A partial chronology of recent events in the Middle East
January 20-22, 1998 -- Clinton hosts Netanyahu and Arafat at separate meetings in Washington to try to jump-start the stalled peace process.
January 12, 1998 -- Netanyahu's government survives parliamentary no-confidence vote.
January 4, 1998 -- Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy announces his resignation, leaving Netanyahu government with narrow two-seat majority in the Knesset.
October 1997 -- Israel releases a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for two Israeli secret agents held in connection with its failed assassination attempt on a Hamas leader. Those released include Sheik Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic movement Hamas.
September 25, 1997 -- Israel's secret service botches assassination attempt on a Hamas political leader in Amman, Jordan, drawing sharp criticism at home and abroad of Netanyahu's government for approving the operation.
September 10-12, 1997 -- U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, on her first trip to the Mideast in her job, urges Israel to halt construction of housing projects in disputed area, including east Jerusalem, and calls on Palestinians to rein in terrorism. She admits making little progress and says she will not return until regional leaders make "hard decisions."
September 4, 1997 -- Four Israelis, including three girls, and three suicide bombers die in terrorist attack in Jerusalem. Scores are injured.
July 30, 1997 -- Twin bombs in a Jerusalem marketplace kill more than a dozen people.
July 29, 1997 -- A Palestinian anti-corruption investigation team recommends Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat dismiss his entire Cabinet on suspicion of corruption.
July 28, 1997 -- Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy announces the renewal of stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
July 25, 1997 -- Controversy erupts over plans by a American Jewish businessman to build 65 homes near a Muslim holy sanctuary in East Jerusalem. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said news of the planned development amounted to a 'declaration of war' against Palestinians in East Jerusalem. Israel later suspends the project.
July 20, 1997 --Palestinians shouting "God is great!" throw firebombs at Israeli soldiers in Hebron capping a week of street protests in the West Bank.
July 18, 1997 -- Israel charges that a senior Palestinian security officer ordered a squad under his command to attack Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Palestinian leaders deny the charge.
July 17, 1997 -- Israel announces the arrest of 16 suspected Hamas militants linked to West Bank bombings in which six Israelis were wounded since 1995.
April 28, 1997 -- Hundreds of Palestinians march in honor of an 18-year-old girl killed by Israeli soldiers during a clash in the West Bank.
April 25, 1997 -- An emergency special session of the UN General Assembly demands an immediate halt to the construction of an Israeli housing project near Jerusalem.
April 20, 1997 -- Israeli prosecutors decide against indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an influence-peddling scandal but bring charges against Shas party leader Aryeh Deri.
April 2, 1997 --The Israeli government confirms it has approved further expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
March 30, 1997 -- Arab League nations approve a resolution to freeze relations with Israel, a move intended as a protest against the Jewish nation's settlement polices.
March 21, 1997 -- A suicide bomber blows himself up in a crowded Tel Aviv outdoor cafe, killing three Israeli women and wounding dozens during the annual Purim celebration. |
March 17, 1997 -- Israel begins construction of a new Jewish housing development in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem. Yasser Arafat condemns the project as an affront to peace.
March 13, 1997 -- A Jordanian soldier opens fire on Israeli schoolgirls visiting a border observation post, killing seven. King Hussein later apologizes to the victims' families.
January 14, 1997 -- Israelis and Palestinians sign an accord for Israeli troops to withdraw from the disputed city of Hebron and other parts of the West Bank. The long-delayed agreement comes after mediation by Jordan's King Hussein.
January 1, 1997 -- An Israeli soldier opens fire on Palestinians in the disputed city of Hebron, injuring seven.
September 24-27, 1996 -- Protests and clashes break out in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem after Israel opens a tunnel near a Muslim holy site. More than 70 people are killed.
May 31, 1996 -- Benjamin Netanyahu is declared Israel's prime minister after a narrow victory over Shimon Peres, a staunch advocate of peace agreements with Palestinians and Israel's Arab neighbors.
April 11, 1996 -- Israel launches a 16-day air and artillery campaign against guerrillas in southern Lebanon. 165 people are killed, including 91 Lebanese refugees at a U.N. base hit by Israeli shells.
February 25 - March 4, 1996 -- Islamic militants carry out four suicide bombings in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ashkelon; 63 people die.
January 5, 1996 -- Hamas master bomb maker Yehiya Ayyash dies when a cellular phone explodes in his hands in Gaza. Palestinians blame Israel, which does not deny responsibility. Hamas vows revenge.
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June 25, 1995 -- Palestinian donkey-cart driver blows himself up in Gaza near Israeli soldiers, wounding three.
June 22, 1995 -- A leader of Islamic Jihad is assassinated in Gaza. Palestinians blame Israel, which denies responsibility.
April 9, 1995 -- Palestinian suicide bombings kill eight Jews in two attacks near Jewish settlements in Gaza Strip.
April 2, 1995 -- Explosion in Gaza City apartment kills several Palestinians, including top Hamas guerrilla Kamal Kheil. Hamas, vowing revenge, blames Israel for the blast; accuses the Palestine Liberation Organization of collusion.
November 2, 1994 -- Palestinian journalist Hani Abed, an Islamic Jihad activist, is killed when his car blows up in the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad blames Israel, which does not deny responsibility.
October 14, 1994 -- Israeli soldier Nachshon Waxman, kidnapped by Hamas, is killed during a failed Israeli rescue attempt. An Israeli commando officer and three Hamas kidnappers also die.
February 25, 1994 -- Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein sprays gunfire on kneeling Arab worshippers in a mosque in Hebron in the West Bank, killing 29 before survivors beat him to death.
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