The Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 on southern Israel, and Israel’s subsequent military offensive on Gaza, have demonstrated the failure of international policy on the decades-long Israel–Palestine conflict.
In recent years, several Arab states have sought normalization agreements and economic partnerships with Israel, without properly addressing the question of Palestine.
Meanwhile, donor organizations and international actors like the United States have focused their attention on crises elsewhere. The effects have been to deprioritize the peace process, as well as the growth of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory, issues of accountability and governance in Palestine, and bridge-building across both societies.
The 2023-24 war has demonstrated that this approach is unsustainable and that addressing the roots of the conflict is key to its resolution.
Since the early 2000s, Chatham House’s research and Track II dialogues have focused on the domestic, regional and international dynamics that shape the Israel–Palestine conflict, as well as challenges and prospects for peace.
Our work, led by the Middle East and North Africa Programme, aims to interrogate the root causes of the conflict, offer analysis of the key developments, and shed light on the overlooked issues with implications for the future of Israel, Palestine and the wider region.
Through our research and convening, we aim to identify policy approaches and constructive pathways that can lead to a just, equitable and lasting solution.
