Room for Peace
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Who lives across the border?

We all know the names: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. But how much do we know about the countries themselves, their size, the people who live there, their languages and communities? Here is a short introduction, in the same template for each, and for Israel itself too.

19 min read

Before the news, there is a place

A neighbour is more than a headline. Egypt is about 45 times the size of Israel, and Lebanon is less than half of it1. In the Palestinian territories more than a third of the people are children under 152, and in Jordan more than nine in ten people live in a city3.

This page is not about opinions or about "what they think over there". It shows what can be measured and checked: area, population, languages, communities, economy, refugees and borders. Next to each country there are also a few things worth knowing: a writer, a dish, an ancient city. Every figure comes with a source and a year.

At a glance

WhoCapitalArea (km²)Population (year)Under 15Main languagesRelations with Israel today
EgyptCairo1,001,4501118.4 million (2025)431.6% (2025)5ArabicPeace treaty since 1979
JordanAmman89,318111.5 million (2025)430.2% (2025)5ArabicPeace treaty since 1994
SyriaDamascus185,180125.6 million (2025 est.)428.4% (2025)5Arabic, KurdishNo relations; security talks, no agreement
LebanonBeirut10,45015.8 million (2025 est.)425.6% (2025)5Arabic, French, EnglishNo relations; 2026 framework document, stalled
The Palestinians (West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem)Seat of administration in Ramallah66,02515.56 million (end of 2025)236.3% (end of 2025)2ArabicInterim arrangements; ceasefire in Gaza
IsraelJerusalem (proclaimed capital)722,070110.3 million (September 2026)827.2% (2025)5Hebrew, Arabic—
Saudi ArabiaRiyadh2,149,690137.0 million (2025)423.6% (2025)5ArabicNo relations; Arab Peace Initiative

Neighbour by neighbour

Egypt

More than 118 million people, seven World Heritage sites and one novelist with a Nobel Prize.

Capital
Cairo9
Area
1,001,450 km², about 45 times Israel (22,070 km²)1
Population
About 118.4 million (2025)4
How young
31.6% under 15 (2025)5; median age 24.6 (2025 est.)10
Languages
Arabic (official); English and French are understood among the educated10. Nubian is also spoken in the south11
Religion and communities
By estimate, about 90% Muslim, mostly Sunni, and about 10% Christian, mostly Coptic Orthodox10. Estimates of the Coptic share range from 5.7% (the official figure) to about 12% (the Church)11. Other communities: Nubians (1 to 3 million by estimates), Bedouin in Sinai and Amazigh in Siwa. Of the Jewish community, 65,000 to 70,000 in the 1940s, fewer than ten remain11
Government
Presidential republic10. As of October 2026: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly912
Economy
GDP per capita 3,086 dollars (2025)13. Main sectors: textiles, food, tourism, oil and gas, construction10. Remittances from abroad equal about 11.4% of GDP (2025)14
Refugees and displacement
1,084,858 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UN, 78% of them from Sudan (30 September 2026)15
Border with Israel
208 km, plus 13 km with the Gaza Strip10. The Menachem Begin (Taba) terminal operates 24 hours a day16. The Rafah crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, reopened in February 2026 for the movement of people only17
Relations with Israel today
The peace treaty has been in force since 1979, and security coordination and the gas trade continue18. Political relations are at a low point: according to a January 2026 report, Egypt has no ambassador in Tel Aviv19

Things you may not know: Naguib Mahfouz, born in Cairo, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 198820. Umm Kulthum, known as the "Star of the East", held Arab audiences from the Persian Gulf to Morocco for half a century21. Koshary, an everyday dish, was added in 2025 to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage22. The new Bibliotheca Alexandrina receives about one and a half million visitors a year23, and Egypt's seven World Heritage sites include the pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur and also Wadi Al-Hitan, the "Whale Valley"24.

What shapes daily life: first of all, the cost of living. Inflation fell to 13.4% in February 2026, after a peak of 38% in late 2023, and by the latest measurement (2021/22) about a third of Egyptians lived in poverty25. Only about 43% of the people live in cities3. Egypt has also taken in more than a million refugees, most of them from Sudan15.

Where people meet: mainly at the Taba terminal south of Eilat. According to the Israel Airports Authority, about a million passengers a year cross there, Israelis and tourists16. And there is a meeting no one sees: Israeli gas supplies, according to the Carnegie Endowment, 15 to 20 percent of Egypt's daily consumption18.

Jordan

A desert kingdom where almost everyone lives in a city, with a town carved in rock and a festive dish on UNESCO's list.

Capital
Amman26
Area
89,318 km², about 4 times Israel (22,070 km²)1
Population
About 11.5 million (2025)4; two decades ago it was about 5 million27
How young
30.2% under 15 (2025)5; median age 25.4 (2025 est.)28
Languages
Arabic (official); English is understood among the middle and upper classes28. Circassian and Armenian are also spoken in small communities29
Religion and communities
97.1% Muslim, mostly Sunni; 2.1% Christian, mostly Greek Orthodox (2020 est.)28. Other communities: up to 15,000 Druze, Circassians, Chechens, Armenians and Bedouin29. In the 2015 census, by nationality, 69.3% identified as Jordanian, 13.3% as Syrian, 6.7% as Palestinian and 6.7% as Egyptian28
Government
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy28. As of October 2026: King Abdullah II (since 1999), Prime Minister Jafar Hassan (since 15 September 2024)2830
Economy
GDP per capita 5,348 dollars (2025)13. Main sectors: tourism, information technology, clothing, potash and phosphates, pharmaceuticals28
Refugees and displacement
352,553 refugees registered with the UN, 329,720 of them Syrians (30 September 2026)31. UNRWA has 2,272,411 registered Palestinian refugees, and there are ten official camps (as of the end of 2019)32
Border with Israel
307 km with Israel, plus 148 km with the West Bank28. Between Israel and Jordan the Jordan River terminal, near Beit She'an, and the Yitzhak Rabin terminal, near Eilat, are in operation3334. The Allenby Bridge (King Hussein Bridge) is the only land exit abroad for Palestinians from the West Bank35
Relations with Israel today
The peace treaty has been in force since 1994, and security coordination and the water supply continue36. Political relations are at a low point: in July 2026 Jordan formally ended its ambassador's mission without naming a successor37

Things you may not know: Petra, the Nabataean caravan city between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, has been on the World Heritage List since 198538. Wadi Rum was inscribed in 2011 as both a natural and a cultural site, and in 2026 the Aqaba Marine Reserve was added to the list39. Mansaf, a festive banquet, was added in 2022 to the intangible heritage list40. And the town of As-Salt was inscribed in 2021 under the title "the Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality"39.

What shapes daily life: water and work. Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world, 93% of its people live in cities, and the population has more than doubled within two decades273. Unemployment stood at 21.4% in the third quarter of 2025, and at 33.9% among women; only 14.4% of women take part in the labour force27.

Where people meet: at the two border crossings, which serve Israelis and tourists34, and also in the pipes. Israel supplies Jordan with water36, and Israeli natural gas has flowed to it since January 202041.

Syria

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and a country trying to stand up after more than a decade of war.

Capital
Damascus42
Area
185,180 km², about 8 times Israel (22,070 km²)1
Population
About 25.6 million (2025 est.)4. The war greatly changed where people live43
How young
28.4% under 15 (2025)5; median age 24.5 (2025 est.)43
Languages
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic and Circassian43. In January 2026 a presidential decree recognised Kurdish as a national language for the first time44
Religion and communities
By estimates: 74% Sunni; 13% Alawite, Ismaili and Shia; 10% Christian of several churches (the share may have fallen because of the war); 3% Druze4345. The Kurds, 2 to 2.5 million, are the largest ethnic minority; there are also Armenians, Turkmen, Circassians and Yezidis. Of the Jewish community, about 40,000 before 1948, 100 to 200 remained in 200745
Government
Presidential republic in a transitional period; Assad's rule fell on 8 December 202443. As of October 2026 the president is Ahmed al-Sharaa4647. Since the transitional government was formed on 29 March 2025 there has been no prime minister, and the president heads it48
Economy
GDP per capita 1,057 dollars (2022, the latest figure)13. Main sectors: oil, textiles, food, phosphates43. The cost of reconstruction is estimated at 216 billion dollars49
Refugees and displacement
About 7.4 million people displaced inside Syria (2024 est.)43. 1.79 million Syrian refugees are registered in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon (30 September 2026)50. About 1.97 million displaced people have returned home (as of 9 July 2026)51
Border with Israel
83 km43. This is the 1974 separation-of-forces line, not an agreed border. Since December 2024 the Israeli army has also been in the area of separation, and in mid-August 2026 it held 11 positions on the Syrian side47. There is no regular civilian crossing; the Quneitra crossing operates under the supervision of the UN force52
Relations with Israel today
No peace and no diplomatic relations. Since 2025 security talks have been held under American mediation; as of October 2026 no agreement has been signed, and the talks stalled after Israeli airstrikes in August47

Things you may not know: Damascus was founded in the third millennium BC. Its old city holds about 125 historic monuments, the most spectacular of them the Umayyad Mosque from the 8th century53. The poet Nizar Qabbani, born in Damascus (1923), was also a diplomat; he began with love poems and moved on to political poetry54. Aleppo's ghar soap was added in 2024 to UNESCO's intangible heritage list, and the Damascene rose in 201955.

What shapes daily life: reconstruction. All six of Syria's World Heritage sites have been on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 201356. The cost of reconstruction is close to ten times the GDP of 2024, but inflation fell from 72.1% in 2024 to 11.5% in 202549. At the end of 2025, 15.6 million people needed humanitarian aid51. In January 2026 there was fighting between government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and at the end of the month an agreement to integrate them into state institutions was announced44.

Where people meet: almost nowhere. According to Wikipedia, in the past Druze from the Golan Heights were allowed to cross at Quneitra for studies and marriage, and Druze farmers exported apples through it; how much of this continues in 2026 was not verified52.

Lebanon

Less than half the size of Israel, 18 recognised religious communities, and not a single census since 1932.

Capital
Beirut57
Area
10,450 km², less than half the size of Israel (22,070 km²)1
Population
About 5.8 million (2025 est.)4. No official census has been held since 193258
How young
25.6% under 15 (2025)5
Languages
Arabic (official), French, English and Armenian59
Religion and communities
A 2020 estimate, for citizens only: about 32% Sunni, about 31% Shia, about 32% Christian (the Maronites are the largest group), about 4.5% Druze, and small numbers of Alawites and Ismailis. The state recognises 18 religious communities, and about 4% of the people are Armenian59. The 1932 census counted 52% Christians and 48% Muslims and Druze58
Government
Parliamentary republic59. As of October 2026: President Joseph Aoun (since 9 January 2025), Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (since 8 February 2025)5760
Economy
GDP per capita 4,473 dollars (2024)13. Main sectors: banking, tourism, real estate and construction, food and wine59. Since 2019 the pound has lost 98% of its value61
Refugees and displacement
889,625 Syrians with an active UN record (June 2026; official registration was suspended in 2015)62. 476,033 registered Palestinian refugees, of whom UNRWA estimates about 180,000 live in the country (end of 2019)63. In the 2026 war more than a million people were displaced from their homes64
Border with Israel
81 km59. The line is the UN-marked Blue Line, not an agreed border. The Rosh HaNikra crossing serves only the UN force and the army, and civilians do not cross there65. As of October 2026 the Israeli army holds a strip about 10 km deep in southern Lebanon66
Relations with Israel today
No peace and no diplomatic relations. In June 2026 a framework document was signed under American mediation; as of October 2026 its implementation is stalled66

Things you may not know: Fairuz, born in Beirut (1934), is one of the most celebrated Arab singers of the 20th century and is seen as a unifying symbol in a divided Lebanon67. Man'ouche, a well-known Lebanese bake, was added in 2023 to UNESCO's intangible heritage list68. The American University of Beirut opened in 1866 with 16 students, and more than 8,000 study there today69. Baalbek, Tyre and Byblos have been on the World Heritage List since 19847071.

What shapes daily life: a double crisis. Since 2019 Lebanon has been going through the worst economic crisis in its history, and more than a third of the people have been pushed into poverty61. In March 2026 war broke out again: by 25 June, 4,230 people had been killed in Lebanon, according to Lebanese government figures cited by the UN, and in Israel, according to Israeli figures, 4 civilians and 28 soldiers72. The World Bank expects the economy to shrink by 6.4% in 202661.

Where people meet: civilians do not meet. The only meetings are between official representatives: by early August 2026 seven rounds of direct talks had been held, in Washington and in Rome73.

The Palestinians: West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem

The Palestinian territories, recognised by most UN member states as the State of Palestine, are among the youngest societies in the region: more than a third of the people are under 15.

Capital
The Palestinian Authority's seat of administration is in Ramallah, north of Jerusalem6. The question of Jerusalem was deferred to permanent-status negotiations (Oslo I)
Area
6,025 km² according to the World Bank, a little more than a quarter of Israel (22,070 km²)1. The Gaza Strip alone: 360 km²74. This site takes no position on borders
Population
5,557,096 (end of 2025): 3,430,062 in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and 2,127,034 in the Gaza Strip2
How young
36.3% under 15 (end of 2025): 39.1% in Gaza and 34.6% in the West Bank2. Median age: 19.9 in Gaza, 22 in the West Bank (2025 est.)7475
Languages
Arabic; many also speak Hebrew and English7574
Religion and communities
98 to 99 percent of Palestinians are Muslim, mostly Sunni; Christians are less than one percent. Other communities: about 400 Samaritans near Nablus and about 40,000 Bedouin in the West Bank. More than 737,000 Israelis also live in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (2025)76
Government
The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 under the Oslo Accords77. As of October 2026: President Mahmoud Abbas78, Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa (since 31 March 2024)79. 157 of the 193 UN member states recognise the State of Palestine (as of September 2025)8081. In Gaza: the committee of Palestinian technocrats meant to administer the Strip has not yet entered it, Hamas has not been disarmed, and Israeli forces hold about two-thirds of the territory8283. Elections to the Legislative Council are set for 28 November 202682
Economy
GDP per capita 3,171 dollars (2025)13. Unemployment in 2025: 78% in Gaza and 28% in the West Bank84. Sectors in the West Bank: small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap and olive-wood carving75
Refugees and displacement
1.46 million refugees registered with UNRWA in Gaza, in eight camps (end of 2019)85, and more than 871,000 in the West Bank, in 19 camps86. About 2 million internally displaced people (2024 est.)75; in September 2026, 94% of Gaza's people needed shelter and household assistance82
Border with Israel
330 km between the West Bank and Israel and 59 km between the Gaza Strip and Israel87. The Green Line is the 1949 armistice line, not an agreed border. The land exit abroad from the West Bank is the Allenby Bridge to Jordan35; the Rafah crossing to Egypt reopened in February 2026 for the movement of people only17
Relations with Israel today
There is no permanent-status agreement. The interim arrangements of Oslo go on operating by default. In Gaza the ceasefire of October 2025 continues, but as of October 2026 its second phase is stalled83

Things you may not know: at Tell es-Sultan in Jericho there are traces of human activity from about 10,500 BC, and by the ninth to eighth millennium BC a sizeable permanent settlement stood there88. Dabkeh, Palestinian embroidery and Nabulsi soap are on UNESCO's intangible heritage list89. The poet Mahmoud Darwish, born in the village of Al-Birwa (1941), gave voice to the struggle of the Palestinian people90. The Palestinian Museum is in Birzeit91, and in 2026 Sebastia was inscribed as a World Heritage site92.

What shapes daily life: the war and its results. According to UNRWA, 73,914 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, 1,394 of them after the ceasefire (as of 24 September 2026), and 90% of the people face frequent disruptions in access to safe water82. The World Bank puts Gaza's reconstruction needs at about 71.5 billion dollars84. In the West Bank more than 1,600 attacks by settlers were recorded in 2026 up to mid-September82, and public-sector salaries were cut to 50 to 60 percent after Israel suspended the transfer of tax revenues in May 202584.

Where people meet: mainly at work. According to the World Bank, in 2025 Palestinian workers' access to the Israeli labour market was restored to a modest degree84.

Israel

A small, young country: more than 10 million people, and 2.88 children per woman on average, more than twice the OECD average.

Capital
Jerusalem is the seat of government and the proclaimed capital; international recognition of its status as capital has largely been withheld7
Area
22,070 km² according to the World Bank1, about a quarter of Jordan and twice the size of Lebanon
Population
10.305 million (September 2026, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics), including about 300,000 foreign nationals8
How young
27.2% under 15 (2025)5; median age 30.2 (2025 est.)87
Languages
Hebrew (official); Arabic has a special status in law; English is the most common foreign language87. Russian and Yiddish are also heard93
Religion and communities
A 2022 estimate: 73.5% Jewish, 18.1% Muslim, 1.9% Christian, 1.6% Druze and 4.9% other87. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, about 2.2 million Arabs live in Israel, 21.7% (September 2026)8. The small communities include 4,000 to 5,000 Circassians93, as well as Karaites and Samaritans94. Among the Jews there are people of European origin, of Middle Eastern and North African origin, and about 168,800 of Ethiopian origin (2023)93
Government
Parliamentary democracy87; the Knesset has 120 members7. As of October 2026: President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu7. A general election is set for 27 October 202682
Economy
GDP per capita 60,337 dollars (2025)13. Main sectors: high technology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, diamonds87
Refugees and displacement
27,413 refugees and about 68,000 internally displaced people (2024 est.)87
Border with Israel
Israel itself: land boundaries of 1,068 km. Egypt 208, Jordan 327, Lebanon 81, Syria 83, West Bank 330, Gaza Strip 5987. Only the borders with Egypt and Jordan were set in peace treaties
Relations with Israel today
Israel and its neighbours: peace treaties with Egypt and with Jordan; no relations with Syria or Lebanon; with the Palestinians there are interim arrangements only

Things you may not know: S. Y. Agnon received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1966 for his narrative art, which draws on the life of the Jewish people95. Tel Aviv was founded in 1909, and its "White City" was built from the 1930s to the 1950s to a plan by Patrick Geddes; it has been a World Heritage site since 200396. Israel's nine sites on the list also include Masada, the Old City of Acre and the Bahá'í holy places in Haifa and the Western Galilee97. The National Library in Jerusalem keeps millions of items, among them Judaica and Islamic collections98.

What shapes daily life: the war that broke out after the Hamas-led brutal terrorist attack of 7 October 2023. It brought economic contraction and deficits; the technology sector stayed stable, while construction and tourism were hit hard87. Over the past year the population grew by 1.2%: about 182,000 babies were born, but the migration balance was negative, about 8,0008. The election on 27 October 2026 is the first since 7 October83.

Where people meet: first of all at home. More than a fifth of Israel's people are Arabs8, so the meeting between Jews and Arabs is an everyday matter inside the country itself, before anyone crosses a border.

Saudi Arabia (a neighbour without a shared border)

A kingdom almost 100 times the size of Israel, where more than 30% of the people came from other countries.

Capital
Riyadh99
Area
2,149,690 km², about 97 times Israel (22,070 km²)1
Population
About 37.0 million (2025)4; more than 30% of the people are foreign nationals100
How young
23.6% under 15 (2025)5; median age 32.8 (2025 est.)100
Languages
Arabic (official)100
Religion and communities
Islam is the state religion. Among citizens, 85 to 90 percent are Sunni and 10 to 12 percent Shia (2020 est.); the foreign residents include people of other faiths100. Mecca and Medina, the holy cities of Islam, are in Saudi Arabia101
Government
Absolute monarchy100. As of October 2026: King Salman bin Abdulaziz; the prime minister is Mohammed bin Salman99
Economy
GDP per capita 34,537 dollars (2025)13. An economy based on oil and petrochemicals; the "Vision 2030" programme is meant to diversify it100
Refugees and displacement
No current figure was verified here
Border with Israel
No shared border. Saudi Arabia borders Jordan for 731 km28
Relations with Israel today
No diplomatic relations. Saudi Arabia has not joined the Abraham Accords, and according to a July 2026 report it makes recognition of Israel conditional on an irreversible path to a Palestinian state102. In 2002 it initiated the Arab Peace Initiative

Things you may not know: the Hegra archaeological site (Mada'in Salih) became in 2008 the first Saudi site on the World Heritage List; today there are eight, among them Historic Jeddah, "the Gate to Makkah"103.

What shapes daily life: the move from an oil economy to a more diverse one, in a country where the median age is 32.8 and more than 30% of the people are foreign nationals100.

Where people meet: no direct meeting between citizens was documented here. There are no relations, and trade or tourism figures were not verified.

Not a neighbour, but part of the story: Iran

Iran

A country with no border with Israel that was once among its closest partners in the region

Before 1979
Under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Israel kept a permanent delegation in Tehran that worked as a de facto embassy, and ambassadors were exchanged in the 1970s104.
What tied them
Iranian oil for Israel, trade, and Israeli advisers in defence, agriculture and health. An Israeli school operated in Tehran104.
1979
The Islamic Revolution cut relations, and the Israeli mission building was handed to the PLO104.
Today
No relations. In June 2025 Israel and Iran fought a direct war105, and in early 2026 the United States and Israel carried out strikes in Iran106.

The relationship rested on a shared interest: keeping Soviet influence out and pan-Arabism down. It lasted about three decades104. According to Wikipedia, Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognise Israel, after Turkey, and El Al flew direct between Tel Aviv and Tehran105.

After 1979 the picture reversed. Iran created and armed Hezbollah in Lebanon and backed armed Palestinian groups, and its nuclear programme became the centre of the confrontation104. The story is here because it is a reminder that relations between states are not fate: they once changed for the worse, and elsewhere on this site they changed for the better. A government is not a people, and that holds for Iran too.

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    Prime Minister of Lebanon (used only to cross-check the current office-holder)
  61. Research World Bank · 21 August 2026
    Lebanon – country overview
  62. Primary UNHCR Operational Data Portal · 30 June 2026
    Syria Regional Refugee Response – Lebanon (updated 30 June 2026)
  63. Primary UNRWA · 31 December 2019
    Where we work – Lebanon (figures as of 31 December 2019)
  64. Research Security Council Report · May 2026
    Lebanon, May 2026 Monthly Forecast
  65. Reference Wikipedia · 7 October 2026
    Rosh HaNikra Crossing
  66. Press The New Arab · 1 October 2026
    Lebanon-Israel talks to resume in Florida on 20 October: sources
  67. Reference Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Fairuz
  68. Primary UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
    Lebanon – elements on the lists
  69. Primary American University of Beirut
    History
  70. Primary UNESCO World Heritage Centre
    Lebanon – properties inscribed on the World Heritage List
  71. Primary UNESCO World Heritage Centre
    Baalbek
  72. Research Security Council Report · July 2026
    Lebanon, July 2026 Monthly Forecast
  73. Press Al Jazeera · 5 August 2026
    Lebanon and Israel still split over disarming Hezbollah at Rome talks
  74. Reference CIA World Factbook (final edition data; the Factbook was discontinued on 4 February 2026), read through the open-data copy factbook.json · 2025
    Gaza Strip
  75. Reference CIA World Factbook (final edition data; the Factbook was discontinued on 4 February 2026), read through the open-data copy factbook.json · 2025
    West Bank
  76. Reference Minority Rights Group · 2025
    Palestine – World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples
  77. Reference Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Palestinian Authority
  78. Press The Times of Israel · 9 July 2026
    Abbas declares first Palestinian legislative elections since 2006
  79. Reference Wikipedia · 7 October 2026
    Mohammad Mustafa (politician)
  80. Reference Wikipedia · 7 October 2026
    International recognition of Palestine
  81. Primary Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France · 2025
    Understanding France's recognition of the State of Palestine
  82. Research Security Council Report · October 2026
    The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question — October 2026 Monthly Forecast
  83. Press Reuters (published by The Jerusalem Post) · 6 October 2026
    One year on, Trump's Gaza plan has not stopped Israeli fire or disarmed Hamas - explainer
  84. Research World Bank · 2026
    West Bank and Gaza – country page
  85. Primary UNRWA · 31 December 2019
    Where we work – Gaza Strip (figures as of 31 December 2019)
  86. Primary UNRWA
    Where we work – West Bank
  87. Reference CIA World Factbook (final edition data; the Factbook was discontinued on 4 February 2026), read through the open-data copy factbook.json · 2025
    Israel
  88. Primary UNESCO World Heritage Centre
    Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan
  89. Primary UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
    Palestine – elements on the lists
  90. Reference Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Mahmoud Darwish
  91. Primary The Palestinian Museum
    Home page
  92. Primary UNESCO World Heritage Centre
    State of Palestine – properties inscribed on the World Heritage List
  93. Reference Minority Rights Group · 2025
    Israel – World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples
  94. Reference Encyclopaedia Britannica · 2026
    Israel
  95. Primary The Nobel Prize
    Shmuel Agnon – Facts (Nobel Prize in Literature 1966)
  96. Primary UNESCO World Heritage Centre
    White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement
  97. Primary UNESCO World Heritage Centre
    Israel – properties inscribed on the World Heritage List
  98. Primary National Library of Israel
    Home page
  99. Reference Encyclopaedia Britannica · 2026
    Saudi Arabia – Facts & Stats
  100. Reference CIA World Factbook (final edition data; the Factbook was discontinued on 4 February 2026), read through the open-data copy factbook.json · 2025
    Saudi Arabia
  101. Reference Encyclopaedia Britannica · 2026
    Saudi Arabia
  102. Press Al-Monitor · 24 July 2026
    Trump says he won't proceed with nuclear deal unless Saudis join Abraham Accords
  103. Primary UNESCO World Heritage Centre
    Saudi Arabia – properties inscribed on the World Heritage List
  104. Research United States Institute of Peace — The Iran Primer · September 2010
    Iran and Israel (Steven Simon)
  105. Reference Wikipedia (English)
    Iran–Israel relations
  106. Research Security Council Report · 2026
    Lebanon, May 2026 Monthly Forecast
  107. Primary Central Intelligence Agency · 4 February 2026
    Notice that The World Factbook has sunset (shown on the former country pages)