On October 7th, a surprise attack was launched on Israel by the militant group known as Hamas, barraging the Jewish state with missiles in addition to a series of ground assaults on Israeli military and civilian targets. According to Israeli Defense Forces, an estimated 2,200 missiles were fired at central and southern Israel. However, Hamas claims that a minimum of 5,000 rockets were fired into central Israel.
As of Wednesday, October 11, 1,200 Israeli lives have been lost according to NBC News. Hamas has also threatened to execute hostages if Israel bombed civilian targets in Gaza without “warning them”. According to NBC News, there were a confirmed 100-150 hostages being held by Hamas, though several have been released through a series of negotiations. These accounts of kidnapping have been from interviews with the family members and videos showing the abductions. In many cases, groups of relatives disappear at the same time.
Also, on Wednesday, October 11, Israel’s national security leader announced that every Israeli citizen in the southern city of Sderot could carry a weapon as of that date. A statement from the national security minister said it had received around 10,600 new applications for a firearm. The unexpected Hamas attack on Israel has citizens worrying for their safety and wanting a way to protect themselves. The minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated on the firearm extension “And we will extend it to additional towns.”
On Friday, October 13, Israel ordered people in northern Gaza to escape south. This announcement, if the Gazans listen, will displace around 1 million people, an almost impossible task for the Gazan people that would be sure to cause humanitarian crises. Because of this, Hamas has encouraged Gazans not to listen to Israel.
As of Tuesday, October 17th, the United States of America has ordered 2,000 troops to prepare for deployment in countries surrounding the border of Israel and Gaza. Biden had traveled to Israel on Wednesday, October 18th to establish U.S. support for Israel while simultaneously warning against a proportional response against the collective Palestinian people. Biden stopped in Jordan to talk with King Abdulla ll and other leaders in the area.
According to NBC News Because of Israel’s recent bombardment on Gaza, Gazans are running out of food, water, and medical supplies. Citizens have been forced to dig wells near the sea for their water supply to fix their water needs, but they are still struggling to obtain food. After the Hamas attack on Israel, the Jewish state cut off all electricity to Gaza, forcing hospitals and other necessary establishments to run on backup generators.
Ayman Nofal, a Hamas military leader, was killed in an Israel airstrike, making him the highest-ranking Hamas target killed since the war began. Responsible for looking over the manufacturing of weapons, Nofal promoted and took part in many attacks on Israel. The Israeli Defense Force and Israel Security Authority confirmed his death in a statement where they called Nofal “one of the most dominant figures” in Hamas and close to Mohammed Deif, who is the head of Hamas’s military.
Israel and Hamas have already begun to blame each other over the explosion of a Hamas hospital, where Hamas has claimed that Israel had struck the hospital with a missile. In contrast, Israel claims a misfired Hamas missile caused the explosion. Days after the explosion, Hamas hasn’t come out with any proof or evidence that points towards linking Israel with the strike. In addition to this, further evidence shows contradictions in Hamas’s claim, as the Gazan authority’s story has changed about the strike, changing the death toll from a range of 500 to 833 to a set total of 471. Further questions can be raised about the Hamas claims over the impact of the missile, which has turned out to be in the parking lot of the hospital, not the actual hospital.
As of Monday, October 23, The Death toll in Gaza has surpassed 5,000 which includes 2,000 children. More than 15,000 people have been injured, and according to humanitarian organizations, the enclave’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.
Biden has asked Israel to delay a ground attack so that they can continue hostage negotiations and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. The day after Biden asked Israel to delay a ground attack, on Tuesday, October 24, Hamas released 2 American hostages. Biden “reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas”.
While it is unclear exactly what consequences this crisis will have, this divisive conflict is sure to impact the political landscape across the world. It is important to remember to remain objective and informed with these sorts of matters, as the most common root of unwarranted hatred is disinformation in confusing times. It must also be stressed that the governments of Israel and Gaza do not inherently represent the individual Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian people.
