Four years of Palestinian uprising at an end?

Israeli and Palestinian leaders announced a ceasefire ending more than four years of bloodshed at a summit yesterday.

Some 3,350 Palestinians and 970 Israelis have been killed since the start of the Intifada - or Palestinian uprising - in September 2000. Following are some key events:

¤ September 28, 2000: Ariel Sharon, then leader of the right-wing opposition Likud party, visits Temple Mount, or al-Haram al-Sharif, a Jerusalem holy site. Clashes break out. Palestinians say the visit triggers their uprising, or Intifada, for statehood. Israel says uprising was planned.

¤ March 7, 2001: Mr Sharon takes office as prime minister having beaten Ehud Barak of centre-left Labour in February 6 vote.

¤ March 27, 2002: Suicide bomber kills 29 people in hotel attack on Passover dinner in Israeli city of Netanya.

¤ March 29, 2002: Israel decides to isolate Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and call up military reserves after wave of suicide bombings. Israeli forces besiege Mr Arafat's Ramallah headquarters, where he has been trapped since December.

¤ June 24, 2002: US President George W. Bush says Palestinians should replace Mr Arafat.

¤ January 28, 2003: Mr Sharon is re-elected.

¤ April 30, 2003: "Road map" for Middle East peace - drafted by the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia - is presented to Israelis and Palestinians. Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate, is appointed Palestinian prime minister.

¤ June 4, 2003: Mr Sharon and Mr Abbas vow to implement road map at summit with Mr Bush in Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba.

¤ June 29, 2003: Palestinian militants announce suspension of attacks on Israelis. Ceasefire lasts seven weeks.

¤ August 19, 2003: Suicide bomber kills 23 people on Jerusalem bus.

¤ August 21, 2003: Israel kills Hamas militant leader Ismail Abu Shanab in helicopter missile strike in Gaza City.

¤ September 6, 2003: Mr Abbas quits, after losing power struggle with Mr Arafat.

¤ September 11, 2003: Israeli security cabinet decides in principle to remove Mr Arafat, calling him obstacle to peace.

¤ October 4, 2003: Suicide bombing kills 23 people in Haifa.

¤ October 5, 2003: Israeli planes bomb what it says is training camp for Palestinian militants near Damascus - Israel's first air raid in Syria in three decades.

¤ October 7, 2003: Ahmed Qurie sworn in as Palestinian prime minister.

¤ December 18, 2003: Mr Sharon announces Disengagement Plan calling for "relocation of settlements".

¤ February 2, 2004: Mr Sharon announces plans to evacuate all Jewish settlements in Gaza Strip.

¤ March 22, 2004: Israel assassinates Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, co-founder of militant Hamas group, in Gaza missile strike.

¤ April 14, 2004: Mr Sharon presents Gaza plan to Mr Bush, who says Israel cannot be expected to leave all occupied West Bank land.

¤ April 18, 2004: Israel kills Sheik Yassin's successor, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, in Gaza missile attack.

¤ May 19, 2004: Israeli barrage kills 10 Palestinians, including some children, engaged in an unarmed protest march in Rafah refugee camp in midst of major army raid into militant stronghold. Israelis pull out on May 22, with Palestinian death toll at 41.

¤ June 6, 2004: Cabinet approves Gaza withdrawal in principle.

¤ June 30, 2004: Israeli High Court orders rerouting of Israel's West Bank barrier to reduce Palestinian hardship.

¤ July 9, 2004: International Court of Justice calls barrier illegal and says it should be torn down.

¤ October 26, 2004: The Israeli parliament approves Prime Minister Sharon's plan to withdraw from the occupied Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in 2005.

¤ November 11, 2004: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat dies. Former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas is elected to succeed Mr Arafat as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

¤ December 14, 2004: Palestinian leader Mr Abbas says his people should drop their armed struggle for a state, changing the strategy for peace after Mr Arafat's death.

¤ January 9, 2005: Palestinians elect Mr Abbas to succeed Mr Arafat.

¤ January 10, 2005: Parliament endorses Mr Sharon's new coalition to implement his planned Gaza pullout by 58 votes to 56.

¤ January 14, 2005: Israel seals off the Gaza Strip after an attack which killed six Israelis and cuts ties with Mr Abbas.

¤ January 17, 2005: Mr Abbas orders security forces to prevent all attacks on Israel by militants who have defied his calls for calm.

¤ January 21, 2005: Palestinian security forces deploy across northern Gaza to curb militant attacks against Israel.

¤ January 26, 2005: Palestinian police begin deploying in southern Gaza to prevent militant attacks on Israelis.

¤ January 28, 2005: Israel announces it is sharply reducing its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

¤ February 3, 2005: Israeli leaders approve a troop pullback from five Palestinian cities in the West Bank and the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners.