Gaza/ West Bank Facts

COUNTRY FACTS GAZA / WEST BANK

GEOGRAPHY
Area - Gaza: 360 km2. - West: 5800 km2.,
Which formally autonomous region accounts for around. 1 / 3.
Population 3.89 million., Of which 1.44 million. in Gaza
Language Arabic
Religion Muslims around. 98.7%, Christians around. 1.3%
ECONOMY
GNI per capita. capita 1163 USD (2006)
Foreign aid per. capita 347 USD per barrel. per capita. years (2006)
Currency Israeli Shekel (NIS)
GOVERNMENT
State Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen)
Chief Executive Salam Fayyed
Foreign Affairs Salam Fayyed
Finance Salam Fayyad
Chairman of PLO Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen)


President / parliament:
The Palestinian Authority - Palestinian Authority (PA) - was established in 1994 as a result of the Oslo accords between the PLO and Israel. PA was originally conceived as a five-year transitional authority until peace and Palestinian statehood would be achieved. In 1996, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat elected president of the Palestinian territories after the democratic elections for president and the Palestinian Legislative Council - Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). After Arafat's death in November 2004 held elections for president on 9 January 2005, when Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was elected president with the backing of 62.3% of the votes cast. In the last general election - held on 25 January 2006 - won the Islamist movement Hamas 74 out of the PLC's 132 seats. The previously dominant Fatah party had to be content with 45 seats. Hamas formed the then government of Ismail Haniyyeh as prime minister. On 17 March 2007 - after one year with an international boycott, massive Israeli military operations and violent internal fighting - formed a national unity government with ministers from Hamas, Fatah and other political factions. But since Hamas in mid-June 2007 gennemf'rte violent takeover of Gaza elected President Abbas, 16 June to declare a state of emergency and appoint tenkokratisk under former Minister of Finance nødregering Salam Fayyad leadership.

The domestic and international political situation:
"Middle East Quartet" defined in March 2006 three principles, as the then Hamas-led government had to fulfill if it would work with the international community, including recognition of Israel, condemning terror and acceptance of existing PLO agreements. Because the assessment was that the Hamas government since the national unity is not - fully - fulfilled requirements imposed by the international community - including the U.S. and EU - PA-government economic and political sanctions. Since the parliamentary elections in January 2006, the situation in the Palestinian territories has been marked by growing confrontation between Hamas and Fatah. There has since October 2006 been five violent security crises in Gaza, there have been more bloody because every time. The development culminated in mid-June 2007, when Hamas during the two-three violent days came to power in Gaza. In light of the Hamas coup sacked President Abbas assembly and the government declared martial law, 14 June 2007. Three days later deployed a nødregering president of the independent Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (also until further acts as the Finance and Foreign Affairs). The international community lifted immediately after the sanctions against the PA and Israel have also expressed intentions to support nødregeringen. Gaza and the West is now politically divided from each other. Salam Fayyad has announced that nødregeringens main priorities are economic recovery and improvement in the security situation in the West Bank. It is expected campaign against the unofficial militias in the West Bank, which could result in significant turmoil. The situation in Gaza has so far been relatively calm, although there also can be expected unrest in the coming tid.I November 2006, most Palestinian factions, including Hamas, a cease-fire with Israel in Gaza. Israel did not want to extend the ceasefire to include the West Bank. There have been frequent breaches of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, including Palestinian missile delivery and Israeli military operations, like the continuing Israeli military operations in the West Bank has affected the situation in Gaza. In addition, Israel continues to withhold comprehensive Palestinian customs and tax revenues, which until 2006 accounted for almost half of the PA's budget - which is the primary cause of the current deep socio-economic crisis in the Palestinian territories. Nevertheless, Israel has expressed willingness to transfer the collected revenues to nødregeringen. Finally, the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements in the West (particularly in East Jerusalem), construction of the security barrier and the significant restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement in the West (through checkpoints and barriers) and to / from Gaza. It is still difficult to predict how the Palestinian rift and the New nødregering will affect the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Human rights:
In light of the miserable conditions of security and the humanitarian crisis, the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories also deteriorated in the past year. The Israeli occupying continuously criticized for widespread violations of Palestinian human rights, including but not illegal husnedrivelser, restrictions on freedom of movement, administrative detentions, criticized prison conditions and collective punishments. The Palestinian authorities also criticized for human rights violations, including the use of torture, dubious legal circumstances, restrictions on freedom of association and discrimination against women. There is hope that nødregeringen could improve the human rights situation internally in the West Bank.

The socio-economic situation:
UNRWA estimates that the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories is worse than ever. In 2006, GDP fell by almost 10 percent. The current per capita income is only 60 percent. the 1999 level. In Gaza, claiming 21 percent. of households that have no income. Unemployment is above 30 percent. (and nearly 50 percent. in Gaza), which would have been even higher if not PA had employed thousands in the second half of 2006 (44 per cent. of all employees in Gaza is now employed by the PA). The humanitarian consequences are significant: More than 65 percent. of Palestinians live in poverty, a third suffer from "food insecurity" and more than 10,000 Palestinians have emigrated in recent years (and more than 50,000 estimated to be about to leave the Gaza / West Bank). In Gaza, 1.1 million. inhabitants (out of a total of 1.4 million.) dependent on direct relief.

Assistance Cooperation:
The overall objective of Danish transitional assistance to Gaza and the West Bank is to contribute to the autonomous Palestinian areas social and economic development and thereby providing support for the Middle East peace process. The bilateral transitional assistance will focus on 1) municipal development in Gaza and the northern West Bank, 2) promoting democracy, human rights and good governance and 3) contribution to the creation of intercultural dialogue and tolerance. In addition, among other things, significant humanitarian assistance.
Projections for the bilateral transitional assistance for 2007 (consumption): 52 million. kr
Edited 3rd July 2007


President's Office
Palestinian Legislative Council
Representation Office in Ramallah:
E-mail: ramrkt@um.dk
Edited 3rd July 2007 http://www.um.dk/da/menu/Udenrigspolitik/Landefakta/LandefaktaMellemoesten/LandefaktaGaza