Time Line: Second Intifada

Gaza Closed - Israel closes the Gaza strip to Israeli citizens other than residents. This follows extensive settler violence and is intended to thwart a mass march organized by the Yesha (settler's) councils intended to thwart the disengagement.

Israeli Supreme court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, rules that the security fence is not contrary to international law. Text of Israeli High Court Ruling Regarding the Legality of the Security Fence.

During meetings in US and thereafter Sharon states that Hamas should not be allowed to participate in the Palestinian elections, apparently in agreement with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli leftist opposition politician Yossi Beilin. However, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insists on Hamas participation. As quoted in NYT report of Sept. 21, 2005  by Joel Brinkley, Rice said:

''This is going to be a Palestinian process, and I think we have to give the Palestinians some room for the evolution of their political process."

The elections bring Hamas to power, ultimately precipitating a bloody Hamas coup in Gaza and ending the peace process.

IDF kills 3 Islamic Jihad militants: Ra'id 'Ajaj, Said al-Ashqar, Jamil Ja'ara in a raid on Tulkarm.

Ariel Sharon wins crucial vote in Likud central committee, narrowly edging out opponents of disengagement who wanted early primaries in order to oust him.

Tali Fahima, Israeli who befriended al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades wanted Jenin commander Zakaria Zubaidi and spoke out in favor of violence, convicted on several lesser counts but contention that she gave information to the enemy is removed from indictment. Fahima will serve about 2 years of a three year sentence. Israeli radical groups insist that this is a "political" prosecution. After she is released, Fahima first telephones Zubaidi who congratulates here. Later however, she calls Zubaidi a whore of the Shin Bet Intelligence services because he opted out of terrorism (see June 25, 2008). . 

PA police riot to protest PA lawlessness. 

Hamas spokesmen sent mixed signals, but vowed never to recognize Israel and never to give up their claim to all of Palestine. Donor countries suspend direct aid to the Hamas until they are willing to recognize Israel and participate in peace process.

Subsequently, a mechanism is agreed upon to pay salaries to PNA employees and give emergency humanitarian aid, but it is not implemented. Hamas smuggles in cash through the Rafah crossing with the connivance of European monitors in order to pay salaries.

Fatah and Hamas are unable to agree on a government, because Hamas refuses to abide by previous agreements of PA with Israel. This stalemate continues throughout 2006. An Israeli and international blockade prevent export of goods and limits travel to and from Gaza. Tunnels under the Rafah crossing expand to allow smuggling of goods and weapons. 

Settlers in Hebron occupy a Palestinian home which they claim is their property.

Abu Samhadana said on April 23 that the security force to be established under his command was "the core of the future Palestinian army," stressing that "resistance must continue." "We have only one enemy and that is the Jews," he said. (Sunday Telegraph (UK), April 23, 2006)  

IDF raid in Nablus kills 2 Islamic Jihad militants.

IDF kills 4 in clashes over Ramallah arrest of Islamic Jihad’s Qalqilya military leader Muhammad Shubaki.

Israeli shelling in Gaza kills Palestinian farmer. 

IAF Gaza missile strike kills 3 Popular Resistance Committees militants who had just fired Qassam rocket.

On the same day, Eliyahu Asheri, a student, age 18, of Itamar settlement was kidnapped by the Popular Resistance Committees near Ramallah. It was later found that he was evidently murdered on the same day. Imam Kamamdi and two other militants of the Popular Resistance Committees and or  Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades were later convicted of his murder.

Israel launches operation Summer rains in Gaza (June 28) in an attempt to free Gilad Shalit

Car bomb  in Gaza City kills Hamas commander Hamza Abu Mukharrib

Popular Resistance Commands announce kidnapping of 18 year old Israeli from Itamar. He is killed June 29.

On Aug 31, in Gaza, unidentified gunmen ambush, assassinate Popular Resistance Committees district commander Ra’id Nahal in Shatti refugee camp.

In the West Bank, IDF kills Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades commander Fadi Qaffisha.

Striking PA employees riot in Gaza; in West Bank they force otehrs to cooperate with their strike. 

7 Qassam rockets fired into Israel, including 4 in Ashdod.

Israel kills 3 Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants and two apparent bystanders in West Bank actions.

Army of Islam claims responsibility for a bombing at the American International School in north Gaza;

Hamas and its supporters later fabricate a rumor that the coup was meant to forestall an imminent Fatah coup planned by the US and Israel.  Statements by US officials expressing opposition to Hamas in various memos are used to back this case, but no concrete evidence is presented. Hamas announcements at the time of the coup made no such claims. The claim is also hard to credit as Preventive Security Chief Dahlan (Fatah) was in Germany and Fatah forces were clearly not expecting any action and not trained or ready for it.

The border at Rafah is effectively closed because the EU monitors who were placed there to prevent arms smuggling will not return after Hamas occupied the terminals. Hamas insists it does not want the monitors, agreed to by Israel and the PA originally, and claims that Gaza is "under siege."

Rocket and mortar attacks on Israel escalated after disengagement and again after the Hamas election victory and unity government and now average about 4 a day each month. This creates tremendous pressure on the Israeli government to "do something" about the rockets from politicians and residents of Western Negev towns. The rockets kill relatively few people, but they injure many and make orderly life impossible. Businesses and families begin to abandon Sderot. 

Palestinians claim an Israeli from. Ariel settlement killed a 40-yr.-old Palestinian man in a deliberate hit-and-run near Kafr Qasim, October 31. 

Hamas organizes rallies to protest Israeli excavations near al-Aqsa mosque. (Nov 15 and 17)

In Gaza, Hamas organizes a protest of about 100,000 against the Annapolis summit.

The Popular Resistance Committees send a press release threatening to increase rocket attacks to protest the possibility of a peace agreement.

Continued Hamas-Fatah violence in Gaza during this period.

Palestinians fire first Grad (Katyusha) rocket into Israel Jan. 3, striking near Ashqelon.  

IAF air strikes kill 2 Hamas militants in Khan Yunis.

Palestinians fire about 25-30 mortars and rockets. A Hamas sniper kills Ecuadorian volunteer Carlos Andres Chavez, while he is working in the fields of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. 

Palestinians fire about 50 rockets toward Israel of which about 19 actually land in Israel.

Palestinians fire about 40 rockets of which about 20 land in Israel doing property damage and causing some injuries.

16 of 31 Palestinian rockets fired land in Israel, cause property damage. 

Hamas PA government begins to dramatize "fuel shortage" in this period, showing candle lit meetings and processions, but electric lights are visible in the background.

IDF kill  Islamic Jihad militants Ahmad Abu Zaid and Ammar Zakarna in Qabatiya West Bank raid.

Suicide bomber in Dimona kills 1. Off duty Israeli policeman kills second bomber who was going to blow up when rescue teams gathered.

Palestinians fire 8 rockets into Israel, and another 20 rockets and mortars on Feb. 6, injuring two young girls in Kibbutz Beeri.

Palestinians fire 25 (March 1) and about 33 (March 2) and 18 (March 3) rockets into Israel including several Grad rockets (Grad are Katyusha rockets, with longer range and more explosive power than home-made Qassam rockets).

Islamic Jihad  kill IDF soldier in ambush. IDF kills 4 Islamic Jihad militants.

Israeli riot in Jabel Mukaber where  Merkaz Harav attacker's family lives (See Mar. 6).

Palestinians shoot at Israeli government delegation escorting a Canadian group in the Israeli town of Sderot, wounding an assistant of Israeli Public Security Minister Avi Dichter.

Demonstration against Security Fence in Bilin, 10 wounded by IDF

Palestinians allege that a West Bank Israeli bus deliberately runs over and kills a 15 year old Arab shepherd boy, his donkey and 8 sheep.

Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants "jailed"  including Jenin commander Zakariya Zubaydi and several others decline to stay in Palestinian Authority custody, breaking their agreement that is part of the amnesty deal. 

IAF kills Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades cpmmander Nafiz Mansur in Rafah air strike.

Demonstrations against security fence in Bilin met with rubber bullets. .

Palestinian Grad rocket wounds 16 Israeli civilians in Ashkelon.

86-year-old Avraham Ozeri killed and a police officer was moderately wounded in Jerusalem by a stabbing attack launched by 21-year-old Mohammad Elmadan, from a village near Bethlehem.