The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict in the Levant that dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. The conflict is rooted in competing claims to the Holy Land, and includes disputes over borders, Jerusalem, security, and Palestinian refugees. 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 Israel’s victory, but 750,000 Palestinians were displaced, and the territory was divided into 3 parts: the State of Israel, the West Bank (of the Jordan River), and the Gaza Strip. Since then, there have been several wars, armed uprisings, and terrorist acts.

The main issues of the conflict include a two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees. The Palestinian side has been fractured by conflict between Fatah and Hamas since 2006. In 2014, there was 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. In May 2021, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire after a new round of violence.

The conflict has resulted in significant loss of life and displacement of people. For example, the 1967 Six-Day War culminated in Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, and the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 242, which called for Israel to withdraw from occupied lands to secure and recognize borders in exchange for peace. Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes and of having a continuing oppressive and discriminatory system of governing Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.