Palestinian National Authority
 

22 Sep 1948 - 1959 All-Palestine Government Flag          Adopted 1 Dec 1964 by PLO as Flag of Palestine                         Adopted 17 Feb 2006 Palestinian Authority Map Hear National Anthem "Fida'i" (Revolutionary) Text of National Anthem Adopted 1996 Palestinian National Charter  (17 Jul 1968) Headquarters: Ramallah Seat of Legislature: Gaza City (declared capital: East Jerusalem) Currency: Jordanian Dinar (JOD); New Israeli Shekel (ILS)  National Holiday: 15 Nov (1988) Independence Day (National Day) Population: West Bank: 2,514,845 (2010)¹ Gaza Strip: 1,604,238 (2010)² GDP: $12.7 billion (2009) (includes Gaza Strip) Exports: $529 million (2008) (includes Gaza Strip) Imports: $3.7 billion (2008) (includes Gaza Strip) Ethnic groups:  Gaza Strip: Palestinian Arab and others 99.4%; West Bank: Palestinian Arab and other 83%,  Jewish 17%  Total Police and Security Forces: 29,000 (2002) UNTSO force: 153 (2009) Merchant marine: None (2010) Religions:  Gaza Strip: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3%, Christian 0.7%; West Bank: Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% International Organizations/Treaties PLO/Palestine: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, AU (observer), CAEU, CICA, G-77, GAFTA, IAEA (observer), ICAO (observer), ICC, ICCt (observer), ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO (observer), IOC, IPU, ISESCO, ISO (correspondent), ITU (observer), ITUC, NAM, OIC, PAM, UN (observer), UNCLOS (observer), UNCTAD (observer), UNESCO, UNIDO (observer), UPU (observer), UNRWA (observer), UNWTO (observer), WFTU, WHO (observer), WIPO (observer), WMO (observer) Palestinian National Authority Index Chronology 23 Aug 1516                Palestine part of the Ottoman Empire. 26 Sep 1918                British occupation (Palestine). 14 Jul 1922                Palestine League of Nations mandate under                               Britain (see Israel). 14 May 1948                Former British mandate of Palestine independent                              as Israel; West Bank under Jordan, Gaza under                              Egyptian administration. 22 Sep 1948 - 1959         All-Palestine Government formed; recognized                              15 Oct 1948 only by Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi                               Arabia and Syria. Dissolved by Egypt in 1959.  1 Oct 1948                All-Palestine Government declares Palestine                              independent with capital at Jerusalem. 24 Apr 1950                Jordan annexes the West Bank and East Jerusalem                              (occupied since May 1948).  2 Nov 1956 -  8 Mar 1957  Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula occupied by Israel. 10 Mar 1957 - 1957         Gaza Strip under interim UN administration                              (United Nations Emergency Forces [UNEF]). 6/12 Jun 1967              West Bank (Jordan) and Gaza Strip (Egypt)                               occupied by Israel. 25 Sep 1969                Organization of the Islamic Conference admits                               Palestine, represented by the PLO. 10 Nov 1975                Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) granted                               permanent observer status in the United Nations.  9 Sep 1976                Palestine Liberation Organization admitted as                              a member of Arab League. 31 Jul 1988                Jordan abandons claims to West Bank. 15 Nov 1988                Palestine National Congress meeting in                               Algiers declares State of Palestine in the                              West Bank and Gaza Strip (remains ineffective,                               but receives some diplomatic recognition).   4 May 1994                Palestinian Authority created to administer most                              of Gaza Strip and parts of West Bank (Jericho                              area handed over 13 May 1994, Gaza Strip 18 May                              1994, Jenin 13 Nov 1995, Tulkarem 10 Dec 1995,                              Nablus 11 Dec 1995, Qalqiliya 16 Dec 1995,                              Bethlehem 21 Dec 1995, Ramallah 27 Dec 1995,                               80% of Hebron 17 Jan 1997). 12 Mar 2002 - 23 Mar 2002  Israeli forces occupy Palestinian Authority                               areas. 29 Mar 2002 - 10 May 2002  Israeli forces occupy Palestinian Authority                              areas. 12 Sep 2005                Israel withdraws settlements from the Gaza Strip. 14 Jun 2007 -              Hamas forces seize control of the Gaza Strip. East Jerusalem Mayors State of Palestine Gaza Strip West Bank UNEF (1956-1967) Diplomatic Recognition List Map of 1947 UN Partition Plan Map of Palestinian Refugee Camp Map of Old Israeli Settlements in Gaza Strip Map of Israeli Settlements in West Bank Map of East Jerusalem Map of Israeli Land Restrictions in West Bank and Gaza Strip

Note: The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is an autonomous national entity comprising the territories of Gaza (formerly under Egyptian sovereignty) and West Bank (formerly under Jordan sovereignty), which were occupied by the Israeli Defense Forces in Jun 1967. As provided by the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles signed on 13 Sep 1993 and upon the Agreement signed on 4 May 1994, the PNA was inaugurated on 5 Jul 1994 as a transitional status including Palestinian interim self-governing and a phased transfer of powers and territories (towns and areas of the West Bank). Negotiations on the permanent status, which could end in a Palestinian State, are under way.

Chairmen of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee 
10 Jun 1964 - 24 Dec 1967  Ahmad ash-Shukeiri                 (b. 1907 - d. 1980)
24 Dec 1967 -  2 Feb 1969  Yahya Hammuda                      (b. 1908 - d. 2006)
 2 Feb 1969 - 11 Nov 2004  Yasser Arafat                      (s.a.)               Fatah
                            (Abd ar-Rahman Abd ar-Rauf al-Qudwah al-Husayni)
                            (in exile in Jordan to Apr 1971; Lebanon 1971 -
                             Dec 1982; and Tunis Dec 1982 - May 1994)
29 Oct 2004 -              Mahmoud Ridha Abbas                (s.a.)               Fatah
                             (acting [for Arafat] to 11 Nov 2004) 
 

President of the Supreme Council
22 Sep 1948 - 1955         Haji Muhammad Amin al-Husseini     (b. 1896 - d. 1974)
                             (in Cairo, Egypt)
Presidents of the Palestinian Authority
 5 Jul 1994 - 11 Nov 2004  Yasser Arafat ("Abu Ammar")        (b. 1929 - d. 2004)  Fatah/PLO
                             (Israeli detainee in Ramallah 29 Mar - 1 May 2002,
                             5-6 Jun 2002, 20-29 Sep 2002, Jan 2003 - 29 Oct 2004)
29 Oct 2004 - 11 Nov 2004  Ahmed Qureia ("Abu Ala")           (b. 1937)            Fatah/PLO
                             (acting for Arafat)
11 Nov 2004 - 15 Jan 2005  Rauhi Fattouh (acting)             (b. 1953)            PLO 
15 Jan 2005 -              Mahmoud Ridha Abbas ("Abu Mazen")  (b. 1935)            Fatah/PLO

Prime ministers
 1 Oct 1948 - 1959         Ahmad Abdul Baqi Hilmi             (b. 1878 - d. 1963)
                             (in Gaza; from Nov 1948 in Cairo, Egypt)
30 Apr 2003 -  7 Oct 2003  Mahmoud Ridha Abbas                (s.a.)               Fatah/PLO
                             (designated on 19 Mar 2003)
 7 Oct 2003 - 15 Dec 2005  Ahmed Qureia (1st time)            (s.a.)               Fatah/PLO
15 Dec 2005 - 24 Dec 2005  Nabil Shaath (acting)              (b. 1938)            Fatah/PLO
24 Dec 2005 - 29 Mar 2006  Ahmed Qureia (2nd time)            (s.a.)               Fatah/PLO
29 Mar 2006 - 14 Jun 2007  Ismail Haniya                      (b. 1962)            Hamas
                              (from 15 Jun 2007, in rebellion in Gaza Strip)
17 Jun 2007 -              Salam Fayyad                       (b. 1952)            TWP

State of Palestine

Presidents
 2 Apr 1989 - 11 Nov 2004  Yasir Arafat                       (s.a.)
 8 May 2005 -              Mahmoud Abbas                      (s.a.)
                             (acting to 23 Nov 2008)

Gaza Strip

Egyptian Military Vice-governors (from 1952, Governors-general) of Gaza Strip
27 May 1948 - 19..         Mustafa al-Sawaf
19.. - 19..                Mohamed Rashad Danesh
c.1953 - c.1955            Abdullah Rifat
19.. -  2 Nov 1956         Fuad al-Dijani
                             (Israeli prisoner from 2 Nov 1956)
1956 - Mar 1957            Matti Peled                        (b. 1923 - d. 1995)
                             (Israeli military governor)
Mar 1957 - 19..            Mohamed Hassan Abd el-Latif
c.1959 - 1961              Ahmed Salem
1961 - 30 Apr 1966         Youssef Abdullah al Agrudi
30 Apr 1966 -  6 Jun 1967  Mohammed Abdul Moneim Huseini
Israeli Military Governors of Gaza Strip
(commanders of Israel Southern Command; also military governors of Sinai 1967-82)
1967 - 1969                Yeshayahu Gavish
1969 - 1973                Ariel Sharon                       (b. 1928)
1973                       Shmuel Gonen                       (b. 1930 - d. 1991)
1973                       Chaim Bar-Lev                      (b. 1924 - d. 1994)
1973 - 1974                Israel Tal                         (b. 1924)
1974                       Avraham Adan                       (b. 1926)
1974 - 1976                Yekutiel Adam                      (b. 1927 - d. 1982)
1976 - 1978                Hertzl Shapir
1978 - 1982                Dan Shomron                        (b. 1937 - d. 2008)
1982 - 1983                Chaim Erez
1983 - 1986                Moshe Bar-Kochba                   (b. 1930 - d. 1992)
1986                       Uri Sagi
1986 - 1989                Yitzhak Mordechai                  (b. 1944)
1989 - 1994                Matan Vilnai                       (b. 1944)
1994 - 1996                Shaul Mofaz                        (b. 1948)
1996 - 1997                Shlomo Yannai
1997 - 2000                Yom-Tov Samia
2000 - 2003                Doron Almog                        (b. 1951)
2003 - 2005                Dan Harel                          (b. 1955)

West Bank

UNEF

Commanders of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF)
(first in Suez Canal sector and Sinai Peninsula; later along Armistice 
Demarcation Line in Gaza area and international frontier in Sinai 
peninsula on the Egyptian side)
Nov 1956 - Dec 1959        E.L.M. Burns (Canada)              (b. 1897 - d. 1985)
                             (from 10 Mar 1957 in Gaza)
Dec 1959 - Jan 1964        P.S. Gyani (India)                 (b. 1910)
Jan 1964 - Aug 1964        Carlos F. Paiva Chaves (Brazil)
Aug 1964 - Jan 1965        Lazar Musicki (Yugoslavia)
                             (acting)
Jan 1965 - Jan 1966        Syseno Sarmento (Brazil)
Jan 1966 - Jun 1967        Indar J. Rikhye (India)            (b. 1920 - d. 2007)

  ¹There are some 296,700 Israeli settlers in the West Bank (2009) and approximately 192,800 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2008). 

 ²until Aug 2005 there were more than 5,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip.

Territorial Disputes: Israel along with U.S. and several other states protest the Arab League and 128 nations' recognition of Palestine's declaration of independence of 15 Nov 1988; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli - Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in Aug. 2005; Israel removed settlers and military personnel from the Gaza Strip in Aug. 2005; since 1948, peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region.

Party abbreviations: Fatah = Harakat al-Tahrar al-Filistini (Liberation Movement of Palestine); Hamas = Harakat al-Muqawima al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement, militant, islamist); PLO = Palestinian Liberation Organization (umbrella group for Palestinian liberation movements, includes Fatah); TWP = Third Way Party (centerist)