Most of its indigenous Palestinian inhabitants were expelled or forced to flee in 1948 when this state was created.

Israel therefore wanted the Palestinian inhabitants, a total of 2,200 people, moved to Syria.

Israel has held on to the occupied West Bank and Gaza, ruling its Palestinian inhabitants by force.

However, Israel wanted the 2,200 Palestinian inhabitants moved to Syria.

The visitor to Gaza is bound to be disturbed by the misery of the Palestinian inhabitants.

To the Palestinian inhabitants those are deeply disturbing developments -ones that dampen their hope of ever running their own lives.

The question is how to deal with the territories it has occupied since 1967, and with their 1.5 million Palestinian inhabitants.

The house demolition, the removing of trees, the attempt to empty areas of Palestinian inhabitants - we say that is ethnic cleansing.

For Israel, the first choice meant permanent control of all occupied territory and suppression of its Palestinian inhabitants.

The government also enacted different military laws and decrees to regulate the civilian, economic and legal affairs of Palestinian inhabitants.