Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Israel and the Palestinians have been involved in a long and difficult struggle over land and the right to live in peace. This conflict began in the late 1800s when many Jewish people wanted to create a home for themselves in a place called Palestine. Over time, tensions grew between Jewish and Arab communities living there.

In 1947, the United Nations suggested splitting the land into two separate areas, one for Jews and one for Arabs. However, this plan led to more fighting. In 1948, the State of Israel was created, and many Palestinian families were forced to leave their homes.

Since then, Israel has controlled areas known as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Many people, both inside and outside these areas, have worked to find a peaceful solution. One idea has been for two separate countries to exist side by side. However, disagreements and wars have made this very difficult to achieve. Recent years have seen continued fighting, causing hardship for many families living in these regions.

History

Main article: History of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The 1917 Balfour Declaration from UK Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Walter Rothschild expressing the support of the British government for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people."

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Further information: Military operations of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict started in the late 1800s and early 1900s with the rise of an idea called Zionism, which wanted to create a Jewish state in the region of Palestine. During this time, tensions grew between Jewish people moving to the area and the Arab people already living there.

In the early 1900s, World War I happened, and after that, Britain took control of Palestine. Britain supported the idea of a Jewish homeland there, which caused more tensions. In the following years, more Jewish people moved to Palestine, and this led to arguments and sometimes fights between Jewish and Arab communities.

In 1947, the United Nations suggested dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, but not everyone agreed to this plan. This led to more fighting. In 1948, Israel declared itself a country, which led to a war with several Arab nations. Many people were displaced during these conflicts.

Over the years, there have been many wars and peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians, but the conflict continues today with disputes over land, borders, and the rights of people living in the area.

Attempts to reach a peaceful settlement

The Palestinian group wanted to join peace talks, but only if they promised not to use force and recognized Israel's right to exist. This meant they had to give up some land they wanted back and focus on smaller areas controlled by Israel since 1967. By the late 1970s, many Palestinian leaders and Arab countries supported sharing the land into two states, one for Israel and one for Palestine.

In 1981, a plan from Saudi Arabia suggested this two-state idea, but Israel's leaders did not want a Palestinian state. Israel tried to weaken the Palestinian group by invading a nearby area, hoping to take control of more land.

The peace process

Main article: Israeli–Palestinian peace process

The "peace process" is about taking small steps to solve the conflict. It started with talks between Israel and nearby countries, but now focuses more on talking between Israel and the Palestinians. Big problems like borders and land are left for later talks, which have not happened yet.

The Oslo Accords in 1993 and 1995 tried to make small steps toward peace. But instead of building trust, Israel took more land, even though the Palestinian group tried to stop violence.

Creation of the Palestinian Authority and security cooperation

Core to the Oslo Accords was the creation of the Palestinian Authority and the security cooperation it would enter into with the Israeli military authorities in what has been described as the "outsourcing" of the occupation to the PA.

Oslo Accords (1993, 1995)

Main article: Oslo Accords

In 1993, leaders from Israel and the Palestinian group tried to make peace through the Oslo peace process. One big step was when the Palestinian leader recognized Israel's right to exist. But Israel did not agree to let a Palestinian state exist. The Oslo agreements did not follow the world's usual way to solve the problem, and they let Israel control much of the land.

The process stopped after the death of an Israeli leader in 1995 and when talks failed in 2000 and 2001. The talks did not build trust, and Israel took more land during this time.

Camp David Summit (2000)

Main article: 2000 Camp David Summit

In 2000, a meeting was held to try to make peace. The Israeli leader offered a small amount of land for a Palestinian state, but the Palestinian leader said it was not enough. After the meeting, some people said the Palestinian leader did not want peace, but most experts thought both sides had hard demands.

Developments following Camp David

Main article: The Clinton Parameters

After the failed meeting, both sides kept talking. The United States made a plan in 2000 to create a Palestinian state in most of the land, with some land swapped. The plan said Arab areas would be Palestinian and Jewish areas would be Israeli. Both sides liked the plan, and it was used in more talks the next year.

Taba Summit (2001)

Main article: Taba Summit

In 2001, the two sides talked again and made some progress. But talks stopped because of elections in Israel.

Road map for peace (2002–2003)

Main article: Road map for peace

In 2002, a group of countries made a plan to help peace talks. The plan did not solve big problems like Jerusalem or settlements, but it had steps to stop violence and settlements. But these steps were not done.

The Annapolis Conference was a Middle East peace conference held on 27 November 2007, at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. The conference aimed to revive the Israeli–Palestinian peace process and implement the "Roadmap for peace". The conference ended with the issuing of a joint statement from all parties. After the Annapolis Conference, the negotiations were continued. Both Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert presented each other with competing peace proposals. Ultimately no agreement was reached.

Arab Peace Initiative (2002, 2007, 2017)

Main article: Arab Peace Initiative

The Arab Peace Initiative (Arabic: مبادرة السلام العربية Mubādirat as-Salām al-ʿArabīyyah), also known as the Saudi Initiative, was first proposed by Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at the 2002 Beirut summit. The initiative is a proposed solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict as a whole, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in particular. The initiative was initially published on 28 March 2002, at the Beirut summit, and agreed upon again at the 2007 Riyadh summit. Unlike the Road Map for Peace, it spelled out "final solution" borders based on the UN borders established before the 1967 Six-Day War. It offered full normalization of relations with Israel, in exchange for the withdrawal of its forces from all the occupied territories, including the Golan Heights, to recognize "an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as a "just solution" for the Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinian Authority led by Yasser Arafat immediately embraced the initiative. His successor Mahmoud Abbas also supported the plan and officially asked U.S. President Barack Obama to adopt it as part of his Middle East policy. Islamist political party Hamas, the elected government of the Gaza Strip, was deeply divided, with most factions rejecting the plan. Palestinians have criticized the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement and another with Bahrain signed in September 2020, fearing the moves weaken the Arab Peace Initiative, regarding the UAE's move as "a betrayal."

The Israeli government under Ariel Sharon rejected the initiative as a "non-starter" because it required Israel to withdraw to pre-June 1967 borders. After the renewed Arab League endorsement in 2007, then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave a cautious welcome to the plan. In 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed tentative support for the Initiative, but in 2018, he rejected it as a basis for future negotiations with the Palestinians.

Current status

Apartheid

Main article: Israeli apartheid

In 2021, a report said that the ways Israel treats people in certain areas looked a lot like a very unfair system. Some groups agreed with this, but others did not. In 2018, a law was passed that some said made one group more important than another. In 2024, a court looked at these actions and found some problems.

Occupied Palestinian territory

Since 1967, Israel has been in control of certain lands where many Palestinians live. In 2024, a court said that this control and building in these areas may not follow the rules. Some Palestinians want all of these lands back, while Israel says it has reasons to keep some areas for safety.

Israeli settlements

Main article: Israeli settlement

Many people think these buildings where Israelis live in certain areas may not follow the rules. The building of these areas can take land away from Palestinians and make it hard for them to move around. There are many of these buildings, and they are often protected by the Israeli military.

Israeli military police

Main article: Military Police Corps (Israel)

In reports from a few years ago, some said that the actions of the Israeli forces in certain areas were too rough and caused injuries to many people.

Separation of the Gaza Strip

Since 2006, Israel has put strict rules on moving things in and out of a certain area. This makes it hard for people to travel between two areas and has caused big changes in how that area is run.

Blockade of the Gaza Strip

The rules on moving things in and out of this area have been very strict for many years. This has made it hard for businesses to work and for people to get what they need.

United Nations and recognition of Palestinian statehood

Main articles: International recognition of the State of Palestine and Palestine and the United Nations

Many countries support the idea of a Palestinian state, but the UN has not yet allowed it to join as a full member. In 2012, the UN said it recognized Palestine in a certain way.

Incitements to violence

Both sides in this situation have been asked to stop teaching children to dislike each other. Some school books have been found to tell only one side of the story, which can lead to children growing up with strong feelings against the other group.

Issues in dispute

The main problems in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict include the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return home, and security concerns. There are also disputes about Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the borders between the two areas.

In 1967, Israel took control of East Jerusalem, changing its makeup to favor Jewish residents. This has caused tensions, especially around holy sites important to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

Many Palestinians became refugees after conflicts in 1948 and 1967, losing their homes. They and their descendants, now numbering around 4.7 million, seek the right to return to their original lands. Israel, however, sees this as a threat to its identity as a Jewish state.

Security has been a major concern for Israel, particularly due to violent actions by some Palestinian groups. Israel has built barriers and taken other measures to protect itself, which have limited Palestinian movement and access to resources like water and farmland. These actions have had significant economic impacts on Palestinians.

Fatalities

Studies show that many people have been hurt or lost their lives in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. From 1948 to 1997, around 13,000 people from both sides were killed. During a big fight in 1982, many more people were hurt or died.

From 2008 to 2023, more than 6,000 Palestinians and about 300 Israelis were killed. In 2023, a big attack happened, and many people were taken captive. After that, thousands more Palestinians were reported to have been hurt or lost their lives.

Some groups say the numbers of people hurt or killed are hard to know exactly because of different ways of counting and classifying who was involved in the fights.

Public opinion

In a Pew Research Center poll in June 2025, many Israelis felt less sure about living peacefully with Palestinians than they did before. Support for living together peacefully dropped from 50% in 2013 to just 21% in 2025.

Polls among Palestinians in 2021 showed that support for having two separate countries—one for Israelis and one for Palestinians—also went down. Before a big problem in April 2021, 39% supported this idea, but after the problem in October, only 29% did. This drop happened on both sides, with support falling from 53% of Israelis and 51% of Palestinians in 2016 to 34% and 33% in 2022. Some groups, like secular people and those who support certain political groups, still liked the idea of two countries more than others.

Around the world, opinions vary. In 2016, most Americans felt more supportive of Israelis than Palestinians. But in 2022, while many Americans viewed both peoples positively, they were less positive about their governments. There was mixed feeling about solving the conflict, with some supporting two countries, others one country, and many unsure. In Western Europe and the United States in July 2023, most people supported the idea of two countries, though many also thought a peace agreement was unlikely. By late July 2025, support in America for Israel's actions in Gaza had dropped sharply. International surveys in spring 2025 showed that most countries had more negative than positive views of Israel, with only a few exceptions.