Palestine Liberation Organization

The UK Peel Commission Report in 1937 publicly acknowledged the irreconcilable terms of the conflict in Palestine and recommended the partition of the region.

In 1942, US Zionists gathered in New York and adopted the Biltmore Programme, advocating for the establishment of Palestine as a Jewish Commonwealth and promoting unlimited Jewish immigration.

In February 1947, the UK suggested giving up its mandatory role in Palestine, leading to further discussions on the future of the region.

In September 1947, the UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) presented a report to the General Assembly outlining proposals for either partitioning Palestine or establishing a federal state.

In November 1947, the UN General Assembly passed resolution 181(II) which recommended the division of Palestine into a Jewish State and an Arab State, with Jerusalem under UN trusteeship.

The Arab Nationalists Movement (ANM) was founded in 1951 in Beirut and became committed to Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's version of pan-Arab nationalism, with a focus on liberating Palestine.

Fatah was officially founded in 1959, rejecting Arab states' tutelage and building on military cells operating from Egyptian-ruled Gaza since the early 1950s. It later took command of the PLO in 1969.

The PLO was established on June 2, 1964, following a summit meeting in Cairo initiated by the Arab League to create an organization representing the Palestinian people. Its main goals were Arab unity and the liberation of Palestine.

After the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War in 1967, Yasser Arafat, leader of the Fatah group, took over the PLO and became its Chairman, leading the organization until his death in 2004.

Yasser Arafat, leader of Fatah, was appointed as the Chairman of the PLO in 1969, leading the organization through a period of increased recognition and autonomy in the Palestinian struggle against Israel.

On February 4, 1969, Yasser Arafat was elected Chairman of the PLO in Cairo, solidifying Fatah's dominant position within the organization.

Jordanian assault on Palestinian armed groups, leading to their expulsion from Jordan in events known as Black September in 1970.

Jordan expelled the PLO to Lebanon in July 1971 after a conflict culminating in the expulsion of Palestinian groups from Jordan.

Black September Organization carried out the Munich massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes in 1972.

The Palestinian Central Council (CC or PCC) was established by the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in 1973. It is the second leading body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and consists of 124 members from various Palestinian organizations.

The PLO Political Program was adopted at the 12th Session of the Palestine National Council in Cairo on 8 June 1974, published by the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations.

In October 1974, the Arab League officially recognized the PLO as the 'sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,' granting it full membership and global acceptance.

Yassir Arafat, the chairman of the PLO, addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, marking a significant milestone in the PLO's quest for UN recognition and access. This event highlighted the international recognition of the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people.

In 1975, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) was established by Resolution 3376 of the UNGA to address the rights of Palestinians.

The PLO took part in the Damour massacre in retaliation to the Karantina massacre, attacking the Christian town of Damour, killing 684 civilians and forcing the remainder of the town's population to flee.

Since 1977, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People has been observed annually on 29 November, as per UNGA Resolution 32/40 B.

Fatah carried out the Coastal Road massacre in 1978, killing 37 Israelis and wounding 76.

In July 1981, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fired rockets into northern Israel, resulting in casualties. Three Israelis were killed in Nahariyah, including individuals in a maternity ward, and 17 were wounded in Kiryat Shmona.

Three days after the PLO rocket attacks on northern Israel, Israel bombed the headquarters of the PLO and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) in Beirut, resulting in the death of more than 100 people.

In 1982, the PLO relocated to Tunis, Tunisia after being driven out of Lebanon by Israel during the 1982 Lebanon War.

On 1 October 1985, Israeli Air Force F-15s bombed the PLO's Tunis headquarters in Operation Wooden Leg, resulting in the death of more than 60 people.

The Declaration of the Palestine National Council in November 1988 marked a crucial moment in the Palestinian quest for statehood and international recognition.

In December 1988, PLO Chair Yasser Arafat speaks at the United Nations in Geneva, announcing that the Palestine National Council accepts UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

The Oslo Accords, secretly negotiated in 1993 between the PLO and Israel, granted Palestinians the right to self-government in the Gaza Strip and Jericho in the West Bank through the creation of the Palestinian Authority.

On September 9, 1993, Yasser Arafat, as the Chairman of the PLO, made a formal commitment to Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Norwegian Foreign Minister Holst to halt all violent and terrorist activities by the PLO. This pledge marked a crucial step towards peace efforts in the region.

On September 13, 1993, the Declaration of Principles was signed in Washington, DC, between the Israelis and Palestinians, marking a significant step towards peace negotiations.

Decisions and Actions related to the Palestine National Charter in 1996 were documented at the Wayback Machine, archived on 18 January 2008, and published by the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations.

In 2002, Yasser Arafat held multiple key positions within the Palestinian leadership, including Chairman of the PLO/Executive Committee, Chairman of Fatah, and President of the Palestinian National Authority, consolidating power in his hands.

Under President Arafat, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority adopted the 2003 Amended Basic Law, which declares Islam as the sole official religion in Palestine and the principles of Islamic sharia as a principal source of legislation.

After the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004, Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, succeeded him in leading the PLO Executive Committee.

In 2006, the Sunni Islamist militant group Hamas won the majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, leading to conflict with the ruling Fatah faction.

In 2007, after Hamas took over Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree suspending the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and some sections of the Palestinian Basic Law, appointing Salam Fayyad as prime minister.

In September 2011, President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application for UN state membership on behalf of Palestine. Palestinian legal experts expressed concerns about potential negative implications on the legal position of the Palestinian people due to the change in status.

On November 29, 2012, Resolution 67/19 was passed, granting Palestine non-member observer State status in the United Nations. This upgrade in status was a significant diplomatic achievement for Palestine.

On September 10, 2018, National Security Advisor John Bolton announced the closure of the PLO Mission in the United States. This decision was made in response to Palestine's efforts to involve the International Criminal Court in investigating Israel for possible war crimes.

On October 29, 2018, the PLO Central Council suspended the Palestinian recognition of Israel and halted security and economic cooperation with Israeli authorities until Israel recognizes a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders.