Palestine is a proto-state (state in formation) located in West Asia, and represented by the Palestinian National Authority. It has borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. He is currently militarily occupied by Israel. Palestine is divided into two separate territories, administered separately: the Gaza Strip on one side, located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and undergoing an almost total blockade by Israel and Egypt; the West Bank on the other, surrounded by a wall of separation from Israel, and bathed by the Dead Sea, located below sea level and having record salinity. Despite a recent decline in population growth, the Palestinian population is still growing at a particularly high rate of around 2.8% per year. The country, which is a self-proclaimed state recognized by 96 UN member states, currently survives under Israeli military occupation. The West Bank is dotted with Israeli settlements. The situation created is explosive in this region of the world, especially as the Palestinian economy is asphyxiated and the unemployment made very high by the war that is prolonged. The current negotiations are dragging on, and the peaceful solution does not seem to be the priority of both parties.
Jerusalem, Dome of the Rock, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Photo: Berthold Werner