query: what is the west bank and gaza strip

pos: Palestinian territories Palestinian territories Palestinian territories has been used for many years to describe the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. More recently, the official United Nations terminology has been used, occupied Palestinian territory (OPT or oPt) increasingly replacing other terms since 1999. The European Union also has adopted this usage The International Court of Justice refers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as "the Occupied Palestinian Territory" and this term is used as the legal definition by the International Court of Justice in the ruling in July 2004. The

pos: Gaza Strip Palestinian legislative election, Hamas became the elected government. In 2007, Hamas expelled the rival party Fatah from Gaza. This broke the Unity Government between Gaza Strip and the West Bank, creating two separate governments for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In 2014, following reconciliation talks, Hamas and Fatah formed a Palestinian unity government within the West Bank and Gaza. Rami Hamdallah became the coalition's Prime Minister and has planned for elections in Gaza and the West Bank. In July 2014, a set of lethal incidents between Hamas and Israel led to the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict. Following the takeover of Gaza by

pos: Governorates of the Gaza Strip Governorates of the Gaza Strip The Governorates of the Gaza Strip are 5 administrative districts, ruled since 2007 by the Hamas Government in Gaza. After the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip were divided into three areas (Area A, Area B, and Area C) and 16 governorates under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority. In 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, enlarging the administered Palestinian territories in that region. In 2007, following the War of Brothers in the Gaza Strip between Fatah and Hamas, the later took

pos: Palestinian government exercised authority in Ramallah, West Bank, and has been recognized as the official government of the Palestinian Authority; while since Hamas took control in the Gaza Strip, it has exercised "de facto" control there, ousting Fatah PNA representatives in June 2007. Palestinian government The Palestinian government is the government of the Palestinian Authority or State of Palestine. Since June 2007, there have been two competing governments in the Palestinian territories, one in the West Bank and the other in the Gaza Strip. The government on the West Bank was generally recognised as the Palestinian Authority Government. On the other hand,

pos: Palestinian government Palestinian government The Palestinian government is the government of the Palestinian Authority or State of Palestine. Since June 2007, there have been two competing governments in the Palestinian territories, one in the West Bank and the other in the Gaza Strip. The government on the West Bank was generally recognised as the Palestinian Authority Government. On the other hand, the government in the Gaza Strip claimed to be the legitimate government of the Palestinian Authority. Until June 2014, when the Palestinian Unity Government was formed, the government in the West Bank was the Fatah-dominated Palestinian government of 2013. In the

pos: Palestinian territories insofar as it is viewed as a temporary arrangement. Since the Battle of Gaza (2007), the two separate territories, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, are divided into a Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip and a Fatah civil leadership in the autonomous areas of the West Bank. Each sees itself as the administrator of all Palestinian Territories and does not acknowledge the other one as the official government of the territories. The Palestinian Territories have therefore "de facto" split into two entities. After the signing of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian territories were divided 16 governorates under the

pos: Governance of the Gaza Strip and Gaza government regard themselves as the sole legitimate government of the Palestinian National Authority. Egyptian-mediated negotiations toward reconciliation between the Fatah and the Hamas government produced a preliminary agreement, planned to be implemented by May 2012 in joint elections. To date, the Hamas government is only economically bonded with the Ramallah-based Palestinian National Authority, performing the governing over the Gaza Strip independently. Governorates of the Gaza Strip are 5 administrative districts. After the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip were divided into three areas (Area A, Area B,

pos: Governorates of the Gaza Strip over the area and expelled all Palestinian Authority officials, affiliated with Fatah. Governorates of the Gaza Strip The Governorates of the Gaza Strip are 5 administrative districts, ruled since 2007 by the Hamas Government in Gaza. After the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip were divided into three areas (Area A, Area B, and Area C) and 16 governorates under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority. In 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, enlarging the administered Palestinian territories in that region. In 2007, following the War of

pos: Palestinian territories access to 85% of the maritime areas agreed to in 1995. The majority of the Dead Sea area is off-limits to Palestinian use, and Palestinians are denied access to its coast line. Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip in 2005, however the international community considers the West Bank and the Gaza Strip still to be occupied by Israel. The Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007 divided the Palestinian territories politically. Abbas's Fatah largely ruled the West Bank and was recognized internationally as the official Palestinian Authority (see: Fatah-Hamas conflict). In 2014, the two political groups agreed to hold elections and

pos: State of Palestine water quality is considerably worse in the Gaza strip when compared to the West Bank. About a third to half of the delivered water in the Palestinian territories is lost in the distribution network. The lasting blockade of the Gaza Strip and the Gaza War have caused severe damage to the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Concerning wastewater, the existing treatment plants do not have the capacity to treat all of the produced wastewater, causing severe water pollution. The development of the sector highly depends on external financing. The literacy rate of Palestine was 96.3% according to a 2014 report

pos: Land Day in the Palestinian territories, where Palestinians demonstrated and threw stones near the Israeli West Bank barrier in Naalin and Jayyous. In anticipation of Land Day protests of 2012, Israel sealed off the West Bank (but the restrictions did not apply to Israeli settlers). The protests were held in Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces fired at protestors who tried to cross the security fence, resulting in one man killed and 37 injured. At the Qalandia checkpoint, rock-throwing Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli soldiers firing rubber bullets and stun grenades, resulting in 39 Palestinians being

pos: Water supply and sanitation in the State of Palestine Water supply and sanitation in the State of Palestine The water resources of Palestine are fully controlled by Israel and the division of groundwater is subject to provisions in the Oslo II Accord. Generally, the water quality is considerably worse in the Gaza strip when compared to the West Bank. About a third to half of the delivered water in the Palestinian territories is lost in the distribution network. The lasting blockade of the Gaza Strip and the Gaza War have caused severe damage to the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Concerning wastewater, the existing treatment plants do not have

pos: Demographics of the Palestinian territories West Bank, 1.84 million Arabs live in Israel, and 1.79 million Arabs live in the Gaza Strip. The demographic statistics of the CIA World Factbook and the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics estimated (2017) that the collective population in the Palestinian territories amounted to 4,543,126 million people in 2017. Thereof, 2,155,743 Arabs live in the West Bank, 1,795,183 Arabs live in the Gaza Strip, and 391,000 Jews live in the West Bank. Approximately 201,200 Jews live in East Jerusalem. East Jerusalem, once occupied illegally by Jordan, came under Israeli rule after the 1967 Six-Day War. In the Palestinian territories, c.

pos: History of the State of Palestine the State of Palestine. The current position of the Palestinian Authority is that all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip should form the basis of a future "State of Palestine". For additional discussion, see Palestinian territories. Israeli governments have maintained that the area involved is subject to future negotiations, and within territorial dispute. However, the position of the Islamic<ref name="islamist/islamic"> The main discussion since 1993 has focused on turning most or all of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank into an independent Palestinian state. This was the basis for the Oslo accords, and it is, as a matter

pos: West Bank purposes. In 1993, the Palestinian National Authority, according to Oslo Accord assigned by PLO and the Israeli government, became a partial supervisor over the Rafah Border Crossing to Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority was responsible for issuing passports to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, Israel remained the major responsible party for this crossing point. According to the agreement, Israel has the right to independently inspect luggage and to maintain security. In addition, it can prevent anyone from using the crossing. As of the early-21st century, the economy of the Palestinian territories is chronically depressed, with unemployment

pos: Borders of Israel War of 1967, Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan, Gaza Strip and Sinai peninsula from Egypt, and Golan Heights from Syria, and placed these territories under military occupation. Israel and the Palestinian territories now lay entirely within the boundaries of former British Mandate Palestine. By the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty of 1979, Egypt renounced all claims to the Gaza Strip. In 1988, Jordan renounced all claims to the West Bank; this was made official in the Israel–Jordan Treaty of Peace of 1994. The Green Line is Israel's contested boundary with the Palestinian territories. The boundaries of a future Palestinian State,

neg: Jewish Voice for Peace public support for Israel. JVP was formed in September 1996. Rebecca Vilkomerson is the executive director; there are 27 other staff members. Members of the advisory board include Tony Kushner, Michael Ratner, Sarah Schulman, Judith Butler, Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Wallace Shawn. JVP opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It has published articles criticizing what it describes as the "severe human-rights violations that Israel engages in every day", such as the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier, the blockade of the Gaza Strip, and military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. It

neg: Biodiversity in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip Biodiversity in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip Biodiversity in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip is about the fauna and flora in the geographical region of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip. This geographical area within the region of Palestine extends from the Jordan River and Wadi Araba in the east, to the Mediterranean Sea and the Sinai desert in the west, to Lebanon in the north, and to the gulf of Aqaba, or Eilat in the south. The area is part of the Palearctic ecozone, located in the Mediterranean Basin, whose climate supports

neg: Ramattan regularly active in providing live broadcast feeds of aspects of the conflict with Israel, sent from the Gaza Strip to worldwide cable-news markets via organizations such as CNN, MSNBC and others. In November 2009, Ramattan offices in Gaza and the West Bank were shut down due to what its board described as repeated violations by security Agencies of the Palestinian Authority . Ramattan Ramattan is a Palestinian news agency based in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. It is among the largest Palestinian news organizations with over 200 employees, and has been established for over ten years. In addition

neg: Gaza Strip Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (; ' ), or simply Gaza"', is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for and Israel on the east and north along a border. Gaza and the West Bank are claimed by the State of Palestine. The territories of Gaza and the West Bank are separated from each other by Israeli territory. Both fell under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, but Gaza has since June 2007 been governed by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic organization which came to power in free elections in

neg: Ittijah NGOs in Lebanon. The conference noted the indivisible nature of the Palestinian people, warned against accepting divisions imposed upon them by others, and defined the role of the three networks in working towards a unified Palestinian civil society, including Palestinians living in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the large Palestinian refugee communities in Lebanon. Ittijah also attended the Durban World Conference against Racism in 2001. Ittijah facilitated communication between Palestinian NGOs on the issue of racism, particularly what it believes is Israeli-state racism against Palestinian citizens, and discriminatory practices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Ittijah

neg: Definitions of Palestinian was known as the Palestine regiment. Since the establishment of Israel, its citizens are called Israelis, while the term Palestinians usually refers to the Palestinian Arabs. The term "Palestinian" has sometimes been used to refer to a person whose ancestors are originally from the territory corresponding to Mandatory Palestine (what is now Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). This definition includes the inhabitants of the West Bank (including the Dom and Samaritans), the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, Arab citizens of Israel (including Druze and Bedouins), the Israeli Jews whose ancestors were living there prior to the onset

neg: Biodiversity in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip with the Gaza Strip, Israel, and the West Bank are located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, traditionally called the Levant. Israel is bounded on the north by Lebanon and on the northeast by Syria. Jordan lies to the east and southeast of the West Bank and Israel; Israel and the Gaza Strip are bordered on the southwest by the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and on the west by the Mediterranean Sea. The region is divided into three major climate zones: Alongside the major three, one microclimate zone are present: The climate is determined by the location between the

neg: Palestinian freedom of movement roads, permit requirements, age restrictions. Since Hamas' takeover of Gaza in 2007, Israel imposes a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, restricting imports and fishing areas, and the movement of goods and people between West Bank and Gaza. The systematic restriction on the freedom of movement of Palestinians is also known as the ""Israeli Closure Policy"", or the ""policy of separation between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank"". The closure policy is imposed on the Palestinian population as a collective measure. It affects movement within parts of the OPT, between West Bank and Gaza, between the OPT and Israel

neg: Palestinian territories status of the territory. The southern limit of the Gaza Strip is the border with Egypt. Egypt renounced all claims to land north of the international border, including the Gaza Strip, in the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty. The Palestinians were not parties to either agreement. The Gaza Strip is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea. The natural geographic boundary of the West Bank, as the name implies, is the Jordan River. To the Territories belong the territorial waters of the Gaza Strip and the part of the Dead Sea between the West Bank and the Jordan border-line (see adjacent CIA map), which

neg: Palestine Cup stage. Semifinals were a two-legged affair with the aggregate winners advancing to a one-off final. There are two competitions, the Gaza Strip Cup for clubs in the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank Cup for clubs in the West Bank. Since 2015, a two-legged Palestine Cup final is played between the cup winners of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Palestine Cup The Palestine Cup is the main national association football competition in Palestine. It is sanctioned by the Palestinian Football Federation. Past competitions were more expansive including clubs from all tiers of Palestinian Football. For the 2010–11 season

neg: Israel–Gaza barrier the Palestinian Authority with limited administrative control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Pursuant to the Accords, Israel has continued to maintain control of the Gaza Strip's airspace, land borders (with the exception of Gaza's border with Egypt, abandoned by Israel in 2005), and territorial waters. Israel started construction of the first long barrier between the Gaza Strip and Israel in 1994. In the 1994 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, it was agreed that "the security fence erected by Israel around the Gaza Strip shall remain in place and that the line demarcated by

neg: Gaza–Jericho Agreement as the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of 24 and 28 September 1995 (Oslo II, Article XXXI, Final Clauses). Gaza–Jericho Agreement The Gaza–Jericho Agreement, officially called Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, was a follow-up treaty to the Oslo I Accord in which details of Palestinian autonomy were concluded. The agreement is commonly known as the 1994 Cairo Agreement. It was signed on 4 May 1994 by Yasser Arafat and the then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The Agreement provided for limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip within

neg: Biodiversity in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip subtropical aridity of the Sahara and the Arabian deserts, and the subtropical humidity of the Levant or eastern Mediterranean. The climate conditions are highly variable within the area and modified locally by altitude, latitude, and the proximity to the Mediterranean sea. The following is a taxonomical classification up to Phylum level of all species found in the area. The following are online well prepared databases about the biodiversity in the Palestine Israel area. Biodiversity in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip Biodiversity in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip is about the fauna and flora in

neg: Consulate General of France in Jerusalem and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the function of the Consulate General of France has changed. Consulate operations in Jerusalem have been supported but have worsened in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, notably since Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip and the imposition of the blockade in 2007. Diplomats, employees of the Consulate General and French artists have had difficulties in accessing the Gaza Strip, where the French Cultural Center has never ceased its operation. For example, fifteen French diplomats and consular employees were refused entry into the Gaza Strip in July

neg: History of Palestine established a Palestinian National Authority as an interim body to run parts of Gaza and the West Bank (but not East Jerusalem) pending an agreed solution to the conflict. During the Second Intifada (2000–2005), Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and began building the West Bank barrier. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections and took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, triggering the Israeli and Egyptian Blockade of the Gaza Strip (2007-the present). In 2008–09 and again in 2014, Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip engaged in warfare. In November 2012, the State of Palestine was upgraded in

neg: Governance of the Gaza Strip ban on the movement of people between Gaza and the West Bank via Israel in order to comply with what they described as international humanitarian and human rights law obligations. Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani became the first foreign leader to visit the enclave since Hamas' takeover. Most of the Gaza Strip administration funding comes from outside as an aid, with large portion delivered by UN organizations directly to education and food supply. Most of the Gaza GDP of $700 million comes as foreign humanitarian and direct economic support. Of those funds, the major part is supported by

neg: Palestinian territories International Criminal Court where it would hold Israel responsible for its actions not only in the West Bank, but in the Gaza Strip. The international community regards the West Bank as territories occupied by Israel. Israel has withdrawn its military forces from the Gaza strip, but it continues to be designated the occupying power in the Gaza Strip by the United Nations, the United States and various human rights organizations. Hillel Neuer, the executive Director of UN Watch argues that the co-founder of Hamas, Mahmoud Zahar, has stated that Gaza is no longer occupied since the Israeli withdrawal. Zahar has

neg: Timeline of Operation Pillar of Defense in Ashdod was directly hit, wounding five Israeli civilians. Two rockets were fired at Rishon Lezion and houses were damaged in Eshkol and Be'er Tuviya by missiles; one rocket fell near a Palestinian village in the West Bank damaging properties. According to CNN, the Israeli government is moving tanks and soldiers in preparation for what could be a ground invasion of Gaza. In the West Bank, several demonstrations in support of Gaza led to dozens of protesters injured and several arrested by Israeli forces. Israel continued to bombard the Gaza Strip, and, for the first time, Israeli ships fired shells

neg: 2017–18 Palestine Cup 2017–18 Palestine Cup The 2017–18 Palestine Cup is the 2017–18 season of the top football cup in Palestine. There are two competitions, the Gaza Strip Cup for clubs in the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank Cup for clubs in the West Bank. A two-legged Palestine Cup final is played between the cup winners of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. !colspan=3|3 Jan 2018 !colspan=3|7 Jan 2018 !colspan=3|8 Jan 2018 !colspan=3|2 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|3 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|4 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|9 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|10 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|16 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|17 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|23 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|30 Apr 2018 !colspan=3|15 Dec

neg: 2016–17 Palestine Cup 2016–17 Palestine Cup The 2016–17 Palestine Cup is the 2016–17 season of the top football cup in Palestine. There are two competitions, the Gaza Strip Cup for clubs in the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank Cup for clubs in the West Bank. A two-legged Palestine Cup final is played between the cup winners of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. !colspan=3|16 Dec 2016 !colspan=3|17 Dec 2016 !colspan=3|18 Dec 2016 !colspan=3|23 Dec 2016 !colspan=3|24 Dec 2016 !colspan=3|25 Dec 2016 !colspan=3|14 Apr 2017 !colspan=3|15 Apr 2017 !colspan=3|16 Apr 2017 !colspan=3|21 Apr 2017 !colspan=3|22 Apr 2017 !colspan=3|23 Apr 2017 !colspan=3|28 Apr

neg: Palestinian territories shunned by the United States and Israel. However the Fatah movement continued to dominate the PA security forces in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip by force, executing PA officers and removing its officials, many of whom, such as Muhammad Dahlan, escaped the Gaza Strip with their families. Mahmoud Abbas promptly deposed the Hamas-dominated PA government, and two rival administrations were created, a Fatah-controlled one in the West Bank, with which Israel, the US and the EU resumed business, and a Hamas-controlled one in the Gaza Strip which was largely

neg: Gaza–Jericho Agreement Gaza–Jericho Agreement The Gaza–Jericho Agreement, officially called Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, was a follow-up treaty to the Oslo I Accord in which details of Palestinian autonomy were concluded. The agreement is commonly known as the 1994 Cairo Agreement. It was signed on 4 May 1994 by Yasser Arafat and the then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The Agreement provided for limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip within five years. Pursuant to the Agreement, Israel promised to withdraw partly from the Jericho region in the West Bank and partly from the Gaza

neg: Israeli-occupied territories repeatedly stated for more than four decades that international law applies to Israel's presence in the West Bank. Israeli governments have preferred the term "disputed territories" in the case of the West Bank. Officially Israel maintains that the West Bank is disputed territory. Israel asserts that since the disengagement of Israel from Gaza in 2005, Israel no longer occupies the Gaza Strip. However, as it retained certain control of Gaza's airspace and coastline, it continued to be designated as an occupying power in the Gaza Strip by the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly and some countries

neg: Vehicle registration plates of the Palestinian National Authority format as in the West Bank. In 2012 the authorities of the Gaza Strip replaced the PNA license plates described above with a new design. The new plates have a vertical Palestinian flag on the right (instead of the letters P/ف) in European style plate or horizontal flag on the top in American style plates. All the plates have white background. All numbers start with "3". During this period of the Israeli governance of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinians had license plates issued by the Israeli civil administration. Blue (West Bank) and white (Gaza Strip) plates with a

neg: Land of Israel in "The New York Times" relates subsequent events this way:The seed was sown in 1977, when Menachem Begin of Likud brought his party to power for the first time in a stunning election victory over Labor. A decade before, in the 1967 war, Israeli troops had in effect undone the partition accepted in 1948 by overrunning the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Ever since, Mr. Begin had preached undying loyalty to what he called Judea and Samaria (the West Bank lands) and promoted Jewish settlement there. But he did not annex the West Bank and Gaza to Israel after he

neg: History of Zionism he writes: The seed was sown in 1977, when Menachem Begin of Likud brought his party to power for the first time in a stunning election victory over Labor. A decade before, in the 1967 war, Israeli troops had in effect undone the partition accepted in 1948 by overrunning the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Ever since, Mr. Begin had preached undying loyalty to what he called Judea and Samaria (the West Bank lands) and promoted Jewish settlement there. But he did not annex the West Bank and Gaza to Israel after he took office, reflecting a recognition that absorbing

neg: Governance of the Gaza Strip control of the West Bank, there turned to be "de facto" two Palestinian Authority governments, both considering themselves to be the legitimate government. With dismissal of the Hamas cabinet members by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, Hamas Prime Minister Haniyye refused to acknowledge the dismissal of his government, but had to establish a new Hamas government in June 2007, as West Bank resident Ministers in Palestinian government were deposed by Fatah. Palestinian police chief Kamal el-Sheikh ordered his men in the Gaza Strip not to work or obey Hamas orders. Many Fatah members fled the Gaza Strip to the West Bank,

neg: Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip The Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip is a position created in June 2007, following the split of Palestinian National Authority (PNA) cabinet between Fatah-controlled West Bank and Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The office is in charge of the security and statistics of the people in the Gaza Strip. In June 2007, the office in Gaza was taken by Said Seyam as part of the Hamas government of June 2007. Fathi Hamad took office in January 2009, following assassination of Said Seyam during the Gaza War. In September 2012, following government reshuffle by Prime Minister

neg: Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyye, Fathi Hamad remained in position. The Interior Minister also leads the Hamas Public Affairs Department and is the director of Al-Aqsa TV, the Hamas-run television station. Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip The Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip is a position created in June 2007, following the split of Palestinian National Authority (PNA) cabinet between Fatah-controlled West Bank and Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The office is in charge of the security and statistics of the people in the Gaza Strip. In June 2007, the office in Gaza was taken by Said Seyam as part of the Hamas government

neg: Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank Hamas on 14 June 2007, the Authority's Chairman Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led unity government and appointed Salam Fayyad as Prime Minister. Though the Fatah-led government claimed authority over all West Bank and Gaza Strip, Hamas's control of the Gaza Strip limited its authority "de facto" to the West Bank. The Fatah-led government's budget derived mainly from various aid programs and the Arab League, while the Hamas government in Gaza was mostly dependent on Iran until the onset of the Arab Spring in 2011. Since 2007, the Fatah government had continued to oversee the Palestinian-controlled territories in the West Bank,

neg: Transport in the Palestinian territories Al-Karameh Bridge and the King Hussein Bridge, is a bridge that crosses the Jordan River near the city of Jericho, and connects the West Bank with Jordan. The bridge is currently the sole designated exit/entry point for West Bank Palestinians traveling abroad. Since the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, the Allenby Bridge Terminal has been operated by the Israel Airports Authority. The Erez Crossing, Karni Crossing and the Kerem Shalom Crossing are the only border crossings on the Israel-Gaza Strip barrier between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and have been affected by the Israeli Blockade of the Gaza Strip. The Rafah

neg: Gaza Strip by Ismail Haniya. Shortly after, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in the course of the Battle of Gaza, seizing government institutions and replacing Fatah and other government officials with its own. By 14 June, Hamas fully controlled the Gaza Strip. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded by declaring a state of emergency, dissolving the unity government and forming a new government without Hamas participation. PNA security forces in the West Bank arrested a number of Hamas members. In late June 2008, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan declared the West Bank-based cabinet formed by Abbas as "the sole legitimate Palestinian

neg: Fatah–Hamas conflict Hamas's numbers were greater in the Gaza Strip, Fatah forces were greater in the West Bank. The West Bank had its first casualty when the bullet-riddled body of a Hamas militant was found in Nablus, sparking the fear that Fatah would use its advantage in the West Bank for retaliation against its members' deaths in the Gaza Strip On the same day, Hamas also declared that it was in full control of Gaza, a claim denied by Abbas. On 16 June, a Fatah-linked militant group, the al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, stormed the Hamas-controlled parliament based in Ramallah in the West Bank.

neg: Status of territories occupied by Israel in 1967 calls all of them "disputed" rather than "occupied". Israel's government also argues that since the Gaza disengagement of 2005, it does not militarily occupy the Gaza strip, a statement rejected by the United Nations Human Rights Council and Human Rights Watch because Israel continues to maintain control of its airspace, waters, and borders.<ref name="A/HRC/10/20"></ref> In their decisions on the Israeli West Bank barrier, the International Court of Justice and Supreme Court of Israel have both ruled that the West Bank is occupied. The US State Department also considers the West Bank and Gaza Strip occupied. The ICJ outlined the legal

neg: Palestinian Football Association West Asian Football Federation. On 11 February 2011, the PFA formed the first women's league. The football division system is parted into two: the West Bank and Gaza Strip. There is a men's West Bank Premier League and a men's Gaza Strip League as well as a "West Bank Women's League". Each league has 12 clubs. Palestinian Football Association The Palestinian Football Association () is the governing body for football in the Palestinian Authority, and for the men's Palestine national football team and the Palestine women's national football team. A new, Palestine Football Federation was founded in 1928. The Palestine

neg: State of Palestine former Mandatory Palestine, its effective jurisdiction was limited to the Gaza Strip. Israel later captured the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria in June 1967 following the Six-Day War. On 15 November 1988, Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in Algiers proclaimed the establishment of the State of Palestine. A year after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinian National Authority was formed to govern the areas A and B in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Gaza

neg: Israeli Military Governorate the area (effectively annexing it). The military government's authority was effectively cancelled with the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty, which led it to give up the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 and transform the military rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank into Israeli Civil Administration in 1981. The creation of a civil administration for the West Bank and Gaza Strip was included within the Camp David Accords signed by Egypt and Israel in 1978. The nature of this civil administration body was defined in Military Order No. 947, by the 1981 military government of the West Bank and Gaza. The

neg: Governance of the Gaza Strip former Hamas prisoners. In 2006, Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections and assumed administrative control of Gaza Strip and West Bank. In 2007, Hamas led a military victory over Fatah, the secular Palestinian nationalist party, which had dominated the Palestinian National Authority. As a result, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared state of emergency and released Hamas Prime Minister Haniye - a move not recognized by the Hamas party, which "de facto" continued administration and military control of the Gaza Strip, while in the PNA controlled West Bank another government was established with Fatah domination. Both regimes - the Ramallah

neg: Sara Roy Harvard University's Graduate School of Education in 1988. Roy spent time doing dissertation fieldwork in Israel and in the Gaza Strip as a research assistant to the third West Bank Data Base Project. She was part of a non-official survey led by Meron Benvenisti, whose goal was to examine the impact of Israel's national unity coalition government on the West Bank and to a lesser extent the Gaza Strip. Roy prepared a background paper about the Gaza Strip for the Project in 1986, before submitting, in 1988, her doctoral thesis entitled "Development under occupation: a study of United States government

neg: Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories the civilian authority for residential zoning and infrastructure and is responsible for addressing the needs of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Unit constitutes a focal point of knowledge that combines human quality and advanced technology. It coordinates the activities of government departments, I.D.F and security forces vis-à-vis the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Unit's mission is to promote and implement the policy of the Israeli Government in civilian matters, to facilitate humanitarian issues and economic and infrastructure projects in Palestinian controlled areas of the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. In addition,

neg: Three-state solution Three-state solution The three-state solution, also called the Egyptian–Jordanian solution or the Jordan–Egypt option, is an approach to peace in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict by returning control of the West Bank to Jordan and control of the Gaza Strip to Egypt. The three-state solution essentially replicates the situation that existed between the 1949 Armistice Agreements and the 1967 Six-Day War. Beginning in 1949, Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip, Jordan occupied the West Bank, and no Palestinian Arab state existed. In 1950, Jordan officially annexed the West Bank and granted its Arab residents Jordanian citizenship. While the two-state solution is still the

neg: Palestinian freedom of movement as well as between the OPT and the rest of the world. While Israel directly controls the borders between Israel and the OPT, it controls the borders with Egypt and Jordan indirectly through provisions in the Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) and the Israel–Jordan peace treaty respectively. Subsequent to the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel's military proclaimed the West Bank and Gaza Strip to be closed military areas by Military Order No. 1. In 1972, general exit orders were issued allowing residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to freely leave, and travel between the Gaza Strip and the

neg: State of Palestine civilian and security control in Area A, and remained without involvement in Area C. In 2005, following the implementation of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan, the PNA gained full control of the Gaza Strip with the exception of its borders, airspace, and territorial waters. Following the inter-Palestinian conflict in 2006, Hamas took over control of the Gaza Strip (it already had majority in the PLC), and Fatah took control of the West Bank. From 2007, the Gaza Strip was governed by Hamas, and the West Bank by Fatah. On 29 November 2012, in a 138–9 vote (with 41 abstentions and 5

neg: Gaza Seaport plans the West Bank and Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Then they are welcome to make proposals."" In February 2014, Palestinian Transportation Minister Nabil Dmeidi revealed that the Palestinian Authority and Egypt have been working on plans for building two airports in the West Bank, as well as a seaport in the Gaza Strip and a railway line between the Gaza Strip and Cairo. The transport ministry has signed a protocol of cooperation with Egypt's civil aviation authority to benefit from Egyptian expertise. The plans included the building of an airport east of Jericho and a second smaller

neg: Three-state solution with support of Egypt. Three-state solution The three-state solution, also called the Egyptian–Jordanian solution or the Jordan–Egypt option, is an approach to peace in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict by returning control of the West Bank to Jordan and control of the Gaza Strip to Egypt. The three-state solution essentially replicates the situation that existed between the 1949 Armistice Agreements and the 1967 Six-Day War. Beginning in 1949, Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip, Jordan occupied the West Bank, and no Palestinian Arab state existed. In 1950, Jordan officially annexed the West Bank and granted its Arab residents Jordanian citizenship. While the two-state

neg: Palestinian freedom of movement to enable the resumption of exports from Gaza to the West Bank, as well as to Europe and the rest of the world, while addressing Israel's security concerns. Israel, however, refuses to use the scanner for export to the West Bank because ″for security reasons, Israel wants to isolate the West Bank from the Gaza Strip, and allowing goods from the Strip into the West Bank would contradict this policy.″ The scanner has costed multi-million Euro and was donated to the PA by the Dutch government. Gazan residents are only admitted to Israel in exceptional humanitarian cases. Since 2008, they

neg: Israeli settlement the population growth of settlers did not diminish. In 2005, all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank were forcibly evacuated as part of Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip, known to some in Israel as "the Expulsion". However, the disengagement was more than compensated by transfers to the West Bank. After the failure of the Roadmap, several new plans emerged to settle in major parts of the West Bank. In 2011, "Haaretz" revealed the Civil Administration's ""Blue Line""-plan, written in January 2011, which aims to increase Israeli "state-ownership" of West Bank lands ("state

neg: Sara Roy economic development assistance to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 1975-1985". Roy is also the author of "The Gaza Strip Survey " (1986) and "The Gaza Strip: The Political Economy of De‐development " (1995, 2001, 2016). She is the editor of "The Economics of Middle East Peace: A Reassessment" (1999). Her 2011 study of Hamas, political Islam and the Islamic social sector in Gaza won a 2012 British-Kuwait Friendship Society Prize in Middle Eastern Studies. Roy's work has appeared in the "Journal of Palestine Studies", "Current History", "Middle East Journal", "Middle East Policy", "International Journal of

neg: Palestinian government to the Oslo Accords, the PA Government had only authority over some civil rights of the Palestinians in the West Bank Areas A and B and in the Gaza Strip, and over internal security in Area A and in Gaza. One of the security tasks was the security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which inter alia aimed at the prevention of Palestinian attacks on the Israeli army and settlers. Until 2007 it exercised control of populated areas in Area A and B of the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip: Since June 2007, the Fatah-led governments have

neg: Ramattan Ramattan Ramattan is a Palestinian news agency based in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. It is among the largest Palestinian news organizations with over 200 employees, and has been established for over ten years. In addition to its news syndication, local broadcast activity and its Arabic-language website, the agency also maintains an English-language website. The organization's name comes from "Rama", which is Canaanite for "dear" and in turn "Ramattan", which is the dual form of Rama, referring to its dual home in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In late 2008 and 2009, Ramattan has been

neg: History of Palestine such a Palestinian state. Following Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004, it withdrew all settlers and most of the military presence from the Gaza strip, but maintained control of the air space and coast. Israel also dismantled four settlements in northern West Bank in September 2005. Following Israel's withdrawal, Palestinian militia groups fired Qassam rockets into Israel and smuggled weapons and ammunition into Gaza from Egypt. After the kidnap of Israeli soldiers in June 2006, Israel launched a military operation and reentered some parts of the Gaza Strip. Amidst severe criticism, they built the Israeli West Bank barrier. Following the

neg: 2018 Gaza border protests water supply and other utilities. According to HRW, Palestinians in Gaza still remain protected persons under the articles of the Geneva Conventions. Following the Battle of Gaza in 2007, Hamas took full control over the strip and expelled its rival and current ruler of the West Bank, Fatah. The takeover by Hamas has led Israel and Egypt to impose a land, air and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip. After the 2014 Gaza war, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened. Hamas has struggled to manage the civil life in the Gaza Strip, and the new leadership under Yahya Sinwar

neg: Huwaida Arraf connections, she was "offering concrete examples of the ways in which these groups were engaging in nonviolent resistance." During the second Intifada, Arraf organized what she termed a demonstration against Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Arraf was the chair of the Free Gaza Movement, the organization behind the Gaza Freedom Flotillas - a series of groups of ships carrying Pro-Palestinian activists that were organized to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. She was aboard the 2008 Free Gaza boats as well as the 2010 flotilla that was raided by Israeli commandos on May 31. Using a satellite

neg: Israeli occupation of the West Bank in agricultural output of around $1 billion per annum. Israel's control of land, water, trade and markets, and its specification and rigorous restrictions on what could be grown, is held responsible for the decline of agriculture as a share of West Bank GDP, and the drop of agricultural labourers in the work market from 46% to 27%, so that from 1993 to 1995 output declined by 40.12%. In the years directly preceding the Al Aqsa uprising (1998-1999) the IDF and settlers uprooted 21,705 trees throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. After 1967, restrictions were placed on the types of

neg: Palestinian cuisine from a family-sized meal to a side dish. However, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the populations have a cooking style of their own. In the West Bank, meals are particularly heavy and contrast from the foods of the northern Levant. Main dishes involve rice, flatbreads and roasted meats. The staple food of the inhabitants in the Gaza Strip is fish due to its location on the Mediterranean seacoast. Their cuisine is similar to that of the Levant's; however, other spices are used more frequently. These generally include chili peppers, dill seed, garlic, and chard to flavor many

neg: Isratin support the two-state solution. A 2005 poll of 1,319 Palestinians indicated that a small majority of those in the West Bank and Gaza Strip support the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. Isratin Isratin (, ; , ), also known as the bi-national state (, ), is a proposed unitary, federal or confederate Israeli-Palestinian state encompassing the present territory of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Depending on various points of view, such a scenario is presented as a desirable one-state solution to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, or as a calamity in which Israel would ostensibly lose

neg: Palestinian Authority passport Palestinian Arabs, especially in the Gaza Strip and those who found refuge in Syria and Lebanon, remained stateless, as Egypt, Syria and Lebanon did not allow them to integrate as citizens. The Egyptian-controlled All-Palestine Government issued All-Palestine passports between 1949 and 1959 to Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip and Egypt. However, passport holders were not permitted to move freely into Egypt. In the meantime, Transjordan annexed the West Bank and Palestinian residents of the West Bank became citizens of Jordan, and were entitled to a Jordanian passport. After the 1967 Six-Day War, during which Israel captured the West Bank

neg: Palestinian workers in Israel Palestinian workers in Israel Palestinian workers in Israel are Palestinian citizens of the Palestinian Authority who are employed by Israeli citizens in the State of Israel and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Most of them work as unskilled laborers in sectors such as agriculture and construction. After Israel conquered the West Bank and the Gaza Strip the Palestinian residents of the occupied areas were given the opportunity to work within the Green Line and later in the Israeli settlements and Israeli manufacturing sites in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in which a significant number of all Palestinians

neg: Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank The Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank refers to the government body of the Palestinian National Authority, seated in Ramallah from 1994 until its split in 2007, and finally the rebranding into the Government of the State of Palestine in 2013. In the Palestinian legislative elections on 25 January 2006, Hamas emerged victorious and nominated Ismail Haniyeh as the Authority's Prime Minister. However, the national unity Palestinian government effectively collapsed, when a violent conflict between Hamas and Fatah erupted, mainly in the Gaza Strip. After the Gaza Strip was taken over by

neg: Views on the Arab–Israeli conflict has established 50+ checkpoints in and around the West Bank. As well, recently, Israel has begun construction of a controversial West Bank barrier. Palestinians complain that these measures greatly restrict their movement and are often humiliating, while Israel asserts that they are necessary for security. Palestinians also point out that Israel accelerated the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip throughout the Oslo peace process. During Fateh Central Committee meeting on September 5, 2005, "[r]eferring to the lands Israel would evacuate in Gaza Strip, President Abbas said that 97.5% of these lands were state-owned lands". In 2005,

neg: Governance of the Gaza Strip and Fatah gunmen stormed Hamas-led institutions in the West Bank after the Battle of Gaza. Palestinian legislator Saeb Erekat said the Palestinian National Authority officially has no control in the Gaza Strip. Hamas and Fatah accused each other of a coup d'état; neither recognizes the authority of the other government. The United States, EU, and Israel have not recognized the Hamas government, but support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's government in the West Bank. The Arab League called on all parties to stop the fighting and return the government to its status before the Battle of

neg: Palestinian Declaration of Independence in exile between 1988 and 1994. The PLO began to exercise a limited rule in the Areas A and B of the West Bank and part of the Gaza Strip as a consequence of the 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement, under the umbrella of the Palestinian National Authority. In 2012, Palestine was upgraded to the status of non-member observer state in the UN. The declaration concerned the Palestine region, as defined by the borders of the British Mandate of Palestine, which includes the whole of the State of Israel as well as the West Bank and the Gaza strip (at the time

neg: Status of territories occupied by Israel in 1967 Strip and four in the northern West Bank. Gorenberg notes, the government's decision was challenged in the Supreme Court by settlers, and the government won the case by noting the settlements were in territory whose legal status was that of 'belligerent territory'. The government argued that the settlers should have known the settlements were only temporary. Following the 1967 war, in which the Israeli army occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a military administration over the Palestinian population was put in place. In 1993, Israel gave autonomy to the people of Gaza and completely disengaged from Gaza in 2005.

neg: 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict IEDs, which occurred near Israeli soldiers, on the Israeli side of a tunnel passing under the Israeli West Bank barrier. The Israeli government stated that the aims of the military operation were to halt rocket attacks against civilian targets originating from the Gaza Strip and to disrupt the capabilities of militant organizations. The Palestinians blamed the Israeli government for the upsurge in violence, accusing the IDF of attacks on Gazan civilians in the days leading up to the operation. They cited the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the occupation of West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as the reason for

neg: Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) is a unit in the Israeli Ministry of Defense that engages in coordinating civilian issues between the Government of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces, international organizations, diplomats, and the Palestinian Authority. It is the main organ, remaining of the mostly defunct Israeli Civil Administration, which had governed the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 1981 and 1994. COGAT is responsible for implementing the Israeli government's policy in the Area C of the West Bank and vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip. In addition, COGAT constitutes

neg: Freedom of religion by country has been de facto controlled by Hamas since the 2006 Palestinian civil skirmishes. Religious freedom in Gaza is curtailed by Hamas, which imposes a stricter interpretation of Islamic law and at times has broadcast explicitly anti-Jewish propaganda. Due to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, Muslim residents of Gaza are not allowed by the Israeli government to visit holy sites in Israel or the West Bank, and Christian clergy from outside Gaza are not allowed access to the region. However, some Christian residents of Gaza have been issued permits by Israel to enter Israel and the West Bank during Christmas

neg: Hamas government of June 2007 sworn in without the approval of the Palestinian Legislative Council, seated in Gaza Strip. Ismail Haniyeh considers the Fatah government in the West Bank illegitimate, and exercises de facto rule over the Gaza Strip, supported by the Palestinian Legislative Council, which is dominated by members of Hamas. This Hamas cabinet of June 2007, in parallel with the Fatah cabinet of June 2007, succeeded the national unity government. In September 2012, Ismail Haniyye appointed a reshuffled government in Gaza. Hamas government of June 2007 The Palestinian government of June 2007 by Ismail Haniyye was formed in the Gaza Strip, following an

neg: Bahad 4 Tzrifin, but after the Six-Day War it was moved to the Beit El base in the newly captured West Bank. After the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip signed in 1995, the base was moved to Zikim. Bahad 4 is one of the few Israeli military bases located within range of Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, and has endured numerous barrages. On September 11, 2007, a Qassam rocket hit an empty tent, causing injuries to soldiers in neighboring tents. Four soldiers were seriously wounded and a further 63 were treated for moderate to light

neg: Aix Group passage" by Bill Clinton in the 2000 Clinton Parameters. The Aix Group has offered proposals on the design and cost of a territorial link between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. They recommended the construction of a joint motorway and rail link between the Karni Crossing in the Gaza Strip and El Majed Crossing on the West Bank. They estimate the cost of the project up to $1 billion, to be financed by the World Bank as a long term loan to Palestine. One of the Aix Group’s ongoing issues relates to the design of an economic agreement concerning

neg: Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy since 2002 a network of Active Nonviolence Centers over the entire West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Booth 2010 the following branches are active: Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND) is an NGO which aspires to establish a non-violent Palestinian civil society. The organisation was founded 1998 and is active in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. With the concept of "Active Nonviolence" persuade the purpose to give the Palestinian civil society a perspective to solve their conflicts in the absence of violence. To launch this Nonviolence awareness MEND attempts an unconventional way of coming

neg: Geography of Israel a distance of twelve nautical miles measured from the appropriate baseline. The statistics provided by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics include the annexed East Jerusalem and Golan Heights, but exclude the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The population of Israel includes Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The route of the Israeli West Bank barrier incorporates some parts of the West Bank. Israel is divided into four physiographic regions: the Mediterranean coastal plain, the Central Hills, the Jordan Rift Valley and the Negev Desert. The Israeli Coastal Plain stretches from the Lebanese border in the north to Gaza in

neg: Blockade of the Gaza Strip Israel and Egypt closed the border crossings with Gaza, marking the start of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. At the same time, international relations and aid to the Fatah-led government in the West Bank resumed and the economic sanctions lifted. Israel has been controlling and restricting the entry of Palestinians into Israel for some time. When the Al-Aqsa Intifada broke out in September 2000 Israel put trade restrictions on the Gaza Strip and closed the Gaza International Airport. The economic effects worsened after the creation of a ‘buffer zone’ in September 2001, that would seal all entry and exit

neg: Governance of the Gaza Strip After the division of the two Palestinian parties, the West Bank remained relatively quiet, but the Gaza Strip was the scene of constant conflict between Hamas and various other factions opposing Israel, with the most notable conflict being the Gaza War of 2008-2009. In 2009, a radical Salafist cleric declared an "Islamic Emirate" in Gaza, accusing Hamas of failing to implement full Sharia law. The radicalization of the Gaza Strip and attempt to undermine Hamas authority resulted in the 2009 Hamas crackdown on Jund Ansar Allah, an Al-Qaeda affiliated group, that lasted two days and resulted in 22 deaths. Reports

neg: Occupation of the Gaza Strip by Egypt and Egypt signed the historic Camp David Accords which brought an official end to the strife between them. The second part of the accords was a framework for the establishment of an autonomous regime in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Egypt thus signaled an end to any ambitions to control the Gaza Strip itself; from then on, the Gaza Strip's status would be discussed as part of the more general issue of proposals for a Palestinian state. The influx of over 200,000 refugees into Gaza during the 1948 war resulted in a dramatic decrease in the standard of

neg: Consulate General of France in Jerusalem and viable Palestinian State". Until a negotiated settlement is reached, the Consulate General of France will maintain the status of a consulate general and the functions of a quasi-embassy. The Consulate General of France in Jerusalem's activities include protecting the interests of French citizens temporarily or permanently residing in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, issuing passports, national identity cards and issuing visas to foreigners. The Consulate General of France estimates that the French community of Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip comprised 30,000 people in 2010. Of these, 10,000 were not registered at the Consulate

neg: Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law and high population growth. Within sixty years, Jews would be a minority within Israel (not including the West Bank and Gaza Strip), effectively destroying the Jewish character of the state. Critics argue that the law is discriminatory because it disproportionately affects Israeli Arabs, since Israeli Arabs are far more likely to have spouses from the West Bank and Gaza Strip than other Israeli citizens. Such critics have included the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which unanimously approved a resolution stating that the Israeli law violated an international human rights treaty against racism; and Amnesty International, which

neg: Khalil al-Wazir Hussein of Jordan. Dissatisfied at the decisive defeat of Palestinian forces in Lebanon during the 1982 Lebanon War, al-Wazir concentrated on establishing a solid Fatah base in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. In 1982, he began to sponsor youth committees in the territories. These organizations would grow and initiate the First Intifada in December 1987 (the word "Intifada" in Arabic, literally translated as "shaking off", is generally used to describe an uprising or revolt). The Intifada began as an uprising of Palestinian youth against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On 7 June 1986,

neg: One-state solution articles criticizing the one-state solution One-state solution The one-state solution, sometimes also called a bi-national state is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Proponents of a unified Israel advocate a single state in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with citizenship and equal rights in the combined entity for all inhabitants of all three territories, without regard to ethnicity or religion. Some Israelis advocate another version of the one-state solution in which Israel will annex the West Bank but not the Gaza Strip and remain a Jewish state with a larger Arab minority. While some advocate

neg: Hamas government of June 2007 Hamas government of June 2007 The Palestinian government of June 2007 by Ismail Haniyye was formed in the Gaza Strip, following an intensive inter-factional Palestinian warfare in the Gaza Strip, in which Fatah was ousted by Hamas party. While another alternative Fatah-led Palestinian government was formed in the West Bank and widely recognized as the representative government of the Palestinian National Authority, it is viewed by Hamas and some other elements as illegitimate and unconstitutional. President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas suspended certain articles from the Basic Law in order for the alternative West Bank based cabinet to be

neg: Compendium of postage stamp issuers (Pa–Pl) Compendium of postage stamp issuers (Pa–Pl) Each "article" in this category is a collection of entries about several stamp issuers, presented in alphabetical order. The entries are formulated on the micro model and so provide summary information about all known issuers. See the page for details of the project. Area: Gaza Strip, during 1948 briefly also Southern parts of the West Bank. An agreement was signed in Washington on 13 September 1993 between Israel and Yasser Arafat's PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) which recognised the right of Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and an enclave on the West Bank around

neg: One-state solution One-state solution The one-state solution, sometimes also called a bi-national state is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Proponents of a unified Israel advocate a single state in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with citizenship and equal rights in the combined entity for all inhabitants of all three territories, without regard to ethnicity or religion. Some Israelis advocate another version of the one-state solution in which Israel will annex the West Bank but not the Gaza Strip and remain a Jewish state with a larger Arab minority. While some advocate this solution for ideological reasons,

neg: Yesha Council present what all sides have said and ultimately leave it to the reader to make their own judgments and have their own opinions regarding the conflict. Yesha Council The Yesha Council (, "Mo'etzet Yesha", which is the Hebrew acronym for Yehuda Shomron, Aza, lit. "Judea Samaria and Gaza Council") is an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank (and formerly in the Gaza Strip), known by the Hebrew acronym Yesha. The Chairman of the Yesha Council is Dani Dayan, elected in July 2007. Dayan is a secular businessman, resident of Maale Shomron. The Council was

neg: Palestinian freedom of movement between these regions is difficult and an exceptional occurrence, requiring a justification for officials, a great deal of time and sometimes substantial expense. According to a 2007 World Bank report entitled "Movement and Access Restriction in the West Bank", "In the West Bank, closure is implemented through an agglomeration of policies, practices and physical impediments which have fragmented the territory into ever smaller and more disconnected cantons." According to Said Zeedani, Israeli checkpoints impede the travel of Palestinians between the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, from Gaza and the outside world. "They make it extremely difficult for Palestinians

neg: Gush Katif pullout from Gaza. After the Israeli withdrawal of settlers, the Palestinian Authority took control of Gaza. On January 25, 2006, Hamas won parliamentary elections in both Gaza and the West Bank. Israel, the U.S. and a number of European governments refused to recognize Hamas’ election victory and imposed an economic blockade on Gaza. During June 2007, an internal civil conflict between Hamas and Fatah resulted in Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip, while Fatah ruled the West Bank. In May 2011 both parties agreed to reconstitute a united Palestinian government and hold elections by May 2012. In July 2014

neg: Menachem Froman goal of drafting a ceasefire agreement that will end the killings in Gaza and the West Bank and lift the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip. In February 2008, Rabbi Froman reached an agreement proposal with Khaled Amayreh, a journalist close to Hamas, for an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that would put an immediate end to all Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians or soldiers, facilitate the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and end the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip. Senior Hamas officials have endorsed the agreement proposal. The Israeli government, however, has not