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Intifada and Oslo Accords ISC Class 12 History Notes

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HistoryISC Class 12 · The Middle East: The Israeli-Palestine Conflict

The Intifada, Changing Attitudes and the Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995 (ISC Class 12 History)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation from December 1987, changed attitudes: the PLO recognised Israel in 1988, and Israel under Rabin accepted talks. Oslo I (13 September 1993) provided mutual recognition and Palestinian self-rule beginning in Gaza and Jericho; Oslo II (1995) divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C. It failed to bring peace because the hardest issues were postponed and violence and settlements continued.

Understand The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995)

What the syllabus asks. "Oslo Peace Accords (1993 & 1995). Intifada and the change in attitude of Israel and the PLO leading to the Oslo Peace Accords I (1993) and II (1995). Assessment of the main features of each. Why it failed to bring peace." Four parts: Intifada, change, features of each accord, failure.

1. The Intifada. "Intifada" is Arabic for "shaking off". It was a mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza that began in December 1987. Methods included stone-throwing by youths, strikes, demonstrations, boycott of Israeli goods, refusal to pay taxes and other civil disobedience. The militant group Hamas emerged in 1987.

2. Change in attitude.

  • *PLO.* Weakened in exile and losing ground to Hamas, it accepted UN Resolution 242, recognised Israel's right to exist and renounced terrorism (1988). After backing Iraq in the Gulf War (1991) it lost Gulf funding and needed a settlement.
  • *Israel.* The Intifada was costly and damaged Israel's image; the Labour government of Yitzhak Rabin (1992) was readier to negotiate.
  • *International.* The end of the Cold War and the Madrid Conference (1991) under US-Soviet sponsorship opened talks; secret talks were held in Norway.

3. Oslo I (Declaration of Principles, Washington, 13 September 1993). Signed by Rabin and Arafat in President Clinton's presence.
1. *Mutual recognition:* the PLO recognised Israel's right to exist; Israel recognised the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians.
2. Palestinian self-rule for an interim period of five years, starting in Gaza and Jericho, with Israeli withdrawal from these areas.
3. A Palestinian Authority and an elected council to govern these areas.
4. "Permanent status" issues (Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, borders, security) to be negotiated later.
Rabin, Peres and Arafat shared the Nobel Peace Prize (1994).

4. Oslo II (Interim Agreement, September 1995).
1. The West Bank was divided into Area A (full Palestinian control of the main towns), Area B (Palestinian civil control, joint security) and Area C (full Israeli control, the largest area).
2. Israeli troops were to withdraw from six major West Bank towns.
3. Elections to a Palestinian Legislative Council and for the head of the Authority were held in January 1996, and Arafat was elected.

5. Why Oslo failed to bring peace.
1. The hardest questions (Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, borders) were postponed and never settled.
2. Rabin was assassinated by an Israeli extremist (November 1995).
3. Hamas and Islamic Jihad rejected Oslo and carried out suicide bombings; Israeli extremists also opposed it.
4. The Likud government of Benjamin Netanyahu (1996) did not accept the spirit of Oslo and slowed withdrawals.
5. Israeli settlements in the occupied territories kept expanding.
6. Daily life for Palestinians did not improve: closures, checkpoints and unemployment.
7. The Palestinian Authority was seen as corrupt and authoritarian, losing support.
8. Distrust on both sides, and the USA was not seen by all as a neutral mediator; talks at Camp David in 2000 failed and the Second Intifada broke out in September 2000.

Neutral wording. Attribute positions: say what the PLO, Israel and others claimed; do not describe either people in general terms.

The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995): key facts

Oslo I (13 September 1993)
  • Mutual recognition
  • Five-year interim self-rule
  • Gaza and Jericho first
  • Palestinian Authority and council
  • Permanent status issues postponed
Rabin and Arafat, Clinton present.
Oslo II (September 1995)
  • Area A
  • Area B
  • Area C
  • Withdrawal from six towns
  • Elections January 1996
West Bank divided in three.
Postponed issues
  • Jerusalem
  • Refugees
  • Settlements
  • Borders
  • Security
Never settled.

How to answer The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995) questions

Expect a combined question: Intifada and change of attitude (4 marks), features of Oslo I/II (6 marks) and reasons for failure (6 marks).

  1. 1Define Intifada and give the date and methods.
  2. 2State the change in attitude of each side with one fact.
  3. 3Write features of Oslo I and II separately, using numbered points.
  4. 4Give five or six reasons for failure and close with the Second Intifada of 2000.

The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995) in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Postponing the hardest part

Suppose two neighbours agree to share a driveway and street lamp but leave the question of who owns the boundary wall for later.

What may happen when the wall question returns?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The easy agreements build some trust.
  2. The unsolved question remains a source of conflict.
  3. When talks resume, positions may be harder.

Answer: Delaying the hardest issues can leave the core dispute alive; Oslo postponed Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and borders.

Memory hook: Leave the hardest, face it later.

Spoilers

Imagine a peace between two groups in a neighbourhood that is opposed by a few members on each side who plan incidents to break it.

How can a few people harm a peace?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Violent acts create fear and anger.
  2. Leaders face pressure to harden their stance.
  3. Trust is lost.

Answer: Extremists on both sides, such as those who assassinated Rabin or carried out bombings, can derail peace; this happened after Oslo.

Memory hook: A few can spoil a peace.

Tricks to remember The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995)

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • A-B-C of Oslo II

    Area A Palestinian control, Area B shared, Area C Israeli control.

    Use it when: West Bank division.

  • J-R-S-B-S for postponed issues

    Jerusalem, Refugees, Settlements, Borders, Security.

    Use it when: What Oslo left for later.

The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995): solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: The Intifada · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

What was the Intifada and when did it begin? Name two methods used. [3]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. A Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation (1 mark).
  2. December 1987 (1 mark).
  3. Two methods: stone-throwing, strikes, boycotts (1 mark).

Answer: The Intifada ("shaking off") was a mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, beginning in December 1987. Its methods included stone-throwing by youths, strikes, demonstrations and the boycott of Israeli goods.

Example 2: Oslo I · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

State two features of the Oslo I Accord of 1993. [2]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Mutual recognition (1 mark).
  2. Self-rule starting in Gaza and Jericho (1 mark).

Answer: First, the PLO and Israel recognised each other. Second, the Palestinians would have interim self-rule for five years, starting in Gaza and Jericho, under a Palestinian Authority.

Example 3: Change of attitudes · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain how the Intifada and other developments changed the attitudes of Israel and the PLO between 1987 and 1993. [6]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. PLO: 1988 recognition and renunciation (2 marks).
  2. PLO: loss of Gulf funding and Hamas (1 mark).
  3. Israel: cost, image, Rabin (2 marks).
  4. International: Madrid and Norway (1 mark).

Answer: The PLO, weakened in exile and facing the rise of Hamas, accepted UN Resolution 242, recognised Israel's right to exist and renounced terrorism in 1988; after backing Iraq in the Gulf War it lost Gulf funding and needed a settlement. In Israel, the Intifada proved costly and damaged the country's image, and the Labour government of Rabin, elected in 1992, was readier to negotiate. The end of the Cold War and the Madrid Conference of 1991 opened talks, and secret talks in Norway produced the Oslo agreements.

Example 4: Oslo I and II · 8 marks · Long answerHarder board level

How did the second Oslo agreement build on the first, and what did each agreement actually settle? [8]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Oslo I: recognition, self-rule, Authority, postponement (4 marks).
  2. Oslo II: Areas A, B, C, withdrawal, elections (3 marks).
  3. Link or contrast (1 mark).

Answer: Oslo I, signed in Washington on 13 September 1993 by Rabin and Arafat, provided for mutual recognition, five years of Palestinian self-rule starting in Gaza and Jericho, a Palestinian Authority with an elected council, and negotiation of permanent status issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and borders later. Oslo II, of September 1995, divided the West Bank into Area A (full Palestinian control of the main towns), Area B (Palestinian civil control with joint security) and Area C (full Israeli control, the largest area), provided for Israeli withdrawal from six large towns and led to elections in January 1996 in which Arafat was elected. The first set out principles; the second turned them into a map of control.

Example 5: Source-based: a handshake · 6 marks · Source-basedHOTS / competency

Read the extract (written for this page) and answer.

On a lawn in Washington in September 1993 the leader of a liberation organisation and the prime minister of a state shook hands in front of an American president. Each had signed a paper recognising the other. Two years later, the prime minister was shot dead by a man from his own people who opposed the agreements.

(i) Name the two leaders and the agreement. [1]
(ii) Name the American president. [1]
(iii) Explain why the agreement was opposed by extremists on both sides. [2]
(iv) State two other reasons the peace process did not succeed. [2]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (i) Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin; Oslo I (1 mark).
  2. (ii) Bill Clinton (1 mark).
  3. (iii) Some Palestinians rejected recognition of Israel; some Israelis rejected withdrawal from land (2 marks).
  4. (iv) Postponed issues; settlement expansion; poor daily life; distrust (2 marks).

Answer: (i) Yasser Arafat of the PLO and Yitzhak Rabin; the Oslo I Accord. (ii) President Bill Clinton. (iii) Hamas and Islamic Jihad rejected recognising Israel and carried out suicide bombings, while Israeli extremists opposed giving up land and rejected talks with the PLO; Rabin was assassinated by an Israeli extremist in November 1995. (iv) The hardest issues were postponed and never settled, and Israeli settlements kept expanding; the daily life of Palestinians did not improve, and distrust grew on both sides.

Where students lose marks in The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995)

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Mixing the dates of the two accords

    Oslo I and II are two years apart.

    Wrong working

    Oslo II was in 1993 and Oslo I in 1995.

    Right working

    Oslo I: 13 September 1993. Oslo II: September 1995.

    Do this: I = 1993; II = 1995.

    Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

  • Mistake: Calling Oslo a final peace treaty

    It was an interim arrangement.

    Wrong working

    Oslo ended the conflict.

    Right working

    Oslo set up interim self-rule and left permanent-status issues for later.

    Do this: Interim, not final.

    Usually costs: 2 marks.

  • Mistake: Blaming only one side

    Syllabus asks "why it failed".

    Wrong working

    The Palestinians destroyed peace.

    Right working

    List reasons on both sides and in the agreements, attributing claims.

    Do this: Balance.

    Usually costs: 2 marks and tone.

  • Mistake: Leaving out the Intifada link

    The syllabus connects it to Oslo.

    Wrong working

    Starting the answer at 1993.

    Right working

    Begin with the Intifada and change in attitudes.

    Do this: Intifada first.

    Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

Exam tips

  • Give the Intifada start date (December 1987) and the year of PLO recognition (1988).
  • List Oslo I and II separately; do not merge their features.
  • Attribute positions ("Israeli sources say ... Palestinian sources say ...") for the failure.

Practice questions on The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995)

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

    What does "Intifada" mean? Which group emerged in 1987? [2]

    Hint

    Arabic for shaking off.

    Answer

    Intifada is Arabic for "shaking off". The militant group Hamas emerged in 1987.

  2. Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

    What did the PLO do in 1988 that helped the peace process? [3]

    Hint

    Resolution 242, recognition, terrorism.

    Answer

    In 1988 the PLO accepted UN Resolution 242, recognised Israel's right to exist and renounced terrorism. This opened the way to talks with Israel.

  3. Q3 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Describe Areas A, B and C created under Oslo II. [4]

    Hint

    Control types.

    Answer

    Area A was under full Palestinian control, including the main towns. Area B was under Palestinian civil control with joint security. Area C was under full Israeli control and was the largest area.

  4. Q4 · 5 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Which developments between 1995 and 2000 weakened the Oslo peace process? Explain five. [5]

    Hint

    Postponed issues, Rabin's assassination, Hamas, settlements, Netanyahu.

    Answer

    The hardest issues (Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, borders) were postponed. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli extremist. Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings. Israeli settlements kept expanding and the Likud government of Netanyahu slowed withdrawals. Daily life for Palestinians did not improve, so support for the Authority and the process fell.

  5. Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    "Both sides were equally responsible for the failure of Oslo." Evaluate this statement, attributing the claims of each side. [6] (Evaluation)

    Hint

    Consider violence, settlements, the structure of the agreements and mediation.

    Answer

    Israeli sources and many supporters point to Palestinian attacks and incitement and to the refusal of groups like Hamas to accept Oslo. Palestinian sources and many observers point to the expansion of settlements, closures and slow withdrawals. Others blame the design of the agreements, which postponed the hardest issues, and note that the USA was not seen by all as a neutral mediator. Because accounts differ, a fair answer states that both sides' extremists and governments, together with weaknesses in the agreements, contributed, while noting that the degree of responsibility is disputed.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.When did the first Intifada begin?Show answer

    December 1987.

  2. 2.When and where was Oslo I signed?Show answer

    13 September 1993, in Washington.

  3. 3.Who signed Oslo I?Show answer

    Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.

  4. 4.Where was self-rule to begin first?Show answer

    Gaza and Jericho.

  5. 5.Who assassinated Rabin?Show answer

    An Israeli extremist, in November 1995.

  6. 6.What began in September 2000?Show answer

    The Second Intifada.

The Intifada and the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995): frequently asked questions

What was the first Intifada?

A Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation from December 1987, using stone-throwing, strikes and boycotts.

What did Oslo I provide?

Mutual recognition, five years of interim Palestinian self-rule starting in Gaza and Jericho and later talks on permanent status issues.

What was Oslo II?

The 1995 interim agreement that divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C and provided for elections.

Why did Oslo fail?

Because the hardest issues were postponed, extremists on both sides used violence, settlements grew, Rabin was assassinated and trust declined.