The Palestine Chronology

Arafat meets with Pres. Mubarak in Cairo. (MENA 3/9 in WNC 3/10; al-Quds 3/10 in WNC 3/12)

Turkish parliamentary delegation arrives in Israel for 3 days of talks on strengthening bilateral ties. (ATL 3/9 in WNC 3/10; ATL 3/12 in WNC 3/17)

Iranian pres. Mohamed Khatami arrives in Italy on 1st visit to Europe by head of state fr. postrevolutionary Iran. Italian FM Lamberto Dini says Italy should help break Iran's international isolation, Iran could be stabilizing force in Middle East region. (WT 3/9; NYT, WP, WT 3/10; NYT, WP 3/11; MM 3/12, 3/15)

IDF demolishes 6 Palestinian homes nr. Jerusalem, Ramallah. (LAW 3/12; PR 3/19)

Qatari officials meeting with U.S. Defense Secy. Cohen say the U.S.'s daily attacks on Iraq should cease. Cohen then heads to Kuwait for more talks on Iraq. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/10; Xinhua 3/10 in WNC 3/11; GIU 3/11)

Palestinians observer 4-hr. general strike in West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem. (MM 8/29; CSM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 8/30; MEI 9/6)

To dispel tensions with the PA, Israeli PM Netanyahu dispatches his personal atty. Yitzhak Molho to meet with Arafat in Ramallah; authorizes adviser Gold to meet later in day with Arafat adviser Abbas. Senior Israeli negotiator IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Dan Shomron holds 1-hr. talk with PA counterpart PA Local Government M Saeb Erakat in Jerusalem, agrees to resume PISMC mtgs. next wk. (RMC 8/29 in WNC 8/30; NYT, WP, WT 8/30; MBC 8/30 in WNC 9/4; MM 9/2)

In Rome, Egypt's Baz, Italy's FM Lamberto Dini discuss peace process, 8/27-28 mtgs. in Paris. (RE 8/29 in WNC 9/3)

Israeli government approves construction of 2,000 new housing units in West Bank settlements around Jerusalem. (CSM, WP 8/30)

Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Shmuel Meir says the government has issued demolition orders for 70 Palestinian homes in the city that have been constructed without permits. (YA 8/30 in WNC 9/5; PR 9/6)

Israel blames Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) for shooting at bus 8/28, arrests 1 suspect. (HA 8/29 in IL 8/29)

Jordanian police raid JPD headquarters in Karak, arrest a number of party leaders. (SATN 8/29 in WNC 9/3) (see 8/18)

Hizballah ambushes IDF patrol in s. Lebanon, killing 1 soldier. Both sides then exchange gunfire, wounding 2 Lebanese civilians. (RL 8/29 in WNC 9/3; MM 8/30; QY 8/30 in IL 8/30; JP 9/7)

U.S.-brokered cease-fire goes into effect in n. Iraq. PUK, KDP agree to hold peace talks in London 8/30. (MM 8/29) (see 8/28)

In Italy, Arafat meets with PM Lamberto Dini, Pres. Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. Then on sidelines of a private business conference in Cernobbio, Italy, FM Peres, Arafat hold brief, informal mtg. to discuss unresolved issues. Peres confirms that secret Israeli-PA talks were held in Italy in 6/95. (MM 9/1; VOP 9/1 in FBIS 9/6; QY 9/2 in FBIS 9/5; WJW 9/7)

Israel asks U.S. to withdraw a travel warning recommending Americans avoid using Israeli busses, which have been targets of Palestinian suicide bombers. (QY 9/1 in FBIS 9/1; WT 9/2)