of US physicians estimated that over 1,000 Palestinians had suffered broken bones and other injuries. In the same period three Palestinians had been beaten to death by members of the Israeli armed forces. 14 February – A bomb kills three PLO officials in Limassol, Cyprus. 23 March – The IAF rockets Palestinian targets in South Lebanon killing or wounding fifteen. A second raid the following day kills or injures five. 30 March – The Israeli High Court upholds an Israeli army order banning the international media from the West Bank. 12 April – Israeli army Deputy Chief of Staff, Ehud Barak, announces that army reserve duty will be extended from 40 to 62 days. A day earlier he had said that there were 4,800 Palestinian activists being held in Israeli prisons, 900 of them under administrative detention. 16 April – Abu Jihad is assassinated in his Tunis home, allegedly by an Israeli commando unit. His driver and two bodyguards are also killed. In demonstrations that follow in the West Bank and Gaza Strip at least fourteen Palestinian are killed by Israeli army gunfire. 2 May – The Israeli government announces it will begin cutting water and electricity to towns in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that do not pay their bills. 4 May – Operation Law and Order. Between 1,500 and 2,000 Israeli soldiers kill 40 Hizbullah fighters around the Lebanese village of Meidoun in a two-day offensive. Three Israeli soldiers are killed and 17 wounded. 9 December – Operation Blue and Brown. A failed commando raid on a Palestinian base near Na'ameh, 10km South of Beirut, in which the commanding officer was killed. Unknown dates The founding of the West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit. The founding of the community settlement Givat Ela. The founding of the moshav Kmehin. Notable births 2 February – Eliyahu Asheri, Israeli civilian kidnapped and murdered by Palestinian Arab terrorists (died 2006). 29 February – Nadav Ben Yehuda, mountaineer and SAR specialist 2 May – Beram Kayal, footballer 11 May – Eliad Cohen, producer, actor, model and entrepreneur 22 June – Omri Casspi, the first Israeli basketball player in the NBA. Notable deaths 18 August – Ernst Simon (born 1899), German-born Israeli Jewish educator, and religious philosopher. 27 October – Michael Reisser (born 1946), Israeli politician. 2 November – Menachem Savidor (born 1946), Russian (Ukraine)-born Israeli civil servant and politician. Major public holidays