History
On 25 February 1994, an
Israeli citizen and resident of the Kiryat
Arba Settlement opened fire at the Ibrahimi
Mosque/Cave
of Machpela during Friday dawn prayers,
killing 29 Palestinian worshippers. The UN
Security Council's Resolution No. 904 condemned the massacre and called for measures
to be taken to guarantee the safety and protection
of the Palestinians throughout the occupied
territory. This resolution called for a temporary
international presence, which was provided
for in the Declaration
of Principles of 13 September 1993.
Following the massacre in Hebron, Yasser
Arafat announced a PLO's withdrawal from any further peace negotiation
with Israel unless Israel agreed to a presence
of international observers in the city of
Hebron. On 31 March 1994, representatives
from the PLO and Israel signed an agreement
asking Italy, Denmark and Norway to provide
support staff and observers for a Temporary
International Presence in the City of Hebron
(TIPH). Its main mandate would be to assist
in promoting stability and restoring normal
life in the city of Hebron.
The three countries responded positively
to the request and a team representing all
three nations arrived in the West Bank in
early April the same year in order to make
a logistical assessment. The TIPH mission
was subsequently set up on 8 May 1994. Moreover,
the PLO and the Israeli government, could
not reach an agreement on an extension of
the mandate, and TIPH withdrew from Hebron
on 8 August 1994.
The peace negotiations between the PLO and
the Israeli government continued. The Interim
Agreement on the West
Bank and the Gaza
Strip (also known as "Taba,"
or "Oslo II Agreement"), dated 28
September 1995, called for partial redeployment
of the Israeli
Defense Forces (IDF) from Hebron. An article
in the same agreement called for another temporary
international presence to be established,
this time during the redeployment of the IDF
from the city. Subsequently, negotiations
were initiated between the two parties and
Norway on the establishment of a TIPH in accordance
with the Interim Agreement.
Norway had already committed itself to participation
in a TIPH mission through its involvement
in, and support of, the Interim Agreement.
The agreement now being drafted by the Palestinian
Authority and the Israeli
Government, called for Norway to establish
a TIPH mission with Norwegian members only.
The TIPH mission established under this agreement
would then be replaced by a new TIPH mission
under a new agreement, upon the IDF's redeployment
in Hebron. The second TIPH mission was set
up on 12 May 1996. It had its mandate renewed
on a monthly basis awaiting the partial Israeli
redeployment from Hebron, which finally took
place on 17 January 1997.
The two parties signed a new agreement on
21 January 1997. It called for Norway, Italy,
Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey to
provide personnel for TIPH, with Norway in
the role as coordinator. The agreement also
delineated the tasks of TIPH and set the mandate
period to three months, renewable for an additional
period of three months, unless otherwise agreed
between the two sides. Furthermore, with the
consent of the two sides, the TIPH could extend
the period or change its scope of operation,
as agreed.
The six participating countries signed a
Memorandum of Understanding pursuant to the
Agreement on TIPH in Oslo on 30 January 1997.
On 1 February 1997, the multinational TIPH
mission entered into force.
Sources: Temporary
International Presence in Hebron |