Personal Statement

Every few months I bring awareness to an issue that I believe is being overlooked. For the Fall of 2023, the issue I picked is: The Israel–Hamas War.

​

• On the morning of October 7, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack past Israel's security barrier surrounding the Gaza Strip. Reaching as far as 15 miles beyond the Israel-Gaza boundary, the attackers killed both civilians and soldiers before falling back to Gaza with what they claimed were around 150 hostages. Since then, both sides have exchanged rockets and bombs while Israel prepares for a potential invasion of Gaza.

• This is the first full-scale war the Holy Land has seen in 50 years and it is the largest conflict a Palestinian actor has fought against Israel without the support of neighboring Arab states. Already the initial attack has been referred to as 'Israel's 9/11,' and the comparison seems more apt with each passing day. The fact that Hamas had the capacity to carry out such an attack defied all conventional understanding of the region's security situation and stands to completely upend the broader Arab-Israeli conflict. Some hope that this brutality of the war will eventually encourage all parties to pursue diplomatic peace with greater conviction. Others fear that the thousands of civilian and combatant deaths will only further divide Palestinians and Israelis and worsen the long-term prospects of resolving the conflict.

• Everyone needs to be mindful of misinformation as this war unfolds. The Arab-Israeli conflict is already flooded with more misconceptions than almost any other historical event, and this war is proving to be no exception. An early often-repeated report alleged that Hamas militants decapitated 40 Israeli babies, a claim that was ultimately unsubstantiated. Similarly, many initially blamed Israeli forces for a fatal explosion at a Gaza hospital. Now it appears more likely than not to have been a malfunctioned rocket fired by Hamas or an associated group.