After decades of turbulent relations between Israelis and Palestinians, tensions rapidly escalated in the conflict when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on the 7th of October of 2023. Havoc ensued when Hamas fired over 5000 rockets from the Gaza strip into Southern Israel and gunmen violated Israel’s sovereignty by infiltrating towns and areas near the Gaza strip, slaughtering civilians and taking hostages. The deadly assault led to over 1400 casualties and 240 kidnappings of Israelis by the militant group. This included a massive ambush at an Israeli music festival, where over 250 people were brutally massacred.
Hamas (who are considered a terrorist organisation by the US and EU) launched
the most deadly attack on Israel in decades.
Since the shocking events that took place on that day, Israel officially declared war to retaliate against the surprised attack by Hamas.
With the initiation of operation “Swords of Iron,” Israel has shut its two crossings with Gaza, blocking supply lines of necessities into the Gaza Strip, including food, water, fuel, electricity and medical supplies. An intense bombing campaign of the Gaza strip the past weeks, with the aim of striking Hamas military bases and destroying their operations, has also taken place.
The Israeli government has stated that they have successfully killed a Hamas commander and dozens of fighters. However, there has been a heavy price on the civilian population of Gaza, who are in urgent need of basic necessities, as many have been injured and the UN Health Agency reports that 1.5 million people out of the 2 million located in the Gaza Strip have been displaced by the air strikes. Nearly 700,000 Palestinians are being accommodated in UN camps located throughout Gaza, but even there, there is barely availability of emergency supplies. While Israel states that all air strikes are precisely targeting Hamas activities and networks, Hamas-run authorities claim that the only outcome has been the deaths of almost 9,000 Palestinians that live in Gaza, with the catastrophe specifically having a devastating death toll of almost 4,000 children too.
Israeli airstrikes have led to major destruction in civilian neighborhoods and massive casualties.
Recently, there has been an intensified international call for a ceasefire (from many countries including China, Russia, Egypt and Jordan) on humanitarian grounds. While the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for “an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce,” the US has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution supporting a ceasefire and Israel has swiftly dismissed any talks of such a truce. The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, is currently on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East to discuss the situation and try to deescalate the conflict. While the US has claimed that a ceasefire would benefit the military operations of Hamas, they are strongly pushing for a humanitarian pause in the fighting in Gaza, to allow immediate aid to enter immediately. There is an alarming shortage of necessities in the Gaza Strip, including fuel which is needed for generators that power hospitals. Meanwhile, Israel has responded that there will be no discussion of a pause in its offensive until the 240 hostages (including Israeli soldiers, civilians and foreigners) are released.
Hamas has suggested an exchange of the hostages for 6,000 Palestinians currently being held in Israeli prisons. The militant group have continued to escalate the conflict, having fired over 8000 rockets on Israel since the 7th of October, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Map of Gaza bordering Israel and Egypt
With the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt for a limited evacuation of the 31st of October, dozens of seriously injured Palestinians and hundreds of foreign passport holders have managed to escape. Being the only exit point which is not controlled by Israel, the Rafah border has become Gaza’s lifeline, as it plays a vital role in supplying all humanitarian aid to the territory.