The Palestine Chronology

In Netanya, Israel, a Hamas suicide bomber kills 5 Israelis, injures 110. After dark, Israel sends F-16s to drop 1,100-lb. bombs on PA security targets in Gaza City, Nablus, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, killing 12 Palestinians, wounding 90--marking Israel's 1st use of warplanes against the Palestinian areas since the 1967 war. (Sharon makes the decision to use F-16s in a mtg. with FM Shimon Peres and DM Benjamin Ben-Eliezer; he has not met with his security cabinet in 3 wks.) An IDF officer is also killed when his car is ambushed in the West Bank. Britain, European Union (EU), Russia, the UN, the U.S. condemn the sharp escalation; urge PA, Israeli leaders to bring violence to a halt. (AP, BBC, HA, JP [Internet], MM, REU 5/18; AFP, Interfax 5/18, al-Quds 5/19, JT, MA, RMC 5/20 in WNC 5/21; LAW, PCHR, NYT, WP, WT 5/19; QA 5/19, El Pais (Madrid) 5/22 in WNC 5/23; HP, NYT, WT 5/20; al-Ra'i 5/20, MA 5/21 in WNC 5/22; MM 5/21 PCHR 5/24; LAW 5/25; MEI 6/1)

The UN Security Council (UNSC) accepts UN Secy.-Gen. Kofi Annan's 5/2 proposal for a staged reduction of UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops. (UN press release 5/18)

Secy. Albright briefs PM Barak on her mtg. with Syrian pres. Asad, then meets with Arafat in Ramallah. She presents both Barak and Arafat with a rough time line for concluding a FAPS. (MM 12/8; NYT 12/9; AYM 12/9 in WNC 12/14; MM 12/13; MEI 12/24)

Hrs. later in Washington, Pres. Clinton announces that Israel, Syria have agreed to resume negotiations. PM Barak, Syrian FM Faruq al-Shara` will hold an initial mtg. next wk. in Washington, to be followed immediately by intensive negotiations at an as yet undermined location. (MM 12/8; MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/9; AFP, DUS, Interfax, MENA, RL, SA, XIN 12/9 in WNC 12/10; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/10; WP 12/13)

Pres. Clinton, PM Barak both phone Arafat to assure him that the resumption of the Syrian-Israeli track will not affect progress on the PA-Israeli track. (WP 12/9; AYM 12/9, 12/11 in WNC 12/14; MM 12/13)

Syrian pres. Asad phones Lebanese pres. Emile Lahoud, PM Huss to coordinate positions in advance of Syrian-Israeli talks. They agree that neither Syria nor Lebanon will make a separate peace with Israel. (NYT 12/9; RL 12/9 in WNC 12/10; NYT 12/10)

In light of the announcement on the Syrian-Israeli talks, Russia calls for multilateral talks, which began in 1992 but stalled in 1996, to resume as soon as possible; offers to host a steering comm. mtg. (Interfax 12/9 in WNC 12/10)

In Amman, 100s of Jordanian university students hold a rally to protest the government decision to deport 4 Hamas leaders on 11/21. (SA 12/9 in WNC 12/10)

In Beirut, a group calling itself the World Islamic Front urges attacks on Russian embs. worldwide to protest Russia's war in the breakaway Muslim republic of Chechnya. (SA 12/9 in WNC 12/10)

New Israeli government is sworn in, with PM Barak's 7-party governing coalition--comprising the Center party, Meretz, National Religious party, One Israel, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Yisrael Ba'Aliya--will give him control of 75 of the 120 Knesset seats. One Israel's David Levy, who resigned as Netanyahu's FM 18 mos. ago, resumes the FM position. Fmr. Labor PM Shimon Peres is given the new position of regional development minister, which aims to promote economic integration btwn. Israel, Arab states. Oslo architect Yossi Beilin (One Israel) will hold the justice portfolio; Yossi Sarid (Meretz), education; Natan Sharansky (Yisrael Ba'Aliya), interior; Avraham Shohat (One Israel), finance. Barak will serve as DM as well as PM. Shas party mbrs. are given heath, infrastructure, labor, religious affairs portfolios. Barak says he will make peace process his priority; wants to hold simultaneous negotiations with PA, Syria and withdraw troops fr. s. Lebanon. Arafat, Asad issue statements saying they are willing to work with Barak for peace. (MM 7/6; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/7; AFP, France-Info Radio, IDF Radio, JT, JTV 7/7 in WNC 7/8; WJW 7/8; Interfax, MA 7/8 in WNC 7/9; MM 7/9; MEI 7/16)

Arafat makes 1-day trip to Cairo to discuss the peace process with Pres. Mubarak. (WT 7/7)

Syrian pres. Asad leaves Russia after 2 days of talks. Russia, Syria agree to step up technical, military cooperation but do not finalize arms deal. U.S. warns Moscow that it might cancel $50 m. in aid to Russia if it completes a deal with Damascus. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/7; Interfax 7/8 in WNC 7/9; MM 7/9; MEI 7/16)

Palestinian High Court orders the PA to release Hamas mbr. Muhammad Jadallah, who has been detained without charge since 3/24/96. (al-Quds 7/8 in WNC 7/12)

In the West Bank, IDF storms Palestinian homes in 3 villages nr. Hebron, arrests 5 alleged Hamas, Islamic Jihad mbrs. on charges of planning an attack in Israel. At least 36 Palestinian have been arrested in similar raids in the Hebron area over the past mo. (MM, WP 7/7; AYM 7/7 in WNC 7/12)