A Humanitarian Crisis: The Israel-Hamas War

Acknowledging the sensitivity of this topic, this article has been vetted and reviewed by numerous teachers, students, and administrators.

Editor’s Note: When addressing current issues with sensitivity, we recognize that no single article can fully encapsulate complex issues taking place in our world. However, as an independent school paper, we believe it’s important to provide our readers with a general understanding of current events. Ignoring sensitive topics is never the answer. Our aim is to inform our audience and encourage thoughtful, compassionate, and fact-based discussion.

As I write about the difficult events that unfolded in the Middle East since October 7th, my goal is to share facts and information. I am hoping the readers will keep an open mind to the multiple facets of this very complex issue, knowing that the situation is evolving every day. 

On Saturday, October 7, 2023, Hamas, a terrorist group based in Gaza, launched a surprise attack on Israel. That same day, Israel formally declared war on Hamas. This brutal attack has left thousands of civilians in Israel and Gaza fighting for their lives.  

The Hamas attacks included missiles that were launched from Gaza. Terrorist fighters breached the border between Gaza and Israel, killing Israeli soldiers and civilians, and taking over 200 people hostage, including young women and children (The New York Times, 2023). On the first day of the attacks, the Nova Festival, a music festival in the Negev desert, was ambushed with bombings and Hamas terrorists fired at civilians (NBC Washington, 2023). In response, Israel launched  “Operation Swords of Iron”, setting off rounds of retaliatory airstrikes on the Palestinian territory of Gaza. The October 7th attack came one day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. The Yom Kippur War was the fourth Arab-Israeli War, when a coalition of Arab states, mainly from Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on the holiest day of the year in Judaism to reclaim the Sinai and Golan Heights which were occupied by Israel after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. 

Home to more than 2 million Palestinians, Gaza is a small strip of land, approximately 25 miles long and 6 miles wide, known as one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. It is bordered by Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea. Described by the UN as an “open-air prison”, Gaza is one of two Palestinian territories; the other is the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Hamas gained control over Gaza in 2007, and Gaza has not held elections since then. As Hamas has control of Gaza, both Israel and Egypt have closed their borders leaving civilians trapped. Additionally, there have also been limits on the flow of goods, electricity, and water in and out of Gaza. Most Gaza civilians are impoverished and require humanitarian assistance to live. The unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip stood at 46% in the second quarter of this year, as reported by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 

According to The New York Times, Hamas was founded by Sheik Ahmed Yassin. He is known as the political and spiritual leader of the group. Hamas was formed in 1987 at the start of the first Palestinian uprising, or intifada, against Israel. The same year it was founded, the U.S. Department of State designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization. It is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Sunni Islamist group that first formed in Egypt. Hamas, the Arabic acronym for “Islamic Resistance Movement,” wants to create a Palestinian state (National Public Radio News). From an editorial stance, we would like to clarify that Hamas does not necessarily represent the views, desires, or demands of all Palestinians.

Following the 1918 fall of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Palestine typically referred to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Much of this land is now part of present-day Israel. Today, the region known as the Palestinian Territories includes the West Bank (a territory that sits between modern-day Israel and Jordan) and the Gaza Strip (bordering Israel and Egypt). These areas have been under Israeli military occupation since 1967. However, control over this region is a complex and evolving situation. In May 1948, less than a year after the Partition Plan for Palestine was introduced, Britain withdrew from Palestine and Israel declared itself an independent state, implying a willingness to implement the Partition Plan (History.com, 2023). 

According to the U.S. Department of State, on May 14th, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day. The United Nations on November 29th, 1947, voted to partition British Mandatory Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, but the move was rejected by the Arab states (Wion News, 2023). This involves Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. Their conflict led to a war with Israel after its creation. During the eight-month-long war, Israel expanded its territory allotted to it by the UN as more than 760,000 Palestinians fled. Jordan occupied the West Bank including east Jerusalem, while Egypt took the coastal Gaza Strip (Wion News, 2023). As reported by World Population Review, although Israel has been admitted to the United Nations, as of December 2020, Israel was recognized by only 165 of the UN’s 193 member countries. 

As reported by CNBC, the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel suggests a massive intelligence failure as the Israeli government was blindsided by the infiltration of Hamas terrorists across the southern border and the launch of thousands of rockets. Israel is famous for its “Iron Dome” anti-missile air defense system which has been employed since 2011. For context, Israel is known as one of the most technologically and militarily advanced nations on Earth.

Former Israeli President, Isaac Herzog’s, spokesperson, Eylon Levy, wrote online: “It’s no exaggeration to say yesterday was the darkest day in Jewish history since the end of the Holocaust.” On October 9th, an official statement released by the White House noted: “The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the US released a joint statement expressing their unified support for the state of Israel and their unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.” (The White House.gov, 2023). Since the attacks on October 7th, the U.S. has announced its complete support for Israel’s defense, as U.S. President, Joe Biden, visited the region on October 18th. Many countries are expressing support and solidarity with Palestinian civilians. On October 18th, the UN Representative for Türkiye said that his country is “deeply concerned about the rise of xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia in the world and the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine.”. Türkiye “strongly condemns the loss of civilian lives and calls on the parties for de-escalation,” he said, reiterating calls for restraint and avoidance of any actions that might worsen the situation. Indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza are unacceptable.” The government of Iran is one of the few countries standing with the terrorist group, Hamas.

The health ministry in Gaza has reported at least 5,791 Palestinians, including 2,360 children, have been killed in the Israeli assault. Palestinian civilians are also victims of this war. 

On Monday, October 9th, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told civilians in Gaza to leave their areas immediately as they continued to target their attack on Hamas. The Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, has ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza. “No electricity, no food, no fuel. Everything is closed” he said, adding that the water supply will be cut off to the region as well (CNN, 2023). The absence of food, water, fuel, and electricity has had enormous humanitarian costs and consequences for all the residents still in Gaza. 

On Friday, October 13th, the Israeli government dropped flyers into Gaza and told the 1.1 million civilians living in Gaza City (which makes up over half of the territory’s population) to relocate south. When civilians tried to evacuate, the safe passage was attacked. Blame has been placed on various parties for this attack, but based on video analysis done by the Financial Times, the attack was most likely an Israeli strike. After this strike, it became clear that there was no safe passage for civilians trying to evacuate Gaza City and its surrounding areas. United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths, tweeted that “the noose around the civilian population in Gaza is tightening”, asking how such a huge number of people could possibly move across a “densely populated warzone” in just 24 hours (UN News, 2023).

Hamas’s series of recent attacks were complex and involved months of planning. There is speculation that Hamas received assistance to help plan these attacks, namely from the Iranian Regime which has provided financial and military assistance to Hamas in the past (Council on Foreign Relations). However, The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has denied any role in the attack on Israel, but has publicly remarked: “We kiss the foreheads and arms of the resourceful and intelligent designers of the attack.” Since the attacks, Israel has obtained control of its borders and is preparing significant military action “to change the reality” there (Washington Post, 2023). Many are expecting Israel to pursue a ground assault on Gaza, vowing to “completely destroy” Hamas (White House, 2023).

As this conflict continues, it is important to recognize the influence of social media on our perceptions of these events. Millions of opinions and perspectives are available to us as social media users, and it is important, especially in a conflict with a long history, to regulate the media we consume and encourage critical thinking. In order to create a safe environment for students, classmates, teachers, and our surrounding community, be conscious and careful of what you share on social media. Before reposting, commenting, or sharing media, ensure that you fact-check your sources by, for example, prioritizing reading from credible resources like www.allsides.com. Just because a post is ‘trending’ or your friends repost something, that does not mean you should be sharing it as well. Consider all perspectives on the issue. 

Given the religious, political, and humanitarian factors at play in this conflict, it is easy to empathize with various sides. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the issue, we want to be conscious of how we discuss this issue. Remember to be kind, understanding, empathetic, and listen to one another, as many people in our community are impacted by this war. 

Despite the millions of people and reporters weighing in on this conflict, there are many questions left unanswered. Why did this attack happen now? How did the Israeli Defense Forces fail to prevent the attack? What will happen to the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians? What will happen to the hostages? How and when will this war end? 

As we continue to educate and inform ourselves about this situation, there are many trusted organizations that focus on humanitarian needs during this time of crisis. This includes Save The Children, American Friends of Magen David Adom, Doctors Without Borders, and World Central Kitchen. For those who are motivated to assist the innocent lives impacted by the war, please consider these organizations. 

Regardless of your beliefs, we as a school community acknowledge that these horrific acts of terrorism have created unimaginable grief and heartbreak. So many lives have been taken and are forever changed because of this war. This is a humanitarian crisis on all fronts. We can only hope that justice is brought for the people impacted by this tragic conflict and that a lasting route to peace may be found.