We need to go all the way back to the time of Abraham, when God instructed him to lead his people to a place called Canaan, to get a good grasp on all dynamics that are seen in the conflict between Israel and Palestine today. Abraham is considered the father of both Judaism and Islam, and it's why both religions feel they have an inherent claim to the land that is today known as Israel.
In 1948, Israel was declared a state by the United Nations, but war broke out in the Holy Land as Arab nations felt the division of land unfairly favored the Jewish people. During the fighting, an estimated 700,000 Palestinians were evicted from their homes or fled.
Many of the refugees ended up in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where an estimated 60 percent of the people are registered as refugees, according to the United Nations.
In 1967, Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza during the Six Day War. All peace negotiations between Israel and the Arabs since then have operated on the premise that Israel would one day withdraw from these occupied territories in exchange for a full peace with the region and the setting up of an independent Palestinian state.
In the 90's, the Palestinian Authority and Israel came to the negotiating table in what was known as the Oslo Accords, but lack of commitments and violence on both sides led to its demise.
In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative elections, and unlike the Palestinian Authority, it does not recognize Israel's existence.
Since then, Israel has maintained a tight air, sea, and land blockade of the Gaza Strip—where Hamas operates.
Hamas is labeled as a terrorist organization by the US, Canada, and the United Nations due to its tactics and insistence that Israel be eradicated. This has led to suicide bombings, missile attacks, and other violent encounters like the surprise attack we saw this past weekend that has killed an estimated 900 Israelis.
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