Clerics Accuse West Bank Israeli Settlers of Attacking Christian Sites
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III - visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week.
"These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community ... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh.
Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said.
"We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added.
Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel's government had previously said that any acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands.
During the visit, the heads of the churches led locals in prayer as candles flickered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George. They spoke with residents who described their fears.
B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023.
Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank.
Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said two men, including a US citizen, were killed by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night.
Fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said.
"Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future."
Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, an area that includes many of the faith's most sacred sites including Bethlehem where believers say Jesus was born.
Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, which Palestinians see as part of a future state.
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The long and bloody path to Palestinian statehood
On Monday, July 28, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair a historic two-day conference at the UN with the aim of charting a 'clear and irreversible pathway' to a 'peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-state solution.' The conference, which takes place amid growing global unease at Israel's war in Gaza, is described by the French Foreign Ministry as 'an essential diplomatic milestone' in preparation for a major summit on Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. It follows the announcement by President Emmanuel Macron on July 24 that France will formally recognize the Palestinian state at the UN in September. The weight of world opinion is building behind France's insistence that the creation of a Palestinian state is 'the only credible solution to ensure peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the region.' More than a century after the British Balfour Declaration backed Zionist plans to colonize Palestine, upending Arab hopes of independence, Palestine might be closer to achieving statehood than at any time since then. The path to Palestinian sovereignty has been long and bloody, marked by false hope, despair and tragedy upon tragedy. This is the story of that journey so far … 1882 July 31: Rishon LeZion ('First to Zion'), one of the first Jewish settlements in Palestine, is founded by immigrants from the Russian Empire, with financial support from Baron Edmond de Rothschild, a French member of the global Rothschild banking family. Baron Edmond de Rothschild: funded first Zionist settlements in Palestine. Baron Edmond de Rothschild: funded first Zionist settlements in Palestine. 1896 Feb. 14: Theodor Herzl, an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer and founder of the modern Zionist movement, publishes 'Der Judenstaat,' a pamphlet that argues for the creation of a Jewish state and encourages European Jews to buy land in Palestine. 'The world will be freed by our liberty, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness,' he writes. Theodor Herzl in about 1901. (Getty Images) Theodor Herzl in about 1901. (Getty Images) 1897 Aug. 29: Two hundred delegates from 17 countries attend the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, and agree to 'the expedient promotion of the settlement of Jewish agriculturists, artisans, and tradesmen in Palestine.' Herzl, elected president of the congress, later writes: 'At Basel I founded the Jewish State.' More than half of the delegates to the first Zionist Congress, held in Basel in 1897, were from eastern Europe, mainly Russia. (Getty) More than half of the delegates to the first Zionist Congress, held in Basel in 1897, were from eastern Europe, mainly Russia. (Getty) 1915 Oct. 24: Sir Henry McMahon, the British high commissioner in Cairo, tells the Sharif of Makkah that in recognition of Arab support during the First World War, 'Great Britain is prepared to recognize and support the independence of the Arabs in all the regions within the limits demanded,' including Palestine. In the words of T. E. Lawrence, the British officer who fought alongside the Arabs: 'It was evident from the beginning that if we won the war these promises would be dead paper.' Sir Henry McMahon, British High Commissioner in Egypt. Sir Henry McMahon, British High Commissioner in Egypt. 1915 Nov. 23: At the height of the First World War, France and Britain begin secret negotiations over how the Ottoman Middle East should be divided up between themselves following victory. Under the terms of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, drawn up by British bureaucrat Mark Sykes and his French counterpart Francois Georges-Picot, which would be ratified by both governments in May 1916, Britain is allocated control of territory that includes Palestine. Architects of division: Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, left, and Francois Georges-Picot. (Getty) Architects of division: Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, left, and Francois Georges-Picot. (Getty) 1917 June 19: Arthur Balfour, the British foreign secretary, invites Jewish leader Lord Rothschild and Chaim Weizmann, who will later become the first president of Israel, to draft what becomes known as the Balfour Declaration, expressing Britain's support for a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Weizmann, a Russian-born Zionist, is a biochemist whose method of producing a key component of explosives is vital to Britain's war effort. Chaim Weizmann: a biochemist vital to Britain's war effort, he lobbied successfully for British backing for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Chaim Weizmann: a biochemist vital to Britain's war effort, he lobbied successfully for British backing for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. 1917 Oct. 26: In a memorandum titled 'The Future of Palestine,' British Cabinet Minister Lord Curzon asks: 'What is to become of the people of this country? They and their forefathers have occupied the country for the best part of 1,500 years … They will not be content either to be expropriated for Jewish immigrants, or to act merely as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the latter.' One week before the fateful Balfour Declaration, Lord Curzon appealed unsuccessfully to the British Cabinet to reconsider its backing for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. One week before the fateful Balfour Declaration, Lord Curzon appealed unsuccessfully to the British Cabinet to reconsider its backing for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. 1917 Nov. 2: The British government issues the Balfour Declaration, signed by Foreign Secretary Balfour, declaring 'sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations' for 'the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.' There is a caveat — 'that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.' The Balfour Declaration: seldom have so few words had such a massive impact on world affairs. The Balfour Declaration: seldom have so few words had such a massive impact on world affairs. 1918 Jan. 4: As news of the Balfour Declaration spreads, the British government writes to reassure the Sharif of Makkah, the leader of the Arab revolt against the Turks, that the Allied Powers 'are determined that the Arab race shall be given full opportunity of once again forming a nation in the world … So far as Palestine is concerned, we are determined that no people shall be subject to another.' Hussein ibn Ali, the Sharif of Makkah, sought British support for post-war Arab independence. Hussein ibn Ali, the Sharif of Makkah, sought British support for post-war Arab independence. 1919 June 28: Following the Allied victory in the First World War, the League of Nations rules that conquered Ottoman territories, including Palestine, 'inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand by themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world,' should be temporarily controlled by mandatory countries 'until such time as they are able to stand alone.' Palestine, singled out for Zionist colonization, will prove to be the sole exception. At the Paris peace talks, Prince Faisal bin Hussein, who had led the pro-British Arab revolt during the war, is all but ignored. Prince Faisal at Versailles in 1919 with T. E. Lawrence, third from right, who fought with the Arabs during the war. Prince Faisal at Versailles in 1919 with T. E. Lawrence, third from right, who fought with the Arabs during the war. 1920 July 1: Following three days of anti-Jewish riots in Jerusalem during the Nebi Musa festival in April, a British inquiry concludes the causes were 'disappointment at the nonfulfilment of promises made to them by British propaganda … a sense of betrayal and intense anxiety for their future (and) fear of Jewish competition and domination, justified by experience and the apparent control exercised by the Zionists over the (British) Administration.' A British military band takes part in the Nebi Musa festivities on April 2, 1920, on the eve of violence breaking out. (Getty) A British military band takes part in the Nebi Musa festivities on April 2, 1920, on the eve of violence breaking out. (Getty) 1920-1929 The acquisition of multiple plots of land by organizations including the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association and the Colonization Department of the Zionist Organization, funded by wealthy European Zionists, encourages the immigration of more than 100,000 Jews in a decade. 1922 June 3: A UK government inquiry into 'unrest' among the Arab population of Palestine blames 'exaggerated interpretations of the meaning of the Balfour Declaration.' The terms of the declaration, it insists, 'do not contemplate that Palestine as a whole should be converted into a Jewish National Home.' Jewish settlers from eastern Europe in Palestine in the 1920s. Jewish settlers from eastern Europe in Palestine in the 1920s. 1922 July 24: During a post-war conference in San Remo, Italy, Britain is formally awarded the mandate for Palestine. All other 'Class A' mandates — covering Mesopotamia, Syria and Lebanon — will end when those territories are considered ready for full independence. But the mandate for Palestine instead authorizes Britain only to fulfill the promise of the Balfour Declaration: 'the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.' 1929 Aug. 23: The increasing dispossession of Arab farmers, Zionist demands for greater immigration and, finally, Jewish demonstrations challenging Muslim control of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem trigger a week of clashes that leave more than 130 Jews and 100 Palestinians dead. British troops pour into Jerusalem to quell the violence. Later, a British inquiry blames growing Arab fears 'that they will in time be deprived of their livelihood and pass under the political domination of the Jews.' British troops enter Jerusalem in August 1929 to quell rioting. (Getty) British troops enter Jerusalem in August 1929 to quell rioting. (Getty) 1936 April 19: As tensions mount over increasing Jewish immigration, land purchases and a Zionist boycott of Arab labor, all in breach of the terms of the mandate for Palestine, a hastily formed Arab National Committee calls a national strike. This quickly escalates into an armed revolt that lasts three years, during which the British arm a 'Jewish Settlement Police,' execute numerous Palestinians, incarcerate thousands more and destroy entire villages. April 1936: Palestinian Arabs vote in favor of a general strike, called for by the Arab Higher Committee in opposition to Jewish immigration and land transfers from Arabs to Jews. (Getty) April 1936: Palestinian Arabs vote in favor of a general strike, called for by the Arab Higher Committee in opposition to Jewish immigration and land transfers from Arabs to Jews. (Getty) 1939 May 16: After failed parallel conferences in London with leaders of the Jewish and Arab communities in Palestine, the British government issues a ruling: In 10 years, Palestine is to become an independent state, governed equally by Jews and Arabs; Jewish immigration is to be limited, and 'contingent on Arab consent;' and strict limits will be placed on Jewish land purchases. The Jewish Agency rejects the proposals as 'a breach of faith and a surrender to Arab terrorism.' Jews, they warn, 'would fight rather than submit to Arab rule.' In London, the Zionist Federation and Chaim Weizmann, who will become Israel's first president, demand 'land for the landless.' 'Land for the homeless': Chaim Weizmann addresses a meeting of the Zionist Federation in London on May 17, 1939. (Getty) 'Land for the homeless': Chaim Weizmann addresses a meeting of the Zionist Federation in London on May 17, 1939. (Getty) 1940 Nov. 25: In an attempt to disrupt British plans to deport illegal Jewish immigrants from Europe arriving in Palestine to 'an alternative place of refuge in the colonial empire,' Zionist terrorists bomb the Patria, a liner about to set sail for Mauritius from the Port of Haifa with 1,800 Jewish refugees on board. More than 250 are killed. The Patria lies on its side in the port of Haifa after being bombed by Zionist terrorists. The Patria lies on its side in the port of Haifa after being bombed by Zionist terrorists. 1942 May 6: The Extraordinary Zionist Conference, held at the Biltmore Hotel in New York, rejects British limits on Jewish immigration to Palestine and demands that 'the gates of Palestine be opened; that the Jewish Agency be vested with control of immigration into Palestine and with the necessary authority for upbuilding the country; and that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth.' 1944 Nov. 17: Following a series of attacks and murders targeting British personnel and Arabs carried out by Jewish terrorists in Palestine, British wartime leader Winston Churchill, a longtime supporter of Zionism, tells the House of Commons: 'If our dreams for Zionism are to end in the smoke of assassins' pistols, and our labors for its future to produce only a new set of gangsters worthy of Nazi Germany, many like myself will have to reconsider the position we have maintained so consistently.' Winston Churchill condemned Zionist terrorists in Palestine as 'gangsters worthy of Nazi Germany.' Winston Churchill condemned Zionist terrorists in Palestine as 'gangsters worthy of Nazi Germany.' 1945 Feb. 14: A US State Department memo records that during a meeting aboard a US cruiser in the Suez Canal, Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia, warns President Franklin Delano Roosevelt about 'the increasing threat to the existence of the Arabs' posed by Jewish immigration in Palestine. The Jews, he says, should be given the lands 'of the Germans who had oppressed them … What injury,' he asks, 'have Arabs done to the Jews of Europe?' In February 1945 Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia, met US President Roosevelt and warned him of the threat to the Arabs of Palestine. In February 1945 Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia, met US President Roosevelt and warned him of the threat to the Arabs of Palestine. 1947 Feb 18: After months of failed talks between the British government and representatives of Palestine's Arabs and Jews, Britain finally washes its hands of 'the Palestine problem.' Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin tells Parliament that 'there is no prospect of resolving this conflict by any settlement negotiated between the parties … The only course now open to us is to submit the problem to the judgment of the United Nations.' British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin passed 'the Palestine problem' to the United Nations. British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin passed 'the Palestine problem' to the United Nations. 1947 Nov. 29: The UN's first attempt to solve 'the Palestine problem' is General Assembly Resolution 181, which orders the termination of the British mandate and the partition of Palestine into two separate, independent states, with Jerusalem entrusted to a 'Special International Regime.' Jews celebrate but the Arab Higher Committee rejects a plan that would give the Jewish minority 56.47 percent of Palestine and the Arabs only 42.88 percent. 1947 Nov. 30: The day after the controversial UN partition plan is announced, the Arab Higher Committee calls a general strike. As the British begin to withdraw from Palestine, clashes between Jews and Arabs quickly escalate into widespread fighting and civil war, with several killings and bomb attacks on both sides. Arab volunteers man a defensive position outside Jerusalem during fighting in 1947. Arab volunteers man a defensive position outside Jerusalem during fighting in 1947. 1948 May 14: At a secret meeting of the Jewish Agency for Palestine in Tel Aviv on the eve of the end of the British mandate, David Ben Gurion, head of the World Zionist Organization, declares the foundation of the State of Israel, laying claim to the territory within the frontiers drawn up by UN Resolution 181. Jewish forces also occupy key areas designated by the UN for the Arab state and the major part of Jerusalem that is supposed to be internationalized. Standing beneath a photograph of Theodor Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement, David Ben Gurion reads the Jewish Declaration of Independence. Standing beneath a photograph of Theodor Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement, David Ben Gurion reads the Jewish Declaration of Independence. 1948 May 15: A coalition of Arab League forces attacks the newly created State of Israel. Over the following 10 months, Israel seizes most of Palestine, with the exception of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, giving it control of almost the entire territory that had been claimed by the Zionist movement at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 as the 'Jewish national home.' In what becomes known by the Palestinians as the Nakba ('Catastrophe' in Arabic), more than half a million Arabs are driven from their homes, triggering a refugee problem that persists to this day. A soldier of the Arab Legions for Palestine in action against Israeli positions near Hebron in May 1948. (AFP) A soldier of the Arab Legions for Palestine in action against Israeli positions near Hebron in May 1948. (AFP) 1948 Sept. 17: Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish diplomat credited with saving hundreds of Danish Jews during the Second World War and appointed by the UN to mediate a truce in the ongoing Arab-Israeli war, is assassinated in Jerusalem by Jewish terrorists. He had argued 'it would be an offense against the principles of elemental justice' for Palestinian refugees to be denied the right to return home 'while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine (threatening) permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries.' Bernadotte travelling in a Jeep with Israeli soldiers shortly before his murder by Jewish terrorists in Jerusalem. (AFP) Bernadotte travelling in a Jeep with Israeli soldiers shortly before his murder by Jewish terrorists in Jerusalem. (AFP) 1949 Feb. - July: Israeli armistice agreements with Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan end the 10-month Arab-Israeli War and establish the 'Green Line,' intended as a temporary demarcation between the forces and 'not to be construed in any sense as a political or territorial boundary.' 1949 May 11: Israel is admitted as a member of the UN, the General Assembly accepting by a vote of 37-12 the judgment of the Security Council that Israel is 'a peace-loving State which accepts the obligations contained in the (UN) Charter and is able and willing to carry out those obligations.' The countries that vote against Resolution 273 include Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen. Nine nations, including Britain, abstain. The Israeli flag is hoisted at UN headquarters in New York on May 11, 1949. (Getty) The Israeli flag is hoisted at UN headquarters in New York on May 11, 1949. (Getty) 1967 June 5: Amid rising tensions, Israel launches a surprise attack on Egyptian forces on its western border. Forces from Syria and Jordan are drawn into what will become known as the Six-Day War, by the end of which Israel will have driven half a million Palestinians from their homes and vastly expanded its territory, seizing the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza Strip and the entire Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. Egypt closes the Suez Canal, which will remain shut until 1975. 1973 Oct. 6: An Egyptian-led coalition of Arab forces launches a surprise attack on Israel, aimed at returning control of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and regaining control of the Golan Heights. Although it ends in stalemate, the 19-day Ramadan war leads to the Egyptian-Israeli Camp David Accords five years later. Israeli soldiers during the October War in 1973. (Getty) Israeli soldiers during the October War in 1973. (Getty) 1974 Nov. 22: The UN General Assembly passes Resolution 3236, reaffirming 'the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in Palestine … to self-determination without external interference; national independence and sovereignty' and the 'right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted.' Celebrations at the United Nations in 1974 after the General Assembly reaffirms the Palestinian people's right to independence. (UN) Celebrations at the United Nations in 1974 after the General Assembly reaffirms the Palestinian people's right to independence. (UN) 1979 March 26: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state, normalizing relations between their countries and returning the Sinai to Egyptian control. Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, accuses Sadat of betrayal. Sadat is assassinated during a military parade in Cairo on Oct. 6, 1981. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, US President Jimmy Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the White House in March 1979. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, US President Jimmy Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the White House in March 1979. 1983 Aug. 9 - Sept. 7: The International Conference on the Question of Palestine in Geneva condemns 'the denial by Israel, and those supporting its expansionist policies, of the inalienable legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.' The Geneva Declaration calls for 'an end to Israel's occupation of the Arab territories' and 'the attainment by the Palestinian people of its legitimate inalienable rights, including the right to return, the right to self-determination and the right to establish its own independent state in Palestine.' PLO delegates at the Geneva conference in August 1983. (Getty) PLO delegates at the Geneva conference in August 1983. (Getty) 1987 Dec. 9: Pent-up anger and frustration explode into widespread mass protests, riots and civil disobedience after four Palestinians are killed by an Israeli driver in a traffic accident. The First Intifada will last almost six years, claiming the lives of 200 Israelis and almost 2,000 Palestinians. Israel is reprimanded in a series of four UN resolutions between 1988 and 1991. A mother tries to stop Israeli soldiers arresting her son during rioting in Al Amari refugee camp near Ramallah on the West Bank in January 1988. (AFP) A mother tries to stop Israeli soldiers arresting her son during rioting in Al Amari refugee camp near Ramallah on the West Bank in January 1988. (AFP) 1988 Nov. 16: Meeting in Algiers, the Palestine National Council issues a declaration of independence, proclaiming 'the establishment of the State of Palestine in the land of Palestine with its capital at Jerusalem.' In a letter to the UN secretary-general, it cites General Assembly Resolution 181 of 1947, 'which partitioned Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish State (and) continues to attach conditions to international legitimacy that guarantee the Palestinian Arab people the right to sovereignty and national independence.' PLO leader Yasser Arafat celebrates after the proclamation of the State of Palestine in Algiers in November 1988. (Getty) PLO leader Yasser Arafat celebrates after the proclamation of the State of Palestine in Algiers in November 1988. (Getty) 1993 Sept. 13: As part of a series of ongoing peace initiatives launched in Madrid in 1991, the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (also known as the Oslo Accords), signed by Israel and the PLO, 'lays the foundations for a Palestinian Interim Self-Government in the West Bank and Gaza' and 'stipulates measures for the transfer of authority from the Israeli military government and its Civil Administration to the authorized Palestinians.' Watched by US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat shake hands at the White House on Sept. 13, 1993. (AFP) Watched by US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat shake hands at the White House on Sept. 13, 1993. (AFP) 1995 Nov. 4: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who in 1994 had shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and the PLO's Yasser Arafat 'for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East,' is assassinated by a right-wing extremist after addressing a rally in Tel Aviv in support of the Oslo Accords. Seen as a peacemaker by the world, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was condemned as a traitor by many in Israel. Seen as a peacemaker by the world, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was condemned as a traitor by many in Israel. 2000 Sept. 28: Amid what the UN describes as 'an already precarious and volatile atmosphere' caused by the failure of successive Israeli governments to comply with the terms of the Oslo Accords, Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon, accompanied by hundreds of soldiers, triggers the Second Intifada by making a provocative visit to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. A Palestinian demonstrator armed with a slingshot confronts Israeli troops during the Second Intifada. (Getty) A Palestinian demonstrator armed with a slingshot confronts Israeli troops during the Second Intifada. (Getty) 2002 March 28: All 22 member states at the Arab League Summit in Beirut endorse a peace initiative proposed by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. In exchange for Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Gaza, a 'fair solution' to the refugee problem, and 'the acceptance of the establishment of a Sovereign Independent Palestinian State on the Palestinian territories occupied since the 4th of June 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital,' it offers an end to conflict and the normalization of relations with all Arab states. Israel rejects the proposal. 2003 April 30: 'The Quartet' — the US, the EU, Russia and the UN — publishes a 'goal-driven road map to a permanent two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,' which envisages a final, permanent-status resolution by 2005. The plan is rejected by Hamas and right-wing members of the Israeli government. 2005 Feb. 8: During a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh involving Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian National Authority, Arafat's successor Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Sharon commit to ending the violence between their peoples and implement the first phase of the Quartet road map agreed in 2003. 'It is the beginning of peace and hope,' says Abbas. Sharon tells Palestinians: 'I assure you that we have a genuine intention to respect your right to live independently and in dignity.' Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, left, and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas shake hands in Sharm El-Sheikh on Feb. 8, 2005. (AFP) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, left, and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas shake hands in Sharm El-Sheikh on Feb. 8, 2005. (AFP) 2005 Aug. 15: Following an initiative implemented by Sharon, Israel begins a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, demolishing the 21 settlements that have been built there since 1967 and, despite widespread protests, evicting more than 8,000 Israel settlers. In the same year, however, the number of settlers in the West Bank increases by 15,000. An army bulldozer destroys the Israeli settlement of Nezer Hazani in the Gaza strip on Aug. 18, 2005. (AFP) An army bulldozer destroys the Israeli settlement of Nezer Hazani in the Gaza strip on Aug. 18, 2005. (AFP) 2006 Jan. 25: Hamas wins a majority of the seats in long-postponed elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, defeating ruling party Fatah by 74 seats to 45. On March 29, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh forms a new government, with himself as prime minister. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza City after his party defeats Fatah in elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council. (AFP) Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza City after his party defeats Fatah in elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council. (AFP) 2006 June 25: Palestinian militants enter Israel from Gaza and take Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit hostage. They demand the release of Marwan Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council who was arrested in 2002, and all female and underage Palestinians held by Israel. Shalit will remain captive for five years before his release in October 2011 in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit salutes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following his release after five years of captivity. (AFP) Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit salutes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following his release after five years of captivity. (AFP) 2007 June 10-15: The power struggle between Hamas and Fatah explodes into a five-day civil war in Gaza. It ends with the dissolution of the unity government and the division of the Palestinian territories, leaving Hamas in control of Gaza, and the Palestinian National Authority governing the West Bank. Hamas militants during clashes with Fatah in Gaza in June 2007. (AFP) Hamas militants during clashes with Fatah in Gaza in June 2007. (AFP) 2008 June 19: Egypt brokers a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The former agrees to stop firing rockets into the latter, and Israeli authorities agree to halt air strikes and other attacks. The ceasefire ends on Nov. 4 after an Israeli raid in Gaza. 2008 Dec. 27: Israel responds to renewed rocket attacks by launching Operation Cast Lead, a three-week air and ground assault on Gaza that leaves 13 Israelis and more than 1,400 Palestinians dead, of whom the majority are civilians. Further major cycles of violence between Israel and Gaza will occur in 2012 and 2014. Palestinians wounded by an Israeli air strike on Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Dec. 29, 2008. (AFP) Palestinians wounded by an Israeli air strike on Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Dec. 29, 2008. (AFP) 2017 Dec. 6: During his first term as US president, Donald Trump signs a proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, undoing seven decades of US policy and drawing a storm of protest from European and Arab leaders, the Chinese and even the Pope. US Vice President Mike Pence looks on as President Trump displays his signature on a proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (AFP) US Vice President Mike Pence looks on as President Trump displays his signature on a proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (AFP) 2020 Sept. 11: The foreign ministers of Bahrain and the UAE join US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to sign the Abraham Accords, which recognize Israel's sovereignty and establish diplomatic relations with the two Gulf states. Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the White House after signing the Abraham Accords. (AFP) Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the White House after signing the Abraham Accords. (AFP) 2021 Dec. 11: Israel inaugurates its 'Iron Wall,' a 65-km high-tech fence fully enclosing Gaza. An update to previous barriers, the metal fence, bristling with cameras, sensors and remotely operated machine guns, transforms Gaza into what human rights groups describe as 'the world's largest open-air prison.' Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz shows off Israel's completed border fence to journalists in December 2021. (AFP) Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz shows off Israel's completed border fence to journalists in December 2021. (AFP) 2023 Oct. 4: Aided and abetted by Israeli police and soldiers, hundreds of settlers and other Israeli ultranationalist extremists force their way into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. It is the latest in a series of provocative challenges to the longstanding status quo that forbids Jews from performing religious rituals at a site sacred to Muslims. Israeli police evict a Muslim woman from Al-Aqsa Mosque during an occupation of the holy site by Jewish settlers. (Getty) Israeli police evict a Muslim woman from Al-Aqsa Mosque during an occupation of the holy site by Jewish settlers. (Getty) 2023 Oct. 7: Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza launch Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. They break through the 'Iron Wall' to attack Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for 'an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides,' and says it had warned repeatedly of the danger of such an explosion of violence as a result of 'the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities.' Palestinians seize an Israeli tank after breaking through the Gaza border fence on Oct. 7, 2023. (AFP) Palestinians seize an Israeli tank after breaking through the Gaza border fence on Oct. 7, 2023. (AFP) 2023 Oct. 9: The Israeli government launches air attacks on Gaza, followed by a ground invasion. Over the following 21 months, 60,000 Palestinians, including at least 19,000 children, will be killed and tens of thousands wounded. Homes, hospitals, infrastructure and schools are destroyed. Two million people are displaced internally. An Israeli air strike in the central Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. (Getty) An Israeli air strike in the central Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. (Getty) 2024 Nov. 21: The International Criminal Court issues warrants for the arrest of Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since Oct. 8, 2023. A warrant is also issued for the arrest of Hamas military commander Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif. It later emerges he had been killed in an Israeli airstrike four months earlier. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in October 2023. Arrest warrants for both men on charges of war crimes remain active. (AFP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in October 2023. Arrest warrants for both men on charges of war crimes remain active. (AFP) 2025 Feb. 4: Two weeks into his second presidency, Trump greets Netanyahu at the White House and announces his intention to take over Gaza, relocate its inhabitants and transform the territory into 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in February 2025. (Getty) US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in February 2025. (Getty) 2025 March 2: Israel imposes a blockade preventing all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, prompting condemnation from the EU and countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan. Israeli soldiers detain an Egyptian aid truck in February 2024 as right-wing Israeli protestors blockade the Kerem Shalom border crossing. (AFP) Israeli soldiers detain an Egyptian aid truck in February 2024 as right-wing Israeli protestors blockade the Kerem Shalom border crossing. (AFP) 2025 March 17: Israel unilaterally ends a two-month ceasefire agreement with Hamas and launches a wave of airstrikes that kill more than 400 civilians, including 170 children and 80 women. On May 5, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israeli army will 'capture' the whole of Gaza and remain in the territory indefinitely. Buildings in the northern Gaza Strip hit on March 18 in Israeli air strikes that kill more than 220 people. (AFP) Buildings in the northern Gaza Strip hit on March 18 in Israeli air strikes that kill more than 220 people. (AFP) 2025 May 20: In a joint statement, the leaders of the UK, France and Canada condemn 'the expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza' and describe the level of human suffering there as 'intolerable.' The escalation in Israeli violence since Oct. 7, 2023, is 'wholly disproportionate,' they say, and in the West Bank, 'Israel must halt settlements which are illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.' 2025 May 26: The private Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by the US and Israel and set up to replace international aid organizations banned by Israeli authorities, begins its operations in the territory. A day earlier, its CEO resigns, saying: 'It is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.' People carrying boxes of relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private US-backed aid group. (AFP) People carrying boxes of relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private US-backed aid group. (AFP) 2025 June 1: Amid criticism by the UN and other international organizations that the amount of aid being distributed in Gaza by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is woefully inadequate, 31 Palestinians attempting to reach one of four aid distribution centers in southwestern Gaza are shot dead by Israeli troops after 'deviating from the designated access routes.' Over the next two days, 30 more people seeking aid are killed and many others wounded. Palestinians recovering the bodies of some of the ten people shot dead by Israeli soldiers near a food distribution centre in Rafah on June 1, 2025. (AFP) Palestinians recovering the bodies of some of the ten people shot dead by Israeli soldiers near a food distribution centre in Rafah on June 1, 2025. (AFP) 2025 July 18: Satellite imagery reveals Israel has been using bulldozers and controlled explosions to systematically demolish thousands of buildings in Gaza, including homes and schools, in areas under Israeli 'operational control,' levelling entire towns. The Geneva Convention prohibits the deliberate destruction of infrastructure by an occupying power. Drone footage reveals the widespread devastation in Gaza. (Shutterstock) Drone footage reveals the widespread devastation in Gaza. (Shutterstock) 2025 July 20: Amid growing global outrage at the number of cases of malnutrition and deaths from starvation in Gaza, the latest victim is 4-year-old Razan Abu Zaher, who dies at a hospital in central Gaza after a month-long fight for life. The following day, the leaders of 20 Western nations issue a statement condemning 'the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.' Razan Abu Zaher pictured in hospital on June 23. (CNN) Razan Abu Zaher pictured in hospital on June 23. (CNN) 2025 July 22: The UN says that since the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation took over aid operations in late May, sidelining international agencies, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food. The news comes as 30 or more Palestinians are killed seeking aid near Rafah. People shot while seeking aid on July 12 are transported to a Red Cross clinic in Rafah. (AFP) People shot while seeking aid on July 12 are transported to a Red Cross clinic in Rafah. (AFP) 2025 July 23: More than 100 aid agencies, including Save the Children and Medecins Sans Frontieres, release a statement raising the alarm over mass starvation across Gaza. Palestinians, they say, 'are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions.' Living with his mother in a tent in Gaza City, 17-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq suffers from life-threatening malnutrition. (Getty) Living with his mother in a tent in Gaza City, 17-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq suffers from life-threatening malnutrition. (Getty) 2025 July 26: Israel says it has air-dropped aid into Gaza following acceptance of a plan by Jordan and the UAE, backed by the UK. It also announces 'humanitarian pauses' to fighting and says that it will open 'additional humanitarian corridors for the purpose of expanding humanitarian aid distribution to the non-combatant population of Gaza.' Writing & Research: Jonathan Gornall, Gabriele Malvisi, Sherouk Maher Editor: Tarek Ali Ahmad Creative Director: Omar Nashashibi Graphics & Design: Douglas Okasaki Copy-Editing: Sarah Mills Editor-in-Chief: Faisal Abbas
