The West Bank is a territory with a complex and contested ownership and governance status.

Current Control Breakdown

• Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has occupied the West Bank, administering it through military and civil authorities, except for East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1980 (though this annexation is not widely recognized internationally).

• The West Bank is divided into three areas under the Oslo Accords:
  • Area A (about 11-17% of the West Bank) is under full Palestinian Authority control (civil and security).
  • Area B (about 28%) is under Palestinian civil control and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control.
  • Area C (about 60%) is under full Israeli control, including security, administration, and control of natural resources. This area also has most of the Israeli settlements.

Israeli Settlements and Legal Status

• There are approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, living under Israeli civil law, while Palestinians are subject to Palestinian Authority laws in some areas and Israeli military law in others.

• The international community, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, generally regards the West Bank as occupied Palestinian territory and considers Israeli settlements there illegal under international law. Israel disputes this characterization, viewing the territory as disputed and subject to negotiation.

Historical Claims and Sovereignty

• Before 1967, the West Bank was controlled and annexed by Jordan from 1948 until it relinquished its claim in 1988.

• The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank as a result of the Oslo Accords but does not have full sovereignty over the entire territory.

In summary, the West Bank is primarily under Israeli military occupation, with partial administrative control delegated to the Palestinian Authority in certain areas. Ownership and sovereignty claims remain highly disputed and unresolved, with strong international advocacy for Palestinian statehood and Israeli security concerns coexisting in this contested region.