Written By: Daniel Holscher, Staff Writer
ESCALATIONS: As Israel begins ground operations in Lebanon and Iran fires missiles into Israeli territory, threat of widespread terror looms over the world.
“The War and Its Roots”
The date is October 7th, 2023. This day marked the beginning of escalations of the conflict in the Middle-East into the humanitarian crisis we know today. The Iranian backed military group, Hamas, attacked Israel with a barrage of unprecedented missiles and ground operations to take hostages along the Gaza strip. Before Israel had any time to react, the raid had ended and Israel was left with a decision on how to respond. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, immediately addressed the country in a state of emergency, stating that “[they] are being attacked, and that [they] are at war”. Israeli ballistic response was swift and efficient as they mobilized all of their military reserves. This was the spark that ignited the devastation and worries for WWIII today.
The roots of this bloody story go back as far as WWII. In the year 1945, following the brutal attacks by the Nazi forces, Jewish people were devastated. They had been stripped from their homes, and their entrance into Palestine (Holy Land of the Middle East) was denied. The United Nations took it upon themselves to establish a Holy state for those displaced people to call home, thus drawing up the plans for Israel. Israel would take a decent chunk of Holy Land in Palestine, while Palestinians would be able to keep Juruslem for their own religious ceremonies. This is where the conflict begins. Palestinians, upset over the unprecedented establishment, hold an underlying grudge against Israel. Palestinian and Arab backed groups attacked Israel in an attempt to reclaim their land that same year and have continued attempts throughout the following decades. This never stopped, transforming into what we know today as the Israel-Hamas War.
“Modern-Day Warfare”
This leads us back to October 7, 2023. Over 1,200 Jewish people were killed, along with 40 Americans, and 30 citizens of other countries. Israel was not slow to act. Over the course of this one year of unprecedented warfare, there have been numerous escalations in both Hamas and Israeli response. The next day, October 8th, 2023, Israel officially declared a state of war against Hamas. The United Nations were quick to act and quickly called a General assembly meeting in late October, calling for a cease-fire between the two sides. This deal lasted from November 24th, to November 30th, Israel immediately retaliated once the cease-fire ended. Throughout the months of December and January, ground operations were in carried out by both sides and a second phase of the war began with a increased intensity. As the war escalated and both sides brutality launched missile attacks throughout major cities, the United Nations were still in panic. Over these two months, the UN pushed for a three-stage cease-fire deal that Israel heavily declined. Israel became more and more intentional with their strategy, and has slowly revealed to the world that this time around they won’t end the war until they are the clear winners. February through April, Israel has furthered it’s ground operations in Gaza. One of its airstrikes has even killed the commander in chief, Yahya Sinwar. Iranian Consulates are also targeted in a series of missile attacks, with Israel successfully killing them on April 1st 2024. Iran fired missiles back in Golan Heights (Israeli occupied), and tensions between the two countries have continued to rise. In July the top Hezbollah commander was killed and Israel pushed it´s forces outward. In September, Israel employed its most devious form of fight in this war so far. They rigged walkie talkies and pagers all around Hezbollah occupied territories to explode on command, catching Hezbollah off guard. The Iranian, Israeli, and Hezbollah communities are all in it now. The US and other NATO countries in Europe (France, UK, Germany) are delivering supplies to Israel. Russia, fighting its own war, calls for Israel to escalate with the rest of the United Nation consultants. Tensions are at an all time high and only there is only conjecture as to what the future holds for the Middle-East and the rest of the world
¨The Sunset Before Outbreak¨
On October 1st, 2024, Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles directly into Israel, causing devastation among many communities, and reinforcing Israeli hostility. Netanyahu announced to Israel that Iran would receive a heavy debt for this action in the form of retaliation, and has been drawing up a plan to put into action. Today, on October 16th, 2024, it has been informed to us that Netanyahu has the completed plan and has shared it with US President Joe Biden. The US gives heavy implications for Israel to stand down, but we are vowed to protect Israel by any means, especially more because of our promise to those Jewish citizens. Israel continues its ground operations into Lebanon and Gaza, and finalizes it´s retaliation against Iran. So. What will come of it? As of now, we can’t put our future into words. Although we are human in our liking, we can only hope that this conflict is resolved peacefully and promptly. As for if it does not get solved, the best is wished upon the nations of the world.