Administrative divisions of the Oslo Accords
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The Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...

 created three temporary distinct administrative divisions in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...

 and Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...

 until a final status accord would be established. The areas are not contiguous within each other but rather distributed depending on the different population areas as well as Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i military requirements.
  • Area 'A' (17.2 percent of the West Bank) - full civil and security control by the Palestinian Authority
    Palestinian National Authority
    The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...

    . This area includes all Palestinian cities and their surrounding areas, with no Israeli settlements. Entry into this area is forbidden to all Israeli citizens. The Israel Defense Forces
    Israel Defense Forces
    The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...

     maintain no presence, but sometimes conducts raids to arrest suspected militants.

  • Area 'B' (23.8 percent of the West Bank) - Palestinian civil control and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control. Includes areas of many Palestinian towns and villages and areas, with no Israeli settlements.

  • Area 'C' (59 percent of the West Bank) - Full Israeli civil and security control, except over Palestinian civilians. These areas include all Israeli settlements (cities, towns, and villages), land in the vicinity of these localities, most roadways that connected the settlements (and which Israelis are now restricted to) as well as strategic areas described as "security zones."

Religious Sites

The Palestinian side (later to become the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...

) agreed to ensure free access to a specific list of Jewish religious sites located in Areas 'A' and 'B' as specified in the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
The Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, also known as the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, the Interim Agreement, Oslo 2, Oslo II, and Taba, was a key and complex agreement governing several aspects of the Palestinian territories of Gaza Strip and the West Bank.-History:It...

, but due to the uncertain security situation, the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...

 limits visits by Jews to rare occasions. Israelis are also no longer allowed into the Gaza Strip.

In Area 'C', Palestinians were given the right to visit al-Maghtas on the Jordan River.
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