Osloakkoorden

Osloakkoorden, commonly referred to as the Oslo Accords, are a set of interim agreements between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that aimed to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through direct negotiations. They emerged from secret talks in Oslo, Norway, in the late 1980s and early 1990s and represented the first direct, publicly acknowledged acknowledgments between the two sides.

Oslo I, or the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, was signed in 1993. It established mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO, created the Palestinian Authority to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza, and set a five-year interim framework leading toward a final-status agreement. The accord outlined phased security arrangements and civil governance to enable Palestinian self-rule during the interim period.

Oslo II, or the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, signed in 1995, expanded Palestinian autonomy and introduced a territorial division of the West Bank into Areas A, B, and C, with differing levels of Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control. It provided for further redeployments of Israeli forces, the creation of elected Palestinian municipalities and security forces, and a timetable for additional negotiations on final-status issues.

Impact and assessment: The accords marked a significant political breakthrough by creating a framework for cooperation and Palestinian self-government. They did not resolve core disputes over borders, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, refugees, or other final-status questions. The process faced internal and external opposition, violence, and political shifts, and many of its hoped-for outcomes were not realized, limiting the prospect of a comprehensive peace settlement.