Newshhere | Global News update : A Century of Conflict: An In-Depth Timeline of the Israel-Palestine Crisis

A Century of Conflict: An In-Depth Timeline of the Israel-Palestine Crisis 

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is one of the world's most enduring and complex geopolitical struggles, rooted in competing claims to the same small piece of land. Tracing its roots back over a century, a comprehensive timeline is essential for understanding the historical context, key flashpoints, and the numerous failed attempts at peace. This in-depth analysis provides a factual, historically grounded chronology drawn from credible international sources.

Part I: The Genesis of Conflict (1917–1948)

The modern conflict is not ancient but emerged from the confluence of two powerful 20th-century forces: Zionism (the movement for a Jewish national home) and Arab Nationalism (the desire for self-determination among Arabs in the region).

1917: The Balfour Declaration and British Promises

In the midst of World War I, Britain, eager to secure support, made potentially conflicting promises.

The McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (1915-1916): Britain promised Arab leaders, including Sharif Hussein, support for an independent Arab state in exchange for their revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

The Balfour Declaration (November 1917): British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour wrote a letter to a prominent British Zionist, Lord Rothschild, stating that the British government "view[ed] with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people," provided "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine" (BBC). This set the stage for competing national aspirations in the territory.

1920–1947: The British Mandate and Escalating Tensions

Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations granted Britain a Mandate over Palestine in 1922. The terms officially incorporated the Balfour Declaration.

Increased Immigration: Jewish immigration to Palestine, particularly from Europe seeking to escape anti-Semitism and, later, the Holocaust, dramatically increased the Jewish population from roughly 11% in 1922 to approximately 30% by 1940 (UN).

The Arab Revolt (1936–1939): Palestinian Arabs launched a sustained revolt against British rule and mass Jewish immigration, protesting land confiscations and demographic changes. The British suppressed the revolt harshly, often with the assistance of Jewish paramilitary groups (Al Jazeera).

1947: The UN Partition Plan

Unable to manage the escalating violence between Jewish and Arab communities, Britain handed the issue to the newly formed United Nations.

UN Resolution 181 (November 29, 1947): The UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem designated as an international city. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which allotted them 56% of the land. Arab leaders vehemently rejected it, viewing it as a gross injustice that granted the majority of the land to a minority of the population (CFR).

Immediate Civil War: The UN vote immediately ignited a civil war between the two communities in Mandatory Palestine.

Part II: War, Birth, and Displacement (1948–1967)

1948–1949: The 1948 Arab-Israeli War (The War of Independence / The Nakba)

Israel’s Declaration of Independence (May 14, 1948): On the day the British Mandate officially ended, David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel.

The Arab Invasion: The following day, a coalition of Arab armies (Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon) invaded the new state, sparking the first Arab-Israeli War.

Outcome: Israel secured a decisive victory, expanding its borders beyond the UN Partition Plan's original allocation, controlling approximately 78% of the former Mandate territory (Britannica).

The Nakba (The Catastrophe): During and immediately after the war, an estimated 700,000 to 750,000 Palestinian Arabs were either expelled or fled from their homes in the territory that became Israel (UN, Al Jazeera). They were never permitted to return, creating a massive, enduring refugee crisis and marking the central trauma of modern Palestinian history.

New Borders: The 1949 Armistice Agreements established the temporary borders (the "Green Line"). The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was controlled by Jordan, and the Gaza Strip was controlled by Egypt. The promised Palestinian Arab state was never established.

1964: The Formation of the PLO

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in Cairo, committed to the armed struggle for the "liberation of Palestine." It initially operated as a conventional armed resistance movement.

Part III: The Turning Point: Occupation and Resistance (1967–1993)

1967: The Six-Day War (The Naksa)

Causes: Escalating regional tensions, including Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's closure of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping and the massing of Arab troops near Israel's borders, led Israel to launch a pre-emptive strike (CFR).

Outcome: In a spectacular military victory, Israel defeated the combined forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in just six days. Israel captured:

The Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

The West Bank (including East Jerusalem) from Jordan.

The Golan Heights from Syria.

The capture of the West Bank and Gaza Strip placed Israel in control of the remaining 22% of historic Palestine, and with it, a new Palestinian population.

UN Resolution 242 (November 1967): The UN Security Council adopted this landmark resolution, which called for Israeli withdrawal "from territories occupied in the recent conflict" in exchange for the termination of all claims of belligerency. The phrase "the territories" has been a matter of dispute ever since.

1973: The Yom Kippur War

Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. While Israel ultimately repelled the attack, the initial losses shook the Israeli sense of invincibility. It eventually led to the Camp David Accords (1978), the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state (Egypt), resulting in Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula.

1987–1993: The First Intifada

The Uprising: The First Intifada, or "shaking off" (Arabic), was a popular Palestinian uprising that began in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It was characterized primarily by non-violent resistance, mass protests, civil disobedience, and stone-throwing against the Israeli military presence.

The Birth of Hamas: The First Intifada saw the founding of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in 1987. Emerging from the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas offered a combination of Islamist ideology, armed resistance, and a popular social service network (The Guardian).

Part IV: The Illusion of Peace (1993–2000)

1993–1995: The Oslo Accords

The culmination of secret talks, the Oslo Accords were a series of groundbreaking agreements between the Government of Israel and the PLO.

Mutual Recognition (1993): Israel recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and the PLO recognized Israel's right to exist.

Palestinian Authority (PA): The accords established the Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for a five-year interim period.

The A, B, C Areas: The West Bank was divided into three areas of control:

Area A: Full Palestinian Authority civil and security control.

Area B: Palestinian civil control, joint Israeli-Palestinian security control.

Area C: Full Israeli civil and security control (comprising the majority of the West Bank territory).

Deferred Issues: Crucial "Permanent Status Issues" were deferred for future talks, including the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees, borders, and Israeli settlements. These unresolved issues would ultimately plague the peace process.

2000: The Failed Camp David Summit

The final high-level effort to achieve a permanent peace agreement was convened by US President Bill Clinton between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. The negotiations collapsed over the issues of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, leading to mutual recriminations and setting the stage for renewed violence (CFR).

Part V: Renewed Conflict and Disengagement (2000–2007)

2000–2005: The Second Intifada (Al-Aqsa Intifada)

The Trigger: The Second Intifada began following a provocative visit by Likud opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount) in Jerusalem in September 2000 (Al Jazeera).

Characteristics: This uprising was significantly more violent than the first, marked by widespread Palestinian suicide bombings against Israeli civilian targets and large-scale, often destructive, Israeli military incursions into Palestinian cities and refugee camps.

The Barrier: Israel began constructing a sophisticated barrier/wall, mostly within the West Bank, citing security needs to prevent terrorist attacks. Palestinians and international bodies like the International Court of Justice condemned the barrier's route as an effective annexation of Palestinian land (UN).

2005: Israel's Gaza Disengagement

Under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel unilaterally withdrew all Israeli settlers and military personnel from the Gaza Strip. The move was highly contentious in Israel. While ending the direct Israeli military presence inside Gaza, Israel maintained effective control over Gaza's airspace, seacoast, and most border crossings, which critics maintain constitutes continued occupation (CFR).

2006–2007: The Hamas Takeover of Gaza

2006 Election: Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian legislative elections.

Factional Conflict (2007): Following months of escalating tensions and civil strife between Hamas and the Fatah party (which governs the PA in the West Bank), Hamas forces violently seized full control of the Gaza Strip.

The Blockade: In response, Israel, with Egyptian support, imposed a severe air, land, and sea blockade on Gaza, citing the need to isolate the militant group. The blockade has profoundly impacted Gaza's economy and humanitarian situation for over a decade (TRT World).

Part VI: Wars and Stagnation (2008–Present)

2008–2021: Recurrent Conflicts and the Unresolved Gaza Status

The period after the Hamas takeover was marked by frequent, major military escalations between Israel and Hamas/other militant groups in Gaza:

Operation Cast Lead (2008–2009): A major Israeli military operation in Gaza in response to rocket fire.

Operation Pillar of Defense (2012): A shorter conflict triggered by Israeli targeting of a Hamas military leader.

Operation Protective Edge (2014): A 50-day war resulting in significant casualties and infrastructure damage in Gaza (Al Jazeera).

2021 Escalation: Triggered by tensions in Jerusalem (particularly over the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood evictions and clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque), resulting in cross-border fire.

2017: US Recognition of Jerusalem

The US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and subsequently moved its embassy there. This broke with decades of international policy that held Jerusalem’s status as a key final-status issue to be resolved through negotiation. The move was widely condemned by the PA and most Arab nations (CFR).

2020: The Abraham Accords

In a significant geopolitical shift, Israel signed normalization agreements (The Abraham Accords) with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. While hailed as a major diplomatic achievement, these accords bypassed the Palestinian issue, reinforcing the sense among Palestinians that their cause was losing regional priority.

2023: The October 7 Attack and Subsequent War

October 7, 2023: Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a massive, coordinated surprise attack on Israel, crossing the Gaza border barrier and targeting military bases and civilian communities. Over 1,200 people were killed in Israel, mostly civilians, and approximately 240 were taken hostage (Britannica).

The Response: Israel declared war on Hamas, launching a massive air campaign and a subsequent ground invasion of the Gaza Strip with the stated goal of eliminating Hamas's military and governing capabilities and securing the release of the hostages. The war resulted in an immense humanitarian crisis in Gaza and significant regional and global instability.

Conclusion: A History of Competing Narratives

The Israel-Palestine conflict is a deeply entrenched struggle over national identity, land, and security, defined by two major displacements: the Jewish return to a historic homeland following centuries of persecution, culminating in the Holocaust, and the Palestinian displacement (the Nakba) following the founding of the State of Israel.

The timeline shows a clear trajectory: the emergence of competing national movements under the British Mandate, the war of 1948 that defined the state of Israel and the Palestinian refugee crisis, the 1967 war that led to the prolonged Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and the cycle of violence and failed peace efforts (Oslo, Camp David) that have characterized the last three decades. The core issues of borders, settlements, Jerusalem, and refugees remain fundamentally unresolved, ensuring that the conflict, while changing in form, remains highly volatile and requires a comprehensive political solution acceptable to both peoples.

📚 References and Credible Sources

The information in this article has been cross-verified using major international news outlets and globally recognized research and intergovernmental bodies known for their commitment to factual reporting and historical documentation.

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR): (Source 1.1, 1.5, 2.2) - Cited for high-level timeline events, peace process analysis, and conflict tracker updates.

United Nations (UN) / UNISPAL: (Source 1.2, 2.3, 4.2) - Cited for official UN resolutions, the history of the Question of Palestine, and facts on the Partition Plan.

Al Jazeera: (Source 2.5, 4.4) - Cited for providing context on the Palestinian narrative, including the Nakba, the Intifadas, and the Gaza conflicts.

Britannica: (Source 1.4, 4.3) - Cited for factual summaries of the Arab-Israeli Wars and the 2023-present conflict.

The Guardian: (Source 3.4) - Cited for background on the roots of the conflict, the PLO, and the rise of Hamas.

TRT World Research Centre: (Source 1.3) - Cited for timeline events and analysis, including the Gaza blockade.