The sky of Gaza is finally lit with firecrackers instead of missiles. The 11-day bombing of Gaza has come to halt as Palestinians celebrate the ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Israel and Hamas in Gaza City. The ceasefire came into force at 2:00 am on Friday after both Israel and Hamas accepted the Egyptian initiative.
Thousands of people in Gaza and the Palestinian territories poured onto the streets to celebrate the ceasefire, waving flags and flashing ‘V’ signs for victory. As joyous as these moments may seem, both parties along with the whole world know that the peace although achieved is not here to stay.
This is not the first attempt by the world to resolve the conflict in the Palestinian lands, nor is it the last. United Nations released a Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947 to permanently resolve the conflict between the native Palestinians and Israeli settlers. But Israeli aggression and continuous land grabbing only worsened the situation.
Long before the idea of a “Zionist State” was born, Jews, Muslims, and Christians had co-existed in Palestine as citizens of the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years. However, this status quo was disrupted after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the British Mandate of Palestine after WW-I.
Here, we have compiled and arranged 1000 years of Jerusalem history in form of pictures.
1187- Conquest of Jerusalem by Salah al-Din Ayyubi
Ayyubi allowed Crusaders to Return to Europe after Defeat
1912- The historic photography showing the last Muslim army who had the control of Jerusalem before the fall of the Ottoman Empire
2nd Nov 1917- A turning point for Zionists as the UK Approved a Plan for the Establishment of a Separate Jewish State after taking control of the Palestinian lands.
Ottoman Army was withdrawn overnight from the city. Hussein al-Husseini the Ottoman mayor officially handed the control of Jerusalem to British. Sergeants Sedgewick and Hurcomb of the London Regiment.
9 December 1917 – The Fall of Jerusalem.
The Occupation of Jerusalem Makes Headlines
1917 – Israeli Flag displayed on posters for the First Time during a Propaganda for a Jewish Festival
Endorsed by the British approval and pushed by Hitler-led holocaust, Jewish migration to the Palestinian territory accelerated during this period. By this time Palestinians had sensed the intentions of Zionists of forcing them out of their own homeland.
15 May 1948: Nakba
The Nakba was a dark day in Palestinian history, as it was when Palestine’s ethnic cleansing began.
Every year on 15 May after 1948, Jews celebrate Nakba with processions across the streets in front of helpless Palestinians, reminding them of the day when Zionist militias began annexing Palestine and expelled tens of thousands from their homes in its first year.
After Nakba, Zionists not only forced Palestinians out of their homes, they also started raping women and minor girls. Such incidents had forced Palestinians to leave out of fear.
Demographically, the following map shows refugee routes for Palestinians after the Nakba.
Perspective | Before the Nakba
Damascus Gate
Ayn Karim Village, Jerusalem
The Illegal Israeli Annexations
The following map shows how Israel has openly engulfed the Palestinian landscape by settling their own. The Zionists took the road of ravaging homes, killing children, raping women, and ousting residents with no regard for human rights on the other side.
2021 hasn’t brought any good news for oppressed Palestinians either as Israel continues the force evictions followed by illegal settlements in the Palestinian territories.
Last year, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu had announced his intention to annex the West Bank with the support of the United States of America.
With the growing military power of Israel, the situation for Palestinians has only worsened over the years. They watch helplessly as Israel bombs the last few patches of land under Palestinian control. A UN resolution was passed decades ago, another UNGA session was called yet again to halt Israel only to the extent of the ceasefire.
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