Roadmap timeline

5 June: Outraged over speech of PM Mahmoud Abbas at Aqaba Summit, Palestinian factions meet in Gaza to evaluate Sharm Al-Sheikh and Aqaba Summits. While Abbas referred to Jewish suffering, he made no reference to the war crimes being daily committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Representatives of Hamas, Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attend the meeting.

Several Palestinian and international demonstrators are taken to hospital after Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) fire tear gas at a peaceful demonstration at Huwarra checkpoint (Nablus). Similar demonstrations are held in New York, Jerusalem, Dublin and Canada to mark the 36th anniversary of the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Palestinian teenager in Tulkarm dies from IOF gunfire wounds he sustained 10 days earlier. IOF injure tens of Palestinians during clashes in Balata (Nablus) and Far'a (Hebron) refugee camps (RC). IOF tanks invade Jenin and its RC for 3rd time in a week; impose a curfew and arrest civilians. An Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade activist is arrested by IOF in Nur Shams RC (Tulkarm). IOF arrest sister of an Islamic Jihad activist who was killed under mysterious circumstances in Jenin. 31 people become homeless after IOF dynamite homes of three Fatah activists in Yatta (Hebron).

IOF confiscate tens of dunums of agricultural land in Deir al-Balah (S. Gaza) and erect a 7000meter-long security fence. IOF bulldozers destroy sizable area of agricultural land in Beit Hanoun (N. Gaza). IOF tanks and bulldozers invade Rafah (S. Gaza), demolish four homes and bulldoze sizable area of agricultural land before withdrawing. (Al-Jazeera.net; PalestineChronicle.com)

Phase I of roadmap stipulates that Israel "takes no actions undermining trust, including deportations, attacks on civilians; confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian homes and property, as a punitive measure or to facilitate Israeli constructions; destruction of Palestinian institutions and infrastructure; and other measures specified in the Tenet Work Plan."

6 June: Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades issues a statement saying an agreement to a temporary cease- fire is conditional to Israel halting assassinations of Palestinian activists, releasing Palestinian prisoners and lifting the siege on PA President Arafat.

Hamas suspends talks with PM Abbas following the "dangerous" and "unacceptable" commitments he made at Sharm Al-Sheikh Summit, particularly on the right of return and the release of Palestinian prisoners. A senior Palestinian leader said however that contacts with senior Hamas leader were continuing abroad. US President Bush denounces Hamas as "enemy" of peace after the group called off talks with Abbas.

Two Hamas activists are assassinated and one is injured in an IOF ambush in Tulkarm. IOF injure three Palestinians in two separate incidents in Gaza. In the first move of its kind, IOF in Tulkarm arrest head of the National Committee to Fight the Separation Wall.

Three mortars are fired into an Israeli settlement and one mortar at an army post in the southern Gaza Strip but no injury or damage is reported. The PFLP General Command claims responsibility. (Al-Jazeera.net, Haaretz.com)

7 June: Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah warns of transfer of Palestinians in the aftermath of the Sharm Al-Sheikh and Aqaba Summits.

PA asks Egypt to intervene in resolving the breakdown in talks between Palestinian factions and the Palestinian prime minister. Hamas, meanwhile, says it will re-consider its decision to call off talks with Prime Minister Abbas.

Palestinian factions meet again in Gaza amidst reports that Palestinian Minister of Security Affairs Mohammad Dahlan has offered to buy the weapons of members in the Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB). Dahlan, who denies the reports, reportedly offered $6000 for each weapon and $6000 as a bonus for any resistance fighter who leaves AMB and joins the PA security forces. AMB reportedly turned down the offer.

Four IOF soldiers are killed and four are injured at Erez checkpoint in Gaza in an armed attack by three Palestinians from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and AMB. The Palestinians are then killed by IOF. One IOF soldier and two Palestinian fighters are killed in an exchange of gunfire in Hebron.

IOF completely seal off West Bank and declare it closed military area. (Al-Jazeera.net; Haaretz.com)

8 June: IOF bulldozers demolish 13 homes in Beit Hanoun (N. Gaza), rendering dozens of people homeless.

IOF seal Gaza Strip and close all entry points to Israel and the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Closure forces thousands of labourers to return to their homes only days after Israel promised to ease restrictions on the civilian population in the OPT. (Al-Jazeera.net; Haaretz.com)

9 June: Sharon again rejects the Palestinian right of return and declares that Israel will not offer any "concessions" in accordance with the roadmap until Palestinian "violence" stops.

Accusing PM Abbas of being too conciliatory at the Aqaba Summit, Hamas again refuses to resume talks with him. U.S. President Bush denounces Hamas and other resistance groups as "extremists" who want to "blow up peace".

Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz hands settler leaders list of 15 illegal settlement outposts to be dismantled as part of the first stage of removing outposts erected after March 2001. Only four of the 15 outposts are inhabited. Settlers say they will protest and resist the order but will not confront IOF.

Mofaz assures settlers that Israel has rejected US demand to dismantle 94 outposts and that other outposts "that are not "included on the map of Israeli interests" will be evacuated. Israeli Public Security Minister Tsachi Hanegbi says the removal of outposts does not mean the Sharon government will dismantle "a single established settlement for as long as the government held power", a period he expects to last at least four years.

Abbas holds press conference in Ramallah and denounces new attacks by resistance groups. He condemns the separation wall being constructed by Israel and appeals to Israel to ease closure of OPT and to release prisoners.

Egypt will reportedly send its intelligence chief to OPT to convince armed resistance groups to resume halted talks with PM Abbas.

IOF assassinate one Palestinian and injure another in an ambush on a house in Jenin.

Claiming they were trying to infiltrate into an Israeli settlement, IOF kill two Palestinians in central Gaza. (Al-Jazeera.net; Haaretz.com)

10 June: IOF remove empty trailers from nine out of 94 settlement outposts without incident. The illegal and unpopulated outposts were erected next to existing settlements and their removal does not impact any settlements built illegally on Palestinian land. IOF announces more outposts, including populated ones, will be removed in coming days.

Hamas announces it will study clarifications offered by PM Abbas at Ramallah press conference before announcing its decision on the resumption of talks with him. (Al-Jazeera.net; Haaretz.com)

Compiled by Muna Hamzeh

Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 12 - 18 June 2003 (Issue No. 642)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/642/re2.htm