Eight months after the Hamas attack on Israel, tensions are still high. Bombings, airstrikes, artillery fire, everything happens. But this event does not mark the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This one goes back much earlier.
Palestinians and Israelis live in horror. Thousands of people have lost their lives since Hamas’ surprise offensive in Israel last fall. However, the October 7, 2023 does not sign the start of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.. It dates from a long time ago. From more than half a century, the region is the scene of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. From Jerusalem to the Gaza Strip, differences are felt.
Also read: 5 elements to understand the history of Palestine until 1948
November 2, 1917: The Balfour Declaration
November 2, 1917 marks the writing of the Balfour statement by the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Arthus Balfour. In the middle of the First World War, the British were closing in on Zionist movement, eager to create a state for Jews in Palestine. It is in this context that Lord Balfour, through a hundred words, undertakes to ensure the creation of a “ national home for the Jewish people“. Furthermore, this declaration allowed the British to rally Jewish communities to obtain funds from English and American Jewish banks. They hoped that they would contribute to the war effort. However, on the other side of the front line, the British had already ensured recognize the independence of the Arabs. A double game which will mark the start of a deadly conflict, never extinguished to this day.
November 29, 1947: from the partition plan for Palestine to the creation of Israel
The interwar period has passed. There World War II broke out. In 1947Jewish immigration to Palestine is accelerating in the face of the ongoing genocide. From then on, revolts broke out between the migrants and the Arab nationalists who want total sovereignty. Under British mandate at that time, Palestine was set ablaze. As a result, the British government is unable to calm the situation and is appeal to the United Nations. THE November 29, 1947, the UN responds by proposing a Palestine partition plan dividing the territory into two sovereign states. A Jewish state of 56% of the territory and an Arab state of 44% of the territory. THE holy placesthey are under international regime. This inequality of sharing will accentuate the disputes already in progress. One thing leading to another, The State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. An exodus of Palestinians will take place, Nakba.
June 5, 1967: The Six-Day War
At the announcement of the independence of the State of Israel by David Ben-Gurionthe president of the Jewish National Council, the Arab Statessuch as Jordan or Lebanon, born do not wish to recognize the State. There demand for a Palestinian Arab state also continues. In 1967after a victorious lightning offensive against the latter, Israel occupies the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Egyptian Sinai and the Golan Heights. Despite several ceasefires, the conflict has not subsided and no peace agreement is signed between the two states. The UN therefore ended up adopting the resolution 242which establishes peace in the Middle East and condemns the acquisition of territories by Israel.
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October 6, 1973: The Yom Kippur War
October 6, 1973, Anouar el-Sadatpresident of Egypt and successor to Nasser, allies with Syria. Both commonly launch a offensive in the Sinai and the Golan. This attack takes place during their traditional festival, the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Faced with the Israeli counter-offensive, the Arab member states of OPEC decide to reduce their oil exports and demand Israel’s withdrawal from territories occupied since 1967. On October 25, thanks to a ceasefire, the confrontation ended but the conflict did not disappear. The first oil shock appears.
October 16, 1982: massacre of Sabra and Chatila
It was three days of horror. After the Yom Kippur War, The UN recognizes the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. At the same time, Palestinian resistance takes root in Lebanon. Hungry for rage, Israel invades the south of the country and massacres Palestinians in the Sabra and Chatila camps. They are even Lebanese who killed, raped, and tortured this community. In fact, the latter had allied with Israel to fight their common enemy: the Palestinian people. These nights of violence caused nearly 7000 dead whose bodies are piled up in mass graves. Men, women and children were targeted and no one was spared…
December 8, 1987: the first Intifada
It is also called the stone war. THE December 8, 1987, a revolt against Israeli occupation erupts in a Gaza camp and spreads to the West Bank. This is the beginning of the first Intifadasaid uprising. These clashes are essentially based on showers of projectiles thrown by young Palestinians at Israeli soldiers. This popular uprising took Israeli but also Palestinian officials by surprise. After two decades of Israeli occupation and colonization, the population of the Palestinian territories is taking over the streets. This conflict will last 6 years and will forever change the face of the region which is still undergoing changes today.
September 9, 1993: the Oslo Accords
They are symbolized by the handshake between Y.Rabin and Y.Arafat. In 1993the secret negotiations between the PLO and the Israeli prime ministers are successful, the September 9, Oslo Accords. The latter establish the rmutual recognition of Israel and the representativeness of the PLO, the Palestine Liberation Organization. They raised great hopes for peace in the Middle East. Signed in Washington under the aegis of the United States, this declaration also provides for the autonomy of Gaza and part of the West Bank for five years.
September 28, 2000: the second Intifada
The implementation of the Oslo Accords will be delayed by attempted attacks by Jewish settlers. In 1995the prime minister, Yitzhak Rabinwill even be murdered by a Jewish opponent of the peace process. THE September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon, former prime minister of Israel, made a visit to Palestinian mosque sites. From then on, tensions resurfaced and uprisings resurface. Until February 2005more than 5,600 people lose their lives in clashes between Palestinian fighter organizations and Israeli forces. A period of violence, terrorist attacks, protests and uprisings in Palestine’s largest cities. Even though a summit was organized in 2005 to ease tensions, the threat of a new Intifada still looms.
December 27, 2008: “cast lead” operation
From 2007THE Hamasan Islamist movement controls the Gaza Strip. THE December 27, 2008, Israel launches vast air offensive against this territory to “put an end to rocket fire”. In reality the Israeli army wanted weaken Hamasa terrorist organization. This is Operation “Cast Lead”. THE January 3, 2009Israeli troops enter the Gaza Strip. 14 days later, a Israel ceasefire ends the operation after the death of 1400 Palestinians and around ten Israelis. The troops withdrew from the occupied territories the next day. Following this operation, both Israel and Hamas were accused of “war crimes”.
October 7, 2023: Hamas attack on Israel mediates the conflict
Violence has never disappeared in this region of the world and has even reached its peak during the year 2022. Later, the October 7, 2023, it was even the most publicized region in the world… Right shabbatreligious holiday of the Jewish community, 50 years after the Yom Kippur War, thousands of rockets fell on Israel. The same morning, the terrorist organization Hamas published on his social networks the first images of Israeli civilians killed and showed them off all day. The next day, Israel declared war on Hamas. Since then, the IDF has only one objective: destroy Hamas and bring back the hostages. For 8 months, violence has raged in the Gaza Strip and does not seem ready to stop…
