On Saturday, October 7, 2023, Palestinian military groups led by Hamas, which is an Islamic political and military organization, launched an armed invasion of southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. The attack came as a surprise to the Israeli people and killed over 700 civilians and soldiers. Israel’s military quickly responded with a counteroffensive attack in Gaza that killed over 400 people, and Israel formally declared war a day later.
Palestine and Israel have been at odds with each other since the 1940s when many Jewish immigrants fled from Europe to Palestine to avoid the Holocaust. Countries such as the United Kingdom promised the immigrants land in space that was already occupied by Palestine. Between 1920 and 1946, an estimated 376,415 Jewish settlers arrived in Palestine, and Palestinian land was confiscated to be handed to these new settlers. Since then, Palestine and Israel have fought over many issues, including Palestine’s land and the ancient holy city of Jerusalem, which both Israel and Palestine claim as their capital. Furthermore, Israel has been conflicted with Gaza since Hamas gained control of it, leading to an Israeli blockade being placed on Gaza.
Already this year, there have been several violent incidents between Israel and Palestine. In December 2022, Israel’s government, which is led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, began settlement construction in the West Bank, which is considered Palestine’s territory. This displaced hundreds of Palestinians, and these concerns led to Hamas’ claim that their attacks were in response to Palestinian people suffering under Israel’s occupation.
The attack from Hamas has been condemned by much of the Western world, with a joint statement from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France explicitly calling Hamas’ actions terrorism. In contrast to this, many Middle Eastern countries are showing support for Palestine, saying that Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory is the cause of the war. Iran’s foreign minister has warned Israel against further military action, saying that if the war expands to other parts of the Middle East, Israel would “suffer a huge earthquake.”
Hamas’ initial attack coincided with the final day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, a war that Israel fought against multiple other Middle Eastern nations. In what has been called the “bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust,” Hamas attacked Israel’s military with rockets and massacred over 260 civilians at a music festival near the kibbutz of Re’im, as well as 300 others in other agricultural communities. They also took 224 hostages from these attacks, including children, elderly people, and peace activists. In response, Israel launched numerous airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and cut off food, water, electricity, and fuel to Gaza, which only increased fear of a humanitarian crisis. Eventually, Israel ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, as well as parts of northern and southern Israel.
As of October 24, 2023, 6,931 people have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, and over 1,000,000 Palestinians have been displaced. In Israel, 2,400 people have been killed, with over half being civilians. On both sides of the war, over 23,000 have been wounded or gone missing. As the war continues, it is imminent that more lives will be taken.
If you wish to support Israel during these times, then it is recommended that you donate to the Jewish Federations of North America’s Operation: Swords of Iron campaign, which is raising money and awareness for victims of terror and is helping to rebuild damaged infrastructure. You can also send cards to soldiers and loved ones that may be in Israel, and thank your elected officials for supporting Israel. With support from the rest of the world, Israel can remain strong in the face of war.
