You might have seen this in the news and felt confused about what it all means or what the current situation is. I’ll explain it to you.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine really began after World War I when Britain took control of Palestine. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 promised a “national home” for Jewish people. Because both Jews and Arabs wanted the land, this created tension. In 1948, Israel was declared a state, creating conflict with Palestinians that intensified over the years. Today, Gaza is controlled by Hamas, an Islamist militant group wanting to destroy Israel. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a massive attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking hostages, causing Israel to respond with military force, resulting in high Palestinian casualties and a conflict that is still ongoing.
Now, let’s talk about allies. Iran has been supporting militant organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah with military aid, training, and financial support. Both of these groups are fighting against Israel. Hamas began the fight and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah recently began exchanging fire across the Lebanon border with Israel. Israel is receiving military aid and support from the United States and other western countries who believe that Israel has the right to defend itself.
On October 1, 2023, a few days ago, Iran escalated the conflict by launching a direct missile attack on Israel. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reported that Iran fired “nearly 200 missiles at Israel,” with many intercepted by both Israeli and U.S. forces. President Biden has pledged continued support for Israel’s defense, with U.S. forces prepared to provide additional support if needed, as explained by Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder.
This strike comes as a result of Israel’s assassination of Hamas’ leader and airstrikes in Lebanon, which killed Hezbollah’s leader. Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Wednesday, July 31, when an airstrike hit the building where he was staying. Between September 23 and 27, Israel launched more than 650 airstrikes on around 1,600 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. One of those targets was Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was confirmed dead by the Israeli army.
This conflict is important to understand because it’s impacting thousands of people. With Iran now launching missiles against Israel, the situation has escalated with the possibility of intervention of Israeli or Iranian allies, threatening to destabilize the entire region.
