After World War 1 and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Britain took over an area of land in the Middle East known as Palestine. Primarily, the area was inhabited by a minority of Jewish people and a majority of Arab people. As time passed, tensions between these two peoples grew: the Jewish people believed that Palestine was their ancestral land, while the Palestinian Arabs claimed the land as their own and refused to move. Tensions grew higher when the UK declared Palestine as the “national home” for Jewish people. (https://www.bbc.com)
After World War 2, due to the Nazi regime, more Jewish people immigrated to Palestine. From this, violence between the Jews and Arabs grew. In 1947, it was deemed that Palestine would be split into Arab and Jewish states, and Jerusalem would be an international city. However, the Arab people rejected this idea.
When the issue over land was unable to be solved, the Jews declared the creation of the state of Israel as the British withdrew. Although this area was meant to be a haven for the Jewish people, it led to more fighting between the Jewish and Arabs.
Israel claimed the West Bank and stated that Jerusalem was its capital, while Palestinians claimed East Jerusalem as its capital. Over the past 50 years, Israel built structures and settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. According to international laws, building settlements was illegal. However, Israel rejected this idea. As a result, the Palestinian people living in these lands occupied by the Israelis face constant discrimination and violence against them. “The conflict between Palestine and Israel has been going on for decades, and I believe we needs to come to a peaceful resolution as soon as possible, seeing how extreme the circumstances are becoming,” says Elaina Kashou (12).
As more conflict arose, the Palestinian people were forced out of their homes. Since 2006, the people of Palestine, primarily those who reside in the strip of Gaza, have faced dozens of heavy airstrikes on populated cities. Since October 7, 2024, over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed. (https://www.npr.org)
“I think this conflict should be deemed as a humanitarian crisis because it has resulted in widespread suffering, displacement, and loss of life for both Palestinians and Israelis. This situation becomes more challenging daily for the vulnerable population living in the region with limited access to necessities, such as food, water, and healthcare. I believe a ceasefire should be called for immediately for the sake of everyone affected by this so that no more people will have to suffer the harsh and cruel conditions of this conflict,” shares Elaina Kashou (12).
With extremist groups on both sides rising, this conflict continues to worsen and become more fatal. While the world continues to try to understand the complexities of the Middle East, the people of Palestine continue to struggle and face problems of injustice and suffering. Calls for a ceasefire are becoming more urgent, and the need for peace and justice for the people is becoming desperate.
