Ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated on 7 October 2023 with a coordinated surprise offensive on Israel, characterized by a barrage of at least 5,000 rockets launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip against Israel. As the conflict progressed, various incidents and responses led to a significant loss of life and a deteriorating situation on the ground​¹​. The timeline of events leading up to and during the conflict is detailed below, with a focus on key incidents in 2023:

• Early 2023:
  • Multiple isolated incidents occurred between Israelis and Palestinians, including shootings, stabbings, and military operations.
  • In January, tensions escalated with various acts of violence and military operations, culminating in a raid on Jenin refugee camp by Israeli forces in response to intelligence about imminent attacks by Islamic Jihad against Israelis, which resulted in the deaths of nine Palestinians​²​.
• 7 October 2023:
  • The conflict escalated dramatically with a massive rocket attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, marking the beginning of a new phase of armed conflict​¹​.
• 13 October 2023:
  • Israeli forces conducted extensive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip targeting 750 “military targets” including 12 high-rise buildings​³​.
• Casualties:
  • The initial strikes of the conflict resulted in at least 250 people killed and 1,500 injured in Israel, marking it as one of the deadliest attacks in the country in decades. On the Palestinian side, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that 232 people in the Gaza Strip were killed and 1,700 wounded in Israeli strikes​⁴​.

The situation in Israel and Palestine remains extremely volatile with ongoing military operations, rocket attacks, and a high level of casualties. The broader geopolitical context, including the historical backdrop of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, continues to shape the dynamics of the conflict and the international response to it​⁵​. The travel advisory level 4 (Do Not Travel) is indicative of the high-risk environment in the region currently.

The history and timeline of Israel and Palestine

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long and complex history that dates back over a century. Here’s a simplified timeline of key events leading up to the recent escalation in 2023:

1. Late 1800s – Early 1900s: Jewish migration to Palestine increases during this period under Ottoman and later British rule. The Zionist movement seeks to establish a national homeland for Jews in Palestine.
2. 1947: The United Nations proposes a plan to partition Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as an international city.
3. 1948: Israel declares independence, sparking the First Arab-Israeli War. Armistice agreements in 1949 establish the borders of the new state, but leave Jerusalem divided and the West Bank and Gaza Strip under Jordanian and Egyptian control respectively.
4. 1967: The Six-Day War results in Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula.
5. 1973: The Yom Kippur War is fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria.
6. 1978-1979: Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David Accords and a peace treaty, leading to Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula.
7. 1987: The First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, begins and lasts until 1993.
8. 1993-1995: The Oslo Accords are signed, leading to Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
9. 2000: The Second Intifada begins, lasting until 2005, and is marked by significant violence.
10. 2005: Israel unilaterally disengages from the Gaza Strip but maintains control of its borders and airspace.
11. 2007: Hamas takes control of the Gaza Strip after winning elections and clashing with Fatah forces.
12. 2008-2009, 2012, 2014: Various rounds of conflict between Israel and Hamas occur, with significant military operations and casualties.
13. 2018: The U.S. moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, sparking protests and clashes.
14. 2020: Israel announces plans to annex parts of the West Bank, but later suspends these plans as part of normalization agreements with the UAE and Bahrain.

With all this in mind, how safe is it to travel to Israel? or how safe is it to travel to Palestine?