The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to the late 19th century when Zionists sought to establish a homeland for the Jewish people in Ottoman-controlled Palestine. The conflict has its roots in the rise of national movements, including Zionism and Arab nationalism, and the details of the Holocaust had a significant effect on the situation in Palestine and propelled large support for the Zionist movement. The United Nations adopted Resolution 181 in 1947, known as the Partition Plan, which sought to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was created, sparking the first Arab-Israeli War. The war ended in 1949 with Israels victory, but 750,000 Palestinians were displaced, and the territory was divided into three parts: the State of Israel, the West Bank (of the Jordan River), and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians seek to establish their own independent state in at least a part of historic Palestine.

The conflict has been characterized by violence and military confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians. In the summer of 2014, clashes in the Palestinian territories precipitated a military confrontation between the Israeli military and Hamas in which Hamas fired nearly three thousand rockets at Israel, and Israel retaliated with a major offensive in Gaza. The skirmish ended in late August 2014 with a cease-fire deal brokered by Egypt, but only after 73 Israelis and 2,251 Palestinians were killed. In May 2021, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire after 11 days of fighting that left over 250 people dead, most of them Palestinians.

The conflict has been fueled by a range of factors, including territorial disputes, religious differences, and political tensions. The roots of the conflict can be traced to the late 19th century, with the rise of national movements, including Zionism and Arab nationalism. The conflict has been marked by a series of wars, uprisings, and violent confrontations, and has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who became refugees. The conflict has also been characterized by ongoing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.