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Background Basics

Recent Interventions by International Actors in the Gaza Strip

posted on 03/07/08

2007

June 9 Egypt and Israel close border crossings, including the Rafah crossing, between Egypt and Gaza after Hamas and Fatah begin fighting in Gaza. The EU mission monitoring the crossing is removed, but its mandate has been extended until May 2008.

June 14 Hamas takes control of the Gaza Strip after ousting Fatah security forces, ending the Saudi-brokered Mecca Agreement, which formed a national unity government.

June 15 Saudi Arabia calls on Hamas and Fatah to return to the Mecca agreement and stop fighting.

June 19 Jordan sends 450 tons of food and medical supplies to Gaza to prevent a humanitarian crisis. Jordan has continued to send supplies to Gaza, though some have been seized by Hamas.

June 24 Saudi Arabia expresses its dismay regarding a lack of Palestinian unity and repeats its call to return to the Mecca agreement.

June 25 Egypt and Jordan host a summit for Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to support Abbas’s Fatah government.

July 7 The EU decides to keep its monitoring mission on stand-by for redeployment to the Rafah border crossing if a crossing agreement is reached.

December 8 Saudi Arabia hosts Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal in an attempt to broker a Palestinian unity agreement.

December-January Hamas, Saudi Arabia and Egypt agree to allow more than 2,000 Gazans to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, pre-empting arrangements previously made by the Palestinian Authority. The pilgrims’ return is delayed due to Egypt’s refusal to let them return through a border crossing controlled by Hamas. Egypt eventually allows the pilgrims to return through the Rafah crossing angering the Israeli government. The agreement between Hamas and Egypt is seen as undermining Palestinian Authority President Abbas.

2008

January 23 Hamas militants break down the Egypt-Gaza border and thousands of Palestinians stream into Egypt to buy supplies. Egypt allows them through, citing humanitarian reasons.

January 30 Egypt arranges separate meetings with Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Hamas leaders in an attempt to broker an agreement on the Gaza border. Abbas rejects a deal with Hamas, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia remain in contact with Hamas to attempt to broker Gaza border and Palestinian unity agreements.

February 3 Egypt reseals the Egypt-Gaza border with the aid of Hamas forces. Egypt has requested that it be allowed to place additional forces on the border, which Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni supports.

February 11 The United States pressures Israel to work with Egypt to negotiate a border crossing agreement between Egypt and Gaza.

February 25 Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hamed bin Jassem al-Thani offers to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to advance peace efforts in the region.

February 26 Israel alleges Hamas militants trained in Syria and Iran infiltrated Gaza during the recent border breach. It also reports that recent rocket attacks have used longer-range, more-dangerous, Iranian-manufactured Grad (Katyusha) rockets.

February 28 Egypt announces that it is planning to link Gaza to its electricity grid and provide Gaza’s electricity needs, independent of electricity supplied from Israel.

March 3 The EU presses for continued negotiations to reopen the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, even if crossing is limited to cargo. Palestinian Authority President Abbas is pushing for Fatah participation in the border crossing, offering his presidential guards as monitors.

March 6 Egypt launches talks with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in an attempt to broker a ceasefire with Israel that would stop rocket attacks and allow the peace process to move forward.