Second Intifada

The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada, was a major uprising by Palestinians against Israel and its occupation that began in the year 2000. It started with civilian protests in Jerusalem and other areas, but quickly grew into a long period of serious violence across Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. This violence included many shootings and military operations, and it continued until 2005.

The uprising was largely triggered by the failure of the 2000 Camp David Summit, which had aimed to create peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Tensions rose sharply in September 2000 after an Israeli politician, Ariel Sharon, visited the Temple Mount, which led to protests and riots. The situation became even more violent, with many people on both sides being hurt or killed.

During the Second Intifada, there were many battles and attacks from both sides. The conflict ended in 2005 at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, where leaders from both sides agreed to work towards peace again. This included promises to reduce fighting and take steps to improve the situation for 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, which took place from December 1987 to 1993. The word "Intifada" means "uprising" in Arabic and refers to shaking off control or oppression. It has been used to describe uprisings in many Arab countries, like the Egyptian riots of 1977, which were called the "bread intifada".

The term Al-Aqsa Intifada comes from Al-Aqsa, the main name for a mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem, built in the 8th century CE on top of the Temple Mount. This holy place is very important to Muslims and is also called the Haram al-Sharif.

Some Israelis called this time the Oslo War because they believed it began after Israel made agreements called the Oslo Accords. Others called it Arafat's War, naming it after a Palestinian leader they thought started the uprising. Some felt that Israel's strong response turned what began as peaceful protests into a larger conflict.

Background

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 Palestinians felt they had less freedom to move around after the accords were signed. Both Israelis and Palestinians blamed each other for the peace talks not working out. During the five years after the accords, many people from both sides were sadly killed.

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

The peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority failed, leading to increased tensions. On September 28, 2000, Israeli leader Ariel Sharon visited a holy site in Jerusalem, which sparked protests and riots among Palestinians. The conflict escalated into what is known as the Second Intifada, with ongoing clashes and violence in the region.

Ariel Sharon visits the Temple Mount

CIA remote-sensing map of areas governed by the Palestinian Authority, July 2008.

On September 28, 2000, Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a site considered very important by Muslims. This visit led to protests and riots by Palestinians. Israeli forces responded, resulting in injuries on both sides.

Post-visit Palestinian riots

The day after Sharon's visit, large protests broke out in Jerusalem. Clashes occurred between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces, resulting in injuries and deaths on both sides. The situation quickly spread to the West Bank and Gaza, with continued violence and protests.

2001

Monument to Israeli Arab casualties in October 2000 riots, Nazareth

Peace talks were held but did not succeed in ending the conflict. Violence continued throughout the year, with both sides suffering losses. In March, a young Israeli baby was tragically killed, which deeply affected many people.

2002

In March 2002, Israel launched a major military operation in the West Bank to combat ongoing attacks. The operation involved moving into many Palestinian areas and resulted in many casualties on both sides.

Battle of Jenin

In April 2002, fierce fighting took place in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Israeli forces entered the camp to target militants, leading to intense battles. The conflict in Jenin became a significant event during this period.

2003

Efforts were made to negotiate peace, but violence continued. In June, a temporary agreement was made to reduce attacks, but it was not fully successful. In August, a bombing in Jerusalem caused many casualties, leading to further tensions.

2004

Violence continued with attacks from both sides. In May, Israeli forces operated in areas of Gaza to prevent attacks. In September, a rocket attack on an Israeli town caused casualties. In October, a large explosion occurred near the border between Gaza and Egypt, resulting in deaths.

2005

New leadership emerged with the election of Mahmoud Abbas as the president of the Palestinian Authority. Despite efforts for peace, violence continued in Gaza. In February 2005, leaders from Israel and the Palestinian Authority met and agreed to reduce violence, though challenges remained.

End of the Second Intifada

The Second Intifada, a period of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, is generally considered to have ended in 2005. Some believe it ended with the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in late 2004, while others point to Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in August 2005 as the conclusion. A meeting in February 2005 between leaders from both sides also marked an effort to end the conflict, though violence continued in some areas.

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 many security guards and said that Jews have the right to visit this important site.

Many Palestinians felt this visit was very 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 been expected to cause 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

During the Second Intifada, many people lost their lives on both sides. Reports show that around 1,053 Israelis were killed by Palestinian attacks. On the other side, about 4,745 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces, and another 44 by Israeli civilians. Sadly, over 980 Palestinian children under 18 were killed during this time, along with 119 Israeli children.

The numbers can be hard to understand because different groups counted them in different ways. Some reports tried to separate people who were fighting from those who were not, but there were disagreements about how to do this 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 considered Hamas to be a group that uses harmful actions, which 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. In 2006, more than 600 Palestinians and 23 Israelis were killed. Some of those killed were not involved in fighting at the time.

Tactics

Unlike the First Intifada, which was mainly about peaceful protests and strikes, the Second Intifada became a serious conflict between Palestinian groups and Israel's military. Palestinian groups targeted Israeli soldiers, police, and civilians. Their actions included shootings, attacks using explosives, and taking people captive.

Israel responded with military operations, using tanks, airplanes, and soldiers to protect themselves. They also set up checkpoints, closed areas for long periods, and sometimes destroyed homes. These actions were meant to stop attacks but were also criticized for harming many innocent people.

International involvement

Many countries and groups have helped both sides in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, especially during a big uprising called the al-Aqsa Intifada. The United States gives a lot of money each year to help Israel with its army, even though Israel is a wealthy country. The Palestinians also receive help from many places, including the European Union, the World Bank, and other countries.

Some groups also 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 their support for the Palestinians during uprisings.

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. Surveys showed that fewer people believed the Accords would bring peace. Even so, most people thought the Israeli Defense Forces did a good job handling the situation.

Economic effects

The Second Intifada had a big impact on the economies of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In Israel, businesses suffered, especially because many tourists stopped visiting. The total damage was estimated to be between 150 to 200 billion shekels (about $35–45 billion), compared to an annual economy of $122 billion in 2002. After 2005, Israel’s economy began to recover.

The Palestinian economy was also hurt. The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process estimated that damage in the first quarter of 2002 was over $1.1 billion, compared to an annual economy of $4.5 billion.

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