In graphics | A brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict

“We are at war, and we will win it,” Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said on Saturday (7 October), hours after Hamas, the Palestinian terror group, launched thousands of rockets into Israel and gunmen infiltrated Southern Israel.

Since then, it’s been a scene of devastation and destruction; at last count, over 1,100 people had died, while another 1,000 people were injured. Even in major cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, explosions could be heard. People residing in the Gaza Strip were cowering in their houses as reports emerged of Hamas terrorists going door to door, in an attempt to take hostages.

There are now reports that Israel, who has already begun counter-attacks, may launch a ground invasion in the Gaza Strip. This could mean a long, bloody battle with significant deaths on both sides, but with Palestinians bearing the brunt of the casualties and destruction.

The ongoing ‘war’ also has global implications; crude oil prices surged sharply and are expected to only spike further. This could cause higher inflation and an increase in the cost of living. Equity markets across the world were already spooked on Monday morning and the situation is not expected to change in the coming days.

However, the latest violence is part of Israel’s ongoing conflict with Palestine. In fact, it is known as one of the world’s longest-running and most controversial conflicts. And at the heart of it is a conflict between two self-determination movements — the Jewish Zionist project and the Palestinian nationalist project — that lay claim to the same territory.

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As this battle rages on, we present a graphical history of the conflict and its genesis

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