jan 1, 1950 - Jordanian annexation of the West Bank

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The Jordanian administration of the West Bank began on April 24, 1950, and ended on July 31, 1988. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Jordan occupied and annexed the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This territory remained under Jordanian control until Israel occupied it during the 1967 Six-Day War. Jordan later renounced its claim in 1988.

After the British withdrawal from Palestine on May 14, 1948, five Arab states invaded areas designated for an independent Arab state by the UN. Jordan's Arab Legion took control of the Old City of Jerusalem and much of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. By the end of the conflict, this area became known as the West Bank. At the December 1948 Jericho Conference, Palestinian notables accepted Jordanian rule, and the West Bank was formally annexed on April 24, 1950. The international community largely considered the annexation illegal, though the UK, US, Iraq, and possibly Pakistan recognized it.

Jordan granted full citizenship to West Bank residents, tripling its population from 400,000 to 1,300,000. Palestinians received equal opportunities and parliamentary representation. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Palestinians in the West Bank remained Jordanian citizens until 1988.

Before the conflict, Palestine was under British administration. The 1947 UN Resolution 181 proposed dividing Palestine into Arab and Jewish states and an international Jerusalem. However, Jordan's annexation was primarily recognized only by the UK, with the US recognizing it to a degree.

Tensions persisted between Jordan and Israel, with Palestinians and Israeli commandos crossing the Green Line. Abdullah I of Jordan was assassinated in 1951, succeeded by his son Talal and then grandson Hussein. During Jordanian rule, Israelis were denied access to holy sites in East Jerusalem, with significant parts of the Jewish Quarter destroyed or repurposed.

After the Six-Day War, Israel occupied the West Bank, with many Palestinians fleeing to Jordan. In 1988, Jordan severed administrative ties with the West Bank and recognized the Palestine Liberation Organization as the representative of the Palestinian people. The 1993 Oslo Accords and subsequent Israel-Jordan peace treaty in 1994 normalized relations between the two nations.

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