Palestine
Palestine is a country located in the southern Levant region of West Asia, recognized by 146 out of 193 UN member states. It includes the Israeli-occupied West Bank, encompassing East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, which together are referred to as the occupied Palestinian territories. Geographically and historically, Palestine shares most of its borders with Israel, while also bordering Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest. Covering a total land area of approximately 2,320 square miles, it has a population exceeding five million people. Jerusalem is proclaimed as its capital, and Ramallah functions as its administrative center. Prior to evacuations in 2023, Gaza City was the largest city in Palestine.
Situated at a critical continental crossroads, the region has been ruled by various empires throughout history, witnessing significant demographic shifts from antiquity to the modern era. Serving as a bridge between Asia and Africa, it has been a vital passage for armies and merchants from the Nile, Mesopotamia, North Africa, China, and India. The region holds profound religious significance for multiple faiths.
The ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict has roots in the rise of the Zionist movement, which gained support from the United Kingdom during World War I. Following the war, Britain occupied Palestine, previously part of the Ottoman Empire, establishing Mandatory Palestine under the League of Nations' authority. This period saw large-scale Jewish immigration sanctioned by British authorities, which escalated tensions and violence with the local Palestinian Arab population. In 1947, Britain passed the issue to the United Nations, leading to a proposed partition plan that sought to create two independent Arab and Jewish states alongside an independent entity for Jerusalem. However, a civil war erupted, and the plan was never implemented.
The 1948 Palestine war resulted in the forced displacement of a significant portion of the predominantly Arab population, which Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, coinciding with the establishment of Israel. During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territories previously under Jordanian and Egyptian control, respectively. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) declared independence in 1988, and in 1993, it signed the Oslo peace accords with Israel, initiating limited self-governance in the West Bank and Gaza through the Palestinian Authority (PA). Although Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the territory is still regarded as under military occupation and has faced an ongoing blockade. In 2007, internal political divisions resulted in Hamas taking control of Gaza, while the West Bank remained partly governed by the Fatah-led PA. Since 1967, Israel has established numerous settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, currently housing over 670,000 Israeli settlers, which are deemed illegal under international law.
Today, Palestine faces significant challenges, including ineffective governance, ongoing Israeli occupation, the influence of Islamist factions, a blockade, restrictions on movement, the expansion of Israeli settlements, settler violence, and a generally precarious security situation. Key issues, such as the borders of Palestine, the legal status of Jerusalem, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees, remain unresolved. Despite these obstacles, Palestine possesses an emerging economy and attracts a considerable number of tourists. Arabic is the official language, with Islam being the predominant religion, though Christianity also has a notable presence. Additionally, Palestine is a member of several international organizations, including the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and has held non-member observer state status at the United Nations since 2012.
Ramallah, Palestine
Ramallah, meaning "God's Height," is a Palestinian city located in the central West Bank. It serves as the de facto administrative capital of the State of Palestine and is situated on the Judaean Mountains, approximately 6 miles north of Jerusalem, at an average elevation of 2,861 feet above sea level. The city is adjacent to al-Bireh.
Ramallah features buildings with masonry dating back to the time of Herod the Great, but no complete structures from that period remain, with the oldest buildings dating back to the Crusades in the 11th century. The modern city was founded in the 16th century by the Hadadeens, an Arab Christian clan descended from the Ghassanids. In 1517, Ramallah became part of the Ottoman Empire, and in 1920, it was incorporated into British Mandatory Palestine after being captured by the United Kingdom during World War I. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the West Bank, including Ramallah, was occupied and annexed by Transjordan. Ramallah was subsequently captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. Since the 1995 Oslo Accords, Ramallah has been governed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) as part of Area A of the West Bank.
In recent years, Ramallah has developed into a key political, cultural, and economic center. It is home to various Palestinian governmental bodies, including the Mukataa, which is the official residence of the President of the Palestinian National Authority. Additionally, it hosts the Palestinian Legislative Council and the headquarters of the Palestinian Security Services. The city also boasts several museums and cultural centers, along with a vibrant nightlife scene. While Ramallah has historically been a predominantly Christian town, as of 2017, Muslims constituted the majority of its 38,998 residents, with Christians making up a significant minority.
