The Palestine Chronology

In Amman, Israeli PM Ehud Barak discusses the PA-Israeli final status talks with King Abdallah of Jordan. (MENL 8/16; WP 8/17)

In the 1st senior-level talks since the Camp David summit ended on 7/25, Israeli chief negotiator and acting FM Shlomo Ben-Ami and Barak adviser Gilead Sher meet with senior Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiators, Local Government M Saeb Erakat and Preventive Security Force (PSF) head Muhammad Dahlan. The 5-hr. talks focus on Jerusalem, but neither side expresses willingness to compromise on its position. (MENL 8/16; NYT, WP, WT 8/17)

Around 3 am nr. Ramallah, in area B, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) patrol fatally shoots a 73-yr.-old Palestinian American man who had heard the troops operating nearby and thought they were burglars. When he ran to the roof of his house, shouted a warning, and shot a gun into the air to frighten them off, the soldiers returned fire, wounding him. The patrol prevented an ambulance fr. approaching the house for at least an hr., while they searched the area for other "attackers." The man dies en route to the hospital. (CSM, LAW, MA [Internet], NYT, WP, WT 8/17; NYT, WP 8/18; WJW 8/24; JP [Internet] 8/31)

The Israeli Interior Min. reports that nearly double the usual number of East Jerusalem Palestinians applied for Israeli citizenship during the 1st half of 2000. Figures show that of 200,000 East Jerusalem Palestinians, only 3,300 have Israeli citizenship, 10,000 have applied. (JT [Internet], MENL 8/16; JT [Internet] 8/18)

At a PC mtg., PA chief negotiator `Abid Rabbuh resigns in protests after learning that secret PA-Israeli final status talks recently started in Stockholm. The Stockholm talks are being held btwn. Israel's Internal Security M Ben Ami, lawyer Gilead Sher and PC speaker Qurai`, PC mbr. Hassan Asfour, PSF chief Muhammad Dahlan. (MENL 5/15; MENA 5/15 in WNC 5/16; NYT, WT 5/16)

U.S. Consul General John Herbst delivers Arafat a letter fr. Pres. Clinton regarding the peace process. No details are released. (MENL 5/15)

PA, Israeli interim issue team meet. PA interim affairs negotiator Saeb Erakat says Arafat instructed him to discuss only the immediate demand that 230 Palestinian prisoners be released. Israeli negotiator Eran, however, asks that the Palestinian demonstrations in support of the prisoners be halted so the talks can be held in a positive atmosphere. (NYT, WT 5/15)

Across the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians marking the 52d anniversary of the Nakba hold demonstrations to protest the continued detention of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and to demand that the PA push the refugee issue in negotiations with Israel. In several locations, the IDF clashes with protesters, opening fire with live ammunition and rubber bullets, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding at least 30. 2 IDF soldiers are also injured. The worst clashes are in nr. Netzarim junction in Gaza and in Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah in the West Bank. (AYM 5/14 in WNC 5/17; NYT, WP, WT 5/15; MEI 5/19)

Some 150 Palestinians fr. Dahaysha, Aida, Azza refugee camps nr. Bethlehem make a symbolic visit to the sites of their villages of origin, which were destroyed by Zionist forces in 1948: Bayt Nattif, Zakriyya, and Bayt Jibrin. (BDL 5/15) (see 5/10)

The PA and Israel announce that the PA has captured Muhammad Dayif, a leader of Hamas's Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades who is Israel's most wanted for allegedly organizing a series of suicide bombings in 2+n3/96. Israel also releases Salah Shihada, a Hamas leader who has been jailed for 12 yrs. It is uncertain whether the Shihada release and Dayif capture are part of a reciprocal agmt. related to the negotiations. (MM, NYT, WP 5/15; NYT 5/17; WJW 5/18)

PA-Israeli comm. to examine the Wye implementation timetable holds its 1st mtg. The PA team is headed by Local Government M Saeb Erakat. The Israeli team is headed by Barak's chief negotiator Gilead Sher. (WJW 8/12) (see 7/27)

The PA Executive Authority meets to discuss Israel's proposal for a delay in implementing the Wye FRDs. (MM 7/29; NYT 8/1)    

In Alexandria, Israeli PM Barak, Pres. Mubarak hold talks on the peace process. Barak asks Egypt to urge the PA to agree to a delay in carrying out the Wye FRDs. (MM 7/29; MENA, RE 7/29 in WNC 7/30; MM, NYT, WP 7/30; al-Akhbar 7/30 in WNC 8/2; JP 8/6)

Express rail service btwn. Jordan, Syria begins. (NYT 7/30)

In s. Lebanon, 4 Lebanese youths hunting in the brush run into IDF troops on patrol, leading to a shootout which wounds 1 IDF soldier, 3 youths, kills the 4th youth. (RL 7/29 in WNC 7/30)