Israel-Palestine Conflict Timeline

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Until recently, the Zionist-Arab Conflict:

Timeline of the Israel–Palestine Conflict

1517–1917 – Ottoman Rule:

  • Palestine is part of the Ottoman Empire, governed as part of larger administrative districts. The Ottomans control land sales, immigration, and local governance, setting the stage for later tensions between local Arab communities and incoming Jewish settlers.

1881 – Eastern Europe:

  • Severe antisemitism in Eastern Europe drives many Jewish people to consider emigration, with some seeking to move to Palestine.

1890s – Birth of Zionism:

  • The Zionist movement emerges, calling for the creation of a secure Jewish homeland.
  • European Zionist organizations begin purchasing land in Palestine.
  • The Ottoman Empire resists large-scale settlement.

1914–1918 – World War I:

  • The Ottoman Empire collapses.
  • 1917 – Balfour Declaration: Britain expresses support for establishing a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, while also promising to protect non-Jewish communities.

1915–16

  • McMahon–Hussein Correspondence: Britain’s wartime promise to Arabs about independence, which conflicted with the Balfour Declaration. Critical to Arab distrust.

1916 – Sykes–Picot Agreement

  • Secret Anglo-French deal carving up Ottoman lands, sowed further Arab resentment.

1917–1920 – British Occupation:

  • British forces defeat the Ottomans and occupy Palestine. Administrative control shifts, setting the stage for new tensions between Jewish immigrants and Arab residents.

1919 – King-Crane Commission

  • An official U.S. investigation sent to the region. It found that the vast majority of local Arabs were vehemently opposed to the Zionist project and favored an independent, united Syria (including Palestine). Its findings were largely ignored by Britain and France, but it’s a crucial document reflecting the will of the indigenous population at the time.

1920 Nebi Musa Riots:

  • Early Arab riots against Jewish immigration.

1929 Palestine Riots:

  • Violence at Hebron and Safed, hundreds of Jews and Arabs killed.

1936–1939 Arab Revolt:

  • Widespread Palestinian uprising against British colonial rule and increasing Jewish immigration. Important precursor to later resistance.

Peel Commission (1937):

  • The first official proposal for a two-state solution. It allocated the most fertile coastal areas to the proposed Jewish state. While Zionist leadership reluctantly accepted it as a foothold, it was unanimously rejected by Arab leaders because it partitioned their homeland and granted statehood to the recent immigrant community.

1939:

  • British White Paper limits Jewish immigration (major policy change).

1946 – Demographics:

  • Jews make up ~32% of Palestine’s population but own only ~6% of the land.

November 29, 1947 – UN Partition Plan:

  • The United Nations proposes dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.
  • Palestinian Arabs are not consulted.
  • Plan accepted by Zionist leaders, rejected by Palestinian and Arab states.

Apr 1948:

  • Deir Yassin massacre (spark for wider flight).

May 14, 1948 – First Arab-Israeli War:

  • Following Israel’s declaration of independence, neighboring Arab states invade.
  • ~750k Palestinians are displaced (Nakba).

UN Resolution 194 (1948)

  • Passed during the 1948 war, this resolution states that Palestinian refugees “wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date.” This resolution is the foundation for the Palestinian “Right of Return,” a core issue in all subsequent negotiations.

December 8, 1949 Armistice Agreements:

  • Borders established between Israel and neighboring Arab states.

Palestinian refugee crisis / UNRWA founded (1949):

  • Over 700k refugees, relief and resettlement begins.

Israel’s Law of Return (1950):

  • A foundational Israeli law. It grants any Jew (and their family) the right to immigrate to Israel and receive full citizenship. This is a critical piece of the demographic and legal puzzle, especially when contrasted with the denial of the Palestinian Right of Return.

1949–1956:

  • Many Palestinians killed attempting to return to their homes.
  • Resistance groups begin to form.
  • Regional disputes emerge, especially over resources like the Jordan River.

Kafr Qasim Massacre (1956):

  • A pivotal and traumatic event for Palestinian citizens of Israel. On the eve of the Suez Crisis, Israeli Border Police killed 48 Arab-Israeli civilians, including women and children, for violating a curfew they were not aware of.

Suez Crisis (1956):

  • Israel (with Britain & France) invaded Sinai after the Suez nationalization, an important mid-century conflict that affected regional alignments.

1950s–1960s:

  • Palestinian resistance grows.
  • Tensions rise between Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
  • Multiple wars, including the 1967 Six-Day War and 1973 Yom Kippur War, reshape borders.

Formation of the PLO (1964):

  • Key for Palestinian national movement.

1967 Six-Day War:

  • Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai, and Golan Heights marking a major turning point

UN Resolution 242 (November 22, 1967):

  • Passed after the Six-Day War, it is the cornerstone of all subsequent peace diplomacy. It calls for the “withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict” and the “termination of all claims or states of belligerency” in exchange for peace and secure borders. The “land for peace” formula comes from this resolution.

1970 – Black September (Jordan):

  • Jordan expels the PLO after violent clashes. Many Palestinian fighters relocate to Lebanon.

1973 – Yom Kippur War:

  • Egypt and Syria attack Israel; leads to peace negotiations (Camp David Accords 1978).

1978 Camp David Accords:

  • Signed after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel and Egypt peace treaty.

1979 – Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty:

  • formal signing after Camp David.

1982 – Lebanon War:

  • Israel invades Lebanon to expel the PLO.
  • Leads to the Sabra and Shatila massacre, in which hundreds of Palestinian refugees are killed by militias allied with Israel.
  • Israel occupies southern Lebanon until 2000.

1987 – First Intifada:

  • Grassroots Palestinian uprising begins in Gaza and the West Bank.
  • Initially nonviolent (boycotts, protests) but escalates as Israeli forces respond with arrests, killings, and detentions (over 18,000 detained without trial).
  • By 1988, widespread confrontations include arson and demolitions (over 2,500 Palestinian homes destroyed).
  • Hamas Founded: Emerges during the First Intifada, becoming a major actor in Gaza politics.

1991 – Madrid Conference

  • First face-to-face peace talks between Israel and Palestinians under U.S. and Soviet sponsorship. Important precursor to Oslo.

1993–1995 – Oslo Accords Era:

  • Peace process launched, aiming for a two-state solution.
  • 1994 – Hebron massacre: Israeli settler kills 29 Palestinians in a mosque, sparking outrage.
  • Tensions undermine trust in the peace process.

1994 Israel–Jordan Peace Treaty:

  • Important regional milestone.

1995 – Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin:

  • turning point that weakened Oslo momentum.

1996 – A Clean Break Memo:

  • A policy paper prepared by American neoconservatives for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It advocated for abandoning the “land for peace” formula of the Oslo Accords in favor of a more aggressive strategy of “peace through strength” and containing regional adversaries.

2000 – Camp David Summit:

  • Failed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, often cited as a prelude to the Second Intifada.

2000–2005 – Second Intifada

Triggered after Ariel Sharon’s visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Widespread violence erupts across the region.

  • 2002: Israel reoccupies major West Bank cities and begins construction of the separation barrier.
  • Thousands of Palestinians and Israelis killed; suicide bombings and targeted assassinations escalate the conflict.

November 11, 2004

  • Death of Yasser Arafat
  • Major Palestinian political turning point; Arafat’s death altered PA leadership and negotiations.

2005 – Gaza Disengagement:

  • Israel withdraws settlers and troops from Gaza, but retains control over borders and airspace.

2006 – Hamas Election Victory

  • Hamas wins Palestinian legislative elections, intensifying rivalry with Fatah and leading to the eventual Gaza–West Bank political split.

2006 Lebanon War (Hezbollah–Israel, July–August 2006)

  • 34-day war that reshaped northern-border dynamics and Hezbollah’s role.

Fatah–Hamas split (2007):

  • After Hamas’s election victory, tensions grew between the two groups over control of security forces, governance, and political strategy.
  • Clashes erupted in Gaza in 2007, as both sides attempted to assert authority.

2007 – Hamas takes Gaza:

  • Israel imposes blockade; humanitarian crisis worsens.

2008–2009 – Gaza War (Operation Cast Lead)

  • Israel launches a three-week military campaign in Gaza, citing rocket fire.
  • Heavy devastation; more than 1,000 Palestinians and 13 Israelis killed.

2010 Gaza flotilla / Mavi Marmara raid

  • Maritime raid and resulting diplomatic crisis (notably with Turkey)

2012 – UN Recognition

  • The UN General Assembly upgrades Palestine’s status to “non-member observer state.”

2014 – Gaza War (Operation Protective Edge)

  • Another large-scale Israeli offensive in Gaza; thousands killed or displaced.
  • Hannibal Directive: Controversial Israeli policy to prevent capture of soldiers becomes publicly acknowledged.

2017 – U.S. Jerusalem Recognition

  • The U.S. formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, sparking widespread Palestinian protests and diplomatic backlash.

2018:

  • U.S. embassy moved to Jerusalem

2018–2019 – Great March of Return:

  • Palestinians in Gaza organize mass protests demanding refugee rights.

March 25, 2019 – Israel responds with live fire, causing significant casualties

January 3, 2020 – U.S. drone strike kills IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

2020 – Abraham Accords:

  • UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan normalize relations with Israel, sidelining the Palestinian issue in regional diplomacy.

2021 – Escalations:

  • Israeli demolitions in the Jordan Valley and tensions in East Jerusalem escalate.
  • During Ramadan, Israeli forces raid Al-Aqsa Mosque.
  • May 2021 Gaza Conflict: Most intense fighting since 2014. Ceasefire reached with Egypt’s mediation.

2022 – Renewed Violence:

  • August: Israeli airstrikes on Gaza break ceasefire.
  • Hundreds of Palestinians killed.
  • Operation breaking dawn

October 7, 2023 – Hamas Attack:

  • Unprecedented large-scale assault by Hamas on Israel killing 1.2k
    • 1.2k total deaths, roughly 800 civilians, 400 security personnel
  • Israel launches massive retaliatory strikes in Gaza.
  • Conflict escalates into one of the deadliest periods in the region’s history.

Jan 29–Feb 10, 2024 — Hind Rajab (Gaza City).

  • Six-year-old Hind Rajab called the Palestine Red Crescent while trapped in a car after it came under fire; the call audio was later published. Hind and two responding paramedics were found dead days later after Israeli forces withdrew from the area. The case became an emblematic story of the war’s civilian toll and is now the subject of The Voice of Hind Rajab (Venice, 2025)

April 1. 2024 – Israeli airstrike on Iranian Consulate

April 13, 2024 – axis of resistance launches operation true promise

April 19, 2024 – Israel retaliates with missile strikes

2023–2024 – Gaza War Phase

  • Following October 7, Israel launches months of bombardment and a ground invasion.

By 2024, Gaza faces mass displacement, famine conditions, and record civilian casualties.

July 30, 2024 – Israel assassinates Hezbollah senior leader Fuad Shukr

ICC arrest warrants (November 21, 2024):

  • The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant (accusing them of war crimes including “starvation as a method of warfare”), and for a Hamas leader.

2025 – Expansion to Regional War

  • May: Intensified Israeli ground operations in Gaza cause severe casualties; humanitarian crisis deepens.
  • June 13 – Operation Rising Lion: Israel launches a massive preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
    • 200+ jets, drone swarms, and cyberattacks cripple Iranian defenses.
    • Senior IRGC commanders and nuclear scientists killed.
    • Iran retaliates with missile and drone strikes, mostly intercepted with U.S. support.
    • Widens the conflict from Israel–Palestine to an Israel–Iran confrontation.
    • Marked the first time the U.S. became directly involved in offensive strikes against Iran (specifically using B-2 bombers against the Fordow and Natanz facilities).
  • August: Israel mobilizes tens of thousands of reservists for a major offensive toward Gaza City, sparking international concern about hostages and mass civilian casualties.

August 25, 2025

  • Israeli fighter jets targeted Houthis-controlled areas of Sanaa, hitting strategic sites including the presidential palace complex, fuel depots, power plants, and other infrastructure.
  • The attack is directly linked to recent Houthi aggressions, notably the launch of a missile with cluster munitions,  described by Israel as the first use of its kind by the Houthis since 2023.  

September 9, 2025 – Airstrike in Qatar

An exceptional escalation: Israel carried out the first-ever military strike inside Qatar’s territory.

What happened:

  • Israel launched an airstrike in Doha targeting Hamas leadership, including a negotiators’ meeting discussing a U.S.-mediated ceasefire proposal   .

Witnesses reported multiple explosions and smoke over the Katara district   .

Approximately ten Israeli jets participated in the attack.

Casualties & targets:

  • Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s senior negotiator, survived, but his son Hammam and other lower-ranking operatives were killed, along with a Qatari internal security officer
  • Some reports also name Zaher Jabarin and Nizar Awadallah among those killed, though not confirmed

September 20 – Targeted Strike in Deir Al-Balah

  • The IDF announces the successful targeted killing of Mahmoud Said Tamarez, a Nukhba cell leader involved in the October 7 attack.

September 20 – Operation Gideon’s Chariots II

  • The IDF releases footage of the 98th Paratroopers Division entering Gaza City with air and sea support. The stated goal is the capture and full occupation of Gaza City. 

September 21 – Saudi-Pakistan Defense Agreement:

  • Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign a Joint Strategic Defense Agreement, which includes a mutual defense clause, signaling a major shift in regional security alliances. 

September 22:

  • Two major hospitals in Gaza City — Al-Rantissi Children’s Hospital and the nearby Eye Hospital — forced to stop operations due to damage from continued bombing and escalating ground offensives.
  • Israeli military orders evacuation of the Jordanian field hospital in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, further compounding the humanitarian crisis. Thousands displaced; many trapped without access to functioning medical facilities.
  • Israel bombs Gaza City with intense air, sea, and artillery strikes, unleashing tons of explosives on residential neighborhoods. Entire districts are leveled in what observers describe as some of the heaviest bombardments of the war.

October 2025 – The Fragile Ceasefire

October 10, 2025 – Ceasefire Declared:

  • A U.S.-brokered “Phase 1” ceasefire begins at noon. The agreement establishes a “Yellow Line” buffer zone in Gaza, requiring Israeli forces to withdraw to specific coordinates while Hamas agrees to halt all offensive operations.

October 12–13, 2025 – Trump’s “Peace Tour”:

  • U.S. President Donald Trump conducts a high-speed diplomatic tour, meeting with hostage families and addressing the Knesset in Jerusalem (where he declares “the war is over”). He then travels to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to rally over 20 world leaders to support a post-war reconstruction plan.

October 13, 2025 – Final Hostage/Prisoner Exchange:

  • In a historic and emotional day, Hamas releases the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages. In exchange, Israel releases approximately 2,000 Palestinians, including 250 individuals serving long sentences. Celebrations erupt in both Tel Aviv and Gaza, though the future governance of Gaza remains contested.

October 14, 2025 – “Yellow Line” Incident:

  • The Incident: Less than 24 hours after the conclusion of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Peace Tour,” Israeli forces opened fire in the eastern Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. Five Palestinians were killed and several others injured.  
  • The “Yellow Line”: The killings occurred at the newly established Yellow Line, a buffer zone boundary to which Israeli forces had withdrawn as part of the Phase 1 ceasefire agreement.  
  • Conflicting Reports:
    • IDF Position: Stated that “suspects” crossed the Yellow Line and ignored repeated warnings to retreat. The military claimed troops opened fire to “remove an immediate threat” to their positions and denied any breach of their encampment.  
    • Palestinian Position: Civil Defense and medical sources (WAFA) reported that the victims were unarmed civilians, including some killed by drone/quadcopter fire, while attempting to return to the ruins of their neighborhood to inspect their homes.  
  • Diplomatic Impact: Hamas formally accused Israel of a “flagrant violation” of the truce. While the ceasefire technically remained in effect, the incident served as the first major stress test for the Trump-brokered deal, highlighting the extreme volatility of the buffer zone enforcement. 

Axis of Resistance (overview).

  • Shorthand for Iran’s network of allied or proxy groups opposing Israel and the U.S.: key actors commonly include Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Palestinian groups (esp. PIJ and Hamas in varying/contested degrees), Iraq’s militias aligned with the IRGC, Syria-based elements, and Yemen’s Houthis. Iran provides varying levels of funding, training, weapons, and coordination and is widely described as the network’s central node. (Use neutral wording like “Iran-aligned” or “Iran-backed” to reflect mainstream sourcing and note debates about the exact degree of control.
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