Second Intifada

Second Intifada

The Second Intifada, also called the Al-Aqsa Intifada, was a big uprising by Palestinians against Israel and its occupation. It began in the year 2000. It started with peaceful protests in Jerusalem and other places, but it turned into a long time of violence across Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. This violence went on until 2005.

The uprising began mainly because the 2000 Camp David Summit did not succeed. This meeting had tried to make peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Tensions grew a lot in September 2000 after an Israeli politician, Ariel Sharon, visited the Temple Mount. This led to protests and riots. The situation became more violent, and many people on both sides were hurt or killed.

During the Second Intifada, there were many fights and attacks from both sides. The conflict ended in 2005 at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit. Leaders from both sides agreed to work toward peace again. They promised to stop fighting and take steps to help everyone living in the area.

Etymology

The Second Intifada was the name given to a second Palestinian uprising. It happened after the first Palestinian uprising. The word "Intifada" means "uprising" in Arabic. It has been used to describe uprisings in many Arab countries, like the Egyptian riots of 1977.

The term Al-Aqsa Intifada comes from Al-Aqsa, a mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. This place is very important to Muslims and is also called the Haram al-Sharif.

Some Israelis called this time the Oslo War because they thought it began after Israel made agreements called the Oslo Accords. Others called it Arafat's War, naming it after a Palestinian leader.

Background

See also: Palestinian political violence and Israeli-occupied territories

Oslo Accords

Under the Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 and 1995, Israel agreed to slowly pull its forces out of parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. It also recognized the right of Palestinians to govern themselves in these areas through a Palestinian Authority. In return, the Palestine Liberation Organization recognized Israel and agreed to handle security in the areas where Palestinians were in charge. However, both sides were unhappy with how things turned out. Many people from both sides were sadly killed during this time.

Camp David Summit

From July 11 to July 25, 2000, leaders from Israel, the Palestinians, and the United States met to talk about peace. The meeting took place at Camp David. The talks did not succeed, and each side blamed the other. The big issues they could not agree on included borders, the city of Jerusalem, and the rights of people who had to leave their homes. Because of the disappointment, some groups that had been working together split apart.

Israeli settlements

During this time, leaders of Israel continued to build houses in areas where Israelis lived. Some leaders tried to slow this down, but new houses were still built. This made many Palestinians very unhappy because they felt it made it harder to reach a final peace agreement.

Timeline

2000

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority failed, making things worse. On September 28, 2000, Israeli leader Ariel Sharon visited a holy site in Jerusalem. This caused protests and riots among Palestinians. The conflict grew into what is called the Second Intifada, with fights and trouble continuing in the area.

Ariel Sharon visits the Temple Mount

On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a very important place for Muslims. This visit caused protests and riots by Palestinians. Israeli forces tried to stop them, and people were hurt on both sides.

Post-visit Palestinian riots

The day after Sharon’s visit, big protests happened in Jerusalem. Fights broke out between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces, and people were hurt or died on both sides. The trouble quickly spread to the West Bank and Gaza, with more fights and protests.

2001

More peace talks happened but did not stop the fighting. Violence went on all year, and people on both sides were hurt. In March, a young Israeli baby sadly died, which upset many people.

2002

In March 2002, Israel started a big military operation in the West Bank to stop attacks. The operation went into many Palestinian areas and caused many people to be hurt on both sides.

Battle of Jenin

In April 2002, strong fights happened in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Israeli forces went into the camp to find fighters, leading to big battles. The fighting in Jenin became an important event during this time.

2003

People tried to make peace, but violence continued. In June, a short agreement was made to try to stop attacks, but it did not work well. In August, a bombing in Jerusalem hurt many people and made things worse.

2004

Violence went on with attacks from both sides. In May, Israeli forces went into areas of Gaza to stop attacks. In September, a rocket attack on an Israeli town hurt people. In October, a big explosion happened near the border between Gaza and Egypt, and people died.

2005

New leaders came with the election of Mahmoud Abbas as the president of the Palestinian Authority. Even though they tried for peace, violence continued in Gaza. In February 2005, leaders from Israel and the Palestinian Authority met and agreed to try to stop the violence, but it was still hard.

End of the Second Intifada

The Second Intifada, a time of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, is generally thought to have ended in 2005. Some say it ended with the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in late 2004, while others say it was when Israel left the Gaza Strip in August 2005. A meeting in February 2005 between leaders from both sides was also a step to end the conflict, though some fighting still happened.

Trigger for the uprising

The Second Intifada began on 28 September 2000 after Ariel Sharon, a candidate for Israeli Prime Minister, visited the Temple Mount, also called Al-Haram Al-Sharif, a sacred place for both Jews and Muslims. He was with security guards and said Jews have the right to visit this important site.

Many Palestinians felt this visit was upsetting. When people protested, throwing stones, the Israeli Army responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. This led to fights between Israeli forces and Palestinian demonstrators.

Some believe the Intifada actually started the next day, 29 September, during a day of prayers, when there were more fights and some deaths.

The Mitchell Report

The Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, led by George J. Mitchell, looked into why peace talks broke down and gave a report in May 2001 called the Mitchell Report.

The report said the visit by Sharon did not start the Intifada, but it happened at a bad time and could have caused trouble. The report also said there was no proof that Palestinian leaders planned the violence, nor that Israel planned to use deadly force.

Contributing factors

Palestinians often say Sharon’s visit started the Second Intifada, while others believe it was planned by Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader. Some, like Bill Clinton, felt that failed talks at the Camp David Summit in July 2000 caused tension.

In the first few days after Sharon’s visit, many people were hurt on both sides. Palestinians see the Intifada as part of their fight to end Israeli occupation, while many Israelis saw it as attacks started by Arafat.

Some leaders, such as Mahmoud al-Zahar from Hamas, said Arafat asked groups to start operations against Israel after the Camp David talks failed. Others, like Mosab Hassan Yousef, also said Arafat planned the Intifada for political reasons.

Israel’s military responded strongly, which caused many losses for Palestinians in the early days of the conflict. Some say Arafat’s advisor also talked about the Palestinian Authority helping the Intifada start.

Casualties

See also: Category:Second Intifada casualties, Children in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli casualties of war, and Palestinian casualties of war

During the Second Intifada, many people lost their lives on both sides. Sadly, many people were killed, including children. The numbers are hard to understand because different groups counted them in different ways. There were disagreements about how to count these deaths correctly. Some groups were criticized for how they counted these deaths.

Aftermath

In January 2006, elections were held for leaders of Palestine. A group named Hamas won more seats than any other party. Some countries thought Hamas was not a peaceful group and this could affect money sent to help Palestine.

In June 2006, a sad event happened when several members of a family passed away on a beach in Gaza. After this, Hamas stopped agreeing to peace and started planning attacks again.

Later in June 2006, an Israeli soldier was captured by people from Palestine. In response, Israel sent soldiers into Gaza, starting a series of actions known as Operation Summer Rains. This was part of the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine.

In November 2006, both sides agreed to a truce, but problems continued.

2008–2009 Gaza–Israel War

In December 2008, Israel began a military operation called Operation Cast Lead. This was in response to attacks from Gaza. The operation ended in January 2009 after both sides announced ceasefires, but some attacks continued.

Sadly, many people lost their lives during these years.

Tactics

The Second Intifada was a conflict between Palestinian groups and Israel. Unlike the First Intifada, which used peaceful protests, this conflict was more serious.

Palestinian groups targeted Israeli soldiers and police. They also sometimes included civilians in their actions.

Israel responded with military actions. They used tanks and soldiers to protect themselves. They also set up checkpoints and closed areas. These actions were meant to stop attacks but sometimes affected many innocent people.

International involvement

See also: Israel and the United Nations, Palestine and the United Nations, Israel-United States relations, International Solidarity Movement, and International aid to Palestinians

Many countries and groups have helped both sides in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States gives money each year to help Israel. The Palestinians also get help from many places, including the European Union, the World Bank, and other countries.

Some groups support either side. For example, the International Solidarity Movement supports the Palestinians, while the American Israel Public Affairs Committee supports Israel. In meetings called Arab League Summits, Arab countries showed support for the Palestinians.

Impact on the Oslo Accords

Because of the violence during the Second Intifada, many people in Israel started to feel less positive about the Oslo Accords. Fewer people believed the Accords would bring peace. Still, most people thought the Israeli Defense Forces did a good job handling the situation.

Economic effects

The Second Intifada hurt the economies of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In Israel, many businesses suffered because tourists stopped visiting. The damage was very big.

The Palestinian economy was also hurt.

Main article: Israeli economy
Main articles: Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet
Main article: United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process