Israeli Settlements

Israel began establishing civilian communities in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula after capturing these territories in the 1967 war. Israel withdrew from Sinai in 1982 as part of its obligations under the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace agreement. Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and their continued expansion remains central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.