By Matija Šerić
Exactly two years ago, on October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched a lightning-fast incursion into southern Israel. That marked the beginning of yet another bloody war between Israelis and Palestinians — an epochal moment in the history of the Middle East that triggered a chain of events. On the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas terrorists killed more than 800 civilians and around 400 members of the Israeli security forces they encountered in southern Israel. In addition, they took 251 hostages back to Gaza. A swift and merciless Israeli retaliation followed, as the state struck the Palestinian enclave under Hamas rule with full force. At the same time, a proxy war between Iran and Israel flared up, escalating into a direct military confrontation.
Iranian and Israeli forces exchanged fire — ballistic and cruise missiles, drones — while Iran’s partners in the “Axis of Resistance” (the Assad regime, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various Shiite militias) joined in through terrorist attacks and direct clashes. The conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran culminated in a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, during which Trump’s United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
Palestinians – Victims of the Israel–Iran Conflict
Although both Israelis and Iranians suffered casualties, the greatest victims of Hamas’s reckless and, one might say, irrational attack on Israel were the Palestinians themselves. There is no rational explanation for Hamas’s bloody rampage except the desire to prevent the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which had been close to realization. If that was Hamas’s true goal (and not mere revenge for decades of Israeli occupation), it was achieved — along with the return of the Palestinian issue to the center of global attention. But the price has been horrific, and it is far from final.
The Immeasurable Suffering of the Palestinian People
Over the course of the two-year war in the Gaza Strip, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, while over 14,000 remain missing or are presumed dead. More than 169,000 have been wounded, and over 12,000 imprisoned. Of the roughly 2.1 million people living in this 365-square-kilometer enclave, 90 percent have been displaced. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) control about 75 percent of Gaza, and most towns and villages lie in ruins. The statistics paint a horrifying picture: nine out of ten residents have been injured in Israeli attacks; three out of ten people have not eaten in the past ten days; one in four children has lost one or both parents. Eight out of ten buildings are destroyed or damaged, and nine out of ten households have been wiped out. Similarly, 99 percent of arable land has been devastated.
Gaza – before and after the war
Humanitarian Catastrophe
Worst of all, the war in Gaza — that is, Israel’s military campaign — has triggered a famine unseen in decades. In August, the UN confirmed that about half a million people in the enclave are starving, largely because Israeli troops are blocking the distribution of humanitarian aid. Even once the war ends, it will take many years for Gaza to be rebuilt.
On the West Bank of the Jordan River, under Israeli and Palestinian Authority control where no formal war is taking place, around 1,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed and more than 7,000 wounded. Israel has accelerated the construction of settlements designed to fragment Palestinian areas and prevent the creation of a viable Palestinian state. Israeli troops frequently fire on civilians, claiming to target terrorists. Civilians, including children, are dying every day. Israeli forces often fail to cease fire even when neutral third parties are in their sights. UN staff, journalists, and other observers are being killed at rates unseen in any previous conflict.
A Clash of Giant and Dwarf
In what can only be described as a David-and-Goliath struggle (for this is no battle between two equal states — Israel’s power surpasses Hamas’s by hundreds of times), the IDF has lost just over a thousand soldiers. In total, about a thousand Israeli civilians have been killed and more than 13,000 wounded.
The war — or rather, the devastation of the Gaza Strip — continues, and the fate of roughly two million Palestinians, as well as the remaining Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, remains uncertain. Estimates suggest that there are 48 unreleased hostages, about 20 of whom are still alive. Although several ceasefires have been declared, none has lasted. A few days ago, Donald Trump unveiled a new peace plan, and negotiations have followed, but a truce has yet to take effect.
Israel’s Reputation – The Lowest in History
Through its military campaigns, Israel has demonstrated its strength, effectively controlling Gaza as well as parts of Lebanon and Syria. It has also inflicted serious damage on Iranian military facilities and eliminated key Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists. However, Israel’s international standing has simultaneously plummeted — arguably to its lowest point since the nation’s founding in 1948. The brutality of its campaign has led many neutral observers to accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
To make matters worse, Israel itself is deeply divided — between those who support Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet and those demanding an immediate end to the war. The opposition accuses the prime minister of endangering Israeli hostages, using famine as a weapon of war, and destroying the nation’s reputation abroad. Netanyahu’s approval ratings were already low before October 7, 2023, due to corruption allegations and attempts to undermine the judiciary.
Global Support for the Palestinian Cause
Alongside condemnations of Israel, sympathy for the Palestinian cause — especially among young people in the West, particularly in the United States — has grown significantly. Although many countries have recognized the State of Palestine this year (including the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Australia, and Mexico), it is difficult to believe that a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or the creation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state, is near. Despite its isolation, Israel still enjoys the backing of the United States — the world’s strongest power. Washington refuses even to consider recognizing Palestine. While the Biden administration supported Israel, Trump’s administration has done so even more fervently — an ominous sign in these circumstances.
The Current Peace Plan
Trump’s current plan shows some promise, but not much. Under its terms, once a ceasefire is signed, Hamas would immediately release all remaining Israeli hostages, relinquish power, and disarm. In return, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and withdraw from most of the Gaza Strip. The United States would ensure an increase in humanitarian aid and later support Gaza’s reconstruction. Trump has abandoned earlier ideas of relocating most of Gaza’s population to neighboring Arab states and creating a so-called “Gaza Riviera” under American administration.
The Gaza Strip would instead be placed under international administration, though it remains unclear how it would later unite with the West Bank to form a viable Palestinian republic. Both Trump and Netanyahu seek a quick agreement, as elections loom next year in Israel and the United States, while Hamas appears in no hurry. The militants are reportedly ready to release hostages and hand over power to other Palestinian authorities, but the remaining terms of the plan have yet to be accepted. Under these conditions, it is uncertain whether the war — and the resulting famine — will end anytime soon.
The Final End Lies Far in the Future
Even once the war ends, its consequences will linger for decades. Rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure will take years, and the lives lost and families destroyed cannot be restored. Sadly, a lasting political solution between the two nations and two faiths remains distant. It is hard to imagine that Zionist radicals backed by the U.S. and Islamist extremists will reach a genuine peace and coexistence agreement. For now, the priority must be to halt the fighting to prevent further deaths, injuries, destruction, and starvation. For the past two years, Gaza has been literal hell on Earth — and most of humanity knows it.
The Heartlessness of 21st-Century Humanity
Tragically, most people on this planet — including much of the Arab and Islamic world — seem indifferent, selfishly focused on their own comfort. Humanity, empathy, and compassion are virtues from which modern civilization appears largely immunized — East and West, North and South alike. Gaza has exposed the hypocrisy and false brilliance of the 21st century. The world needs deep reform to prevent new Gazas — new bloodbaths and famines — from happening again. Similar tragedies are unfolding today in Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, Nigeria, Mali, and Haiti. Yet the mainstream media barely mention them.
References:
https://apnews.com/article/october-7-deaths-israel-hamas-war-707cd188234d3fa5bb3129426cf703c5
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-07-2025/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgqyj268ljo
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/07/nx-s1-5563937/gaza-war-anniversary-peace-talks
