A Biopolitical Analysis of the Israel-Palestine Conflict and the Crisis of Sovereignty
The Israel-Palestine conflict, spanning over a century, is one of the world’s most persistent and complex geopolitical disputes, rooted in competing claims over land, rights, and ultimate state sovereignty. The recent ceasefire in Gaza, initiated by the Trump peace plan, offers a momentary pause but does not resolve the deep, underlying crisis of control and legitimacy.
The Foundations of Sovereignty: 1917–1948
The dispute’s modern origins trace back to the end of World War One, when Britain gained control of Palestine. Tensions immediately escalated with the Balfour Declaration, which promised a “national home” for the Jewish people. This declaration clashed directly with the historical claims and rights of the Arab majority already residing there.
The Holocaust provided an urgent imperative for a safe haven, leading to increased Jewish immigration. By 1947, against a backdrop of mounting violence, the United Nations (UN) voted to partition Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. When British rule ended in May 1948, Jewish leaders declared the independent state of Israel. The immediate invasion by five Arab nations cemented the conflict’s existential nature, resulting in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (The Nakba).
• Biopolitical Outcome: The war resulted in Israel controlling most of the territory and the mass displacement of approximately 750,000 Palestinians, an event known as the Nakba (Catastrophe). This forced movement established a massive, multi-generational refugee crisis, making human security and return a perpetual geopolitical issue.
The Expansion of Control and the Crisis of Occupation (1967 – Present)
The 1967 Six-Day War fundamentally redrew the region’s geopolitical map. Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and crucially, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.
Israel’s continuous occupation of these territories widely known as the Occupied Palestinian Territories is the central legal and political flashpoint. The Palestinian Authority runs some West Bank towns, but Israel retains overall security control.
• The Settlement Biopolitics: There are currently about 700,000 Jews living in approximately 160 Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These settlements are considered illegal under international law by the vast majority of the global community. The expansion of these settlements, particularly after 2022, is seen by critics as a deliberate strategy to solidify permanent control and negate the possibility of a viable Palestinian state.
• International Legal Challenge: In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal, calling for the withdrawal of all settlers and citing breaches of international agreements on racism.
The Gaza Strip: A Humanitarian and Security Choke Point
The Gaza Strip, a small, densely populated area of 2.1 million people, is the flashpoint of the current crisis. Even after Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and settlers in 2005, the UN still considers Gaza to be occupied due to Israel’s comprehensive control over its borders, airspace, and shoreline.
Following Hamas’s electoral victory in 2006, Israel and Egypt imposed a debilitating blockade. The 7 October 2023 assault by Hamas triggered the latest war, leading to a massive Israeli offensive. The conflict has resulted in the tragic death of more than 67,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
• Famine and Biopolitical Crisis: UN-backed experts warned in July that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in Gaza, a man-made crisis blamed on the severe restrictions on aid entry. The humanitarian crisis underscores the biopolitical reality of a population subjected to external control over the very means of its survival.
• The Ceasefire: The recent approval of the Trump peace plan’s first phase initiated a fragile ceasefire, a military withdrawal, and a vital surge of aid. This truce, however, only addresses immediate security and humanitarian concerns, leaving the fundamental political questions unanswered.
The Future: Sovereignty, Recognition, and the Two-State Solution
The core dispute revolves around the ultimate resolution. The internationally backed “two-state solution” proposes an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, using the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
While the State of Palestine is recognized by over 150 UN member states, Israel’s current government rejects the two-state solution, citing security threats. The US has historically opposed recognition outside of a negotiated settlement, though recent moves by allies like the UK and France in September 2025 to officially recognize a Palestinian state have injected new diplomatic pressure. The conflict remains a complex entanglement of historical rights, military control, and the right to self-determination.
