The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians did not end with the creation of Israel in 1948. Instead, it has evolved into a multifaceted and ongoing struggle, marked by wars, uprisings, peace attempts, and continuous disputes over land, sovereignty, and identity. From the occupation of Palestinian territories in 1967 to the events leading up to October 7th, 2023, several key moments have shaped the modern dynamics of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The 1967 Six-Day War and Its Aftermath
A pivotal moment in the conflict occurred in June 1967, when Israel fought a six-day war against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. By the end of the war, Israel had captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem—areas that Palestinians had hoped would form their independent state—became a central issue in the conflict and remains unresolved to this day.
The 1967 war solidified Israel’s control over historic Palestine, but it also placed nearly one million Palestinians under Israeli military occupation. The construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem began shortly after the war and has continued since, further complicating peace efforts. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this, and their expansion has been one of the primary obstacles to a two-state solution.
In response to the occupation, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Yasser Arafat, began to gain international prominence in the 1960s. Founded in 1964, the PLO sought to establish an independent Palestinian state and was initially committed to armed struggle against Israel. Over time, the PLO became the recognized representative of the Palestinian people and shifted its stance toward diplomacy.
The First Intifada (1987–1993)
The First Intifada—Arabic for “uprising”—erupted in 1987 as a grassroots Palestinian movement against Israeli occupation. The uprising began in the Gaza Strip and quickly spread to the West Bank, involving widespread protests, civil disobedience, and clashes between Palestinian civilians and Israeli military forces.
The Intifada was characterized by Palestinians throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, labor strikes, and demonstrations. Israeli forces responded with military crackdowns, and the conflict resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 Palestinians and about 200 Israelis by the time it ended in 1993. The First Intifada marked a turning point in international attention to the Palestinian cause, as images of Palestinian youths clashing with Israeli tanks drew global sympathy.
In response to the Intifada, Israel began implementing collective punishment measures, including curfews, demolitions of Palestinian homes, and mass arrests. The uprising also gave rise to Hamas, an Islamist group that opposes Israel’s existence and was founded in 1987 as an alternative to the PLO’s more secular approach.
The Oslo Accords (1993–1995)
The First Intifada paved the way for a diplomatic breakthrough in the form of the Oslo Accords, a set of agreements between Israel and the PLO. Signed in 1993 and 1995, the accords were a major attempt to resolve the conflict through a two-state solution. The PLO, led by Yasser Arafat, formally recognized Israel’s right to exist, while Israel recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Under the Oslo framework, the Palestinian Authority (PA) was established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza, with the understanding that further negotiations would lead to a final resolution on borders, Jerusalem, refugees, and settlements. However, the Oslo Accords left many key issues unresolved, and the peace process stalled as violence and mistrust on both sides persisted.
The 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who had championed the Oslo process, further derailed the peace efforts. By the late 1990s, it became clear that the two sides were far from reaching a final agreement, with tensions rising again over issues like settlement expansion and the status of Jerusalem.
The Second Intifada (2000–2005)
The collapse of peace talks at Camp David in 2000 and the subsequent visit by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem triggered the Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada. This uprising was far more violent than the first, involving widespread use of firearms, suicide bombings by Palestinian groups, and brutal Israeli military operations.
The Second Intifada resulted in the deaths of around 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis. The violence intensified mutual hostility and led to the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier, which Israel argued was necessary for security but Palestinians saw as a land grab and a further entrenchment of the occupation.
The Second Intifada led to the disillusionment of many Israelis and Palestinians with the peace process. It also strengthened groups like Hamas, which continued to oppose any negotiations with Israel and gained control of the Gaza Strip after winning elections in 2006. This deepened the political divide between Hamas in Gaza and the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
The Gaza Wars and Israeli Blockades (2008–2021)
Following Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 2007, Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip, severely restricting the movement of goods and people in and out of the territory. This blockade, combined with periodic military operations by Israel and rocket attacks by Hamas, created a cycle of violence that has left Gaza devastated and its people in a state of perpetual humanitarian crisis.
The first major conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted in 2008-2009 during Operation Cast Lead, which saw 1,400 Palestinian and 13 Israeli deaths. This was followed by other conflicts in 2012, 2014, and 2021, each involving large-scale Israeli airstrikes and ground operations, and thousands of Palestinian deaths.
In Gaza, the humanitarian situation has worsened, with widespread poverty, high unemployment, and deteriorating infrastructure. Meanwhile, Israel argues that its military operations are necessary to stop Hamas rocket attacks, but human rights groups have criticized Israel’s actions as disproportionate and indiscriminate.
The Lead-Up to October 7, 2023
Leading up to October 7, 2023, tensions were at an all-time high. Continued settlement expansion in the West Bank, periodic flare-ups of violence in Gaza, and the growing right-wing political climate in Israel created a volatile environment. In the West Bank, the Israeli settler movement expanded, leading to increased confrontations between settlers and Palestinians. The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continued to approve settlements despite international criticism.
Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza remained dire. Hamas continued to govern the Strip, while Israel’s blockade and periodic military operations created a cycle of violence and retaliation. Jerusalem also became a flashpoint, particularly around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian worshippers becoming more frequent.
In the months leading up to October 7, 2023, there were increasing reports of Israeli military operations in both the West Bank and Gaza, as well as growing discontent within Palestinian society over the stagnation of the peace process and ongoing occupation. On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel from Gaza, resulting in heavy Israeli retaliation and escalating the conflict to new and devastating levels.
