Israeli–Palestinian conflict traces

The establishment of Israel, and the war that followed and preceded it, led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who became refugees, sparking a decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people.[1] The Palestinians seek to establish their own independent state in at least a part of historic Palestine. Israeli defense of its own borders, control over the West Bank, the Egyptian-Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian internal politics currently make this goal out of reach.

Numerous peace negotiations have taken place over the years, but a lasting peace agreement has remained elusive. The conflict has been marked by violence, including terrorist attacks by Palestinian militants and military operations by Israel. The United States and other countries have played a key role in attempting to broker peace, but many obstacles remain, including the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the status of Jerusalem, and the ultimate fate of Palestinian refugees.