The news has been dominated by the Hamas-Israeli conflict for the much of the last few years, and has really ramped up in the past few months. But what is really going on? And how does this affect you? This article will dive into the basics, to help grasp an understanding of the conflict, and to inform students of the facts.
The original source of conflict was the creation of Israel after the horrors of World War II and the subsequent occupation of Palestinian territories after the Six-Day War in 1967. This led to Palestinians becoming a minority within their land and no longer in control of their own amenities such as political policy, electricity, and goods. This is combined with the expansion of Israel into Palestinian territory through settlements or outposts, which are considered illegal under international law. However, it should be stated that a lot of this expansion has led by ultra-Zionists and not supported by many Israeli citizens.
The escalation occurred on October 7th, 2023 after an attack on Israeli citizens by the Hamas terrorist organisation, in which 1,195 people were killed. Hamas targeted civilians and IDF forces alike, with a further 250 hostages taken back into the Gaza Strip.
The retaliation by Benjamin Netanyahu was swift and extreme, launching missile attacks on Hamas-occupied areas within the Gaza strip. This was the start of this conflict, however things since then have massively escalated into what is being considered a genocide.
The main source of the debate between the two sides lies within the legality of the conflict, with both sides being accused by the UN Human Rights Council of war crimes; Hamas for the targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages, and Israel for the bombing of hospitals and the blockade of food and medicine.
The level of destruction in Gaza is extreme, with around 53,000 Palestinian men, women and children killed by the conflict; when compared with the casualties of October 7th, the extremity of the Israeli retaliation is put into perspective.
Whilst statistics are not wholly clear, a vast number of these citizens are not a part of Hamas, and this has led to debate into whether this should be considered a genocide. The legal definition according to the UN is ‘the deliberate destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group’. This is occurring within the Gaza strip and is further supported by the dehumanisation of Palestinians by the Israeli government.
It has become apparent that parts of the Israeli government no longer see a difference between Palestinian citizens and Hamas, with Israeli cabinet member Bezalel Smotrich stating,
“It is impossible in today’s global reality to wage war – no one in the world would let us starve and thirst two million citizens, even though it may be just and moral until they return our hostages”.
Israel began a blockade on UN as well as charity aid packages from entering Gaza on the grounds that Hamas were abusing and utilising the food and medicine supplies. It has been 11 weeks since the intense blockade began, and experts have warned of a potential famine as desperately needed aid is not reaching the Palestinians.
The controversy around speaking on the topic, according to the Israeli government, is that the defence of Palestine and the Gaza Strip is both anti-Semitic and immoral. Netanyahu recently stated that the UK government, who have started to turn against Israel’s actions, were on ‘the wrong side of humanity’.
Although on the surface this seems a religious and ethnic debate, it is fundamentally far more complicated. Both groups affiliate their policies with religion, the Palestinians with Islam and Israel with Judaism, however religion should not be used as a justification for political actions, wars, or genocides. Israel claims that it should not be persecuted for their religious and cultural beliefs, but neither then should the Palestinians.
As the conflict continues, the death toll continues to rise, and it has become clear that Israel does not have any intention of brokering a ceasefire, with those on the extreme aiming to remove all Palestinians. Regardless of religious, political and moral values, the murder of innocent people should never be tolerated, when it is far beyond the normal casualties of war. There is hope however, as many western countries appear to be starting to make a stand, even if it may be too late.
