Israel responded to a surprise offensive by Hamas by attacking the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Monday. Israel has also imposed a complete siege on the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of food, water, and electricity to its two million residents. This is the deadliest offensive that Israel has experienced in 50 years.
More than 900 Israelis and at least 687 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated dramatically in recent days, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that his country is at war. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has taken more than 100 Israeli civilians, soldiers, and foreign nationals hostage. Israel is working to rescue the hostages and has regained control of some areas outside Gaza after two days of fighting. The Israeli Defense Forces says it has struck more than 1,000 enemy targets in airstrikes on Gaza.
Hamas, a terrorist group backed by Iran, has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Gaza is a small, densely populated territory of over 2 million Palestinians in just 140 square miles. It has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007, which severely restricts the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
Iran’s UN mission has denied that Iran is involved in the Hamas militant group’s attack on Israel. This is the latest in a series of conflicting claims about Iran’s role in the attack, which has raised concerns because of Iran’s long-time support for Hamas.
Analysts say that Iran may have helped Hamas plot the recent attack on Israel. Iran has a long history of supporting Hamas, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia group that Iran also supports, has threatened to attack Israel if it continues its military operations in Gaza.
If a large number of Israeli civilians are killed, Israel may retaliate with more force, which could lead to a wider regional war.
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Israel’s counteroffensive has already killed hundreds of civilians in the Gaza Strip, which could further harden Palestinian opposition to Hamas, the group that controls Gaza.
Saudi Arabia has pledged its support for the Palestinian people in a call with President Mahmoud Abbas. The Saudi Crown Prince affirmed that his country will continue to stand by the Palestinian people and that it is exerting great efforts to ensure the return of calm and stability.
