In 2021 we are witnessing the disruption in the lives of Palestinians in Israel. However, the history of the Palestine and Israel conflict is of around 100 years old.
Though both Jews and Arab Muslims date their claims to the land back a couple of thousand years. The current political conflict began in the early 20th century.
How Did It All Began? | Palestine Conflict
British took the authority and control over the area known as Palestinian after they defeated the ottoman empire in WW1.
The land of then inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority. Jews fleeing persecution in Europe wanted to establish a national homeland in Palestine.
After the holocaust of World War 2, a number of Jew refugees fleeing from execution, seeking a homeland increased. The tension between the communities aggravated when the Jews started occupying more space and started enforcing their dominance. Palestinian Arabs opposed the move and claimed their land. This resulted in unrest amongst both communities.
An early United Nations plan to give each group a part of the land failed in 1947.
In 1948, when unable to solve the problem, British rulers left, and thus Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel. The only country in the present-day world with no defined borders. Israel is keen to occupy more land, including parts of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. All in the culmination to declare itself “Greater Israel”. Israel already occupies the Golan Heights in Syria, Parts of Jordan, and Egypt.
Tensions are often high between Israel and Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Why The Palestine Conflict Is In News Again?
The recent escalation of violence in Jerusalem arises when the Israeli security forces started harassing the Palestinians near Al Aqsa mosque.
This led to the postponing of the hearing in a long-standing ownership case that could result in the eviction of Palestinians from East Jerusalem. The eruption of violence started because of this dispute of land ownership case.
The Timeline(2021) | Palestine Conflict
Tensions between Israel Police and Palestinians began on 12 April when police put up restrictions preventing people from sitting in the Damascus Gate plaza — the most popular public area during the month of Ramzan. Later on 16 April, the first Friday of Ramzan, Israel imposed a 10,000-person limit on prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque, turning away tens of thousands of Palestinians.
From 15 April to 24 April, this unrest between people in Jerusalem continued. More than 100 Palestinians were wounded, many died. Police used tear gas, stun grenades, arrested more than 50 Palestinians.
Then from Gaza 36 rockets were fired into Israel but there were no casualties. Israel then countered with airstrikes in Gaza on 25th April.
All these disruptions resulted in the delay of the hearing that was going to take place on May 6. Which would decide whether the Palestinians have to vacate their home to Israeli settlers or not. Then the police riding on horses entered the Sheikh Jarrah Neighbourhood and mercilessly attacked the unarmed protestors using tear gas, stun grenades, skunk water, and rubber bullets.
On May, 7th and 8th Palestinians protested in Al Aqsa, where police barricaded the compound and violently disperse the crowd. Hitting them with rubber guns in their head. being the 27th night of Ramadan, the holiest night of the month, thousand more gathered for prayers at Al-Aqsa. Their Israeli police squared up the worshipper leaving around 100 of them injured.
May 10th, which is celebrated as Jerusalem day. In the early hours of the day, Israeli police launched the second surprise attack on worshipers. they fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades into this ancient mosque leaving more than 400 injured. During the raid, the police seized the authority of the mosque from Muslim custody. They littered the floor with shattered glass and grenades.
Hamas a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist but the pragmatic, militant, and nationalist organization fired rockets into Israel in retaliation, on May 11th. The Israeli air force answered back with full-scale airstrikes.
Another heartbreaking tale of authorities dominating and harassing the lives of human beings over a piece of land.
In the legal dispute, a key trigger for the recent unrest, Jewish settlers have been trying to evict Palestinians from their homes. When the state makes its people insecure for their basic resources like land and freedom, it is the citizen’s right to protest and retaliate against the authorities.
Not providing people with their rights they deserve but giving them suffering, is a habit common in authorities in the world.
As of now, 43 Palestinians are killed including 13 children (numbers are tentative) in this ongoing violence in Palestine.
Israel a state which illegally captured so much land that made Palestine disappear from the map is currently making Palestinians disappear from the world.
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