A Palestinian youth holds up Molotov cocktail and stones during riots in Ramallah after Israeli right-wing opposition leader Ariel Sharon’s visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque. AFP
A Palestinian youth holds up Molotov cocktail and stones during riots in Ramallah after Israeli right-wing opposition leader Ariel Sharon’s visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque. AFP

2000 - The Second Intifada

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Updated 19 April 2025
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2000 - The Second Intifada

2000 - The Second Intifada
  • The uprising reversed the gains of the grassroots First Intifada and relieved the international community of its obligations to help end the occupation of Palestine

AMMAN: The Second Palestinian Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada, began in late September 2000, following the collapse of the Camp David Summit and a controversial visit by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the Haram Al-Sharif, the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

Unlike the largely nonviolent First Intifada, this uprising marked a significant turn toward militarization, resulting in mistakes and challenges that have profoundly shaped the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ever since. 

During the First Intifada, Palestinians employed peaceful grassroots strategies that garnered global sympathy and put pressure on Israel diplomatically. 

In contrast, the militarized tactics of the Second Intifada — including suicide bombings and attacks on Israeli civilians — alienated many international supporters and reinforced negative stereotypes of Palestinians as the perpetrators of violence. 

This shift undermined the moral high ground previously held by Palestinians and allowed Israel to frame its own actions as acts of self-defense against terrorism, rather than as an occupying force suppressing a people’s right to self-determination. 

Internal divisions within the Palestinian leadership compounded the challenges. The Palestinian Authority, under Yasser Arafat, struggled to maintain control as militant factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, gained influence. These groups operated independently, often clashing with the PA’s objectives and undermining its authority. 

How we wrote it




Arab News’ front page covered clashes erupting the day of Ariel Sharon’s Al-Aqsa visit, igniting the Second Intifada.

The lack of a unified strategy not only weakened the Palestinian cause but also emboldened Israel to exploit the divisions. The inability of the PA to present a cohesive front further eroded its legitimacy among Palestinians, many of whom felt betrayed by what they perceived as corruption and ineffectiveness within their own leadership. The popular support for armed attacks meant that even young activists from the more moderate centrist ruling party, Fatah, were motivated to carry out some assaults against Israeli soldiers. 

Arafat’s ambiguous stance on armed resistance — neither fully endorsing nor condemning it — led to confusion and a lack of direction. This ambiguity allowed Israel to accuse the PA of complicity in the violence, and justify military operations that devastated Palestinian infrastructure and deepened the occupation. 

The destruction of key public institutions, including schools, hospitals and police stations, left Palestinian society in disarray, with long-term repercussions still felt today. 

It is estimated the violence resulted in the deaths of more than 6,000 Palestinian and more than 1,000 Israeli combatants and civilians. According to the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, of the 6,371 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the 10 years from 2000 to 2010, at least 2,996, including 1,317 minors, were noncombatants. Of the 1,083 Israelis killed, 741 were civilians. 

From an economic perspective, the Second Intifada was a catastrophe. The Israeli military response included widespread closures and curfews, and the destruction of infrastructure, crippling the Palestinian economy. Unemployment and poverty rates soared, creating a humanitarian crisis that further fueled resentment and despair. 

The economic devastation not only hurt Palestinian livelihoods but weakened the ability of the PA to govern effectively, as it became increasingly reliant on foreign aid to sustain basic services. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    Camp David Summit brings together US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat but ends without agreement. It was an attempt to continue negotiations on the Middle East peace process and end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    Timeline Image July 11-25, 2000

  • 2

    Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visits Al-Aqsa Mosque, triggering the Second Intifada. Israel reoccupies the Palestinian territories amid fighting between the Palestinian resistance and Israeli army.

  • 3

    Sharon takes office as prime minister.

  • 4

    Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz announces the Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories in return for Arab recognition of Israel’s right to exist. It is adopted by the Arab League.

    Timeline Image March 28, 2002

  • 5

    Israel begins construction of a wall to create a barrier separating the West Bank.

    Timeline Image June 16, 2002

  • 6

    Israeli parliament approves a Gaza disengagement plan proposed by Sharon.

  • 7

    Mahmoud Abbas secures landslide victory in Palestinian Authority presidential election after death of Arafat. He pledges to end the occupation and make peace.

  • 8

    Abbas meets Sharon, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for the first time since becoming president. They declare a truce.

    Timeline Image Feb. 8, 2005

  • 9

    Israeli military forces leave Gaza after 38 years of occupation. Two years later, Israel imposes a land, air and sea blockade that continues to this day.

While the First Intifada successfully leveraged media coverage to highlight the plight of Palestinians under occupation, the focus of the Second Intifada on violent resistance shifted the narrative. Western media often portrayed Palestinians as aggressors, overshadowing legitimate grievances about occupation, settlement expansions and human rights abuses. This hindered efforts to gain support for international pressure on Israel to change its policies. 

The Second Intifada also highlighted a generational divide within Palestinian society. Younger Palestinians, disillusioned by the Oslo Accords and the lack of tangible progress, were more inclined toward armed resistance. 

Meanwhile, illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank proliferated during this period, a clear and highly visible sign that Israeli authorities had no intention of ever ending the occupation of Palestine. 

In contrast, older generations who had witnessed the success of nonviolent strategies during the First Intifada were skeptical of a more militarized approach. This generational rift weakened the cohesion of the Palestinian struggle, making it more difficult to mobilize unified action. 

The Second Intifada provided Israel with an opportunity to tighten its grip on the occupied territories. Under the guise of combating terrorism, Israeli authorities expanded settlements, constructed the 712-kilometer-long separation wall, and implemented policies that further fragmented Palestinian communities. 

The wall, in particular, has had a lasting impact, serving to effectively annex large swaths of Palestinian land and render the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state increasingly untenable. Coupled with checkpoints, the wall, which remains the single largest obstacle in the West Bank, restricts the movement of Palestinians, entrenches territorial and social fragmentation, undermines livelihoods, and hinders access to basic emergency, health and educational services. 

These measures, justified as security necessities, served to entrench the occupation and made the goal of a two-state solution more elusive than ever. 




Israeli policemen aim their guns at stone-throwing Palestinians in an east Jerusalem neighborhood during clashes. AFP

Such activities and restrictions have intensified since the Oct. 7 cross-border attacks by Hamas; Israeli authorities added 86 new obstacles to movement that affect the lives of 3.3 million Palestinians across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to 2024 data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 

There are now 793 obstacles to movement in the West Bank, including 89 round-the-clock checkpoints and 149 that operate part time, during the day. In addition, 150 communities own farmland from which they have been isolated by the wall. Previously they could access this land through 69 agricultural gates controlled by Israeli forces, but they have been barred from working the land since October 2023, resulting in significant losses of income, particularly from olive groves and other seasonal crops. 

The Second Intifada also created a precedent for settler violence. Emboldened by the Israeli government’s harsh crackdown on Palestinians, settlers in the West Bank carried out attacks on Palestinian farmers, homes and villages, often with impunity. 

The attacks continue to escalate. In 2024, UNOCHA recorded 1,420 attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank, the highest number since it began tracking the figures in 2006. During 2023 and 2024 alone, Israeli forces and settlers killed 1,003 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to UNOCHA. Settler violence is now a persistent feature of the conflict, further exacerbating tensions and deepening Palestinian mistrust of both the Israeli government and the international community. 

The Second Intifada stands as a cautionary tale of the perils of militarization, internal divisions and the failure to adapt strategies to shifting realities. While the uprising underscored the depth of Palestinian frustration and the injustices of the occupation, its methods ultimately weakened the Palestinian cause and allowed Israel to solidify its control over the occupied territories. 




Flanked by security, former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon visits the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City, a site also revered by Jews as Temple Mount. The visit ignited the Second Intifada. AFP

Moving forward, Palestinians must reflect on the lessons of the Second Intifada, as well as the Oct. 7 attacks, to chart a more effective course. A renewed emphasis on nonviolent resistance, coupled with efforts to unify the Palestinian leadership and regain international support, could provide a path toward achieving their aspirations. 

At the same time, the international community must recognize its role in perpetuating the status quo and take meaningful steps to address the root causes of the conflict. Without accountability and a genuine commitment to justice, the mistakes and challenges of the Second Intifada are doomed to be repeated, perpetuating a cycle of violence and suffering that benefits no one. 

The Palestinian armed resistance is the product not only of the continuing Israeli occupation, but also the inaction of the international community and the absence of any political horizon. Without any hope for a better future, Palestinians mistakenly resorted to armed attacks, which delayed rather than accelerated the end of occupation. 

The price of the armed struggle, whether the Second Intifada or the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, has been high, not only in terms of lives lost and the destruction of Palestinian livelihoods and property, but because it also relieved the international community of its obligation to work on efforts to end the Israeli occupation and allow Palestinians to exercise their inalienable political rights. 

  • Daoud Kuttab is a columnist for Arab News, specializing in Middle Eastern, and more specifically, Palestinian affairs. He is the author of the book “State of Palestine NOW: Practical and logical arguments for the best way to bring peace to the Middle East.”


Sirens sound in Jerusalem as army says intercepts Yemen missile

Sirens sound in Jerusalem as army says intercepts Yemen missile
Updated 15 min 56 sec ago
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Sirens sound in Jerusalem as army says intercepts Yemen missile

Sirens sound in Jerusalem as army says intercepts Yemen missile

JERUSALEM: Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem, where AFP journalists reported loud booms overheard, as the Israeli military announced it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Thursday.
"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted," the army said in a statement.


French Open odds against tennis great Novak Djokovic as time running out for record 25th Slam

French Open odds against tennis great Novak Djokovic as time running out for record 25th Slam
Updated 23 min 27 sec ago
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French Open odds against tennis great Novak Djokovic as time running out for record 25th Slam

French Open odds against tennis great Novak Djokovic as time running out for record 25th Slam
  • The 38-year-old Serbian’s bid for a fourth French Open crown looks more unlikely than in many years
  • Djokovic struggling for form since his run to the Australian Open semifinals back in January before retiring injured

BERLIN: If there is one tennis player who knows how to beat the odds when they are stacked against him, it is 24-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
The 38-year-old Serbian’s bid for a fourth French Open crown looks more unlikely than in many years, with Djokovic struggling for form since his run to the Australian Open semifinals back in January before retiring injured.
Since then Djokovic, who has 99 tour titles to his name and is in the twilight of a glorious career, has reached only one final and has not lifted a trophy this year.
After two early losses in Monte Carlo and Madrid, it was clear that Djokovic’s attempt to claim a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam could be his hardest yet.
“(It is) kind of a new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament,” Djokovic said after his early Madrid exit.
He was expected to jumpstart his clay campaign in Rome before returning to Paris, where he won Olympic gold last year, but he skipped the Italian Open without giving a reason.
Instead he picked up a surprise wild card for the Geneva Open this week, in what looks like a last-ditch attempt to get some more matches on clay under his belt before Paris.
News of the wild card came as Djokovic split with his coach Andy Murray after only a few months working together.
Djokovic appointed fellow former world number one Murray ahead of this year’s Australian Open and the Serb said at the Qatar Open in February that he would continue working with the Scot for an indefinite period.
That time, however, ended abruptly last week with the Djokovic-Murray partnership yielding no titles and one losing final in Miami.
Their partnership is now officially over as Djokovic heads toward the French Open in a cloud of uncertainty over his form and future.
The world number six has struggled to assert his dominance after winning three out of the four Grand Slams in 2023.
There is even more uncertainty over his chances of reaching the last major goal in his illustrious career: adding that elusive 25th record Grand Slam to his collection to move past Margaret Court on the all-time winners’ list.


Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 

Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 
Updated 40 min 9 sec ago
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Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 

Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 
  • This year, Pakistan has employed 561 Hajj support staff known as Moavineen
  • Nearly 112,620 Pakistanis are set to perform the annual pilgrimage in June 2025

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hajj Mission (PHM) is conducting trainings for Hajj support staff from May 3-27 to orient them with knowledge of routes, accommodations and responsibilities related to assisting pilgrims as they visit sacred sites for the annual pilgrimage in Makkah, state news agency APP reported on Thursday.

This year, Pakistan has employed 561 Hajj support staff, known as Moavineen, to assist nearly 112,620 Pakistanis set to perform the annual pilgrimage, which will fall in the first week of June. 

“Over 430 Moavineen currently serving in the transport, accommodation and food departments have been oriented so far on how to assist Pakistani intending pilgrims in Mashair during the Hajj days,” APP reported, quoting Deputy Coordinator Operation Sadaqat Ali as saying.

Mashair refers to sacred sites in Makkah where pilgrims visit or perform Hajj rituals, including Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah. 

Pakistani pilgrims have been assigned 34 maktabs, numbered from 101 to 134, in Mina, while 17 maktabs are located on roads 56 and 62. The remaining are situated on road 511, the report said. The term maktab in the context of Hajj refers to an administrative office or center that provides pilgrims with essential services during their stay in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah.

Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has also recently reviewed the transport, accommodation, and catering arrangements for pilgrims, APP added.

For the first time, Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will have access to fully air-conditioned camps in Mina and will be accommodated in top-of-the-line hotels and buildings in the Azizia and Batha Quraish neighborhoods.

Over 35,000 pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia so far to attend the pilgrimage, according to Pakistani state media.


ICC prosecutor says Netanyahu arrest warrant should remain as Israel jurisdiction challenge is heard

ICC prosecutor says Netanyahu arrest warrant should remain as Israel jurisdiction challenge is heard
Updated 30 min 38 sec ago
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ICC prosecutor says Netanyahu arrest warrant should remain as Israel jurisdiction challenge is heard

ICC prosecutor says Netanyahu arrest warrant should remain as Israel jurisdiction challenge is heard
  • Prosecutors argue there is ‘no basis to withdraw or vacate’ the pending warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
  • Israel is not a member of the court and contends the ICC has no authority to prosecute Israeli nationals

THE HAGUE, Netherlands: International Criminal Court prosecutors have urged judges to reject a request by Israel to scrap arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister while the court reconsiders its jurisdiction over Gaza and the West Bank.
In a 10-page written submission posted on the ICC website late Wednesday, prosecutors argue there is “no basis to withdraw or vacate” the pending warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
The warrants were issued in November, when judges found there was “reason to believe” Netanyahu and Gallant used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials strongly deny the accusations.
The prosecution document was signed on behalf of prosecutor Karim Khan, who temporarily stepped down on Friday pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The filing argues it is important for the underlying investigation to continue in the “current situation where crimes are ongoing and escalating.”
Last month, appeals judges ordered a pretrial panel to reconsider an Israeli challenge to the court’s jurisdiction.
Israel argued in its application for the warrants to be withdrawn that the court “doesn’t have, and never had” jurisdiction to issue warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
Israel is not a member of the court and contends the ICC has no authority to prosecute Israeli nations. The Hague-based institution, however, has accepted “The State of Palestine” as one of its 126 member nations.
ICC chief prosecutor Khan is currently on leave until the conclusion of an external probe into accusations that he tried for more than a year to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship and groped her against her will.
An investigation by The Associated Press last year found that two court employees, in whom the alleged victim confided, reported the alleged misconduct in May 2024 to the court’s independent watchdog.
Along with the warrants for the Israeli officials, the court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’ armed wing, over the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The warrant was withdrawn in February, after his death in an Israeli airstrike was confirmed.


Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release

Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release
Updated 50 min 41 sec ago
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Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release

Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release
  • Khan has been in jail since August 2023 in a slew of cases he says are politically motivated
  • Establishment is euphemism to mean Pakistan army and associated pro-military entities

ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has denied reports a deal has been made for his release from prison, once again inviting the “establishment” for talks in the interest of Pakistan as it faces external and internal security threats and treads a tricky path to economic recovery.

In Pakistan, the establishment is a euphemism to describe the armed forces and intelligence agencies and associated pro-military entities.

The military has ruled Pakistan for at least three decades since independence in 1947 and wields extraordinary influence even with a civilian government in office. The current army chief, General Syed Asim Munir, promoted this week to field marshal, only the second general in Pakistan to get the rank, is widely believed to have considerable sway over government affairs. The military says it does not interfere in politics. 

“The rumors that are being spread about a deal with me, no deal has been made, nor are there any talks regarding a deal, are all lies,” Khan said in a message posted on his X account after he met his lawyers and family members on Wednesday.

“I myself am inviting the establishment that if they want to talk in the interest of Pakistan, if they are concerned about Pakistan, then come and talk,” he added, saying political forces in the country would have to come together at a time when Pakistan faced “external threats, growing terrorism, and the restoration of the economy.”

“I was not asking for anything for myself before, nor will I ask for anything now,” Khan said, referring to reports he was trying to negotiate a deal to get out of prison. 

After being jailed in August 2023 and slapped with a slew of cases Khan says are politically motivated, a Pakistani court sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment in a land corruption case in January. Before that, he had either been acquitted or his sentences suspended in most other cases, except for one on charges of inciting supporters to rampage through military facilities to protest against his arrest on May 9, 2023. Khan denies giving the instructions for the protests. 

His supporters have led several violent protest rallies since the May 9 incidents, with the government and military publicly vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. The protests were widely seen as the most serious challenge to the military’s hegemony in years. 

The army has since also faced sharp domestic criticism over accusations it was behind the jailing of Khan and cracking down on supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, as well as what critics alleged was rigging the general election last year to favor a rival party. The army rejects the accusations. 

But the military’s popular support has surged after the worst military conflict in decades with arch-rival India earlier this month. On May 7, the Indian military carried out air strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan, in response to a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan claimed to have downed at least 5-6 Indian fighter jets in response and carried out air strikes on Indian military bases. India has indicated that it suffered some losses and inflicted damage on key Pakistani air bases and air defense systems. 

A ceasefire was brokered by the US on May 10. 

– With inputs from Reuters