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How did Oslo II divide the West Bank into Areas A, B, and C?
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Palestinian Authority
U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton (center) looking on as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (left) shakes hands with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Palestinian Self-Rule, September 1993.
The Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, known as Oslo II, established a framework for the gradual extension of self-government to Palestinians by dividing the West Bank into three distinct zones of administration and security. This division was intended to manage the transition toward a final settlement.12
The territory was categorized as follows:
- Area A: Areas under full Palestinian civil administration and security control.12
- Area B: Areas under Palestinian civil administration but subject to joint Israeli-Palestinian security control.12
- Area C: Areas under full Israeli civil and security administration.12
This structure was designed to facilitate the Palestinian Authority’s governance over Palestinian urban centers while maintaining Israeli control over other parts of the territory, including areas where Israeli settlements were located.123