The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of
Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series
of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel
transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian
responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and
Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank
and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September
2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas.
In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and
Russia)
presented a roadmap
to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps
by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic
Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was
postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides
had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian
leader Yasir Arafat's death in late 2004, Mahmud Abbas was elected PA
president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to
the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process
forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its
settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the
Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four
small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls
maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005
PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border
crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian
control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, won
control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international
community refused to accept the Hamas-led government because it did not
recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor
previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. Hamas took control
of the PA government in March 2006, but President Abbas had little
success negotiating with Hamas to present a political platform
acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic
sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout
most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many Hamas PLC
members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members.
Violent clashes took place between Fatah and Hamas supporters in the
Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian
deaths and injuries. Abbas and Hamas Political Bureau Chief Mishal in
February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted
in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG)
headed by Hamas member Ismail Haniya. However, fighting continued in
the Gaza Strip, and in June, Hamas militants succeeded in a violent
takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza
Strip. Abbas dismissed the NUG and through a series of Presidential
decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent
Salam Fayyad. Hamas rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for
resuming talks with Fatah, but Abbas has ruled out negotiations until
Hamas agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and
recognizes the Fayyad-led government. Fayyad and his PA government
initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve
conditions in the West Bank. Abbas participated in talks with Israel's
Prime Minister Olmert and secured the release of some Palestinian
prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November
2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, Abbas and Olmert
agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final
peace settlement by the end of 2008.
Arabic
and
Hebrew
are spoken;
English
is also widely understood.