Years After Second Uprising Palestinians Still Face Bleak Future

Palestinians who grew up in the shadow of the second intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation say they have no future | AFP
Palestinians who grew up in the shadow of the second intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation say they have no future | AFP
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Years After Second Uprising Palestinians Still Face Bleak Future

Palestinians who grew up in the shadow of the second intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation say they have no future | AFP
Palestinians who grew up in the shadow of the second intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation say they have no future | AFP

Two decades on from the second intifada, Palestinians who grew up in the shadow of the uprising find themselves surrounded by physical and political barriers with little hope for the future.

In Jenin refugee camp, in the north of the occupied West Bank, the walls are plastered with posters showing young Palestinian men wearing keffiyeh scarfs around their necks and clutching AK-47 assault rifles.

Whether killed by Israeli forces or jailed, their images have faded over the years.

"When I walk through the camp, I try to reconcile my memory with what I see today," said Nidal Naghnaghyeh Turkeman, 48, who spent 17 years in prison for his role in the uprising.

Nidal fought in the ranks of the main Palestinian faction Fatah in the first intifada (1987 to 1993) which preceded a brief optimistic period when the Oslo peace accords brought hope of a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But by the turn of the century disillusionment had set in and the second intifada broke out after right-wing Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem on September 28, 2000.

The move was seen as a provocation by Palestinians and violent clashes between them and Israeli forces followed.

The second intifada lasted five years, during which attacks were carried out in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank.

In response, Israel reoccupied much of the West Bank and began building a separation barrier between the two communities that in places cuts deep into occupied territory.

Jenin refugee camp was caught up in the violence and in 2002 was besieged by Israeli forces for more than a month.

Turkeman, who lost two brothers in the fighting, was jailed for his role in an attack shortly after the siege which killed six Israeli civilians.

- 'Emigration or fighting' -

While reminders of the uprising can be seen on the streets of Jenin, such as a former fighter selling grapes in a wheelchair, daily life has changed significantly over the past two decades.

Israel built the West Bank security barrier -- which Palestinians call an apartheid wall separating them from Jerusalem -- saying it was necessary to prevent attacks.

In Gaza, the militant group Hamas took power and the impoverished and densely-populated coastal enclave has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007.

In December 2017, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, going against international consensus that the city's status can only be defined as part of a peace accord.

Turkeman's twin daughters, Yara and Sara, were born just weeks before the siege and saw little of their father growing up.

"At the start we rejected him. We couldn't find a place for him in our hearts," said Sara, an 18-year-old studying IT at university.

Despite having no memories of the second intifada, the twins say their father is still viewed as a hero by young Palestinians in Jenin.

"Today, we are still in the intifada, there are attacks every day, people wounded and nothing has been solved," said Sara, her sister nodding her head in agreement.

"There is no future here, the only two options are emigration or fighting."

- 'Loss of hope' -

The Israeli military controls 60 percent of the West Bank and many Palestinians lament how the occupation has been normalized over the decades following the unrealized Oslo accords.

The Palestinian leadership has slammed agreements Israel signed with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at a September 15 White House ceremony hosted by Trump.

But their calls for protest have largely fallen flat with young Palestinians who, according to analyst Ghassan Khatib, "feel really isolated and deprived" of any role in politics.

"There haven't been elections for 15 years and with the economic crisis... young people think more about trying to find a job," said the Palestinian expert.

There is a marked generational gap between 60 percent of the Palestinian population who are under 30, according to United Nations data, and the leadership of 84-year-old Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

"The crisis of this generation really started during the second intifada," said Khatib.

"Palestinian youth began to understand that neither the peace process nor armed combat worked, this led to a loss of hope," he added.

In the streets of Jenin, 20-year-old barber Oday says his priority is to earn money to support his family and then get married.

"We talk more about what the Israeli army does, the (house) demolitions, attacks, those wounded," said Oday, who spends his free time playing video games.

The Israeli army regularly demolishes Palestinian homes built without permits -- which are almost impossible to obtain -- or those belonging to people suspected of carrying out attacks.

In Abu Dis, which is on the outskirts of annexed east Jerusalem and cut off from the city center by the barrier, fallout from the uprising looms large.

"Life must have been better for the previous generation, because there were no walls, checkpoints, and there were job opportunities," said 18-year-old Aya.

Studying to become a carer, Aya must pass through an Israeli checkpoint to travel from her home to the nearby Al-Quds University.

Gazing at the high concrete wall, Muayed, a 22-year-old law student, said it represented the "biggest example" of the challenges young Palestinians face.

- 'We have no future' -

In Gaza, Palestinians are facing considerably worse conditions, with the Israeli blockade leading to perennial power cuts, a lack of clean water, and a youth unemployment rate hitting 65 percent, according to World Bank data.

"Here, we have no future," said Saja Emad, a 20-year-old Gazan.

"There's the blockade, we can't travel, Hamas and Fatah are divided, and there's no work for young people. We are frustrated and don't have hope anymore of seeing a Palestinian state in the near future."

Since Hamas took over the enclave in 2007 after bloody clashes with Abbas's Fatah, it has fought three wars with Israel, while thousands of Gazans have been shot by Israeli forces during protests at the border fence.

The protests at the fence started in March 2018 and ended late last year without significant Israeli concessions, ridding many young Palestinians of their hopes for political change.

But while many Palestinians are focusing on just getting by, in Jenin, Turkeman believes a third "and bigger" intifada will erupt one day.

"I'm still trying to get to know my daughters, to build bridges with them, and like me, they think that the fight must continue because they are suffering," he said.



Paris Urges Baghdad to Avoid Being Dragged in Regional Escalation

 Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Paris Urges Baghdad to Avoid Being Dragged in Regional Escalation

 Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

French diplomatic sources said Paris has warned of the risks posed by the involvement of Iraqi armed factions in any potential regional escalation, stressing that Iraq should not be drawn into conflicts that do not serve its national interests at a time of mounting regional tensions.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that the warning was among the messages delivered by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot during his visit to Baghdad on Thursday, where he held talks with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The trip marked Barrot’s second official visit to Iraq in less than a year.

According to the sources, the French minister underscored that the stability and security achieved in Iraq “with great patience and effort” should not be jeopardized under any circumstances.

He cautioned that the involvement of non-state armed groups in regional confrontations could undermine Iraq’s recovery and threaten the security of both the country and the wider region.

The stance echoed remarks Barrot made to news agencies in Baghdad on Thursday, in which he said France’s priority in the region remains the fight against ISIS and preventing its resurgence.

Any security deterioration, whether in Iraq or in camps and prisons in northeastern Syria, would benefit the group, he warned.

Barrot said France is working with its partners to ensure continued security at these sites, adding that a collapse there “would not serve anyone’s interests.”

He praised Iraq’s efforts to receive detainees linked to ISIS, calling it a crucial step in international efforts to address one of the most sensitive post-conflict files.

For his part, Hussein reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to continued cooperation with the international coalition against terrorism, emphasizing Iraq’s determination to safeguard internal stability and steer clear of regional power struggles.

Iraqi foreign policy is based on balance and building relations with all partners to shield the country from regional tensions, he stressed.

The talks also addressed Iran, amid fears of escalation and its potential repercussions for Iraq.

Barrot urged the need for Tehran to respond to a US proposal for negotiations and to make substantive concessions on its nuclear program, ballistic arsenal, and destabilizing regional activities, while ending repressive policies.

Iraq, he said, must stay out of any regional confrontation.

Paris and Baghdad are also aligned on Syria, supporting a peaceful, inclusive political transition involving all components of Syrian society, alongside continued efforts to combat ISIS and prevent its return to liberated areas, he added.

French sources said Paris’ core message was to shield Iraq from being pulled into any regional escalation and to preserve its stability.


Damascus Moves to Implement SDF Deal amid Regional and International Backing

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)
Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)
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Damascus Moves to Implement SDF Deal amid Regional and International Backing

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)
Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)

Damascus is pressing ahead with steps to implement its agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the gradual integration of its fighters, redeployment in northeastern Syria, and the return of key facilities to state control.

The deal is receiving regional and international support and is being framed as an opportunity to integrate Syria’s Kurds into state institutions and help build a “new Syria.”

On Friday, a delegation from the Syrian Ministry of Defense was in Hasakah to discuss practical measures for incorporating SDF personnel into the national military, said the ministry’s Media and Communications Directorate.

The move is in line with the agreement announced on Jan. 29 between the Syrian government and the SDF. The accord includes a ceasefire, the gradual integration of Kurdish military and administrative structures into state institutions, and the restoration of government control over vital installations in the province.

Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said the deployment of Internal Security Forces in Qamishli, in northeastern Syria, is proceeding under a clear timeline and operational plan to complete the agreement’s implementation.

This includes taking over and managing strategic facilities such as border crossings, Qamishli International Airport, and oil fields, with the aim of reactivating them “in service of the Syrian people,” he said in statements carried by state television Al-Ikhbariya.

Al-Baba added that the deployment is being carried out “in coordination with the other side in the city,” referring to the SDF, following a similar security deployment in Hasakah.

The agreement is also expected to address the issue of foreign fighters and to integrate the local Kurdish internal security force, known as the Asayish, into the Interior Ministry.

Al-Baba stressed that the ministry welcomes “all Syrian national cadres who serve the people.”

French support

French diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot informed SDF commander Mazloum Abdi that Paris wants to the January 29 agreement implemented “clause by clause” over the long term.

Barrot, who visited Iraq, Syria and Lebanon this week, described the deal as a “historic opportunity” for Syria’s Kurds to take part in building a new Syria alongside other components of society, the sources said.

The FM also discussed developments in Syria with leaders of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, acknowledging their role in securing the ceasefire between Damascus and the SDF and agreeing to maintain close coordination to ensure the agreement’s success.

On Friday, Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani met with Abdi and urged both the Syrian government and SDF to commit to the agreement.

A statement from Barzani’s office said the talks focused on conditions in northeastern Syria and underlined coordination among all parties to safeguard Kurdish rights within the country’s constitutional framework.


Axios: US Plans Meeting for Gaza 'Board of Peace' in Washington on Feb 19

Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)
Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)
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Axios: US Plans Meeting for Gaza 'Board of Peace' in Washington on Feb 19

Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)
Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)

The White House is planning the first leaders meeting for President Donald Trump's so-called "Board of Peace" in relation to Gaza on February 19, Axios reported on Friday, citing a US official and diplomats from four countries that are on the board.

The plans for the meeting, which would also be a fundraising conference for Gaza reconstruction, are in early stages and could still change, Axios reported.

The meeting is planned to be held at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, the report added, noting that Israeli Prime ‌Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‌is scheduled to meet Trump at the ‌White ⁠House on ‌February 18, a day before the planned meeting.

The White House and the US State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

In late January, Trump launched the board that he will chair and which he says will aim to resolve global conflicts, leading to many experts being concerned that such a board could undermine the United Nations, Reuters said.

Governments around ⁠the world have reacted cautiously to Trump's invitation to join that initiative. While some ‌of Washington's Middle Eastern allies have joined, many ‍of its traditional Western allies have ‍thus far stayed away.

A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in ‍mid-November, authorized the board and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire began in October under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off.

Under Trump's Gaza plan revealed late last year, the board was meant to supervise Gaza's temporary governance. Trump thereafter said ⁠it would be expanded to tackle global conflicts.

Many rights experts say that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory's affairs resembled a colonial structure and have criticized the board for not including a Palestinian.

The fragile ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly violated, with over 550 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers reported killed since the truce began in October.

Israel's assault on Gaza since late 2023 has killed over 71,000 Palestinians, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza's entire population.

Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say it amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defense after Hamas-led ‌militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in a late 2023 attack.