History Of Palestine

1. Prehistoric Foundations & Ancient Civilizations

• Paleolithic to Proto-Canaanite Era
  Early human presence dates back over 100,000 years, with significant archaeological finds in Wadi Al-Amud near Safed and on Mount Carmel, including Neanderthal remains and evidence of symbolic behavior. palestine.cz

• Bronze Age (circa 3300–2250 BCE)
  Sites like Tell es-Sakan, south of Gaza City, were urban settlement centers. Initially established under Egyptian colonial administration, they transitioned to Canaanite control before being abandoned. Wikipedia

2. Bronze and Iron Ages to Classical Antiquity

• Egyptian Dominion in the Late Bronze Age (15th–13th century BCE)
  Under rulers such as Thutmose III, Egypt administered the region (known as Canaan) through structured governance. Documents from the Amarna period illuminate this era. Encyclopedia Britannica

• Emergence of the Israelites
  Archaeology suggests complex patterns of settlement by the Israelites in the hill regions east of the Jordan around the late Bronze and early Iron Ages—hinting at a more nuanced picture than biblical accounts alone. Encyclopedia Britannica

3. Persian to Hellenistic Period

• Persian Rule (539–332 BCE)
  Following the fall of Babylon, Jews returned to Judea, rebuilt the Second Temple, and re-established religious norms under figures like Ezra and Nehemiah. LandnatiePalestine Online

• Hellenistic Influence (332–63 BCE)
  After Alexander’s conquests, Palestine entered the Hellenistic sphere, ruled successively by the Ptolemies and Seleucids. The Maccabean Revolt (167–141 BCE) eventually gave rise to the independent Hasmonean dynasty. WikipediaPalestine Online

4. Roman and Byzantine Eras

• Roman Incorporation (63 BCE onward)
  Pompey's siege of Jerusalem marked the end of Hasmonean sovereignty. Later, Herod the Great was installed, overseeing large-scale developments like the Second Temple's expansion. Palestine Online

• Temple Destruction & Rebellions
  Jewish revolts led to the Second Temple's destruction in 70 CE, and later the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135 CE), which resulted in Jerusalem’s renaming as Aelia Capitolina. LandnatiePalestine Online

• Byzantine (Christian) Era
  Between ~324–637 CE, Palestine was under Byzantine rule, becoming a center for Christian pilgrimages and administration.

5. Islamic Period to Ottoman Rule

• Early Islamic Conquests (~637 CE onward)
  The region came under Muslim rule, forming part of successive caliphates, shaping its religious and cultural mosaic.

• Crusades (1096–1291)
  European crusaders briefly captured Jerusalem, triggering centuries of conflict before Muslim leader Saladin restored control.

• Ottoman Era (1517–1917)
  Palestine was integrated into the Ottoman Empire, experiencing relative peace and the slow emergence of early nationalist sentiments among its Arab inhabitants. Wikipediapalestine.cz

6. The British Mandate and Rise of Nationalism

• World War I & Balfour Declaration (1917)
  Britain captured Palestine and issued the Balfour Declaration supporting a Jewish national home—setting the stage for competing claims. BBCAJCWikipedia

• Mandate Period (1922–1948)
  British administration spurred both Jewish immigration and Arab nationalist movements, leading to civil unrest and violence. BBCWikipedia

• UN Partition & Nakba (1947–1948)
  The UN plan proposed Jewish and Arab states, but war broke out. Israel declared its statehood in 1948, triggering the displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians—the Nakba. The HinduUnited NationsWikipedia
  This displacement remains central to Palestinian collective memory and continues to shape the discourse today. AP NewsTIME

7. Post-1948 Conflict & Palestinian Nationalism

• Territorial Shifts
  Israel took control of more land than UN plans had envisioned. Jordan annexed the West Bank, and Egypt the Gaza Strip. The HinduWikipedia

• 1967 Six-Day War
  Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights—a pivotal moment that reshaped geopolitics. HISTORYThe Hindu

• PLO Formation & Intifadas
  The PLO emerged in 1964 as the representative body of Palestinians. The First Intifada (1987–1993) and Second Intifada (2000–2005) signaled heightened resistance and conflict. The HinduVoxThe Washington Post

• Peace Efforts & Governance
  The Oslo Accords (1993) granted autonomy to the Palestinian Authority in parts of Gaza and the West Bank. WikipediaVox

• Political Division
  Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, splitting Palestinian governance between Gaza (Hamas) and the West Bank (PA/Fatah). The Washington Post

• International Status
  In 1988, the State of Palestine was declared. In 2012, it was granted UN non-member observer state status, akin to the Vatican. Le Monde.frWikipedia

8. Contemporary Developments

• The enduring conflict over statehood and territory continues, intensified by settler expansions, cycles of violence, and political stalemates. The WeekThe Times

• Recent decades have spotlighted the legal and humanitarian dimensions, with accusations of apartheid and apartheid-like systems.