First Intifada
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| Name | First Intifada |
| Date | December 1987 – September 1993 |
| Place | West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem |
| Result | Led to Oslo Accords framework and changes in Israeli administration of occupied territories |
| Combatant1 | Israel |
| Combatant2 | Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip |
| Commander1 | Yitzhak Shamir; Yitzhak Rabin; Shimon Peres |
| Commander2 | Yasser Arafat; leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization and local United Palestinian Leadership |
First Intifada The First Intifada was a mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli control in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and parts of East Jerusalem from December 1987 to September 1993. It combined grassroots civil disobedience, popular committees, and armed actions, generating sustained international attention and contributing to negotiations that produced the Oslo Accords and the creation of the Palestinian Authority. The uprising influenced policymakers in Israel, the United States, and the European Community, and reshaped the politics of the Palestine Liberation Organization and local Palestinian leadership.
Background
Socioeconomic and political conditions in the occupied territories following the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War—including settlement expansion by Gush Emunim activists, land expropriations overseen by the Civil Administration (Israel), and restrictions tied to the Jordanian disengagement of 1988—created grievances among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The political landscape involved actors such as the Palestine Liberation Organization, local notable families, Islamic groups including Hamas's precursors and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, and secular parties like the Palestinian Communist Party and factions of the Fatah movement. Regional dynamics with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab League, and the strategic posture of the United States and the Soviet Union framed international responses to mounting tensions.
Outbreak and Chronology
The uprising began in December 1987 after a traffic collision in the Jabalya Refugee Camp near Gaza City that killed four Palestinians and drew public protests. Early months saw street demonstrations, general strikes called by local popular committees, and confrontations in neighborhoods such as Hebron, Nablus, Rafah, and Khan Yunis. Israeli security responses involved units of the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Border Police, and military governors empowered by orders from the Ministry of Defense (Israel). Over subsequent years, cycles of demonstrations, curfews, arrests, and military operations continued alongside incidents of ambushes and attacks claimed by groups aligned with the Palestine Liberation Organization and Islamist militants. The period culminated in negotiation processes involving delegations linked to Yitzhak Rabin's government, the United States Department of State, and secret contacts that paved the way for the Oslo Accords signed in 1993.
Participants and Tactics
Participants included neighborhood popular committees, youth organized in informal cells, trade unions like the General Union of Palestinian Workers, women’s organizations, and political factions including Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and elements associated with Hamas. Tactics ranged from stone-throwing by youths in urban centers such as Jenin and Tulkarm, civil disobedience actions like tax resistance and boycotts in towns including Qalqilya, to organized strikes in commercial hubs like Ramallah. Israeli countermeasures included arrests, administrative detention under military orders, deportations to Lebanon and Jordan, and the use of crowd-control measures by units including the Israeli Police. Armed engagements involved small-arms encounters and improvised explosives attributed to militant cells linked to the Palestine Liberation Organization and splinter groups.
Casualties and Humanitarian Impact
Casualty figures included thousands of Palestinian deaths and tens of thousands wounded, with many casualties occurring in confrontations in refugee camps such as Jenin Camp and urban centers like Hebron (al-Khalil). Israeli casualties included soldiers, border policemen, and civilians affected by stabbings, shootings, and vehicle attacks. The humanitarian impact encompassed house demolitions executed by the Civil Administration (Israel), mass arrests, administrative detentions under military rule, and restrictions on movement enforced by checkpoints and closures between towns like Bethlehem and Jerusalem. International organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented allegations of human-rights abuses, while medical services in facilities like Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City faced shortages exacerbated by curfews and supply disruptions.
Political Consequences and Peace Process
Politically, the uprising elevated grassroots Palestinian leadership and altered the Palestine Liberation Organization's standing, prompting renewed diplomacy that involved intermediaries including Norway and the United States. The pressure contributed to bilateral and multilateral initiatives culminating in the 1993 Oslo Accords between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the mutual recognition of the parties, and arrangements for limited Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Palestinian Authority. The Intifada influenced Israeli electoral politics, affecting leaders such as Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Shamir, and Yitzhak Rabin, and factored into subsequent negotiations like the Camp David Summit (2000) and the later Second Intifada.
International Reaction and Media Coverage
International reaction ranged from condemnation and calls for restraint in forums like the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council to diplomatic initiatives by the European Community and mediation efforts led by the United States Department of State and envoys including James Baker III. Media coverage by outlets such as the BBC, The New York Times, and Al Jazeera brought images of protests and clashes into global circulation, influencing public opinion in capitals like Washington, D.C., London, and Paris. Non-governmental organizations, including International Committee of the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières, documented humanitarian conditions, while solidarity movements in cities such as Madrid, Cairo, and Amman organized demonstrations and advocacy campaigns.