Israel-Gaza war
Gaza: A year of escalation
Published on October 9, 2024The Israel-Gaza conflict has spiralled out of control.
The conflict in Gaza has driven a wedge through global politics. : Michael Joiner, 360info CC by 4.0
The Israel-Gaza conflict has spiralled out of control.
History exploded on October 7, 2023 in Israel. Fighters from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which ruled the Gaza strip for nearly two decades, crossed into southern Israel and unleashed a storm of horrific violence.
It was the deadliest day in the country’s 75-year existence. An estimated 1,200 people were killed – soldiers and civilians, young and old, men, women and children. More than 200 Israelis were taken hostage.
Throughout much of 2023, Israel had been rocked by mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to reform the judiciary and weaken the powers of the Supreme Court, sparking public anger and deepening political divisions.
The events of October 7 shocked the country – and the world – into a new reality. A year later, the consequences are still multiplying.
With the support of the US and other Western allies, Israel responded to the attack with a campaign of aerial bombardment that devastated Gaza’s densely populated urban centres and quickly drove Palestinian civilian deaths into the thousands, and then tens of thousands.
The mounting horrors brought upon Gaza – long regarded by human rights experts as “the world’s largest open-air prison” under Israel’s occupation – drew increasing condemnation around the world.
Both Israeli and Hamas leaders are facing possible war crimes charges by the International Criminal Court, and Israel is accused of genocide in a case still pending at the International Court of Justice.
In many countries, public support for one side or another has become another kind of battleground.
As ceasefire efforts have faltered and emergency aid has fallen severely short of needs, arms shipments from Israel’s allies have continued to arrive, and a wider war with Hamas allies in the region – Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon and Iran’s hardline regime – appears imminent.
On September 27, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike on Beirut.
Following an attack four days later by Iran, in which it launched nearly 200 missiles into Israel, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the Security Council, condemning the “the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff”.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared Guterres persona non grata in his country, claiming Guterres “provided backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers”.
The destruction of the past year is almost unfathomable. What lies ahead threatens to be much, much worse.
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