Israel officially declared independence on May 14, 1948, leading to a war with neighboring Arab countries and the displacement of many Palestinians, starting the ongoing conflict in the region.
The Arab-Israeli War, also known as the War of Independence, lasted from 1948 to 1949. It was fought between the newly declared State of Israel and a coalition of Arab states including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. The war resulted in Israel gaining more territory than what was initially stipulated in the UN Partition Plan of 1947.
During the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes, becoming refugees in neighboring Arab countries. Many have still not been able to return to their homes, leading to ongoing tensions and conflicts in the region.
The Arab-Israeli conflict has continued for decades, with numerous wars and skirmishes between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Peace negotiations have been attempted multiple times, including the Oslo Accords in the 1990s and the Camp David Summit in 2000, but a lasting peaceful resolution has yet to be achieved. The core issues of the conflict, including the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a future Palestinian state, the rights of Palestinian refugees, and security concerns for both sides, remain unresolved.