“The war will end, and the leaders will shake hands. But this exhausted mother, longing for her son, will remain.”
Mahmoud Darwish
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98% Sunni Muslims
2% Christians (mostly Greek Orthodox)
GDP (nominal)
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Political system
After rejecting the UN partition plan in 1947, Palestine organized itself politically around the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1960s under the leadership of Yasser Arafat. Following the 1967 war, which led to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the 1993 Oslo Accords established limited autonomy with the creation of the Palestinian Authority, dominated by Fatah.
Since 2007, the division between Fatah in the West Bank and the Islamist Hamas in Gaza has permanently weakened political unity. Repeated conflicts, the expansion of settlements, and dependence on international aid hinder development. The absence of a sovereign state and the war triggered by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, have further diminished political prospects, while Gaza lies in ruins and the territories are increasingly fragmented. Despite the October 2025 truce, Israel controls several parts of the Gaza enclave.
Mahmoud Abbas, who has led the Palestinian Authority since 2005, remains the symbol of an aging and unpopular government. A proponent of a two-state solution, he advocates for a diplomatic approach toward Israel. His legitimacy is eroding due to political deadlock and divisions with Hamas. Despite international support, he is struggling to advance the peace process. His authority is increasingly limited to a few strongholds in the West Bank. To prepare for his succession, he has designated Hussein al-Sheikh as interim successor in the event of a power vacuum.
