Timeline of Arafat's Confinement

Published January 13, 2015

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.

URL

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