Since October 7, 2023, over 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza as a result of the conflict between Hamas and Israel, CNN reports. Tensions have always been high between Palestine and Israel ever since that territory had been divided at the end of WWII. At that time, Britain controlled Palestine; their predecessor was the Ottoman Empire, who had controlled the land for decades and was the original home for Jewish settlers. 

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History.com reports that as a result, there was a massive influx of Jewish people to this area by the end of the conflict because it was believed to be the most ideal location for a new, Jewish state; as soon as the British army withdrew from Palestine after issuing a mandate for the territory, fights between the Arabs and Jews erupted immediately.

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The fighting that is taking place today is not between the Arabs and the Jews. Rather, it is between an organization known as Hamas and Israeli citizens/military; according to the National Counterterrorism Center Group, Hamas is  a terrorist organization founded in 1987 as a result of the first Palestinian uprising.

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The Congressional Research Service reports that Hamas initiated the attacks on Israel by sea, air and land beginning on October 7, 2023, and resulted in killing 1,400 civilians and kidnapping an additional 240 to hold hostage. These hostages are currently being held in a network of underground tunnel systems located beneath the city of Gaza. It is implied that these attacks were premeditated, with Hamas leaders stating that the ambush had been planned for several years before anything was carried out in action, CNN stated.

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In fact, CNN added that in 2021, Hamas claims to have built over 300 miles (500km) of network systems beneath the city of Gaza. Allegedly, Hamas had been diverting concrete and building supplies that was supposed to be used for construction in Israel, but was instead seized to expand the network they created (cnn.com).

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Possible motives for these attacks could be to “ disrupt Arab-Israeli normalization efforts, bolster Hamas’s domestic and regional position, capitalize on Israeli political turmoil, and use hostages as leverage for prisoner releases or other concessions from Israel,” The Congressional Research Service stated.

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The United States is a strong supporter of Israel, and has begun bolstering its firepower and weaponry in the Middle East since the start of the October conflict Reuters reported. However, the U.S. has not yet taken any militant measures to aid or hinder either group.

Works Cited

CRS.reports. (2023, October 20). Israel and Hamas October 2023 conflict: Frequently asked questions (faqs). Congressional Research Service. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47754 

Dubai Newsroom. (2023, October 16). Iran says US already “militarily involved” in Israeli-palestinian conflict. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/iran-says-us-already-militarily-involved-israeli-palestinian-conflict-2023-10-16/ 

Haq, S. N., Upright, E., & Almasy, S. (2023, November 7). November 6, 2023 Israel-hamas war. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-06-23/index.html 

Haq, S. N., Upright, E., & Almasy, S. (2023a, November 7). November 6, 2023 Israel-hamas war. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-06-23#h_ba71bff12ead9c46ba426bef80573365 

History.com Editors. (2010, February 9). State of israel proclaimed | May 14, 1948. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/state-of-israel-proclaimed 

Kelly, J. (2023, October 10). UVA diplomatic expert on the implications of war between Israel and Hamas. UVA Today. https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-diplomatic-expert-implications-war-between-israel-and-hamas 

Nctc, N. C. C. (n.d.). National Counterterrorism Center: Groups. National Counterterrorism Center | Groups. https://www.dni.gov/nctc/groups/hamas.html#:~:text=HAMAS%20formed%20in%20late%201987,structure%20inside%20the%20Palestinian%20territories. 

Rahim, Z. (2023, October 28). The “Gaza metro”: The Mysterious Subterranean Tunnel Network used by Hamas. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/28/middleeast/hamas-tunnels-gaza-intl/index.html