Summary
Highlights
The conflict originated thousands of years ago with the Jewish patriarchs settling in Canaan, also known as the Land of Israel, the Promised Land, or the Holy Land. The region later fell under Roman rule, who renamed Judah to Palestine to diminish Jewish ties to the land. The area became holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam through subsequent conquests by Arabs and the Ottoman Empire. During this time, Zionism emerged in Europe, advocating for a Jewish national state in their ancient homeland, leading to significant Jewish migration to the region in the early 20th century.
After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the British controlled the region, forming the British Mandate for Palestine. The Balfour Declaration in 1923 promised a Jewish national homeland. Tensions escalated between Jews and Arabs, leading to violence. Increased Jewish immigration due to Nazi persecution in Germany prompted British limits on Jewish arrivals. The Holocaust further fueled Jewish migration to Palestine, intensifying conflicts. Britain eventually withdrew, unable to manage the escalating situation.
Post-World War II, the UN proposed partitioning Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state, with Jerusalem as an international zone. Arabs rejected the plan, which allotted more territory to the Jewish population. As Britain completed its withdrawal, Israel declared independence in 1948, marking the beginning of intense conflict with Palestinians.
Immediately following Israel's declaration of independence, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War erupted. Five Arab nations (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon) invaded, aiming to establish a unified Arab Palestine. A ceasefire a year later resulted in Israel controlling over two-thirds of historic Palestine, including West Jerusalem. Jordan occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip. This led to the expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians, an event they call 'al-nakba' or the catastrophe.
In 1967, the Six-Day War broke out between Israel and its Arab neighbors (Jordan, Syria, and Egypt). Israel emerged victorious, gaining control over the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the Sinai Peninsula (which was later returned to Egypt). This war led to many Palestinian refugees living in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries, unable to return home.
The increasing number of Israeli settlers in Palestinian territories led to the rise of the PLO, which launched attacks on Israel. After years of fighting, including an Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the PLO agreed to divide the land. However, more Jewish settlers moved into Israeli-occupied territories. In 1987, a violent Palestinian uprising, the 'First Intifada,' began. This conflict led to peace talks and the signing of the Oslo Accords, dividing the West Bank into areas with varying degrees of Palestinian and Israeli control.
Peace talks continued into 2000 but failed on key issues like Jerusalem's status, refugee rights, and increased Jewish settlements. Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount sparked the 'Second Intifada.' Violence continued until Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, but settlement expansion continued in the West Bank.
Hamas, a Sunni Islamist militant group aiming to destroy Israel, gained power in Gaza after splitting from the Palestinian Authority. Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza, leading to several bloody wars between the two, including Operation Cast Lead, Operation Pillar of Defense, and Operation Protective Edge. In 2018, the US Embassy relocated to Jerusalem, seen by Palestinians as American support for Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In 2021, renewed hostilities in East Jerusalem led to violence and a ceasefire. The conflict remains a volatile and ongoing territorial dispute.