Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist Movement launched its biggest attack on Israel by firing over 5000 rockets at the country killing at least 22 and injuring more than 500 people. Know the reason behind the Israel and Palestine Conflict and also take a look at its timeline..

New Delhi: Israel and Palestine have been at war for many decades but today, the massive attack on the former by the Palestinian Islamist Movement ‘Hamas’ has taken the conflict to another level. Early in the morning today, at around 6:03 AM, over five thousand rockets were fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip on Israel killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 500. The Palestinian Islamist Movement has taken responsibility of this attack and has said in a statement, “We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation (Israel), their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over. We announce Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and we fired, in the first strike of 20 minutes, more than 5,000 rockets.” On this attack by Palestine, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message, “Citizens of Israel, we are at war. This is not an operation, not an escalation – this is war. And we will win. Hamas will pay an unprecedented price.” The ‘war’ is on, let us know all about the Israel-Palestine Conflict and the reason behind it along with its timeline…

How Did The Israel-Palestine Conflict Begin?

The history of the Israel-Palestine Conflict goes back to the First World War when the Ottoman Empire was defeated and Palestine came under Britain, which was inhabited by an Arab majority and a Jewish minority. Britain was asked by the international community to create a safe homeland in Palestine for the Jews and this led to increase in tensions between the two factions. The number of Jewish immigrants in Palestine increased in the 1920s and 1940s and problems between the Jews and the Arabs and the resistance to the British rule kept intensifying.

Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Timeline

United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine

The United Nations (UN) voted and decided in 1947, that Palestine must be divided into separate states for the Jewish and the Arabs, with Jerusalem under international administration- this was called the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Where the plan was accepted by the Jewish leadership, the Arab side rejected it and therefore, it was never implemented.

Founding Of Israel

To end the conflict, the Britain withdrew authority in 1948 and Israel was founded, as proclaimed by the Jewish leaders. The founding of Israel was condemned and objected by several Palestinians and since then, a war started; neighbouring Arab countries even intervened with military force, driving many thousands Palestinians away from their home-. known as ‘Al Nakba’ or ‘The Catastrophe’.

Wars That Followed

In 1949, agreements were signed to establish ceasefire lines and borders; Jordan annexed East Jerusalem and West Bank, and Gaza was administered by Egypt. The second war came in 1956 after Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal where Israel invaded Egypt and received support from Britain and France; a resolution was later taken up by US and USSR intervention.

Setting Up Of Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO)

The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) was established to organise the Palestinians against Israel in 1964, followed by the Six-Day War in 1967 where Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula. The Yom Kippur War in 1973, where a surprise attack was launched against Israel by Egypt and Syria, led to ceasefires and peace agreements.

Hamas, The Palestinian Islamist Movement

It was in 1987, that a political group, a Palestinian Islamist Movement with military capabilities, Hamas, an acronym for the Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya was launched. This movement was launched by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian clerk and the movement was considered a political wing/arm of another transnational Sunni Islamist Organisation, ‘Muslim Brotherhood’.

Palestinian Intifidas (Uprisings)

Both the Palestinian Uprisings (Intifadas) have deeply affected the relationship between the two warring factions; the First Palestinian Intifada in 1987 itself, marked protests and clashes across the West Bank, Gaza and Israel after which the Oslo Accord was signed, establishing a framework for negotiations between the PLO and Israel. The Second Intifada resulted in widespread violence between 2000-05 after which in 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip unilaterally.

Continued Israel-Palestine Conflicts

Hamas, the supposed terrorist organisation won the Palestinian Legislative Elections in 2006 and then in 2008-09, Operation Cast Lead was launched by Israel in response to rocket attacks from Gaza. Operation Protective Edge erupted in Gaza in 2014 and in 2021, Israel blocked access to Damascus Gate Plaza in East Jerusalem, which is a famous gathering spot during the Ramadan season, for the Palestinians. A few days later, restrictions were imposed at the Al Aqsa Mosque on the number of worshippers allowed.

The Israel-Palestine Conflict has continued for decades with sporadic violence, clashes, expansions and disputes with respect to borders and refugees and the status of Jerusalem among other issues. The war has continues to negatively impact the lives of the people living in both the factions and once again, the ‘war’ has posed as a challenge to the peace and stability of the areas; causing grave loss of both life and property.