On Saturday, October 7, the Israel-Palestine war reached a climax after 75 years when Hamas, a political-military group in Palestine, launched a missile attack over Gaza into Israel.
Following the end of World War I, Great Britain took control of an area known as Palestine since the Roman era. It is the location of many Jewish kingdoms from the Bible, and many see the area as a religious homeland. In 1948, Israel was declared a state for people of Jewish faith to establish residence in. Captured in 1967 by Israel, Palestinians were forced out of their homes as Israel controlled most of the area.
The attack took place in the Palestinian territory Gaza, a small strip of land that is one of the most densely populated locations in the world. Surrounded by a border fence with a heavily fortified army to the East and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Hamas bulldozed and cut the fence while other members used paragliders. Israel controls the military airspace over the areas as well as the flow of goods and people across the border.
At the time this article was written, the death toll had reached 1,200 and over 1,000 civilians had been killed by Israeli air strikes. Over 30 U.S. citizens and victims from other countries have been killed or taken hostage.
Formed in 2007, Hamas is a political-military group focused on the effort to reestablish Palestine. Since 2007, Hamas have fought several wars with the Israeli government, with Gaza receiving consistent air strikes from Israeli military forces.
In response to the recent attack, the Israeli government has cut off electricity, goods, fuel, with water and sewage systems expected to shut down. Current attempts to resolve the conflict have been unsuccessful, and the U.S. government has released statements in support of the Israeli government with plans to commit to the government’s security and military efforts.
