By: Kat Littfin 

Local News Editor 

Oct. 7, 2024, marks the one-year anniversary of the major escalation of a century-long conflict between Palestine and Israel. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization with a majority in the Palestinian parliament, fired rockets at Israel and stormed Israeli cities along the Gaza Strip. The following day, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, the far-right president of Israel, declared war on Hamas. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) ordered a siege of Gaza soon after and led a ground invasion against Hamas in the Gaza territory on Oct. 27, displacing many Palestinian inhabitants. As of September of this year, 43,000 people have been killed, including around 41,000 Palestinians and almost 2,000 Israeli people.

Palestine comprises two regions: Gaza, which Israel surrounds entirely except for its coastal border, and the West Bank, which borders Israel to the east and Jordan to the west. The geographical location of Gaza allows Israel to surround the territory, and in the early months of the war, Israel made efforts to cut off supply and aid into Gaza. The Israeli government hoped to pressure Hamas to return the Israeli hostages. The two governments arranged several hostage-prisoner exchanges after November when Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza ceased. In the following months, Israel pulled troops out of Gaza; however, President Netanyahu stood firm that he would not sign a ceasefire. Therefore, Israel continued to carry out aerial bombings of the region, including major cities and hospitals. Palestinians now report a lack of resources and a steepening death rate, while the IDF and President Netanyahu are steadfast in their efforts against Hamas’ terrorism. More recently, however, Israel’s military efforts have been focused more on Lebanon. On Sept. 19, pagers belonging to members of Hezbollah, an anti-Israeli group in Lebanon, blew up, causing many injuries and killing at least 12. Since then, Israel has continued to attack Lebanon by placing Israeli peacekeepers along the Lebanese-Israeli border and launching air strikes. Lebanon has since launched drone attacks on Israel in retaliation. 

The Israel-Palestine War has had a tremendous effect internationally. Countries that border Israel and Palestine, including Egypt and Jordan, worry about the increase of Palestinian immigrants as the war continues, while other Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, contain a large population with mounting anger against Israel. Many Western countries, including, the UK, the US, and France, continue to aid Israel financially and verbally. The conflict has become an important factor in elections, especially in the US, where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are pressuring Israel to sign a ceasefire agreement. In contrast, conservatives, including Donald Trump, claim to be taking a more pro-Israel stance.

(Sources: Council on Foreign Relations, The Associated Press)