West Bank, the common name for the territory west of the Jordan River that is not a part of Israel. The territory was originally part of Palestine, and more than 95 per cent of its population is Palestinian. As a result of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948–49, it came under the control of what is now Jordan. In 1950 Jordan annexed the West Bank. After the Six Day War (1967) the West Bank came under Israeli occupation. In 1974 Jordan gave up claim to the West Bank, and in 1988 it severed all legal and administrative links with it. During 1994–95, agreements between Palestinians and Israel left much of the West Bank under the control of the Palestinian National Authority.The West Bank contains several ancient cities, including Jericho and Bethlehem.
The West Bank is a region between Jordan and Israel in southwestern Asia, in an area of the world called the Middle East.