ISRAEL-PALESTINE:- A Conflict That Never Ends
The Israel-palestine conflict dates back to the 19th century.
In the 19th century the area which is now known as Israel was a part of the Ottoman empire and was known as Palestine with the ethnic arab population.
In 1908 the Ottoman empire was defeated during the first world war in which the Ottoman empire was a part of central powers which included Germany, Austria-hungry. They lost to the allies which included France, great Britain, Italy, Russia,and Japan.
We can even say that the British was the main cause for the conflict between arabs and jews because before the world war 1 the British struck a deal with both arabs and jews. They made a deal with the then mecca king Hussein bin Ali al-Hashimi. The British said that if the king help them in the war against the Ottoman Empire they would hand over the control of the region to them. And the same time they made a deal with the jews that if the jews help them in the war against the ottamans they would help the jews in creating a Jewish state in the Palestine region.
The first world war was a time that the jews suffered a lot in the European region. The German dictator Hitler was wiping out the jews during that time.
In 1897 a Jewish activist Theodor Herzl Started the Zionist movement which called for the jews to return to their promise land. The capital of the then Palestine region Jerusalem which is considered as the holy site for muslims,christians
And jews.
After the first world war the British broke the deal with the king of mecca and stood with jews. During these time more jews are migrating from europe to this region.A huge change happens to the demographics in the region. The Jewish population of was increasing speedily.
After the second world war the British empire collapses and didn't have the ability to control their colonies.
The British understood that their was feud between jews and arabs they decided to solve this issue by giving land to both. They helped the jews to create the Jewish state and they also gave independence to Palestine.
With the help of the United Nations the British decided to divide the land and give to both jews and Palestinians.united nation called it a two state solution.But the majority of the territory about 60% were given to jews and only 40% to Palestinians.
On 14th may 1948 the state of Israel declared independence. The neighbouring arab countries was furious with this decision. The arab countries including Jordan, Egypt,and Syria declares war on the state of Israel.
Surprisingly israel won the war.the arab countries eventually losed to israel but ended up with occupying the west bank and Egypt occupying gaza.(West bank & Gaza:- Palestine territories).
In 1967 israel declares war on the neighbouring arab countries and captures territory.this war was known as the six day war. They captured the sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the golan heights from Syria and and they captured the west bank and gaza.
After the war oil producing arab countries decides to cuts production and increases the oil price to punish israel this leads to a major oil crisis during that period.
Israel gives back the sinai Peninsula to Egypt as part of a peace process between them but keeps the golan heights.
Slowly after the war Israeli settlers moves into the occupied west bank which causes a large scale migration of Palestinian refugees to Egypt and Jordan.
The Palestinians living the occupied west bank becames tried of the occupation. This led to first uprising from the part of the Palestinian people which was also known as the first intifada.the word intifada means uprising.the first intifada started from December 8 1987 to 13 September 1993.the first intifada had 1,962 casualties with the most deaths reported on the Palestinian side.
The first intifada ends on sept 13,1993. To ensure peace between Israel and Palestine in mediation of America the Oslo accords are signed between the Israel and the Palestine liberation organisation (P.L.O) on sept 13, 1993.
The P.L.O is internationally recognized as the official representative of the Palestinian people. The P.L.O is an umbrella organisation of all Palestinian political movement seeking for the creation the state of Palestine and the withdrawal of Israeli occupiers from the Palestinian territory.
According to the Oslo accords Israel should concide some parts of west bank and give authority to the P.L.O. in return the P.L.O recognised the the state of Israel.
The extremists on both sides rejected the Oslo accords. The then pm of Israel Yitzhak Rabin who signed the Oslo treaty was assassinated by his own citizen for conciding some authority for the Palestinians.
PALESTINIAN POLITICS:-
There are two major players in palestinan politics working for the creation of the palestinan state. the first one is fatah formed on 1959 under the face of palestinan resistance Yasser Arafat and second one is hamas which was formed on 1987 after the first intifada under Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Hamas is considered as an offshoot of the Egyptian muslim brotherhood which is an armed and political movement in Egypt.
Fatah had a more moderate stand they were a part of the P.L.O and recognised the existence of the state of Israel and insisted that diplomacy is the only way for independence. On the other hand hamas was a more extreme political organization
They didn't recognise the existence of the State of Israel and they led a armed fight against israel. Hamas is also considered as a terrorist organisation by the US,israel and other European nations.
[On 2004 Yasser Arafat passed away]
CONTINUTION OF THE CONFLICT:-
The Palestinian people grew more impatient as more settlers are moving into the occupied territories. The then Prime minister of Israel Ariel Sharon visited the al aqsa mosque which sparked more tensions.On sept 29, 2000 the second intifada breaks out this time more casualties than the first one.The second intifada ends on jan 1,200. 3,354 Palestinians died during this conflict. After the second intifada on 2005 israel withdraws from gaza.
A election took place 2006 in the palestine regions in which hamas gains a majority.
Soon a power struggle occurs between the two major Palestine political movements. A civil war occurs and hamas breaks its relation with the
P.L.O. The civil war which occurred between the fatah and hamas in gaza which also known as the battle for gaza in 2007 hamas gains control over gaza and splits up with the P.L.O. though Fatah still claims this area as theirs.
CURRENT SITUATION:-
In 2021, a 10 day conflict happens between Hamas and Israel with more casualties in gaza.this conflict ended with an ceasefire mediated by Egypt and other arab countries.
On Oct 7 2023 hamas fired about 5000 - 10000 rockets to the Israeli territory. This led to the death of about 1,400 Israelis and 220 abducted by hamas. Israel has declared war against hamas and have vowed to end them. Israel has continued its air offensive with brutal bombings on the gaza city which caused the death of about more than 24000 Palestinians and the numbers are still rising.
