Feb 15 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formally asked Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas on Thursday to form a new unity government and urged him to respect peace accords signed with Israel. Following is a chronology of key events since Hamas won a parliamentary election in January 2006: Jan 25, 2006 - Hamas defeats Abbas's long-dominant Fatah movement in an upset victory. March 29 - Hamas government sworn in after other factions including Fatah refuse to join. United States severs contact with the new government. April 7 - United States and European Union suspend aid to Palestinian government. June 25 - Hamas militants and other gunmen launch raid into Israel from Gaza, killing two soldiers and capturing an Israeli conscript, Corporal Gilad Shalit. Three days later Israel invades Gaza. Sept 11 - Abbas and Haniyeh announce agreement to form a unity administration. Talks quickly founder over what the new cabinet's stance will be towards Israel. Oct 1 - Worst internal Palestinian fighting in a decade kills nine Palestinians, raising fears of civil war. Nov 26 - Ceasefire in Gaza announced, ending five-month Israeli offensive that followed abduction of Shalit, who remains held by militants. Nov 30 - Abbas says continued unity talks at a "dead end". Dec 16 - Abbas calls for early elections. The move triggers clashes between Fatah and Hamas which killed 10. Dec 20 - Fatah and Hamas agree to ceasefire. Dec 23 - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas hold first formal talks. Israel agrees to unfreeze $100 million in withheld tax funds. No breakthrough on freeing Palestinian prisoners or extending the Gaza truce to the West Bank. Jan 15, 2007 - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she will convene a three-way summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders for talks on a Palestinian state. Jan 21 - Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Abbas fail to settle differences in Damascus talks on unity government. Jan 29 - A Palestinian suicide bomber kills three Israelis in the Red Sea resort of Eilat. Jan 30 - Fatah and Hamas agree to ceasefire after gun battles leave at least 30 Palestinians dead. Feb 2 - Fighting between Hamas and Fatah factions intensifies in Gaza, with Hamas overrunning compounds used by Abbas's security forces and Fatah setting the Islamic University ablaze. Abbas and Meshaal agree to meet. Feb 8 - Abbas and Meshaal sign a coalition deal in Saudi Arabia to end factional warfare which has killed 90 people since December and to try to win back Western aid halted because of Hamas's refusal to recognise Israel. The agreement makes no mention of recognising Israel. Feb 9 - Hamas urges the West to accept a new Palestinian unity government. It also says it will never recognise Israel. Feb 15 - Abbas formally asks Haniyeh to form unity government and urges him to respect peace accords signed with Israel.
