00:00 The Israel-Hamas war marks a turning point in Israeli-Palestinian tensions, and the Gaza
00:04 Strip is central to this conflict.
00:06 Here's why.
00:07 In this long-contested region, Palestine's territories are split into the West Bank and
00:12 the Gaza Strip.
00:13 The Palestinian Authority controlled these two territories until Palestinian elections
00:17 in 2006, when it lost control of Gaza and was driven out by an Islamist resistance group.
00:24 They are called Hamas.
00:25 Hamas, a militant group, wants to destroy Israel and establish a new Palestinian state
00:31 over the territory.
00:32 It has two main branches, political and military.
00:35 Some countries, like the US and those in the EU, see Hamas as a terrorist organization,
00:40 while others deem only Hamas' military wing to be a terrorist group.
00:45 Some nations support Hamas, like Iran, who see the group as an opposition force to Israeli
00:50 settlement.
00:51 Since 1967, Israel has moved into areas of the West Bank, absorbing Palestinian territory.
00:57 They're these areas in orange.
01:01 Israel claimed more and more Palestinian territory, which is considered illegal under international
01:06 law.
01:07 Palestinian homes were destroyed and their freedom of movement restricted.
01:11 Today, Israel is run by an extreme right government, some of whose members would even consider
01:16 annexing the West Bank outright.
01:19 There is no Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip, but a blockade has been imposed by Israel
01:24 and Egypt since Hamas took power of the Strip in 2007.
01:28 Anything that enters or leaves the territory is strictly controlled.
01:32 This policy increased poverty in the small, densely populated enclave.
01:36 Hamas and Israel have for years clashed with rocket fire and strikes.
01:41 From 2008 to August 2023, over 6,400 Palestinians were killed, the vast majority in Gaza, while
01:49 over 300 Israelis were killed in the same period.
01:53 But the conflict has now escalated.
01:55 On Saturday, October 7, Israel declared itself at war after Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa
02:01 Flood.
02:02 The name refers to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, an important holy site that is a source of enormous
02:08 tension.
02:09 It's one of the holiest sites in Islam, but it also stands on the holiest site in Judaism.
02:14 Hamas fired thousands of rockets and hundreds of its militants entered Israel, using land
02:19 vehicles, boats and even motorised paragliders.
02:23 They attacked security forces and civilians, killing them or taking them hostage.
02:28 Over 260 Israelis were found dead at an electronic music festival alone.
02:33 It's the first time that fighting has broken out on such a scale on Israeli territory.
02:38 The surprise attack came at a bad time for Israel.
02:41 A section of its army is mobilised in the West Bank to protect its settlements.
02:45 Its population is divided after an unpopular judicial overhaul was passed by its government
02:50 in July.
02:51 And the attack came during a season of Jewish holidays.
02:54 It was a disaster for Israel and its intelligence services, who failed to anticipate the attack.
02:59 The Israeli army immediately retaliated, carrying out intense bombardments in Gaza.
03:09 Over 2,000 people have died on both sides.
03:12 The conflict makes it difficult to imagine an Israeli-Palestinian peace process in the
03:17 short term.
03:18 "Citizens of Israel, we are at war.
03:21 Not in action, not in circles, but in war."
03:25 A major ground invasion by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip is a possibility, given
03:30 the number of hostages captured by Hamas.
03:33 Such an intervention hasn't happened since the 2014 Gaza War.
03:36 The conflict could ignite the region and have consequences beyond it.
03:41 A Lebanese group close to Hamas called Hezbollah launched missiles into northern Israel in
03:46 solidarity with Palestinians.
03:49 The Lebanese armed group, claimed at least three of its members, were killed.
03:53 And in France, the interior minister has asked local prefects to protect Jewish community
03:58 sites.
03:59 (upbeat music)
Commentaires