THE Israel-Hamas conflict, a long-standing and complex issue, continues to rattle the Middle East. Its roots date back to the mid-20th century, with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Palestinian displacement, known as the Nakba. The Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank have been at the heart of the conflict.

One hundred years ago last month, the Mandate over Palestine, awarded to the British, was supposed to lead to self-government of the then 90 percent Arab region of the former Ottoman Empire. The plan was also to make it a 'National Home for the Jewish people,' an ambiguous phrase the British coined in 1917 to shore up Jewish support in World War I.