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A Tale Of Two Cities: One Year On From October 7th

A year on from the start of the Israel-Hamas war has seen the Middle East erupt. But what can we expect from this conflict?

Palestinians inspecting the rubble of their homes
Homes destroyed. Families displaced. Gazans struggle to find shelter. Credit: Shutterstock/Anas Mohammed

One year on from October 7th, the Middle East is in pandemonium. Reports indicated that the IDF has killed more people in Gaza than in any other recent conflict in the past year.

Gaza’s death toll has surpassed 42,000, according to the Health Ministry, with nearly half of this number being children. Since Israeli soldiers invaded the country, they’ve dropped bombs on a number of ‘evacuated sites, ’ trapping thousands of Palestinians.

The world was surprised when Hamas launched an attack ‘aimed’ at military bases in Israel, which instead struck a popular musical festival in Re’im, Negev, killing around 1,200 people.

Hundreds were taken hostage, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, promised their return to the worried families.

Then, we watched in helpless horror as Palestinians were displaced from their homes following Israel’s invasion of Gaza, targeting Hamas.

With the bombing of hospitals, and refugee bases, we have to ask ourselves if the solution should be like this.

‘A good day for Israel’

Israel recently confirmed the death of Hamas’ leader, Yahya Sinwar.

Top of Israel’s ‘Most Wanted’ list, Sinwar is believed to be the mind behind October 7. Exclusive footage acquired by the BBC back in November 2023 showed Hamas and other resistance groups training for their planned attack.

A spokesperson for the IDF told the BBC that they had forced Sinwar to “move like a fugitive” and eventually “make a mistake.”

“In fact, just yesterday, he did so. He left the tunnel, went into an apartment building, and [Hamas] opened fire on Israeli troops. A tank returned fire, and he was killed in that attack,” Maj Doran Spielman explained.

Following his death, world leaders’ reactions varied.

POTUS Joe Biden said it was “a good day for Israel” and a “political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Reports from the White House said he personally called Netanyahu to congratulate him.

He also discussed how to “use this moment to bring the hostages home and to bring the war to a close with Israel’s security assured.”

The US has been a major player in not just Middle Eastern affairs, but also this conflict. Like the UK, they stood behind Israel after they mourned the lives lost at the Nova musical festival.

Since 1946, the US has spent more than $300bn on both economic and military aid to Israel.

It’s the most they’ve given to any nation, the Council of Foreign Relations outlined. They provided more than $2bn in support citing the country’s right to security and self-defense.

Keir Starmer, Prime Minister for the UK, said to the BBC: “Today my thoughts are with the families of those victims.

“The UK will not mourn his death.

“The release of all hostages, an immediate ceasefire, and an increase in humanitarian aid are long overdue so we can move towards a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East.”

With the current state of Gaza and other cities in Palestine being poor, will a ‘sustainable future’ revive them?

Life under the rubble in Gaza

Before the recent war, life was tough for Palestinians.

Subjected to an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, the two countries dictated what could and couldn’t pass through the borders.

According to reports by the World Bank, nearly two-thirds of the population lived in poverty, displaced from their homes into UN-run refugee camp tents with schools, hospitals, and even shops.

Since Israel’s brutal assault, 90% of the population has been forced to move. Within 10 days of the IDF retaliating, October 7 has seen some drastic changes to Gaza’s already poor living standards.

Crowd of people at a market
Evacuation to Rafah sees a large number of displaced Gazan families. Credit: Shutterstock/Anas Mohammed.

Despite making safe zones for evacuees, they’ve had to further designate these so-called ‘humanitarian spaces’ as they launched a ground offensive in Rafah, near the border to Egypt.

With more than one million people seeking protection there, it was unprecedented to see such a large-scale attack embedded among innocent civilians.

They reported that Hamas was hiding with civilians, with their militant operations in full swing, but the safe zones have repeatedly been downsized.

Now, the people of Gaza are huddled in fear and uncertainty in Al-Mawasi, a space that covers only 20 square miles, with no access to infrastructure and basic services.

The struggle to survive

Despite Biden’s unwavering support for Israel, experts in Washington have warned that aid to its ally may be suspended due to the humanitarian disaster encompassing Palestinians, reported by Al Jazeera.

“The amount of assistance entering Gaza in September was the lowest of any month during the past year,” the US officials said in the letter.

They gave Israel 30 days to act on a series of demands to “reverse the downward humanitarian trajectory.”

Pre-war saw around 500 trucks enter through the border into Gaza, but in October 2023, only 9 trucks made the journey.

The lack of aid has seen starvation reach an all time high — with nearly half a million people struggling to find food, there’s a serious risk of famine.

At the cost of law and order within the region on the Strip, the distribution of aid has failed.

Reports of aid workers being killed in action shook the UN after they were struck by Israeli missiles and gunfire.

Call for ceasefire

Starmer faced significant criticism for not calling for a ceasefire in November.

The devastation in Gaza resulted in the merciless destruction of schools and hospitals.

All the major hospitals in Gaza, including Al-Shifa, aren’t operational and this damage represents only a small percentage of the total infrastructure that has been ruined.

Rubble in Kahn Younis, Palestine.
Devastated landscape in Gaza Strip. Credit: Shutterstock/Anas Mohhamed

People around the world protested what was (and still is dubbed) the war on Gaza.

Thousands marched through the streets of their cities and towns in solidarity with the people of Palestine, calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Some countries, like Germany, banned demonstrations — news of a protest broke out in Berlin during the peak of Palestine solidarity.

An estimated 8,000 people came to the streets of the capitol wearing traditional Keffiyeh and holding signs.

They called Israel a ‘terrorist state’ and called the war a ‘genocide’.

The large police presence (Berlin deployed nearly 1,000 officers) made citizens question their right to express their freedom of speech.

Some had their signs checked, confiscated, frisked, and more.

The UK also seemed to want to crack down on the pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman called them ‘hate marches,’ especially since one was scheduled for Armistice Day (November 11).

The Met Police said they would ban the march only as a ‘last resort.’

Ironically, it was a counter-march that caused more chaos near the Cenotaph as 126 of those protesters were arrested.

“The extreme violence from the right-wing protesters towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning,” Assistant Police Commissioner Matt Twist also wrote in a statement addressing the unrest that surprised London.

pro-Palestine demo,UK
Strength in numbers. Pro-Palestine demo puts pressure on local council. Credit: Murshida Uddin.

Conflicting emotions

Though France’s allies have voiced and acted on their support for Israel, President Macaron has urged for a ceasefire.

He said in a previous interview that there was ‘no justification’ for the bombing of women and children in Gaza.

Of the thousands killed, a staggering amount of them were children, and 30% of that figure were children under five.

The number will continue to grow as the war continues.

In a separate attack from the death of Sinwar, Israeli forces hit a school turned shelter, which killed 28 people.

Five of whom were children.

Is a peaceful future on the horizon?

The IDF claimed they targeted Hamas hideouts, but without verified facts, it creates a ‘we said, they said’ situation.

While Israel’s allies hope for a resolution to Sinwar’s death, the rest of the world remains uncertain.

Especially now that Hezbollah fired back at Israel. Lebanon, too, is suffering.

It’s one of the most heavily armed non-state militaries and is supported by Iran.

The bombings have utterly ruined the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure, and the return of the hostages remains unclear.

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