As a result of the 1993–1995 Oslo Accords, the Fatah-controlled government body known as the Palestinian National Authority (also known as the Palestinian Authority) exercises partial civil control over West Bank areas "A" and "B." This body is officially known as the State of Palestine. Prior to the Palestinian elections in 2006 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza between the Fatah and Hamas parties, when it lost control to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority controlled the Gaza Strip. Despite Hamas' de facto control, the Palestinian Authority (PA) maintains its claim to the Gaza Strip. Although the United Nations continues to recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as the "representative of the Palestinian people," the Palestinian Authority has been using the name "State of Palestine" on official documents since January 2013.

The Gaza–Jericho Agreement between the PLO and the Israeli government established the Palestinian Authority in 1994 as a five-year interim body. The two parties were then supposed to continue their discussions regarding its final status. The Oslo Accords stipulated that the Palestinian Authority would exercise sole civilian control over Palestinian rural areas in "Area B" and only security-related control over Palestinian urban areas in "Area A." The remaining territories, also known as "Area C," were to remain under Israeli control. These territories included Israeli settlements, the Jordan Valley, and bypass roads that connected Palestinian communities to one another. The Accords did not include East Jerusalem. The Authority had gained further control of some areas through negotiations with several Israeli governments; however, control was lost in some areas when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retook several strategic positions during the Second ("Al-Aqsa") Intifada. After the Second Intifada in 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from its settlements in the Gaza Strip. This allowed the Palestinian Authority to take control of the entire strip while Israel maintained control of the crossing points, airspace, and coastal waters.