Israel-Palestine conflict explainer: Quick Facts

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Small Israel and Palestine flags pinned on a map at the region of Israel, Gaza Strip, and West Bank, highlighting their geographic proximity and areas of conflict.

Map showing the territorial expansion of the Ottoman Empire from 1300 to its greatest extent in 1683-1699, with regions color-coded by the period and ruler under which they were acquired. The empire stretches from North Africa and southeastern Europe across the Middle East, including key cities such as Istanbul, Cairo, and Baghdad, with labeled seas and geographic features. A red outline marks the empire's maximum boundaries.

Map showing the gradual dissolution of the Ottoman Empire from 1807 to 1924, with shaded regions indicating the empire's boundaries in 1807 and successive territorial losses through 1924. The map covers southeastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, labeling modern countries and major cities, and highlights the shrinking territory that became Turkey by 1924.

Map illustrating the Sykes-Picot Agreement of May 1916, showing the division of the Middle East into zones of British, French, and Russian control or influence after World War I. Areas are color-coded: British rule in pink, French rule in blue, Russian rule in orange, and regions under various protections or joint control in lighter shades. Modern countries shown include Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Armenia, and surrounding regions.

A black and white portrait of the British foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour in a black suit, white shirt, and solid dark tie looking to the left.

A black and white image of Anglo-Jewish leader Lionel Walter Rothschild, who is bald with a thick mustache and medium-length beard. He is wearing a black coat with a white shirt and a necklace and is looking directly at the viewer.

A black and white photo of Hussein ibn Ali, emir of Mecca. He is seated with his hands in his lap and his body is angled to the right of the photo. He is wearing a traditional headdress and a black coat and has a thick white beard. In front of him is a small table or tray with unidentied objects.

Black and white photograph of Arthur Henry McMahon (1862–1949), British high commissioner in Egypt.

Map showing the British Mandate of Palestine, with the area under direct British administration until 1948 shaded in purple, covering present-day Israel and the Palestinian territories. The area labeled as the Transjordan emirate, east of the Jordan River, is marked with yellow and purple stripes, including cities such as Amman and Ma'an. Surrounding countries-Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt-are labeled, and major cities like Jerusalem, Jaffa, Hebron, and Nablus are indicated within the mandate.

Palestinian Arabs rallying in the village of Abu Ghosh (near Jerusalem) to take part in the Arab Revolt in 1936

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