In the first part of this article, we took a look at the historical backdrop of the Israel-Palestine conflict. We explored the ebb and flow of empires, the birth of major religions, and the critical moments that paved the way for establishing the State of Israel.
So now let’s trace the war events that occurred after the creation of Israel and the war of 1948:
War After Creation of Israel
1956: Suez crisis: When Abdel Nasser (Pro Arab nationalist) came to power, nationalized the Suez Canal (a connecting waterway between Asia and Europe it was actually owned by the British and French). After this Egypt blocked the ports for Israel which made the country landlocked literally.
In October 1956, Israel attacked Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and in five days it occupied most of the area. Now this opened the Gulf of Aqaba for Israelis for sea communication.
Due to the intervention of Britain and France UN emergency forces were stationed in the area and Israeli forces withdrew.
1967: Six-day war
Again, for the third time, the communities clashed. This time Syria attacked Israel from the Golan Heights and Egypt (signing a defense pact with Jordan) again blockaded Elat (Suez Canal) dismissing UN forces. And to everyone’s surprise, Israel shot down six Syrian MiG fighter jets, waged a sudden air assault on Egypt and occupied the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip.
1973: Yom Kippur War
The previous piled enmity again got its spark when Egyptians and Syrians caught Israelis by surprise on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Jews suffered heavy casualties but retaliated. Israel recovered all its territory of Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula. The 30 years’ war finally officially ended with the Camp David Accords signed in 1978. According to it, Israel returned the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and, in return, Egypt recognized Israel’s right to exist. And from here the normal diplomatic relations began.
1982: Lebanon War
Not a long time passed since the Camp David Accords and the withdrawal of Israel from the Sinai Peninsula, and tensions between Arabs and Jews were increasing. The increased tension crossed its threshold and Israel attacked Beirut (the capital of Lebanon) where the Palestine Liberation Organization had a stronghold. Israel was hoping to negotiate with PLO by encircling Beirut. But PLO was evacuated by international forces and Israel withdrew from Lebanon completely.
Likewise, these many wars have been fought, won, lost and the list is unending making the whole Middle East most hostile even for the thought of tourism.
Current Escalated Tensions and Causes
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 with a massive military operation that included shooting many rockets and sending fighters into Israeli territory. This caused many casualties for Israelis.
When asked about it they responded that they aimed to retaliate to Israel’s increased aggression and to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque. This operation took two years to plan and caught Israel off-guard.
Reasons Given by Hamas for the attack.
1. Ultra-right policies of Israel were causing violence among settlers around the West Bank.
2. Increasing diplomatic relations between Arabs and Israel would have diminished Palestine’s significance and the possibility of getting back their nation would become a distant dream.
3. With the normalization of Hamas’ relationship with Iran it garnered more support.
Goals Of Hamas and Repercussions of The Actions
While Hamas achieved some immediate goals, like deterring Israeli actions and taking hostages, their long-term strategy remains unclear. Israel’s response has led to a high Palestinian death toll.
Well, the interesting fact to note here is that now even with the mediation coming to a solution will be much more difficult. It’s because of the two nations’ solution which was provided in the past, Israel in most of the occupied area has developed settlements with a significant Jewish population. It won’t be easy and feasible to relocate them. Also, the fundamentalists on both sides are ready to die but not ready to meditate. The future is unclear and for the time being, is really dark for civilians of both countries.
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