HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT

The rise of Zionism and tensions

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Zionism — a movement calling for a Jewish homeland — gained momentum. After centuries of persecution, especially the Holocaust, many Jewish people believed they needed their own safe nation.

More Jews began migrating to Palestine. Tensions rose between Jewish immigrants and the local Palestinian Arabs, who feared losing their land and identity.

1947-1948: A major turning point

The United Nations proposed a plan to split the land into two states — one Jewish, one Arab. The Jewish leaders accepted it. The Arab leaders didn't, believing it was unfair (they were the majority at the time and were being given less land).

In 1948, Israel declared independence. War broke out with neighboring Arab countries. Over 700,000 Palestinians were displaced — this is known as the Nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic). Some fled, others were forced out. Their homes were taken, and most were never allowed to return.

What followed

Israel grew stronger, with support from powerful allies. Many Palestines ended up in refugee camps, stateless, living under military occupation or in exile.

In 1967, after another war, Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza — lands that were supposed to be part of a future Palestinian state. That occupation has never ended. Israeli settlements (illegal under international law) have expanded in the West Bank ever since.

And Gaza?

Gaza is a small, densely populated strip of land. In 2006, Hamas, a Palestinian political and militant group, won elections there. Israel and Egypt quickly imposed a blockade — cutting off movement, goods, jobs.

It's been described by human rights groups as an open-air prison.

So what's happening now?

This latest war did not start October 2023. Decades of displacement, military occupation, siege, airstrikes, rocket fire, and loss built up to this. The October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians was horrifying. Over 1,100 people were killed, including children.

But since then, Israel has launched a full-scale assault on Gaza, killing now 60,000 people (potentially up to 80,000 when including indirect deaths) — most of them women and children.

Infrastructure, including around 70% of residential buildings, hospitals, and roads, has been destroyed or severely damaged. Most live in makeshift shelters unable to withstand winter rain/cold and currently live in the extreme heat in the summer. Over half of hospitals have been destroyed and are nonfunctional; remaining facilities struggle without staff, medicine, or fuel.

Food, water, and medical care have been cut off. Nearly the entire population faces emergency or catastrophic hunger. Half a million are in catastrophic hunger, 44% are in emergency. Around 70% of the water infrastructure has been destroyed, with sewage backups and contamination rampant.

By winter 2024-25, nearly 90% of Gaza's population—about 1.9 million people—were displaced.

The UN and international law experts have warned that this is genocide.

Additional Atrocities & Deprivations

Journalists, aid workers, and civilians remain under constant threat. On August 10, six journalists were killed in an Israeli strike near Al Shifa Hospital. UNRWA had lost 360 staff members to the conflict.

The WHO reports skyrocketing child malnutrition—with half a million children at risk, and 57 child deaths from malnutrition since March 2025. In July, nearly 12,000 children under five suffered acute malnutrition—the highest single-month toll recorded.

Hamas & Hostage Releases

From the very beginning, Hamas did offer multiple hostage releases (especially women, children, and foreign nationals), usually tied to demands for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, or prisoner exchanges. In November 2023, Hamas released over 100 hostages during the short truce—proof they were willing and able to do it. During January-March 2025, Hamas again released hostages under a mediated deal.

In late 2023, Hamas offered to release civilians in exchange for halting bombing. Israel refused. In early 2025, Hamas offered staged hostage releases with a truce; Israel refused to release Palestinian prisoners in return, stalling the deal. Families of hostages protested in Tel Aviv, accusing the government of “sacrificing our loved ones for the war.”

This matters because If the hostages were the top priority, Israel could have secured more releases through negotiated swaps (as it has done in the past—for example, trading 1 Israeli soldier for 1,000+ Palestinian prisoners is 2011) Instead, the war expanded, with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed and Gaza nearly destroyed, while dozens of hostages have also died in Israeli strikes or captivity.

This fuels the perception that the hostage issue has been used as political justification for a much broader campaign of bombing, siege, and occupation.