On 7 October, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, initiated an assault on Israel of an unparalleled scale. The inflicted devastation resulted in the deaths of hundreds, with even more taken hostage, as Hamas fighters infiltrated human settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, the ruling body of the Gaza Strip, derives its name from the Arabic initials for “Islamic Resistance Movement,” and is a direct translation for “zeal” in the Arabic language. The militant group’s prevailing objective remains the dismantling of Israel to make way for an Islamic state. Since its rise to power in Gaza in 2007, it has instigated numerous conflicts with Israel, peppered with rocket attacks and lethal offensives.
Israel, in turn, has persistently combated Hamas via airstrikes and, during two of the wars, with troops in Gaza. Alongside Egypt, Israel has also been imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip, citing security concerns, from 2007 onwards.
Labelled a terrorist organization by nations including Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, Hamas has the backing of Iran via funding, weaponry and training.
The Gaza Strip, a densely populated strip of land encased by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, has a turbulent past. Seized by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war from Egypt, it was vacated by Israeli troops and settlers in 2005. Now, it is home to approximately 2.3 million people.
The population of Gaza relies predominantly on international aid, with roughly a million depending on daily food assistance. The Israeli announcement of a “siege” on Gaza in response to the recent Hamas attack cut off critical supplies, plunging the Gaza Strip into darkness as the sole power station ran out of fuel.
The region formerly known as Palestine from Roman times until the mid-20th Century includes present-day Israel, as well as the West Bank and Gaza, collectively referred to as Palestinian territories. Israel emerged as a recognized state in 1948, despite ongoing disputes over the nation’s right to exist.
The latest attack by Hamas is speculated to be a response to escalating Israeli-Palestinian tensions amid a record number of Palestinian deaths within the Israeli-occupied West Bank this year. Other hypotheses include a bid to bolster Hamas’ popularity among Palestinians or play a part in the ongoing conflict involving Iran and a potential peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In light of the above, many are drawing comparisons to the Yom Kippur War of 1973 involving Israel, Egypt and Syria, given the surprise nature of the attack and the devastating losses endured by Israel. The events from half a century ago lead to a greater focus on military preparedness in Israel.
Now, Israel faces the looming possibility of a widespread war, opening up multiple battlefronts with the potential involvement of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement. Israel’s plan of action includes a massive reinforcement of troops for a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip. As tension rises in the region, the world watches on, bracing for what may come to pass.
