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The Palestinian National Authority ('''PNA''' or '''PA'''; and all of the Gaza Strip (which are part of the Palestinian Territories ). The Palestinian National Authority was established in 1994, pursuant to the Oslo Accords between the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the government of Israel , as a 5-year transitional body during which final status negotiations between the two parties were to take place. According to the Accords, the Palestinian Authority was designated to have control over both security-related and civilian issues in Palestinian urban areas (referred to as "Area A"), and only civilian control over Palestinian rural areas ("Area B"). The remainder of the territories (including Israeli settlements, the Jordan Valley region, and bypass roads between Palestinian communities) were to remain under exclusive Israeli control ("Area C"). It is important to note that the Palestinian Authority is distinct from the PLO. It is the PLO, not the PNA, which enjoys international recognition as the organization representing the Palestinian people. (Note that the Palestinian diaspora, living outside the West Bank and Gaza, which constitutes the majority of the Palestinian people, is not allowed to vote in elections for PNA offices.) Under the name "Palestine", it has an observer status in the United Nations (UN) since 1974. After the 1988 Palestinian Declaration Of Independence , the PLO's representation at the UN was renamed Palestine. It is the PLO, not the PA, which participates in General Assembly debates, without voting, since 1998, and which was recognized by Israel as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian People in the negotiations leading to the Oslo Accords. The PNA previously received considerable financial assistance from the European Union as well as some from the United States (approximately USD $1,000,000,000 combined in 2005), but both suspended all direct aid on April 7 , 2006 (as threatened in January 2006),(following Canada's March 29 , 2006 decision to cut all aid) as a result of the Hamas victory in parliamentary elections.12 The Gaza International Airport was built by the PA in the city of Rafah , but operated for only a brief period before being razed by Israel following the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000. A sea port was also being constructed in Gaza but was never completed (see below). The PA maintains an official uniformed armed service which various sources estimate to include anywhere from 40,000 to 80,000 recruits David Hirst, "The New Oppressor of the Palestinians," Guardian (London), July 6, 1996, reprinted in World Press Review, October 1996, p. 11. Hirst suggests that there are 40,000-50,000 security officers. For Israeli press reports about there being 40,000 officers, see Steve Rodan, "Gov't: PA Has 16,000 More Policemen than Permitted by Oslo," Jerusalem Post (international edition), May 2, 1998, p. 3. According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli defense sources said in September 1996 that the number of armed men in the PA had risen to 80,000. See Steve Rodan, "Palestinians Have 80,000 Armed Fighters," Jerusalem Post, September 27, 1996, p. 5. employing some armored cars, and a limited number carry automatic weapons.3 Officially termed a "police force", it is accused by some of violating the Oslo Accords which limit the force to 30,000 recruits. Many Palestinians are dependent on access to the Israeli job market. During the 1990s, Israel however began to replace Palestinians with foreign guest workers. They were found to be economical and also were useful as a means of limiting dependence on Palestinians as a source of cheap labor due to what it called security concerns. This hurt the Palestinian economy, in particular in the Gaza strip, where 60% of the population is under the poverty line according to the CIA World Factbook . OFFICIALS
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