Hamas vs. Israel. History, context, civilians in war, Arab-Israeli conflict, links to Bin Ladin and Hezbollah
Category: Other
Updated: 12 Nov 2023
Facts, context of Arab-Israeli war. What are Hamas and Hezbollah? What are the links to Hezbollah & Bin Ladin? Intelligence failure, how and why? About irregular warfare, locally made rockets. History of Hamas blocking impending peace deals on behalf of Palestine. British colonial context, 1948 declaration of Israel, subsequent wars with Arab neighbor states. What next, after the war? Photo credit AP
Contributors
Created byRobert W
Attachments
Events
PBS: What’s happening on the 2nd day of major conflict between Israel and Hamas militantsPBS: What to know as conflict erupts between Hamas and Israel after deadly attack, retaliationPBS: Israel levels parts of Gaza in retribution for Hamas terror attackAJC: What to know about Hamas, Hezbollah and attacks from Lebanon.
The political situation in LebanonCNN Video: Hamas trained within line of sight of border wall observationArticle illustrates the widely varying interpretations of Muslim writings
on the treatment of civilians, and who is a combatant. Two contrasting examples below.Jake Murray FB comment on Steven Daly threadGrouping
What is the relationship between the Palestine cause and Osama Bin Ladin, and 9/11? Why "jihad" against Jewish people?
Events
NPR: Analysis: 9/11 and its repercussions on Middle East conflict nowThe legacy of 9/11 in the Middle East Peace ProcessCBS: 2008 Bin Laden recording: Palestinian Cause Prompted 9/112005: AP & NBC: Osama bin Laden:
"al-Qaida will continue its holy war
against Israel and its allies until it
liberates Palestine."9/11 Commission Report: Bin Ladin's 1998 statement or "fatwa" against the US and American civiliansUS Dept. of State: Fact Sheet: The Charges against International Terrorist Usama Bin Laden9/11 Commission Report: Bin Ladin's doctrine of war originates with the Palestine issue and explicitly targets civiliansBackground and doctrinal context on Muslim/Jewish conflict. Muhammed and the Jews in Medina.
Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestine Authority. Demands, ideologies, differences
Events
New Delhi TV: What is Hamas, what are its demands, and how did it begin?Lebanon's Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group backed by Iran, has long been a significant player in the Middle East.Britannica: Palestinian Authority (PA), formally Palestinian National AuthorityCSIS: Differences among Islamist organizations
in general terms, and focusing on their
varying ways of utilizing communications
and social media in governing,
in military operations, and recruitmentPBS: Capsule history of Jewish-Islamic relations from the time of Mohammed in Medina in 622Why now? Why armed resistance? Motivations, context, political grievances, internal chaos and infighting
Events
Reuters Analysis: In striking Israel, Hamas also took aim at Middle East security realignmentNBC: Analysis: Why Hamas chose to attack Israel nowCFR: Iran arms reinforcements to Hamas, and attack timing, intended to undermine regional peace dealFreedom House: Israel’s occupation entails a blockade on export commerce,
periodic military incursions, physical barriers and constraints on movement,
demolition of homes and infrastructure, restricted rights and civil liberties,
and expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Palestine's Fatah government, the PA, is an authoritarian government locked in
internal conflict with Hamas. It represses journalism, protest and opinion and
has no functioning legislature.Mosaic: Opinion: Why Hamas frames the Israel-Palestinian conflict as divine justice and cosmic warfareIntelligence failure?
Events
Jerusalem Post: Israel’s counterterrorism expert who predicted the Hamas invasionNBC: How did Israel and the U.S. miss what Hamas was planning?Telegraph.uk: Questions over the security services' failure to predict terrorists' attackCNN: Retired USAF Colonel Cedric Leighton:
Hamas caught Israel off-guard by using
primitive modes of communication to
evade detection by Israeli intelligence.WaPo: Opinion: Intelligence failure may be symptom
of division and distrust in Israeli administration.
Parallels with US agencies' rivalries and disconnects in 9/11Times of Israel: Egypt spy chief said Israel PM ignored warnings, was focused on West Bank political constituencyCNN: US intelligence warned Israel 2 days in advanceWhat was there before Israel?
History of Palestine under British rule, 1920-1948.
Creation of the state of Israel in 1948
Events
Israel created by UN resolution 181,
partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab
states when the British mandate was
scheduled to end, in May 1948.
Neighboring Arab states
immediately threaten war1948: Arab-Israeli war: "nakba". Palestinian Arabs
rejected the Resolution 181 partition.
Irregular fighting after the announcement of
Israeli independence led to invasion by 5 Arab nations invaded .On May 14, 1948, the last British forces
departed Haifa, and the Jewish People’s Council
convened at the Tel Aviv Museum,
officially declaring Israel’s independence.Periods
What was "Israel" before 1948?What was there before Israel?
League of Nations' "Palestine Mandate" :
British colonial period in Palestine and JordanTimeline of Arab-Israeli combat
Events
1948:-1949 Arab-Israeli war: NakbaPeriods
Arab-Israeli warfare1956: Suez Crisis. Egypt nationalizes
Suez Canal, bans Israeli ships. Britain and
France make deal with Israel to invade Egypt.
Britain and France would then intervene as
peacemakers and take control of the canal.
Israel captures Gaza for first time in this operation.Six-Day War in Gaza. Syria fires on Israel from Golan Heights.
Israel shoots down Syrian MIGS in reprisal. Egypt joins on Syrian side,
signs defense pact including Jordan. Israel retaliates against all,
destroying Egyptian air force on the ground, seizing Golan Heights,
Gaza and Sinai Peninsula.1973: Yom Kippur War. On October 6, the
Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Israel was
caught off guard by Egyptian and Syrian forces.
The Arab armies showed greater fighting ability
than in previous wars, and Israeli forces suffered
heavy casualties.1982: Lebanon War. Israel bombs Beirut and southern Lebanon,
where Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had bases.
The following day Israel invaded Lebanon.2006: Second Lebanon War. Hezbollah
launched an operation to pressure Israel
into releasing Lebanese prisoners,
killing a number of Israeli soldiers in the
process and capturing two.
Israel's forces moved into southern Lebanon
to recover captured soldiers.
The war lasted 34 days.Deal-making, deal-breaking, negotiating positions, ideologies and sticking points.
1987 Intifada, Oslo agreements fall apart due to deal-breaking, followed by another intifada in 2000
Events
9/11 Commission report.
Testimony of Dennis Ross on historical roots
and grievances existing in Middle Eastern
history, contributing to instabiity, retaliation,
war, failure of proposed solutionsNortheastern Global News report:
“Hamas has opposed every single
two-state-solution peace process, explicitly,”
Abrahms says.
“It has intentionally used terrorism
in order to derail a two-state solution.
And so there is no bargaining space.”Periods
First intifada: Dec 1987-Sept 1993, ended with the first Oslo accords: a framework for peace negotiations1993-2000: Oslo negotiations between US, Israel and PLO.
Acceptance of UN Resolution 242, mutual right to exist,
and a two-state solution. A new group, Hamas, executes suicide
bombings to scuttle agreements.
Palestine violates Oslo deal by rearming. Israel expands settlements.
Talks break down in 2000. Second intifada begins at Al-Aqṣā Mosque.Second Intifada. Israel responds to suicide bombing, reoccupies West Bank,
builds barriers and fortifications, again tightens controls on Palestine commerce
and movement of people. Palestine turns to militant Hamas which wins 2006 elections
and seizes Gaza by force in 2007.What are the impacts of occupation, displacement and war on civilians?
Humanitarian issues.
Targeting of civilians, hostage-taking
Events
CNN: ‘Nowhere to go’: Ordinary Palestinians live in fear as Israel retaliates against HamasRestricted freedom of movement due to
checkpoints, the wall, permits, and the
blockade and closure of Gaza mean that
patients struggle to get medical care.
The movement of medical professionals,
and vital medical equipment are considered a
risk to Israel’s security, and are also restricted by the occupation.Freedom House: Israel’s occupation entails a blockade on export commerce,
periodic military incursions, physical barriers and constraints on movement,
demolition of homes and infrastructure, restricted rights and civil liberties,
and expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Palestine's Fatah government, the PA, is an authoritarian government locked in
internal conflict with Hamas. It represses journalism, protest and opinion and
has no functioning legislature.2014 NATO report: Hamas use of civilian human shieldsWeapons and tactics
Events
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket without stabilization or precision aim,
costing around $800 to build, approximately 8 feet in length, with a range up to 2.8 miles....NPR: How were Hamas militants able to carry out an unprecedented attack against Israel?CSIS: Hezbollah’s arsenal is comprised mostly of small, man-portable and unguided surface-to-surface artillery rockets.Irregular warfare tactics of Hezbollah, transferred to Hamas fighters in Lebanon trainingLocally made rockets, altered AK-47s, bulldozers, stolen Israeli vehicles: a deadly makeshift arsenalWhat next for Gaza and Palestinian territories?
How does Hamas receive funding?
Information, misinformation, psychological and linguistic factors, objectivity vs propaganda
Comments