The Israel-Palestine conflict has a long and complex history dating back to the early 20th century. Here is a brief summary:
The conflict has its origins in the rise of Zionism, a political movement among Jews to establish a homeland in historic Palestine. In the early 1900s, Jewish immigration to Palestine increased, leading to tensions with the Arab population who also claimed the land as their own. [1][2]
In 1917, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, which supported the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. This led to increased Jewish immigration and clashes with the Arab population. [1][4]
In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, but this was rejected by Arab leaders. This triggered the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, in which Israel declared independence. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced in what they call the “Nakba” or catastrophe. [1][4]
In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Israel has since built settlements in these occupied territories, which are considered illegal under international law. This has been a major point of contention. [1][4]
The conflict has continued for decades, with various attempts at peace negotiations, such as the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. However, key issues like the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees remain unresolved. [1][2][4]
The situation remains volatile, with periodic outbreaks of violence, most recently the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants that triggered a new war in Gaza. [3][5] The path to a lasting peace remains elusive.
Citations:
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44124396
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict
[3] https://www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080002/israel-palestine-conflict-history-overview-map
[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/27/palestine-and-israel-brief-history-maps-and-charts
[5] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/9/whats-the-israel-palestine-conflict-about-a-simple-guide