RAMALLAH, West Bank – Main events during the confinement of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat by Israel, first to the West Bank town of Ramallah and then to his compound there:
— Dec. 3: In the wake of three suicide bombings Israel destroys Arafat's three helicopters in Gaza City, grounding him and effectively confining him to Ramallah.
— Dec. 24: Despite European and U.S. intervention, Israel says it will not let Arafat attend Christmas Mass in Bethlehem unless he arrests the assassins of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.
— Jan. 18: Two Israeli tanks and an armored personnel carrier park outside Arafat's Ramallah headquarters, confining him to his office complex a day after a Palestinian gunman bursts into a banquet hall and kills six Israelis.
— March 26: Arafat decides not to attend an Arab League summit in Beirut after Sharon hardens conditions for the Palestinian leader's trip.
— March 29: Israeli Cabinet declares Arafat an enemy, launches military offensive and takes over most of Arafat's Ramallah compound, confining Arafat and dozens of aides to several rooms.
— April 2: Arafat, responding to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's offer of permanent exile, says he will rather die than leave the West Bank.
— April 4: Israel prevents European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique from meeting with Arafat.
— April 5: U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni meets with Arafat — the first foreign official to see the Palestinian leader since the start of the military offensive.
— April 14: Secretary of State Colin Powell holds more than three hours of talks with Arafat, calls the meeting "useful and constructive" but reports no progress toward a cease-fire.
— April 25: Arafat approves the sentencing of four men convicted of Zeevi's murder in a makeshift court inside his compound. Sharon dismisses the decision, saying Israel still demands they be extradited.
— April 26: Israel's policy of isolating Arafat appears to be unraveling as Turkish and Greek foreign ministers enter Arafat's compound.
— April 28: Israel's Cabinet reluctantly agrees to a U.S. proposal to release Arafat from his confinement and transfer six wanted men in his compound to a West Bank prison in Jericho where their detention will be supervised by U.S. and British security officials.
— May 1: The six wanted men are transferred to Jericho jail and Israel withdraws from Arafat's compound, ending his isolation.
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