CHRONOLOGY # 24: INTIFADA 2 ENDS, HAMAS RISES, ISRAEL WITHDRAWS FROM GAZA

NOTE: The end of Intifada 2 brought about change in the manner of resistance, most of it being directed against the Wall/fence along the WB border, checkpoints and house and refugee camp invasions that continued by IL. Hamas takes over Gaza and evicts PA leadership from Gaza. And violence continues with loss of life and property destruction. Lebanon once again a field of battle.

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2005

Jan, 2005 Abbas elected PLO chair and president of the PA

Feb, 2005, Sharon and Abbas meet in Sharm el-Sheik sign a loose cease fire agreement, considered to officially end of Intifada 2. Hamas and Islamic Jiihad rejected the agreement

March, 2005 in Cairo Fatah and other Palestinian military groups declared a period of calm.

Oct, 2005 Abbas calls for elections to the Palestinian legislative council, first since 1996. Hamas decides to participate

Nov, 2005 Sharon establishes a new political party Kadima

Dec, 2005 IL removes settlers from Gaza, destroying 2800 homes but agricultural buildings left standing. Gaza had a population of Palestiians of 1,325,000.+-

2006

Jan25, 2006 Palestinian elections held, 77% turnout. Hamas wins 43% of vote, 74 of 132 seats; Fatah wins 45 seats; rest of seats (19) taken by independents and leftists.

Jan, 2006 Sharon, the IL PM suffers a massive stroke; Ehud Olmert takes over Kadima

Mar, 2006 Olmert leads Kadima to electoral victory

Mar, 2006 Ismail Hanieh (1962-1924), a Gazan teacher who headed Hamas electoral list, becomes PM of the legislative assembly, and declares that Hamas will continue violence as well as legislative action. Government composed with majority of Hamas representatives

Apr, 2006 IL declared the PA a ‘hostile entity’

May, 2006 Hamas, IJ, PFLP and DPLP commit to resistance, negotiations, and alleviating internal tensions

Feb-Sept, 2006 After Knesset approves disengagement from Gaza, settlers removed, 2,800 settler homes destroyed.Apr,

2006 IL declared the PA ‘a hostile entity”

May- ,2006 continuous troubles, with rockets fired into IL, IL retaliating with border closures and bombing

May, 2006 Fatah seizes weapons destined for Hamas

June8, 2006 IL assassinated former Fatah operative, head of the Popular Resistance Committees; followed by destruction of 7members of a family by IL raid, resulting in rockets fired into IL

June10, 2006 Hamas declares end of period of calm (declared in Mar, 2005)

June25, 2006 unknown group, Army of Islam and Hamas, tunnel into IL from Gaza, kill 2 IDF soldiers and captures a third (Gilad Shalit)

mid July, 2006 Hezbollah opens front in Southern Lebanon crossing into Northern Israel and killing 3 soldiers, captured 2 others. Second Lebanon war starts. 240 rockets fired into IL

July, 2006 IL initiates Operation Summer Rain, to free Shalit, end rocket attacks and disarm terrorists

July-Aug, 2006 IL attacked , killing a 10 year old boy and his mother going to pick figs and injured two other boys, one losing both legs. Continuous airstrikes and land incursions destroyed infrastructure, bridges and the only Gaza power plant. 215 Palestinians killed, and scores of Hamas supporters arrested

July, 2006 Abbas and Olmert meet for several rounds of talks, to no effect

Aug, 2006 Lebanon war ends, with the deaths of 1,300 Lebanese, 165 Israelis, and mass evacuations on both sides of the border

Aug, 2006 Operation Summer Rain in Gaza has killed184 Palestinians (42 children), injured 650 and I IDF soldier was killed. Massive damage to infrastructure, Shallit not rescued

Sept, 2006 IL designates Gaza “hostile territory”

Sept, 2006, Hamas and PA leaders agree to form a unity government, but no agreement on how to deal with IL

Nov, 2006 IDF shelling kills 19 Palestinians and wounds 40 in Gaza town after rockets fired into IL

Nov, 2006 IL kills important Fatah leader with connection to the Al Aqsa Martyrs brigade, who is replaced by someone the choice of Hamas

2006 Jewish Settler population. West Bank: 268,400. East Jerusalem: 181,823. Golan Heights: 18,105. Total: 468,328 +-. Gaza:0

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