The Israel-Palestine conflict is a longstanding and complex geopolitical issue centered around the territory of Israel and the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It’s deeply rooted in historical, religious, and political factors, with both sides laying claim to the same land.
The conflict traces back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the rise of Zionism, a movement advocating for the establishment of a Jewish state in historic Palestine, and the subsequent influx of Jewish immigrants to the region. This led to tensions with the Arab population, culminating in armed conflicts, including the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948, 1967, and 1973.
In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan that would divide the land into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as an international city. While Jewish leaders accepted the plan, Arab leaders rejected it, leading to the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli War. The war resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, leading to the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem, which persists to this day.
Since then, there have been numerous attempts to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians, including the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, which established the Palestinian Authority and laid out a framework for a two-state solution. However, progress has been hindered by ongoing violence, settlement expansion in the West Bank, disputes over Jerusalem, and deep-seated mistrust between the two sides.
The situation in Gaza is particularly volatile, with the territory under the control of Hamas, an Islamist militant group that has fought multiple wars with Israel and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union.
Efforts to resolve the conflict continue, with various international actors, including the United Nations, the United States, and regional powers, involved in mediation efforts. However, finding a sustainable solution that addresses the core issues of borders, security, refugees, and Jerusalem remains elusive.