Photo/Illutration Fire and smoke rise following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Oct. 8. (AP Photo))

In December 1987, Palestinian youths in Israel-occupied Gaza and the West Bank started throwing stones at Israeli troops.

Young boys flung small flat stones that flew well, while older boys threw bigger rocks. Soon, women and children also joined forces in what became known globally as the First Palestinian Intifada.

As a tactic of popular uprising against overwhelmingly powerful Israel, the Intifada gained the sympathy of the international community. This was soon followed by the establishment of Hamas, an Islamic organization that currently governs the Gaza Strip.

In 1993, Hamas rejected the Oslo Accords that recognized Israel’s statehood.

In the Second Intifada that broke out in 2000, Hamas switched stones for guns and started resorting to frequent suicide bombings against Israeli onslaughts by tanks and bomber planes.

While the clashes intensified, Hamas implemented social welfare initiatives that increased its influence on Palestinian citizens.

Two decades ago in Gaza, I interviewed a woman who was collaborating with Hamas. Having sent three of her sons on suicide bombing missions, she was extremely cautious about concealing her whereabouts from Israeli forces, and our designated meeting places were changed many times.

Armed Hamas soldiers stood guard while she and I talked. I was shocked when she told me: “I have no regrets. I am ready to offer my remaining sons to the cause.”

In the ongoing massive attack against Israel, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets, and numerous civilians have been killed.

This is unconscionable. There is not even the remotest resemblance to what was essentially a nonviolent “civil disobedience of the vulnerable” of 36 years ago.

But what has not changed is the unending violence and elusiveness of peace in the Middle East.

Israeli retaliation continues. More civilians will be killed in Gaza, which has become a death trap under “complete siege.” I cannot bear this.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 11

* * *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.