The War in Israel

On October 7, 2023, thousands of rockets were fired on Israeli towns by militants from Gaza. Soon after, the militants broke through the the bordering fence between the two countries and opened fire on the towns. They traveled deep into the Israeli territory, where they killed over 1400 civilians and kidnapped over 200 hostages. Following this tragic attack, Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and Gaza with “Operation Swords of Iron”. Basic supplies, such as fuel and water, have been blocked to Gaza by Israel. As Israel tightens its hold on the Gaza territory, warnings are circulating that people are at risk of starvation. The territory of Gaza has around 2 million inhabitants with a 140 square-mile radius, making it one of the most densely populated places in the world. What happens next, we do not know, but it is thought that Israel is readying a ground operation that risks both being prolonged and bloody. The defense minister of Israel has spoken saying the military is preparing for a “multilateral operation” on Hamas from the “air, ground, and sea,” with the goal of annihilating the militant group. Israel announced it was “expanding ground operations” on the Gaza Strip last Friday. It launched, allegedly, the heaviest airstrikes yet and entered the enclave. The scale of this operation is still not yet clear. We pray that this conflict will resolve quickly, hoping for peace for Israel and Gaza.