The latest conflict between Israel and Palestine, which intensified Dec. 27 when Israel began an air assault on Gaza, has now cost almost 900 Palestinians and 15 Israelis their lives.
The newest round of fighting has been another example of the decades old conflict between the two groups.
When Israel became a nation in 1948, Palestinian people in the region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea were effectively left homeless, creating a volatile situation that has once again flared up.
Since then, multiple periods of fighting have done very little to solve the problem of Palestinian statehood.
Land issues, religious differences and even a discussion about how to handle Jerusalem, the holy city for Christianity, Islam and Judaism, have come together to create a truly unique situation that has proven time and again to appear somewhat unsolvable.
Bob Moog, an associate professor in political science, said the roots of the conflict have come from a land dispute between the two sides.
“At the core of the conflict is an issue of land and Palestinian nationalism,” he said. “It’s not really a religious issue at its core. The founding of the state of Israel left the Palestinians without a land of their own.”
Moog said both sides of the equation know what must be done to solve the problem but also said those same people have known potential solutions for years.
“For the last 15 to 20 years, most of the world has agreed that there would be a two-state solution,” he said. “There are issues obviously as to exactly how this two-state plan would work out, but basically both sides agree.”
This two-state plan, according to Moog, would make the Gaza strip and the West Bank territory an official Palestinian state.
“The vast majority of people involved agree that there is going to have to be a two-state solution,” he said.
The fighting that began in late December has once again highlighted the long running dispute between Israel and Palestine and has students on both sides speaking out.
Ben Mazur, a senior in religous studies and supporter of Israel, said the fighting is the result of the efforts of Hamas, an organization which controls the Gaza strip, to harm Israel.
“I try to disconnect the Gaza crisis,” Mazur said. “It shouldn’t be connected to the overall disagreement between Palestine and Israel, but Hamas wants to do everything they can to destroy Israel.”
Mazur said Israel has been forced to retaliate to protect itself.
“If they don’t retaliate, they are leaving themselves open,” he said. “Israel cannot afford to look weak.”
When Israel began its offensive in December with air attacks, the death toll in the decidedly less developed Gaza strip grew quickly.
As of Monday evening, news stations reported the casualties in Gaza of at least 900 people includes Palestinian women, children and Hamas forces. The Israeli death toll, which is near 15, includes around five civilian deaths as of Monday.
Omar Awartani, a senior in aerospace engineering who was born in the West Bank and supports Palestine, said the difference in the number of deaths cannot be overlooked.
“Sheer numbers would give you a huge hint about what Israel is doing in Gaza,” Awartani said. “Gaza is one of the most populated areas in the world. It’s not just all desert. When you bomb a building it is likely you will kill multiple people.”
Mazur agreed that the death toll is unfortunate, but defended Israel’s decision to attack Gaza.
“No one wants to see innocent Palestinians dying, but Israel has a right to defend itself,” he said. “It’s unfortunate to see innocent people suffering through this.”
Awartani also pointed to Israel’s decision to block foreign aid into Gaza as a reason for the conflict.
“What Hamas is doing is wrong,” he said. “But how is stopping food and medical aid helping to stop Hamas? This will only create more radicals in the region. If you go to an area and starve people and abuse them obviously there will be conflict.”
Even though it looks as if no agreement between the two sides will come soon, there are proposed solutions. Moog said these solutions must happen for there to be peace in the region.
“At one level, you can argue that it’s pretty simple and everyone knows what has to be done,” he said. “But people in the region have known for 20 years what a solution is going to look like. The problem has been how to push the solution forward.”
Click the map below to learn more about the latest conflict.
