The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict in the Levant that began in the mid-20th century and is one of the worlds longest continuing conflicts. The conflict has its roots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the birth of major nationalist movements among the Jews and among the Arabs, both geared towards attaining sovereignty for their people in the Middle East. The conflict has gone through several phases, including the 1947–1949 Palestine War, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the 2014 Gaza War. The key events that led to the current status quo include the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War, known as the Palestinian territories. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of millions of people and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Here are some key events that have shaped the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

• In 1947, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181, 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.
• In 1967, Israel launched what it said was a pre-emptive defensive war against Jordan, Egypt, and Syria, as they appeared to be preparing to invade. The attack caught Arab governments by surprise and saw Israel achieve rapid victories, including seizing the Sinai peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.
• 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.
• In 2021, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire mediated by Egypt, which has acted as an intermediary between Israel and Gaza in the past.

The conflict is complex and has many underlying factors, including religious, territorial, and political issues. The conflict has also been shaped by the actions of various groups, including Jewish and Arab nationalist movements, Palestinian and Israeli political leaders, and militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.