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Hey Readers! Two decades ago in 2001, the American soldiers came to Afghanistan and started the longest war. The Taliban were suppressed, but now as the US troops are withdrawn the Taliban have come back. Today I will be explaining who are the Taliban, why did US troops come to Afghanistan, what’s the current situation etc. Click the button at the end of the post to listen to the article!

Introduction

The capital Kabul was the final major city to succumb to the attack, which began months ago but escalated as hard-line Islamists seized territory. In 2018, the Taliban began direct talks with the US, and in February 2020, the two sides reached an agreement in which the US agreed to depart and the Taliban agreed to refrain from attacking US personnel. Other commitments included not allowing al-Qaeda or other terrorists to operate in regions controlled by the government, as well as moving forward with national peace negotiations. However, the Taliban continued to attack Afghan security personnel and civilians in the following year, rapidly moving across the nation.

Who are the Taliban?

The Taliban, whose name means “students” in Pashto, first appeared in 1994 in the Kandahar region of southern Afghanistan. Following the withdrawal of the Soviet Union and the consequent fall of the government, it was one of the forces fighting a civil war for control of the country. It was founded by so-called “mujahideen” fighters who, with the help of the United States, fought Soviet forces in the 1980s. In less than two years, the Taliban had seized complete control of the country, declaring an Islamic emirate in 1996 and imposing a strict interpretation of Islamic law. Other mujahideen organisations withdrew to the country’s north. Following the Al-Qaeda attacks on September 11, 2001, in the United States, US-backed soldiers in the north surged into Kabul in November under the cover of US airstrikes. The Taliban dispersed into the countryside, where they launched a two-decade insurgency against the Afghan government and its Western supporters. Mullah Mohammad Omar, the Taliban’s founder and first leader, went into hiding when the Taliban was deposed. His whereabouts were so mysterious that his death, in 2013, was only confirmed by his son two years later.

What is the Taliban’s ideology?

The Taliban imposed a severe interpretation of sharia law throughout their five years in power. Women were largely forbidden from working or studying, and unless accompanied by a male guardian, were restricted to their houses.

Why did the US fight a war in Afghanistan and why did it last so long?

In 2001, the United States was responding to the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, which killed almost 3,000 people. Al-Qaeda, an Islamist militant group, and its leader, Osama Bin Laden, were blamed by officials. Bin Laden was in Afghanistan, where he was protected by the Taliban, a group of Islamists in control since 1996. When the Taliban refused to hand him over, the US engaged militarily, overthrowing the Taliban quickly and promising to support democracy and eliminate the terrorist threat. Despite one of the world’s greatest manhunts, the militants slipped away, and the group’s then-leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, and other top leaders, including Bin Laden, escaped capture.

Many senior Taliban commanders are said to have sought asylum in Quetta, Pakistan, from whence they guided the Taliban. Islamabad, on the other hand, disputed the existence of the “Quetta Shura.” Despite increased foreign force numbers, the Taliban steadily regained and then expanded their control in Afghanistan, leaving large swaths of the nation unsafe and bloodshed returning to levels not seen since 2001.

In 2004, a new Afghan government took over and  Nato allies joined the US, but deadly Taliban attacks persisted. In 2009, President Barack Obama’s “troop surge” helped push the Taliban back, although it was short-lived. Nato’s multinational soldiers terminated their combat operation in 2014, at the end of the bloodiest year since 2001, handing security over to the Afghan army. The Taliban gained momentum as a result, and they conquered additional land. Peace talks between the US and the Taliban began tentatively, with the Afghan government largely absent, until an agreement on a pullout was reached in Qatar in February 2020.

Although there was a US-Taliban agreement, it didn’t stop their continuous attacks; instead, they shifted their attention to Afghan security forces and civilians, as well as targeted murders. Their areas of control expanded.

Why did Joe Biden withdraw troops?

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday 13th April 2021 that he wants all US troops out of Afghanistan by August 31, putting an end to a huge two-week airlift that could leave evacuees behind. In February 2020, former President Donald Trump reached a deal with Taliban terrorists that all US forces would leave Afghanistan by May 1 of this year.

When Biden took office in January, he ordered a review. On April 14, he announced a four-month delay to Trump’s timeline, claiming that US and NATO forces “would be out of Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of that horrible act on September 11th.” The focus was on evacuating the remaining 2,500 US troops, tens of thousands of NATO troops, and 16,000 civilian contractors in the nation. The timing of the US exit and the commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, according to critics, may not be favourable. Biden announced an earlier, more exact end date in early July. “On August 31st, our military operation in Afghanistan will come to an end,” he stated.

Washington also sought to give the Afghan government more time to coordinate its war against the Taliban, including transferring over sites and weapons that had previously been under US control to Afghan forces. The Taliban’s onslaught against Afghan soldiers was anticipated to be slowed, if not stopped, by Washington and NATO allies. According to US intelligence, government forces should be able to hold out for at least six months after the US leaves. The State Department anticipated that the delay would allow US residents and tens of thousands of Afghans and their families who had worked for US forces and had been offered “special immigrant visas” (SIVs) to relocate in the United States to leave.

Instead, Afghan soldiers failed to fight, and the Taliban grabbed one provincial seat after another in a rapid-fire campaign in July and August, eventually marching into Kabul on August 15. Suddenly, time was running out. The astounding rapidity with which that triumph was achieved sparked a panicky attempt by tens of thousands of Afghans and foreigners, including diplomatic officials, to evacuate the country as soon as possible. Thousands of US forces were sent on August 14 to take control of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in preparation for a huge airlift. Since August 14, the total number of evacuees from the United States and other nations had topped 71,000, with more than 21,000 flying out in the last 24 hours. However, thousands of Afghans were trapped within and outside the airport, impeded by sluggish processing and growing difficulty in reaching the airport due to Taliban blockades of Afghans wanting to flee.

Taliban seizing power and why is it a threat?

The Taliban appeared to adapt their tactics from complicated strikes in cities and on military outposts to a wave of targeted assassinations that terrorised Afghan people in the year following the US-Taliban peace pact of February 2020, which was the culmination of a protracted period of direct discussions. The Taliban’s targets – journalists, judges, peace campaigners, and powerful women – demonstrated that the Taliban’s radical doctrine had not altered, only their approach.

Despite grave concerns from Afghan officials about the government’s vulnerability to the Taliban without international support, Joe Biden, the new US president, announced in April 2021 that all American forces would leave the country by September 11th, exactly two decades after the World Trade Center was destroyed. After outlasting a superpower in two decades of war, the Taliban began conquering enormous swaths of land before toppling the government in Kabul once more in the aftermath of a foreign power’s withdrawal.

In just ten days, they swept across Afghanistan, seizing the first provincial capital on August 6. They arrived at Kabul’s gates on August 15th. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes as a result of their rapid progress, with many arriving in Kabul and others fleeing to neighbouring countries. With the Taliban’s return to power, the US-led coalition’s engagement in Afghanistan comes to an end after nearly two decades. On August 12, 2021, Taliban forces took control of Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the nation, leaving the administration in disarray, as a US-led military operation began airlifting Western diplomats, civilians, and Afghans who were likely to be targeted by the country’s new rulers.

Demoralized as the rebels, who had controlled the majority of the country in just over a week, gathered on the outskirts of Kabul on Sunday morning, Afghan security forces offered no opposition. The Taliban first stated that they would not enter the capital while a transitional administration is constituted, but by nighttime, they had changed their minds, claiming that someone needed to preserve public order after Afghan police abandoned their stations. The Islamic Emirate has instructed the mujahedeen to take charge of the abandoned districts to prevent anarchy and looting, according to a Taliban statement.

It went on to say that the Taliban fighters will not bother any former regime civilians or military officials. By the evening, the main road to the Kabul airport, which was clogged with Afghans wanting to flee and thousands of US forces defending the evacuation attempt, had become a surreal spectacle of Taliban fighters mixing with Afghan troops in uniform. Mr Ghani left the Afghan capital in the afternoon after fleeing the presidential palace and spending Sunday morning at the US Embassy.

Washington and Kabul were optimistic that the Afghan forces would put up a solid fight against the Taliban as foreign troops began their final pullout in May. Afghan forces were powerful on paper, with over 300,000 people and multibillion-dollar weaponry far superior to the Taliban’s arsenal. For years, they had been plagued by corruption, weak leadership, a lack of training, and low morale. Desertions were rampant, and US government inspectors had long warned that the force would not be able to sustain itself.

In some regions, such as Lashkar Gah in the south, Afghan forces put up a good fight against the Taliban this summer, but they now face the Taliban without regular US air attacks and military backing. Many soldiers and sometimes entire regiments defected or surrendered when confronted with the smaller but more motivated and organised enemy, allowing the revolutionaries to conquer city after city.

Long before the start of their onslaught in May, the Taliban reportedly began putting negotiations and surrender procedures in place. The terrorists lobbied for negotiations with everyone from individual soldiers and low-level government officials to what appeared to be provincial governors and ministers — why fight when the Taliban was all but victorious? The strategy was extremely successful.

The photographs from their last march to Kabul showed Taliban and government officials lounging comfortably on couches as they formalised the handover of towns and provinces, rather than bodies in the streets and horrific battlefields. The Afghan government could collapse in 90 days, according to a US estimate made less than a month before Kabul fell. It took the Taliban less than two weeks to conquer their first provincial capital.

Who are the leaders of the Taliban and what their return means for Afghanistan?

Afghans believe that under the Taliban’s understanding of Sharia, the hardline rule will return. In regions of Afghanistan, bleak developments have already been observed.

• Women’s and girls’ educational institutions have been closed; smartphones and televisions have been banned.

• They are forcing young males to join their ranks.

• Peace activists, judges, and journalists Women in positions of power who have spoken out against the Taliban in the last 20 years have put their lives in jeopardy.

• Women are reportedly being forced to marry Taliban fighters in parts of Afghanistan.

Areas captured by the Taliban:

As of Sunday, August 15, data from “FDD’s Long War Journal,” which follows the Taliban’s attempts to acquire control of land, shows that the hardline Islamic group has taken control of 267 districts. Only 53 districts are currently under government control, with the remaining 87 being contested. This is a significant improvement over the situation in the first week of May when the Taliban held 77 districts and the Afghan government had 194; 129 districts were contested.

With the takeover of Jalalabad, the Taliban now have access to the country’s main highway, which connects it to Pakistan’s Peshawar. The route is critical for delivering commodities to the landlocked country.

Everyone has been caught aback by the Taliban’s lightning speed in capturing the majority of the country. According to reports, US intelligence believed Kabul would be safe for at least three months. According to recent reports, however, the Taliban are within a few kilometres from the capital city.

Logar province, which is not far from Kabul, fell to the Taliban on August 14, and without a fight. The Taliban had taken the two vital cities of Kandahar in the south and Herat in the west, both bordering Iran, the day before. Afghans are fleeing Taliban-controlled districts and seeking refuge in Kabul, according to reports. According to accounts from the ground, people are fearing punishment as a result of the Taliban hardliners’ ascendency.

Two Decades of bloodshed

2001: On September 11, al-Qaeda carried out attacks on the World Trade Center in what was the deadliest terrorist attack in American history. While al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was identified as the one responsible, the Taliban refused to hand over Bin Laden, who was in Afghanistan at the time. On October 7 U.S. launched airstrikes against Afghanistan in retaliation. Some 1,300 US troops arrived in Afghanistan in November and by December, the Taliban was removed from power, and its fighters melted away into Pakistan.

2001-2009: Between 2001 and 2009 the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan topped 67,000.

2009: In 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama announced a troop “surge” and the number of American soldiers in Afghanistan increased to over 100,000.

2011: Osama Bin Laden was killed in a U.S. special operations raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011 and in June 2011 Obama announced a withdrawal plan from Afghanistan.

2013: In 2013 at least three key figures of the Pakistani Taliban, including the then-leader Hakimullah Mehsud, were killed in U.S. drone strikes.

2015: U.S. troops in Afghanistan declined to about 9,800 by 2015.

2017: But in August 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump deployed additional troops increasing the total number to around 14,000.

2018: In September 2018, Trump appointed veteran Afghan-American diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad to negotiate with the Taliban. The Taliban gradually regained and then extended their influence in Afghanistan over the years.

2019: On September 9, 2019, after a particularly intense escalation in Taliban attacks, including a Kabul bombing that killed a U.S. soldier, Trump scrapped talks.

2020: The U.S. and the Taliban signed a peace deal in Doha, Qatar, on February 29, 2020. Senior members of the Afghan government and countries surrounding Afghanistan were concerned that the United States could abandon Kabul much like it was perceived to have left the region after the Soviet Union exited Afghanistan decades ago. The American focus was on getting their troops and diplomats out of Afghanistan safely. In the deal, the U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops by May 1, 2021, in return for assurances from the Taliban that they would not let transnational terrorist groups operate from Afghan soil. The accord also came amid a fragile political situation in Afghanistan. The Ashraf Ghani administration was internally divided and the last two presidential elections — 2014 and 2019 — were disputed.

2021: Well before the American withdrawal started, the Ghani administration looked like a loose confederation of different fiefdoms. What glued them all together was the American troops. Once it was clear that the Americans were leaving, the cracks in the administration started widening. On April 14, U.S.President Joe Biden announced the U.S. troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan starting on May 1 and ending on September 11, bringing America’s longest war to a close.

I hope you’ll found this post interesting as well as knowledgeable and know the reason behind the current situation in Afghanistan. Let me know in the comments. Stay tuned for the upcoming post on the second part of this topic.

This information is correct and factual to the best of the author’s knowledge, but it is not intended to replace formal, customized advice from a competent professional. This content is not plagiarized, and it is not intended to offend anyone’s feelings.

Hey Readers! Since the beginning of time, wars have erupted. There have been many wars, but do you know the reasons for all of them or some of them that you are familiar with? Today, I’ll discuss the main causes of conflicts and provide examples of wars waged for each cause. Click the button down at the end of the post to listen to the article!

What Exactly Is a War?

War is often fought between two countries or groups of countries to accomplish a specific goal through the use of force. Civil or revolutionary wars can also be waged within a country’s borders. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “war” as “the state of being at war with another person or group of people. Wars have been a part of human history for thousands of years, and as industrialization and technology have grown, they have gotten more devastating.

Eight Main Causes of War

Economic Gain

Territorial Gain

Religion

Nationalism

Revenge

Civil War

Revolutionary War

Defensive War

1. Economic Gain

War is frequently sparked by a country’s desire to seize control of another’s wealth. Regardless of the various reasons for war, most battles have an economic purpose at their core, even if the proclaimed goal of the war is presented to the public as something purer. Pre-industrial times, a warring country’s anticipated gains might have included precious metals like gold and silver, as well as livestock like cattle and horses. In today’s world, the resources believed to be obtained via battle take the form of items like oil, minerals, or manufacturing materials.

Examples of Wars Fought for Economic Gain Throughout History:

The Anglo-Indian Wars (1766-1849) lasted from 1766 until 1849. The British East India Company and various Indian states waged a series of conflicts known as the Anglo-Indian wars. These battles resulted in the foundation of British colonial power in India, giving Britain unlimited access to the continent’s unique and lucrative resources.

Finnish-Soviet War or “The Winter War” (1939-1940) – Stalin and his Soviet Army wanted to mine Nickel and Finland, but when the Finnish refused, the Soviet Union waged war on the country.

2. Territorial Gain

A country may choose that it requires more land for living space, agricultural objectives, or other reasons. Territory can also serve as a “buffer zone” between two adversaries. Proxy wars are related to buffer zones. These are hostilities that are fought in a third country between opposing powers. Each power backs the side that best serves its logistical, military, and economic goals. During the Cold War, proxy conflicts were extremely common.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Territorial Gain:

Mexican-American War (1846-1848) – This war was fought following the annexation of Texas, with Mexico still claiming the land as their own. The U.S. outfought the Mexicans, retaining Texas and incorporating it as a state.

Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885-1886) – Bulgaria and Serbia fought over a small border town after the river creating the border between the countries moved.

The Arab-Israeli War, sometimes known as the ‘Six-Day War,’  lasted from 1967 to 1988, and saw Israeli forces retake the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan.

3. Religion

Religious strife frequently has deep origins. They can go dormant for decades before reappearing in a flash at a later time. Religious conflicts are frequently linked to other causes of warfare, such as nationalism or vengeance for perceived historical wrongdoing. While war can be started by different religions fighting against each other, war can also be started by various sects within a religion (for example, Protestant and Catholic, or Sunni and Shiite).

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Religion

The Crusades (1095-1291) — The Crusades were a series of mediaeval conflicts sanctioned by the Latin Church. Crusaders wanted to drive Islam out of Europe and spread Christianity.

Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) – The Lebanese Civil War was primarily sparked from conflicts between the Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim and Christian Lebanese populations.

Yugoslav Wars (1991-1995) – The Yugoslav wars consisted of the Croatian War and the Bosnian War. The wars were fought between the orthodox Catholic and Muslim populations of former Yugoslavia.

Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005) – This ethnoreligious war was caused by the Muslim central government’s choice to impose sharia law on non-muslim southerners.

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) – When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II attempted to impose Roman Catholicism on the inhabitants of his lands, a group of Protestants from the north came together, igniting war.

4. Nationalism

Nationalism in this context essentially means attempting to prove that your country is superior to another by violent subjugation. This often takes the form of an invasion. Dr Richard Ned Lebow, Professor of International Political Theory at the Department of War Studies, Kings College London, contends that while other causes of war may be present, nationalism, or spirit, is nearly always a factor. In his essay “Most wars are not fought for reasons of security or material interests, but instead reflect a nation’s spirit,” he writes: Related to nationalism is imperialism, which is built on the idea that conquering other countries is glorious and brings honour and esteem to the conqueror. Racism can also be linked to nationalism, as can be seen in Hitler’s Germany. Adolf Hitler went to war with Russia partly because the Russians (and eastern Europeans in general) were seen as Slavs or a group of people the Nazis believed to be inferior.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Nationalism

Chichimeca War (1550-1590)- The Chichimeca War was one of the numerous battles fought in modern-day Mexico during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire.

World War I (1914-1918) – Extreme loyalty and patriotism caused many countries to become involved in the first world war. Many pre-war Europeans believed in the cultural, economic and military supremacy of their nation.

5. Revenge

Punishment, redress of grievances, or simple retaliation for a perceived affront can all be factored in the conduct of war. Revenge also relates to nationalism, as the people of a country which has been wronged are motivated to fight back by pride and spirit. Unfortunately, this can spark off a never-ending chain of retaliatory battles that is extremely difficult to halt. In numerous European battles throughout history, vengeance has played a role.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Revenge

World War II (1939-1945) — The Treaty of Versailles, which inflicted harsh fines on Germany, was directly responsible for the establishment of the Nazi Socialist Party and Germany’s eventual dominance of the European continent.

The War on Terrorism – The assaults on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, caused President George W. Bush to declare war on terror. This worldwide conflict began with the invasion of Iraq and continues to this day.

6. Civil War

These usually happen when there is a lot of internal strife inside a country. The argument could be over who should rule, how the country should be administered, or the rights of the people. Internal schisms frequently deteriorate into chasms, resulting in a violent confrontation between two or more opposing factions. Separatist factions seeking to form their own independent country or, as in the case of the American Civil War, states seeking to secede from a larger union can also trigger civil wars.

Historical Examples of Civil Wars

Russian Civil War (1917-1923) – The Russian Civil War followed immediately after the Russian Revolution, with the Red Army and the White Army vying to determine Russia’s political future.

Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) – The Spanish Civil War was fought between the Republicans, who were loyal to the left-leaning Second Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a largely aristocratic conservative group led by General Francisco Franco.

The American Civil War (1861-1865)-was fought between the Union army and the Confederate army as a result of a long-running dispute over slavery.

The Korean War (1950-1953)– was fought between North Korea, which was supported by China, and South Korea, which was principally supported by the United States.

7. Revolutionary War

When a considerable portion of a country’s population revolts against the individual or group in charge of the country because they are unsatisfied with their leadership, this is known as a coup. Revolutions can start for a variety of causes, including economic hardship among particular sectors of the people or perceived injustices by the ruling group. Other variables, such as unpopular wars with other countries, can also play a role. Civil conflicts can easily develop from revolutionary battles.

Historical Examples of Revolutionary Wars

American Revolution (1775-1783) – The American Revolution gave the 13 North American colonies independence from British rule and established the United States of America.

French Revolution (1789-1799) – The French Revolution was a battle that represented the rise of the bourgeoisie and the downfall of the aristocracy in France.

The Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668)-brought an end to Spain’s 60-year dominance over Portugal.

The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804)- was a successful slave revolt that created Haiti as the world’s first free black republic.

8. Defensive War

Countries may often argue that they are fighting in a purely defensive capacity against an aggressor, or potential aggressor, in the modern world, when military aggression is more commonly questioned, and that their conflict is thus a “just” conflict. Pre-emptive defensive wars can be very contentious, with the argument essentially being that “we are striking them before they inevitably strike us.”

Historical Examples of Defensive Wars

Iraqi Conflict (2003-Present) – An international coalition, led by the US, invaded Iraq because the country’s leader, Saddam Hussein, was developing weapons of mass destruction, and therefore presented a threat to surrounding countries and the rest of the world. The war was controversial as the allegations made about the weapons of mass destruction made by the US and UK were shown to lack substance.

I hope now you’ll know the reason behind conflicts and found this post interesting as well as knowledgeable! Let me know in the comments. Stay tuned for the upcoming post!

This information is correct and factual to the best of the author’s knowledge, but it is not intended to replace formal, customized advice from a competent professional. This content is not plagiarized, and it is not intended to offend anyone’s feelings.

Hey Readers! Today I will be talking about the ongoing dispute between Israel and Palestine. I will be speaking about their history and the reason behind this conflict. I will be also explaining the current situation and what might happen in the future. Click the button down at the end of the post to listen to the article!

The history behind Israel-Palestine conflict:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s longest-running and most controversial conflicts. It claims to have its roots in 957 BC when King Solomon built the first temple in the Israelite kingdom. The temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia in 587/586 BC. Though both the Jews and the Arab Muslims date their claims to the land back a couple thousand years, the current political conflict began in the early 20th century.

Let’s go back a century:

After the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I; the British took control of the area known as Palestine. The land was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority. Tensions between the two peoples grew when the international community gave Britain the task of establishing a “national home” in Palestine for the Jewish people. For the Jews, it was their ancestral home. However, the Palestinian Arabs also claimed the land and opposed the move. The Jews, fleeing persecution in Europe and seeking a homeland after the Holocaust of WWII, arrived in huge numbers between the 1920s and 1940s. The swelling numbers led to violence between the Arabs and the Jews and resentment against British rule. In 1947, the United Nations voted for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem becoming an international city. That plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by the Arab side and never implemented.

Creation of Israel and the turmoil that followed:

In 1948, unable to solve the problem, British rulers left and Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel. Many Palestinians objected and a war followed. Troops from neighbouring Arab countries invaded. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out of their homes in what they call Al-Nakba, or the “Catastrophe”. By the time the fighting ended in a ceasefire the following year, Israel controlled most of the territory. Jordan occupied land which became known as the West Bank, and Egypt occupied Gaza. Jerusalem was divided between Israeli forces in the West and Jordanian forces in the East. Because there was never a peace agreement – each side blamed the other – there were more wars and fighting in the decades which followed.

What’s happening now?

Tensions are often high between Israel and Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. Gaza is ruled by a Palestinian militant group called Hamas, which has fought Israel many times. Israel and Egypt tightly control Gaza’s borders to stop weapons from getting to Hamas. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank say they’re suffering because of Israeli actions and restrictions. Israel says it is only acting to protect itself from Palestinian violence. Things have escalated since the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in mid-April 2021, with nightly clashes between police and Palestinians. The threatened eviction of some Palestinian families in East Jerusalem has also caused rising anger.

How this issue can be resolved:

It can be resolved by the interventions of the world leaders and more importantly, Palestinians and the leaders of Israel should come for healthy dialogue on the table with the intentions of establishing peace in the entire region. Israel should also help Palestine financially so that they can also match the footsteps with the rest of the world in the sphere of science education and health. The un should play a vital role in getting the leaders to crack the peace treaty among the warring nations. Many soldiers as well as civilians are losing their lives in this conflict from both sides and they should be given at most wattage. If world leaders and the countries will not leave their selfish interests and not stand up to resolve this issue then it might affect the rest of the world and can result in world war III.

Israel-Palestine – a timeline of the conflict:

• May 1948 – Britain lifts its control over Palestine in the wake of the Second World War and the Jewish People’s Council declares the creation of the state of Israel. Palestinian’s object and an armed conflict begins. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are made refugees.

• 1949 – Israel signs Armistice Agreements with neighbouring Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

• 1950s – Regular skirmishes lead to hundreds of deaths on both sides. The Suez Crisis starts in 1956 – an invasion of Egypt by Israel, the UK and France to try to regain control of the Suez Canal. In 1957, Israel withdraws its forces after being assured of unimpeded navigation and safety by Egypt.

• February 1964 – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded in Cairo by the Arab League. It states its goal as the destruction of the state of Israel through armed struggle and its replacement with an “independent Palestinian state” between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

• June 1967 – The Six-Day War is triggered by Israel launching air strikes on the Egyptian Air Force. Israel defeats the pro-Palestinian forces, capturing the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. Up to 25,000 are killed, with as many as 250,000 Palestinians displaced from their homes.

• September 1972 – Palestinian militant group Black September carries out the Munich massacre, an attack on Israeli Olympic athletes that killed two and injured nine more. It is one of many such attacks in the early 1970s, including the Avivim school bus massacre and Lod Airport massacre.

• October 1974 – The PLO is recognised by the UN General Assembly as the representative of the Palestinian people and is granted the right to participate in the deliberations on Palestine.

• March 1978 – Israel launches Operation Litani, a seven-day invasion of Lebanon that results in 100,000 to 285,000 refugees being created and between 300 and 1,200 Lebanese and Palestinian militants and civilians being killed.

• 1987-1993 (The First Intifada) – A sustained series of Palestinian protests and violent riots against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in response to an Israeli Defence Forces’ (IDF) truck colliding with a civilian car, killing four Palestinian workers. An estimated 1,162-1,204 Palestinians are killed in skirmishes with the IDF over six years, along with 100 Israeli civilians and 60 IDF personnel. The Palestinian militant group Hamas is formed at this time and begins carrying out suicide bombings.

• September 1993 – The Oslo Peace Accord is signed by Israel and the PLO, ending the First Intifada. However, attacks continue on both sides throughout the 90s, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

• 2000-2005 (Al-Aqsa Intifada) – The Second Intifada begins after the 2000 Camp David Summit fails to reach a final agreement on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and Israeli leader Ariel Sharon makes a highly provocative visit to the Muslim Temple Mount, sparking protests. These protests escalate into warfare, with Israeli forces responding with tanks and airstrikes. In 2001, Hamas begins firing rockets into Israeli territory. Later that year, Abu Ali Mustafa, the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, is assassinated by an Israeli missile. In total about 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis are killed, as well as 64 foreigners.

• February 2005 – The Sharm el-Sheikh Summit effectively ends the Second Intifada, with both sides agreeing to back down and Israel agreeing to withdraw from West Bank towns that had been reoccupied during the intifada.

• January 2006 – Hamas wins by a landslide at the 2006 Palestinian election, causing the US and EU to cut off aid, viewing the party as a terrorist group.

• June 2006 – Hamas calls off 16-month truce after a Palestinian family is killed by a blast on a Gaza beach.

• 2006 (Gaza-Israel conflict) – The conflict over the Gaza Strip – a strip of land between southern Israel and Egypt – has been ongoing for the last 15 years. Hamas has frequently fired rockets at Israel, with Israeli forces launching airstrikes. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Israel remains an occupying power under international law, meaning it rules over Gaza without any formal claim to do so. The situation is complicated by the 2006 split in the Palestinian government, with the Fatah government in the West Bank and the Hamas government in Gaza. The Fatah government is now internationally recognised as the sole representative of the State of Palestine and does not recognise the Hamas government. More than 3,400 Palestinians have been killed since 2006, with a further 15,000 injured. About 185 Israelis have died. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly rejected the notion of a two-state solution, and there appears to be no clear path to an end to the conflict, with the current fighting among the worst in recent memory.

Hope you’ll now know the main reason behind this ongoing conflict and found this post interesting as well as knowledgeable! Let me know in the comments. Stay tuned for the upcoming post!

This information is correct and factual to the best of the author’s knowledge, but it is not intended to replace formal, customised advice from a competent professional. This content is not plagiarised, and it is not intended to offend anyone’s feelings.