2.1.94: Start of the fifth round of
the economic talks in Paris. On the agenda: trade structures,
taxes, customs.
7.1.94: Release of 101 Palestinian
prisoners.
Jordan and the PLO sign a framework agreement for economic
cooperation.
16.1.94: Clinton and Assad meet in
Geneva. Assad: Syria is prepared to normalize relations with Israel
in exchange for full withdrawal from the Golan Heights.
The PLO establishes mechanisms for managing the economy in Gaza and
Jericho, and for the transfer of donated funds to the autonomy
administration. The Jordanian Central Bank is to be the supreme
monetary authority in the territories during the interim
period.
21.1.94: Basil aI-Assad, son of the
Syrian president, dies in an accident.
24.1.94: The multi-lateral talks
resume in Washington.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and the PLO renewed in the wake of
Arafat's apology to King Fahd for PLO support of Iraq in the Gulf
War.
26.1.94: Three mainstream PLO
organisations (Fatah, FIDA and the Palestinian People's Party -
ex-communists) agree to cooperate in order to increase the PLO's
strength relative to the rejectionist organizations. In February
the People's Party comes out against the Cairo agreement.
29-30.1.94: Peres and Arafat meet in
Davos and reach agreement on control of the border crossings, the
area of autonomy around Jericho and roads in the Gaza Strip. The
final agreement is signed in Cairo on 9.2.94.
For the first time, leaders of the People's Party (ex-communists)
are elected in direct, open elections, by 120 party
representatives.
3.2.94: In Jerusalem a memorandum of
understanding is signed between the Palestinians and the US, on the
transfer of 7 million dollars (the first instalment of 500 million
dollars promised to the Palestinians) for the construction of 192
housing units in Jabalya. In Cairo, the multi-lateral arms control
team drafts the text of a joint declaration of principles for all
countries of the Middle East, which includes a condemnation of the
occupation of territory and a recommendation for a non-conventional
demilitarization of the Middle East.
11.2.94: In Madrid, a decision is
taken to establish a commercial bank in the territories: the
International Palestinian Bank, the joint venture of a Palestinian
group (headed by Hanna Siniora), the Banque Commerciale du Maroc,
the Central Hispano Bank and Bank Leumi.
13.2.94: After the death of Fatah
Hawks leader Salim Muwafi in an IDF operation, Fatah announces the
renewal of armed struggle against the IDF.
15.2.94: Renewal of Washington
talks.
18.2.94: Elections to the Doctors'
Association in the Gaza strip. In personal elections, Fatah members
won all the seats on the Executive Committee.
21.2.94: Renewal of the talks in
Taba, Cairo and Paris.
25.2.94: 29 Palestinians are
massacred in the Machpelah Cave in Hebron by Baruch Goldstein, a
Kiryat Arba settler. Another 21 Palestinians are killed in clashes
with the Israeli army in riots during the six days following the
massacre. Hundreds of wounded are admitted to hospitals.
Tens of Israeli Palestinians are arrested in demonstrations and
mourning processions. A resident of Rahat is killed in violent
demonstrations in Bedouin villages in the South of Israel. The PLO
announces a break in the peace negotiations, followed by Syria,
Jordan and Lebanon.
27.2.94: Administrative detention
orders are issued against five settlers. One is arrested, the rest
flee and will be arrested during the month of March. Restricted
movement orders are issued to 15 settlers, while the right to carry
arms is denied to another 15 settlers.
28.2.94: Appointment in spite of
Rabin's reservations of a commission of enquiry into the Hebron
massacre. The commission members are Meir Shamgar - Supreme Court
Chief Justice; Eliezer Goldberg - Supreme Court Judge; 'Abd
aI-Rahman Zuabi - Judge in Nazareth District Court; Professor
Menahem Ya'ri - President of the Open University and recipient of
the Israel Prize for Economics; Moshe Levi - Former IDF Chief of
Staff. Two Palestinian Committees of enquiry into the Hebron
Massacre were set up ¬one by Fatah, the other by the Islamic
Council.
1.3.94: 569 Palestinian prisoners
are released, out of 1/000 whose release was announced after the
massacre. On 3.3.94 an additional 415 prisoners are released. The
PLO sets the following conditions for its return to negotiations:
disarmament of the settlers; removal of the settlers from Hebron; a
start on dismantling the settlements; limitations on the movements
of armed settlers; condemnation of the massacre in the UN Security
Council; and deployment of an international armed force in
Hebron.
Israel proposes an international presence in Gaza and Jericho
(though not in Hebron and the West Bank), a limit to the number of
Palestinian police (to 9/000/ it was proposed on 14.3.94) and
accelerated withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho, in an attempt to
complete withdrawal by 13.4.94.
7.3.94: MK / Abd aI-Wahab Darawshe
arrives in Damascus at the head of a delegation of 50 Israeli
Arabs, to express his condolences to the Syrian president.
8.3.94: The Shamgar Commission holds
its opening session. Evidence given by both Major General Danny
Yatom, head of IDF Central Command, and by the commander
responsible for the Machpela Cave reveals serious security lapses
on the day of the massacre.
10.3.94: In his evidence before the
commission, the commander of the Border Guard in Hebron reveals the
existence of an order forbidding [soldiers] to fire upon
settlers.
13.3.94: The goverment declares
Kahana Hai and Kach to be terrorist organizations, and outlaws
them.
15.3.94: B/Tselem report: The IDP's
attitude to settler violence ranges from voluntary non-intervention
to cooperation; this double standard provided the background to the
massacre.
16.3.94: Israel suggests deploying
Palestinian police in Hebron, subordinate to the Israeli armed
forces. The PLO rejects the proposal.
17.3.94: The evidence of three
soldiers gives rise to suspicions that an additional person
assisted Goldstein in the Machpela Cave.
On 31.3.94 Colonel Yoav Galant, who investigated the massacre,
gives evidence and also raises questions on this matter.
19.3.94: The UN Security Council
decides upon a condemnation of the Hebron massacre. The formulation
of the resolution includes Jerusalem in the category of occupied
territories.
In the wake of the condemnation - Syria, Lebanon and Jordan
announce their willingness to resume the bi-Iateral talks.
28.3.94: The IDF kills six Fatah
members in Jabalya. Following the incident, coordination between
the IDF and the PLO leadership in the Gaza Strip is renewed.
King Hussein makes Jordan's return to the talks conditional upon a
reduction of the checks carried out in Aqaba Port in the context of
the economic embargo on Iraq.
31.3.94: In Cairo, delegations from
Israel and the PLO sign an agreement regarding an international
presence in Hebron. The Palestinians forgo a Palestinian police
force in Hebron in exchange for the expansion of the international
observers' force there to 60 observers and 100 planners and
administrators. The international force is to report to joint
Israel-PLO committees.
In addition, the pro-PLO mayor of Hebron is to be reinstated.
Mustafa' Abd al-Nabi Natshe is appointed on 3.4.94. As a result of
the agreements reached, negotiations for the implementation of the
withdrawal agreement from Gaza and Jericho are resumed.
During these three months, 68 Palestinians in the Occupied
Territories were killed by Israeli Security forces, 38 in the West
Bank and 30 in the Gaza Strip, including ten children. 32
Palestinians were killed by Israeli civilians, including six
children. Five Israeli civilians and one member of the security
forces were killed by Palestinians - within the green line, one
Palestinian was killed by Palestinians (all figures from B'Tselem).
The AP reported 29 suspected collaborators were killed by
Palestinians in the month of March 1994.
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