ABSTRACT
The Israel–Palestinian territories conflict began in November 1947 with clashes in mandatory Palestine between Arab Palestinian and Zionist groups. The outbreak of hostilities followed the United Nations general assembly’s adoption that year of resolution, which called for the partition of the territory into two states along ethno-religious lines. Occupation, denial of rights and deteriorating socio-economic conditions sparked Palestinian intifadas in 1987–93 and 2000–05. Since 2020, armed groups have proliferated in the West Bank in the context of the PA’s eroding legitimacy. The hardline approach coincides with widespread social unrest around the coalition’s plan to overhaul the judicial system to give the executive branch more power over the judiciary. These convulsions have further diverted attention from the conflict. The epicentre of violence has shifted away from Gaza towards the West Bank and Israel: 84% of Palestinian fatalities and 48% of Israeli fatalities between May 2022 and March 2023 happened in the West Bank.
