January 4 2006
At his ranch in the Negev, Ariel Sharon complains of feeling unwell and is rushed to hospital in Jerusalem. He undergoes seven hours of surgery to stop bleeding into his brain - the result of a second, more severe, stroke. Even if he recovers, his political career looks to be over.
Hospital drama casts shadow over Sharon's drive to centreDecember 18 2005
Ariel Sharon has a minor stroke and is admitted to hospital
Sharon taken to hospital
December 5 2005
A Palestinian suicide bomber kills at least five people and wounds at least 35 outside a shopping mall in the Israeli city of Netanya.
Five killed in Israeli shopping centre blast
November 30 2005
Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres resigns from the Labour party to join Ariel Sharon's new party.
Peres quits Labour to support Sharon
November 21 2005
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, resigns as leader of the ruling Likud party, saying it is unfit to run the country. He sets up Kadima, a new centrist party that quickly moves to take a lead in the polls.
Sharon alters political landscape by leaving Likud
November 10 2005
Amir Peretz defeats Shimon Peres in a vote for the Labour party leadership. He moves to pull the party out of the governing coalition with Likud and triggers a general election.
Peres loses party leadership bid
October 26 2005
A Palestinian suicide bomber blows himself up in the main market at Hadera. Six people dead and more than 30 people wounded. Islamic Jihad says it carried out the attack to avenge Israel's killing of a senior leader in the West Bank.
Suicide bomber kills five in market attack
August 28 2005
A suicide bomber blows himself up at the entrance to Beersheba's central bus station, wounding at least 20. No immediate claim of responsibility.
Bomber attempts first suicide attack since Gaza withdrawal
August 19 2005
The Gaza Strip is cleared of settlers four weeks ahead of schedule.
Settlers cleared ahead of time
August 15 2005
Settlers in the Gaza Strip are given 48 hours to leave before forced evictions as the pullout begins.
Cages at the ready to remove settlers who flout deadline
July 12 2005
A Palestinian suicide bomber blows himself up at an Israeli shopping mall in Netanya, eight miles from the West Bank, killing five and wounding at least 30. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility.
Suicide bomber shatters ceasefire in Israel
March 9 2005
The Israeli government is guilty of systematic fraud, "institutional lawbreaking" and the theft of private Palestinian land to covertly establish illegal Jewish outposts in the West Bank, according an official report.
Israel accused of assisting illegal outposts
March 1 2005
A ripple of change is running through the Middle East, Tony Blair says as he hosts a Middle East conference in London.
Blair hails 'ripple of change' in Middle East
February 25 2005
Tentative hopes of reviving the Middle East peace process are jolted when a suicide bomber blows himself up outside a seafront nightclub in Tel Aviv, killing five people and wounding about 50.
Tel Aviv bomb rocks peace process
February 24 2005
The Palestinian parliament approves a new line-up of ministers in which technocrats replace loyalists of the late Yasser Arafat.
Palestinians pick reformist cabinet
February 17 2005
Israel's attorney general lifts the threat of indictment against Ariel Sharon in a scandal over illegal campaign funds, but charges the prime minister's son, Omri, with fraud and other crimes in the same case.
Sharon's son charged in corruption case
February 15 2005
Israel will not give up the main Jewish settlements on the West Bank as part of a final peace deal with the Palestinians, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, says. He tells a press conference that Jewish "population blocks" have been there for many years and that they "will be part of the Jewish state in the future".
Sharon firm on West Bank sites
February 9 2005
Israel says it will lift roadblocks around some West Bank cities to allow freer movement and will take other steps to ease controls on Palestinians as both sides seek to build on the newly announced ceasefire.
Israel to ease restrictions after ceasefire
February 8 2005
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, agree a ceasefire and pledge to end violence after more than four years of intifada.
Sharon and Abbas agree ceasefire
January 30 2005
Israel says it is prepared to transfer responsibility for security in several West Bank towns to the new Palestinian leadership in the latest measure aimed at securing a permanent ceasefire.
Security to be handed over in West Bank towns
January 23 2005
Hamas and Islamic Jihad agree to suspend attacks on Israel in order to give the new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, time to secure international guarantees for a comprehensive ceasefire that would end more than four years of intifada.
Islamists halt attacks on Israel
January 21 2005
The new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has presented Hamas and its allies with proposals to end their war on Israel in return for international guarantees of a ceasefire.
Abbas offers Hamas deal to end violence
January 14 2005
Israel announces it is suspending all contact with the new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and his government, claiming that members of the Palestinian security agencies were involved in an attack in Gaza which killed six Israelis.
Israel breaks off contact with Abbas
January 13 2005
Mahmoud Abbas, the newly elected Palestinian president, faces his first big test when Palestinian militants detonate a bomb on the edge of the Gaza Strip, killing at least five Israelis.
Militants defy Abbas with deadly Gaza bombing
January 11 2005
Ariel Sharon telephones Mahmoud Abbas to congratulate him on his election victory, while Yasser Arafat's former security adviser resigns in a move seen as pre-empting a security forces shake-up.
Sharon congratulates Abbas
Strongman quits Abbas government
January 10 2005
Mahmoud Abbas is confirmed as winner of the Palestinian presidential election. He gains the support of militant groups, despite concerns over electoral irregularities.
Abbas wins landslide victory
Fate of president rests with Sharon
Militants say Abbas must act on corruption
Turnout doubts mar victory
January 5 2005
Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon vows to use the full force of government power against any Jewish settlers who violently resist his planned withdrawal from Gaza.
Settlers' violence will be crushed, Sharon says
January 4 2005
Mahmoud Abbas, the favourite to become president of the Palestinian Authority, condemns "the Zionist enemy" after seven children on their way to pick strawberries are mistaken for Palestinian militants and killed by Israeli tank shells.
Seven children die in crossfire as Israelis target suspected militants
January 3 2005
An Israeli soldier is arrested after calling on his comrades to refuse to evacuate a West Bank settlement outpost.
Israeli soldier 'urged revolt'
At his ranch in the Negev, Ariel Sharon complains of feeling unwell and is rushed to hospital in Jerusalem. He undergoes seven hours of surgery to stop bleeding into his brain - the result of a second, more severe, stroke. Even if he recovers, his political career looks to be over.
Hospital drama casts shadow over Sharon's drive to centreDecember 18 2005
Ariel Sharon has a minor stroke and is admitted to hospital
Sharon taken to hospital
December 5 2005
A Palestinian suicide bomber kills at least five people and wounds at least 35 outside a shopping mall in the Israeli city of Netanya.
Five killed in Israeli shopping centre blast
November 30 2005
Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres resigns from the Labour party to join Ariel Sharon's new party.
Peres quits Labour to support Sharon
November 21 2005
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, resigns as leader of the ruling Likud party, saying it is unfit to run the country. He sets up Kadima, a new centrist party that quickly moves to take a lead in the polls.
Sharon alters political landscape by leaving Likud
November 10 2005
Amir Peretz defeats Shimon Peres in a vote for the Labour party leadership. He moves to pull the party out of the governing coalition with Likud and triggers a general election.
Peres loses party leadership bid
October 26 2005
A Palestinian suicide bomber blows himself up in the main market at Hadera. Six people dead and more than 30 people wounded. Islamic Jihad says it carried out the attack to avenge Israel's killing of a senior leader in the West Bank.
Suicide bomber kills five in market attack
August 28 2005
A suicide bomber blows himself up at the entrance to Beersheba's central bus station, wounding at least 20. No immediate claim of responsibility.
Bomber attempts first suicide attack since Gaza withdrawal
August 19 2005
The Gaza Strip is cleared of settlers four weeks ahead of schedule.
Settlers cleared ahead of time
August 15 2005
Settlers in the Gaza Strip are given 48 hours to leave before forced evictions as the pullout begins.
Cages at the ready to remove settlers who flout deadline
July 12 2005
A Palestinian suicide bomber blows himself up at an Israeli shopping mall in Netanya, eight miles from the West Bank, killing five and wounding at least 30. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility.
Suicide bomber shatters ceasefire in Israel
March 9 2005
The Israeli government is guilty of systematic fraud, "institutional lawbreaking" and the theft of private Palestinian land to covertly establish illegal Jewish outposts in the West Bank, according an official report.
Israel accused of assisting illegal outposts
March 1 2005
A ripple of change is running through the Middle East, Tony Blair says as he hosts a Middle East conference in London.
Blair hails 'ripple of change' in Middle East
February 25 2005
Tentative hopes of reviving the Middle East peace process are jolted when a suicide bomber blows himself up outside a seafront nightclub in Tel Aviv, killing five people and wounding about 50.
Tel Aviv bomb rocks peace process
February 24 2005
The Palestinian parliament approves a new line-up of ministers in which technocrats replace loyalists of the late Yasser Arafat.
Palestinians pick reformist cabinet
February 17 2005
Israel's attorney general lifts the threat of indictment against Ariel Sharon in a scandal over illegal campaign funds, but charges the prime minister's son, Omri, with fraud and other crimes in the same case.
Sharon's son charged in corruption case
February 15 2005
Israel will not give up the main Jewish settlements on the West Bank as part of a final peace deal with the Palestinians, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, says. He tells a press conference that Jewish "population blocks" have been there for many years and that they "will be part of the Jewish state in the future".
Sharon firm on West Bank sites
February 9 2005
Israel says it will lift roadblocks around some West Bank cities to allow freer movement and will take other steps to ease controls on Palestinians as both sides seek to build on the newly announced ceasefire.
Israel to ease restrictions after ceasefire
February 8 2005
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, agree a ceasefire and pledge to end violence after more than four years of intifada.
Sharon and Abbas agree ceasefire
January 30 2005
Israel says it is prepared to transfer responsibility for security in several West Bank towns to the new Palestinian leadership in the latest measure aimed at securing a permanent ceasefire.
Security to be handed over in West Bank towns
January 23 2005
Hamas and Islamic Jihad agree to suspend attacks on Israel in order to give the new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, time to secure international guarantees for a comprehensive ceasefire that would end more than four years of intifada.
Islamists halt attacks on Israel
January 21 2005
The new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has presented Hamas and its allies with proposals to end their war on Israel in return for international guarantees of a ceasefire.
Abbas offers Hamas deal to end violence
January 14 2005
Israel announces it is suspending all contact with the new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and his government, claiming that members of the Palestinian security agencies were involved in an attack in Gaza which killed six Israelis.
Israel breaks off contact with Abbas
January 13 2005
Mahmoud Abbas, the newly elected Palestinian president, faces his first big test when Palestinian militants detonate a bomb on the edge of the Gaza Strip, killing at least five Israelis.
Militants defy Abbas with deadly Gaza bombing
January 11 2005
Ariel Sharon telephones Mahmoud Abbas to congratulate him on his election victory, while Yasser Arafat's former security adviser resigns in a move seen as pre-empting a security forces shake-up.
Sharon congratulates Abbas
Strongman quits Abbas government
January 10 2005
Mahmoud Abbas is confirmed as winner of the Palestinian presidential election. He gains the support of militant groups, despite concerns over electoral irregularities.
Abbas wins landslide victory
Fate of president rests with Sharon
Militants say Abbas must act on corruption
Turnout doubts mar victory
January 5 2005
Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon vows to use the full force of government power against any Jewish settlers who violently resist his planned withdrawal from Gaza.
Settlers' violence will be crushed, Sharon says
January 4 2005
Mahmoud Abbas, the favourite to become president of the Palestinian Authority, condemns "the Zionist enemy" after seven children on their way to pick strawberries are mistaken for Palestinian militants and killed by Israeli tank shells.
Seven children die in crossfire as Israelis target suspected militants
January 3 2005
An Israeli soldier is arrested after calling on his comrades to refuse to evacuate a West Bank settlement outpost.
Israeli soldier 'urged revolt'