An agreement between Israel and the PLO, part of the Oslo Process, concluded in Washington, DC, on 28 September 1995. The agreement was signed by PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, while observers to the signing ceremony included representatives from the United States, Russia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union and Norway. It was ratified by the Knesset on 6 October 1995 by a vote of 61 For, 59 Against. The agreement was scheduled to last for five years, during which negotiations for a permanent settlement were to take place. It divided the West Bank and Gaza Strip into three types of areas. In Area A, which included the major Palestinian cities (with the exception of Hebron), Palestinians were to be given full civil and security control. In Area B, which included Palestinian rural settlements, Palestinians were given civil and security responsibilities, with Israel retaining an “overriding responsibility” for the security of Israelis and counter-terrorism efforts. Area C, which included Israeli settlements and most vacant territory, was to remain under full Israeli control. The agreement also established measures for a democratically-elected Palestinian Council.