1996 Palestinian presidential election: Incumbent Palestinian President Yasser Arafat defeats challenger Samiha Khalil, consolidating his position as president.[1][2]
22 January – Yasser Arafat receives congratulatory phone calls in his Gaza headquarters. U.S. Consul General Edward R. Abington, who visited Arafat there, said their meeting was interrupted by calls from Nelson Mandela and the prime ministers of Turkey and Algeria.[5]
12 February – 1996 Palestinian presidential inauguration: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is sworn in to office and begins a new term as President of Palestine, 23 days after the election.[6][7]
25 February – Ashkelon bus station bombing: Killing two Israelis. Hamas claims responsibility for the bombing.
15 May – Yasser Arafat tells the Palestinian National Council that it might take another week or so before he finalizes the list of portfolio assignments.[13]
24 September – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorize the opening of an exit in the Arab Quarter of Jerusalem for the Western Wall Tunnel, which prior Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres had instructed to be put on hold for the sake of peace.[16] This sparked violent riots throughout the West Bank and northern Gaza Strip. Over the subsequent three days, 16 Israeli soldiers and about 60 Palestinians were killed in the riots.[17]
11 December – PFLP gunmen attack a car carrying Israeli settlers near the settlement of Bet El, killing a woman and her 12-year-old son.
^"BIO-ARAFAT-PALESTINIAN CABINET MEMBERS". Getty Images. May 17, 1996. Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) chairman and President of Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat (c-standing) shown in picture dated 17 May 1996 in Ramallah as he poses with the members of new Palestinian Cabinet. From row, left to right: Abu Ali-Shaheen, Elias Freij, Hassan Tahbub, Abdul Jawad Saleh, Ryad Zanoun, Ali Quasmeh and Abdel Rahman Hamad. Back row, left to right : Azam Al-Ahmad, Maher Al-Masri, Freih Boumedien, Jameel Tarifi, Tayeb Abdel Raheem, Nabil Schaat, Ahmed Qurei alias Abu Alaa, the head of Council, Yasser Arafat, Saeb Erekat, Mohamed Zuhdi Nashashibi, Bashir Barghouthi, Yasser Amr, Yasser Abed Rabo, Sameer Ghoshe and Imad Falugi.
^Morris, Nome; Silver, Eric (October 7, 1996). "Israel Opens Disputed Tunnel". Maclean's Magazine. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
