Updated Dec. 9, 2023 at 12:20
It was on this day in 1987 that a series of Palestinian protests and violent uprisings began in the West Bank, Gaza and Israel in defiance of Israeli occupation. The confrontation would last for nearly six years.
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How did the first Intifada begin?
An Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) truck collided with a civilian car, killing four Palestinian workers, three of whom were from the Jabalia refugee camp. Palestinians thought that the collision was a deliberate response for the killing of a Jewish person in Gaza several days earlier.
Though Israel denied that the crash was intentional, the tragedy came at a time of heightened tensions in the region. Palestinians retaliated by throwing rocks, road-blocking and tire burning throughout the territories.
How did the world react to the Intifada?
On 17 February 1989, the UN Security Council drafted a resolution condemning Israel for disregarding Security Council resolutions, and for not complying with Geneva Convention law. The United States put a veto on a draft resolution condemning alleged Israeli violations of human rights
The Intifada was recognized as an occasion where the Palestinians acted cohesively and independently of their leadership or assistance of neighboring Arab states, and broke the image of Jerusalem as a Israeli city. There was international coverage, and the Israeli response was criticized by media outlets internationally.