Temporary International Presence in the City of Hebron

The TIPH is an international civilian observer mission. The TIPH assists the parties in the normalisation of the situation in the city and reports on their efforts and the breaches of the agreements on Hebron and international law. TIPH reports to the Palestinian and Israeli authorities and to the six member countries.

 
 

The Establishment of TIPH

The first call for international observers in Hebron was made by the UN Security Council (SC 904) following the massacre in the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of Machpela on 25 February 1994.


The first TIPH

One month after the massacre, representatives from the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Israel signed an agreement on establishing the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH). The given mandate was to assist in promoting stability and restoring normal life in the city. Italy, Denmark and Norway were asked to provide observers. The TIPH observers started patrolling on 8 May 1994. However, an agreement on the extension of the mandate could not be reached, and the TIPH withdrew from Hebron after three months on 8 August 1994.

 

The interim TIPH

The peace negotiations between the PLO and Israel continued. On 28 September 1995 the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (Oslo II) (LINK) was signed, calling for a partial redeployment of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Hebron. Moreover, it called for another TIPH mission to be established in the city. On 12 May 1996 the second TIPH, consisting of Norwegian members only, was set up as an interim mission. It prepared for a new and final TIPH upon the IDF's partial redeployment from Hebron, which took place in January 1997.


Today's TIPH

On 17 January 1997, the parties signed the Protocol Concerning the Redeployment in Hebron and four days later The Agreement on the Temporary International Presence in the City of Hebron. Six countries, Norway, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey were asked to provide personnel, with Norway as the coordinator. On 30 January 1997, the countries signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) in Oslo. On 1 February 1997 the multinational TIPH mission entered into force.