Israel Palestinian Conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a disagreement over who gets to control the land in the area once called Mandatory Palestine. It started in 1948 and involves arguments about Israel taking control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the importance of Jerusalem, and whether Palestinians who left should be allowed to return.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Israeli-PalestinianIsraeli-Palestinian conflict in detail.

Israel-Palestine Conflict – Overview

On January 7, Israel announced that it had successfully destroyed the fighting forces of Hamas in northern Gaza. After that Israel shifted its focus to the central and southern parts of Gaza to do the same. More than 85 % of the people in Gaza fled their homes when Israel began its military operation there. Attacks on medical infrastructure and a lack of basic supplies also reduced the number of functioning hospitals. Meanwhile, the United States has conducted shuttle diplomacy to reduce regional tensions. Israel has killed so many Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. It also increased its air strikes against Iran-linked targets those are located in Syria. Iran also backed the groups who have launched so many attacks on U.S. military positions in Iraq and Syria. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted missiles at Israel and many commercial ships in the Red Sea as well.

Events	Description
1947	United Nations adopts Resolution 181, Partition Plan for Palestine, leading to Arab-Israeli tensions.
1948	Establishment of the State of Israel; First Arab-Israeli War begins.
1949	First Arab-Israeli War ends with Israel’s victory; 750,000 Palestinians displaced.
1967	Six-Day War: Israel gains control of Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem.
1973	Yom Kippur War: Syria and Egypt attack Israel, ending with a UN resolution.
1982	Israel invades Lebanon to expel the PLO.
1987	First Palestinian Intifada (Uprising) begins against Israeli occupation.
1993, 1995	Oslo Peace Accords signed between Israel and PLO, ending the First Intifada.
2000	Second Palestinian Intifada begins, marked by renewed violence.
2006	Second Lebanon War: Conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
2014	Clashes escalate into a military confrontation between Israel and Hamas.
2021	Escalation of violence following court ruling on Palestinian evictions in East Jerusalem.
2022	Formation of the most far-right and religious government in Israel’s history.

Israel-Palestine Conflict – Ancient History

• Ancient history of Israel mainly known from the Hebrew Bible.
• Israel’s origins traced back to Abraham, father of Judaism and Islam.
• Abraham’s descendants enslaved by Egyptians before settling in Canaan (modern-day Israel).
• King David ruled around 1000 BCE, Solomon built First Temple in Jerusalem around 957 BCE.
• Region divided into Israel (north) and Judah (south) around 931 BCE.
• Assyrians invaded and destroyed Israel around 722 BCE.
• Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 6th century BCE, destroyed First Temple, exiled Jews.
• Jews allowed to return to Judah by Emperor Cyrus of Achaemenid Empire in 538 BCE, rebuilt Second Temple.
• Romans destroyed Second Temple in 70 CE during Jewish-Roman War.
• Hadrian expelled Jews from Jerusalem after Bar Khokba Revolt (132-136 AD), renamed Judea to Syria Palaestina.
• Israel conquered and ruled by Persians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Ottomans, among others, over centuries.

Israel-Palestine Conflict – Background

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has its origins in the late nineteenth century. In 1947, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181, also known as the Partition Plan, with the aim of dividing the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established, triggering the first Arab-Israeli War. The conflict concluded in 1949 with Israel emerging victorious, however, it resulted in the displacement of 750,000 Palestinians and the division of the territory into three parts: the State of Israel, the West Bank (of the Jordan River), and the Gaza Strip.

• Tensions increased between Israel and its neighboring countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
• In 1956, there was the Suez Crisis, where Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula.
• Egypt, Jordan, and Syria formed defense pacts fearing Israeli military action.
• In June 1967, Israel launched a preemptive strike on Egyptian and Syrian air forces, leading to the Six-Day War.
• After the war, Israel gained control over territories including the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.
• In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel, sparking the Yom Kippur War. Though it didn’t lead to significant gains, it prompted peace negotiations.
• In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Accords, ending their 30-year conflict.
• Despite this, Palestinian self-governance remained unresolved, leading to the first intifada in 1987.
• The Oslo Accords in 1993 and Oslo II Accords in 1995 aimed to address Palestinian self-governance, including Israeli withdrawal from certain areas of the West Bank.
• Palestinian grievances over Israel’s control of the West Bank, a lack of progress in peace talks, and Ariel Sharon’s visit to the al-Aqsa mosque in 2000 led to the start of the second intifada.
• In reaction, Israel began building a barrier wall around the West Bank in 2002, despite objections from international bodies like the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
• Factionalism among the Palestinians flared up when Hamas won the Palestinian Authority’s parliamentary elections in 2006.
• In late December 2022, Israel saw the start of its most conservative and religious government yet, led by Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu and his Likud party.
• This government included two very religious parties and three very conservative parties. During its time in power, the coalition government focused on growing and building Israeli communities in the West Bank, which is land that Israel took control of in a war.
• It also supported treating LGBTQ+ people unfairly based on religious beliefs. In May 2023, after protests across the country in March, the government voted to reduce the power of judges.

Mandatory Palestine

• After World War I, the British established Mandatory Palestine, intending to govern until Palestinians were ready for self-rule.
• Jews from Europe migrated to Palestine, seeking to create their homeland, encouraged by the British supporting the Balfour Declaration.
• In the 1920s and 1930s, the Jewish population in Palestine increased significantly with British support.
• Tensions rose between the growing Jewish communities and the Arabs during this time.
• In 1936, Palestinian Arabs revolted against the British, viewing themselves increasingly as a nation.
• The British suppressed the revolt with the help of Jewish militias.
• Post-revolt, the British issued a white paper limiting Jewish immigration and proposed a joint Jewish-Arab state in ten years.
• During World War II, many Jews fleeing the Holocaust were illegally brought to Palestine by Jewish organizations due to immigration restrictions.
• Tensions continued to rise, leading the British to hand the issue over to the United Nations.
• In 1947, the UN proposed separate Palestinian and Jewish states in Palestine, but the plan was rejected by the Arabs.

Formation of the State of Israel

• In May 1948, Israel became an independent state, with David Ben Gurion serving as Prime Minister.
• Shortly after this declaration, the Arab-Israeli War erupted in 1948, with five Arab states Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt invading Israel.
• A ceasefire was declared in 1949, resulting in Jordan controlling the West Bank and Egypt gaining control of the Gaza Strip.
• However, Israel, having emerged victorious, ended up with more territory than originally planned by the UN.
• East Jerusalem came under Jordanian control. Over 700,000 Palestinians fled the area, becoming refugees in neighboring Arab nations.
• Palestinians refer to this war as the Nakba, meaning catastrophe, as they were left stateless.
• Tensions rose again in 1956 when Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, leading to the Suez Crisis.
• Israel attacked the Sinai Peninsula and regained control of the canal with support from Britain and France.

Significance of Jerusalem

Jerusalem is claimed by both Israel and Palestine as their own, with Israel asserting it as its capital and Palestinians advocating for freedom and self-determination. The city holds religious significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, with numerous sacred sites. After Israel’s independence in 1948, Jerusalem was divided into western and eastern parts.

• West Jerusalem became Israel’s capital, while East Jerusalem came under Jordanian control.
• In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured East Jerusalem, annexing it and several nearby villages.
• The UN called for Israel to withdraw from occupied areas in the same year.
• In 1980, Israel declared Jerusalem as its united capital, despite international opposition.
• East Jerusalem is considered the capital of the State of Palestine by Palestinians.
• In 2017, the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
• Jerusalem’s Old City comprises quarters for Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian communities.
• The city holds historical significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, with key religious sites.
• Temple Mount, in the Old City, is sacred to both Jews and Muslims.
• Jerusalem remains a focal point in peace negotiations due to its religious significance shared by both Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel-Palestine Conflict – Concerns

After conflict erupted between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, President Joe Biden voiced strong support for Israel. On the same day, the United States announced plans to send more weapons and move its warships closer to Israel in the Mediterranean Sea.

• Despite an urgent meeting called by the UN Security Council to discuss the violence, members failed to agree on a statement.
• Concerns quickly arose from international groups regarding the safety of civilians in Israel, the Palestinian territories, and those held captive by militants in Gaza, given the history of violence in conflicts involving Israel and Palestinian extremist groups.
• In the initial month of fighting, approximately 1,300 Israelis and 10,000 Palestinians lost their lives, highlighting the urgent need to address the increasing loss of life.
• While the United States stated there was no clear evidence of Iranian intelligence aiding Hamas’s attack on October 7, Iran maintains strong ties with Hamas and other extremist groups in the region.
• Israel has engaged in exchanges of artillery fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah and targeted Syrian military sites and airports, raising concerns about the conflict’s potential expansion northward.
• Additionally, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched missile attacks on Israel, while the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, supported by Iran, has targeted U.S. military installations in Iraq and Syria.
• Efforts by the United States in 2023 to facilitate a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia were disrupted by the conflict.
• Saudi Arabia has historically advocated for the rights and safety of Palestinian Arab populations, particularly in Gaza, which now face increased risk due to Israeli military operations.
• Despite this setback, the United States maintains that Saudi Arabia remains interested in pursuing the deal.

Israel-Palestine Conflict – Recent Developments

In early October 2023, conflict erupted between Israel and Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza since 2006, marking a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas fighters launched rockets into Israel and invaded southern Israeli cities and towns near Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 1,300 Israelis, injuries to 3,300, and the capture of numerous hostages.

• Israel was caught off guard by the attack but swiftly launched a deadly counteroffensive.
• The day after the October 7 attack, the Israeli government officially declared war on Hamas, with the defense minister instructing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to impose a “complete siege” on Gaza.
• Since then, both sides have exchanged daily rocket attacks, with Israel initiating a ground invasion of northern Gaza on October 28, prompting over one million Palestinian civilians to evacuate.
• Israeli forces have surrounded Gaza City, isolating it from southern Gaza and pressuring Hamas.
• Despite hundreds of thousands of civilians remaining in the city, the conflict has claimed the lives of 10,000 Palestinians, including over 4,000 children, according to Gazan health officials.
• The territory faces severe shortages of water, fuel, and supplies as Israel restricts humanitarian pauses and aid entry.
• The displacement of millions of Palestinians presents challenges for Egypt and Jordan, who have historically absorbed many Palestinians but are hesitant to accept more during the ongoing war.
• They fear that displaced Gazans, many of whom were previously displaced within Israel, may not be allowed to return if they leave.
• Egypt also worries about potential security threats, fearing Hamas fighters could enter Egypt, launch attacks on Israel, or destabilize the regime of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi by supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.
• Negotiations have only allowed 1,100 individuals to exit Gaza through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, leaving 1.5 million displaced Gazans—70 percent of the territory’s population—stranded with worsening living conditions and security risks.

Israel-Palestine Conflict – Past Major Wars

Here are the past major wars before Israel Palestine Conflict as mentioned below.

• 1967: Six-Day Conflict; Israel gains control of Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, and East Jerusalem.
• 1973: Yom Kippur Conflict; Syria and Egypt attack Israel, ending with UN resolution after two weeks.
• 1982: Israel invades Lebanon, targeting the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).
• PLO formed in 1964, aiming for the “liberation of Palestine” through armed struggle.
• Israel establishes Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
• First Palestinian Uprising (1987): Palestinians rebel against Israeli occupation, leading to hundreds of deaths.
• Oslo Peace Agreements (1993, 1995): Signed between Israel’s Yitzhak Rabin and PLO’s Yasser Arafat, ending the First Uprising.
• Second Palestinian Uprising (2000): Violence erupts despite Israeli troop withdrawal from parts of the West Bank.
• First Lebanon Conflict (1982-1985): Israel invades Southern Lebanon to expel the PLO.
• Second Lebanon Conflict (2006): Conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Golan Heights, and Northern Israel, ending with a UN-brokered ceasefire.
• Hamas Wars: Hamas IS Sunni Islamist militant group. They won the elections in Palestine in 2006. Hamas has been fighting with Israel with particularly significant battles in 2008, 2012 and 2014.

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FAQs – Israel-Palestine Conflict

What is the Israel Palestine conflict in simple terms?

The dispute is over a specific area of land (what used to be the Mandatory Palestine area) that Palestinians and Israelis both claim. Many attempts have been made to make a two-state solution, which would mean an independent Palestinian state and an Israeli state, dividing the land between the two groups.

Is Palestine a country or part of Israel?

Although the concept of the Palestine region and its geographical extent has varied throughout history, it is now considered to be composed by the modern State of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

What is happening in Palestine?

This year, the occupied Palestinian territory rose to its highest ever position on the Watchlist, as devastating violence is causing a humanitarian emergency that will persist long after the fighting eventually stops. Gaza enters 2024 as the deadliest place for civilians in the world.

What is Israel doing to Palestine?

On 5 August, Israel launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip targeting the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and its armed wing, destroying or damaging some 1,700 Palestinian homes and displacing hundreds of civilians.

Was Palestine a country before Israel?

While the State of Israel was established on 15 May 1948 and admitted to the United Nations, a Palestinian State was not established. The remaining territories of pre-1948 Palestine, the West Bank – including East Jerusalem- and Gaza Strip, were administered from 1948 till 1967 by Jordan and Egypt, respectively.

Who lived in Israel first?

The oldest fossils of anatomically modern humans found outside Africa are the Skhul and Qafzeh hominids, who lived in northern Israel 120,000 years ago. Around 10th millennium BCE, the Natufian culture existed in the area.

Who originally owned Palestine?

During World War I the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, favoring the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. The British captured Palestine from the Ottomans shortly thereafter. The League of Nations gave Britain mandatory power over Palestine in 1922.