Israel/Gaza conflict turns to declared war

Published Dec. 15, 2023

By Haley Moreschi

News Editor

Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants broke out in armed war on October 7, 2023 after an invasion of southern Israel.

The Palestinian militant group launched coordinated surprise cross-border raids from Gaza on October 7, taking hostages and killing more than 1,400 innocent civilians.

“Hamas has said it was motivated to launch the attack essentially as the culmination of long-building anger over Israeli policy,” said CBS News writers Tucker Reals and Charlie D’Agata, “including recent outbreaks of violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.”

Approximately 1.6 million Palestinians live within the Israel borders, making up about 20% of the Israeli population. Since the war began, 11,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli militants or bombings, two-thirds of which being women and children. This number does not include the thousands missing or completely entombed in the rubble from the destruction.

The militant group Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2006 after it ousted Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in a brutal takeover after winning the Palestinian elections the previous year. The Hamas government in Gaza was led by Ismail Haniyeh from 2007 to early 2017, when he was replaced as leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip by Yahya Sinwar.

The United States has provided Israel with over $130 billion since their founding in 1948, focusing mainly on addressing new and complex security threats. The US was the first country to offer recognition to the new Israeli government following their declaration of independence. Washington has remained to be Israel’s strongest ally for their military and diplomacy for seventy-five years.

According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Israel has reportedly dropped more than 25,000 tonnes of explosives on the Gaza Strip. Densely populated areas, such as Khan Younis and Rafah, have been repeatedly bombed. 

Israel says they have struck approximately 12,000 targets across Palestinian territory from October 7 to November 1. From the beginning of the conflict to now, there have been devastating statistics of destruction, including 278 educational facilities, 69 places of worship, including mosques and churches, 45 ambulances, and 11 bakeries. 270 healthcare facilities have been damaged, if not completely destroyed. As for residential homes, half of Gaza’s homes, including 222,000 residential units have been damaged, while 40,000 are completely destroyed. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel has a "clear goal of destroying Hamas's military and governing capabilities", as well as freeing the 240 people, majority being men, who are thought to be abducted by Hamas.

There are many unknowns that come along with this conflict. One of the major ones is how Israel will deal with the tunnel system that Hamas has placed underneath Gaza. Known as the Myriad tunnels, they have been used in the past to smuggle goods from Egypt and launch attacks on Israel. A second collection of underground tunnels has been uncovered; a system that the Israeli Defense Forces have referred to as the “Gaza Metro.” These instead are used to transport goods and people, store rockets and ammunition, and house Hamas control and command centers. Israel launched a ground assault in 2014 on Gaza to try and eliminate these strings of underground tunnels.

The temporary ceasefire ended on Dec. 1. Israel has continued its bombardment of Gaza. The United States vetoed a ceasefire resolution. U.S. Deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the U.N. Security Council that the resolution for said ceasefire “was divorced from reality,” in one of the reasons as to why the U.S. decided to not follow through with this resolution.