Samaria

Samaria (/sə.ˈmɛr.iː.ə/), or the Shomron (Hebrew: שֹׁמְרוֹן‎, Standard Šomron Tiberian Šōmərôn; Arabic: السامرة‎, as-Sāmirah – also known as جبال نابلس, Jibāl Nāblus) is a name for the mountainous, central region of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean, based on the borders of the biblical Northern Kingdom of Israel and especially the Israelite tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. The name "Samaria" is derived from the ancient city of Samaria, the capital of the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria). In modern times, the territory is generally and almost universally known as part of the West Bank.

Jordan ceded its claim to the area to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in November 1988. In 1994, control of Areas 'A' (full civil and security control by the Palestinian Authority) and 'B' (Palestinian civil control and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control) were transferred by Israel to the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority did not recognize the term "Samaria" within its domain.