Is the West Bank an Independent Country?

No, the West Bank is not an independent country.

Current Status

• Legal Status: Considered occupied Palestinian territory under international law (UN, ICJ, most states).
• Control: Israel exercises military occupation since 1967. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has limited civil control in Areas A & B (~40% of land) per Oslo Accords; Israel retains full security control (Area C, 60%).
• Palestine: The State of Palestine (declared 1988) is a UN non-member observer state (since 2012), recognized by 140+ countries, but lacks full sovereignty over the West Bank, Gaza, or East Jerusalem.

Key Facts

• Population: ~3 million Palestinians; ~500,000 Israeli settlers (in settlements deemed illegal under international law).
• Borders: Green Line (1949 armistice line) separates it from Israel proper; Jordan River forms eastern border.
• Governance: PA (Fatah-led) in West Bank; Hamas in Gaza (since 2007 split). No elections since 2006.

Final status (borders, settlements, Jerusalem, refugees) is meant to be resolved through negotiations—stalled since 2014.