Conflicts between Palestine and Israel run deep through the veins of the citizens of these countries—high tensions date as far back as the end of the nineteenth century.

How it Began

In 1947, The United Nations (UN) proposed the Partition Plan, which stood to establish a home for Jewish people seeking shelter after the genocide in Germany that occurred during WWII. During this time countries denied Jewish refugees to avoid sparking tension again, so the UN decided to split the original territory of Palestine into three to ensure a safe place for their community. 

The Arab state was given 4,286 square miles or 42 percent of the original Palestine land, and the Jewish state was given 5,444 or 56 percent of the territory. The other two percent of the area was meant to become an international zone, where any area not fully subject to the border control policies of the state in which it is located. The Palestinian Jewish leadership had accepted this plan but it was denied by the Arab leaders. This sparked the beginning of a very long fight between the two countries.

Recent Conflicts

On Oct. 7, 2023, the Hamas military, which took control of Palestine in 2007, sent missiles and stormed cities and towns in Israel just along the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is its own polity and a smaller part of the Palestine territory. This attack resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 Israelis and injured 3,300 others; many of whom were also taken hostage. Hamas claims that the attacks were motivated by the mistreatment of the Palestinians by Israelis and the expansion of territory. 

On Oct. 8, 2023, Israel declared war as a response to the attack by Palestine. On top of declaring war, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) carried out a complete siege of Gaza. A complete siege involves cutting off all help and supplies from entering Gaza. Since the declaration of war, both sides have been firing at each other relentlessly. Although Israel claims that the civilians were called to evacuate, as of Dec. 4, 2023, it was revealed that 15,000 Palestinian civilians had died. This includes over 4,000 children. Food, water, fuel, and aid have been limited to the Palestinians. Israel has lost 1,200 people since Oct. 7, 2023. 

The United States is publicly backing Israel. The U.S. has recently vetoed the cease-fire proposed by the United Nations in hopes of putting an end to the control of Hamas. Following the Hamas attack, the United States sent supplies such as warships and military aircraft to help Israel. The U.S. has also stated that Israel would receive whatever it needs. The U.S. House of Representatives has recently passed a bill that will give Israel a 14.5 billion dollar military aid package. 

Protests in the United States have started because of this. People believe that backing Israel may not be the correct thing to do. The Joe Biden administration is now facing a lawsuit. The lawsuit entails that Joe Biden failed to prevent the continuing mass killings of civilians and war crimes in Palestine

What Comes Next?

The war between these two countries seems like it is far from over, filled with more destruction, casualties, and injuries. Many countries are confused and concerned about what this may mean for the future lives of the Israelis and Palestinians.