along the Reichan route leading to the community of Mevo Dotan, in northern Samaria (West Bank). IDF troops identified the terrorist, who had an assault rifle and an extra clip. The terrorist admitted he was waiting for an unarmored vehicle, which he planned to shoot at. - Palestinian terrorists fire three Qassam rockets toward Israeli towns in the western Negev Sunday evening. The rockets impact near the Nachal HaBashor region. No injuries or damage are reported. (Amos Harel, "2 Kassams Fired from Gaza," IsraelNationalNews, March 19, 2006; "Unarmed Infiltrator Apprehended Near Erez," IsraelNationalNews, March 19, 2006; "IDF Detects Terrorists Placing a Bomb in Gaza," IsraelNationalNews, March 19, 2006; "Arab Teen Found Transporting a Bomb in Samaria," IsraelNationalNews, March 19, 2006; "IDF Forces Prevent Mevo Dotan Shooting Attack," IsraelNationalNews, March 19, 2006; "Three Rockets Fired at Western Negev From Gaza," IsraelNationalNews, March 19, 2006). March 17-18, 2006: - The IAF attacks four Qassam rocket launching sites in the northern Gaza Strip, in response to seven rockets fired at Israel. Two of the rockets land in the sea and one is suspected to have impacted in Ashkelon's industrial area. No injuries or damage are reported. - IDF forces arrest a Palestinian carrying a 12 centimeter-long knife attempting to cross the Qalandiya checkpoint in the West Bank. - IDF forces apprehend a Palestinian carrying a 20 centimeter-long knife near the Hawara barricade south of Nablus. - IDF forces arrest two Palestinians attempting to infiltrate Israel from the Gaza Strip. - Palestian terrorists fire at an IDF outpost located along the border fence with Gaza, near the Kissufim crossing. - Two 15-kilo bombs are found and dismantled on a road used by IDF patrols near the West Bank town of Nablus. (Amos Harel, "IAF Attacks Four Qassam Launching Sites in Northern Gaza," Ha'aretz, March 18, 2006; "Seven Qassam Missiles Fired From Gaza into Israel Saturday," DebkaFile, March 18, 2006). March 16, 2006: Concern over a possible Qassam rocket attack on the Rotenberg Power Station in southern Ashkelon leads to new guidelines at the plant: Not to walk in groups or to eat together in the dining rooms. A Rotenberg spokesman has confirmed that the new guidelines have indeed been issued. The reason for the new policy is the management's fear that a Kassam rocket might hit the plant. The station supplies a quarter of Israel's electricity. It is widely felt that a direct rocket hit on the plant, and especially one with casualties, would lead to public demands for a military entry and operation in Gaza. Approximately three Qassam rockets have hit the area in or very close to the Rotenberg plant in recent weeks. One building was damaged. The Ministry of Education recently issued a directive forbidding school trips to the power station and other sensitive installations north of Gaza - for reasons of Qassam-related threats. (Hillel Fendel, "Ashkelon Power Plant Employees Told Not to Gather in Groups," IsraelNationalNews, March 16, 2006). March 15-16, 2006: - Palestinian terrorists wound two Israelis in a West Bank (Samaria) shooting on the road between Tapuah and Hawara. Fatah's Aksa Martyr's Brigades reportedly claims responsibility for the attack. Security forces continue searching the area for the perpetrators. - IDF forces launch air strikes targeting access roads in the Gaza Strip after a barrage of Qassam rockets hit open areas in the Western Negev. No injuries or damage are reported. - IDF forces shoot and kill a Palestinian terrorist who hurls three firebombs at a patrol west of Ramallah. - In Jenin, paratroopers searching for Islamic Jihad operatives exchange heavy fire with Palestinian terrorists. (Amos Harel, "Palestinian Gunmen Wound 2 Israelis in W. Bank Shooting," Ha'aretz, March 16, 2006; "Update: Soldiers Killed Attacker Near Ramallah," IsraelNationalNews, March 15, 2006; Yaakov Katz, "Two Israelis Wounded in Shooting Attack at Hawara," Jerusalem Post, March 16, 2006). March 14, 2006: Five murderers of former Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi, including PLFP leader Ahmed Sadaat, surrender to IDF forces after a day-long siege on the Jericho prison where they were being held. Fuad Shobaki, the mastermind of an illegal mass weapons shipment (the Karine A) to the Palestinian Authority in 2002 was also taken into custody. A special anti-terror police unit and the IDF Nahal Brigade charged the prison Tuesday morning after U.S. and Britain withdrew their observers "out of concern for the monitors’ safety." Ze’evi’s killers surrendered along with 202 other prisoners after nine hours of shelling with heavy artillery and machine gunfire. The six will be taken to a prison in Israel. In response, Palestinian terrorists kidnapped 17 foreign nationals. Two Australians, an American lecturer and a Red Cross official were released shortly after they were abducted. According to Israel radio, armed terrorists were hunting for foreigners in local hotels. The Gaza police chief ordered his officers to fire on anyone who attempted to kidnap foreigners. Some 15,000 Palestinians protested in Gaza City against the Jericho operation. The British Cultural Center was torched and approximately 300 rioting Arabs broke into the European Union compound. In addition, gunmen burst into the German television network (ARD) offices, the same building that houses the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) studios. The office of AMIDEAST, a private nonprofit organization that provides educational support services, was also a target for armed Arab attackers. "We don’t want to see any Americans here," one shouted at police who arrived on the scene. The UN and the Red Cross both announced they were pulling their representatives out of Palestinian Authority-controlled areas temporarily in the wake of the kidnappings and other violence. Red Cross officials in Geneva later denied they had told their staff to leave. European Union monitors also fled their posts at the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings with Gaza Tuesday afternoon at the instruction of their governments. Both crossings were closed as armed Arabs gathered at the sites. In addition, the Karni crossing was closed due to specific warnings of impending terror attacks. Palestinian terrorists also fire eight Qassam rockets at Israeli targets. (Hana Levi Julian, "Ze’evi Murderers Surrender to IDF," IsraelNationalNews, March 14, 2006; DebkaFile, March 14, 2006). March 13, 2006: Several armed Palestinians are intercepted at West Bank roadblocks on their way to attack Israelis. One is stopped at Kalandia just north of Jerusalem carrying a sword, another armed with a knife is caught outside the Jewish quarter of Hebron. At the Kissufim roadblock outside the Gaza Strip, five infiltrators carrying a hand grenade are detained. On the West Bank, IDF forces capture an armed Islamic Jihad terrorist in Jenin, where a paratroop counter-terror unit comes under gunfire and pipe bomb attack. No casualties are reported. (DebkaFile, March 13, 2006). March 12, 2006: Two Qassam rockets imapct in the western Negev. No casualties or property damage is reported. ("Two Kassam's Land in Western Negev; None Wounded," Jerusalem Post, March 11, 2006). March 11, 2006: A Magen David Adom crew treats a Sderot resident for shock after the "Red Dawn" rocket warning system sounds and two Qassam rockets impact in the western Negev. One rocket lands in an open area outside Sderot and another in an open area in the western Negev. Earlier, two Palestinian youths were arrested near the West Bank city of Jenin with three pipe bombs. Five Qassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at targets in Israel on Friday. Also Friday, an anti-tank rocket was fired at an Israel Defense Forces patrol car adjacent to the security fence along the northern Gaza Strip. No injuries or damages were reported in any of the incidents. Two of the rockets launched Friday landed in an open area south of Ashkelon; one landed later in an open area adjacent to Kibbutz Nachal Oz and another two landed in open areas. (Michael Greenberg and Amos Harel, "Sderot Resident Treated for Shock After Qassam Strike," Ha'aretz, March 11, 2006). March 9, 2006: Palestinian terrorists fire a Qassam rocket at the western Negev. ("Kassam Rocket Lands Without Injuries," IsraelNationalNews, March 10, 2006). March 9, 2006: Qatar decides to donate 100 military vehicles to the Palestinian Authority. Qatari Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani directed the military to export 100 surplus combat vehicles to Palestinian security forces to bolster PA police and security agencies. Qatar has a range of armored vehicles from such suppliers as Britain, Egypt and France. Industry sources said the most likely vehicle to be sent to the PA was the VAB armored personnel carrier. Qatar has more than 130 such APCs - which are loaded with mortar carriers and anti-tank guided missiles. ("Qatar to Donate 100 Military Vehicles to the Palestinian Authority," MENL, March 9, 2006). March 8, 2006: Senior IDF officers tell The Jerusalem Post that Israel will have no choice but to launch a massive ground operation into the Gaza Strip in the near future. Heavy artillery barrages on unpopulated areas in northern Gaza continued on Tuesday as the army responded to Qassam attacks in recent days. But while officers said artillery fire on launch sites, as well as the targeted assassinations of key terror figures, did deter attacks to some degree, it was "only a matter of time" before the IDF would need to reenter Gaza which it left this past summer under the disengagement plan. "We know how to enter Gaza in a ground operation and it will happen," one officer told the Post during a tour of the northern Gaza border. "The exact timing depends on the developments and when we will be fed up with the rocket attacks." "Most of the Qassams are fired at the Ashkelon power station," the officer said. "They look up and see the two smoke stacks and do all they can to try and hit them." (Yaakov Katz, "Officers: Gaza Land Operation Inevitable," Jerusalem Post, March 8, 2006). March 7, 2006: DebkaFile reports a Shin Beit (GSS) round up of a Fatah-al Aqsa Brigades cell preparing for a mortar blitz against southern Jerusalem. According to DebkaFile the Fatah gang was 12 strong; it had deployed in Bethlehem 8 mortars, 0.3 mm machine guns and a stock of shells and ammo. DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report that Israeli security forces stepped in to foil the attack in the nick of time; the hardware was already in position for a coordinated shelling and shooting bombardments of the Gilo and Har Homa districts of the capital which abut on Bethlehem. On Feb. 22, Shin Beit director Yuval Diskin briefed the Knesset foreign affairs and security committee on the inquiry he launched after a single mortar was found poised to shell Jerusalem from neighboring Beit Jalla. The probe uncovered a large network armed with a variety of heavy weaponry including high trajectory arms. Eight of the mortars turned out to be home-made improvisations. The discovery that Fatah was manufacturing mortar-type weapons on the West Bank was alarming. The attack’s commander was the al Aqsa Brigades Bethlehem chief Jabar Fuaz Eid Akhras. The plan was for the Beit Jalla mortar to shell Gilo first, then fire off the other seven from Bethlehem, when Israeli security and rescue forces has gathered at the scene. Har Homa was to have been the primary target of a massive blitz. ("DEBKAfile Exclusive: Shin Beit Rounds up a Fatah-al Aqsa Brigades Gang on the Point of a Mortar Blitz on Southern Jerusalem," DebkaFile, March 7, 2006). March 5, 2006: Israel Air Force jets fire two missiles at an ice-cream van in which Munir Sukar and Ashraf Shaluf were traveling in Gaza City. According to Israeli security services, Sukar was responsible for numerous Qassam launches at Israel, as well as an attempt to send a suicide bomber to Jerusalem last month. It should also be noted that both were Islamic Jihad operatives. (Arnon Regular and Amos Harel, "Jihad Vows to Fire Qassams at Ashkelon to Avenge IAF Strike," Ha'aretz, March 6, 2006). March 5, 2006: Palestinian terrorists have succeeded in striking Israeli strategic sites with indigenous missiles. Islamic Jihad has used weapons based on the Hamas-designed Qassam-class short-range missile to strike Israeli strategic facilities in the Ashkelon area, including an oil terminal, power station, water desalination facility and port. On March 3, Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for a Qassam missile attack that struck an unidentified strategic facility south of Ashkelon. An Israeli employee was injured and the facility was slightly damaged. Israeli sources said that for the first time the Qassam landed in the facility. They said the employees were ordered to enter a bunker. ("Palestinians Strike Israeli Strategic Sites," Middle East Newsline, March 5, 2006). March 5, 2006: Palestinian terrorists fire Qassam rockets at the western Negev. (Shmulik Hadad, "5 Qassams Fired at Western Negev Sunday Morning," YnetNews, March 5, 2006). March 5, 2006: Over the past 2 days, scores of armed Palestinians stormed a number of public institutions in Nuseirat, Rafah, and Gaza City. Under gunfire, they forced staff out of their offices, and prevented them from carrying on with their work. PCHR's preliminary investigations indicate that at approximately 02:00 on Sunday (5 March 2006), a group consisting of about 40 gunmen, some of them masked, stormed the Directorate of Education in Nuseirat refugee camp. They were protesting the nonpayment of their salaries by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). In a statement signed by "Fatah Members in the Central Area," they demanded the payment of their salaries like other members of the movement. The incident lasted nearly 7 hours, during which the gunmen prevented staff from entering their offices. The crisis was resolved at about 9:00 in the morning. At approximately 11:30 on Saturday, 4 March 2006, a group of 30 masked gunmen stormed the Rafah municipality building. They fired their guns discriminately outside and inside the building, and attempted to assault some staff members. The assault lasted about one hour. The attackers distributed a statement signed by "Members of Military and Security Branches," in which they indicated that the attack is a result of the decision by the Ministry of Finance and Rafah municipality to deduct 200-300 New Israeli Shekels a month from their paychecks, to pay their late dues for the municipality. At approximately 11:45 on Saturday, 4 March 2006, ten gunmen from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades stormed the departments of "Health Insurance" and "Treatment Abroad" in the Abu Khadra governmental complex in Gaza City. They fired a few shots in the air, forced all staff to leave their offices, and ordered them to close them. PCHR information indicates that the attack came to protest the Palestinian Cabinet decision to stop providing some health services for uninsured citizens. The two departments remained closed till the end of the day, and resumed work the next day. PCHR is concerned about the continuation of these dangerous attacks, which constitute a continuum of the state of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Centre calls upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these attacks, and to bring the perpetrators to justice. ("Armed Palestinian Groups Storm Public Institutions," PCHR, March 5, 2006). March 5, 2006: Over the past 4 days, the Gaza Strip witnessed a series of security chaos incidents that included: - Injury of a citizen in a clan dispute in Bureij refugee camp; - Injury of 3 citizens, while locally-manufactured explosive charges were being handled; - Detonation of an explosive charge outside the house of a citizen in Gaza City; and - Kidnapping and beating of a citizen in Nuseirat. PCHR's preliminary investigations indicate that at approximately 10:30 on Sunday, 5 March 2006, Mohammad Abu H'jayer (20 years old and a resident of Bureij refugee camp) was admitted into Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir El-Balah. He was suffering from gunshot wounds to his left forearm and his condition was classified as stable. An argument had broken out between him and his father, who subsequently shot his son. At approximately 12:05 on the same day, unknown assailants detonated an explosive device in front of a 5-storey residential house, belonging to the Muheisin clan in the El-Daraj area of Gaza City. The entrance of the house and commercial shops in the ground floor suffered damage. The motive of the attack is not known and the police have started an investigation into the incident. At approximately 10:30 on Saturday, 4 March 2006, Majdi Abed Rabbo, a 19-year-old resident of Izbit Abed Rabbo in Jabalia, was injured in the back by a bullet fired during a clan dispute. He was taken to Kamal Odwan Hospital, where his condition was classified as moderate. At approximately 17:00 on Friday, 3 March 2006, Ibrahim Zaqzouq, a 19-year-old resident of Jabalia, was injured in the feet by shrapnel resulting from the explosion of a home-made grenade. He was taken to a hospital, where his condition was described as moderate. At approximately 21:30 on Thursday, 2 March 2006, Mo'ayed Shaban Naser, a 19-year-old resident of Jabalia, was injured in the thighs by shrapnel resulting from the explosion of a home-made explosive device. At approximately 21:00 on Wednesday, 1 March 2006, an armed group kidnapped Majdi Amer Abu Yousef, a 30-year-old resident of Nuseirat refugee camp, who works as a staff sergeant in the Palestinian Military Intelligence Apparatus. The kidnapping took place on the coastal road, opposite El-Zahra City. He was released after one hour, during which time he had been severely beaten and his weapon taken. He was taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir El-Balah for treatment. The reason behind the incident is not known. PCHR is concerned about the continuation of internal violence that includes the use of arms in personal and clan disputes. These acts are a continuation of the state of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Centre reiterates its call upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice. ("Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms: Misuse of Weapons by Armed Groups and Security Personnel," PCHR, March 5, 2006). March 4, 2006: IsraelNationalNews reports Hamas is forming a standing army in Gaza based on its military wing, the Al-Kassam Brigades. Abu Huzaifa, a Hamas military official, tells the PA news agency, Duniya Alwatan, that Hamas has established military bases in every city in Gaza. The bases have been training a new cadre of highly motivated fighters for the Jihad, or holy war against non Moslems, and in particular, against the Jewish state. Recruits are sent to the camps for four months. The first month consists of basic training, and after that, recruits are taught more advanced military maneuvers. More specifically, Abu Huzaifa said PA soldiers are taught a number of techniques including firing rifles, shooting Qassam rockets, crawling under fences, and climbing up and down buildings. The instructors are Hamas terrorists who received training abroad. The goal, he said, was to turn the Al-Kassam Brigades into a full-fledged standing army. That army would be dedicated to eliminating Israel and replacing it with an Arab state ruled by the Hamas. Abu Huzaifa said that military units were already working on developing more sophisticated rockets and explosive devices to advance the Jihad. Wary of being targeted by Israel, Hamas terrorists have also set up an intelligence infrastructure to warn of an impending Israeli strike, according to the Duniya Alwatan news agency. Terrorist have been deployed at strategic locations in order to provide advance warning as Israeli fighter jets or helicopters approach the Gaza district. The Hamas already has a communications system capable of warning thousands of terrorists of an oncoming Israeli air strike, or of the need to deploy fighters on the border with Israel, in the event that Israel decides to send ground forces into Gaza. Abu Huzaifa warned Israel that it will encounter fierce resistance, should it try to reconquer Gaza from the Hamas. (Scott Shiloh, "Hamas Militarizes Gaza; Sets Up Standing Army to Spread Jihad," IsraelNationalNews, March 4, 2006). March 3, 2006:
A strategic facility in Ashkelon is hit by a Qassam rocket as part of a general Palestinian against the Negev region. Five launchings from Gaza were identified. A man was treated for shock after one of the rockets hit the Karmiya area. The terrorist organization Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for the attacks. ("Strategic Facility Hit by Rocket Attack in Ashkelon," IsraelNationalNews, March 4, 2006). March 2, 2006:
A Palestinian terrorist stabs and injures an Israeli in Atarot, north of Jerusalem. On March 1, Fatah al-Aqsa Brigade operatives murders one Israeli and seriously wounds a second in shooting attacks in northern West Bank. Earlier (Feb. 28), two Israelis are stabbed and seriously wounded by a Palestinian at the Gush Etzion Junction in the southern West Bank. (Scott Shiloh, "Military Sources: Israel is Caught up in a Fresh Wave of Palestinian Terror on All Fronts," DebkaFile, March 2, 2006). March 1, 2006:
Five Qassam rockets impact in the vicinity of Kibbutz Karmiya and Kibbutz Zikim, south of Ashkelon. Lachish District Commander Effie Mor said that the rockets were being fired due to IDF operations south of the area. "As a district we are prepared for all rockets being fired at all times. As a model, we have the Sderot station, a model which works very well." (Shmulik Hadad, "5 Qassam Rockets Land in South," YnetNews, March 1, 2006). [Archive]
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