ISRAELI-PALESTINE WARS AND THE PROSPECTS OF A TWO-STATE STRUCTURE, 1947-2024
Abstract
The Israeli-Palestinian war remains one of the most enduring and complex conflicts in contemporary international politics, deeply rooted in historical grievances, competing nationalisms, territorial disputes, and external geopolitical interests. Central to international efforts at conflict resolution is the two-state structure, which proposes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel as a pathway to sustainable peace. This study, therefore, adopts a multi-theoretical framework, drawing primarily on Conflict Theory, Realist Theory, and Liberal Peace Theory, with supplementary insights from Constructivism. Conflict theory is employed to explain the structural inequalities, power asymmetries, and competition over scarce resources that fuel hostility between Israelis and Palestinians. At the same time, realism provides insight into state behaviour, security dilemmas, and the strategic calculations that shape the actions of Israel, Palestinian actors, and external powers. Together, these theories offer a comprehensive lens for understanding both the internal and external dynamics sustaining the conflict and constraining peace efforts. Findings reveal that while the two-state structure remains the most internationally endorsed solution, its practical implementation has been severely undermined by continued Israeli settlement expansion, the occupation of Palestinian territories, recurring cycles of violence, and political divisions within Palestinian leadership. The study recommends renewed, genuinely impartial international mediation anchored in international law, a freeze on settlement activities, and the promotion of Palestinian political unity as prerequisites for reviving the two-state solution, and further advocates confidence-building measures, economic reconstruction, and sustained humanitarian interventions to address immediate suffering and create conditions conducive to long-term peace.