On 29 November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish two states in the West Bank - one for the Jewish people and one for Arab people. Jerusalem was supposed to remain a zone under international jurisdiction. However, this decision led to the birth of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which still rages today.
On 4 May 1948, Israel declared its independence. Shortly thereafter, several Arab countries including Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq declared war on the newly formed state.
Arab-Israeli conflict 1947
In the Six Day War of 1967, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River, including East Jerusalem. The Jewish population initiated the development of Palestinian land, resulting in the widespread displacement of Palestinians.
Arab-Israeli conflict eng 1967
After the initial Intifada, which was a Palestinian rebellion against Israeli control in the occupied territories, the final status of the Palestinian territories was determined.
In 2005, Israel withdrew unilaterally from the Gaza Strip without any prior political agreement. Hamas emerged victorious in the 2006 Gaza Strip elections against Fatah, and the next year, Hamas ousted Fatah, gaining complete control of the territory.
Because of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, Israel has been conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure since 2008. The most recent operation was carried out in May 2023.
Arab-Israeli conflict 2023
However, the conflict wasn't over yet. After a surprise attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023, Israel declared a state of war, initiated the Iron Swords operation, and launched extensive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, gearing up for a ground operation in the area.
Russia urges Israel and Palestine to cease hostilities and resume negotiations.