sep 4, 1999 - Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum

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The Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum was signed on September 4, 1999, by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, overseen by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. It was witnessed and co-signed by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah.

The memorandum aimed to implement the Oslo II Accord of September 1995 and other previous agreements between the PLO and Israel. Its primary goals were to resume permanent status negotiations and implement further Israeli withdrawals from the West Bank, release 350 Palestinian prisoners, open safe passages between the West Bank and Gaza, and build a seaport in Gaza. A framework agreement on permanent status (FAPS) was to be achieved by February 2000 and a permanent agreement by September 2000.

Redeployments included:

On September 5, 1999: Transfer 7% from Area C to Area B.
On November 15, 1999: Transfer 2% from Area B to Area A and 3% from Area C to Area B.
On January 20, 2000: Transfer 1% from Area C to Area A and 5.1% from Area B to Area A.
The memorandum also included the establishment of various committees to monitor redeployments, safe passage routes, and crossing points, and addressed the situation in the Tomb of the Patriarchs/Al Haram Al Ibrahimi. It stipulated that neither side would take steps to change the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, addressed the peaceful functioning of the Gaza seaport and airport, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and anti-terrorism measures. It called on the international community to enhance financial support for Palestinian economic development and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

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