UN Security Council Resolution 242, adopted unanimously on November 22, 1967 following the Six-Day War, established the “land for peace” formula that has formed the basis for subsequent peace negotiations between Israel and its neighbors.

The resolution deliberately called for Israel to withdraw “from territories occupied in the recent conflict” rather than “from the territories” or “from all territories.” This careful wording, according to the resolution’s authors, was intentional and meant that Israel would not be required to withdraw from all territories captured in 1967. Rather, the resolution envisioned secure and recognized boundaries to be determined through negotiations.

Resolution 242 also established key principles that remain central to peace efforts today: the inadmissibility of acquiring territory by war, the need for “just and lasting peace,” respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in the region, and freedom of navigation through international waterways. It also acknowledged the need for a “just settlement of the refugee problem” without specifying Palestinian refugees exclusively, potentially including Jewish refugees from Arab countries.