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Key Aspects of the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
The main aspects of the conflict include Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements in occupied territories, borders, security, access to water resources, freedom of movement for Palestinians, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees (1).
Historical Background
The conflict originates in the late 19th century with the rise of Zionism in Europe — a movement aimed at establishing a Jewish state through colonization of Palestine. The Zionist movement gained the support of then-imperial power Britain, which in the 1917 Balfour Declaration expressed support for establishing a "Jewish homeland" in Palestine. Following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Britain turned former Ottoman territory into the British Mandate of Palestine. Increased Jewish migration led to rising tensions between Jews and Arabs, ultimately escalating into intercommunal conflict. In 1936, Palestinians launched a revolt demanding independence and an end to British support for Zionism, which was violently suppressed by British forces. Tensions culminated in 1947 with the UN’s adoption of a partition plan for Palestine, leading to civil war (2).
As a result of the 1948 Palestine War, more than half of the Palestinian Arab population was forced to leave their homes. After the war, the State of Israel was established on territory administered by the League of Nations, while Gaza and the West Bank were handed over to Egypt and Jordan. Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel gained control of what is collectively referred to as the Palestinian territories. Two major Palestinian uprisings — the First and Second Intifadas — occurred in 1987 and 2000. Under occupation, Israel began building illegal settlements, leading to what international analysts now describe as a system of institutionalized discrimination against Palestinians — referred to as "Israeli apartheid." This includes the denial of the right of return for Palestinian refugees and the refusal to restore property. Israel’s actions have repeatedly drawn international criticism for human rights violations (3).
Since the 1980s, the international community (excluding the U.S. and Israel) has reached a consensus that a peaceful resolution to the conflict should be based on the two-state solution within the 1967 borders, offering a fair solution for Palestinian refugees. The U.S. and Israel, however, favor bilateral negotiations over solutions grounded in international law. In recent years, public support for the two-state solution has declined, while Israel’s official policy has increasingly aimed at maintaining the occupation. In 2007, Israel intensified the blockade of Gaza and officially declared it must be separated from the West Bank. Since then, Israel has framed its relationship with Gaza not in terms of legal occupation but through the lens of the laws of war. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice rejected Israel's position and ruled that the Palestinian territories constitute a single political unit under illegal Israeli occupation of both the West Bank and Gaza. The court also found that Israeli policies violate the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Since 2006, multiple wars have occurred between Hamas and Israel. After Hamas-led attacks in October 2023, a new war erupted in Israel. Experts in international law, genocide researchers, and human rights organizations have classified Israel’s actions in Gaza as "acts of genocide" (4).
Current Situation
Apartheid Allegations and International Assessments
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice determined that Israel’s policies violate the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. As of 2022, all major international human rights organizations agreed that Israel’s actions amount to the crime of apartheid. In April 2021, Human Rights Watch published a report titled “A Threshold Crossed” stating that Israeli policies toward Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza constitute apartheid. On February 1, 2022, Amnesty International published another report titled “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity” (5).
In 2018, the Israeli Knesset passed the so-called Nation-State Law, which the Israeli legal group Adalah called an “apartheid law.” According to international organizations, the law “constitutionally enshrines the principle of Jewish supremacy and defines the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.” As a "Basic Law," it holds quasi-constitutional status. The law states that the right to national self-determination in Israel belongs solely to the Jewish people (6).
Occupied Palestinian Territories
Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has controlled the Palestinian territories — the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip — making it the longest-standing military occupation in modern history. In 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that the Palestinian territories are a single political entity and that Israel’s occupation, settlement activity, and use of natural resources violate international law. The court further determined that Israel must pay full reparations to the Palestinian people for the harm caused (7).
Many Palestinians believe they have full rights over the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Israel claims that, due to security concerns and the lack of negotiations, these territories remain in dispute. Palestinians view this stance as a denial of their fundamental rights. In 2017, Hamas declared it would support a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders but without recognizing Israel (8).
Israeli Settlements
The international community considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disagrees. Proponents of settlement legality cite provisions in the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN Security Council resolutions. Settlements often involve confiscation of Palestinian land, leading to displacement and conflict. These areas are typically controlled by the Israeli army, “protected,” and often become flashpoints of violence. Settlements fragment Palestinian territory, hinder economic development, and restrict freedom of movement. Amnesty International reports that the settlements deprive Palestinian towns of vital resources like land and water and restrict movement under the guise of security (9).
In a 2014 report covering the 2011–2013 period, Amnesty International stated that Israeli forces used “reckless violence” in the West Bank, including instances of intentional killings that may constitute war crimes. A total of 261 Palestinians (including 67 children) were severely injured by live ammunition. During the same period, 45 Palestinians, including six children, were killed. In 25 cases reviewed by Amnesty, there was no evidence that the victims posed any threat at the time. Over 8,000 Palestinians were seriously injured with other means, including rubber bullets. Only one Israeli soldier was convicted for killing a Palestinian, receiving a demotion and a one-year suspended sentence. The Israeli army stated that it “upholds high professional standards” and investigates where necessary (10).
Gaza’s Separation and Blockade Policy
Since 2006, Israel has enforced a policy of separating Gaza from the West Bank. This has included strict restrictions on imports, exports, and movement, intensified after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 (11).
Israel considers Gaza a “hostile territory” and presents the blockade as a security measure. However, international and human rights organizations see it as collective punishment violating fundamental Palestinian rights. Israeli officials have openly stated that the goal was to exert economic pressure to collapse Gaza’s economy while maintaining a “humanitarian minimum.”
The blockade has led to the collapse of the private sector, rising unemployment, and widespread poverty. By 2010, exports had almost completely ceased, and import restrictions were only slightly relaxed in later years. Despite some formal easing, the economic and humanitarian situation has not significantly improved (11).
The UN and human rights organizations assert that the blockade violates international humanitarian law and impedes the socio-economic development of Palestinians (12).
Recent Developments
On October 7, 2023, armed groups led by Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 815 civilians, and the abduction of 251 people. Since the war began in Gaza, over 52,000 Palestinians have been killed — more than half of them women and children. Over 110,000 Palestinians have been injured. A study published in The Lancet concluded that, by June 2024, deaths caused by traumatic injuries could reach 64,260, though the actual number is likely higher when considering indirect consequences.
Israel’s intensified blockade of Gaza has created an extreme food crisis, leading to record-high levels of hunger as of mid-2025 (13).
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