Hailey Johnson
The West Bank, an area of land with a population of over 3 million Palestinians, has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The territory, excluding East Jerusalem, is also known as Judaea and Samaria within Israel. The West Bank has been the core of a proposed Palestinian state, with the internationally backed two-state solution proposing an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, Israel rejects this solution, arguing that the West Bank is part of the Israeli homeland and that a Palestinian state would threaten its security. The conflict between Israel and Palestinian forces has resulted in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the displacement of thousands of Palestinians.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population of Palestinians in the West Bank | 2,747,943 (estimated) |
| Number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank | 670,000 (estimated) |
| Number of Israeli settlements in the West Bank | 132 (not including East Jerusalem) |
| Number of Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem | 220,000 |
| Number of illegal Israeli outposts in the West Bank | 140 |
| Percentage of the West Bank taken up by Israeli infrastructure | 40% |
| Percentage of the West Bank population constituted by Palestinian refugees | 50% (as of 1949) |
| Number of Palestinian fatalities and injuries in the West Bank since October 2023 | Hundreds |
| Number of Israeli fatalities in the West Bank since October 2023 | 1,200 |
| Number of Palestinians forcibly displaced in the West Bank since January 2025 | 40,000 |
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What You'll Learn
The West Bank's history as part of Jordan
The West Bank was under Turkish rule as part of Ottoman Syria from 1517 to 1917. In 1920, the victorious Allies of World War I allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine, which lasted from 1920 to 1948. During this time, Britain implemented land tenure laws in Palestine, which it had inherited from the Ottoman Turks. These laws were applied to both Arab and Jewish legal tenants.
In 1947, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181, which recommended the splitting of the British Mandate into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an internationally administered enclave of Jerusalem. The resolution designated the West Bank as part of the proposed Arab state. However, the Arab state envisioned by the partition plan never came into being. Instead, the West Bank was occupied by Jordan in 1948 and formally annexed in 1950, becoming known as "Cisjordan." The annexation was widely considered illegal and was only recognized by the United Kingdom, Iraq, and Pakistan.
During the Jordanian period, the West Bank experienced limited industrial development, with fewer than a dozen industrial establishments with more than 30 employees by the mid-1960s. Jordan's rule over the West Bank was marked by tensions with Israel, with Palestinian guerrillas and Israeli commandos crossing the Green Line. The relationship between the East and West Banks was also uneasy due to Palestinian suspicions of the Hashemite dynasty and their aspirations for a separate state. Despite these tensions, the web of relationships connecting the two halves of Jordan grew over time, and by 1967, the West Bank represented about 47% of Jordan's population and a significant portion of its gross domestic product.
In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank during the Six-Day War, establishing a military administration throughout the area except for East Jerusalem, which it incorporated into Israel. This occupation resulted in constraints on the industrial development of the West Bank, and the improvement of transportation infrastructure primarily for military reasons. Jordan continued to claim the West Bank as its own until 1988.
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Israeli settlements in the West Bank
The West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria, has a land area of about 5,640 square kilometres (2,180 square miles). It has an estimated population of 2,747,943 Palestinians and over 670,000 Israeli settlers, of which approximately 220,000 live in East Jerusalem. The West Bank is a territory situated on the western side of the Jordan River. It was occupied in 1948 and annexed in 1950 by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This annexation was widely considered illegal and was only recognised by Iraq, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
The issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is highly contested. The United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and the international community have stated that Israeli settlements violate the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian laws. The argument against the legality of the settlements is that Israel's armed forces entered areas that were not under its sovereignty or administration at the start of the 1967 War. The ICJ found that Israel's settlements and the Israeli West Bank barrier violate international law, as part of the barrier has been constructed within the West Bank.
However, the Israeli government disputes the illegality of the settlements, arguing that the West Bank is part of the Israeli homeland and that all settlements are rooted in its historical rights. Israel's position is supported by the Trump administration, which stated that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not inconsistent with international law. This marked a change from the previous U.S. position, which had been mixed.
The establishment of Israeli settlements in the West Bank began immediately after the 1967 War. The first settlement was Kfar Etzion, in the southern West Bank. The settlement policy of the Israeli government at the time was based on the Allon Plan, which implied Israeli annexation of major parts of the Israeli-occupied territories, especially East Jerusalem, Gush Etzion, and the Jordan Valley. The Israeli government maintained strict control over the location of settlements in the West Bank, requiring government permission to live in the area.
As of January 2023, there are 144 Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including 12 in East Jerusalem. In addition, there are at least 196 Israeli outposts in the West Bank that are not sanctioned by the Israeli government. Over 450,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, with an additional 220,000 Jewish settlers residing in East Jerusalem. The presence and ongoing expansion of existing settlements by Israel are frequently criticised as an obstacle to peace.
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Palestinian refugees and displacement
Palestinians constitute the world's longest protracted refugee situation and largest stateless community. The Palestinian refugee population includes people originally displaced from Palestine between 1946 and 1948, amid the creation of the state of Israel, as well as their descendants. During the 1948 Palestine War, around 85% of the Palestinian Arab population of territories that became Israel—some 700,000 Palestinian Arabs—fled or were expelled from their homes.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established in December 1949 to provide direct relief and other services to Palestinians. UNRWA defines Palestine refugees as "persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians were registered with UNRWA as refugees, of which more than 1.5 million live in UNRWA-run camps. The descendants of Palestine refugee males, including adopted children, are also eligible for registration.
Palestinian refugees face unique challenges, including the near impossibility of obtaining citizenship in many host countries, precarious funding for support, and reduced rights in some countries, such as no right to vote and limited property rights. The socioeconomic conditions in the camps are generally poor, with high population density, cramped living conditions, and inadequate basic infrastructure.
The West Bank, a territory situated on the western side of the Jordan River, has been a site of ongoing conflict and displacement for Palestinians. From 1950 until the Six-Day War of 1967, the West Bank was governed as part of Jordan. Since then, it has been under Israeli governance and military administration, with ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements. The West Bank has a population of approximately 2.7 million Palestinians and over 670,000 Israeli settlers, with Israeli infrastructure, including settlements, military bases, and roads, taking up around 40% of the land. Palestinians in the West Bank face restrictions on their movement and access to resources, with their vacant land for construction limited to less than 1% of Area C.
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The two-state solution
Palestinians do live in the West Bank, which has an estimated population of 2,747,943 Palestinians and over 670,000 Israeli settlers. The West Bank is a territory situated on the western side of the Jordan River. It was occupied in 1948 and annexed in 1950 by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. From 1950 until it was occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967, the West Bank was governed as part of Jordan.
The major points of contention regarding the two-state solution include the specific boundaries of the two states, the status of Jerusalem, the Israeli settlements, and the right of return of Palestinian refugees. The failure of the 2000 Camp David Summit to reach an agreed-upon two-state solution formed the backdrop to the commencement of the Second Intifada, marking a turning point in the attitudes of both peoples.
Despite diplomatic efforts to realize a two-state solution, there has been a pattern of counterproductive gestures and a lack of real pressure on Israel by the United States, perpetuating the illusion of a temporary Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. The status quo has made the two-state solution seem increasingly fanciful, yet it remains a challenging concept to abandon due to the perceived lack of alternatives.
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Israeli occupation and military presence
The West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation since 7 June 1967, when Israel captured the territory from Jordan during the Six-Day War. The status of the West Bank as occupied territory has been affirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and, with the exception of East Jerusalem, by the Israeli Supreme Court. The Israeli Civil Administration, a branch of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, administers the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem.
Israel's occupation of the West Bank is now the longest in modern history. Despite its illegality, Israel has cited several reasons for retaining control of the territory, including historic rights, security concerns, and the area's symbolic value for Jews. The Israeli government has also announced plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, claiming that the creation of a Palestinian state would pose a threat to Israeli security. As of 2022, there are over 450,000 Israeli settlers living in 132 settlements in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, with an additional 220,000 Jewish settlers in 12 settlements in East Jerusalem.
The Israeli presence in the West Bank has been characterised by tight control and segregation of Palestinian areas. Israeli infrastructure, including settlements, military bases, and closed military areas, makes up about 40% of the West Bank and is off-limits or heavily regulated for Palestinians. Israeli authorities have imposed restrictions on Palestinian construction, with less than 1% of Area C designated for Palestinian use.
Israeli surveillance and military presence in Palestinian areas are constant and intense. Israeli settlers and civilians in the West Bank are subject to Israeli law and are represented in the Knesset, while Palestinian civilians are subject to martial law and are not allowed to vote in Israeli elections. This two-tiered system has led to accusations of apartheid against Israel, which Israel denies.
The ongoing Israeli military assault on the West Bank has resulted in mass displacement of Palestinians, destruction of residential buildings, and damage to critical infrastructure. Israel has been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, including ethnic cleansing and genocide. In July 2024, the ICJ issued an opinion stating that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful and must end as soon as possible.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Palestinians live in the West Bank. The West Bank has an estimated population of 2,747,943 Palestinians and over 670,000 Israeli settlers.
The West Bank is a territory situated on the western side of the Jordan River. It was occupied in 1948 and annexed to Jordan in 1950. The territory is called "aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah" in Arabic and "Hagada HaMa'aravit" in Hebrew.
The West Bank was annexed by Jordan in 1950 and renamed "West Bank" or "Cisjordan". Jordan ruled over the West Bank until 1967 when Israel occupied the territory during the Six-Day War. Since then, Israel has maintained control over the West Bank, establishing settlements and imposing restrictions on Palestinian development.
The West Bank is currently considered occupied Palestinian territory, with ongoing violence and human rights abuses committed by both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. There are efforts towards establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, with some countries recognizing Palestinian statehood. However, Israel has continued to expand its settlements and assert control over the area.
