Palestinians Face Scud Attacks as Gulf War Begins
Iraqi missiles target Israel while Palestinians face curfews and economic devastation as Arafat's support for Saddam Hussein backfires.
As Coalition forces launch Operation Desert Storm against Iraq, Palestinians in the occupied territories find themselves under strict curfew while Iraqi Scud missiles target Israeli cities. The PLO’s support for Saddam Hussein has placed Palestinians in an increasingly precarious position.
Israel has imposed a complete curfew on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, confining 1.7 million Palestinians to their homes indefinitely. Israeli authorities cite security concerns, fearing Palestinian celebrations of Iraqi attacks could lead to violence.
Yasser Arafat’s embrace of Saddam Hussein after the invasion of Kuwait has proven costly. Gulf states have cut funding to the PLO and begun expelling Palestinian workers. Kuwait alone is expected to expel 300,000 Palestinians in retaliation for PLO support of Iraq.
Paradoxically, Palestinians under curfew are also victims of Iraqi missile attacks. Several Scuds have fallen in the West Bank, though Israel has not provided gas masks to Palestinians as it has to Israeli citizens, citing shortage of supplies.
The economic impact is devastating. With Palestinians unable to work and remittances from the Gulf drying up, the territories face humanitarian crisis. The Intifada has largely stalled as survival becomes the primary concern.
The Gulf War has shattered Palestinian diplomatic gains from the Intifada, with international sympathy evaporating due to perceived Palestinian support for Iraqi aggression. The decision to back Saddam may prove one of the PLO’s greatest strategic miscalculations.