What Is the History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict? What Role Does Hamas Play?
Israel woke up to blaring sirens on 7 October 2023 as Hamas militants from Gaza Strip entered the territory.
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Video Producer: Mayank Chawla
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
Surprise attack. Over 5,000 missiles fired. Non-quantifiable destruction. Over 1,000 deaths.
Israel woke up to blaring sirens and alarms in the early hours of 7 October 2023, as Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip entered its territory.
Since then, retaliation from both sides has led to devastation and displacement. But behind this shocking attack is a decade-long conflict between Israel and Hamas.
What is Hamas?
Known for its armed resistance against Israel, Hamas – the largest Palestinian militant Islamist group – was formed in the 1980s against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The militant group governs two million Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip. It is designated as a terrorist group by many countries, including Israel, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.
Where is the Gaza Strip?
It is a 40-km long and 10-km wide territory nestled between Israel, Egypt, and Mediterranean Sea. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated territories in the world. The Gaza Strip’s airspace and shoreline are controlled by Israel.
What is Palestine?
The combined land, including West Bank, Gaza Strip, present day Israel and East Jerusalem made Palestine since Roman times until 1948, the year Israel was born.
In 2023, Palestine is an umbrella term for the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
What is the Israel-Palestine Conflict?
In the late 19th century, a movement for the establishment of Jews sought a home for them. Post the 1945 Holocaust, the support for the Jews grew. In 1948, the United Nations and Britain supported Jewish settlement and thus, Israel was born.
The Palestine territory had to be divided into a Jewish and an Arab state. But a war broke out between settlers and Arabs. Palestinians were displaced and the territory was divided into Jewish Israel, Arab West Bank, and Gaza Strip.
In 75 years, while Israel has fought wars and expanded its occupation leading to multiple uprisings from the Palestine side.
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