Arab-Israeli Conflict and Palestine

Introduction

The Arab-Israeli conflict refers to a broad historical and political conflict involving Israel and Arab states and, centrally, the Palestinian question. It has evolved through wars, territorial disputes, diplomacy, occupation, peace agreements, armed conflict and competing national claims.

The Palestinian question concerns the political status, rights, security and future of the Palestinian people, including questions involving statehood, territory, refugees, Jerusalem, settlements and self-determination.

The conflict has changed considerably over time. Modern Arab-Israeli relations therefore require distinguishing the wider Arab-Israeli conflict from the specifically Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Historical Background

A major turning point came with the end of the British Mandate in Palestine and the establishment of Israel in 1948.

The resulting war produced major territorial and demographic changes.

For Palestinians, the mass displacement associated with the 1948 conflict is remembered as the Nakba, meaning catastrophe.

1948 War

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War followed the termination of the British Mandate and the declaration of the State of Israel.

Arab states including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq became involved in the conflict.

The war resulted in Israel controlling territory beyond that envisaged by the 1947 UN partition plan.

Large numbers of Palestinians became refugees.

UN Partition Plan

UN General Assembly Resolution 181, adopted in 1947, recommended partition of Mandatory Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem receiving a special international status.

The proposal was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by Arab leadership and Palestinian representatives.

The plan was never implemented as originally proposed.

Palestinian Refugees

Palestinian refugees are Palestinians displaced from their homes during the conflicts of 1948 and 1967 and their descendants.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, was established in 1949 to provide assistance and protection to Palestine refugees.

1967 War

The Six-Day War of 1967 transformed the regional political landscape.

Israel captured:

• West Bank
• East Jerusalem
• Gaza Strip
• Sinai Peninsula
• Golan Heights

The war placed the question of military occupation at the centre of international diplomacy.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) generally refers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in United Nations terminology.

International institutions use this terminology when discussing the legal and humanitarian situation in these territories.

West Bank

The West Bank is a territory west of the Jordan River.

It contains:

• Palestinian cities
• Israeli settlements
• military areas
• agricultural areas
• major religious sites

Its political status remains a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip is a densely populated coastal territory bordering Israel and Egypt.

It has been a major centre of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has become particularly severe during the conflict that followed the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023. UN reporting in September 2026 continued to describe severe humanitarian, economic and political pressures despite the ceasefire that began in October 2025.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem has exceptional importance to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

Major religious sites include:

• Western Wall
• Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Dome of the Rock
• Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The political status of Jerusalem remains one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict.

Two-State Solution

Two-state solution refers to a proposed political settlement involving Israel and an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel.

It has been supported in various forms by numerous states and international institutions.

Core issues include:

• borders
• Jerusalem
• settlements
• refugees
• security
• recognition
• sovereignty

One-State Concepts

One-state solution refers to proposals for a single political entity covering Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Different one-state proposals envisage different constitutional and political arrangements.

The concept is distinct from the two-state framework.

Israeli Settlements

Israeli settlements are Israeli civilian communities established in territories occupied by Israel since 1967.

Settlement expansion is a major issue in international debates over the future of the West Bank.

UN officials continued to report settlement expansion and related displacement and violence in the West Bank during 2026.

Hamas

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist political and armed organization.

It has exercised de facto authority in the Gaza Strip since 2007.

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several governments, including the United States and the European Union.

The organization has both political and military structures.

Palestinian Authority

Palestinian Authority (PA) was established following the Oslo process as an interim self-government institution for parts of the West Bank and Gaza.

The PA exercises limited administrative authority in parts of the West Bank.

Its future role is closely connected with debates about Palestinian statehood and governance.

Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization beginning in 1993.

They created a framework for:

• mutual recognition
• Palestinian interim self-government
• security cooperation
• negotiations on permanent-status issues

The Oslo process did not produce a final settlement.

Permanent-Status Issues

The main permanent-status issues traditionally include:

• Jerusalem
• borders
• settlements
• refugees
• security
• Palestinian statehood

These issues remain central to peace negotiations.

International Law

The conflict is closely connected to international law concerning:

• occupation
• self-determination
• humanitarian law
• settlements
• refugees
• use of force
• civilian protection

Different parties interpret particular legal questions differently, making careful attribution essential.

Humanitarian Dimension

The conflict has major humanitarian consequences.

These include:

• displacement
• civilian casualties
• destruction of infrastructure
• food insecurity
• health-system disruption
• water shortages
• housing destruction

UN reporting in 2026 continued to document severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza and worsening conditions in parts of the West Bank.

Arab-Israeli Normalization

Relations between Israel and several Arab states have changed substantially.

The Abraham Accords established or formalized diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states beginning in 2020.

Normalization can involve:

• diplomatic relations
• trade
• tourism
• investment
• security cooperation
• technology

However, normalization between Israel and Arab states does not itself resolve the Palestinian question.

Regional Dimension

The Palestinian conflict is connected with wider regional politics involving:

• Iran
• Lebanon
• Syria
• Yemen
• Gulf states
• Türkiye
• Egypt
• Jordan

The conflict has therefore become part of a broader regional security environment.

Key Distinctions

Arab-Israeli conflict vs Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The Arab-Israeli conflict includes interstate wars and relations involving Israel and Arab states. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict specifically concerns Israel and the Palestinian people and territories.

Occupation vs annexation: Occupation refers to effective military control of territory without necessarily changing its legal status. Annexation is a claim to incorporate territory into a state’s sovereign territory.

Refugee vs internally displaced person: A refugee crosses an international border, while an internally displaced person remains within the borders of their country or territory.

Normalization vs peace settlement: Normalization establishes or improves relations between states. It does not necessarily resolve every underlying territorial or political dispute.

Key Terms at a Glance

• Arab-Israeli conflict
• Palestinian question
• Nakba
• 1948 war
• Six-Day War
• Occupied Palestinian Territory
• West Bank
• Gaza Strip
• East Jerusalem
• Palestinian refugees
• UNRWA
• Two-state solution
• One-state solution
• Israeli settlements
• Hamas
• Palestinian Authority
• Oslo Accords
• Permanent-status issues
• Normalization
• Abraham Accords
• Self-determination

Related Glossaries

• 6.4 International Humanitarian Law
• 6.5 International Courts and Tribunals
• 9.1 International and National Security
• 10.1 War and Armed Conflict
• 10.5 Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution
• 16.1 Middle Eastern Geopolitics
• 16.3 Gulf Politics and Energy Security
• 16.4 Iran and Regional Power Competition
• 16.5 Türkiye and Middle Eastern Geopolitics
• 20.2 Colonialism, Imperialism and Decolonization

Conclusion

The Arab-Israeli conflict and Palestinian question involve interconnected historical, territorial, legal, political and humanitarian dimensions. The conflict has evolved through interstate wars, occupation, diplomacy, armed movements and attempts at negotiated settlement.

Understanding the subject requires distinguishing historical events from competing political narratives and separating the wider Arab-Israeli conflict from the specific questions of Palestinian statehood, territory, refugees, Jerusalem and security.