This chapter analyses the aftermath of the Oslo Accords, examining their achievements, limitations and lasting consequences. In 1994, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres received the Nobel Peace Prize for their peace efforts. The Declaration of Principles (DoP) created the Palestinian Authority (PA), granting it control over civilian affairs and internal security, while Israel retained external security. Key milestones followed: Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho (May 1994), Arafat’s return to Gaza (July) and Oslo II (September 1995), which divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C – an arrangement that heavily favoured Israel and fragmented Palestinian governance.

Implementation quickly faltered. Hamas and Islamic Jihad exploited PA weaknesses, while suicide bombings in Israeli cities shattered trust. Rabin’s assassination in 1995 devastated the process, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s 1996 election halted progress. President Bill Clinton’s 1998 Wye River Summit and the 1999 Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum revived talks briefly, but by not sufficiently addressing core issues – settlements and terrorism – the Oslo process remained fragile and ultimately failed to achieve lasting peace.