Palestine is a disputed state in the Near East under international law. It claims the West Bank and Gaza Strip, occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War, as its territory. The country was proclaimed by PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat in 1988 and recognized by 138 of the 193 member states of the United Nations. Jerusalem is claimed by Palestine as its capital but is under Israeli control, with both sides' claims to the city largely unrecognized by the international community. Its history is marked by decades of conflict with Israel and its neighbors. Major sites include the Old City of Jerusalem with the Wailing Wall, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
