Settlements

Because both sides want to occupy all of the land in the region, some people have ended up in the other countries borders. Most notably, there are many Israeli settlements within the land of Palestine. Over 600,000 Israeli settlers live in land designated for Palestinian use. These settlements have been deemed illegal by the United Nations, as they violate the Geneva Convention. Not only do the settlements take up land and resources that could be used by Palestinians, but Israel also claims the roads between the settlements as their land. They deem the roads necessary in order to keep their towns properly connected. Unfortunately, claiming the roads between Israeli settlements has left Palestine looking like a mess of disconnected spots.

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If an agreement about territory were to be made between the countries, the two sides would have to settle who gets the land that the settlements are on. Israel would obviously want these lands, as 600,000 of their citizens live there. On the other hand, Palestine would also clearly want these lands, as they are designated to be theirs. In addition to this, it would be hard for Palestine to function as a nation if their lands were so disconnected. This is yet another issue where neither side will be wanting to make any concessions, leaving a deal between the two countries unlikely.

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As for the other side of the issue, there are many native Palestinians living in Israel. More than 20% of Israel's population are Palestinian people who lived in the country and refused to be moved when the land was claimed by Israel. This is yet another complicated issue, as many of these people want to be part of Palestine again. In a negotiation between the nations, these people who have to be addressed, too. This seems like yet another roadblock for a deal between the two countries.