Israel was created in 1948 from a portion of the nation of Palestine to provide a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution. There are currently 9.8 million people living in Israel, with 73.6% of the population being Jews and 21.1% being Muslim, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. The Gaza Strip is a narrow, densely populated strip of land between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea, which shares a small border with Egypt. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the Gaza Strip has two million citizens, 50% of those being children.
Although relations between the Israeli and Palestinian governments have always been tense, peace has been sought out in the past. In 1993, they recognized each other as states, but this attempt at peace was ruined when Hamas sent bombers to kill Israelis. The situation worsened in 1995 when a Jewish extremist assassinated Israel’s Prime Minister. Peace was again sought in 2003, but the solution was never implemented. Peace talks were put on hold in 2014, but the US prepared yet another peace plan during Donald Trump’s presidency, though efforts never got off the ground.
Gaza is currently ruled by Hamas, a terrorist group elected in 2006, who are committed to the destruction of Israel. Although Hamas was technically elected democratically, Gazans did not have much of a choice in voting for Hamas. Gaza has not had another election since they were sworn in. On October 7th, Hamas fighters crossed the Gaza border and attacked Israeli towns, killing and capturing soldiers as well as civilians. During the early morning, Hamas fired more than 2,200 rockets towards Jerusalem. Hamas also attacked a music festival that took place three miles from the border, where more than 260 bodies were recovered. On October 9th, Israel Defense Forces reported that at least two rockets were fired toward northern Israel from Lebanon. In response, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, effectively cutting off all electricity, food, and fuel. They also attacked with heavy air and artillery strikes. According to the Israel Health Authority, at least 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, 4,562 left injured, and about 200 people have been kidnapped. That same day, Israel declared war on Hamas, pledging to destroy them. Palestinian officials reported that 3,478 Gazans have been killed, and more than 12,000 wounded, with the number of casualties in both countries only rising. Many Western countries have condemned the Hamas attack on Israel, with the US sending more than 260 billion dollars in aid. However, China and Russia have refused to condemn Hamas, with Iran being a key supporter of the terrorist group.
The Blue and White had the opportunity to interview staff and students around campus about this conflict. After President Biden pledged $100 million in relief for Gaza on October 18th, Ms. Kunce said she thought it was an appropriate response. One of our anonymous staff members echoed this, saying the “international community needs to do something for both sides.” Junior Alissa Sarah Shields further explained that the US and other countries should be taking in Palestinian refugees. Many people we interviewed also pointed out that the world is realizing how Palestinians have been treated. Ms. Kunce expressed that people’s “eyes are opening to the mistreatment of Palestine.”
An important term to know when discussing this conflict is Zionism, which is essentially a movement fighting for a safe homeland for the historically oppressed and persecuted Jewish people. While Zionists contend that Israel would allow any Jewish person from anywhere to claim Israeli citizenship, therefore providing a safe home for all Jews, critics argue that Zionism is comparable to colonialism and is an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population. These competing beliefs and the ensuing fight for the same land are the foundation of the ongoing war and the decades of tensions that preceded it. Ms. Kunce touches on this topic, “…while there are some Jewish people who say it’s anti-Semitic, there are other Jewish people who say it’s not because you’re not criticizing the religion, you’re criticizing a government.” However, our anonymous interviewee felt that there is a double standard. They explain, “When China did the same and invaded the minority of Muslims in western China, no one did anything.”
This conflict is currently the biggest news story in the world and inevitably, there is an excess of misinformation. On October 17th, the Gazan hospital, Al-Ahli Arab, was bombed. It was automatically assumed to be an Israeli attack, but evidence causes some to argue that it was a malfunctioning rocket from Palestine. Days later, reputable sources, including US officials, confirmed that it was a faulty Palestinian rocket rather than an Israeli airstrike. Mr. Flynn explained ways to prevent the misinformation, if it’s even possible, “Try to use multiple sources to verify.” The anonymous staff member expressed their belief that the misinformation can be credited to the amount of biased media.
The situation grows more dire by the hour with resources becoming so depleted that Gazan hospitals have been forced to shut down. Since the start of the war, Hamas has reported a total of 5,700 people killed and over 17,000 wounded just in Gaza. While Hamas only occupies the Gaza Strip, 96 Palestinians have also been killed and 1,650 wounded in the West Bank. Over 1,400 Israelis were killed since the start of this conflict, and dozens more remain held as hostages, with little clarity offered on if or when Hamas will release them. Israel’s prime minister has announced in a televised address that they plan to attack Gaza through a ground attack. At a UN meeting on October 24th, Israel’s Foreign Minister rejected calls for a cease-fire and said that the only proportionate response to the carnage on October 7th is “a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas.”
While this conflict has had disastrous effects on both Palestine and Israel, the rest of the world is included in the domino effect. An unimaginable amount of people are dying as a direct effect of this war. Even thousands of miles away, there is a possibility that the United States, already providing support to Israeli forces and humanitarian aid to Palestine, will be forced to become even more involved.
