The Israel-Palestine conflict is a deeply implanted struggle that has keep going for over a century, characterized by its complex teamwork of injustice, political argument, and national targets. At the center of, the conflict involves two distinct national identities Jewish and Palestinian, each with deep historical connections to the land. This controversy has been marked by periods of intense violence, disconnected peace processes, and numerous international interferences.
Jewish immigration to Palestine (1918-1947)
A large-scale Jewish resettling to Palestine began, between 1918 and 1947, a significant number of Jewish people moved to Palestine, especially as many ran from Nazi victimization in Europe. During this time, the Jewish population in Palestine grew from 6 percent to 33 percent. This rapid increase caused trouble among the Palestinian population.
At the same time, Zionist groups, which had been recommended for a Jewish homeland in Palestine since the late 19th century, continued their efforts. Some Zionist militias began attacking Palestinians, which led to many Palestinians being forced to leave their homes. Zionism was a political movement that aimed to establish a Jewish state in the region.
The UN Partition Plan (1947)
As violence destroyed Palestine, the matter was referred to the newly formed United Nations. In 1947, something big happened. The UN made Resolution 181. This decision was about dividing Palestine into two parts: one for Arabs & one for Jews. The Jewish people got about 55% of the land, while the Arabs got 45%. They decided that Jerusalem would be special, a separate place for everyone to share.
Today, the city is split. West Jerusalem is mostly Jewish. On the other hand, East Jerusalem has many Palestinians living there.
The Nakba (1948)
Then, in 1948, when Israel became a country, things changed a lot. Unfortunately, more than 750,000 Palestinians had to leave their homes because of Zionist militias .It was a really tough time for many families. This mass exit came to be known as the Nakba or catastrophe.
Israel took control of East Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967 along with the West Bank. This move wasn’t recognized by many countries around the world. Palestinians wanted East Jerusalem as the heart of their future capital.
The Oslo Accords (1993)
Back in 1993, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat & Israeli Minister Yitzhakin shook hands on the Oslo Accords. They hoped to find peace in five years! It was a milestone because that was when both sides acknowledged each other for the first time.
Then came another agreement in 1995 which split the West Bank into three sections: Area A, B, & C. The Palestinian Authority got to oversee only a small part—just 18% of the land. Meanwhile, Israel continued to have control over most of the West Bank.
Israeli settlements
Sadly, things started to slide after that. Israeli settlements grew quickly. These are Jewish communities built on land that belongs to Palestinians. The number of settlers jumped from around 250,000 in 1993 to nearly 700,000 by September this year! And there are about three million Palestinians living in both the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Blockade of Gaza
In 2007, Israel set up a blockade around Gaza when Hamas took power there. This blockade is still going strong today. Also, Israel continues to occupy the West Bank & East Jerusalem.
On October 9, Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza. They cut electricity, food supplies, water, & fuel. Sadly, this has led to at least 1,200 lives lost in just that attack. Sadly, no part of life in Gaza has remained unaffected by these events.
Israel and Palestine now
Today, about 5 million Palestinians live in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem and 1.6 million Palestinians are citizens of Israel, that’s about half of Gaza’s total population! The other half has moved abroad, mostly to neighboring Arab countries. Today, you can find around 14.7 million Jews worldwide; 84% live in Israel and the U.S. The rest live far away in countries like France, Canada, Argentina, & Russia.
From January to August 2023, there were many sad incidents of settler violence against Palestinians and homes. In fact, it was highest daily average ever recorded by the UN since they started keeping track in 2006. They faced incidents each day on average. That’s jump from two per day in 2022 and just one in 2021.
As of 9 August 2024, over 41,000 people have been reported as killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 113 journalists and over 224 humanitarian aid workers.
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