Long history of conflict

THE conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has gone on for decades and the dispute over land isat its heart.

It dates back to the final days of World War One when the United Kingdom took control of the area known as Palestine from the defeated Ottoman Empire.

The land was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority.

For Jews, it was their ancestral home, but Palestinian Arabs also claimed the land and opposed the move. In 1948, British rulers left and Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel.

Many Palestinians objected and a war followed. By the time the fighting ended in a ceasefire the following year, Israel controlled most of the territory.

Jordan occupied land which became known as the West Bank, and Egypt occupied Gaza.

Jerusalem was divided between Israeli forces in the West, and Jordanian forces in the

East. Most Palestinian refugees and their descendants live in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in neighbouring Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Neither they nor their descendants have been allowed by Israel to return to their homes - Israel says this would overwhelm the country and threaten its existence as a Jewish state. Israel still occupies the West Bank, and although it pulled out of Gaza the UN still regards that piece of land as part of occupied territory.

Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. In the past 50 years Israel has built settlements in these areas, where more than 600,000 Jews now live.

Palestinians say these are illegal under international law and are obstacles to peace, but Israel denies this.