Passage
On 7th October 2023, an armed conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip after the latter launched a multi-pronged invasion of southern Israel. After clearing Hamas militants, the Israeli military retaliated by conducting an extensive aerial bombardment campaign on Gazan targets and followed up with a large-scale ground invasion of Gaza. More than 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, and more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting. Over 240 Israelis and foreign nationals were taken hostage and brought into the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-led attack began in the morning of 7th October, as Palestinian militants in Gaza launched a barrage of over 5,000 rockets against Israeli cities and kibbutzim while some 3,000 Palestinian militants breached the Gaza-Israel barrier. Over 1,000 Israeli civilians were killed in more than a dozen massacres, including the Re’im music festival massacre, and military bases were attacked. Over 200 civilians and Israeli soldiers were captured or abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip. At least 44 countries, mostly from the Western world, characterized the massacres of civilians as terrorism.
Hamas declared that the invasion was carried out in response to the “desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque”, the Gaza Strip blockade, the construction of Israeli settlements, and Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel declared a state of war on 8th October, and its response to the attack has seen the most significant military escalation in the region since the Yom Kippur War. The current hostilities constitute the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict, which is part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In 2023, before the offensive started, an uptick in Israeli–Palestinian violence saw at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, and two foreigners killed. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, as of 6 November, over 10,000 Palestinians had been killed, including 79 UNRWA staff. Israel dropped a total of 6,000 bombs during the first six days of the conflict—nearly double the number of bombs dropped by the American-led CJTF—OIR in one month during the War against the Islamic State. There has been widespread killing of civilians, and human rights groups and a panel of United Nations special rapporteurs have accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes.
Which of the following is not true about the historical context of the Israel Hamas Conflict?
Correct Answer :
The Palestinian refugees started settling under Ottoman rule in the late 19th Century
Solution :
The correct option is: The Palestinian refugees started settling under Ottoman rule in the late 19th Century.
Explanation and Context:
To determine which statement is not true regarding the historical context of the Israel-Hamas Conflict, let us analyze each of the given options:
1. "The Palestinian refugees started settling under Ottoman rule in the late 19th Century" - Incorrect / Not True statement.
The term "Palestinian refugees" specifically refers to Palestinians who were displaced or fled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine war (known as the Nakba) and subsequent conflicts (such as the 1967 Six-Day War). In the late 19th century under Ottoman rule, the native Arab population of Palestine was already settled, while Jewish immigrants (the Zionist movement) began settling in Palestine during that period. Palestinian refugee status arose much later, in the mid-20th century, not in the late 19th century.
2. "Hamas emerged during the first Intifada in the late 1980s" - True statement.
Hamas was founded in late 1987, shortly after the outbreak of the First Intifada (Palestinian uprising).
3. "Hamas was formally known as the Islamic Resistance Movement" - True statement.
The word "Hamas" is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah, which translates to the Islamic Resistance Movement.
4. "First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule." - True statement.
The First Intifada (1987–1993) was a series of sustained Palestinian protests, riots, and civil disobedience against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Therefore, the statement that is not true is the first option.
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