The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people stands as one of the world’s most intractable and intensely fought disputes, with a history stretching back over a century. This enduring war is punctuated by a series of large-scale armed conflicts between Israel and neighboring Arab nations, Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation known as intifadas, and harsh Israeli military responses. The deep-seated issues surrounding land ownership, national borders, and fundamental rights continue to fuel this conflict, most recently manifested in the intense war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. To understand Why Is Israel At War, it’s crucial to delve into the historical context that has shaped the region.
The Genesis of Conflict: Palestine Before 1948 and the Creation of Israel
Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, Britain assumed control over a territory then known as Palestine. This land was home to a diverse population, with an Arab majority and a significant Jewish minority, alongside other ethnic and religious groups.
The seeds of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were sown when the UK government declared its support for the establishment of a “national home” for Jewish people in Palestine – a commitment formalized in the Balfour Declaration. While Jewish people held historical and religious connections to the land, Palestinian Arabs also possessed deep-rooted claims spanning centuries and vehemently opposed this proposition. The British government, while making this declaration, also stated that the rights of the existing Palestinian Arab population must be protected, a promise that proved increasingly difficult to uphold as tensions escalated.
Between the 1920s and 1940s, Jewish immigration to Palestine surged, driven by factors including rising antisemitism in Europe and the desperate need for refuge following the Holocaust, where six million Jews were systematically murdered. By 1947, the Jewish population in Palestine had grown to approximately 630,000, constituting just over 30% of the total population.
In 1947, amidst escalating violence between Jewish and Arab communities, and growing unrest against British rule, the United Nations (UN) proposed a partition plan to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Jerusalem was designated as an international city under UN administration. Arab nations rejected the UN partition plan, arguing that it unfairly allocated a disproportionate amount of land to the Jewish population, who were still a minority. Britain abstained from the UN vote and announced its intention to withdraw from Palestine, effectively handing the responsibility for the increasingly volatile situation to the UN, with a withdrawal date set for May 14, 1948.
On May 14, 1948, Jewish leaders in Palestine declared the establishment of the independent State of Israel, mere hours before the end of British rule. The newly formed nation of Israel gained recognition from the UN the following year, marking a pivotal moment in the history of the region and the beginning of a new phase of conflict.
The 1948 Arab-Israeli War: A War of Independence and Palestinian Displacement
The day after Israel declared its independence in 1948, armies from five Arab nations launched attacks, surrounding the nascent state. This conflict is known in Israel as the War of Independence, a fight for survival and self-determination.
By the time armistice agreements were signed in 1949, ending the intense fighting, Israel had gained control over a significant portion of the territory. The agreements left the Gaza Strip under Egyptian control, the West Bank and East Jerusalem under Jordanian occupation, and West Jerusalem under Israeli control.
The 1948 war resulted in a massive displacement of Palestinians. Approximately 750,000 Palestinians fled or were forcibly expelled from their homes in the territory that became Israel, becoming refugees. This event is known in Arabic as the Nakba, meaning “the Catastrophe,” and remains a central point of Palestinian identity and grievance.
In the years following the 1948 war, hundreds of thousands of Jews were either expelled from or chose to leave Muslim-majority countries across the Middle East and North Africa, with many immigrating to Israel. This influx of Jewish refugees further altered the demographic landscape of Israel and the wider region.
The 1967 Six-Day War: Reshaping Boundaries and Prolonging Occupation
The 1967 Middle East war, also known as the Six-Day War, dramatically redrew the map of the region and had profound and lasting consequences for Palestinians. This war involved Israel against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
The war began when Israel, perceiving an imminent threat from Egypt and Syria, launched a preemptive strike against the Egyptian air force. In the ensuing six days of fighting, Israel achieved a decisive military victory.
By the end of the Six-Day War, Israel had seized the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan. This resulted in approximately one million Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem coming under Israeli military occupation.
Israel’s occupation of these territories continues to this day, with significant implications for the ongoing conflict. While Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979 and returned the Sinai Peninsula, it annexed East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, incorporating them into Israel. These annexations, however, are not recognized by the majority of the international community.
The West Bank: Settlements, Palestinian Authority, and Contested Territory
The West Bank, situated between Israel and the Jordan River, is currently home to an estimated three million Palestinians. Along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, it is considered part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Palestinians consistently oppose Israel’s presence in these territories and seek their inclusion in a future independent Palestinian state, a position supported by a broad international consensus. While Israel maintains overall military control of the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA), established in the 1990s, exercises limited self-governance over most Palestinian towns and cities within the West Bank.
Within the West Bank and East Jerusalem, there are approximately 150 Israeli settlements, housing around 700,000 Jewish settlers. Palestinians demand the removal of all Israeli settlements, viewing them as illegal under international law. International law generally considers these settlements illegal, but the Israeli government disputes this, asserting historical rights and viewing at least the larger settlement blocs as permanent.
The Israeli government does not recognize the right of Palestinians to an independent state and considers the West Bank as part of their historical homeland. Settlement expansion has continued, particularly following the current Israeli government’s rise to power in 2022. The Israeli government argues that a Palestinian state would pose a security threat to Israel. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest court, issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal and called for Israel to withdraw all settlers, citing breaches of international agreements on racism and apartheid.
Jerusalem: A City at the Heart of the Dispute
Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital, making the city a central point of contention in the conflict. Israel, which already controlled West Jerusalem, occupied East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and subsequently declared the entire city its “eternal and indivisible capital.” Israel maintains that Jerusalem should remain undivided under its sovereignty.
Palestinians, on the other hand, envision East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. East Jerusalem’s population is predominantly Palestinian, with only a small percentage having acquired Israeli citizenship.
Jerusalem is home to sites of immense religious significance for both Palestinians and Israelis, further complicating the issue. The most sensitive site, known to Muslims as the Al Aqsa Mosque compound or Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary), and to Jews as Temple Mount, is located in East Jerusalem. The UN and the majority of the international community consider East Jerusalem to be Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.
The Gaza Strip: Blockade, Hamas Control, and Cycles of Violence
The Gaza Strip is a narrow territory bordered by Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 41km long and 10km wide. It is one of the most densely populated areas globally, home to around 2.3 million people.
Even before the latest war, Gaza faced severe socio-economic challenges, including extremely high unemployment rates and widespread poverty, with a large portion of the population reliant on international food aid. Gaza’s current boundaries were established following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war when it came under Egyptian control.
Egypt was driven out of Gaza during the 1967 war, and the Strip was occupied by Israel. Israel established settlements in Gaza and subjected the Palestinian population to military rule. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza, but it retained control over Gaza’s borders, airspace, and coastline, effectively maintaining control over the movement of people and goods. The UN still considers Gaza to be occupied territory due to the extent of Israel’s control.
Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist militant organization, won Palestinian elections in 2006 and subsequently seized full control of Gaza in 2007 after violent clashes with its rivals. In response, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza, with Israel heavily restricting the entry of goods into the territory. Since then, there have been multiple major armed conflicts between Hamas and Israel, including wars in 2008-09, 2012, 2014, and 2021. Each conflict has resulted in casualties on both sides, with Palestinians in Gaza suffering disproportionately higher losses.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale assault from Gaza into Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in Israel and the capture of over 250 hostages. This attack triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza. As of recent reports, over 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza, the majority of whom are women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. International humanitarian organizations have repeatedly decried the immense human suffering and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. As of early 2025, efforts are ongoing to secure a ceasefire and agreements for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, but the situation remains highly volatile.
Palestinian State Recognition: A Divided International Community
In May 2024, a significant majority of United Nations General Assembly members (143 out of 193) voted in favor of a Palestinian bid for full UN membership, a status typically reserved for sovereign states. Currently recognized as the “State of Palestine” at the UN, Palestine holds “Permanent Observer State” status, granting it participation rights but not voting rights in the General Assembly.
However, the international community remains divided on the issue of Palestinian statehood. Several European countries, along with the United States, do not recognize a Palestinian state and maintain that recognition should only occur as part of a comprehensive, negotiated political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In the UK, while Members of Parliament voted in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state in 2014, the government has not yet taken this step. The UK government’s stated position, reiterated in 2021, is that “The UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time of our choosing, and when it best serves the objective of peace.” Israel fundamentally opposes the creation of an independent Palestinian state, citing historical claims to the West Bank and asserting that a Palestinian state would pose an unacceptable security risk.
The Palestinian Refugee Question: A Long-Standing Humanitarian Crisis
There are approximately 5.9 million Palestinians registered with the UN as refugees. These refugees are descendants of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in the territory that became Israel during the 1948-49 war. The majority of Palestinian refugees reside in Jordan, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon, often living in refugee camps.
Palestinians insist on the right of return for refugees to their former homes in what is now Israel, a key demand in any potential peace agreement. However, Israel has consistently rejected this right of return, fearing it would overwhelm the Jewish majority of the state. Israel also criticizes the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), arguing that its definition of refugee status, which is passed down through generations, perpetuates the refugee problem.
The Two-State Solution: A Diminishing Prospect for Peace
The “two-state solution” represents a long-standing, internationally endorsed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It proposes the creation of an independent Palestinian state encompassing the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting peacefully alongside Israel.
Despite decades of international efforts, the two-state solution faces significant obstacles and is increasingly seen as a distant prospect. The Israeli government currently rejects the two-state solution, arguing that any final settlement must be the outcome of direct negotiations with the Palestinians, and that Palestinian statehood should not be a precondition for talks.
While the Palestinian Authority officially supports the two-state solution, Hamas, which controls Gaza, fundamentally opposes the existence of Israel and therefore rejects this framework. Hamas has indicated a willingness to accept an interim Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, without formally recognizing Israel, contingent on the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Previous attempts to achieve peace, such as the Oslo Peace Accords in the 1990s, which aimed to establish a framework for negotiations, ultimately collapsed, with both sides blaming the other for the failure.
Understanding why is Israel at war requires acknowledging the complex interplay of historical grievances, competing territorial claims, and deeply entrenched political and religious ideologies. The path towards a lasting peace remains elusive, demanding sustained efforts to address the core issues and build trust between Israelis and Palestinians.
