- Number of Palestinians in the West Bank: Approximately 2.6 million
- Number of Palestinians in East Jerusalem: Approximately 250,000
- Number of Palestinians in Gaza: Approximately 1.7 million
- Religious makeup of Palestinians: Most Palestinians are Sunni Muslim, although there is a sizeable and influential Christian population as well.
- Number of Jewish Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem combined: Between 500,000 and 600,000. Number living in East Jerusalem: Approximately 200,000.
- Since the Arab-Israeli war of June 1967, Israel has been militarily occupying the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem (including the Old City), and the Gaza Strip, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights.
- In small areas of the West Bank the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was created under the terms of the supposedly interim Oslo Accords during the 1990s, exercises some governing responsibilities, however it exists under the auspices of the Israeli military. Ultimately, even those Palestinians who live in areas nominally under PA control are ruled by the Israeli military. Under Oslo, the West Bank is divided into three categories:
- Area A: Under nominal civil and security control of the PA, however the PA operates at the discretion of Israel while the Israeli military makes incursions into Area A on a regular basis. Area A comprises approximately 19% of the West Bank and is where most Palestinians live.
- Area B: Under nominal civil control of the PA with Israeli security control. Area B comprises approximately 21% of the West Bank.
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