Meaning

The West Bank is a landlocked Palestinian territory located west of the Jordan River.

It is called the West Bank because it lies on the western bank of the Jordan River.

It is bordered by:

• Israel on the west, north and south
• Jordan on the east
• East Jerusalem on its western side

Along with Gaza, the West Bank is one of the two main Palestinian territories.

Historical Background

After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank came under Jordanian control.

During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan, along with East Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai and Golan Heights.

Since then, most of the international community has considered the West Bank as part of the occupied Palestinian territory.

Israel disputes some aspects of this legal description and uses security, historical and political arguments for its presence, but UN bodies and most countries treat the area as occupied territory.

Areas A, B and C

After the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into three administrative zones as a temporary arrangement.

Area A is mainly under Palestinian Authority civil and security control. It includes major Palestinian cities such as Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Jenin and parts of Hebron.

Area B is under Palestinian civil control but Israeli security control.

Area C is under full Israeli civil and military control. It covers around 60% of the West Bank and includes most Israeli settlements, strategic roads, open land and many natural resources. The Oslo-era division continues even though it was originally meant to be temporary.

Palestinian Authority

The Palestinian Authority was created after the Oslo process to administer parts of the West Bank and Gaza.

In practice, the Palestinian Authority mainly governs parts of the West Bank, especially Area A.

However, its power is limited because Israel controls borders, movement, security in large areas, settlements, airspace and much of Area C.

This limited authority is one reason why many Palestinians see the West Bank as politically fragmented.

Israeli Settlements

Israeli settlements are one of the biggest issues in the West Bank.

Settlements are Israeli civilian communities built in occupied territory.

Most of the international community considers these settlements illegal under international law. Israel disputes this and argues that the legal and historical status of the land is more complex.

Settlements matter because they:

• Change the demographic and territorial map
• Fragment Palestinian areas
• Reduce land available for a future Palestinian state
• Increase settler-Palestinian tensions
• Require Israeli military protection
• Complicate peace negotiations

In 2026, the UN Human Rights Office reported that Israeli settlement expansion and annexation measures had intensified in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, contributing to displacement and increased violence.

Strategic Importance

The West Bank is strategically important for both Israelis and Palestinians.

For Palestinians, it is central to the idea of a future Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its hoped-for capital.

For Israel, the West Bank is linked to security concerns because of its proximity to major Israeli cities and its elevated terrain.

This creates a deep conflict between Palestinian claims of self-determination and Israeli security concerns.

Conclusion

The West Bank is a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 and divided administratively into Areas A, B and C after the Oslo Accords.

It remains central to the Israel-Palestine conflict because of Israeli settlements, Palestinian statehood claims, movement restrictions, security concerns and the status of East Jerusalem.

The core issue is whether the West Bank can become part of a viable Palestinian state, or whether continued settlement expansion and territorial fragmentation will make that possibility increasingly difficult.