Back to last year on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprising attack on Israel. This incident changed the fate of the Middle East. To take revenge, Israel used heavy military force against Gaza and Lebanon. This ongoing conflict has led to widespread destruction and suffering. One year has passed, but still, the conflict remains unresolved. Many nations have called for a ceasefire, but Israel is not ready to accept it. This conflict took the lives of approximately 42,000 people. Gaza has been destroyed and Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel. Additionally, Hamas also holds 97 of the 250 Israeli hostages.
The main objective of Benjamin Netanyahu is to destroy Hamas, which has not been achieved yet. He also wants to make sure that Gaza is no longer a threat. His focus is spreading from Gaza to Hezbollah and Lebanon and he has also involved the United States and Iran in this conflict. Netanyahu has claimed that his purpose is to change the Middle East, but the current situations reflect that lasting peace is far away.
It is important to resolve the 76-year-old Palestinian conflict before creating a new order in the Middle East. Without resolving past issues, new techniques could lead to more violence and make the situation worse. Yahya Sinwar, one of the Hamas leaders, launched the “Al-Aqsa Flood Operation,” on October 7.
The basic aim was to force a prisoner exchange and stop the new peace deals between Israel and some Arab countries, known as the “Abraham Accords.” This operation is meant to return the focus to Palestinian issues. Ziad Majed, a professor of Middle Eastern studies, also said that international leaders again focused on the Palestinians. This time, it brings a new disaster, called the second Nakba. People across the world have faced many problems due to the ongoing Gaza war. Furthermore, this conflict also took the lives of many civilians, approximately 41,900. 10,000 are feared trapped under rubble, and about 1.9 million people, or 90% of Gaza’s population, have been forced to leave their homes at least once.
Serious humanitarian crises arise due to the destruction of homes, hospitals, and universities. The war has made the region unlivable. On the other side, 1200 of Israel have died, including 800 civilians and 346 soldiers. Furthermore, 90,000 have been displaced.
Historian Rashid Khalidi says that this attack has broken the idea of safety that Israel offered its citizens. This has made people feel more victimized because of past violence.
The flood operation introduced by the Hamas leader has changed Israel’s response to the conflict. Rami Rayess from the Institute for Palestine Studies notes that far-right competition has silenced voices for peace. Hamas likely underestimated this shift.
Under the leadership of the United States and its allies, Israel said that its actions against Gaza are justified and are legal. According to them, they fight for survival. This single stance of the fight caused too much pain for Palestine.
The purpose of making Israel powerful is to come back. The main objective is to push Palestinians out of Gaza and expand Israel’s settlement in the West Bank. The aim will only be fulfilled if Palestinians move toward Jordan and build more in southern Lebanon. Hamas has acted and shown that Palestinian issues are never ignorable. At the same time, Arab nations are not interested in resolving this conflict.
Even with this pressure, Netanyahu and his far-right friends are attacking Palestinians more, especially in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank. They want to end hopes for a Palestinian state.
Majed said that the declaration of Israel as a Jewish state made it harder to achieve the one-state solution goal. Rayes said due to the refusal of all settlement deals from Israel, it is very difficult to bring peace. Palestinians have tried their best to build their state but failed. However, there is still hope of justice due to the global leader’s reaction to Israel’s aggressive actions. It is important to raise the awareness of people related to the Gaza war and Israel’s illegal actions. According to Majed, the new political landscape of the US would focus on Justice and self-determination.
Palestinians may find new ways to fight back, but Netanyahu’s tough plan for the Middle East will probably not work. It could cause more violence and instability. True change needs a political solution and accountability under international law.
