Editing Palestinian Authority (section)

===Administrative divisions===
{{main|Governorates of Palestine}}
{{see also|Municipality (Palestinian Authority)|List of cities administered by the Palestinian Authority|West Bank areas in the Oslo II Accord}}

The governorates ({{langx|ar|محافظات}} ''muhafazat'') of the Palestinian Authority were founded in 1995 to replace the 8 Israeli military districts of the [[Israeli Civil Administration|Civil Administration]]: 11 governorates in the West Bank and 5 in the Gaza Strip. The governorates are not regulated in any official law of decree by the Palestinian Authority<ref name=AFD>{{cite web|quote=The governorates (or muhafazat) make up the regional level. They are under the direct supervision of the Ministry of the Interior and are led by directors nominated by the President of the Palestinian Authority. They are characterized by true legal ambiguity insomuch as no text of law or decree from the Palestinian Authority regulates their activities. In practice, however, the regional governors (muhafiz) are in charge of the Palestinian police force within their administrative jurisdictions. They are also responsible for coordinating some state services (health, education, transportation, etc.) at the regional level. Management of the conflicting interests or priorities of various deconcentrated services is handled by the Prime Minister's office...These administrative divisions serve as electoral constituencies.|last1=Singoles|first1=Aude|title=Local Government in Palestine |url=http://www.afd.fr/jahia/webdav/site/afd/shared/PUBLICATIONS/RECHERCHE/Scientifiques/Focales/02-VA-Focales.pdf |publisher=[[French Development Agency]]|access-date=12 September 2016}}</ref> but they are regulated by Presidential decrees, mainly Presidential Decree No. 22 of 2003, regarding the powers of the governors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Update of Diagnostic Report for the Local Governance System in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) PART 1 Update on Major Interventions in the Local Governance Sector since 2004|url=http://www.undp.ps/en/newsroom/publications/pdf/other/lgsp.pdf|publisher=United Nations Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP), Local Governance Support Programme (LGSP) in the Occupied Palestinian territory (oPt.)|access-date=13 September 2016|page=21|date=June 2009|quote=Governorates are mainly regulated by Presidential decrees, mainly the PD No., (22) of 2003 regarding the competences of governors.|archive-date=12 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012085411/http://www.undp.ps/en/newsroom/publications/pdf/other/lgsp.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The regional governors ({{langx|ar|محافظ}} ''muhafiz'') are appointed by the President. They are in charge of the Palestinian police force in their jurisdiction as well as coordinating state services such as education, health and transportation. The governorates are under the direct supervision of the [[Interior Minister of the Palestinian National Authority|Interior Ministry]].<ref name=AFD/>

The governorates in the West Bank are grouped into [[Palestinian enclaves|three areas per the Oslo II Accord]]. Area A forms 18% of the West Bank by area, and is administered by the Palestinian Authority.<ref name="Zahriyeh2014">{{cite news|last=Zahriyeh|first=Ehab|title=Maps: The occupation of the West Bank|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/multimedia/2014/7/west-bank-security.html|date=4 July 2014|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]|access-date=8 August 2014|archive-date=16 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716232147/http://america.aljazeera.com/multimedia/2014/7/west-bank-security.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gvirtzman">{{cite web |last= Gvirtzman |first= Haim |url=http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/besa/books/maps.htm |title=Maps of Israeli Interests in Judea and Samaria|publisher=[[Bar-Ilan University]]|access-date=8 August 2014|url-status=live|archive-date=11 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111015009/http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/besa/books/maps.htm}}</ref> Area B forms 22% of the West Bank, and is under Palestinian civil control, and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control.<ref name="Zahriyeh2014"/><ref name="Gvirtzman"/> [[Area C (West Bank)|Area C]], except [[East Jerusalem]], forms 60% of the West Bank, and is administered by the [[Israeli Civil Administration]], except that the Palestinian Authority provides the education and medical services to the 150,000 Palestinians in the area.<ref name="Zahriyeh2014"/> 70.3% of Area C (40.5% of the West Bank) is off limit to Palestinian construction and development. These areas include areas under jurisdiction of Israeli settlements, closed military zones, nature reserves and national parks and areas designated by Israel as "state land".<ref>{{cite web|title=Taking control of land and designating areas off-limits to Palestinian use|url=http://www.btselem.org/area_c/taking_over_land|publisher=[[B'tselem]]|access-date=11 September 2016|date=30 October 2013}}</ref> There are about 330,000 Israelis living in [[Israeli settlement|settlements]] in Area C,<ref name="CBS2010">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/group-israel-controls-42-of-west-bank/|title=Group: Israel Controls 42% of West Bank|publisher=[[CBS News]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=8 August 2014|archive-date=8 August 2014|date=6 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808220117/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/group-israel-controls-42-of-west-bank/|url-status=live}}</ref> in the [[Israeli-occupied West Bank]]. Although Area C is under [[martial law]], Israelis living there are judged in Israeli civil courts.<ref name="CERD1416">{{cite report|url=http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/docs/CERD.C.ISR.CO.14-16.pdf|title=Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention|date=9 March 2012|page=6|publisher=UN [[Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination]]|access-date=8 August 2014|url-status=live|archive-date=18 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718223839/http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/docs/CERD.C.ISR.CO.14-16.pdf}}</ref>
{{legend|lightyellow|Cities in the West Bank}}
{{legend|#D2FFD2|Cities in the Gaza Strip}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Area<ref>{{cite web|title=Palestine |url=http://www.geohive.com/cntry/palestine.aspx |website=GeoHive |publisher=Johan van der Heyden |access-date=3 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162009/http://www.geohive.com/cntry/palestine.aspx |archive-date=14 July 2014 }}</ref> !! Population !! Density !! ''muhfaza'' or district capital
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Jenin Governorate|Jenin]]''' || 583 || 311,231 || 533.84 || [[Jenin]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Tubas Governorate|Tubas]]''' || 402 || 64,719 || 160.99 || [[Tubas (city)|Tubas]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Tulkarm Governorate|Tulkarm]]''' || 246 || 182,053 || 740.05 || [[Tulkarm]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Nablus Governorate|Nablus]]''' || 605 || 380,961 || 629.68 || [[Nablus]] 
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Qalqilya Governorate|Qalqiliya]]''' || 166 || 110,800 || 667.46 || [[Qalqilya]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Salfit Governorate|Salfit]]''' || 204 || 70,727 || 346.7 || [[Salfit]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Ramallah Governorate|Ramallah & Al-Bireh]]''' || 855 || 348,110 || 407.14 || [[Ramallah]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Jericho Governorate|Jericho & Al Aghwar]]''' || 593 || 52,154 || 87.94 || [[Jericho]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Jerusalem Governorate|Jerusalem]]''' || 345 || 419,108<sup>a</sup> || 1214.8<sup>a</sup> || [[Jerusalem]] ([[Positions on Jerusalem|''De Jure'' and disputed]])
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Bethlehem Governorate|Bethlehem]]''' || 659 || 216,114 || 927.94 || [[Bethlehem]]
|-bgcolor="lightyellow"
| '''[[Hebron Governorate|Hebron]]''' || 997 || 706,508 || 708.63 || [[Hebron]]
|-bgcolor="#D2FFD2"
| '''[[North Gaza Governorate|North Gaza]]''' || 61 || 362,772 || 5947.08 || [[Jabalya]]
|-bgcolor="#D2FFD2"
| '''[[Gaza Governorate|Gaza]]''' || 74 || 625,824 || 8457.08 || [[Gaza City]]
|-bgcolor="#D2FFD2"
| '''[[Deir al-Balah Governorate|Deir Al-Balah]]''' || 58 || 264,455 || 4559.56 || [[Deir al-Balah]]
|-bgcolor="#D2FFD2"
| '''[[Khan Yunis Governorate|Khan Yunis]]''' || 108 || 341,393 || 3161.04 || [[Khan Yunis]]
|-bgcolor="#D2FFD2"
| '''[[Rafah Governorate|Rafah]]''' || 64 || 225,538 || 3524.03 || [[Rafah]]
|}

a. Data from Jerusalem includes occupied [[East Jerusalem]] with its Israeli population

East Jerusalem is administered as part of the [[Jerusalem District]] of Israel, but is claimed by Palestine as part of the [[Jerusalem Governorate]]. It was annexed by Israel in 1980,<ref name="Zahriyeh2014"/> but this annexation is not recognised by any other country.<ref>{{cite book |first=Tobias|last=Kelly |title=Rules of Law and Laws of Ruling: On the Governance of Law- Laws of Suspicion:Legal Status, Space and the Impossibility of Separation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank |editor1-first=Franz|editor1-last=Von Benda-Beckmann |editor2-first=Keebet|editor2-last=Von Benda-Beckmann |editor3-first=Julia M.|editor3-last=Eckert |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |date=May 2009 |page=91 |isbn=978-0-7546-7239-5}}</ref> Of the 456,000 people in East Jerusalem, roughly 60% are Palestinians and 40% are Israelis.<ref name="Zahriyeh2014"/><ref name="ChoshenEtKorach2010">{{cite report|url=http://jiis.org/.upload/facts-2010-eng%20%281%29.pdf|title=Jerusalem, Facts and Trends 2009/2010|page=11|publisher=[[Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies]]|access-date=8 August 2014|archive-date=2 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702001634/http://jiis.org/.upload/facts-2010-eng%20%281%29.pdf|url-status=dead|year=2010}}</ref>