Chronology of Events

Homesh was evacuated during the withdrawal from Gaza and three other West Bank settlements almost two years ago. 25.4.07 The Israeli ministerial committee on the disengagement approves a budget increase of over NIS500 million to provide for Gaza Strip evacuees in areas that were neglected in the original Evacuation-Compensation Law. 30.4.\n 14.6.07 Hamas gunmen bombarded the Preventive Security compound belonging to Fateh in Gaza City, seeking to complete their conquest of the Strip after four days of bloody fighting. 18.6.07 Israeli Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann says that refugees seeking to escape Hamas' conquest of Gaza should be allowed to pass through Israel into the West Bank. 18.6.07 Advisors to President Abbas said he intends to ask Israel for a number of steps to strengthen his Fateh movement in both the West Bank and Gaza, among them a release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, first and foremost Fateh-Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouthi. 19.6.07 Israeli Environment Minister Gideon Ezra, a former senior Shin Bet official calls for the release of Fateh-Tanzim leader Barghouthi in order to support President Abbas. The EU, Canada and the U.S. have already attacked the deal reached in Geneva, under which Israel's actions would become a permanent item on the Human Rights Council's agenda. 25.6.07 The father of the abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit says he was skeptical of Hamas' motives for releasing an audio tape containing a recorded message from his son - the first sign of life since the terror organization kidnapped the soldier one year ago from an Israeli post outside the Gaza Strip. 27.6.07 At least six Palestinians are killed and two Israeli soldiers wounded in two separate Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip. 29.6.07 Two Qassam rockets are fired at the western Negev from the Gaza Strip.