Agreements signed by Israel and the PLO prohibit actions which destroy the territorial integrity and status or otherwise change the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Settlements and the related system of by-pass roads dissect the West Bank and Gaza Strip into blocks and cantons, isolating villages and cities from each other, destroying economic viability and the social cohesion of Palestinian society. On April 5, 2001, the European Union affirmed that settlement activity violates the integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territories in describing its effect on Palestinian land: "Settlements change the physical character and demographic composition of the occupied territories."
The following are excerpts from relevant agreements
I. Altering the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.
Wye Memorandum, Article V (October 1998)
Recognizing the necessity to create a positive environment for the negotiations, neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in accordance with the Interim Agreement.
Recognizing the necessity to create a positive environment for the negotiations, neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in accordance with the Interim Agreement.
Sharm El-Sheikh Memorandum, Excerpts from the American Letter of Assurance (September 1999)
We note that Israelis and Palestinians have committed themselves to using negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and to reaching a comprehensive permanent status agreement within one year. In order for these negotiations to succeed on such an accelerated basis, it is essential to create the right environment. In this regard, as good faith negotiations proceed, neither side should take unilateral actions that undermine this environment.
...we are conscious of your concerns about settlement activity. As President Clinton has written to you in the past, the United States knows how destructive settlement activity has been to the pursuit of Palestinian - Israeli peace.
Sharm El-Sheikh Memorandum, Excerpts from the European Letter of Assurance (September 1999)
The European Union reiterates its call on both parties to refrain from activities which prejudge the outcome of the final status negotiations and from any activity contrary to international law, including all settlement activity...
II. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a Single Territorial Unit
Declaration of Principles, Article IV, Jurisdiction (September 1993)
The two sides view the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a single territorial unit, whose integrity will be preserved during the interim period.
The two Parties view the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a single territorial unit, the integrity of which will be preserved during the interim period.
The Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area shall continue to be an integral part of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and their status shall not be changed for the period of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be considered to change this status.
The two sides view the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a single territorial unit, the integrity and status of which will be preserved during the interim period.
The two parties view the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a single territorial unit, the integrity and status of which will be preserved during the interim period.
Interim Agreement, Annex I, Article 1, Clauses 2-4 (September 1995)
In order to maintain the territorial integrity of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a single territorial unit, and to promote their economic growth and the demographic and geographical links between them, both sides shall implement the provisions of this Annex, while respecting and preserving without obstacles, normal and smooth movement of people, vehicles, and goods within the West Bank, and between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Any security arrangements and measures which become effective commensurate with the redeployment of the Israeli military forces will not undermine the importance of, nor will they prejudice, the Palestinian development programs and projects for reconstruction and development of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as the moral and physical dignity of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
