2002 REOCCUPIED TERRITORY

March 29, 2002 Israel invades Palestinian territories, reoccupies Palestinian cities.

Violence intensifies despite diplomatic efforts 2002 The situation in the Mideast worsened, with a seemingly constant barrage of suicide bombings and Israeli military actions. Israeli forces invaded Palestinian refugee camps to flush out what Israelis say are militants, while multiple suicide bombings were carried out by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a military offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.

The conflict raged despite a series of diplomatic efforts. Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah put forth a peace plan in which Arab states would recognize Israel's right to exist in exchange for its return to pre-1967 borders. The U.S., E.U., U.N. and Russia later submitted a three-phase plan calling for a Palestinian state and conclusive peace accord by 2005. But Israeli and Palestinian officials failed to reach any major agreements.