The Israel-Palestine Crisis

The recent Gaza protests have erupted into a new round of violence, with Israeli police repressing peaceful protesters and using excessive force against them. Ultra-nationalist Jews were also present at the demonstration, along with newly-elected Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir. Police used skunk water, stun grenades, and sponge bullets to disperse the crowd. Several Palestinians were also beaten by Israeli police when taken into custody. The situation is still tense with the arrests and continued clashes.

Palestinians have reacted with anger to the latest round of Israeli missile attacks on Gaza. As a result of the airstrikes, more than forty Palestinians, including two PIJ commanders and fifteen children, have been killed. Palestinians have responded by firing rockets at Israel, though no Israelis have been killed in the attacks. On Friday, Israeli forces also killed a Palestinian teenager, Bassam al-Saadi, in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli army claimed it was responding to live fire from the site where the Israeli army had raided the Palestinian community.

This crisis is about more than just the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas, it is important to remember that the crisis started with protests against home seizures in East Jerusalem. This triggered widespread Palestinian mobilization across the West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as Palestinian communities within Israel. The protests quickly turned into an escalation of communal conflict, with Hamas firing rockets into Israel. Israel has since then conducted a massive bombing campaign against Gaza, with devastating consequences.