Israeli, Palestinian youth fear conflict will ‘never end,’ says poll

In this Monday, July 22, 2019 file photo, Israeli forces blow up a building in a Palestinian village of Sur Baher, east Jerusalem. (AP)
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Updated 16 January 2020
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Israeli, Palestinian youth fear conflict will ‘never end,’ says poll

  • Sixty five percent of Israeli millennials surveyed and 52 percent of their Palestinian counterparts said they expected the conflict to continue in perpetuity

GAZA: The majority of young Israelis and Palestinians believe the conflict between their peoples “will never end,” according to a survey published Thursday by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Sixty five percent of Israeli millennials surveyed and 52 percent of their Palestinian counterparts said they expected the conflict to continue in perpetuity, the ICRC said in a statement.

It said they were the most pessimistic of a series of war-affected populations surveyed in a global poll of more than 16,000 people aged between 20 and 35.

The global poll found more than half feared there would be a nuclear attack in the next decade.

“In general, the results indicate that millennials are nervous about the future, and heightened tensions in the Middle East are likely to deepen these fears,” the ICRC said in a statement.

The simmering conflict has been ongoing for decades and there are currently no peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in a 1967 war and later annexed the flashpoint holy city in a move never recognized by the international community.

Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas and allied militant groups have fought three wars with Israel since 2008.


Al-Aqsa Mosque remains closed amid action from US, Israel against Iran

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Al-Aqsa Mosque remains closed amid action from US, Israel against Iran

  • Compound has been closed since Saturday morning
  • Israeli forces barred worshippers from entering site on Sunday, citing state of emergency

LONDON: Al-Aqsa Mosque has been closed for a second successive day by the Israeli authorities in light of the country’s action against Iran and increased tension in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Authority announced that Israeli forces had barred worshippers from entering the site on Sunday, citing a state of emergency, according to the WAFA News Agency.

The agency added that Al-Aqsa compound had been closed since Saturday morning, preventing worshippers from performing Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan.

The Israeli authorities implemented strict security measures in Jerusalem as the month of Ramadan began in February. They restricted access to the mosque to men over 55, women over 50, and accompanied children under the age of 12.

The Israeli authorities shut down Al-Aqsa in June 2025 during 12 days of conflict with Iran, marking the longest period the site had been closed since 1967.

Israel and the US conducted numerous airstrikes inside Iran on Saturday, targeting military facilities. The strikes also resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, and other senior officials. Iran retaliated by launching missiles into Israel and attacking US bases in Gulf countries.