The Palestine Chronology

Some 200 Libyans arrive in Jerusalem for 3-day visit to holy sites; first group pilgrimage by citizens of an Arab country officially at war with Israel. While some Israeli officials praise the trip, Dep. FM Yossi Beilin downplays its political importance, saying Israel should have no ties with "a leper state." (AFP 5/30, 5/31 in FBIS 6/1; NYT, WP 6/1, 6/2)

Israeli private security guards kill 1 Palestinian, wound another after arguing over road right-of-way near Jerusalem. (Qol Yisra'el 5/31 in FBIS 6/2, JP 6/1 in MM 6/1)

PM Rabin moves Ed. Min. Shulamit Aloni to sci. and tech. and communications portfolios, appoints Amnon Rubinstein (Meretz) ed. min. (NYT 6/1)

IDF damage 5 houses before rooting out, arresting 1 and killing 2 wanted Palestinians in Gaza Strip. (WP 5/31, MM 6/1)

Settlers shoot, wound 2 Palestinian women and a 3-year-old boy, clash with IDF near Hebron. (Qol Yisra'el 5/31 in FBIS 6/1; NYT 6/1)

Fateh supporters win 16 seats, Hamas backers 10 in UNRWA workers' union council election in Gaza Strip. (Reuter 6/1 in MM 6/1)

Syrian FM Faruq al-Shara' meets with Iranian 1st Dep. FM 'Ali Muhammad Besharati in Damascus (see 5/26). (SARR 5/30 in FBIS 6/1)

PFLP claims responsibility for 5/28 Hebron stabbing. (AFP 5/29 in FBIS 6/1)

'Abd al-Salam al-Majali, head of Jordanian delegation to peace talks with Israel, is appointed PM, FM, DM, forms cabinet to succeed PM Sharif Zayid bin Shakir. (RJN 5/29 in FBIS 6/1)

Palestinian delegate Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi reiterates "demand" for suspension of peace talks, says his view is that of delegation except Faisal Husseini. (al-Shiarq al-Awsat 5/28 in MM 5/28)

Palestinians stab settler to death near Hebron; settlers riot. (Qol Yisra'el 5/28 in FBIS 5/28, 6/1; NYT 5/30)

Palestinian delegation accepts U.S. invitation to attend 10th round of talks starting 6/15, requests written clarifications of U.S. positions presented in 9th round. (Qol Yisra'el 5/27 in FBIS 5/28; Qol Yisra'el 5/28, MENA 5/29 in FBIS 6/1)

U.S. requests "precise details" from Israel on infrastructure development allocations in o.t., to deduct that amount from loan guarantees. (Ha'Aretz 5/28 in FBIS 5/28)

Israel releases 297 Palestinian political prisoners. (Qol Yisra'el 5/26, 5/27 in FBIS 5/27)

Amnesty International issues statement that over 100 Palestinians killed by IDF since 12/92, more than 30 aged 16 or younger. (MM 5/27)

Palestinian delegates Haydar 'Abd alShafi and Faisal Husseini issue joint statement making "absolutely clear" that rumors of disagreements or divisions within the negotiating team are groundless. (MM 5/25; Sanaa VOP 5/26 in FBIS 5/27)

Secy. of State Christopher says he is "disappointed" with Syrian Jewish emigration, U.S. to pursue matter with Damascus. (MM 5/27)

Iranian FM 'Ali Akbar Velayati ends tour of 6 GCC states, describes talks with UAE especifically over status of Tunb islands - as most sensitive. (Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran 5/26 in FBIS 5/27)

PM Rabin again raises "Gaza first," observing to Dutch FM that Gaza Strip is geographically separate from West Bank. (MM 5/25)

Israeli ag. min. announces it is accepting tenders for 15m cu. ft./year desalination plant in Gaza City. (JP 5/27 in MM 5/27)

IDF shoot 2 youths dead in o.t. Incident brings total Palestinian intifada deaths at Israeli hands to 1,293 by Mideast Mirror count. (Qol Yisra'el 5/24 in FBIS 5/25; MM 5/25)

10 Palestinian rejectionist factions issue statement urging withdrawal from peace talks, national dialogue. (QPAR 5/25 in FBIS 5/26)

PM Rabin issues statement after cabinet meeting saying Palestinian self-government may be instituted in Gaza upon reaching an agreement in principle. (IDF Radio 5/23 in FBIS 5/24; MM 5/24)

ICRC pres. meets with PM Rabin, charges Israel with violations of Fourth Geneva Convention in o.t., says use of live ammunition by IDF "serious problem," particularly against children. (Qol Yisra'el 5/23 in FBIS 5/24; MM 5/24)

Israeli cabinet approves providing 20,000 menial jobs for Palestinians from the o.t. over next few months, in addition to 10,000 jobs in infrastructure created since o.t. closed. (MM 5/24)

Shaykh 'Abd al-Hamid al-Sa'ih, 86, announces he will resign as PNC speaker at next PNC session, citing disagreements with the conduct of the peace process. (AFP, RMC 5/22 in FBIS 5/24; WT 5/23)

Fateh issues leaflet in Gaza Strip calling for 1 strike day per month, preferably the 9th (intifada day). (Davar 5/23 in FBIS 5/24)

King Hussein openly breaks off support for Iraq, citing opposition to continued rule of both Saddam Hussein and the Ba'th party. (NYT 5/26)

Delegation head Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi calls for suspension of Palestinian participation in talks. (al-Quds, IDF Radio 5/20 in FBIS 5/21)

After meeting with FM Peres, Chinese FM Qian Qichen says China will sell no more missiles to Iran or Syria. (MM 5/20)

Islamic Resistance clashes with SIA, IDF in southern Lebanon. (Radio Lebanon 5/20 in FBIS 5/20)

Gaza Community Mental Health Program releases report detailing use of torture on Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. (al-Fajr 5/24)

Likud convention defeats motion that would have allowed party to disregard any territorial compromises signed by present govt. Convention ends over hotly debated new constitution, seen by many to concentrate power in Chmn. Binyamin Netanyahu. (Qol Yisra'el 5/19 in FBIS 5/20)

Fateh wins 6 out of 9 seats in Bethlehem U. elections; PFLP, DFLP, Hamas each take a seat. (Ha'Aretz 5/20 in FBIS 5/21)

IDF shoot 2 armed Hamas mbrs. dead near Hebron. (MM 5/19)

IDF shoot 4 Palestinians dead in Gaza Strip, 3 of them during Hamas memorial service for those killed 5/10. (MM, NYT, WP 5/19)

IDF officer killed in clash with Hizballah inside the "security zone," southern Lebanon. Israel, SLA shell Lebanese villages. (VOS 5/18 in FBIS 5/18; Qol Yisra'el 5/18 in FBIS 5/20; MM, WP 5/19)

PLO peace talks follow-up committee issues report on 9th round, which ended 5/13. (al-Quds 5/20 in FBIS 5/24)

FM Peres arrives in New Delhi on 1stever official Israeli visit to India. Israeli delegation will then travel to China. (NYT 5/18)

IDF shoots Palestinian woman dead in Gaza Strip, shoots Palestinian youth dead in Bayta, West Bank. (Qol Yisra'el 5/17 in FBIS 5/17)

In cabinet meeting, PM Rabin says Israel will make no more unilateral gestures to Palestinians, adding that they have developed exaggerated expectations while offering nothing in return. (Qol Yisra'el 5/16 in FBIS 5/17)

Likud convention holds symbolic opening session in Katzrin, Golan Heights, before moving to Tel Aviv. (Qol Yisra'el 5/16 in FBIS 5/20; MM, NYT 5/17)

2 Israelis and their 2 Palestinian business partners are shot dead from a passing car in Gaza Strip; Hamas and Fateh claim joint responsibility. IDF shoot 2 children (18 months and 11 years old) dead in Gaza Strip. (Qol Yisra'el 5/16 in FBIS 5/17; MM, NYT 5/17)

Pres. Mubarak ends 8-day tour of 6 GCC states. (MM 5/17)

Palestinian negotiators and PLO officials gather in Tunis to discuss 9th round of talks. (AFP 5/15 in FBIS 5/17)

IDF wounds up to 50 Palestinians in clashes in Gaza Strip. (Qol Yisra'el 5/15 in FBIS 5/17)

Joint Fateh-PFLP force clashes with SLA inside "security zone," killing 1 SLA, 2 Fateh, 1 PFLP gunman. (RFL 5/15, VOL 5/14 in FBIS 5/17)

PLO rejects U.S. draft joint statement as "a copy of the Israeli plan"; Palestinian delegation meets with U.S. State Dept. officials, Israelis to discuss changes to it. Arab delegations hold joint news conf., reporting no progress in talks. Ninth round ends. (IDF Radio, RMC, SARR 5/13 in FBIS 5/14; MM, WP 5/14)

Ten Palestinian rejectionist factions issue statement denouncing talks. (QPAR 5/13 in FBIS 5/14)

Ezer Weizman is sworn in as Israel's 7th president. (MM 5/13; WP 5/14)

U.S. presents 2-page draft joint statement of principles on self-rule to Israeli and Palestinian delegations. Palestinians criticize U.S. for consulting Israel before presenting them with the draft, do not attend informal trilateral meeting to accept the document. (MM 5/13; IDF Radio, MENA, Qol Yisra'el 5/13 in FBIS 5/13; NYT 5/14)

Israelis and Palestinians agree to put family reunification at top of agenda during 2-day multilateral meeting on refugees in Oslo. (MM 5/13)

IDF shoots dead 2 Palestinians, 1 of them handicapped since being wounded early in intifada, in Gaza Strip. Two Palestinians stab, seriously wound 2 IDF soldiers in Nablus. (MM 5/12, 5/13)

Lebanon orders daily al-Safir closed for 1 week for printing the Israeli proposal in its 5/11 edition (see 5/4). (MM 5/12; VOL 5/12 in FBIS 5/12)

Hizballah kills 2 SLA militiamen istring of clashes inside "security zone." Israel unleashes up to 300 shells on Lebanese villages. (AFP, VOL, VOO 5/12 in FBIS 5/12)

Palestinian delegation presents Israel with 10-point draft joint statement of principles on self-rule. (MM 5/12)

Lebanese delegation presents 1st official peace talks document to Israel rejecting Israel's 5/4 proposal for joint military working group, demanding timetable for withdrawal before consideration of peace treaty. (Davar 5/12 in FBIS 5/12)

Israeli Int. Min. Aryeh Deri (SHAS) withdraws his letter of resignation just before it would have gone into effect, giving PM Rabin 1 week to replace Ed. Min. Shulamit Aloni (Meretz) with a Laborite. The two mins. relinquish duties of their posts to Rabin for 1 week. (Qol Yisra'el 5/11 in FBIS 5/12; MM, NYT 5/12)

Hamas supporters prevent voting in Hebron U. campus elections. Minor scuffles end when trustees agree to hear grievances about Fateh's tactics in getting out the vote. Fateh supporters win by default in first victory at this Islamist stronghold. (MM, WP 5/12)

Palestinians protest Israeli delays in fulfilling promises by cutting its delegation to 3 and suspending 3 working groups (see 4/29). Faisal Husseini and Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi both boycott talks. Palestinians present U.S. with 10-point draft joint statement of principles on self-rule. Israel allows immediate return of 25 more Lebanon deportees, for a total of 126 (see 2/1); Palestinians reject offer. PLO is also displeased that Saudi Arabia has not yet honored its recent financial promises (see 4/19). (RMC, AFP 5/10 in FBIS 5/11; MM, WP 5/11; NYT 5/12; RJN 5/12 in FBIS 5/12)

UN Devt. Program (UNDP) releases report citing grave environmental damage in West Bank and Gaza Strip (MM 5/11)

Kuwait announces it is holding 16 suspects, mostly Iraqis, charged with attempting to assassinate former Pres. Bush during his visit 4/14-16. (MM 4/11)

IDF shoots 3 Hamas mbrs. dead in same Gaza-Egypt border region as those killed 4/8. (Qol Yisra'el 5/12 in FBIS 5/12; MM 5/12)

Israeli Int. Min. Aryeh Deri (SHAS) resigns from governing coalition, imperiling the ruling majority. Meretz mins. reject PM Rabin's proposal to change Ed. Min. Shulamit Aloni's portfolio. (NYT, WT 5/10; Qol Yisra'el 5/9 in FBIS 5/10)

Dep. Def. Min. Mordechai Gur says govt. has no plans to disarm settlers, although some weapons have been confiscated recently. Settlers are training the "Judea Police" to counter any Palestinian police force; Shin Bet is moving to contain development of radical paramilitary Jewish underground. (ITV 5/7, Qol Yisra'el 5/9 in FBIS 5/10)

Israeli cabinet approves 38,000 permits for o.t. workers. (MM 5/10)

Palestinian radio reads letter from Chmn. Arafat to Islamic Jordanian MPs, "regretting" their "interference in national Palestinian affairs" in criticizing PLO return to peace talks in earlier letter to him. (Sanaa VOP 5/8 in FBIS 5/10)

IDF shoots dead 3 Hamas mbrs. at Gaza-Egypt border, as well as 1 Palestinian youth near Ramallah, West Bank. (WT 5/9; MM 5/12; Qol Yisra'el 5/12 in FBIS 5/12)

Israeli delegation spokesman Yossi Gal says Israel now accepts intl., but not UN, monitoring of o.t. elections, a long-standing Palestinian request. (AFP 5/7, 5/8 in FBIS 5/10)

DFLP-Red Star battalion claims 5/6 attack on Israeli policeman. (AFP 5/7 in FBIS 5/10)

Israel presents Palestinians with draft joint declaration of principles on the substance of autonomy. Palestinian mini-delegation travels to Tunis for consultations; PLO rejects it. (ITV, JTV 5/7 in FBIS 5/10; MM 5/11)

Syrian delegation head Muwaffaq al-'Allaf calls on Arabs to reconsider participation in multilateral talks, saying progress must be made in the bilaterals first. (al-Dustur 5/7 in FBIS 5/10)

Ten Palestinian rejectionist orgs. issue statement calling for immediate withdrawal from peace talks, strike days in May. (QPAR 5/6 in FBIS 5/7)

Last of 30 post-1967 Palestinian deportees returns to o.t. (Qol Yisra'el 5/6 in FBIS 5/6)

Israeli policeman is shot, seriously wounded near Rehovot, south of Tel Aviv. (Qol Yisra'el 5/6 in FBIS 5/6)

IDF shells Lebanese villages in response to Amal roadside bombing attempt. (Qol Yisra'el, VOL 5/6 in FBIS 5/6)

Arab delegations announce decision to extend ninth round of talks with Israel through 5/14. (SANA 5/5 in FBIS 5/5, 5/6; NYT, WT 5/6)

Palestinians suspend meetings of human rights workingroup for 1 week, to protest Israeli delays in implementing promises, among them hastening the return of 396 Lebanon deportees. (MM 5/6; Qol Yisra'el 5/6 in FBIS 5/6)

Econ. devt. multilateral working group ends 2-day session in Rome. (HaAretz, Qol Yisra'el 5/5 in FBIS 5/6)

Defense lawyers announce that a Palestinian, Ahmad Ajaj, is being held in New York as a 6th suspect in the 2/26/93 World Trade Center bombing. (WP 5/6)

U.S. State Dept. announces plans to fund $14m o.t. job-creation program. (MM, WT 5/5; WP 5/6)

At econ. devt. multilateral meeting in Rome, Palestinian delegate Samir Hulayleh says World Bank is studying a $ lb. o.t. aid package, to be implemented as part of autonomy agreement. (MM 5/4, 5/5; Ha'Aretz 5/5 in FBIS 5/6)

Israel presents Palestinians with proposal for mutual water usage, which head delegate Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi terms "an encouraging opening." (MM 5/5)

Four Nablus notables close to Fateh meet with Israeli Police Min. Moshe Shahal to discuss o.t. police force, recommend Jordanian-based Palestine Liberation Army for the job. (IDF Radio 5/4, Hadashot 5/5 in FBIS 5/5)

Israel presents Lebanon with first-ever proposal linking withdrawal according to UNSCR 425 with a peace treaty. Political powers are proposed for the joint military workingroup (a long-standing Israeli request). (MM 5/5; Davar 5/12 in FBIS 5/12; al-Safir 5/11 in FBIS 5/17)

UNLU calls on Palestinians to seal off o.t. from Israelis and settlers in retaliation for the unilateral cosure, in call no. 95. (Al Hamishmar 5/5 in FBIS 5/6)

DFLP chief Nayif Hawatima and Pres. Saddam Hussein meet in Baghdad, discuss opposition to Arab-Israeli peace talks. (RMC 5/5 in FBIS 5/6; Sawt al-Sha'b 5/9 in FBIS 5/10)

IDF shoots 3 Palestinians dead, wounds over 40, in the Gaza Strip. (MM 5/4; NYT, WP 5/5)

Israel, SLA shell Lebanese villages. (RFL, VOM 5/4 in FBIS 5/4)

In the working group on self-rule, Palestinian delegation proposes to discuss formnulation of joint statement of principles on the substance of self-rule. (Qol Yisra'el 5/3 in FBIS 5/4)

Palestinians celebrate the return of another 14 post-1967 deportees, among them former Jerusalem mayor Ruhi al-Khatib (see 4/30). (MM, NYT 5/4; Qol Yisra'el 5/3 in FBIS 5/4)

Some 15,000 Russian immigrants outside Knesset protest absorption conditions. (ITV 5/4 in FBIS 5/5)

Israeli Border Police open fire on car running a roadblock, killing all 4 "wanted" Palestinian men inside, in the Gaza Strip. (Qol Yisra'el 5/4 in FBIS 5/6; NYT 5/5)

IDF kills 2 Hizballah gunmen in clash inside "security zone." (RFL 5/4 in FBIS 5/4)

Israeli cabinet approves 33,000 permits for o.t. workers to enter Israel. (IDF Radio 5/2 in FBIS 5/3)

Palestinian delegation announces it has received an Israeli pledge to cancel several demolition orders against o.t. houses, and to approve c. 10,000 houses built without licenses, as well as a U.S. pledge to brief them on Israeli settlement construction in o.t. (WP 5/1; ITV 5/1 in FBIS 5/3)

Hizballah roadside bomb kills 1 IDF soldier north of "security zone," Lebanon. (Qol Yisra'el 4/1 in FBIS 4/3; VOO 5/2 in FBIS 5/4)