West Bank

American  

[west bangk] / ˈwɛst ˈbæŋk /

noun

1. an area in the Middle East, between the west bank of the Jordan River and the eastern frontier of Israel: occupied in 1967 and subsequently claimed by Israel, with limited Palestinian self-rule in Palestinian-held sectors; formerly held by Jordan.

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West Bank British  

noun

1. a semi-autonomous Palestinian region in the Middle East on the W bank of the River Jordan, comprising the hills of Judaea and Samaria and part of Jerusalem: formerly part of Palestine (the entity created by the League of Nations in 1922 and operating until 1948): became part of Jordan after the ceasefire of 1949: occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. In 1993 a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization provided for the West Bank to become a self-governing Palestinian area; a new Palestinian National Authority assumed control of parts of the territory in 1994–95, but subsequent talks broke down and Israel reoccupied much of this in 2001–02 and continues to maintain most existing Israeli settlements. Pop: 2 676 740 (2013 est). Area: 5879 sq km (2270 sq miles)

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West Bank Cultural  

1. Land on the west bank of the Jordan River (see also Jordan River), formerly in the hands of Jordan, but captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel has agreed to hand over part of the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority, but the Israeli government has been widely criticized for continuing to move civilian settlers as well as soldiers into the area. In 2001, in response to terrorist suicide bombings (see terrorism), Israel staged heavy military strikes against Palestinian cities in the West Bank.

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Example Sentences

Outside, on the museum’s East West Bank Plaza, 10 century-old olive trees are brimming with paper wishes from the public.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

In the West Bank, local Palestinian sources and Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces closed two checkpoints at entrances to the city of Tulkarem, located north of the scenes of the attacks.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

The occasion was an exposition called The Great Israeli Real Estate Event, which promotes property sales across Israel including parts of the West Bank.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

In her endorsement questionnaire response when she was seeking the DSA’s backing, Huang outlined her support for Palestinians, saying she lived with a Palestinian family in the West Bank nearly 20 years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Then the taxi headed into the rural West Bank of orchards and tiny villages, each with its own minaret and perched houses.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye