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The Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) was an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) signed on 15 November 2005 aimed at improving Palestinian freedom of movement and economic activity within the Palestinian territories, and open the Rafah Crossing on the Gaza–Egypt border. AMA was described as: ″an agreement on facilitating the movement of people and goods within the Palestinian Territories and on opening an international crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border that will put the Palestinians in control of the entry and exit of people.″ Part of the agreement was the Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing.

Background and purposes

Following the start of the Second Intifada in September 2000, Israel considerably restricted Palestinian freedom of movement within the Palestinian territories and between the territories and the rest of the world. At the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit on 8 February 2005 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed that all Palestinian factions would stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere, while Israel would cease all its military activity against all Palestinians everywhere. They also reaffirmed their commitment to the Roadmap for peace process. Sharon also agreed to release 900 Palestinian prisoners of the 7,500 being held at the time, and to withdraw from West Bank towns that had been reoccupied during the intifada. Many consider the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit to mark the end of the Second Intifada.

The Israel Defense Forces and Israeli settlers left the Gaza Strip on 1 September 2005 as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan. Under the Oslo Accords of 1993, signed by Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Israel was given control of all borders of the Palestinian territories. However, following the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, while retaining its rights under the Oslo Accords, Israel handed control of the Egyptian side of the Egypt–Gaza border to Egypt, while the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority was given control on the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing.

To improve the living conditions of the Palestinians and further the peace negotiations, Israel and the Palestinian Authority concluded the AMA. The stated goal of AMA was ″To promote peaceful economic development and improve the humanitarian situation on the ground″.

Content of the Agreement

The Agreement on Movement and Access provided:

• the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt would be opened as soon as possible under control of the PA, and under supervision of the European Union. Goods were also permitted transit at the Karni crossing.
• A "Safe Passage" would be established between Gaza and the West Bank.
• The number of "obstacles to movement" in the West Bank would be reduced to the maximum extent possible to be completed by 31 December 2005.
• The construction of a seaport in Gaza could commence.
• The parties would continue discussions on the establishment of an airport.

The Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing were:

• Rafah Crossing was to be operated by the Palestinian Authority on its side, and Egypt on its side.
• Only people with Palestinian ID, or foreign nationals, by exception, in certain categories, subject to Israeli oversight, were to be permitted to cross in and out. The PA should notify the Israeli authorities 48 hours in advance of the crossing of a person in the excepted categories.
• Rafah would be used for export of goods to Egypt, subject to rigid control. Imports must be cleared by PA customs officials at Kerem Shalom under the supervision of Israeli customs agents.

Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority

On 25 January 2006, Hamas decisively won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election, and on 29 March, a new PA government led by Hamas leader, Ismail Haniya, was formed. However, Hamas leaders refused to accept conditions set by Israel and the Quartet on the Middle East for any relations by them with the Hamas-led PA government, namely recognition of Israel, the disavowal of violent actions, and acceptance of previous agreements between Israel and the PA, including the Oslo Accords. In consequence, Israel and the Quartet ceased providing aid to the PA and stopped all dialogue with any member of the Hamas-led PA government, and imposed sanctions against the PA under Hamas.

With these sequence of events, the AMA ceased to be of any relevance.

In June 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and replaced Fatah officials with Hamas members. Following the takeover, Egypt and Israel largely sealed their border crossings with Gaza, on the grounds that Fatah had fled and the PA was no longer providing security on the Palestinian side. The sanctions against the West Bank part of the Palestinian territories were lifted.

References

1. ^ Agreed documents by Israel and Palestinians on Movement and Access from and to Gaza Archived 15 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine. "Agreement on Movement and Access" and "Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing", 15 November 2005
2. Tanya Reinhart, The Road to Nowhere, Verso, London 2006 pp.134–5
3. Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Essential Reference Guide (2014), Priscilla Roberts (editor), ISBN 9781610690683
4. Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing. 18 December 2017
5. Excerpts from President Mahmoud Abbas’ Speech to the Opening of the PLC. Palestine-Israel Journal, Vol 13 No. 1, May 2006
6. John Pike. "Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement)". Globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
7. Black, Ian; Tran, Mark (15 June 2007). "Hamas takes control of Gaza". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 31 August 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
8. Dion Nissenbaum. "Olmert aide supports free Gaza" Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. McClatchy Newspapers. 8 December 2008.

External links

• Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing. 18 December 2017

• Use dmy dates from February 2013
• Israeli–Palestinian peace process
• Treaties of Israel
• Treaties of the State of Palestine