Hamas militants killed more than 1,300 Israelis and took nearly 200 hostages, including more than 22 American citizens, in a strike, according to an Oct. 7 New York Times article. In the following days, Israel launched airstrikes, there were reports of thousands dead in Gaza, President Biden visited the country and the United States vowed humanitarian aid to Gaza and Israel. The heightened violence punctuates decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestineans.
Israelis awoke on Oct. 7 to the sound of blaring sirens, a familiar noise that alerted them of a potential threat and caused a rush toward the nearest bomb shelters. The alarms warned citizens of Hamas’ entrance into southern Israeli communities near the Palestinian-occupied Gaza strip. The gunmen entered the country in pickup trucks, hang gliders, motorcycles and by foot, according to the Times. They reportedly ransacked villages, raped women, shot civilians and dragged the dead bodies through the streets.
Among the areas attacked was the rural farmland of the Supernova Festival near the Israel-Gaza border; the biannual Israeli music festival quickly became the deadliest concert attack in history. Rockets, sirens and explosions were heard early in the morning in the open space. According to an Oct. 9 CNN article, at least 260 bodies were later found at the concert site, with many civilians taken hostage at the festival as well.
Hamas has released at least one video of a seemingly injured Israeli hostage and has announced plans to continue posting them in the days and weeks to come. As of Oct. 25, two American and two Israeli hostages have been released. The first release was prompted by health concerns for one of the Americans and an agreement between Hamas and Qatar. Over 200 hostages still remain in Gaza, as of Oct. 20, according to a CNN article.
Unconfirmed reports claim that 40 Israeli babies were beheaded by the group, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted pictures displaying babies killed and burned by Hamas. The extreme statistic has circulated on social media, but the specifics have not been confirmed by the Israeli government yet.
Following the attack, Israel began bombing areas of the Gaza strip in retaliation, telling Gazans to flee the country before a ground invasion begins. According to three senior Israeli officers interviewed by the New York Times, the goal of this ground invasion is to “wipe out the top political and military hierarchy of Hamas.” The invasion is expected to be Israel’s largest ground operation since their invasion of Lebanon 17 years ago, according to the Oct. 14 article.
The Israel Defense Force has called up its reserves, with thousands of former soldiers coming from all over the country and the world to rejoin the army in preparation for the retaliation.
While the Israeli government has warned Gazans of the impending ground assault and encouraged them to leave while they can, it has proven difficult for the citizens. Egypt has closed off its border, refusing to let civilians through. As well, Hamas itself is blocking citizens from leaving.
The Israeli government has cut off Gaza’s water supply, which is received through a pipeline from Israel, as well as supplies of food, power and fuel, causing many healthcare concerns for Palestinian citizens, according to an Oct. 11 PBS News segment. The Israeli government has said that they plan to return these supplies in exchange for the release of hostages.
Much confusion has circulated online and in the news media. On Oct. 17, there was an explosion at a hospital in Gaza city, killing between 100 and 300 Gazans. There is a dispute on who is responsible for the attack, with Hamas blaming Israel, and Israeli and United States intelligence placing the blame on a misfire from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an extremist group that violently opposes Israel.
In wake of the ongoing conflict, antisemitism and Islamophobia have skyrocketed around the world.
Three days after the initial attack, president Biden spoke to the American people in an official statement, condemning Hamas’ actions and standing firmly in his support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“This was an act of sheer evil,” he said. “There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse.”
Biden said that he has been in frequent communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, already “surging additional military assistance” and making sure “Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens.”
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has spent much of the past week in Israel. Biden visited on Wed. Oct. 18 and met with Netanyahu and some of the victims’ families.
