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:
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.
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;
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;
The two Sides will conclude a comprehensive agreement on all
Permanent Status issues within one year from the resumption of the
Permanent Status negotiations;
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:
On September 5, 1999, to transfer 7% from Area C to Area B;
On November 15, 1999, to transfer 2% from Area B to Area A and 3%
from Area C to Area B;
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
The two Sides shall establish a joint committee that shall follow-up
on matters related to release of Palestinian prisoners.
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;
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;
The joint committee shall recommend further lists of names to be
released to the relevant Authorities through the Monitoring and
Steering Committee;
The Israeli side will aim to release Palestinian prisoners before
next Ramadan.
4. Committees
The Third Further Redeployment Committee shall commence its
activities not later than September 13, 1999;
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;
The Continuing Committee on displaced persons shall resume its
activity on October 1, 1999 (Article XXVII, Interim Agreement);
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
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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:
The Israeli Side agrees that the Palestinian Side shall commence
construction works in and related to the Gaza Sea Port on October 1,
1999;
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;
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, with 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;
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;
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;
The two Sides will coordinate such works, including the designs and
movement, through a joint mechanism.
7. Hebron Issues
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 shall be carried out not later than October 30,
1999;
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;
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
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;
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:
continuation of the program for the collection of the illegal
weapons, including reports;
apprehension of suspects, including reports;
forwarding of the list of Palestinian policemen to the Israeli
Side not later than September 13, 1999;
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.
Posted by USIP Library on:
November 1 1999
Source Name:
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Source URL:
http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0fnq0
Date Downloaded:
September 8 1999
