On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, causing turmoil between Israel and Palestine to be reawakened. This has led to an onslaught of attacks from both sides with kidnappings and murder being at an all-time high. Both sides have been experiencing the effects of war with the most horrific part being the civilian casualties. Thousands of people have been murdered within Gaza and Israel with even more wounded from the battle. On Oct. 12, 2023 Israel declared war against Hamas.
The main target for the recent attacks has been the Gaza Strip, a 25-mile-long territory currently being occupied by Palestine. The Gaza Strip is a crowded area with 2.2 million residents. It has one of the highest population densities in the world, where people live in crowded camps. Since the attacks began, the majority of the hospitals and health facilities in Gaza are overcrowded and low on supplies. Many hospitals are also in critical condition, as most have been damaged structurally by recent attacks. Due to the attacks from Hamas, originating from Gaza, Israel has cut off supplies, such as food, water, fuel, and electricity from entering Gaza. Around 600,000 people have evacuated the northern part of Gaza to southern Gaza since Israel ordered civilians to evacuate because of an expected Israel ground assault.
Since Israel announced a ground invasion, they have begun drafting soldiers into the battle. In Israel, once you are over the age of 18 you are required to endure two years of military training or community service. The drafts have sent many people out into the battle, with Israel stating that they have over 300,000 reserved soldiers prepared to fight.
“If you look through people’s multiple families, its brothers, uncles, fathers, that are all being sent out,” said Nehoray, an Israeli high schooler, and said his brother was drafted into the war shortly after the attacks were launched by Hamas.
The surprise attack has affected many of the Israeli citizens, with most being in fear of another coordinated attack. This fear led to social media where many posts, news outlets and radio interviews continue to talk about the statistics of the war — specifically the number of those who have been tragically murdered.
“When I go on my Instagram, it’s just kidnappings, deaths, and when I head downstairs it’s only that. My dad hasn’t listened to music on the radio since the attacks began” said Lavi, an Israeli university student.
On Oct. 21, Israel agreed to allow 20 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to travel into the Gaza Strip. Israel has also stated that it will not stop its attacks until Hamas releases its hostages. This has led to Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing his goal of destroying Hamas. Since its announcement, Israel’s military has begun bombarding Gaza.
These airstrikes have caused severe damage to Gaza and its citizens, most of whom are under the age of 18. While the numbers of deaths fluctuate on different news sources, all sides of this war have already suffered heavy losses with Gaza having the most casualties. Many Palestinian people in America have gone to the streets to protest and show their frustrations regarding the deaths of their people.
On Oct. 25, the Hamas Ministry of Health reported to the United States a document containing information about the 6,747 Palestinians who were murdered in Gaza, with 2,667 of those people being children. When this information arrived at the White House, President Joe Biden responded by denying the document’s legitimacy and stating, “I have no confidence in the numbers that Palestinians are using.”
Biden’s effort to delegitimize the deaths of those in Gaza has led other government officials to double down on his statement. John Kirby, Spokesman for the National Security Council doubted Biden’s rejection of the casualty data. He described Hamas’s Ministry of Health as a, “front for Hamas.” And stated, “We can’t take anything coming out of Hamas, including the so-called Ministry of Health, at face value.”
The number of deaths continues to rise and as of Nov. 23, more than 14,800 people have been killed in Gaza according to Hamas’s Ministry of Health, leaving 36,000 people have been injured since the start of the war. Gaza currently has two out of their seven hospitals in Northern Gaza still operational. Israel has blocked off the majority of services to Gaza, allowing 1,399 trucks of supplies; compared to the 10,000 that would deliver humanitarian supplies before the war. Israeli Defense Force has begun carrying out a ground assault through Gaza’s northern territory. This leaves many desperate Palestinians with no other option but to face Israel’s relentless attacks as neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan refuse to take refugees. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-sissi stated that it would wreck the peace in the region as Jordan’s King Abdullah || doubled down stating, “No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt.” Their refusal to allow refugees in is a decision rooted in the fear that Israel would launch attacks, endangering the two countries’ 40-year peace treaty.
In Oregon, Protesters for Palestine have been out spreading the word to show their support for the Palestinian people. On Nov. 24, the protests were more present than ever with protesters heading to shopping hot spots like Washington Square Mall, and the Tree Lightings at Pioneer Square.
On Nov. 26, 17 Israeli hostages were released as part of a cease-fire exchange between Israel and Hamas. Israel in turn released 39 Palestinians, all of whom were minors, to their prisons. In the past three days, Hamas and Israel have been releasing hostages, with Hamas being expected to release 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel’s prisons by day four of the cease-fire. The original agreement was that the cease-fire would continue until Dec. 1. This was not the case as Israel would end the truce because of a rogue missile being launched from Gaza. Hamas denied launching any rockets during the cease-fire and with no attempt to find an agreement to continue the cease-fire being made, Israel has resumed combat operations against Hamas.
At the time of this writing, Israel has begun a ground assault on Southern Gaza, attacking Gaza’s second-largest city.
If you are looking for information on the origin of the conflict here are some articles that have information going over the history of the two countries.
