Has the Third Intifada Started?
A quick review of history, by way of introduction. In 1987 the Palestinians launched a civil revolt or “Intifada” against Israel , which lasted until 1993. The outbreak appeared to be spontaneous and popular, linked to a traffic accident in which an Israeli driver killed 4 Palestinians, and initially exploded into violence in the Jabalia Refugee Camp in Gaza . The First Intifada spread throughout Gaza , Judea and Samaria and was characterized tactically by Palestinian youth attacking Israeli troops using rocks and Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs). Televised images of youths with rocks defined the violence for many, but during the first four years of the uprising, more than 3,600 Molotov cocktail attacks, 100 hand grenade attacks and 600 assaults with guns or explosives were reported by the Israel Defense Forces. The violence was directed at Israeli soldiers and civilians alike: 16 Israeli civilians and 11 soldiers were killed by Palestinians in the territories; more than 1,400 Isr