The letter is known as the Balfour Declaration. It committed the British government to “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and to facilitating “the achievement of this object”.The letter was short – just 67 words – but its contents had a seismic effect on Palestine that is still felt to this day.

More than 100 years ago, on November 2, 1917, Britain’s then-foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, wrote a letter addressed to Lionel Walter Rothschild, a figurehead of the British Jewish community.Here’s a simple guide to break down one of the world’s longest-running conflicts: What was the Balfour Declaration? And on Monday, it announced a “total blockade” of the Gaza Strip, stopping the supply of food, fuel and other essential commodities to the already besieged enclave in an act that under international law amounts to a war crime.īut what unfolds in the coming days and weeks has its seed in history.įor decades, Western media outlets, academics, military experts and world leaders have described the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as intractable, complicated and deadlocked.

It has mobilised troops along the Gaza border, apparently in preparation for a ground attack. In response, Israel has launched a bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 500 Palestinians.

Hamas fighters have killed more than 800 Israelis in assaults on multiple towns in southern Israel. Keep reading list of 3 items list 1 of 3 From hubris to humiliation: The 10 hours that shocked Israel list 2 of 3 Fears of a ground invasion of Gaza grow as Israel vows ‘mighty vengeance’ list 3 of 3 ‘My voice is our lifeline’: Gaza journalist and family amid Israel bombing end of list

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