The Arab-Israeli conflict has gone on for more than 75 years and has shaped the modern Middle East. Here are the major events.
- 1948: The State of Israel is founded. Neighbouring Arab countries invade, leading to the first Arab-Israeli war. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians lose their homes.
- 1967: In the Six-Day War, Israel captures the Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights.
- 1973: Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on Israel in the Yom Kippur War. As a result, peace talks lead to the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty with Egypt in 1979.
- 1987-1993: The First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.
- Early 1990s: The Oslo Accords reach agreements between Israel and the PLO and allow the Palestinian Authority to take control of parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
- 2000-2005: The Second Intifada brings more violence.
- 2006: Hamas wins Palestinian elections and later gains control of Gaza.
- 2014: A major conflict erupts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, resulting in casualties and destruction.
- 2020: Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, normalize relations.
- October 7, 2023: Hamas launches a large-scale attack on Israel. Over a thousand people are killed and hundreds are taken hostage. Since then, Israel has destroyed large parts of the region and left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians homeless.
First Intifada in the Gaza Strip
Image: Efi Sharir / Photographer: Israel Press and Photo Agency (I.P.P.A.) / Dan Hadani collection, National Library of Israel / CC BY 4.0, CC BY 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- accords = agreement
- agreement = a promise by two or more parties to do something that everyone wants
- capture = to take control of an area
- casualties = people who are hurt and killed
- destruction = when something is completely damaged so that it cannot be used any more
- erupt = to start suddenly
- found – founded = to start something new
- gain = get
- including = also
- Intifada = Palestinian rebellion against Israeli soldiers in the occupied territories
- invade = to enter a country with an army of soldiers
- large-scale = here: with many soldiers and weapons
- launch = start
- normalize = to become normal again
- occupation = a large group of soldiers from another country take control of a place
- peace treaty = an agreement where all parties agree to stop fighting
- resulting = leading to
- shape = form
- take hostage = to keep someone as prisoner by an enemy
- uprising = rebellion
- violence = fighting