“We are in a state of war… it is not an operation, nor a round of fighting, it is a state of war.” This is what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to his colleagues in the Cabinet on October 7, following a surprise attack launched by the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” that resulted in… About 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Within hours, the United States – Israel’s closest ally – condemned the attacks, describing them as “unconscionable.” President Joe Biden stressed that “Israel has the right to defend itself,” a phrase that sums up the mouthpiece of Israel’s allies around the world.
Over the next seven weeks, Israel dropped more than 40,000 tons of explosives on Gaza, killing more than 15,000 people, including an estimated at least 6,150 children, and leveling entire neighborhoods.
After several failed resolutions at the United Nations and a series of diplomatic efforts, the Gaza truce was entered into, which lasted 4 days and was agreed upon by the leadership of Hamas and Israel, with Qatari-Egyptian mediation. It finally came into effect on November 24, and was later extended for an additional 3 days.