Oriente Médio

On October 7th, 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a dual offensive with air and ground attacks on Israeli territory. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that around 2,200 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. Situated along the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt and home to approximately 2.3 million people, the Gaza Strip became the epicenter of this alarming situation. To gain a comprehensive understanding of these recent events, it’s essential to explore the historical context, even if only briefly, as it may not be the focus of the article. The origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be traced back to the era of the Ottoman Empire, followed by British control after World War I. During these periods, tensions between Jewish and Arab populations over territorial claims escalated. In 1948, the establishment of the State of Israel marked a turning point, which set the stage for not only conventional wars like the Six-Day War in 1967 with Arab neighbors, but also for the ongoing occupation of regions such as the West Bank. In this period and in the following years, there were deliberate attacks, oppression against civilians, and retaliatory actions, reflecting the escalating conflict.