A Year in Review of the Israel-Hamas War

Today, Monday, October 7, 2024 marks a year since the outbreak of the Gaza War between Hamas militants and the Israeli army. The war, which was triggered by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has holistically claimed many lives and caused much destruction and damage. Based on official data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, 42,000 Palestinians were killed and 2.3 million were displaced. On the Israeli side, 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 were taken hostage by Hamas (Reuters, October 7, 2024). In addition to this, the Gaza War in practice escalated or spread to a widespread war, not only involving Hamas, but also dragging other parties supporting Hamas such as Iran and its proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen. Even today, Israel is in open conflict with these parties.

Based on the facts, Israel is currently launching ground and air military attacks on Lebanese territory with the excuse of eliminating Hezbollah militias. Hezbollah also attacked Israel at the same time. As a result of this Israeli invasion, hundreds of Lebanese citizens, including Hezbollah officials such as Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian military officer Abbas Nilforoushan who was in Lebanon, were killed. Cumulatively, casualties on the Lebanese side supporting the Hamas struggle in the past year have reached more than 2,000 due to Israeli aggression (Reuters, October 7, 2024). Furthermore, Israel is also preparing a counterattack aimed at hitting Iran, which in the last six months has twice attacked Israel with ballistic missiles that Israel was able to counter thanks to the help of the United States. As a result of this war, many parties have been affected, many innocent civilians have died in vain, especially children, women, and the elderly. Many infrastructure buildings such as houses of worship, schools, roads, health facilities, and residential areas have also been destroyed by bombs and sophisticated weapons. 

REUTERS/ Ramadan Abed

The war that stems from a sense of injustice felt by the Palestinian Hamas because the right to live independent, sovereign, and equal to other nations in the world is always hampered and damaged by Israel and its allies should open the eyes of Israel, the United States, and countries that have always supported Israel in the multilateral forum of the United Nations (UN) that justice is the key to the realization of peace. Do not ever dream that Israel can live comfortably, peacefully, and serenely, as long as they continue to colonize and abuse the Palestinian people. This means that the solution of establishing two states (Israel-Palestine) is a necessity and an absolute way out if Israel yearns for peace. An independent Palestine, guaranteed to get its rights to become a sovereign nation free to self-determination with West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem as their sovereign territory is the final solution to the long crisis that plagued Israel-Hamas. If not, then it can be predicted that Hamas-Israel will continue to be trapped in an endless war.