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The
Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum on Implementation Timeline of
Outstanding Commitments of Agreements Signed and the
Resumption of Permanent Status Negotiations
The Government of the State of Israel
("GOI") and the Palestine Liberation
Organization ("PLO") commit themselves to full
and mutual implementation of the Interim Agreement and
all other agreements concluded between them since
September 1993 (hereinafter "the prior
agreements"), and all outstanding commitments
emanating from the prior agreements. Without derogating
from the other requirements of the prior agreements, the
two Sides have agreed as follows:
1. Permanent Status negotiations:
a.
In the context of the implementation of the prior
agreements, the two Sides will resume the Permanent
Status negotiations in an accelerated manner and will
make a determined effort to achieve their mutual goal of
reaching a Permanent Status Agreement based on the
agreed agenda i.e. the specific issues reserved for
Permanent Status negotiators and other issues of common
interest.
b.
The two Sides reaffirm their understanding that
the negotiations on the Permanent Status will lead to
the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 242
and 338;
c.
The two Sides will make a determined effort to
conclude a Framework Agreement on all Permanent Status
issues in five months from the resumption of the
Permanent Status negotiations;
d.
The two Sides will conclude a comprehensive
agreement on all Permanent Status issues within one year
from the resumption of the Permanent Status
negotiations;
e.
Permanent Status negotiations will resume after
the implementation of the first stage of release of
prisoners and the second stage of the First and Second
Further Redeployments and not later than September 13,
1999. In the Wye River Memorandum, the United States has
expressed its willingness to facilitate these
negotiations.
2. Phase One and Phase Two of the
Further Redeployments
The Israeli Side undertakes the
following with regard to Phase One and Phase Two of the
Further Redeployments:
a.
On September 5, 1999, to transfer 7% from Area C
to Area B;
b.
On November 15, 1999, to transfer 2% from Area B
to Area A and 3% from Area C to Area B;
c.
On January 20, 2000, to transfer 1% from Area C to
Area A, and 5.1% from Area B to Area A.
3. Release of Prisoners
a.
The two Sides shall establish a joint committee
that shall follow-up on matters related to release of
Palestinian prisoners.
b.
The Government of Israel shall release Palestinian
and other prisoners who committed their offences prior
to September 13, 1993, and were arrested prior to May 4,
1994. The Joint Committee shall agree on the names of
those who will be released in the first two stages.
Those lists shall be recommended to the relevant
Authorities through the Monitoring and Steering
Committee;
c.
The first stage of release of prisoners shall be
carried out on September 5, 1999 and shall consist of
200 prisoners. The second stage of release of prisoners
shall be carried out on October 8, 1999 and shall
consist of 150 prisoners;
d.
The joint committee shall recommend further lists
of names to be released to the relevant Authorities
through the Monitoring and Steering Committee;
e.
The Israeli side will aim to release Palestinian
prisoners before next Ramadan.
4. Committees
a.
The Third Further Redeployment Committee shall
commence its activities not later than September 13,
1999;
b.
The Monitoring and Steering Committee, all Interim
Committees (i.e. CAC, JEC, JSC, legal committee, people
to people), as well as Wye River Memorandum committees
shall resume and/or continue their activity, as the case
may be, not later than September 13, 1999. The
Monitoring and Steering Committee will have on its
agenda, inter alia, the Year 2000, Donor/PA projects in
Area C, and the issue of industrial estates;
c.
The Continuing Committee on displaced persons
shall resume its activity on October 1, 1999 (Article
XXVII, Interim Agreement);
d.
Not later than October 30, 1999, the two Sides
will implement the recommendations of the Ad-hoc
Economic Committee (article III-6, WRM).
5. Safe Passage
a.
The operation of the Southern Route of the Safe
Passage for the movement of persons, vehicles, and goods
will start on October 1, 1999 (Annex I, Article X,
Interim Agreement) in accordance with the details of
operation, which will be provided for in the Safe
Passage Protocol that will be concluded by the two Sides
not later than September 30, 1999;
b.
The two Sides will agree on the specific location
of the crossing point of the Northern Route of the Safe
Passage as specified in Annex I, Article X, provision
c-4, in the Interim Agreement not later than October 5,
1999;
c.
The Safe Passage Protocol applied to the Southern
Route of the Safe Passage shall apply to the Northern
Route of the Safe Passage with relevant agreed
modifications;
d.
Upon the agreement on the location of the crossing
point of the Northern Route of the Safe Passage,
construction of the needed facilities and related
procedures shall commence and shall be ongoing. At the
same time, temporary facilities will be established for
the operation of the Northern Route not later than four
months from the agreement on the specific location of
the crossing-point;
e.
In between the operation of the Southern crossing
point of the Safe Passage and the Northern crossing
point of the Safe Passage, Israel will facilitate
arrangements for the movement between the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip, using non-Safe Passage routes other than
the Southern Route of the Safe Passage;
f.
The location of the crossing points shall be
without prejudice to the Permanent Status negotiations
(Annex I, Article X, provision e, Interim Agreement).
6. Gaza Sea Port
The two Sides have agreed on the
following principles to facilitate and enable the
construction works of the Gaza Sea Port. The principles
shall not prejudice or preempt the outcome of
negotiations on the Permanent Status:
a.
The Israeli Side agrees that the Palestinian Side
shall commence construction works in and related to the
Gaza Sea Port on October 1, 1999;
b.
The two Sides agree that the Gaza Sea Port will
not be operated in any way before reaching a joint Sea
Port protocol on all aspects of operating the Port,
including security;
c.
The Gaza Sea Port is a special case, like the Gaza
Airport, being situated in an area under the
responsibility of the Palestinian Side and serving as an
international passage. Therefore, until the conclusion
of a joint Sea Port Protocol, all activities and
arrangements relating to the construction of the Port
shall be in accordance with the provisions of the
Interim Agreement, especially those relating to
international passages, as adapted in the Gaza Airport
Protocol;
d.
The construction shall ensure adequate provision
for effective security and customs inspection of people
and goods, as well as the establishment of a designated
checking area in the Port;
e.
In this context, the Israeli side will facilitate
on an on-going basis the works related to the
construction of the Gaza Sea Port, including the
movement in and out of the Port of vessels, equipment,
resources, and material required for the construction of
the Port;
f.
The two Sides will coordinate such works,
including the designs and movement, through a joint
mechanism.
7. Hebron Issues
a.
The Shuhada Road in Hebron shall be opened for the
movement of Palestinian vehicles in two phases. The
first phase has been carried out, and the second phase
shall be carried out not later than October 30, 1999;
b.
The wholesale market-Hasbahe will be opened not
later than November 1, 1999, in accordance with
arrangements which will be agreed upon by the two Sides;
c.
A high level Joint Liaison Committee will convene
not later than September 13, 1999 to review the
situation in the Tomb of the Patriarchs / Al Haram Al
Ibrahimi (Annex I, Article VII, Interim Agreement and as
per the January 15, 1998 US Minute of Discussion).
8. Security
a.
The two Sides will, in accordance with the prior
agreements, act to ensure the immediate, efficient and
effective handling of any incident involving a threat or
act of terrorism, violence or incitement, whether
committed by Palestinians or Israelis. To this end, they
will cooperate in the exchange of information and
coordinate policies and activities. Each side shall
immediately and effectively respond to the occurrence or
anticipated occurrence of an act of terrorism, violence
or incitement and shall take all necessary measures to
prevent such an occurrence;
b.
Pursuant to the prior agreements, the Palestinian
side undertakes to implement its responsibilities for
security, security cooperation, on-going obligations and
other issues emanating from the prior agreements,
including, in particular, the following obligations
emanating from the Wye River Memorandum:
1.
continuation of the program for the collection of
the illegal weapons, including reports;
2.
apprehension of suspects, including reports;
3.
forwarding of the list of Palestinian policemen to
the Israeli Side not later than September 13, 1999;
4.
beginning of the review of the list by the
Monitoring and Steering Committee not later than October
15, 1999.
9. The two Sides call upon the
international donor community to enhance its commitment
and financial support to the Palestinian economic
development and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
10. 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.
11. Obligations pertaining to dates,
which occur on holidays or Saturdays, shall be carried
out on the first subsequent working day.
This memorandum will enter into force
one week from the date of its signature.1
Made and signed in Sharm el-Sheikh, this fourth day of
September 1999.
For the Government of the State of
Israel
For the PLO
Witnessed by
For the Arab Republic of Egypt
For the United States of America
For the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
1
It is understood that, for technical reasons,
implementation of Article 2-a and the first stage
mentioned in Article 3-c will be carried out within a
week from the signing of this Memorandum.
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