The Second Intifada (Essay Sample)

The Second Intifada
After the unsuccessful attempts if the first intifada, a second uprising was imminent. The revolution that took place in 2000, which was dubbed as ‘Al-Aqsa’, was initiated after what the Palestinians termed as a disrespectful provocation by the Israeli leader Ariel Sharon. He had matched troops by the thousands to the Al -Aqsa mosque’s compound on September that year, and blatantly aggravated the Palestinians by uttering provocative words. The rebellions that followed were aimed at fighting back against Israeli policies that the people deemed as unfair and in violation of their civil rights.
In three weeks time after the protests began, massive numbers of Palestinians had already lost their lives in the arms of the Israeli troops. The manner in which the Israeli authorities handled the affair had caught worldwide attention. They had unleashed terrifying military offensives against the Palestinians which were aimed at intimidating and crippling their leaders.
According to statistics released by the Human Rights body in Palestine, the second intifada claimed over 4973 causalities in its wake. 32 medics, 274 women, and 1262 children were among those who tragically lost their lives. Scores of children in the tens of thousands were injured and left homeless during the warfare that lasted for five years. According to the Defense for Children International, a Swiss-based no profit organization, airstrikes and land assaults in Gaza Strip and the West Bank were the main cause of fatalities. These areas were characteristic of densely populated villages and numerous extensive refugee camps. In an attempt to solve the crisis, a resolution was established by the United Nations that was referred to as Resolution 1322 which reprimanded Israel for using excessive force to curb the protests.
There were significant civil rights that were violated in the course of the second uprising. Palestinians were denied freedom of movement by being restricted and confined to particular regions. Israeli troops are said to have erected barriers and checkpoints that barricaded roads and limited access to villages and cities, as reported by B’Tselem, an Israeli civil rights activists’ group. In addition, they established strict curfews on the Palestinians that confined them to their homes for days without end. Mor...