The Plight of Palestine… And The Coming Of The Third Intifada?

It is a particularly dangerous time for Palestine as a series of deadly attacks in the past few weeks have culminated in a month of violence, during which Palestinians have experienced the highest level of aggression at the hands of Israeli settlers in more than a decade. This has given rise to international concerns about the region being on the brink of a Third Intifada - the uprising which started in September 2000 and lasted for five years, leaving approximately 1000 Israelis and 3000 Palestinians dead.

2023 started with Israel launching one of its deadliest operations in years in the occupied West Bank in January, with the aim being to kill militants stationed in the Jenin refugee camp. Ten Palestinians, including a 61-year-old woman, were killed in the raid. These events provoked retaliation from the other side, and a Palestinian gunman shot seven Israelis outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem. This region seems to be trapped in a cycle of back-and-forth aggression as increased Israeli raids across Palestinian towns and cities have killed more than 40 Palestinians so far.

This bloody start to the year comes shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s triumphant return to office in January, with his government’s exclusionary guidelines plainly stating that ‘Jewish people have the exclusive and indisputable right to all parts of the Land of Israel’ and thus dismissing any prospect of a two-state solution. The most right-wing, and anti-Arab government in Israel’s history has already taken steps to further strengthen Israeli settlements, and push punitive measures against Palestinians. The result has been the displacement of hundreds of Palestinians, as dozens are forced to flee their homes in search of safety.