The Israel-Hamas War
On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas—an anti-Israeli Palestinian militant group that has resided in the Gaza Strip since 2007—engaged in an assault on several small Israel-controlled villages located outside the Gaza Strip blockade during the celebration of Shemini Atzeret. This assault, which consisted of the reported use of around 2,200 missiles, killed roughly 1,400 Israeli citizens and took more as hostages. The attack resulted in a near-instantaneous counterattack carried out by Israel, with them declaring war, a complete siege, on the area enclosed within the Gaza Strip, which continues to this day. The motives of Hamas are being called into question, seeming to be about retaliation and vengeance. In contrast, Israel’s motives seem to be self-defense, protecting their homeland from anyone deemed a threat. Yet, reportedly, according to AP World News, the leader of Hamas, Mohammad Deif’s reasoning was “...the assault was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids inside West Bank cities over the past year, violence at Al Aqsa—the disputed Jerusalem holy site sacred to Jews as the Temple Mount—increasing attacks by settlers on Palestinians and the growth of settlements.”
After the initial attack by Hamas, by Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message out to the world saying, “All the places that Hamas hides in, operates from, we will turn them into ruins…Get out of there now…,” before launching a siege on the Gaza Strip, starting with aerial bombings. Israel’s retaliation ‘solely’ targeted “Hamas-Ruled areas,” —in which reportedly, up to 40,000 Hamas soldiers lie in hiding - which are also densely populated areas containing over 2 million Gaza civilians. After hours of continuous targeted Israeli bombings, the targets became indiscriminate, not just seeking possible Hamas-controlled areas but aiming for universities, hospitals, and civilian centers.
By the end of Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, Israel’s counter-offensive was in full swing, and their unadulterated might was being inflicted on this condensed area. In addition, the world chose sides on the matter: Britain, the USA, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, and Spain, among others, condemned Hamas, while Russia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and most of the Middle East support the actions taken by the group—even if many of these groups are solely cooperating due to past transgressions with Israel.
Throughout the week, the force of this attack only escalated as time progressed. At the same time, Hamas’s retaliation consisted of bargaining using its roughly 200 hostages and an unsophisticated air defense against Israel’s siege. As the week has progressed, Gaza and its surrounding towns have become decrepit shadows of what they once were, resembling ancient ruins rather than the homeland of the Palestinian people. Benjamin Netanyahu stated that this outcome is “better than dying…” illuminating the grim reality the citizens of Gaza live through as we speak. Not only this, but the attacks have injured over 9,700 Gaza civilians and took the lives of an estimated 2,700 more.
Unfortunately, that’s not where it stops. Though instructing civilians to flee South to the border linking the land to Egypt, Benjamin Netanyahu knew the task was impossible but told people anyway—sending many to a worse situation, now stuck defenseless at the armed border. Israel has also committed numerous war crimes against the people of Gaza: The dropping of white phosphorus in densely populated cities—an act that within itself is heinous—cutting off the basic necessities of life needed by the civilians (food, water, and electricity), with the reasoning being the potential threat of Hamas using these services against Israel, something known as collective punishment, the murdering of children, alongside other atrocious acts. All the while, humanitarian groups worldwide rush to aid those attempting to flee Gaza, setting up temporary camps for those able to escape, mitigating the injuries they can, knowing there’s only so much they can do for those still trapped within its borders.
Outside of this, the developments of this conflict seem to be grimly escalating to an international conflict, with the USA having a reported 2000 soldiers ready to aid their allies in Israel, and they’re not alone; many allied countries are lying in wait, too. At the same time, many Middle Eastern countries, like Lebanon, have pledged full allegiance to Hamas, ready to aid in the destruction of Israel and its allies, seeing this as the culmination of their collective suffering.
As the days roll on and the situation’s futility becomes ever more present, one thing can not be ignored: the innocent lives being stolen due to this conflict. Stay informed and in the know on this topic; it has the potential to shape the future landscape of our world.
Thumbnail Photo via WikiMedia Commons