Key Moments in Israel Palestine Conflict1
1917 a letter, known as the Balfour Declaration, regarded as one of the most contested documents in the modern history of the Middle East, commits the British government to “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.
1947 the UN votes for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under special international administration.
1948 British rulers leave and Jewish leaders declare the creation of the state of Israel. A war soon follows with troops from neighbouring Arab countries invading. This leads to Israel gaining control of even more territory, Approximately 700,000 Palestinians flee or are driven from their land in what Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba”, or “catastrophe” in Arabic. An estimated 15,000 Palestinians are killed, including in a series of massacres.
1956 (Suez Crisis) Israel invades Egypt, including the Gaza Strip
1957 Israel withdraws from Egyptian land, with the exception of the Gaza Strip
1967 a war known as the “Six-Day War” breaks out, in which Israel occupies East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Settlement construction begins in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. A two-tier system is created, with Jewish settlers afforded all the rights and privileges of being Israeli citizens, whereas Palestinians are forced to live under a military occupation. The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
1973 on Yom Kippur invading forces from Egypt and Syria launch a coordinated attack on Israel in an attempt to gain better terms for the Arab countries in the region. There are heavy death tolls on both sides. 2,656 Israeli soldiers are killed. Precise figures of Arab casualties are difficult to ascertain, but the lowest casualty estimate is 8,000.
1978 Israel and Egypt sign a series of agreements known as the Camp David Accords. It also sets out a framework for Palestinian self-government in the West Bank and Gaza.
1987 1st intifada (Palestinian Uprising) this conflict and Israel’s response lead to formation of Hamas
1993 Oslo Accords agreement reached on two-state solution, except fails to reach agreement on Settlements and Jerusalem. Hamas opposes deal & conducts a series of suicide bombings in Israel.
2000 a Second Intifada begins and clashes continue until 2005, with hundreds of casualties on both sides.
2005 Israeli forces withdraw troops from Gaza but impose a military blockade on the region.
2006 Hamas wins a majority of seats in elections Israel and the US cut off aid to Palestinians because Hamas refuses to renounce violence and recognise Israel.
2008 Israel attacks Gaza after rocket fire from Gaza, involving the use of white phosphorous gas, which international law restricts the use of during war.
2012 Eight days of intense conflict after Israel kills Hamas military chief
2014 Hamas kidnaps and kills three Israeli teenagers – a seven-week conflict follows
2018, 2021 & 2022 violent conflict erupts between Gaza and Israel as well as a growth in violence across the West Bank
- For fuller description of these events see Israel-Palestine: A timeline of the decades-long conflict | Evening Standard
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