At this juncture in history, the leader of the Likud Party, Ariel Sharon, made a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, accompanied by 3,000 Israeli police officers. From there, he declared Israel's control over the region, stating it wouldn't be handed to the Palestinians due to its construction on a sacred Jewish site. These statements and the visit incited widespread agitation and protests, igniting clashes between Palestinians and the occupying forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This unrest, termed the 'Al-Aqsa Intifada,' engaged all segments of Palestinian society and security entities, ultimately culminating in the assassination of President Yasser Arafat, who had supported the uprising.
Throughout the intifada, 6,426 individuals were martyred, including 4,959 innocent civilians, among them 1,210 children and 274 women.
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