Palestine

Lore & Background

Situated at a continental crossroad, the Palestine region was ruled by various empires and experienced various demographic changes from antiquity to the modern era. It was regularly visited by the Nile and Mesopotamian armies and merchants from North Africa, China and India. The region has religious significance. The ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict dates back to the rise of the Zionist movement, supported by the United Kingdom during World War I. The war saw Britain occupying Palestine from the Ottoman Empire, where it set up Mandatory Palestine under the auspices of the League of Nations. Increased Jewish immigration led to intercommunal conflict between Jews and Palestinian Arabs, which escalated into a civil war in 1947 after a proposed partitioning by the United Nations was rejected by the Palestinians and other Arab nations. The 1948 Palestine war saw the forcible displacement of a majority of the Arab population, and consequently the establishment of Israel; these events are referred to by Palestinians as the Nakba ('catastrophe'). In the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which had been held by Jordan and Egypt respectively. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) declared independence in 1988. In 1993, the PLO signed the Oslo Accords with Israel, creating limited PLO governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through the Palestinian Authority (PA). Israel withdrew from Gaza in its unilateral disengagement in 2005. In 2007, internal divisions between political factions led to a takeover of Gaza by Hamas. Since then, the West Bank has been governed in part by the Fatah-led PA, while the Gaza Strip has remained under the control of Hamas.

In Their Own Story

The sun bled gold over the limestone hills of Bethlehem, stretching shadows that seemed to swallow the ancient stone walls whole. On a low stool outside his family's home, an old man worked with deliberate care, his rough hands pruning the gnarled branches of an olive tree that had watched three centuries pass. His skin was mapped with the same lines as the soil his ancestors had tilled. In the distance, the stark silhouette of a checkpoint cut against the twilight—a silent sentinel dividing his world. Yet, as he wiped dust from a ripe fruit, his eyes held no bitterness, only a quiet, unyielding hope: that one day, this tree would shade children playing freely on land they truly owned.

Reader's Guide

Palestine is a permanent non-member observer state at the United Nations (UN) and is recognized as a sovereign state by 157 of the UN's 193 member states. The questions of Palestine's borders, legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem, and the right of return of Palestinian refugees remain unsolved. Some of the other challenges to Palestine include restrictions on movement, ineffective government and Israeli settlements and settler violence, as well as an overall poor security situation. Despite these challenges, the country maintains an emerging economy and sees frequent tourism. Arabic is the official language of the country. While the majority of Palestinians practice Islam, Christianity also has a presence. Palestine is also a member of several international organizations, including the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, UNESCO, and a delegation of parliamentarians sit at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Did You Know?

• The term 'Palestine' comes via ancient Greek from a Semitic toponym dating back to the late second millennium BCE.
• The Gaza Strip has long been subject to Israeli military occupation and an illegal blockade.
• Israel has constructed large settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, housing over 737,000 Israeli settlers, which are illegal under international law.
• Following the October 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza that has killed over 72,000 Palestinians, caused mass population displacement, a humanitarian crisis, and a fami