The Oslo Accords were the result of the first face-to-face negotiations between Israel and Palestinian representatives. They were hailed by Israel, the United States and some Palestinians as a historic prelude to a real and lasting peace when they were signed by Yasir Arafat and Yitzchak Rabin in Washington in September 1993. Importantly, the agreement laid the ground for Palestinian self rule by establishing the Palestinian Authority (PA, now Palestinian National Authority), which was created under the auspices of the Palestine Liberaion Organization, a coalition of different political parties.
The agreement stipulated that the PA would have complete control over some areas of the West Bank and Gaza, and only civilian control over others. Such partial control contradicted Hamas' understanding that a Palestinian state could not also have Israeli control.
Hamas began suicide bombings, a tactic borrowed from the Tamil Tigers, a militant Indonesiangroup, to express opposition to the Oslo process. The attacks, which killed Israeli soldiers and civilians, disrupted the negotiation process. Israel responded with various punitive measures that included banning entry of Palestinians into Israel and pressuring Arafat to control Hamas and other militant groups.