Map Changes of Palestine Over the Decades

 Map Changes of Palestine Over the Decades

The land of Palestine has been at the center of a long-standing and deeply complex conflict, with its borders and territorial claims changing dramatically over the decades. The history of Palestine’s land is one marked by shifting control, displacement, and transformation, shaped by wars, agreements, and international interventions. The map of Palestine is not just a geographical representation but a symbol of the aspirations, struggles, and profound losses experienced by Palestinians.

In this blog, we will trace the significant changes to the map of Palestine over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, examining how the territory of Palestine has evolved, how borders have shifted, and how these changes have impacted the Palestinian people’s quest for self-determination and sovereignty.

1. Before the 20th Century: Ancient and Ottoman Palestine

Historically, the land of Palestine has been a crossroads for various civilizations, cultures, and religions. It has been known by many names throughout history, including Canaan, the Holy Land, and the Promised Land. In the centuries leading up to the 20th century, Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled much of the Middle East.

• Ottoman Period (1517–1917): During this time, Palestine was part of the larger Syrian province within the Ottoman Empire. The borders of Palestine were not sharply defined, and the land was administratively divided into districts, such as Jerusalem, Nablus, and Acre. There was a diverse population of Arabs (Muslim, Christian, and Jewish) living in the region.

• Key Characteristics:

  • The majority of the population were Arab Palestinians, with Jews forming a small minority in cities like Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed.

  • The land was primarily rural, with agriculture being the main economic activity.

  • Jerusalem served as a spiritual center for Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike.

2. The British Mandate (1917–1948)

In 1917, during World War I, the British took control of Palestine after defeating the Ottoman Empire. This period began with the Balfour Declaration (1917), in which Britain expressed support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, while also acknowledging the rights of the Arab population. This declaration set the stage for increasing Jewish immigration to Palestine, which would create tensions with the local Arab population.

• British Mandate (1920–1948): The League of Nations gave Britain the mandate to govern Palestine after World War I. During this period, Jewish immigration to Palestine increased significantly, particularly in the 1930s and 1940s, largely due to the rise of Nazism in Europe and the growing Zionist movement. The Jewish community in Palestine grew in size and influence, leading to tensions between Jews and Arabs.

• Map Changes:

  • The British Mandate divided Palestine into various districts, but it still lacked definitive borders.

  • Tensions between Jewish and Arab communities grew, with clashes over land and political power.

  • As Jewish immigration grew, more Jewish settlements were established, particularly in coastal areas, and the Jewish population increased from around 11% in 1914 to 31% by 1947.

  • The Palestinian Arab population, which had long inhabited the land, grew increasingly concerned with the idea of a Jewish state being established in their homeland.

3. The United Nations Partition Plan (1947)

In 1947, as violence escalated between Jews and Arabs, the United Nations (UN) intervened with a proposal to resolve the conflict. The UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181, which recommended the partition of Palestine into two separate states—one Jewish and one Arab—and an international administration for Jerusalem.

• Key Provisions of the UN Partition Plan:

  • Palestine would be divided into a Jewish state (55% of the land) and an Arab state (45% of the land), with Jerusalem being an international city.

  • The Jewish state would be located in the coastal plains and the Jezreel Valley, while the Arab state would be in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and other areas.

• Reactions and Outcomes:

  • The Jewish leadership accepted the plan, though with reservations, and declared the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948.

  • The Arab leadership rejected the plan, arguing that it violated the rights of the Palestinian Arab population, and sought to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state.

  • The rejection of the plan by Arab states and the Palestinian leadership led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (also known as the Nakba, or catastrophe, by Palestinians), in which neighboring Arab states invaded Israel. The war resulted in significant territorial changes and the mass displacement of Palestinian Arabs.

4. The 1948 Nakba and the Creation of Israel

Following the 1948 war, the map of Palestine was redrawn entirely. The war led to the creation of the State of Israel on 78% of the land that had been previously mandated as Palestine, while the remaining 22%—comprising the West Bank and Gaza Strip—fell under Jordanian and Egyptian control, respectively.

• The Nakba (Catastrophe): The 1948 war resulted in the displacement of approximately 750,000 Palestinian Arabs, who became refugees in neighboring Arab countries or in refugee camps within Palestine.

• Territorial Changes:

  • The State of Israel occupied 78% of the land, including large parts of the territory originally allocated to the Arab state in the UN Partition Plan.

  • The West Bank (including East Jerusalem) was annexed by Jordan, and the Gaza Strip came under Egyptian control.

  • Jerusalem was divided between Israeli-controlled West Jerusalem and Jordanian-controlled East Jerusalem, including the Old City, which holds religious significance for all three Abrahamic religions.

5. The 1967 Six-Day War and the Occupied Territories

The next major shift in the map of Palestine occurred in 1967, during the Six-Day War. In this conflict, Israel fought against neighboring Arab countries—Egypt, Jordan, and Syria—and gained control of several key territories, fundamentally changing the borders of the region.

• Territorial Gains:

  • The West Bank and East Jerusalem were occupied by Israel, with Israel extending its sovereignty over the entirety of Jerusalem.

  • The Gaza Strip was also occupied by Israel, which resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians.

  • Israel took control of the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria (the Sinai was later returned to Egypt in the 1979 peace agreement).

• Impact on Palestinians:

  • The 1967 war marked the beginning of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a situation that continues today, despite attempts at peace negotiations.

  • East Jerusalem was annexed by Israel, which claimed the entire city as its capital, though this claim is not internationally recognized.

  • The Palestinian population in these areas was subjected to Israeli military rule, with harsh restrictions on movement, land confiscation, settlement building, and violence.

6. The Oslo Accords and the Division of the West Bank and Gaza (1990s)

The 1990s marked a significant, albeit temporary, shift in the political landscape with the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. The Accords led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was granted limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza.

• The Map Post-Oslo:

  • The West Bank was divided into Areas A, B, and C. Area A was under full Palestinian control, Area B was under joint Israeli-Palestinian control, and Area C was under full Israeli control, comprising about 60% of the West Bank.

  • The Gaza Strip was fully controlled by the Palestinian Authority but remained under Israeli siege.

Despite the hopes for peace, the map of Palestine continued to shrink due to continued Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, making it increasingly difficult to establish a contiguous and viable Palestinian state.

7. The 2000s and Beyond: Continued Fragmentation

The map of Palestine continues to change due to factors such as Israeli settlement expansion, military occupation, and the internal division between Palestinian factions.

• Gaza Strip: In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its settlements and military from the Gaza Strip but maintained control over its borders, airspace, and waters. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections, and after a brief civil war with Fatah, Hamas took control of Gaza, while Fatah remained in control of the West Bank.

• West Bank: Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank has continued, fragmenting Palestinian territories and making the possibility of a two-state solution increasingly difficult.

8. Conclusion: A Land Divided

The map of Palestine has changed dramatically over the past century, from the era of Ottoman rule to the British Mandate, the 1948 Nakba, the 1967 occupation, and the Oslo Accords. Today, the Palestinian territories are divided into fragmented areas under varying degrees of Palestinian and Israeli control, with no clear path to the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Each change in the map reflects a shift in power, control, and the enduring struggle for Palestinian self-determination. The ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, along with the expansion of Israeli settlements, continues to alter the geographical and political realities of Palestine. Despite numerous peace efforts and negotiations, the future of the land remains uncertain, with Palestinians still striving for a state of their own on the land they have called home for centuries.