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. <