To really understand what’s going on between Israel and Palestine, we need to go back to the very beginning. Like, the benigin beningin, lol. What actually triggered it, why were there attacks in the first place, who offended who? So after some research, frustration and a lot of Arabic, I was finally able to piece everything together. I hope after reading this article, everything becomes really clear to you as well and you’re able to understand the reason for the conflict and the part that both parties had to play.
Everything started in 1987. The event that took place at the time is referred to as the first intifada. Intifada is an Arabic word and refers to rebellion, uprising or basically a resistance movement. I’m guessing you’re wondering what triggered this. The uprising in question started when Israel started to occupy the West Bank and Gaza strip.
This was an issue in itself but the real issue began after a traffic accident involving an Israeli truck and a car full of Palestinians. Four Palestinians died in that accident and the incident triggered a lot of protests and attacks. During all of this, more than 50 Israeli civilians and over 1000 Palestinians were killed.
It gets worse. In the middle of all the drama. Hamas, a revolutionary group was formed. They were opposed to the secular leadership of the Palestinian government and were determined to turn Palestine into an Islamist state. They launched their own attacks against Israel. Eventually, in 1933, the Oslo accords were signed between Israel and the Palestine liberation Organization. In this agreement, they acknowledged each other’s existence and agreed to a Palestinian self-government in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Okay, now that we’ve cleared up the beginning, I’m guessing the story is beginning to make a lot more sense now. The story continues. Later on, in the year 2000, Israel and Palestine were unable to reach a final agreement on the pace of progress at a summit in the United States. Obviously, violence followed this but that wasn’t the only problem. There were a series of Palestinian protests after a visit by the then Israeli opposition leader to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.
It wasn’t just the visit that sparked the protests though. Apparently, the location in question was precious to both Israelis and Palestinians for different reasons. To the Israelis, it was a site of ancient Jewish temples. And to the Palestinians, it was a noble sanctuary. Eventually, the conflict over this place led to a second intifada. And many more years of violence followed.
Around 2001, Hamas conducted a series of suicide bombings in Israel. There were several casualties and later on, Hamas’s military commander Salah Shehadeh gets killed in an Israeli airstrike. Then Israel starts a siege Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s compound.
After over a decade of attacks, violence and so much more, the two countries, Palestine and Israel, finally agreed to a truce in May 2021. A statement was issued by both Hamas and Israelis to that effect. But obviously, this truce was short lived.
In 2023, attacks began again. On the 7th of October, on the day of a Jewish festival, Hamas launched attacks on Israeli civilians. A significant attack occurred at a music festival where over 270 party goers were killed. Several others were taken as hostages to the Gaza strip. The war between the two continues till today, with several casualties, mostly from innocent bystanders and civilians.
Over the years, both parties have formed many allies who support them and make the war easier for each side. For Israel, their major supporters include the United States which has supported them for over sixty years, Turkey, which was the first Muslim state to recognize Israel (Turkey was formerly a secular nation itself), Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and a few other nations that have diplomatic ties with Israel, amongst several others.
For Palestine, we have Iran, obviously, which has backed Palestine since the beginning of it all. South Africa, which understands the political situation of Palestine, is also supporting it. Then, we have Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and the UAE which all have pretty good relations with Israel but want to put an end to the war, so they’re involved in managing the conflict.
I hope this was an insightful and entertaining read. Honestly, I actually enjoyed doing the research and writing this because I didn’t know much about the war myself. If you like this and want to read more articles like this, feel free to explore the Trybe City website and subscribe to the newsletters for updates.
I really enjoyed this article!