A Brief History of Palestine: A People of Resistance

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[Originally published in the February Issue, 18th of February 2026]

The history of Palestine is as ancient as the dawn of civilisation itself. Archaeological evidence reveals that this land was inhabited by prehistoric peoples, who left traces of their existence through artefacts and ruins. By the Bronze Age, the Canaanites emerged as the dominant culture, establishing city-states and developing trade networks that connected them with the larger Near Eastern and Mediterranean worlds.

The Persian conquest of the 6th century BCE introduced a new era for Palestine, integrating it into the vast Achaemenid Empire.The Byzantine period that followed saw the spread of Christianity, with Palestine emerging as a sacred destination for pilgrims, which underscored its spiritual significance across Christian communities.

The 7th-century Islamic conquests brought sweeping changes to Palestine as the region was absorbed into the rapidly expanding Muslim world. The Ottoman Empire’s incorporation of Palestine in the early 16th century introduced a long period of Turkish rule, which lasted until the early 20th century. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I led to the establishment of the British mandate in Palestine.

The declaration of the State of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli conflict marked the beginning of a new and tumultuous chapter in Palestinian history. Below are some of the many massacres committed in Palestine.