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Thu 18:02:10 Dec , 2007 GMT 17

 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Last reviewed: 20-08-2007

ROCKY ROAD TO MIDDLE-EAST PEACE


The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rooted in a seemingly intractable dispute over land claimed by Jews as their biblical birthright and by the Palestinians, who seek self-determination.

  • World's longest refugee crisis
  • Roadmap to peace in tatters
  • Looming humanitarian crisis in Gaza
  • Palestinian factional fighting fuels fears of a civil war

    Despite repeated attempts to end the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, there is no peace settlement in sight. The latest peace plan, the Roadmap - a phased timetable designed to lead to a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel put together by the Quartet of the United States, Britain, Russia and the United Nations has effectively been overtaken by developments.

    Neither side has fulfilled the commitments it made under the 2003 plan, with Palestinian militant groups continuing their attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians, while Israel has continued its programme of settlement building in the West Bank.

    Within the Palestinian Territories, a power struggle between rival Palestinian factions has led to the establishment of two administrations. In January 2006, Hamas, a militant group whose stated aim is the destruction of Israel, swept to victory in the Palestinian elections, beating the long-dominant Fatah party. A Hamas-Fatah coalition government was formed as a result.

    Fighting between the two groups erupted on the streets of Gaza in June 2007, resulting in a take-over of Gaza by Hamas. In the West Bank, the ruling Fatah government promptly dissolved the national unity government, and set up its own emergency administration.

    Meanwhile, life for ordinary Palestinians has got worse. Around 1,700,000 of the refugee population - which numbers 4.4 million in all - lives in the West Bank and Gaza, many in crowded refugee camps.

    Their movements are restricted by the system of closures and checkpoints maintained by the occupying Israeli army, which makes it difficult for them to access workplaces, markets and services in Israel and the West Bank.

    In Gaza, which is subject to the most severe closures, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated significantly in recent years. The population is increasingly reliant on food aid, and aid agencies have been warning of a looming humanitarian crisis.

    KEY FACTS


    POPULATION
    Israel 6.9 million (U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2006)
    Palestinian territories 3.8 million (U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2006)
    Settlers There are around 430,000 settlers in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem (BBC Online)
    Refugees There are 4.4 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, of which 1.3 million live in camps. (UNRWA )
    Palestinian prisoners There are over 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, according to B/Tselem.
    ECONOMY
    Israel
    GNI per capita (2006) $18,620 (World Bank)
    Palestinian territories
    GNI per capita (2006) $1,120 (World Bank)
    Percentage below poverty line of $2.3 per day 80 percent in Gaza; 46 percent in the West Bank (World Food Programme, 2007)

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    ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF DEATH OR INJURY Palestinians carry a body after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza December 13, 2007. Israel launched an air strike against a ...


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