Some 3,350 Palestinians and 970 Israelis have been killed since the start of the intifada. Here are some key events:
September 28th, 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.
March 7th, 2001: Sharon takes office as prime minister having beaten Ehud Barak of centre-left Labour in February 6th vote.
March 27th, 2002: Suicide bomber kills 29 people in Israeli city of Netanya.
March 29th: Israel decides to isolate Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and call up military reserves after wave of suicide bombings. Israeli forces besiege Arafat's Ramallah headquarters.
June 24th: President George Bush says Palestinians should replace Arafat.
April 30th, 2003: "Road map" for Middle East peace -- drafted by the US, EU, United Nations and Russia - is presented to Israelis and Palestinians. Mahmoud Abbas, is appointed Palestinian prime minister.
June 4th: Sharon and Abbas promise to implement road map at summit with Bush in Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba.
June 29th: Palestinian militants announce suspension of attacks on Israelis. Ceasefire lasts seven weeks.
August 19th: Suicide bomber kills 23 people on Jerusalem bus. September 6th: Abbas quits, after losing power struggle with Arafat.
October 4th: Suicide bombing kills 23 people in Haifa.
February 2nd, 2004: Sharon announces plans to evacuate all Jewish settlements in Gaza Strip.
March 22nd: Israel assassinates Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, co-founder of militant Hamas group.
April 18th: Israel kills Yassin's successor, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi.
May 19th: Israeli barrage kills 10 Palestinians, including some children, engaged in unarmed protest march in Rafah refugee camp in midst of major army raid.
November 11th: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat dies.
January 9th, 2005: Palestinians elect Abbas to succeed Arafat.
January 17th: Abbas orders security forces to prevent all attacks on Israel by militants.
January 21-26: Palestinian security forces deploy across Gaza to curb militant attacks against Israel.
January 28th: Israel announces it is sharply reducing its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
February 3rd: Israeli leaders approve a troop pullback from five Palestinian cities in the West Bank. - (Reuters)