Palestine , officially the State of Palestine southern Levant region of West Asia recognized by 146 out of 193 UN member states . It encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank , including East Jerusalem , and the Gaza Strip , collectively known as the occupied Palestinian territories , within the broader geographic and historical Palestine region . Palestine shares most of its borders with Israel , and it borders Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest. It has a total land area of 6,020 square kilometres (2,320 sq mi) while its population exceeds five million people. Its proclaimed capital is Jerusalem , while Ramallah serves as its administrative center. Gaza City was its largest city prior to evacuations in 2023 .
Situated at a continental crossroad , the region of Palestine was ruled by various empires and experienced various demographic changes from antiquity to the modern era. Being a bridge between Asia and Africa , it was treading ground for the Nile and Mesopotamian armies and merchants from North Africa , China and India . The region is known for its religious significance. The ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict dates back to the rise of the Zionist movement , supported by the United Kingdom during World War I . The war saw Britain occupying Palestine from the Ottoman Empire , where it set up Mandatory Palestine under the auspices of the League of Nations . During this period, large-scale Jewish immigration allowed by the British authorities led to increased tensions and violence with the local Palestinian Arab population. In 1947, Britain handed the issue to the United Nations, which proposed a partition plan , for two independent Arab and Jewish states and an independent entity for Jerusalem , but a civil war broke out, and the plan was not implemented.
The 1948 Palestine war saw the forcible displacement of most of its predominantly Arab population, and consequently the establishment of Israel, in what Palestinians call the Nakba ("catastrophe"). In the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip , which had been held by Jordan and Egypt respectively. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) declared independence in 1988. In 1993, the PLO signed the Oslo peace accords with Israel, creating limited PLO governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through the Palestinian Authority (PA). Israel withdrew from Gaza in its unilateral disengagement in 2005, but the territory is still considered to be under military occupation and has been blockaded by Israel. In 2007, internal divisions between political factions led to a takeover of Gaza by Hamas . Since then, the West Bank has been governed in part by the Fatah -led PA, while the Gaza Strip has remained under the control of Hamas . Israel has constructed large settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, where currently more than 670,000 Israeli settlers , which are illegal under international law . Attacks by Hamas-led armed groups in October 2023 in Israel were followed by Israel–Hamas war . While no consensus exists, Israel's actions in Gaza since the start of the Israel–Hamas war are sometimes described as a genocide .
Some of the challenges to Palestine include ineffective government, Israeli occupation, Islamist factions, a blockade , restrictions on movement , Israeli settlements and settler violence , as well as an overall poor security situation. The questions of Palestine's borders , the legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem , and the right of return of Palestinian refugees remain unsolved. Despite these challenges, the country maintains an emerging economy and sees frequent tourism . Arabic is the official language of the country. While the majority of Palestinians practice Islam , Christianity also has a presence . Palestine is also a member of several international organizations , including the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation . It has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations since 2012.[excessive citations (Full article...
Palestinian cuisine Palestinians — which includes those living in the Palestinian territories , Israel , Jordan , refugee camps in nearby countries as well as by the Palestinian diaspora . The cuisine is a diffusion of the cultures of civilizations that settled in the historic region of Palestine , particularly during and after the Islamic era beginning with the Arab Ummayad conquest, then the eventual Persian -influenced Abbasids and ending with the strong influences of Turkish cuisine , resulting from the coming of the Ottoman Turks . Cooking styles vary by region and each type of cooking style and the ingredients used are generally based on the climate and location of the particular region and on traditions. Rice and variations of kibbee Galilee , the West Bank engages primarily in heavier meals involving the use of taboon bread , rice and meat and coastal plain inhabitants frequent fish, other seafood, and lentils , Gaza 's inhabitants heavily consume chili peppers too. Meals are usually eaten in the household but dining out has become prominent particularly during parties where light meals like salads, bread dips and skewered meats are served. Coffee is consumed throughout the day and liquor is not very prevalent amongst the population, however, some alcoholic beverages such as arak beer are consumed by Christians and less conservative Muslims .
Jerusalem in the early 20th century A view of Jerusalem in the early 20th century Amarna letters , which date to the 14th century BCE. Over its long history, it has been controlled by Israelites , Judaeans , Babylonians , Persians , Greeks , Hasmoneans , Romans , Byzantines , Arabs , Mamluks , Turks , and the British before being split between Israel and Jordan . Israel captured East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967, and the city remains a core issue in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict .
Our basic aim is to liberate the land from the Mediterranean Seas to the Jordan River. We are not concerned with what took place in June 1967 or in eliminating the consequences of the June war. The Palestinian revolution's basic concern is the uprooting of the Zionist entity from our land and liberating it.
Edward Wadie Saïd Arabic pronunciation: [wædiːʕ sæʕiːd] Arabic : إدوارد وديع سعيد , Idwārd Wadīʿ Saʿīd American -Palestinian literary theorist , and University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University . He was a founding figure of the critical field of post-colonialism . Saïd was a Palestinian Arab born in Jerusalem (then in the British Mandate of Palestine ), and held an American passport through his father who was a Palestinian U.S. citizen with Protestant origins. Said was an advocate for the human rights of the Palestinian people , whom the commentator Robert Fisk described as the Palestinians' most powerful voice. As an influential cultural critic , academic, and writer, Edward Saïd was known best for the book Orientalism Orientalism — the Western study of Eastern cultures. As a public intellectual , he discussed contemporary politics, music, culture, and literature, in lectures, newspaper and magazine articles, and books. Drawing from his family experiences as a Palestinian Christian in the Middle East, at the time of the establishment of Israel (1948), Saïd argued for the establishment of a Palestinian state , equal political and human rights for the Palestinians in Israel — including the right of return — and for increased U.S. political pressure upon Israel to recognize, grant, and respect said rights; he also criticized the political and cultural politics of Arab and Muslim régimes. He received a Western education in the U.S., where he resided from adolescence until his death in 2003; as such, in his memoirs, Out of Place (1999), Saïd applied his dual cultural heritage to narrow the gap of political and cultural understanding between The West and the Middle East, to improve Western understanding of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . His decade-long membership in the Palestinian National Council , and his pro–Palestinian political activism, made him a controversial public intellectual.
To display all subcategories click on the "►":
This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs ) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{ WikiProject Palestine }} ) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.
Featured articles
Featured lists
Good articles
Did you know? articles
6th Airborne Division in Palestine 1940 Mandatory Palestine v Lebanon football match 2021 ban of Palestinian human rights organizations Tarab Abdul Hadi Abdullah Pasha ibn Ali Félix-Marie Abel Abil al-Qamh Ablaq Shireen Abu Akleh Yusuf Abu Durra Shadia Abu Ghazaleh Nasser Abu Hamid Aziz Abu Sarah Abu Shusha, Haifa Abu Zurayq Abu al-A'war Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi George J. Adams Administrative detention Ain Sakhri figurine Al-Ard Al-Asma'i (magazine) Al-Buss refugee camp Al-Bustan resort Al Deira Hotel Al-Hamma, Tiberias Al-Jalama, Tulkarm Al-Jawali Mosque Al-Maghtas Al-Majdal, Tiberias Al-Mazar, Jenin Al-Mirr Al-Qabu Al Qarara Cultural Museum Al-Rantisi Hospital Al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya Al-Sayyid, Israel Al-Sinnabra Al-Zahiriyya al-Tahta Alliance of Palestinian Forces Alma, Safad Amalric of Nesle American Palestine Line Amir al-hajj Ancient Israelite cuisine Ancient underground quarry, Jordan Valley Aqil Agha Ar'ara Arab Orthodox Movement Armenian Quarter Vittorio Arrigoni Artists4Ceasefire As-Sadaka Ataaba Atarot Ali Abu Awwad Arabi Awwad Ayn Ghazal (village) Vera Baboun Balata village Baqa'a refugee camp Barfiliya Mustafa Barghouti Wahid Khalil Baroud Barquq Castle Bashshit Basma Al-Batani al-Sharqi Battle of Karameh Bayt 'Itab Bayt Susin Harry Beadles Battle of the Beaufort Beilin–Abu Mazen agreement Beit Qad Beit Wazan J. Bowyer Bell Killing of David Ben Avraham Bevin Plan Killing of Mohammad Bhar Biblical Researches in Palestine Biriyya Birket Israel Al-Birwa Black September Bloudan Conference of 1937 Bonaparte Visiting the Plague Victims of Jaffa Boycott (2021 film) Operation Bringing Home the Goods Benny Brunner Nayib Bukele Burayr Charles Burnett (RAF officer) Burqin, Palestine Adnan al-Bursh Tawfiq Canaan Canaanism Cartography of Jerusalem Cartography of Palestine Casablanca Protocol Cave of the Ramban Central Archives of Gaza City Church of Saint Porphyrius Cinema City Nablus City of Poros ship attack Yehoshua Cohen Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Connecting Humanity Consulate General of France, Jerusalem Convent of Saint Lazarus Derek Cooper Pamela Cooper Crazy Water Park Crossing a Line (book) Cuisine of Jerusalem Mohammed Dajani Daoudi Daliyat al-Rawha' Dallata Daniel the Traveller Walid Daqqa Izzat Darwaza Davidka Square Dawson's Field hijackings Dayr al-Shaykh Dayr Ayyub Dayr Muhaysin Dayr Nakhkhas Declaration to the Seven Defence (Emergency) Regulations Democratic Alliance List Mujir al-Din Disinvestment from Israel Dizengoff Street bus bombing Dome of the Chain Dome of the Prophet The Dream (1987 film) David Eder Ein Samiya Ekron Royal Dedicatory Inscription Mirna El Helbawi Environmental impact of the Israel–Hamas war Farha (film) Fasayil Feast of Saint George (Palestine) Fir'im First Jordan Hydro-Electric Power House Fountain of Qayt Bay Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque 1837 Galilee earthquake Gaza Baptist Church Gaza Mall Gaza Marathon Gerard Behar Center Great Mosque of Gaza Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation Ruth Gruber Hableh Hadatha Sami Hadawi Mohamed Hadid Abd al-Rahim al-Hajj Muhammad Hamad City Hamam al-Sammara Hanajira Handala Dan Harel Harrison Report Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem holy sites Battle of Gadara Hawsha Hebraization of Palestinian place names Hebron glass Walter Abel Heurtley Hind's Hall Amin al-Hindi Hittin The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia A House in Jerusalem Shafiq al-Hout Human rights in Jordan Husayn Pasha Husn Camp Rashid Hussein Fahmi al-Husseini Waleed Al-Husseini Huwara rampage Hyrcania (fortress) Ibn al-Sal'us Rashid al-Haj Ibrahim Iftikhar al-Dawla Ijlil al-Shamaliyya Ijnisinya Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev International Criminal Court investigation in Palestine Interns for Peace Isa ibn al-Shaykh al-Shaybani Islamism in the Gaza Strip Israeli–Arab organ donations Israeli–Palestinian Comedy Tour Israeli law in the West Bank settlements Jaba', Jenin Hussniya Jabara Jabel Mukaber Jacob's Well Jaffa Clock Tower Jahula Jarrahids Jarrar family Sanjar al-Jawli JCall Jenin refugee camp Jifna History of Palestinian journalism Jubbet ad-Dib Judean date palm Al-Judeida (Jenin) Kafr 'Inan Kafr Lam Kafr Misr Remi Kanazi Al-Karmil (newspaper) Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center Al-Khadra Mosque Khalidi Library Khan al-Umdan Khan Dannun Khirbat al-Minya Khirbet Kheibar Khirbet Kurkush Khirbet Zanuta Khiyam al-Walid Khulda Battles of the Kinarot Valley King Abdullah Canal Maria Komnene, Queen of Jerusalem Adila Laïdi-Hanieh Lajjun The Land of the Settlers Legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine Levantine Arabic Levantine archaeology List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Palestine Liwan London Conference of 1946–1947 Ma'ale Akrabim massacre Madaba Map Mahkamah Mosque Mahmoudiya Mosque Majdal Yaba Ahmed Majdalani Mamilla Murders of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran Shadia Mansour Majed Abu Maraheel March of Return (Israel) Marj Sanur Masada myth Tito Masoud Henry Maundrell Mausoleum of Abu Hurayra Mazra'a Mecelle Meithalun Leopold von Mildenstein Minor Detail (novel) Mixed cities Leanne Mohamad Jean Mohr Monastery Saint Claire (Nazareth) Morrison–Grady Plan Mosque of Omar (Bethlehem) Mothers' bus attack Mount of Temptation The Mountain of Israeli-Palestinian Friendship Mufarrij ibn Daghfal ibn al-Jarrah Muristan Musmus Nabataean Aramaic Nabi Rubin Nabi Samwil Nabi Shu'ayb Battle of Nablus Nabulsi soap Shalom Nagar Kamal Naji Nakba Al-Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe 1948 Nakba denial Naqib al-Ashraf revolt An-Nasr Mosque Abie Nathan Charles Netter Ni'ilya Abu Ali Iyad Nisf Jubeil Battle of Nitzanim Nuris Hazem Nuseibeh The Occupation of the American Mind Occupied Territories Bill Abeer Odeh One Million Plan Ongoing Nakba Operation Pleshet Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem PEF Survey of Palestine Pacifism in Islam Palestine (2011 book) Palestine Museum of Natural History Palestine Police Force Palestine Railways H class The Future of Palestine Palestine (region) Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund Palestinian Liberation Front (Abu Nidal Ashqar wing) Palestinian enclaves Palestinian fedayeen Palestinian hikaye Palestinian right of armed resistance Jazzar Pasha SS Patria (1913) Pi Glilot bombing attempt Picturesque Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt Place names of Palestine Plague of Amwas Barbara Plett Usher Postage stamps and postal history of Palestine Postage stamps and postal history of the Palestinian National Authority The Present (2020 film) Qabatiya Qadas Qalqilya Zoo Qaqun Qasim al-Ahmad Qedarites Queer advocacy in the Israel–Hamas war Raja ibn Haywa Ramban Synagogue Nizar Rayan Reineh Revolutionary Palestinian Communist Party Ridwan Pasha Ridwan dynasty Abdullah Rimawi Rise and Kill First Yosef Rivlin 1973 Rome airport attacks and hijacking Roots Club William Rosenwald Miriam Roth Royal Palace, Tell el-Ful Rumahis ibn Abd al-Aziz Heba Saadia Sabil Abu Nabbut Moain Sadeq Safra Square Salah al-Din Road Salbit Salem, Ma'ale Iron Salhab Santorini affair Sanur, Jenin Sarafand al-Amar Sayf al-Din Inal Schneller Orphanage Secacah Service of marriage Sha'ab, Israel Hana Shalabi Ismail Shammout Shapira Scroll Sharafat, East Jerusalem Sa'id al-Shawwa Sheikh Bureik Sheikh Danun Shrine of Husayn's Head Muhammad Najati Sidqi Sieges of Tiberias (1742–1743) Henry Siegman Silat al-Harithiya Socialist Workers Party (Mandatory Palestine) South Africa's genocide case against Israel Southern Wall Stephan Hanna Stephan Janet Lee Stevens Strawberry Fields (2006 film) Street of the Prophets Sulam Sulayman ibn Sa'd al-Khushani Sumud Surafend massacre Sursock Purchases Survey of Palestine Elias Syriani 2014 Taba bus bombing Talbieh Camp Talluza Killing of Mustafa Tamimi Rafiq al-Tamimi Avraham Tamir Targeted killing Taylor Force Act Taynal Tayy Tell Balata Temple denial Monastery of the Temptation Tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly Teqoa The Palestine Oriental Society The Teacher's Bookshop Theodosios Hanna Three lookouts Throne villages Thursday of the Dead Tomb of the Prophets Tomb of the Virgin Mary Tomorrow's Pioneers Tower of Jericho Tulayl Ibrahim Tuqan Turabay dynasty Francis Turville-Petre Umm ar-Rihan United States security assistance to the Palestinian National Authority Uthman Pasha al-Kurji Valley of Peace initiative Victoria Affair Waste Siege West Bank Wall graffiti art Where Heaven and Earth Meet White Mosque, Nazareth Richard Williams (RAAF officer) Jonah Wise World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack Yalo Yanuh-Jat Yibna Bridge Za'atar Zahir al-Umar Zanana Jeannette Zarou Zayta, Hebron Bracha Zefira Apocalypse of Zerubbabel Zikrin Zion Blumenthal Orphanage Zionism as settler colonialism Zionism in the Age of the Dictators Killing of Wadea al-Fayoume
Featured pictures
In the News articles
Main page featured articles
Main page featured lists
Picture of the day pictures
Religions in Palestine
Arab states
Other countries
.svg){kind=small}
_-_THE_NOBEL_PEACE_PRIZE_LAUREATES_FOR_1994_IN_OSLO..jpg){kind=link}
-Aerial-Temple_Mount-(south_exposure).jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg){kind=link}
