Palestine History

PALESTINE HISTORY

1948: The Nakba (Catastrophe)

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1967: The Naksa (Setback)

In what is called the ‘six day war’ between Israel and neighbouring Arab nations over 400,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes.
Israel gained control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, displacing half the population of Palestine outside their borders and expropriating 80% of their land.

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1982: The Sabra and Shatila Massacre

During the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, hundreds of members of the Phalange party (a Lebanese Christian militia), under the approving eye of Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, entered Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut.
They murdered over 3,000 Palestinian refugees in two days. Among the victims were infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly.
The Israeli forces facilitated the massacre by blocking the camps’ exits and firing illuminating flares over the camps.

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1987: The First Intifada

After years of daily humiliation and human rights abuses, the killing of four Palestinian workers in Gaza sparked a grassroots uprising.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, frustrated and angry by the continuing oppression and colonist policies of the occupying Israelis, engaged in civil disobedience.
It came to be known as the ‘war of the stones’ as Palestinian youth used rocks and stones against bullets and tanks.
The Israeli Army responded with mass arrests, live ammunition and beatings and closures of schools and universities.
Between 1987 and 1991 over 1100 Palestinians had been killed and hundreds injured.
The Intifada brought international attention to the Palestinian struggle, and led to the 1993 Oslo Accords and the prospect of peace.

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2000: The Second Intifada (The Al Aqsa Intifada)

A second mass uprising was sparked by the visit of Ariel Sharon to Al Aqsa. Palestinian protestors were violently attacked, sparking outrage.

Mass protests occurred across the West Bank and Gaza, with thousands of Palestinians frustrated at the worsening human rights situation and failed negotiations.
The Second Intifada led to an upsurge in violence on both sides, with Israel responding with lethal force, use of new weaponry, increased restrictions against Palestinians and the building of the separation wall in 2002.
The Second Intifada shocked the world but despite international condemnations and UN resolutions, Israel continued its oppression against Palestinians.
Between 2000 and 2004 almost 3,000 Palestinians had been killed, and tens of thousands injured. Over 3,700 homes had been destroyed and more than 7,300 Palestinians had been imprisoned.

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2008 – 2009: Operation ‘Cast Lead’ in Gaza

In December 2008, Israel launched a three week bombardment of the Strip. People were unable to flee to safety, heavily populated areas were bombed mercilessly and white phosphorous was used on the civilian population.
The attack left 1,400 Palestinians dead (including 300 children) and over 5,000 wounded.
Thousands of homes, mosques, health facilities and important public infrastructure was destroyed, crippling daily life.

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2011 Syrian Conflict

With the conflict in Syria still ongoing, 440,000 Palestinian refugees remain in the country with 280,000 internally displaced.

Refugees for the second or third time, up to 90% of these refugees have no income and struggle to survive.
The majority of Palestinians from Syria are now prohibited from seeking refuge in Lebanon and Jordan.
Many Syrian refugees have also sought shelter within Palestinian refugee camps, with 1,2 million residents in Lebanon’s overcrowded camps and 630,000 in Jordan.
With little to no legal protection and suffering from trauma or loss, refugees from Syria are especially vulnerable to exploitation, hunger and poor health.
Moving to already crowded and poor areas means that many refugee families are living in inadequate and dangerous accommodation, including garages, bathrooms and construction sites.
Many refugee children are not attending school and are being left behind, missing out on their education and the stabilising effect of being at school.

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2012: Operation ‘Pillar of Defense’

Whilst still recovering from the 2008/2009 bombardment and the ongoing siege, Palestinians in Gaza were once more terrorised by a week-long bombardment in November 2012.
Over 150 people were killed, 30 of them children.

2014: Operation ‘Protective Edge’ in Gaza

On July 8^th 2014, the Gaza Strip came under attack by Israeli forces. The aggression and violence continued for seven weeks. The people of Gaza were subject to bombardment, a blockade and are now dealing with an ever worsening humanitarian disaster.
2,100 Palestinians were killed (including 571 children) and over 11,200 Palestinians were injured (including 3,000 children).
At least 500,000 people were forced to flee their homes and live in emergency shelters or with host families.
370,000 children were caused to require urgent psychological support
18,000 houses were totally destroyed.

2017: Ongoing Settlement Building