ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a brief overview of the contemporary history of political violence in the Levant, reviewing the period between 1916 and 2010. It describes how the troubled colonial state formation process during the 20th century laid the foundations for the internal violence and external conflicts that followed in the second half of the century, with political implications that remain visible today. The chapter examines patterns of contemporary inter-state conflicts through the lens of the Arab-Israeli conflict, further analyzing its impact on the development of regional armed groups. In accounting for conflict dynamics in the region, the chapter emphasizes the role played by non-state armed groups, focusing specifically on the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
