Editing Palestinian Authority (section)

{{short description|Interim government in Western Asia}}
{{About|the Fatah-controlled government body|the state controlled by the Palestine Liberation Organization|Palestine|other uses|Palestine (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox geopolitical organization
| conventional_long_name = Palestinian National Authority
| native_name            = {{lang|ar|السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية}}<br />''{{transliteration|ar|as-Sulṭa al-Waṭanīya al-Filasṭīnīya}}''
| image_flag             = File:Flag of Palestine.svg
| common_name            = Palestinian National Authority
| linking_name           = the Palestinian National Authority
| image_coat             = Coat of arms of the Palestinian National Authority.svg
| symbol_type            = [[Coat of arms of Palestine|Coat of arms]]
| anthem                 = {{lang|ar|فدائي}}<br>({{lower|0.1em|''[[Fida'i|Fidāʾī]]''}}; "''Warrior''")<div style="padding-top:0.5em;">{{Center|[[File:Anthem of Palestine.ogg]]}}</div>
| image_map              = File:Palestinian Authority and Gaza Strip 2024.png
| map_width              = 250px
| map_caption            = The Palestinian Authority (current ''de facto'' control in red) was created to exert partial civil control in the [[Palestinian enclaves|West Bank enclaves]] and in the [[Gaza Strip]].<ref name = "islands">{{harvnb|Thrall|2017|p=144|ps=: the West Bank was divided into 165 islands of ostensible PA control}}; {{harvnb|Peteet|2016|p=268|ps=:  In total, over 167 enclaves can be identified}}</ref> The Gaza Strip (in light red) is ''de jure'' under the Palestinian Authority<ref name=nyt_mideast-accord>[https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/05/world/mideast-accord-overview-rabin-arafat-sign-accord-ending-israel-s-27-year-hold.html "Mideast accord: the overview; Rabin and Arafat sign accord ending Israel's 27-year hold on Jericho and the Gaza Strip"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209052541/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/05/world/mideast-accord-overview-rabin-arafat-sign-accord-ending-israel-s-27-year-hold.html |date=9 December 2020 }}. Chris Hedges, ''The New York Times'', 5 May 1994.</ref> and ''de facto'' under the administration of the [[Gaza Strip under Hamas|Hamas government]] since 2007.
| capital_type           = Administrative center
| capital                = [[Ramallah]]<br />{{smaller|{{coord|31|54|N|35|12|E|display=inline}}}}
| official_languages     = [[Arabic language|Arabic]]
| org_type               = [[Provisional government|Provisional]] [[self-government]] body
| government_type        = [[Semi-presidential system|Semi‑presidential]]<ref name="cavatorta"/>
| leader_title1          = [[President of the Palestinian National Authority|President]]
| leader_name1           = [[Mahmoud Abbas]]
| leader_title2          = [[Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name2           = [[Mohammad Mustafa (economist)|Mohammad Mustafa]]
| legislature            = [[Palestinian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]
| area_km2               = 
| area_sq_mi             = 
| area_footnote          = <span style=white-space:nowrap;><br /> - [[West Bank]]: 5,860 km{{smallsup|2}}<br /> - [[Gaza Strip]]: 360 km{{smallsup|2}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/gaza-strip/ |title=The World Factbook: Middle East: Gaza Strip |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |date=12 May 2014 |access-date=8 June 2014 }}</ref></span>
| percent_water          = 
| population_estimate    = 
| population_estimate_rank = 
| population_estimate_year = 
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_rank = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| population_census_year = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_rank           = –
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = 
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = –
| sovereignty_type       = Partial delegation of civil powers
| sovereignty_note       = from [[Israel]]i administration
| established_event1     = [[Oslo I Accord|Initial accords]]
| established_date1      = {{nowrap|13 September 1993}}
| established_event2     = [[Gaza–Jericho Agreement|Palestinian Authority formed]]
| established_date2      = 4 May 1994
| established_event3     = [[Oslo II Accord]]
| established_date3      = {{nowrap|28 September 1995}}
| established_event4     = [[Battle of Gaza (2007)|Rift of Fatah and Hamas]]
| established_date4      = 14 June 2007
| established_event5     = [[State of Palestine]] [[United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19|becomes a non-member observer state in UN]]
| established_date5      = 29 November 2012
| Gini_year              = 
| Gini_change            = <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini                   = 
| Gini_ref               = 
| Gini_rank              = 
| HDI_year               = <!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change             = <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI                    = <!--number only, between 0 and 1-->
| HDI_ref                = 
| HDI_rank               = 
| currency               = {{unbulleted list |[[Egyptian pound]] ([[ISO 4217|EGP]]) |[[Israeli new shekel]] (ILS) |[[Jordanian dinar]] (JOD)<ref>{{Citation
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20040807173720/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%2BProcess/Guide%2Bto%2Bthe%2BPeace%2BProcess/Gaza-Jericho%2BAgreement%2BAnnex%2BIV%2B-%2BEconomic%2BProtoco.htm
 |archive-date = 7 August 2004
 |publisher    = Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 |url          = http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace+Process/Guide+to+the+Peace+Process/Gaza-Jericho+Agreement+Annex+IV+-+Economic+Protoco.htm
 |access-date  = 2023-02-20
 |title        = Gaza-Jericho Agreement Annex IV – Economic Protocol
 |chapter      = Article {{sc|iv}}: Monetary and Financial Issues
 |date         = 29 April 1994
 |url-status   = live
}}{{pb}}The Protocol allows the Palestinian Authority to adopt multiple currencies. In the [[West Bank]], the Israeli new sheqel and Jordanian dinar are widely accepted; while in the [[Gaza Strip]], the Israeli new sheqel and Egyptian pound are widely accepted.</ref>|}}
| iso3166code            = PS
| time_zone              = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset             = +2
| time_zone_DST          = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST         = +3
| date_format            = dd/mm/yyyy<!--numeric dates (dd-mm-yyyy, yyyy.mm.dd, etc.) plus era (CE, AD, AH, etc.)-->
| calling_code           = [[+970]]
| cctld                  = [[.ps]]
| footnotes              = 
}}
The '''Palestinian Authority''' ('''PA'''), officially known as the '''Palestinian National Authority''' ('''PNA'''),{{efn|{{langx|ar|السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية}} ''{{transliteration|ar|as-Sulṭa al-Waṭanīya al-Filasṭīnīya}}''}}<ref name="aljazeera.com">{{Cite news
| date= 8 January 2013
|title=Palestine: What is in a name (change)? | publisher= Al Jazeera
| series = Inside Story
|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/01/2013186722389860.html|access-date=2023-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321061622/http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/01/2013186722389860.html |archive-date=21 March 2020 }}</ref> is the [[Fatah]]-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the [[Palestinian enclaves]] in the [[Israeli occupation of the West Bank|Israeli-occupied West Bank]] as a consequence of the 1993–1995 [[Oslo Accords]].<ref name = "islands"/><ref name=Rudoren>{{cite news |title=The Palestinian Authority |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/palestinian_authority/index.html | work=The New York Times | first=Jodi |last=Rudoren}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite news |date=5 April 2001 |title=The Palestinian government |url=http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/04/05/palestinian.explainer/index.html |access-date=26 November 2012 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> The Palestinian Authority controlled the [[Gaza Strip]] prior to the [[2006 Palestinian legislative election|Palestinian elections of 2006]] and the subsequent [[Battle of Gaza (2007)|Gaza conflict]] between the Fatah and [[Hamas]] parties, when it lost control to Hamas; the PA continues to claim the Gaza Strip, although Hamas exercises ''de facto'' control. Since January 2013, following [[United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19]], the Palestinian Authority has used the name "[[State of Palestine]]" on official documents, without prejudice to the [[Palestine Liberation Organization|Palestinian Liberation Organization]] (PLO) role as "representative of the [[Palestinians|Palestinian]] people".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Status of Palestine in the UN – Non-member observer State status – SecGen report|url=https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-182149/|access-date=2021-12-13|website=Question of Palestine}}</ref>

The Palestinian Authority was formed on 4 May 1994, pursuant to the [[Gaza–Jericho Agreement]] between the PLO and the government of [[Israel]], and was intended to be a five-year [[Provisional government|interim body]]. Further negotiations were then meant to take place between the two parties regarding its final status. According to the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority was designated to have exclusive control over both security-related and civilian issues{{Clarify|reason=Just what are exactly those: "…security-related and civilian issues [in Palestinian urban areas]", or the: "civilian control [in rural ares]", that the PNA is entitled, or responsible, to take care of? I can't find any concrete descriptions, nor references to any source, for those practical tasks that are delegated to the PNA.|date=March 2024}} in Palestinian urban areas (referred to as "[[West Bank Areas in the Oslo II Accord#Area A|Area A]]") and only civilian control over Palestinian rural areas ("[[West Bank areas in the Oslo II Accord#Area B|Area B]]"). The remainder of the territories, including [[Israeli settlements]], the [[Jordan Valley]] region and bypass roads between Palestinian communities, were to remain under Israeli control ("[[Area C (West Bank)|Area C]]"). [[East Jerusalem]] was excluded from the Accords. Negotiations with several Israeli governments had resulted in the Authority gaining further control of some areas, but control was then lost in some areas when the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) retook several strategic positions during the [[Second Intifada|Second ("Al-Aqsa") Intifada]]. In 2005, after the Second Intifada, Israel [[Israeli disengagement from Gaza|withdrew unilaterally from its settlements in the Gaza Strip]], thereby expanding Palestinian Authority control to the entire strip<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kumaraswamy|first=P. R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hKXvCSc93zEC&pg=PR40|title=The A to Z of the Arab-Israeli Conflict|date=2009
| page = xl
| series = The A to Z Guide Series | volume= 66
|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-7015-4}}</ref> while Israel continued to control the [[Israel–Gaza barrier#Crossing points|crossing points]], airspace, and the waters of the Gaza Strip's coast.<ref>{{cite news|title=Israel completes Gaza withdrawal|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4235768.stm|access-date=16 March 2016|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=12 September 2005}}</ref>

In the [[2006 Palestinian legislative election|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 Hamas on 14 June 2007, the Authority's chairman [[Mahmoud Abbas]] dismissed the [[Palestinian March 2007 National Unity Government|Hamas-led unity government]] and appointed [[Salam Fayyad]] as [[Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority|prime minister]], dismissing Haniyeh. The move wasn't recognized by Hamas, thus resulting in two separate administrations – the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and a rival [[Gaza Strip under Hamas|Hamas government]] in the Gaza Strip. The [[Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process|reconciliation process]] to unite the Palestinian governments achieved some progress over the years, but had failed to produce a re-unification.

The Palestinian Authority received financial assistance from the [[European Union]] and the United States (approximately US$1 billion combined in 2005). All direct aid was suspended on 7 April 2006, as a result of the Hamas victory in parliamentary elections.<ref name="Ref_2006">{{Citation|title=US suspends aid to Palestinians|publisher=BBC News|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4889668.stm|access-date=7 April 2006 | date=7 April 2006}}</ref><ref name="Ref_2006a">{{Citation|title=Abbas warns of financial crisis|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4730568.stm|access-date=19 February 2006 | date=20 February 2006}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, aid payments resumed, but were channeled directly to the offices of Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.<ref name=Haaretzaid>{{Citation|title=U.S. to allow PA funds to be channeled through Abbas office|author=Akiva Eldar|work=Haaretz|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=712624}}</ref> Since 9 January 2009, when Mahmoud Abbas' term as president was supposed to have ended and elections were to have been called, Hamas supporters and many in the Gaza Strip have withdrawn recognition for his presidency and instead consider [[Aziz Dweik]], the speaker of the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]], to be the acting president until new elections can be held.<ref name=Globe>{{Citation|title=Fancy that, a moderate in Hamas|author=Patrick Martin|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/mideast-notebook/fancy-that-a-moderate-in-hamas/article1200923/|date=18 July 2009|access-date=3 August 2009|work=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|archive-date=23 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823072836/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/mideast-notebook/fancy-that-a-moderate-in-hamas/article1200923/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The State of Palestine is recognized by [[International recognition of the State of Palestine|146 nations]] {{as of|2024|june|lc=y}}. In November 2012, the [[United Nations]] voted to recognize the State of Palestine as a [[Observer status|non-member UN observer state]].<ref name="Gharib">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/20/u-n-adds-new-name-state-of-palestine.html |title=U.N. Adds New Name: "State of Palestine" |last=Gharib |first=Ali |date=20 December 2012 |access-date=10 January 2013 |website=[[The Daily Beast]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101145115/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/20/u-n-adds-new-name-state-of-palestine.html |archive-date=1 January 2013 }}</ref><ref name="un.int">{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/palestine/ |title=Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations. |quote=**Please note that since Thursday's Historic Vote in the United Nations General Assembly which accorded to Palestine Observer State Status, the official title of the Palestine mission has been changed to The Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations.** |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131073609/http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/palestine/ |archive-date=31 January 2013 |publisher=United Nations |access-date=25 August 2013}}</ref><ref name="unispal1">{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=https://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/0080ef30efce525585256c38006eacae/181c72112f4d0e0685257ac500515c6c?OpenDocument |title=A/67/L.28 of 26 November 2012 and A/RES/67/19 of 29 November 2012 |publisher=United Nations |access-date=2 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121210160010/http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/0080ef30efce525585256c38006eacae/181c72112f4d0e0685257ac500515c6c?OpenDocument |archive-date=10 December 2012}}</ref> Widely considered an [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian regime]], the Palestinian Authority has not held elections in over 15 years. It has been criticized for [[human rights]] abuses, including cracking down on [[journalist]]s, [[Human rights defender|human rights activists]], and dissent against its rule.<ref>Multiple sources:

* {{Cite web|last=Rahman|first=Omar H.|title=U.S. Support Is Keeping the Undemocratic Palestinian Authority Alive|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/02/nizar-banat-palestinian-authority-pa-abbas-survive-without-us-support/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Foreign Policy|date=2 July 2021}}
* {{Cite web|last=Oppenheim|first=Beth|title=Halting Palestine's Democratic Decline|url=https://carnegieeurope.eu/2021/04/23/halting-palestine-s-democratic-decline-pub-84383|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Carnegie Europe}}
* {{Cite journal|date=2018-10-23|title=Two Authorities, One Way, Zero Dissent: Arbitrary Arrest and Torture Under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas|url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/10/23/two-authorities-one-way-zero-dissent/arbitrary-arrest-and-torture-under|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]}}
* {{Cite book|last=El Kurd|first=Dana|url=https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780190095864.001.0001/oso-9780190095864|title=Polarized and Demobilized: Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine|date=2020|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-009586-4|doi=10.1093/oso/9780190095864.001.0001 }}
* {{Cite web|author1=Hugh Lovatt |author2=Saleh Hijazi |date=2017-04-20|title=Europe and the Palestinian Authority's Authoritarian Drift – European Council on Foreign Relations|url=https://ecfr.eu/article/commentary_europe_and_the_palestinian_authoritys_authoritarian_drift_7274/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=ECFR}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Kershner|first1=Isabel|last2=Rasgon|first2=Adam|date=2021-07-07|title=Critic's Death Puts Focus on Palestinian Authority's Authoritarianism|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/world/middleeast/Palestinian-Authority-protesters.html|access-date=2021-12-05|issn=0362-4331}}
* {{Cite web|title=West Bank: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report|url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/west-bank/freedom-world/2021|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Freedom House}}</ref>