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 primarily over territory, and it 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 Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War announcing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. 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. The plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by the Arab side and never implemented. The current Israeli-Palestinian status quo began following Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War, known as the Palestinian territories.

The main issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict include a two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees. The Palestinians lament Israels creation as the Nakba, or catastrophe, that resulted in their dispossession and blocked their dreams of statehood. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced many millions of people. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank say they are suffering because of Israeli actions and restrictions, while Israel says it is only acting to protect itself from Palestinian violence.

In summary, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a long-standing military and political conflict over territory that dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. The conflict has its roots in 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 main issues of the conflict include a two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees.