Timeline of Arab-Israeli Conflict

• Israeli War of Independence - 1947 - 1949

On November 29, 1947, the UN voted to partition Mandate Palestine and created the State of Israel. The Arab nations rejected the partition and the Arab Liberation Army comprised of volunteers from various Arab countries began attacking Israel after the UN vote. Israel officially declared independence on May 14, 1948, at which time five Arab armies from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan and Iraq invaded the nascent state of Israel. Israeli forces managed to repel all of the invading armies from its territories and signed armistice agreements with all warring parties by July 1949. Israel suffered 6,373 fatalities during the war - 1 percent of its population. [1]

• Suez Crisis - October - November 1956

Starting in 1949, Egypt trained and equipped Palestinian fedayeen or guerrillas who conducted raids into Israel, killing 400 Israelis and wounding another 900 between 1949 and 1956. In light of this ongoing paramilitary campaign, which contravened the 1949 armistice agreements, Israel accepted a proposal by Britain and France to invade the Sinai Peninsula.  These two countries were attempting to take back control of the Suez Canal which Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser had nationalised, thereby stripping Britain and France of their assets in the canal. [2]

• Six-Day War - June 1967

At the beginning of June 1967, due to tensions on the Israeli-Syrian border, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser deployed more than 100,000 troops and 900 tanks in the Sinai Peninsula, expelled UN peacekeepers from the Egyptian-Israeli border and closed the straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. Fearing a war on three fronts, Israel initiated a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and disabled its army in three days. Israel then turned its attention to the Syrian and Jordanian armies, defeating them and capturing the West Bank and the Golan Heights. [3] 

• War of Attrition - 1968 - 1970

Egyptian forces initiated a number of skirmishes along the cease-fire lines of 1967, shelling Israeli positions as well as sinking the Israeli destroyer Eilat. Israel responded with air assaults and ground attacks on Egyptian military positions as well as air raids on strategic facilities inside Egypt. Israel sustained more than 1,400 military fatalities during these hostilities. [4]

• Yom Kippur War - October 1973

Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked Israeli positions in the Sinai and Golan Heights initiating a three-week war. After early advances, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) defeated the Egyptian and Syrian armies although Egyptian forces maintained the positions on a narrow strip east of the Suez Canal. Israel fatalities were approximately 2,700 whilst Syrian and Egyptian casualties were perhaps as high as 18,500. [5]

• Sadat’s Visit to Israel - November 19, 1977

In response to an invitation by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to travel to Israel and discuss the prospects for peace between the two nations. [6]

• The Camp David Accords - September 17, 1978

After 12 days of closed negotiations between the Israelis and Egyptians at Camp David, the two delegations signed the Camp David Accords. The Accords are comprised of two sections: the first creates a framework for autonomous rule by the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; the second deals with the future of peace between Israel and Egypt, calling for a peace treaty to be agreed upon within three months that is to include a full Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai. [7]

• Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty - March 26, 1979

Israel and Egypt signed a treaty calling for both nations to demilitarize the Sinai Peninsula; for Israel to withdraw to its pre-1967 borders, giving up military bases, settlements, roads and the Sinai oil fields; and for Egypt to 'normalize' relations with Israel. Other Arab countries attack the agreement, and Sadat is assassinated by Muslim extremists in 1981. Nevertheless, the treaty holds. [8]

• 1982 Lebanon War - June - September 1982

Following continual mortar and rocket fire on Jewish towns in northern Israel by Palestinian militias in southern Lebanon, the IDF invaded Lebanon in an attempt to push the Palestinian forces northwards by 40km, beyond the range of northern Israel. Syria joined in the fighting, engaging in large aerial battles with the Israeli Air Force. The IDF succeeded in virtually removing all PLO presence from southern Lebanon and an agreement reached at the end of the war ensured that 14,000 PLO members were deported from Lebanon. [9]

• Israel's Peace Initiative - May 14, 1989

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin announce a plan for peace, based on the Camp David Accords, consisting of four basic parts: strengthening peace with Egypt as a regional cornerstone; promoting full peaceful relations with the Arab states; improving refugee conditions through international efforts; and establishing interim self-rule for Palestinians, including Palestinian elections, during a five-year period designed to lead to a "permanent solution." [10]

• Madrid Peace Conference - October 30 - November 1, 1991

The United States and USSR co-hosted a conference in Spain to set the framework to negotiate peace between Israel and Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians. The conference marks the first time direct and open peace talks are held between Israel and these four partners since 1949. The three-day conference set in motion bilateral talks between Israel and each of its neighbors, as well as multilateral talks, about issues such as trade, resource development and conflict-prevention. Ultimately, however, no agreements developed from the Madrid process. [11]

• The Oslo Accords - September 13, 1993

After secret negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians in Oslo following the Madrid Peace Conference, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shook hands and signed the "Declaration of Principles On Interim Self-Government Arrangements," better known as the Oslo Accords. The agreement called for the transfer of power in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the Palestinians, beginning with an interim phase, leading to self-government and elections among the Palestinians. The agreement was to culminate in a final-status agreement in which a permanent Palestinian state would sign an end-of-conflict agreement with Israel. The negotiations phase of the Accords included Rabin and Arafat exchanging letters in which Arafat pledged that the PLO would recognize Israel and commit itself to peace, while Rabin states that Israel recognizes the PLO as a legitimate party in the negotiations for peace. The "land for peace" strategy was heavily employed in these accords. The Oslo Accords were carried out through phased meetings. [12] 

• Israel-Jordan Common Agenda - September 14, 1993

After almost two years of Madrid Conference-inspired bilateral talks between Israel and Jordan, the two nations signed the Common Agenda which outlined the impending peace treaty between the two countries. [13]

• Gaza-Jericho Agreement - May 4, 1994

In what was also known as the Cairo Agreement, Israel and the Palestinians outlined Israel's initial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and Jericho, as well as the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Although Israel was removing all of its forces from these areas (and later from Palestinian cities in the West Bank), Yasser Arafat's PA failed to meet the security conditions requiring it to crack down on terror groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. [14]

• The Washington Declaration - July 25, 1994

King Hussein of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin met publicly in Washington, D.C. for the first time and took important steps toward implementing a peace treaty. The official state of war between the two countries was ended; each nation agreed to follow U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 to seek a total and lasting peace; and Israel acknowledged Jordan's special role in the oversight of Muslim holy places within Jerusalem. The two leaders also focused on future economic cooperation between Israel and Jordan. [15] 

• Oslo II - September 28, 1995

The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, known as "Oslo II" or "Taba," broadened and superseded the 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement. This agreement deals with many aspects of the transition to Palestinian autonomy, including how Israel would leave Palestinian-populated areas in the West Bank and Gaza; the provision for Palestinians to elect the newly established Palestinian Council; and the division of the area into three sections based on which group would retain responsibility for security divided into Areas A, B and C. Israel also released Palestinian prisoners as a sign of goodwill. [16]

• Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty - October 26, 1994

After a series of meetings, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul-Salam Majali signed the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty. The basic provisions of the treaty delineated the international border; prohibited hostilities between the two nations; agreed upon water usage from shared bodies of water; allowed for freedom of movement between the two countries as well as access to religious sites within Jerusalem; and formally normalized all relations between Israel and Jordan. Diplomatic relations began Nov. 27, 1994, and additional bilateral agreements were signed in the following years in areas such as environment, trade and tourism. [17]

• Protocol Concerning the Redeployment in Hebron - January 17, 1997

The redeployment of Israeli soldiers from Hebron, the last remaining Palestinian city under Israeli control, was orchestrated in the Hebron Agreement. The protocol was signed by Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This marked the first time Israel's Likud party government supported territorial withdrawal in the West Bank (also known as Judea and Samaria), until then widely considered a Labor party policy. [18]

• Wye River Memorandum - October 23, 1998

U.S. President Bill Clinton hosted Netanyahu and Arafat to negotiate the details of implementation of Oslo II of 1995. The memorandum emphasized the need for the Palestinian side to uphold its security obligations. In return, for each phase the Palestinians would successfully complete, they were to receive a specified percentage of land (through measures such as Israeli troop deployments). [19]

• Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum - September 4, 1999

This memorandum addressed the delay in implementation of the Oslo Accords created by Palestinian non-compliance with security obligations and the subsequent Israeli refusal to redeploy troops in the face of a growing terror threat from Area A (which is under full Palestinian administrative and security control). At this time, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak met to reaffirm their commitment to the Oslo Peace Process and set a new deadline, Sept. 13, 2000, for the completion of peace talks. [20]

• Camp David Summit - July 11-25, 2000

To keep to the schedule set by the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, Arafat and Barak met with President Clinton at Camp David. In an effort to achieve peace once and for all, Barak offered a series of concessions including Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip and 95 percent of the West Bank; the subsequent creation of an independent Palestinian state in the aforementioned areas; the dismantlement of all Israeli settlements in those areas given to the Palestinians; land compensation outside of the West Bank for settlements to remain under Israeli sovereignty; and Palestinian rule over East Jerusalem and most of the Old City (excluding the Jewish Quarter) and 'religious sovereignty' on the Temple Mount. In exchange, the agreement called for Arafat to declare an end to the conflict and a prohibition on future claims on Israeli land. Arafat rejects the proposal and makes no counter-offer. The summit ended in failure, but a Tri-Lateral Statement is issued delineating the principles of future talks. [21]

• Taba Conference - January 22-27, 2001

In the midst of the Second Intifada, and as a follow-up to the Camp David Summit, the Israelis and Palestinians met for a final attempt to come to an agreement on a Palestinian state. Israel offers 94 percent of the West Bank in addition to Israeli land, culminating in an offer of 97 percent of the total land area requested by the Palestinians. The 'right of return' is also considered. However, the conference ends again in a standstill, and an Israeli-Palestinian Joint Statement is issued asserting that the two parties have never before been so close to an agreement and expressing hope for the future. [22]

• The Arab Peace Initiative - March 28, 2002

Leaders of Arab nations came together at the Beirut Summit, where Saudi Arabia proposed a plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This plan is known as the Saudi Initiative, or the Arab Peace Initiative. The plan calls for Israel to withdraw completely to pre-1967 borders; supported the 'right of return' for all Palestinian refugees and their descendents; and the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Arab states in attendance pledged not to exercise military action to end the hostilities, and stated that if Israel agreed to the aforementioned stipulations without modification, the Arab countries would in return consider the Arab-Israeli conflict to be over and normalize relations with Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres responds to the initiative on behalf of Israel, stating that Israel views the plan as encouraging, but that the agreement must be discussed directly with the Palestinians and that no accord could come to fruition unless terror activities are ceased, a condition not mentioned in the Arab Initiative. [23]

• Bush's Vision for the Middle East - June 24, 2002

In a Rose Garden Speech, President George W. Bush outlined a new plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, with the possibility of a sovereign Palestinian state established in the near future. This policy called for new Palestinian leadership (specifically acknowledging the corruption and unwillingness to stop terrorism that characterized Arafat's regime) and a reformulated democratic government for the Palestinians. The president also called upon the Palestinians, as well as other Arab states supporting or tolerating terrorism, to cease those activities. The plan focused mainly on the impediments to the peace process posed by the Palestinians since the Israelis had repeatedly offered and acted upon various concessions for peace, and on greater democratization throughout the Arab world. [24]

• Roadmap for Peace - April 30, 2003

Based upon President Bush's speech of June 24, 2002 and principles of the Oslo Accords, this plan was supervised by the International Quartet: the United States, the European Union, the Russian Federation and the United Nations. It called for serious alterations in the Palestinian government and resulted in the appointment of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. The Roadmap, which charted progress toward a final-status agreement through a series of benchmarks relating to security and political progress, is still the official blueprint towards peace between Israel and the Palestinians, with the Quartet meeting intermittently to track the progress of the plan. [25]

• Peace Summit at Aqaba - June 4, 2003

Sharon and Abbas met in Jordan to reaffirm their commitment to the Roadmap. Sharon promised withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian areas, and Abbas pledged an end to the Intifada and the Palestinian culture of hate against Israel. The prospects of the summit were shattered Aug. 19, 2003, after Palestinian terrorists carried out a suicide bombing in Jerusalem. As a result, on Sept. 1, 2003 the Israeli Cabinet decided to wage war against Hamas and other terrorist groups, and halted the diplomatic process with the Palestinian Authority until it proved it was taking concrete measures to stop terrorism. [26]

• Fourth Herzliya Conference - December 18, 2003

At this conference, Prime Minister Sharon presented a plan for Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria in exchange for peace. The Israeli Cabinet approved the plan on June 6, 2004 and the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) approved it on Oct. 25, 2004. The disengagement plan, a major sacrifice for peace, called for evacuating nearly 9,000 Israeli residents living in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel also proposed the disengagement plan in the hope that it would stimulate progress in the peace process on the Palestinian side. [27]

• Sharm el-Sheikh Summit I - February 8, 2005

Sharon met with PA President Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan to announce the implementation of Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. Abbas and Sharon agreed upon a ceasefire. Sharon expressed his hope that the disengagement would foster a step forward in the Roadmap for Peace. [28]

• Gaza and West Bank Disengagement - August 15-23, 2005

In an effort to relieve the security threats against Israelis living in Gaza and to try to put the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks back on track, Israel unilaterally pulled all of its citizens out of the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank. This dramatic move cost Israel approximately $2 billion and included the evacuation of the roughly 9,000 Israelis living in the affected areas. The evacuation also included exhuming and transferring all graves in Gaza to Israeli territory. On Sept. 12, 2005, the last Israel Defense Forces soldier departs the Gaza Strip, marking a historic step towards peace by Israel. [29] 

• Second Lebanon War - July - August 2006

Iran-backed Hezbollah conducted a cross-border raid, killing eight Israeli soldiers and abducting two others while launching a massive barrage of rocket attacks on northern Israeli towns and communities. Israel responded with military operations aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s military capability. Hezbollah launched more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli towns and cities, [30] killing 44 civilians. IDF forces identified 532 Hezbollah extremists were killed by IDF forces, [31] which itself sustained 119 fatalities. Estimates of Lebanese civilian casualties range from 850 [32] to 1,191. [33]

• Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's acceptance of the Arab Peace Initiative - April 1, 2007

In response to the March 28, 2007 Arab League Summit at Riyadh, Olmert welcomed the Arab Initiative, revised since its conception in 2002, and invited the Arab heads of state to a meeting in Israel to further discuss the initiative and collaborate on improving it. [34] 

• Sharm el-Sheikh Summit II - June 25, 2007

Olmert met in Sharm el-Sheikh with Abbas, Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II. The leaders gathered to discuss containment of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and to strengthen Abbas' Fatah party in the West Bank. As a goodwill gesture, Olmert announced the Israeli government's intention to release 250 Fatah prisoners who had 'no blood on their hands' and who pledged to renounce violence. [35]