In 75 years, since the first Arab-Israeli war, there has not been so much destruction, violence and death in the ever-troubled Holy Land
In the fourth month of the conflict, civilian deaths on both sides, but especially in Palestine, continue unabated, as do the ongoing attacks. The Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on October 7 were the trigger for an escalation of tension between the two states, which has been simmering for decades.
THE ORIGIN OF THE CONFLICT
In the context of the First World War, France and Great Britain needed the support of the Arabs to defeat the Ottomans, so they took advantage of the yearning for independence of the great Arab awakening that prevailed in the Middle East region. At the same time that they were making independence overtures to the Arabs, these two countries were dividing up the territories of the overthrown Empire in different areas. The Englishman Sir Mark Sykes and the Frenchman George Picot had divided the region into two zones under their influence, in the form of "mandates". As a result, "Greater Syria" was broken up, with France taking Syria and Lebanon, and Britain taking Transjordan (present-day Jordan), Iraq and Palestine.
The British took control of Palestine in 1917, although it was made official in 1920, which caused the Palestinian population to protest against British colonialism and its support for the constant and aggressive Zionist migration. Consequently, between 1946 and 1947, the British decided to cede the problem of Palestine to the United Nations: on the one hand, because of Zionist demands supported at that time by the US and the problem of growing Jewish terrorism in Palestine that began to target them as well; and on the other hand, because of increasing Arab pressure demanding their rights and the fulfillment of promises made.
According to Tel Aviv authorities, at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 kidnapped in the Hamas attacks of October 7. However, these figures do not match the number of Palestinians killed and wounded, 24,000 in total due to the incessant Israeli bombardment, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The conditions of the war in the Strip make even more difficult the complex task, typical of any conflict, of obtaining accurate, truthful and reliable information on the number of dead. In such a violent context it is difficult to know the stories behind the data. The Ministry of Health, which Hamas controls, is the official and primary source of the death toll in Gaza. "In all wars, counting casualties is a challenge, and in Gaza even more so", say analysts consulted.
The continuous and indiscriminate bombardments, they explain, including those on the media, the absence of foreign journalists on the ground or of humanitarian personnel from abroad, the interruption of communications and supply sources, the collapse of infrastructures and the collapse of the health system, lead to a minimum of available information, but also its verification.
DIFFICULTY OF SURVIVAL IN GAZA
Since the beginning of the conflict, the Rafah, Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings (the only ones that remained open) have been closed, leaving 2.3 million Gazans isolated, cut off and without supplies. However, cease-fire agreements, hostage exchanges and the entry of trucks carrying humanitarian aid led to the reopening of these border crossings.
Due to the continuous shelling of the main (and most populated) cities in the Gaza Strip, thousands of Gazans have been forced to reside in refugee camps, which are overwhelmed by the massive influx of families.
Terrorist attacks and other crises have marked the flow of openings and closures in Gaza. In October 2014, Egypt closed the Rafah crossing following a suicide bombing of a military post in the northern Sinai Peninsula. The crossing was virtually closed for the next three years, and it was not until 2020 that it regained a similar pace as before, leaving the Gaza Strip isolated and without supplies. In 2020, the health confinement imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic joined the military blockade and Israel's political blockade by the succession of election reruns to worsen conditions for Gazans.
The closure of the border crossings leaves Gazans as if in a giant prison, where potable food and water are in short supply. At this stage of the conflict, UN officials estimate that at least 100 trucks a day would be needed to meet the most urgent needs in Gaza, where before the outbreak of the war the average traffic was 450 trucks a day.
In August 2023, for example, almost 80,000 trucks (78,970) entered Gaza, with a total load of which 3% was humanitarian aid and the remaining 97% was part of commercial transactions, although two out of three of these trucks entered through the Kerem Shalom crossing, bordering Israel and closed on October 7 after the attacks. Most of these trucks brought into the Gaza Strip construction materials, non-food consumables, as well as foodstuffs for both humans and animals.
HOSPITALS, THE TARGET OF ATTACKS
Beyond the bombing of Al-Ahli hospital, which caused hundreds of deaths and injuries, the situation of hospitals in Gaza is extreme. The Insecurity Insight association compiles information on attacks and violence on medical and hospital facilities in countries in conflict, such as that from October 7 until the 15th (before the rocket hit Al-Ahli hospital), 94 incidents of violence or obstruction of access to medical facilities in Palestinian territory and 16 incidents in which health facilities were damaged (fifteen in Gaza and one in the West Bank) have been counted, although the list is not exhaustive and not all events have been independently verified. In the same time, there have also been four incidents in Israeli territory, including in Tel Aviv.
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE FOR PALESTINE
The war between Israel and Palestine is far from over. The bombings and the deaths of civilians and soldiers do not stop, and a definitive ceasefire is increasingly less likely. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, declared a few days ago that he opposes the creation of a Palestinian State, which further distances the possibility of peace and coexistence between both territories. Furthermore, attacks against the West Bank continue to increase, a place that until now had suffered fewer consequences of the conflict, unlike Gaza.
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