This year, the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into the possible war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinian militants in 2014 – the last round of heavy fighting in Gaza – before the deadly violence that boiled over in Jerusalem on the 5th of August. The conflict is deeply rooted in decades of Palestinian-Israeli fighting. Israel unleashes its firepower, causing death and destruction. Hamas fires rockets into Israel. A vicious cycle.

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Here is a timeline of some of the key events in the Israel-Hamas conflict:

1948:

Conflict grows amid the end of the British mandate for Palestine and Israel’s declaration of independence. An Arab coalition with Palestinians battled Israeli forces. But in the end, Israel controls a large portion of the territory. Thousands of Palestinians are driven from their homes.

1973:

An alliance of Arab nations, led by Egypt and Syria, launch a surprise attack on Israel. They initially gained ground but were driven back by the opposition, aided by supplies from allies, including the United States.

1978:

A peace deal between Egypt and Israel is brokered in September by President Jimmy Carter. This is known as the Camp David accords. Potential peace proposals for Palestine are discussed but never carried out.

1987:

Tensions run high in the West Bank. A Palestinian intifada (uprising) brings clashes and protests to Gaza and Israel. The conflict continues for years, with many killed or wounded on both sides.

2000:

The second intifada begins after riots broke out following a visit by Israeli political figure Ariel Sharon to a compound in Jerusalem a respected city in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Violence then continued until 2005, with hundreds dead or injured on both sides.

2005:

Israel withdraws settlements and forces from the Gaza Strip 38 years after capturing it from Egypt in 1967. Palestine is now under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

2006:

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, wins an overwhelming victory in parliamentary elections, leading to a struggle for primacy with its rival, the moderate Fatah party. Fatah is strong in the West Bank, and Hamas retains power in Gaza. Hamas militants cross a tunnel from Gaza and attack an Israeli military base. This then prompts Israeli air raids and invasions in Gaza.

2008:

Israel launches a three-week offensive in Gaza after rocket barrages were fired at southern Israel. About 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed before the two sides announced a ceasefire.

2009:

Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the Likud party, become prime minister of Israel for a second time. His leadership emboldens Israeli religious nationalists, increasing settlement expansion and indicating opposition to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

2011:

Hamas releases Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier it captured in the 2006 raid, during an exchange deal. Israel then releases the first group of what will be more than 1,000 freed Palestinian prisoners. The Iron Dome missile defence system becomes active in Israel, effectively blocking its first rocket from Gaza.

2012:

Israel kills Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari, sparking more than a week of militant rocket fire from Gaza, and Israeli air raids. At least 150 Palestinians and 6 Israelis were killed.

2014:

The kidnap and killing of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas leads to a seven-week conflict resulting in the deaths of more than 2,200 Palestinians in Gaza – more than half were civilians. Hamas answers with rocket fire, leaving 67 Israeli soldiers and 6 civilians dead.

2017:

President Donald Trump recognizes Israel’s claim to Jerusalem as its capital. The US administration announces its plans to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv, there. Palestinians are left outraged with Hamas calling for an uprising.

2018:

Palestinian protests begin at Gaza’s perimeter, with Israeli troops opening fire to keep them back. Palestinian protestors burn tyres, throw rocks and grenades at the troops and lay damage to the perimeter fence. Over several months, more than 170 Palestinians are killed. In November, Israel stages a covert raid into Gaza. Seven suspected Palestinian militants and a senior Israeli army officer are killed. From Gaza, rockets rain from the sky into Israel. Israel says it is defending its border, but it is accused of using excessive force.

2021:

The International Criminal Court opens an investigation into the alleged war crimes by Israel and Palestine in 2014. After weeks of tension during Ramadaan, the Muslim holy month, hundreds of Palestinians are injured by raiding Israeli forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Israel launched air raids on Gaza in response to what it says were rockets from Gaza. The fighting is the fiercest since 2014, and went on for 11 days, resulting in the deaths of 260 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel.

2022:

This month, more than 30 Palestinians, including women and children were killed in air strikes by Israeli planes. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group, and Israel have entered a cease-fire. Marking the ‘fragile’ peace between the two sides. This comes after nearly three days of violence that killed dozens of Palestinians and disrupted the lives of thousands of Israelis.

zahraa@smile904.fm