The history of the Palestinians and the Palestinian territories is complex, deriving from years of turmoil over land located along the Mediterranean Sea that is bordered by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. The area is comprised of the Gaza Strip, formerly administered by Egypt, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem, formerly administered by Jordan, before the 1967 Six-Day War. UN Resolution 242, put forth later that year, called for the

"establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East…including…withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict and …acknowledgement of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."

Since that time, Palestinians and Israelis have engaged alternatively in negotiations and struggles leading to great loss of life on both sides and preventing both Israel and Palestine from achieving their potential as prosperous, stable societies. The Roadmap for Peace – a collaborative work created by the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations – puts forth a cohesive timeline of achieving a two-state solution, in which the countries of Israel and Palestine can live in peace and security. It calls for a secure State of Israel and a viable, peaceful, and democratic Palestine.