Limited natural resources include copper, phosphates, sand, and sulfur. Desertification, an inadequate fresh water supply, and poor sewage treatment are Palestine's primary environmental concerns. People More than 2,600,000 people live in Palestine. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January of 1996. The DOP provides for the retaining of responsibility by Israel during the transitional period for external and internal security and public order of settlements and Israelis.
Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiation.
Economy Economic progress in Palestine has been severely hampered by tight Israeli security restrictions which deny the movement of goods and people. Additionally, in response to the Persian Gulf crisis, many Palestinians returned to the West Bank, further increasing unemployment while export revenues dropped because of the shrinking of markets in Jordan and the Gulf States. In 1996, an estimated 525,000 Palestinians were in refugee camps.