As Palestinians have not had a fully recognized state with a regular army, much of Palestinian political violence in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict has taken the form of insurgency. Common objectives of political violence by Palestinian groups include self-determination in or sovereignty over the region of Palestine, seeking a one-state solution,de Waart, 1994, p. 223 . or the recognition of a Palestinian state. This includes the objective of ending the Israeli occupation. Goals also include the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and recognition of the Palestinian right of return.
Palestinian groups that have been involved in politically motivated violence include the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Abu Nidal Organization, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hamas. Several of these groups are considered terrorist organizations by the governments of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand and the European Union.
Attacks have taken place both within Israel and Palestine as well as internationally. They have been directed at both military targets and civilians of many countries. Tactics have included hostage taking, plane hijacking, boat hijacking, stone throwing, improvised explosive device, knife attacks, shooting sprees, attacks with vehicles, car bombs and assassinations.
List
War Palestiniansand allies Opponents Result Wars involving the groups in (1920–1948) Syrian Arab Kingdom Arab Shia militia YishuvVictory Arabs set fire to the village of Tel Hai. Arab civilians of Manshiya Yishuv Palestine Communist Party Ahdut HaAvoda Zionist Commission Haganah
Palestine Police ForceInconclusive Jewish civilians suffer 47 deaths and 146 injuries. Arab civilians suffer 48 deaths and 73 injuries. Haycraft Commission published a report which angered both Jews and Arabs. Arab Higher Committee Local rebel factions (fasa'il) Volunteers from the Arab World Central Committee of National Jihad in Palestine Bureau of the Arab Revolt in Palestine Society for the Defense of Palestine Palestine Police Force Jewish Settlement Police Jewish Supernumerary Police Special Night Squads National Defense PartyArab "peace bands" Yishuv Jewish National Council Haganah Fosh Peulot Meyuhadot IrgunRevolt suppressed Issuance of the White Paper of 1939. Arab Higher Committee(before 15 May 1948)(after 15 May 1948)
Arab League: Egypt All-Palestine Protectorate (after 22 September 1948) Transjordan Syria Iraq
Irregulars: Al-Najjada Holy War Army Arab Liberation Army Muslim Brotherhood Yishuv(before 14 May 1948)(after 14 May 1948) Before 26 May 1948: Haganah Palmach Hish HIM Irgun Lehi Druze militants Allied Bedouin tribesPalestine Post, "Israel's Bedouin Warriors", Gene Dison, August 12, 1948
After 26 May 1948: Israel Defense Forces Sword Battalion
Foreign volunteers: Mahal
(before 15 May 1948)Defeat Hundreds of thousands of Arabs flee or are expelled to the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and surrounding Arab states, forming the start of the Palestinian refugee crisis. Beginning of the Palestinian Fedayeen insurgency. Establishment of the State of Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Jews flee or are expelled from Arab countries, largely settling in Israel. Arab League boycott of Israel. 1949 Armistice Agreements signed. Annexation of the West Bank by Transjordan (including East Jerusalem). Occupation of the Gaza Strip by Egypt and establishment of the All-Palestine Government. Syrian foothold established to the north and south of the Sea of Galilee. Wars involving (1948–present) Palestinian FedayeenSupported by: All-Palestine Protectorate Kingdom of Egypt (until 1953) Republic of Egypt (from 1953) SyriaInconclusive Outbreak of the Suez Crisis. Palestinian militant groups Defeat Palestinian militant groups became increasingly fragmented and ineffective. The IDF demolished around 2,000 homes with bulldozers as well as displaced nearly 16,000 people in Rafah Camp and other refugee camps across the Gaza Strip.Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon Palestine Liberation Organization Lebanese National Movement Lebanese National Resistance FrontSupported by:Golan, The Soviet Union and the Palestine Liberation Organization, pp. 35–36. South Lebanon Army Lebanese ForcesDefeat Expulsion of the Palestine Liberation Organization from Lebanese territory to Tunisia, after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Beginning of the South Lebanon conflict in 1985.Battle of Karameh Jordan Palestine Liberation Organization
PLA IsraelBoth sides claim victory Destruction of Karameh campPollack (2002), p. 333 Israel fails to capture Yasser Arafat Israeli withdrawal from Karameh; repulsed in other axesBlack September PLO Fatah Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) Syria Syrian Armed Forces Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) Jordanian Armed ForcesDefeat Syrian invasion repelled. Palestinian militants expelled to Lebanon. Formation of the Black September Organization. Federation of Arab Republics Arab Islamic Republic
United Arab States (1958–1961)
Supported by: (1958)
Supported by:Inconclusive Decline of pan-Arabism and Nasserism after the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser Rise of Wahhabism, Salafi jihadism, Islamism and Ba'athism after the death of Nasser International propagation of Salafism and Wahhabism in several countries financed with Saudi oil exports Beginning of the 1969 Somali coup d'état, establishing the Somali Democratic Republic Creation of Gulf Cooperation Council Failed attempts of an Arab Union: Arab Federation United Arab Republic United Arab States Federation of Arab Republics United Arab Kingdom Union of Arab Republics Arab Islamic Republic Successful attempts of an Arab Union: Unity of nine Arab emirates to form UAE Yemeni unification Libya Palestine Liberation Organization Uganda National Liberation Front Kikosi Maalum Front for National Salvation Save Uganda Movement OthersDefeat Collapse of the Second Republic of Uganda. Idi Amin flees into exile. Libya Islamic Legion Pro-Libyan Chadian factions FROLINAT GUNT (1979–1986) Codos (1983–1986) FAP (1978–1986) Abu Nidal Organization Anti-Libyan Chadian factions Chadian Armed Forces (1978–1979) Armed Forces of the North (1978–1983) Chadian National Armed Forces (1983–1987) Transitional Government of National Unity (1986–1987) Inter-African Force
National Front for the Salvation of LibyaDefeat Chad regains control of the Aouzou Strip. Al-Qiyada al-Muwhhada
Palestinian Communist Party
Uprising suppressedKober, Avi, Israel's Wars of Attrition: Attrition Challenges to Democratic States, p. 165 Creation of the West Bank "Areas" by the Oslo II Accord in 1995. PLO
Uprising suppressed Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip Israel initiates the Gaza disengagement plan Israel constructs the West Bank barrier Palestinian Joint Operations Room Hamas government (Until 2007) Salafi jihadist groupsOngoing Amal Movement Lebanese Communist Party Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command Syrian Social Nationalist Party in LebanonInconclusive Israel occupies Ghajar until present. Hamas Islamic Jihad Israeli military victory End of Hamas rocketfire into Israel until May 2007 (though continued attacks by other groups) Palestinian Authority forces deploy to stop rocket launches until June 2007. Battle of Gaza (2007) Fatah Palestinian Authority Support: (alleged by Hamas) Hamas Hamas victory Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip. Gaza War (2008–2009)
Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades
Al-Quds Brigades
Popular Resistance Committees Israel Israel Defense Forces Israel Security Agency Defeat IDF declared unilateral ceasefire, 12 hours later Hamas announced a one-week ceasefire. Humanitarian crisis and deterioration of infrastructure and basic services in Gaza. Temporary reduction in the number of rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip. See results Gaza Strip Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Jaljalat IsraelIsraeli withdrawal from Gaza Palestinian militias in the West Bank Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Popular Resistance Committees
Fatah al-Intifada (suspected) IsraelHamas-led victory Direct peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel broke down by late September.PM Netanyahu's Speech at the Opening of the Knesset Winter Session, Embassy of Israel 12-10-2010 Gaza Strip
Sinai-based attackersAttack Succeeded Eight Israelis – six civilians, one Yamam special unit police sniper and one Golani Brigade soldier—were killed in the multiple-stage attack. Gaza Strip
Ceasefire On March 13, Egypt brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant groups. Gaza Strip
Al-Qassam Brigades
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command
Popular Resistance Committees
Jaysh al-Ummah Ceasefire Both sides claim victory According to Israel, the operation "severely impaired Hamas's launching capabilities." According to Hamas, their rocket strikes led to the ceasefire deal Cessation of rocket fire into Israel Gaza fishermen allowed out to sea for fishing; reduced back to after 22 March 2013
"Qassam brigades claim rocket, mortar fire at southern Israel ", Ma'an News Agency, Monday 21 July 2014.
Abdullah Azzam Brigades Jaysh al-Ummah InconclusiveInbar, Efraim, Did Israel Weaken Hamas? The 2014 Gaza War, Middle East Quarterly, Spring 2015 According to Israel, Hamas was severely weakened and achieved none of its demands. According to Hamas, Israel was repelled from Gaza. Hamas Palestinian lone wolves Arab Israeli lone wolves Shin Bet Israel Police MagavInconclusiveIslamic Movement in Israel Arab Israeli lone wolves Jerusalem WaqfMUSLIM AUTHORITY PROTESTS TEMPLE MOUNT SECURITY MEASURES, BLOCKS ENTRANCE, JPost, 16 July 2017 Palestinian protesters. Palestinians inside Temple Mount. Palestinian lone wolves Jordanian lone wolves Gazan protesters Israel Police Israel Border PoliceInconclusive Further Temple Mount entry restrictions. Gaza Strip Palestinian Joint Operations Room
Unaffiliated protesters Israel Border PoliceInconclusive Exchanges of fire led to 223 Palestinian deaths. Palestinian Joint Operations Room
Al-Qassam Brigades
Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen BrigadesCeasefire Palestinian Joint Operations Room
Al-Qassam Brigades
National Resistance Brigades
Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen BrigadesCeasefire In the early morning of 6 May, a ceasefire agreement mediated by Egypt in its capital city Cairo was reached, taking effect at 4:30 A.M (1:30 UTC). At 7:00 A.M., Israel announced all restrictions for residents of the south were lifted, and schools opened normally. Palestinian Joint Operations Room Ceasefire 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis (2021) Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Smaller militant groups
Protesters in Israel and PalestineJordanian, Lebanese, and Syrian protesters (see international)
Israel Police Israel Border Police Shin Bet
Jewish Israeli protesters Ceasefire Return to status quo ante bellum; ceasefire went into effect. Victory claimed by both sides. Halting of both Israeli airstrikes inside the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. Palestinian Joint Operations Room Ceasefire Following Egyptian mediation, a ceasefire effective from 22:00 (1900 GMT) on 7 August was agreed according to Egyptian and Palestinian sources, although Israel and the PIJ did not officially confirm this. Palestinian Joint Operations Room
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
Al-Quds Brigades Liwa al-Quds Palestinian militias in the West Bank Lions' Den Nablus Brigade Balata Brigade