ent status of
Gaza and the West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year
hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out a
year later. 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 has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and
accusations that both sides have 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 withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and
dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and four
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 has refused to accept the HAMAS-led
government because it does not recognize Israel, will not renounce
violence, and refuses to honor previous peace agreements between
Israel and the PA. Since March 2006, President Abbas has had little
success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform
acceptable to the international community so as to lift the economic
siege on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene in late 2006 as
a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and
Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members.

Geography West Bank

Location:
Middle East, west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km
water: 220 sq km
note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter
of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and
Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of
depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

Area - comparative:
slig