The Conflict

The Gaza Strip and West Bank were given to the Palestinians in the United Nations 1948 decision that established Israel. The land was captured by Jordan and Egypt in a war that started the day after the U.N. decision. Israel captured the territory during the Six-Day War in 1967. Since then, Israel has held the territory.

Political

• Israel has felt that it needed control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to protect its borders.
• Israel has charged that the West Bank and Gaza Strip supported guerrilla attacks against Israel, and that Israel needed to control the areas to limit attacks.
• The Muslims in the Gaza Strip and West bank want a Palestinian state. In the past, there has been talk of unification with Jordan, however, because of the large, radical...