The small Middle Eastern country of Israel has been in a state of war for most of its history. The latest conflict is with the terrorist organization Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea. Now, three months into the conflict, Israel is entering a new phase of the war.
The war has been fought on several levels. Initially, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets into Israel, which prompted a full-scale attack by the Israeli military. For their part, Hamas has been digging a vast network of underground tunnels in order to smuggle weapons and militants into Israel. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been targeting these tunnels as well as attempting to cripple Hamas’s financial and military capabilities.
However, in the last few weeks, the conflict has shifted slightly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced a ceasefire with Hamas, which seemed to be the beginning of a potential lasting peace. But then a few days later, Netanyahu declared that he would continue to fight “with full force” against Hamas until they accept Israel’s terms. This has resulted in an intensified conflict, with both sides engaging in more violent attacks than before.
The most recent development in the war is the Israeli airstrikes on what they call “terror sites”. These sites are targeted for being assumed to be used for terrorist activity. The Israeli government claims these sites are part of Hamas’s infrastructure, such as rocket-manufacturing facilities, weapons warehouses and training grounds. However, the UN has condemned these airstrikes, saying that the sites are civilian potential targets and are wreaking havoc on the civilian population living in the vicinity.
At this point, it’s unclear what Israel’s next move will be. Israel claims that it is trying to destroy Hamas, while Hamas continues to reject any notion of peace and continues to launch rockets and dig tunnels into Israel. Ultimately, it will be up to both sides to reach a peaceful resolution. If they fail, the war could drag on for many more months, with devastating consequences for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.
