2.4.95 Seven people, including some members of Hamas, are killed in an explosion in Sheikh Radwan in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) claims that an explosive charge which they were prepar¬ing exploded. Hamas accuses the Israeli security forces and the PNA of responsibility for the explosion.

8.4.95 Arafat announces that Peres has proposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and that he [Arafat] has rejected the pro¬posal since its implementation would delay progress in the negotiations on the West Bank.

9.4.95 Eight are killed and 60 wounded in a suicide attack in the Gaza Strip. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad claim responsibility for the attack, "as a reaction to the Mossad's (Israeli Intelligence) action in blowing up the building in Sheikh Radwan." Palestinian security forces arrest about 150 Hamas people.
On 11.4.95 The PNA announces that all those possessing arms in the Gaza Strip must submit requests for a permit. Those who fail to do so within a month will have their arms requisitioned. A month later, after conciliatory contacts between the PNA and the opposition organizations, no information on the requisitioning of arms was received.
As part of the PNA's activity against terror, a "supreme military court for state security" is set up in the Gaza Strip for quick trials of opposition people accused of sabotage activity. Human rights activists, journalists and lawyers protest against these quick and secret proceedings.

11.4.95 A joint team of the IDF, the Israeli Security Services and the Israeli Police present to Yitzhak Rabin the plans for separation between Israel and the West Bank on which they have been working since the Beit Lid attack in January 1995. The main recommendation is for 18 transit points along the separation line in order to enable close supervision of traffic from the territories to Israel. No steps were in effect taken for the implementation of the recommendations.

12.4.95 The Israeli ministerial committee supervising the activities of the security services decides to extend for three months the permission grant¬ed to interrogators to use increased physical and psychological pressure in dealing with members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad when the service claims that "there is information on an attack about to be carried out." This is the third extension, each confirmed after an attack in which many Israelis were killed.

13.4.95 At the Allenby Bridge, Israel confiscates over 4,000 passports which the PNA had issued at the request of Saudi Arabia, in order to facil¬itate the entrance into its territory of Palestinians making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Israel claimed that issuing Palestinian passports to residents of the West Bank who are not residents in the self-rule areas is against the Cairo agreement.
On 22.4.95 Saudi Arabia agrees that Palestinian pilgrims will present Jordanian permits on entering Saudi Arabia.

25.4.95 Abed el-Samed Heirizat, who was arrested by the Israeli Security Services (Shabak) on suspicion of working for Ezzedin al-Qassam Units (the military wing of Hamas), died from brain damage shortly after inter¬rogation. The results of the investigation, which had been demanded by the PNA, and took place following an Israeli court order, showed that he was tortured to death by "shaking" (in which the suspect is violently shak¬en back and forth). It is determined that the interrogators "deviated from interrogation regulations" and will be tried in a disciplinary, not a crimi¬nal, court. No principled decisions on torture were made, or permission for special interrogation given.

26.4.95 The Israeli Government publishes an announcement on the expro¬priation of 133 acres of land in East Jerusalem for the purpose of expand¬ing Jewish residential neighborhoods. The announcement is strongly criti¬cized: the PNA and the leftist Israeli factions declare that they will start a struggle for the cancellation of the expropriations. Parallel to this, it emerges that the IDF has started expropriating thousands of acres in the West Bank for building bypass roads in the framework of the redeploy¬ment of troops in the West Bank.
On 2.5.95 Jordan, Syria, and Morocco condemn the expropriation plans. On

6.5.95 the Arab League calls for a meeting of the Security Council on the subject.
On 12.5.95 a strong reaction comes from the Vatican against an announcement by the Civil Administration of the intention to expropriate land belonging to the Cremisan Monastery in order to build a road. It is decided to build the road on land belonging to Palestinian villages near the monastery, and not on its land.
On 14.5.95 the Israeli Government confirms the expropriation decision and announces that additional land will not be expropriated in East Jerusalem for residential purposes.
On 16.5.95 all the delegations, except Israel, to the steering committee of the multinational discussions, demand placing Jerusalem at the center of the deliberations.
On 17.5.95 the USA vetoes the demand by 15 member countries in the Security Council to officially request Israel to abrogate the expropriation decision.
On 22.5.95 the Hadash and Arab Democratic factions propose a vote of no confidence in the government. The government, fearing it will fall, announces the freezing of the decision on expropriations in East Jerusalem.

22.5.95 The IDF raids the Hebron offices of the Preventive Security Forces Apparatus led by Jibril Rajoub, arrests people and confiscates equipment. This is the first activity of its kind, following months of semi-official recogni¬tion by Israel of Rajoub's work.

27.4.95 The donor states sign a commitment to cover the deficit in the bud¬get of the PNA. Israel repeats its commitment to transfer to the PNA the tax rebates it owes.

25.95 Arafat opens the first headquarters of the election committee in the territories.

2.6.95 It is announced that the placing of international observers in Gaza and Jericho, as agreed in the Oslo and Cairo agreements, is frozen. The rea¬son - a lack of readiness among the states which were asked to send observers, and differences of opinion between Israel and the PNA on the character of their functions.

5.6.95 Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi announces the establishment of "The Movement for the Consolidation of Democracy," stressing that the new movement is a part of the PLO, and does not discount the possibility of it participating as a party in the elections for the independent governing council.
The European Community announces that European foreign ministers visiting Israel will accept invitations of a political nature to Orient House while prime ministers, presidents and monarchs will send lower-grade officials to such meetings.

6.6.95 Israel announces its acceptance of the Palestinian demand that the transfer of civilian authority by the Civil Administration will be of an over¬all and not a gradual nature. Parallel to this, it ensues that the discussions on the interim agreement will not be completed by the target date of 1.7.95.

10.6.95 The PNA announces the renewal of the activities of the East Jerusalem municipal council which operated until June 1967, and unoffi¬cially until 1988, the year when Jordan broke off its connections with the West Bank.
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert says he will not permit this council to operate. The Israel Police publish a list of 12 institutions in East Jerusalem connected to the PNA and doing work of a political nature.
On 30.6.95 the Jerusalem Municipality starts taking legal steps to close Orient House. Municipal inspectors are requested to declare "an irregular use of the area" (usage contrary to its permit as a hotel) and to threaten the imposition of fines and closure if the nature of the activity at Orient House is not changed. Olmert says "there is no other building which so denies the authority of the Municipality and of the State in any part of the city."
Israeli demonstrations take place opposite Orient House and opposite Orient House director Faisal Husseini's home. They are frequently violent and shots are fired in the air, at Husseini's home, and car.
At the same time, discussions are being held with the USA on the pos¬sibility of moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, an act which would strengthen Israel's claim to the whole of Jerusalem. The sug¬gestion is not completely rejected but its consummation does not look likely.

13.6.95 The Council of Judea and Samaria (settlement council) announces the "Eretz Yisrael first" operation in protest against the coming implemen¬tation of the interim agreement in the West Bank. The plan is to seize state lands, populate empty neighborhoods in the settlements and build new roads.
The government does not intervene at this stage, not seeing this as a change in the status quo. In the following month the settlers forcefully take over lands which do not belong to established settlements, and clash with Palestinians.
Following clashes between soldiers, wrecking crews and homeowners in Jerusalem, the minister of justice announces that the demolition of "ille¬gal buildings" in the Eastern part of the city will be stopped. Data from the Municipality shows that the scope of illege1l. building in East Jerusalem is not larger than the relative proportion of the Palestinian residents in the popu¬lation (29%), yet 88% of destruction orders are for Palestinian buildings.

14.6.95 The information is released that the Israeli censor regularly reads letters from residents of the PNA to addresses abroad, and reports to the prime minister, the Foreign Office and the Security Services on the Palestinian mood - their attitude to the PNA, to Israel and to the peace process. It was determined in the Cairo agreement that the Israeli Postal Authority would direct the international mail contacts of the residents of the PNA.
France, the USA, Britain and Spain recognize the PNA passport. The Jordanian ambassador to the PNA presents his credentials to Arafat.

18.6.95 Israeli intelligence sources claim that the PNA ordered the estab¬lishment of a real-estate company for the acquisition of assets in East Jerusalem so as to strengthen its position in the city. The PNA denies this on the same day and claims that the documents are forged; the finance minister (the company's ostensible head) sues for libel.
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails start a hunger strike to back the demand for their release. The PNA asks them not to strike, in order not to agitate the public mood in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
On 21.6.95 a general, one-day fast is called in the OPT, in solidarity with the hunger strikers. A planned general strike is cancelled by the PNA. In many demonstrations over the following week, Palestinian demonstrators calling for the release of prisoners clash with the IOF.
On 8.7.95, under pressure from Fatah leaders, the prisoners cease their hunger strike, and are promised that, in view of the understanding on the subject reached between Arafat and Peres, such actions will not be necessary.

22.6.95 Hamas and the Islamic Jihad accuse Israel of murdering a senior member of Jihad. They announce their intention to revenge the killing, thus putting an end to a two-and-a-half month period of quiet following their talks with the PNA after suicide attacks in the Gaza Strip.

In this period, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 14 Palestinians, including one police officer, were killed by Israeli security forces, and seven members of the Israeli security forces were killed by Palestinians. (Figures from B'Tselem).