e Palestinian Authority, which includes the
Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of
the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip
and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo
Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional
areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995
Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol
Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998
Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh
Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility
during the transitional period for external and internal security
and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct
negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank
began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed
by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The
resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian
Authority continued to undermine progress toward a permanent
agreement. Following the death of longtime Palestinian leader Yasir
ARAFAT in November 2004, the election of his successor Mahmud ABBAS
in January 2005 brought about a turning point in the conflict. In
February 2005 the Israeli Government voted to disengage from the
Gaza Strip by dismantling all Israeli settlements and removing all
Israeli settlers. This process was completed in September 2005.
Nonetheless, Israel maintains offshore maritime control as well as
airspace control. The future political status of the Gaza Strip has
yet to be determined.

Geography Gaza Strip

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
Israel

Geographic coordinates:
31 25 N, 34 20 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 360 sq km
land: 360 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 62 km
border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km

Coastline:
40 km

Maritime claims:
Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the
Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be
determined through further negotiation

Climate: