Violence, power and resistance: analysing terrorism in the Israel - Palestine conflict

The Israel – Palestine conflict is a complex and multifaceted conflict which has persisted for decades, subject to different understandings and interpretations. This dissertation revolves around the question of terrorism, its interpretation and application to the conflict, in order to understand its presence, role and forms of execution. It will firstly examine the definition of terrorism, underlying the difficulty in defining this contested concept, and will delve into the root dynamics of the conflict by analysing key concepts such as Nationalism, Zionism, resistance and armed struggle, in order to comprehend its foundational elements. A brief paragraph will go over its historical developments, which will then be deepened by the subsequent analysis. In fact, specific actions and episodes will be analysed, such as the Intifada and the Israeli occupation, different acts of violence and restrictions, in order to unmask violent acts undertaken by both actors which could reflect and fall under the commonly definitional elements of terrorism. Moreover, this dissertation will provide an overview of the October 7 attack (2023) with its immediate consequences and developments, analysing their portrayal in different newspapers and news outlets with a focus on the following countries and region: Italy, the United States and the Middle East. To conclude, the last chapter will delve into the final objective of this dissertation, which is to contextualize terrorism within the conflict.