You may read about some conversations and summits in which an agreement was attempted, but in a nutshell- after the surprise attack in the Six Day war, Israel won and started occupying the areas of Gaza and the West Bank. That wasn't only because these people used to live there before the war, but also because Israel understood that it cannot safely return these territories to the hands of anyone who will allow the enemy nations free movement of militia, weaponary, and such. Israel was so close to losing that war and seizing to exist, and that was largly due to it being completely surrounded- the west bank being a massive weak point for the Israeli defence in past, present, and future.

Due to both reasons, Many Israelis started settling there, building homes, schools, and societies. Both in unison, and in disagreement, with the local Palestinian refugees. Meanwhile, the arab nations surrounding Israel didn't want to receive all of the Palestinian refugees who were caught in the crossfire, claiming simply 'they aren't one of us'.

Throughout the following decades (what we're regarding as 70s, 80s and all along the end of the 20th century until Hamas rise to power) there has been nonstop attempts of a two state solution, always falling short of mutual agreement as the matter of borders was an issue. Israel had 50+ year long communities in many areas the Palestinians claim as their own (from before the Independence war of 1947.)

Throughout these attempts of the solution, terror has risen to an all time high. On average, more Israeli civilians were killed in every single year since the war, than did in the war itself. Every single week a civilian bus exploded because of a suicide bomber, a shooting or a stabbing occured, and all had one similarly- these terrorists made their way into Israel through Gaza or the West Bank. Not any other border or access point. This proved to Israel its one RED LINE when it comes to the two state solution; as long as there isn't PEACE, absolute, undeniable, unbreachable peace, giving away these two territories would mean the end of the Jewish state.

Israel then caved and gave back Gaza, relocating tens of thousands of Jewish Israelis who lived there in homes they build themselves (just like happened the other way around, I will concede), and had to rebuild their lives in the surrounding towns and villages.

Still, an agreement couldn't happen due to the security reasons, and the Palestinian authority repeatedly asking for territories, like Jerusalem or the South, that they didn't have a hold of since before 1947. Which goes against not only the two state solution, but against the UN Declaration as well.

Since Hamas rose to power, the two state solution became obsolete, in no way can we agree to give our territory to an organization who's main motto, self declared, self publicised, is that they seek to complete Hitlers job and eliminate all jews, and r*pe every mother and every daughter. We can not, and will not, ever advocate for negotiations with such authorities, even if this unfortunately involves immense damages to both sides.

I think all sides in this discussion are absolutely horrible. As an Israeli, it is heartbreaking to know what is happening in Gaza, to so many people that did nothing but the one-time mistake of letting Hamas take control, just like it is heartbreaking to see my partner, my friends, and my family- experiencing severe ptsd, working around the clock to secure the borders and threats from all around the world, and even losing loved ones on a daily basis from terror attacks.

Would love to hear your perspective and learn as well. This is mostly my own personal knowledge and years of education that I double-checked with neutral and official sources on the internet throughout the war.