After 24 days of intense fighting, the war between Israel and Hamas, the militant Islamic group that controls Gaza, has come to a tenuous ceasefire. Since May 10th, Hamas fired over 4,000 rockets into Israel, while Israel responded with air strikes and artillery barrages that killed many, including dozens of children. The violence has been the deadliest since the 2014 war, with the UN warning of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where infrastructure and services have been destroyed and residents struggle to access food, water, and medical care.

The root causes of the conflict are complex, with both sides claiming to be defending their people from aggression and seeking justice for past injuries and grievances. Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by many Western countries, including the US, Israel, and the EU, argues that it is fighting against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and Gaza attacks, which has been in place since Hamas took power in 2007. The group says that its rocket attacks are a legitimate form of resistance against the Israeli military, which has killed more than 2,000 Palestinians in the past decade and is still rising.

Israel, on the other hand, says that it is acting defensively to protect its citizens from indiscriminate attacks by Hamas, which has no regard for civilian life and uses schools, hospitals, and residential areas to hide its weapons and launch rockets. The Israeli government accuses Hamas of using the conflict as a pretext to undermine the peace process and establish its Islamic state in the region, which would endanger the security of Israel and its ally, the US. 

Our community has expressed deep concern and condemnation of the violence,  “This war is really complicated and violent,” stated an anonymous source. Most people are wanting an immediate end to hostilities and urgent aid to the affected populations. The US government, a major ally and supplier of military aid to Israel, has faced criticism for not doing enough to pressure Israel to show restraint and consider a political solution to the conflict. President Joe Biden, who has signaled a more even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian issue than his predecessor, Donald Trump, has called for a two-state solution and pledged to help rebuild Gaza while ensuring Israel’s security.

The future of the war remains uncertain, with many questions still unanswered about the causes and effects of the latest round of fighting. Some analysts fear that the conflict may escalate again shortly, as long as the fundamental issues of power, identity, and sovereignty are not addressed through meaningful dialogue and compromise. Others see a little hope in the resilience of ordinary people on both sides who refuse to be consumed by hatred and fear and call for a peaceful life based on mutual respect and understanding.