The Gaza Devastation by the Hamas-led Censorship Group and the Israeli-Palestine Interaction in the Gaza Strip
Around 1,200 people were killed during the attacks, Israeli officials say, and more than 250 hostages were taken to Gaza. Around 130 hostages remain there six months later, some of whom are known to be dead.
The past months of war have seen mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. According to the UN, famine may be imminent in northern Gaza because of the rising level of malnutrition among Palestinian children. Much of the Gaza Strip now lies in ruins.
The Hamas-led militants took some 240 people hostage from Israel into Gaza on Oct. 7. Now 134 hostages remain in captivity, though some are known to be dead. The rest were released and two were rescued by Israeli forces during a raid in February. Protests have grown in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urging the government to agree on a deal with Hamas for the remaining hostages’ release.
Israel pulls some troops from southern Gaza, 6 months after October 7 attacks: “It’s all about the rest and refit”
Israel and Hezbollah live along the border with Lebanon, which leads to fears of a larger war.
The latest update on Israel’s ongoing invasion comes six months after the surprise attacks led by Hamas that sparked the conflict.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Israel on Saturday to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inability to win the release of the remaining hostages.
According to the Associated Press, a new round of talks was scheduled for Cairo on Sunday. Hamas will send a delegation, as will Israel. CIA Director Bill Burns was sent by President Joe Biden to the talks.
The Israeli army announced Sunday that the 98th commando division had departed Gaza, after it “concluded its mission” in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant claimed in February that the military had defeated Hamas in the Khan Younis and was preparing to invade Rafah, which sits about five miles south along the border with Egypt, and where more than 1.2 million Palestinians are now displaced. Netanyahu announced Israel’s plan last month.
But White House national security communications advisor John Kirby told ABC’s This Week on Sunday that it’s unclear whether the announcement foreshadows anything about Israel’s broader war effort.
Kirby couldn’t say what that tells us right now. “As we understand it, and through their public announcements, it is really just about rest and refit for these troops that have been on the ground for four months, and not necessarily — that we can tell — indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.”
Source: Israel pulls some troops from southern Gaza, 6 months after Oct. 7 attacks
Israel and the Middle East: Why Israel Hasn’t Done More to End the War in Gaza? An Israeli Prime Minister’s Observation
The senior fellow of the Arab Center Washington D.C. said that he’s spoken to Palestinians who are shocked that global political leaders haven’t done more to end the violence there.
Some Israeli Jews feel that the military should not take the suffering of people in Gaza into account when it conducts operations to rescue hostages.
“I am sure that we will see a lot of criticism over what happened in Gaza once the hostages are back home,” she told NPR.
Hermann suggested there is growing dissatisfaction in Israel over the government’s inability to bring all of the hostages home, and that some of the captives’ family members have begun to join the larger anti-government movement.
The conflict has also reverberated well beyond the borders of Gaza and Israel, capturing the world’s attention. U.S. support for Israel has been tried to balance with condemnations of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The war has led to anger and additional fighting in other parts of the Middle East.