February 8 - The Sharm el-Sheikh Summit: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declares violence will come to an end, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agrees to release 900 Palestinian prisoners and withdraw Israeli forces from areas of the West Bank. This is considered to be the "official" end of the Second Intifada, although sporadic violence would continue outside PA control.[1][2]
March 31 – The Government of Israel officially recognizes the Bnei Menashe people of North-East India as one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, opening the door for thousands of people to immigrate to Israel.
May 31 – Israeli Police announce that they have uncovered an Industrial espionage ring involving executives at several major Israeli corporations which used Trojan horse viruses to hack into rivals' systems.[4]
August 4 – Four Israeli Arabs are killed and twenty-two others are wounded by the 19-year-old IDFdeserter, Eden Nathan-Zadah, when he opens fire on a crowded bus in the Arab town of Shfar'am in northern Israel in northern Israel. When he runs out of bullets, Natan-Zada is beaten to death by the crowd, as recorded on video.[8] No group had taken responsibility for the terror attack and an official in the settler movement denounced it. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and several Israeli leaders condemn the attack and offer condolences to the families.[9][10][11][12]
August 28 – Omri Sharon, Israeli politician and son of the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, is formally indicted, charged with felonies of political corruption and with perjury, following his involvement in a scandal relating to fundraising for his father's 1999 Likud leadership campaign.[15]
October 26 – During a key speech at the "World without Zionism" conference held in Teheran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad quotes the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who called for the destruction of Israel, calling Israel a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the map".[16][17][18] an English idiom which means to "cause a place to stop existing",[19] or to "obliterate totally",[20] or "destroy completely".[21]
November 21 – Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon resigns as head of the Likud party, and dissolved the Knesset to form a new centrist party, subsequently named Kadima ("Forward").
December 18 – The Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is transferred to the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem after suffering a minor stroke. After being treated, Sharon is released from the hospital two days later and is scheduled to undergo a routine Cardiac catheterization procedure on January 4 to seal a hole in his heart.[23][24]
February 21 – Israel releases 500 Palestinian Arab prisoners, as a gesture of goodwill to the Palestinian Authority and to its chairman, Mahmoud Abbas. Israel plans to release another 400 Palestinian prisoners within the subsequent three months.[25]
June 2 – Israel released 398 Palestinian Arab prisoners, the final phase of an Israeli pledge to release 900 prisoners as a goodwill gesture towards Palestinian Arab leader Mahmoud Abbas.[29]
August 15 – The beginning of the implementation of the disengagement plan from Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip.
August 17 – Israel's unilateral disengagement: The first forced evacuation of Jewish settlers, as part of the disengagement, commenced under Maj. Gen. Dan Harel of the Southern Command's orders. About 14,000 Israeli soldiers and police prepared to forcibly evict settlers and "mistanenim" (infiltrators). There are scenes of troops dragging screaming settlers from houses and synagogues, but with less violence than expected.[32]
January 12 – Morag attack: One Israeli civilian is killed and three IDF soldiers are wounded when a bomb is detonated against a military vehicle patrolling the route near Morag. Two terrorists are killed by IDF forces. The area was booby-trapped with explosive devices, in addition to the bomb that exploded. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claims responsibility.
February 25 – Stage Club bombing: A Palestinian Arab teenage suicide bomber blows himself up at the entrance to the "Stage" Club in Tel Aviv. Five Israelis are killed, and about 50 wounded. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility.[41]
June 20 – A Palestinian female suicide bomber is caught at the Erez Crossing, carrying explosives and a detonator in her underwear. She planned to carry out a suicide bombing attack in the Soroka hospital where she received medical treatment and was scheduled for a doctors appointment. The woman was identified as Wafa Samir Ibrahim Bass and said she was sent by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.[44][45]
August 28 – Central Bus Station Beer Sheva bombing: A Palestinian Islamic Jihadsuicide bomber kills himself and wounds nearly 50 people in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba near the main bus terminal. According to sources, the bomber was trying to make his way to Beersheba's Soroka Hospital.[46][47][48][49]
October 26 – Hadera Market bombing: A Palestinian Arab suicide bomber carries out an attack in Hadera, which kills six Israelis and injures twenty-six. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for the attack.[50][51]
December 28 – Israeli jets bomb the PFLP-GC base in Naameh, Lebanon, a few miles outside Beirut, wounding two people, in retaliation for a rocket attack that hit Qiryat Shemona.[55]
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