The battle between Israel and the Palestinian folks is likely one of the longest-running and most violent disputes on this planet. Its origins return greater than a century.
There have been a sequence of wars between Israel and Arab nations. Uprisings – known as intifadas – in opposition to Israeli occupation, and reprisals and crackdowns by Israel have additionally taken place.
The results of the historic dispute over points together with land, borders and rights are nonetheless being felt, and embrace the most recent struggle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
What was Israel earlier than 1948 and the way was it created?
Britain took management of the world referred to as Palestine in World Warfare One, following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, which had dominated that a part of the Center East.
An Arab majority and a Jewish minority lived there, in addition to different ethnic teams.
Tensions between the Jewish and Arab populations deepened when the UK agreed in precept to the institution of a “nationwide dwelling” in Palestine for Jewish folks – a pledge referred to as the Balfour Declaration.
Jews had historic hyperlinks to the land, however Palestinian Arabs additionally had a declare courting again centuries and opposed the transfer. The British mentioned the rights of Palestinian Arabs already dwelling there needed to be protected.
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Between the Nineteen Twenties and Forties the variety of Jews arriving grew, with many fleeing persecution in Europe. The homicide of six million Jews through the Holocaust gave added urgency to calls for for a protected haven.
The Jewish inhabitants reached 630,000, simply over 30% of the inhabitants, by 1947.
In 1947, in opposition to a backdrop of rising violence between Jews and Arabs – and in opposition to British rule – the United Nations (UN) voted for Palestine to be cut up into separate Jewish and Arab states. Jerusalem would turn out to be a global metropolis.
No Arab nations supported this. They argued the plan gave the Jews extra of the land, regardless that their inhabitants was smaller.
Britain abstained. It determined to withdraw and at hand the issue to the UN on the finish of 14 Could 1948.
Jewish leaders in Palestine declared an unbiased state referred to as Israel hours earlier than British rule ended. Israel was recognised by the UN the next yr.
What was the 1948 Arab-Israeli struggle?
The day after Israel declared independence, it was attacked and surrounded by the armies of 5 Arab nations.
The battle got here to be recognized in Israel as its struggle of independence.
A Haganah (Jewish Underground) fighter simply earlier than the beginning of the Israeli struggle of independence in 1948 [Getty Images]
By the point the preventing ended with an armistice in 1949, Israel managed many of the territory.
Agreements left Egypt occupying the Gaza Strip, Jordan occupying the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem, and Israel occupying West Jerusalem.
About 750,000 Palestinians fled, or have been pressured from, their properties on land which turned Israel and ended up as refugees.
The occasion is understood in Arabic because the Nakba (Disaster).
Arab Legion troopers hearth on fighters of the Haganah, the Jewish Company self-defence drive, in March 1948 [Getty Images]
Within the years that adopted, lots of of 1000’s of Jews left, or have been expelled from, Muslim majority international locations throughout the Center East and North Africa, with many going to Israel.
What was the 1967 Center East struggle?
What is named the Six-Day Warfare modified boundaries within the Center East and had main penalties for Palestinians.
The struggle noticed Israel combat Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
It began when Israel, fearing an assault by Egypt and Syria, launched a strike on Egypt’s air drive.
By the point the preventing ended, Israel had captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza from Egypt, many of the Golan Heights from Syria, and East Jerusalem and the West Financial institution from Jordan.
About 1,000,000 Palestinians within the West Financial institution, Gaza and East Jerusalem got here beneath Israel’s management.
Israeli army commanders arrive in East Jerusalem through the Six-Day Warfare in 1967 [Getty Images]
Israel’s occupation of those areas has lasted till today.
Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979 and returned the Sinai.
It annexed East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, making them a part of Israel, though this has not been recognised by many of the worldwide neighborhood.
What’s the standing of the West Financial institution now?
The West Financial institution – land between Israel and the River Jordan – is dwelling to an estimated three million Palestinians.
Together with East Jerusalem and Gaza, it’s a part of what are extensively referred to as the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Palestinians have all the time opposed Israel’s presence in these areas and wish them to be a part of a future unbiased state, one thing backed by the overwhelming majority of the worldwide neighborhood.
Israel nonetheless has total management of the West Financial institution, however for the reason that Nineties, a Palestinian authorities – referred to as the Palestinian Authority – has run most of its cities and cities.
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There are about 160 Israeli settlements, housing about 700,000 Jews, within the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem.
Palestinians need all Israeli settlements to be eliminated and they’re thought-about unlawful beneath worldwide regulation.
Nonetheless, Israel’s authorities disputes this. It says the largest settlements on the very least are everlasting and that every one settlements are rooted in its historic rights.
It doesn’t recognise the precise of the Palestinians to have their very own state and argues that the West Financial institution is a part of the Israeli homeland.
The Israeli authorities introduced plans to broaden settlements after coming to energy in 2022. It says the creation of a Palestinian state can be a risk to Israeli safety.
In July 2024, the highest courtroom of the UN, the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ), mentioned that Israel’s continued presence within the Occupied Palestinian Territories is prohibited. It mentioned that Israel ought to withdraw all settlers and that it was in breach of worldwide agreements on racism and apartheid.
There was a pointy escalation in assaults by settlers in opposition to Palestinian villages for the reason that 7 October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel.
In line with a report by the UN Workplace for Humanitarian Affairs, there have been 2,208 assaults by settlers in opposition to Palestinians leading to casualties or property injury between January 2024 and June 2025.
What’s the dispute over Jerusalem?
Israel and the Palestinians each declare Jerusalem as their capital.
Israel, which already managed West Jerusalem, occupied East Jerusalem within the 1967 struggle and later declared your complete metropolis its everlasting capital. It says Jerusalem can’t be divided.
The Palestinians declare East Jerusalem because the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Many of the inhabitants of East Jerusalem is Palestinian, solely a small minority of whom have chosen to turn out to be Israeli residents.
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Holy websites in Jerusalem are on the centre of the Palestinian-Israeli battle. Essentially the most sacred website – recognized to Muslims as Al Aqsa Mosque compound, or Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary), and to Jews as Temple Mount – lies in East Jerusalem.
The UN considers East Jerusalem to be Palestinian land occupied by Israel.
What has occurred within the Gaza Strip?
The Gaza Strip is a stretch of land surrounded by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s 41km (25 miles) lengthy and 10km extensive.
House to about 2.1 million folks, it is likely one of the most densely populated locations on Earth.
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Even earlier than the most recent struggle between Israel and Hamas, Gaza had one of many highest unemployment charges on this planet. Many individuals have been dwelling beneath the poverty line and relying on meals help to outlive.
Gaza’s boundaries have been drawn up because of the 1948 Center East struggle, when it was occupied by Egypt.
Egypt was pushed out of Gaza within the 1967 struggle and the Strip was occupied by Israel, which constructed settlements and positioned Gaza’s Palestinian inhabitants beneath army rule.
In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza, although it retained management of its shared border, airspace and shoreline, giving it efficient management of the motion of individuals and items.
The UN nonetheless regards Gaza as Israeli-occupied territory due to the extent of management Israel has.
Hamas received Palestinian elections in 2006, and ejected its rivals from the territory after intense preventing the next yr.
Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade in response, with Israel controlling most of what was allowed into the territory.
Within the years that adopted, Hamas and Israel fought a number of main conflicts – together with these in 2008-09, 2012 and 2014. A serious battle between the 2 sides in Could 2021 led to a ceasefire after 11 days.
Each spherical of preventing has seen folks killed on either side, the overwhelming majority of them Palestinians in Gaza.
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On 7 October 2023, Hamas fighters launched an assault from Gaza, killing about 1,200 folks in Israel and taking 251 hostages.
This triggered an enormous Israeli army offensive, by land, sea and air.
Greater than 67,000 folks in Gaza – principally civilians, about half of whom have been girls and kids – have been killed, in line with the Hamas-run well being ministry.
In July, the UK and 27 different nations, together with Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland known as for an instantaneous finish to the struggle. They mentioned the struggling of civilians had “reached new depths”.
The identical month, UN-backed consultants warned the “worst-case situation of famine is at the moment taking part in out” within the Gaza Strip. The Built-in Meals Safety Part Classification (IPC) mentioned there was mounting proof that widespread hunger, malnutrition and illness have been driving an increase in hunger-related deaths.
UN companies had already warned of artificial, mass hunger in Gaza. They’ve blamed the disaster on Israel, which controls the entry of all provides to the territory. Israel has insisted that there are not any restrictions on help deliveries and that there’s “no hunger”.
In late September 2025, US President Donald Trump introduced a 20-point peace plan for Gaza, which was accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas agreed to components of the plan – together with the discharge of Israeli hostages – however had not accepted the entire situations, forward of oblique talks.
Which international locations recognise a Palestinian state?
The State of Palestine is at the moment recognised by greater than 150 of the UN’s 193 member states.
Referred to as the State of Palestine on the UN, it has an official standing of “Everlasting Observer State”, which supplies it a seat however not a vote.
Some international locations, together with the US, don’t recognise a Palestinian state and have mentioned they are going to solely achieve this as a part of a long-term political resolution to the battle within the Center East.
Nonetheless, in September 2025, the UK, France, Canada, Australia, Portugal and several other different European states all introduced recognition.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer mentioned he needed to “revive the hope of peace and a two-state resolution”. French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned “the time for peace has come” and that “nothing justifies the continued struggle in Gaza”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strikes, saying they rewarded Hamas for the 7 October assault. Israel says it has a historic proper to the West Financial institution and opposes an unbiased Palestinian state, saying it might pose an unacceptable risk.
The Trump administration is in opposition to recognising a Palestinian state, arguing it might be a reward for Hamas and make it more durable to finish the struggle in Gaza.
What about Palestinian refugees?
There are about 5.9 million Palestinians registered by the UN as refugees.
They’re descendants of the Palestinians who fled or have been pressured from their properties on land which turned Israel within the 1948-49 Center East struggle.
Most dwell in Jordan, the Gaza Strip, the West Financial institution, Syria and Lebanon.
Palestinians insist on the precise of refugees to return however Israel has refused this. It criticises the UN’s Palestinian refugee company, Unrwa, for permitting refugee standing to be inherited by successive generations.
What’s the two-state resolution?
The “two-state resolution” is an internationally backed method for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
It proposes an unbiased Palestinian state within the West Financial institution and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. It might exist alongside Israel.
Israel rejects a two-state resolution. It says any ultimate settlement have to be the results of negotiations with the Palestinians, and statehood shouldn’t be a precondition.
The Palestinian Authority backs a two-state resolution however Hamas doesn’t as a result of it’s against the existence of Israel.
Hamas says that it may settle for an interim Palestinian state based mostly on 1967 de facto borders, with out formally recognising Israel, if refugees got the precise to return.
Earlier efforts to settle the battle noticed Israel and Palestinian leaders signal a deal known as the Oslo Peace Accords, in 1993. This was supposed to supply a framework for peace talks. Nonetheless, talks finally collapsed with both sides blaming the opposite.
