Recent pro-Palestinian protests at various universities across the United States have led to over 300 arrests, with incidents involving law enforcement intervention at New York's Columbia and Yale universities, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Southern California, Emory University in Atlanta, and Emerson College in Boston. The demonstrations are in response to the monthslong assault on Gaza, following Hamas' attack on Israel in October, resulting in over 1,200 deaths. University administrators have taken disciplinary actions, including arrests, academic suspensions, and expulsions, to address the protests.
Police in riot gear arrested 93 people at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles on trespassing charges during a pro-Palestinian protest. Similar protests and clashes occurred at other US universities like the University of Texas and Columbia University. Protests against Israel's military campaign in Gaza have led to arrests at multiple campuses. The demonstrations, marked by chants of "free Palestine," demand universities to cut financial ties with Israel and halt weapon supplies. Amid concerns of antisemitism, tensions rise as police disperse protesters.
Protests at US universities over Israel's conflict with Hamas have led to over 550 arrests and violent clashes with law enforcement officials deploying tasers and tear gas at Emory University, despite mostly peaceful demonstrations. Students are demanding divestment from companies connected to Israel and the war in Gaza, with professors also getting detained during the protests.
Student activists at Columbia University and over 50 other colleges in the US protested against Israel's offensive in Gaza, resulting in over 34,000 deaths and mass displacement. Demands include universities divesting from companies linked to Israel to oppose the war's impact on Palestinians. Some colleges like American University and Harvard have refused to end investments and partnerships with Israel citing academic freedom and values of inclusion.
Students at universities across the United States are protesting against Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, demanding action to end the deadly bombardment. Encampments have been set up on campuses like Columbia and Harvard, with debates rising on freedom of speech, Palestinian solidarity activism, and the use of force against protesters. The students emphasize the need to address the pressing issue of Israel's attacks on Gaza amid distractions. Demands include divestment from companies profiting from the conflict, support for Palestinian voices, and a pledge not to use force to disperse protests.
Emory University economics professor Caroline Fohlin was forcefully taken to the ground by police during a Gaza solidarity protest on campus. She refused to comply with police orders and was booked into DeKalb County jail on charges of disorderly conduct and battery of a police officer. The protest, dispersed by tear gas and rubber bullets, led to confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement officers at the Georgia college. Similar pro Palestine demonstrations and arrests have occurred at other universities across the United States amid tensions related to Israel's war on Hamas.
Pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at multiple universities including Emory University in Atlanta, Northeastern University in Boston, University of Texas in Austin, Columbia University in New York, and New York University in New York. The protesters were demonstrating against weapons manufacturers and the Israeli government, resulting in arrests by state, Boston, New York City, and university police forces.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations at universities like the University of Southern California and The University of Texas at Austin led to strong police responses and numerous arrests Boston police dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment at Emerson College, arresting over 100 protesters for noise violations and fire hazards in violation of city ordinances
Pro-Palestine protests escalate at top US universities with over 200 arrests in Los Angeles, Boston, and Austin. Video shows police assaulting over 65-year-old professor Caroline Fohlin at Emory University. Students express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amidst the conflict with Israel, resulting in large-scale arrests and police use of chemical irritants. Israel launched the war in Gaza after a Hamas attack, with significant casualties reported on both sides.
Several college students, including Maryam Alwan from Columbia University, face suspension after participating in protests at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, raising concerns about the consequences of their actions on their academic futures and adult lives. The protests have ignited a nationwide debate on free speech and the measures universities and law enforcement are taking to handle campus demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas conflict. Colleges like Columbia, Barnard, Yale, University of Southern California, Vanderbilt, and University of Minnesota have seen students arrested, suspended, or expelled in connection to these protests.
Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia University express feeling unsafe on campus due to anti-Israel and antisemitic protests, with incidents of violence reported. Columbia University President shifted to online learning in response to campus unrest. Recent events stem from Hamas' attack in 2023, leading to arrests of anti-Israel protesters at various U.S. universities including Columbia, USC, UT Austin, and Yale.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has imposed a midnight deadline for discussions with student protesters advocating for the end of the Israel-Gaza war encampments on campus grounds. Shafik warned of potential further disruptions if the talks fail, leading to considerations of alternative measures to restore calm. Recent protests have resulted in arrests and charges, with tensions escalating over universities' responses to protests demanding divestment from companies tied to the conflict. This situation has extended to other institutions like NYU, Yale, and UC Berkeley, raising questions about balancing free speech and campus safety.
Police at Yale University removed anti-Israel protesters from an encampment at Beinecke Plaza, where over 250 agitators had gathered after protests calling for the university to divest from military weapon manufacturers. At least 16 protesters were arrested, including some students. An incident involved a Jewish student journalist being jabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag. This comes after a similar situation at Columbia University and follows protests at Ivy League universities turning violent.
Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission. The inflammatory anti-Israel protests that have engulfed Columbia University are metastasizing spreading to other elite schools and to campuses around the country as more pampered students join the bandwagon. One of the biggest protests outside Columbia was at Yale University, and it was met with force on Monday morning. Riot gear-glad cops rushed the Ivy League campus in New Haven, Connecticut arresting at least 47 protesters who refused to disperse after warnings from cops.
The University of Southern California (USC) cancelled Asna Tabassum's valedictorian speech, citing security threats and complaints of anti-Semitism. Tabassum, a Muslim student, had posted content advocating for the abolishment of Israel. This decision sparked controversy over free speech and the Israel-Gaza conflict, with opposing student groups expressing their views. USC Provost Andrew Guzman denied the cancellation was related to past statements, but rather security concerns. Students supporting Tabassum planned a silent march, while pro-Israel groups objected to her selection. The incident reflects tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict on college campuses.
Pro-Palestinian students took over Columbia University's South Lawn last week, drawing comparisons to the 1968 protest that saw police intervention. In 1968, students protested against the Vietnam War, changes to the military draft, Columbia's ties to defense research, and plans to take over part of a public park in Harlem. The recent protests centered around calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Emory University denounced anti-Israel activists who trespassed on campus, disrupting students preparing for finals. More than 100 protesters gathered on the quad with signs and supplies. Police used zip ties, tear gas, tasers, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, including both anti-Israel and "Stop Cop City" supporters.
Students in Paris, inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments in the United States, blocked access to a building at Sciences Po university, leading to classes moving online. The protest at the prestigious French university followed a previous police breakup of a demonstration at one of the university's amphitheaters.
Dozens of anti-Israel protesters gathered at Yale University's Beinecke Plaza demanding divestment from weapon manufacturers, refusing an offer to meet with school trustees and the chairperson of the campus investor responsibility committee before being arrested in a Monday morning raid. Yale authorities spent the weekend negotiating with the group to no avail, leading to the arrest of 47 students who refused to leave the plaza. The protests at Yale University continue after a week of demonstrations calling for divestment from military weapons manufacturers.
'Kudlow' panelists Steve Moore, Jackie DeAngelis and Tammy Bruce discuss how colleges should respond to anti-Israel protests. The antisemitism that has emerged on several Ivy League campuses since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel has caused concern that degrees from prestigious schools like Columbia University and Harvard have lost some of their luster, as top employers and prospective students look at other institutions that have been able to quell anti-Israel protests on campus. The New York Post reported this week that the antisemitic harassment on display during the latest protests has led some Wall Street titans to rethink their focus on traditional elite feeders schools like Harvard, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania and expand their recruiting at institutions like Yeshiva University, the University of Florida and Emory University. Pro-Palestinian protesters hold a rally outside of Columbia University in New York City on Wednesday.
Fox News contributor Charlie Hurt criticizes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Biden for labeling anti-Israel protests as peaceful, highlighting the danger for Jewish students at universities like Columbia and Yale. Hurt condemns students for openly supporting Hamas without understanding the history or consequences. Ocasio-Cortez praises the protests, while Jewish students face antisemitic chants and safety warnings. Biden denounces the antisemitism, and both political leaders face backlash over their stances on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Students at Yale University in Connecticut showed solidarity with pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University in New York by setting up an encampment with banners reading 'Liberated Zone' and 'Stop Investing in Genocide.' Protesters chanted slogans like 'Up, up with liberation Down, down with occupation' and 'Free, Free, Free Palestine.' The video captured protesters marching, holding signs, and engaging in discussions on campus, including a Jewish man conversing with another individual amid the demonstrations.
At least 47 people were arrested at Yale University during pro-Palestinian protests, with similar demonstrations at the University of Michigan, MIT, Harvard, Emerson College, and Tufts University in Boston. President Biden condemned antisemitic protests, and New York Governor Hochul addressed security concerns at Columbia University, where in-person classes were canceled and an encampment was set up. School administrators aim to balance free speech with the safety of Jewish students, as fears of antisemitism arise in some protests.
Multiple leaders of the anti-Israel protests at college campuses across the nation have been revealed to be paid fellows of George Soros-connected groups. Three major figures at pro-Palestine encampments in universities are fellows at the Soros-funded US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, receiving payments ranging from $2,880 to $7,800. The organization, funded by Soros' Open Society Foundations, instructs its fellows to spark 'revolution' and reject 'reform'. Arrests include former president of the University of Texas Students for Justice in Palestine Nidaa Lafi and USCPR fellow Craig Birckhead-Morton at Yale.
Congressmen Mike Lawler and Ritchie Torres of New York have introduced the COLUMBIA Act, which would require colleges and universities to combat antisemitism or risk losing federal funding. This legislation would empower the U.S. Department of Education to appoint third-party monitors to address antisemitism on campuses, with schools that fail to comply facing funding consequences. The protests at Columbia University, linked to anti-Israel sentiments following Hamas' attacks, have prompted bipartisan support for measures to ensure the safety of Jewish students.
The Israel–Hamas war sparked protests, demonstrations, and vigils around the world. These events focused on a variety of issues related to the conflict, including demands for a ceasefire, an end to the blockade, returning Israeli hostages, protesting war crimes, and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Protests against Israeli action in Gaza were notably large across the Middle East and North Africa, particularly following the al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion. Since the war began on 7 October, the number of dead has exceeded 20,000.Some of the pro-Palestinian protests have resulted in violence and accusations of anti-semitism, and consequentially in some European countries, some public support for Palestine and the Palestinian cause was criminalized, with countries such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Hungary restricting pro-Palestinian political speech. Germany banned fundraising, the displaying of the Palestinian flag and the wearing of the keffiyeh. The conflict also sparked large protests at Israeli and U.S. embassies around the world.Research by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project indicated that from 7 October to 24 November, there were at least 7,283 pro-Palestinian protests and 845 pro-Israel protests around the world.
The University of Southern California canceled its main stage graduation ceremony due to safety concerns following protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Over 90 protesters were arrested on campus, leading to the cancellation. The university will still host individual school commencement ceremonies and other celebratory events. Similar protests and arrests have occurred at colleges nationwide, with demands for divestment from companies supporting the conflict.
Boston police officers arrested multiple anti-Israel protesters early Thursday. (Credit: X/@DSAWorkingMass) Boston police arrested 108 demonstrators at Emerson College on Thursday morning and said four officers were injured in clashes with anti-Israel agitators. A police spokesman confirmed to Fox News Digital that three officers suffered minor injuries, while one officer was more seriously injured. None of the officers' injuries were life-threatening. No protesters in custody have reported injuries at this time, the spokesman added.
The University of Southern California has canceled its main stage graduation ceremony on May 10th following safety concerns and protests related to the Israel-Gaza war. Over 90 protesters were arrested on campus, leading to the cancellation of the main ceremony, although individual school ceremonies will still take place. The university also scrapped a commencement speech by the pro-Palestinian valedictorian citing security worries. The Los Angeles police arrested more than 90 people during a protest, with one arrest for assault with a deadly weapon.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed concerns about rising antisemitism on college campuses, particularly at Columbia University, comparing current protests to the lead-up to the Holocaust. He criticized professors for focusing on politics over education and condemned the hateful rhetoric Jewish students faced. Kraft suspended financial support for Columbia due to its handling of the protests but still backs the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life. The crackdown on protests escalated with multiple arrests at Emerson College in Boston and the University of Southern California. Political figures, like Speaker Mike Johnson, called for Columbia's president to resign.
Green Party 2024 presidential candidate Jill Stein, along with her campaign manager and deputy campaign manager, were among the over 100 people arrested at an anti-Israel protest at Washington University in St. Louis. The protest demanded the university to divest from Boeing due to their involvement in the conflict in Gaza. Similar demonstrations have taken place at various other universities across the country.
The annual White House Correspondents' Dinner included President Biden's jokes at former President Trump but was marred by protests outside condemning Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Despite the growing public discord and concerns over the Gaza conflict, the war was only briefly mentioned during the event. Protesters criticized U.S. journalists for underreporting the war, with chants and displays calling for a free Palestine. The conflict cast a shadow over the glitzy event, with demonstrators and concerns about humanitarian crises in Gaza impacting the atmosphere.
Hamas releases video of hostages captured during the October 7 assault in southern Israel, with the hostages appealing for release. The situation prompts pro-Palestinian protests and Israeli considerations for a military incursion into Gaza. Ceasefire negotiations involve proposals for the release of hostages and prisoners. Egypt tries to mediate for peace, while global protests continue urging an end to the conflict.
Following criticism for canceling a commencement speech by Muslim valedictorian Asna Tabassum over security concerns, the University of Southern California decided to have no outside speakers at the main stage commencement event. This move came after protests and backlash from various groups, including Muslim advocacy organizations and pro-Israel and Jewish groups, with conflicts arising over Tabassum's social media posts related to Palestine and Israel.
Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 47, held by Hamas in Gaza, appeared in a video calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to secure their release. The footage, resembling previous captive videos, features the men expressing a desire to be reunited with their families. Miran, captured during a Hamas attack in October, pleads for a deal to ensure their safe return. The video was released during Passover as Hamas reviews Israel's ceasefire proposal, with Siegel emotionally conveying his love for his family amid the distressing conditions. This video follows another recent release by Hamas showcasing captive Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
The University of Southern California in Los Angeles cancels its main graduation ceremony citing safety concerns and increased processing time for guests, with 93 arrests made during a recent protest for trespassing and assault. Valedictorian Asna Tabassum, criticized for pro-Palestinian views, will not deliver the commencement speech due to safety threats. USC officials emphasize safety over tradition and express concerns over disruptions to upcoming commencement ceremonies amidst ongoing protests across major US universities.
PEN America has canceled its annual World Voices Festival after facing backlash for its handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The festival was to take place in New York and Los Angeles, with nearly half of the finalists withdrawing from the awards ceremony. Critics, including notable writers like Naomi Klein and Michelle Alexander, expressed dissatisfaction with PEN's response. The organization aims to unite writers in defense of free expression, but faced allegations of failing to fully condemn Israel's actions and support Palestinian writers. Despite some writers boycotting, others expressed commitment to the event.
The University of Southern California canceled its main graduation ceremony due to protests against the Israel-Hamas war, with worries of disruption to other commencement ceremonies across the U.S. Dozens of students were arrested at various campuses as protests intensified.
The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when 200,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes, settling in the Gaza Strip as refugees. Since then, Israel has fought 15 wars against the Gaza Strip. The number of Gazans killed in the most recent 2023 war — 27,000 — is higher than the death toll of all other wars of the Arab-Israeli conflict.Israel fought four wars against the Egyptian-administered Gaza Strip: 1948 Palestine War, border attacks of 1949–1956, first occupation of Gaza during the Suez Crisis and the capture of Gaza in 1967. During the first occupation, 1% of Gaza Strip's population was either killed, tortured or imprisoned by Israel. Following two periods of low-level insurgencies, a major conflict between Israelis and Palestinians erupted in the First Intifada (523 Gazans killed). The 1993 Oslo Accords brought a period of calm. But, in 2000 the Second Intifada erupted. Towards the end of the Second Intifada, Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005, Hamas won the 2006 election and seized control of Gaza in 2007.In 2007, Israel imposed a land, air and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip, turning it into an "open-air prison". The blockade was widely condemned as a form of collective punishment, while Israel defended it as necessary to stop Palestinian rocket attacks. Hamas considered it a declaration of war. A 2008–2009 Israeli invasion of Gaza resulted in more than 1,000 deaths and widespread destruction of homes, schools and hospitals. A 2012 Israeli operation also killed more than 100 people.In 2014, Israel invaded Gaza in a major war that resulted in the deaths of 73 Israelis (mostly soldiers) and 2,251 Palestinians (mostly civilians). The invasion resulted in "unprecedented" destruction, damaging 25% of homes in Gaza city and 70% of homes in Beit Hanoun. After 2014, notable events in the conflict included the "Great March of Return" (2018-2019) and clashes in November 2018, May 2019 and November 2019. The 2021 crisis saw 256 Palestinians and 15 Israelis killed.On October 7, 2023, Palestinian militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people (mostly civilians). Israel responded with bombing Gaza Strip and launching an invasion that has killed more than 29,000 Gazans as of February 2024.
On the evening of 27 October 2023, Israel launched a large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip, with the stated goals of eliminating and destroying Hamas, a military and political movement which led an attack against Israel earlier in October, and to free hostages taken by Hamas. Following the attack, Israel declared a state of war, tightened its blockade, ordered the evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip, and launched "Operation Swords of Iron".More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli operation, including over 12,500 children and 7,000 women, with another 7,000 people missing and presumed dead under the rubble of destroyed buildings. By mid-December Israel had dropped 29,000 munitions on Gaza, destroying or damaging 70 percent of homes in the Strip. Experts say that the scale and pace of destruction in Gaza is among the most severe in recent history. During the invasion, Israel destroyed at least a third of Gaza's homes and hundreds of cultural landmarks, and desecrated dozens of cemeteries in the strip.A severe humanitarian crisis has developed, with healthcare in a state of collapse, shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel due to the blockade, electricity and communications blackouts, and the UN warning of potential famine. It was widely reported that there is "no safe place in Gaza" as Israel struck areas it had previously told Palestinians to evacuate to. The widespread civilian deaths have led to accusations of war crimes against both Israel and Hamas. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population have been internally displaced and around 250,000–500,000 Israelis were internally displaced, while thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israel, and Israel has stated it lost 225 additional soldiers in its invasion as of 4 February 2024.As a result of the invasion, South Africa instituted proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), charging that Israel was guilty of committing a genocide, and requesting that the ICJ render provisional measures of protection.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a high-profile Jewish officeholder, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for using claims of antisemitism to deflect criticism of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. Sanders urged the U.S. to end financial and military support for Israel, calling Israel's response to the conflict with Hamas grossly disproportionate. Sanders responded to Netanyahu's video criticizing campus protests as antisemitic with a video of his own, refuting the prime minister's statement.
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place chiefly in and around the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. After clearing Hamas militants from its territory, the Israeli military embarked on an extensive aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip followed by a large-scale ground invasion beginning on 27 October. Clashes have also occurred in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and with Hezbollah along the Israel–Lebanon border. The hostilities constitute the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008 and are part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict. They are considered to be the most significant military escalation in the region since the Yom Kippur War 50 years earlier.The Hamas offensive involved 3,000 militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier and attacking Israeli communities and military bases. During this attack, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, while 253 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive to the Gaza Strip. The attack was proclaimed as a response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, the prospect of Arab–Israeli normalization, and the plight of Palestinian refugees and prisoners. In response, Israel declared a state of war, tightened its existing blockade of Gaza and launched one of the most severe bombing campaigns in history, before commencing the ground invasion on 27 October. Israeli forces laid siege to Gaza City on 2 November and moved south to attack Khan Yunis a month later on 3 December; both sieges remain ongoing. Israel's next objective is the capture of Rafah. An estimated 6,000-12,000 militants have been killed during the conflict, and Israel has lost over 200 soldiers during its invasion. A United Nations resolution calling for a humanitarian pause passed on 15 November; the seven-day truce took effect at the end of that month.A humanitarian crisis has developed in the Gaza Strip, with healthcare in a state of collapse, shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel due to the blockade, electricity and communications blackouts, and potential famine conditions. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, including over 12,300 children and 8,400 women. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population have been internally displaced. The widespread civilian deaths have led to accusations of war crimes against both Israel and Hamas. In February 2024 576,000 people were "facing catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation", stated The United Nations. More than 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops that opened fire when huge crowds raced to pull goods off an aid convoy.The war has had significant international repercussions. Popular protests that primarily call for a ceasefire have occurred across the world. Israel's actions have been denounced by the Islamic world and much of the Global South; South Africa launched an International Court of Justice case alleging that Israel committed genocide. Israel has however received significant support from its traditional Western allies, especially the United States, which vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire. In response, Iran-backed militias have attacked American military bases in the Middle East, while the Yemeni Houthi movement attacked commercial ships they alleged were linked to Israel, incurring a military response from a number of countries.
The Fatah–Hamas conflict (Arabic: النزاع بين فتح وحماس, romanized: an-Nizāʿ bayna Fataḥ wa-Ḥamās) is an ongoing political and strategic conflict between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political parties in the Palestinian territories, leading to the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007. The reconciliation process and unification of Hamas and Fatah administrations remains unfinalized and the situation is deemed a frozen conflict.The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights has found that over 600 Palestinians were killed in the fighting from January 2006 to May 2007. Dozens more were killed or executed in the following years as part of the conflict.
A woman dons tally marks on her face representing the number of days prisoners of war who defended Mariupol have been held in Russia, during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Ultra-Orthodox Jews burn leavened items in final preparation for the Passover holiday in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Authorities detain a protester on the campus of Emory University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration, in Atlanta, Georgia, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) A girl competes in a hobby horsing competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 21, 2024.
Hamas, an acronym of its official name, Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Arabic: حركة المقاومة الإسلامية, romanized: Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah, lit. 'Islamic Resistance Movement'), is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist political and military movement governing parts of the occupied Gaza Strip.Hamas was founded by Palestinian imam and activist Ahmed Yassin in 1987, after the outbreak of the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation. It emerged from his 1973 Mujama al-Islamiya Islamic charity affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election by campaigning on Palestinian armed resistance against the Israeli occupation, thus securing a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council. In 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip from rival Palestinian faction Fatah, which it has governed since separately from the Palestinian National Authority. This was followed by an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip with Egyptian support, and multiple wars with Israel, including in 2008–09, 2012, 2014, and 2021. The ongoing 2023 war began after Hamas launched an attack, killing both civilians and soldiers, and taking hostages back to Gaza. The attack has been described as the biggest military setback for Israel since the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, which Israel has responded to in an ongoing ground invasion of Gaza.Hamas promotes Palestinian nationalism in an Islamic context. While initially seeking a state in all of Mandatory Palestine, Hamas began acquiescing to 1967 borders in the agreements it signed with Fatah in 2005, 2006 and 2007 In 2017, Hamas released a new charter that supported a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders without recognizing Israel. Hamas's repeated offers of a truce (for a period of 10–100 years) based on the 1967 borders are seen by many as consistent with a two-state solution, while others say that Hamas retains the long-term objective of establishing one state in former Mandatory Palestine. The 1988 Hamas charter was widely described as antisemitic. The revised 2017 Hamas Charter stated that Hamas's struggle was with Zionists, not Jews. Hamas is widely popular in Palestinian society largely due to its anti-Israeli stance.Hamas has carried out attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, including suicide bombings and indiscriminate rocket attacks. These actions have led human rights groups to accuse it of war crimes, and Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Paraguay, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. In 2018, a motion at the United Nations to condemn Hamas was rejected.
The Gaza Strip ( ; Arabic: قِطَاعُ غَزَّةَ Qiṭāʿ Ġazzah [qɪˈtˤɑːʕ ˈɣaz.za]), or simply Gaza, is a polity and the smaller of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the West Bank). On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north.The territory came into being when it was controlled by Egypt during the 1948 Arab–Israeli war, and became a refuge for Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestine war. Later, during the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured and occupied the Gaza Strip, initiating its decades-long military occupation of the Palestinian territories. The mid-1990s Oslo Accords established the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a limited governing authority, initially led by the secular party Fatah until that party's electoral defeat in 2006 to the Sunni Islamic Hamas. Hamas would then take over the governance of Gaza in a battle the next year, subsequently warring with Israel.In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its military forces from Gaza, dismantled its settlements, and implemented a temporary blockade of Gaza. The blockade became indefinite after the 2007 Hamas takeover, supported by Egypt through restrictions on its land border with Gaza. Despite the Israeli disengagement, the United Nations (UN), the International Committee of the Red Cross, and many human-rights organizations continue to consider Gaza to be held under Israeli military occupation, due to what they consider Israel's effective military control over the territory; Israel disputes that it occupies the territory. The land, sea, and air blockade prevents people and goods from freely entering or leaving the territory, leading to Gaza often being called an "open-air prison." The UN, as well as at least 19 human-rights organizations, have urged Israel to lift the blockade. Israel has justified its blockade on the strip with wanting to stop flow of arms, but Palestinians and rights groups say it amounts to collective punishment and exacerbates dire living conditions.The Gaza Strip is 41 kilometres (25 miles) long, from 6 to 12 km (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide, and has a total area of 365 km2 (141 sq mi). With around 2 million Palestinians on approximately 365 km2 (141 sq mi) of land, Gaza has one of the world's highest population densities. More than 70% of Gaza's population are refugees or descendents of refugees, half of whom are under the age of 18. Sunni Muslims make up most of Gaza's population, with a Palestinian Christian minority. Gaza has an annual population growth rate of 1.99% (2023 est.), the 39th-highest in the world. Gaza's unemployment rate is among the highest in the world, with an overall unemployment rate of 46% and a youth unemployment rate of 70%. The population has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Gaza has throughout the years been seen as a source of Palestinian nationalism and resistance.
Sabreen Alrouh Joudeh, a premature baby girl rescued from her mother's womb after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, died five days later after the incident that also claimed the lives of her mother, father, and 3-year-old sister. Doctors managed to revive Sabreen but she passed away due to her fragile health condition. The family buried her alongside her deceased relatives in a sand-filled cemetery in Rafah. The tragic event highlighted the devastating impact of the conflict, with over 35,000 people killed in Gaza, including around 13,000 children.
The Gaza Strip is experiencing a humanitarian crisis as a result of the Israel–Hamas war. The crisis includes both a famine and a healthcare collapse. At the start of the war, Israel implemented a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in significant shortages of fuel, food, medication, water, and essential medical supplies. This siege resulted in a 90% drop in electricity availability, impacting hospital power supplies, sewage plants, and shutting down the desalination plants that provide drinking water. Widespread disease outbreaks have spread across Gaza.Heavy bombardment by Israeli airstrikes caused catastrophic damage to Gaza’s infrastructure, further deepening the crisis. By mid-November, Israel had dropped the equivalent of two nuclear bombs on Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reported over 4,000 children killed in the war's first month. UN Secretary General António Guterres stated Gaza had "become a graveyard for children."Organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, and a joint statement by UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the UN Development Programme, United Nations Population Fund, and World Food Programme have warned of a dire humanitarian collapse. On November 8, UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk described the Rafah Crossing as "gates to a living nightmare."
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict in the Levant. Beginning in the mid-20th century, it is one of the world's longest-continuing conflicts. Key areas of the conflict include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security, water rights, Palestinian freedom of movement, and the Palestinian right of return.The conflict has its origins in the arrival of Jewish immigrants and settlers to Palestine in the late 19th and 20th centuries and the advent of the Zionist movement. The local Arab population opposed Zionism, primarily out of fear of territorial displacement and dispossession. The Zionist movement garnered the support of an imperial power in the 1917 Balfour Declaration issued by Britain, which promised to support the creation of a "Jewish homeland in Palestine". Following World War I, Mandatory Palestine was established, and tensions grew into open sectarian conflict between Jews and Arabs. In 1936, an Arab revolt erupted demanding independence, which the British suppressed.The 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine triggered the 1948 Palestine war, which saw the expulsion and flight of most Palestinian Arabs, the establishment of Israel on most of the Mandate's territory, and the control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank by Egypt and Jordan, respectively. In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which became known as the Palestinian territories), which is now considered to be the longest military occupation in modern history, and has drawn international condemnation for violating the human rights of the Palestinians.The conflict has claimed many civilian casualties, mostly Palestinian, since its inception. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside efforts to resolve the broader Arab–Israeli conflict. Progress towards a negotiated solution between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was made with the Oslo Accords of 1993–1995. The majority of recent peace efforts have been centred around the two-state solution, which involves the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Public support for a two-state solution, which formerly enjoyed support from both Israeli Jews and Palestinians, has dwindled in recent years. Official negotiations are mediated by the Quartet on the Middle East, which consists of the United Nations, the United States, Russia, and the European Union. The Arab League, which has proposed the Arab Peace Initiative, is another important actor, along with Egypt and Jordan. Since 2006, the Palestinian side has been split between Fatah dominating the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas that gained control of the Gaza Strip. Attempts to remedy this have been repeated and continuing. Since 2019, the Israeli side has also been experiencing political crisis. The latest round of peace negotiations began in July 2013 but were suspended in 2014. Since 2006, Hamas and Israel have fought five wars, the most recent of which began in 2023 and is ongoing as of March 2024.
The Gaza War, also known as Operation Cast Lead (Hebrew: מִבְצָע עוֹפֶרֶת יְצוּקָה), also known as the Gaza Massacre (Arabic: مجزرة غزة), and referred to as the Battle of al-Furqan (معركة الفرقان) by Hamas, was a three-week armed conflict between Gaza Strip Palestinian paramilitary groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that began on 27 December 2008 and ended on 18 January 2009 with a unilateral ceasefire. The conflict resulted in 1,166–1,417 Palestinian and 13 Israeli deaths. Over 46,000 homes were destroyed in Gaza, making more than 100,000 people homeless.A six month long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended on 4 November, when the IDF made a raid into Deir al-Balah, central Gaza to destroy a tunnel, killing several Hamas militants. Israel said the raid was a preemptive strike and Hamas intended to abduct further Israeli soldiers, while Hamas characterized it as a ceasefire violation, and responded with rocket fire into Israel. Attempts to renew a truce between Israel and Hamas were unsuccessful. On December 27, Israel began Operation Cast Lead with the stated aim of stopping rocket fire. In the initial air assault, Israel attacked police stations, military targets including weapons caches and suspected rocket firing teams, as well as political and administrative institutions, striking in the densely populated cities of Gaza, Khan Yunis and Rafah. After hostilities broke out, Palestinian groups fired rockets in retaliation for the aerial bombardments and attacks. The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets as illegal under international law.An Israeli ground invasion began on 3 January. On 5 January, the IDF began operating in the densely populated urban centers of Gaza. During the last week of the offensive (from 12 January), Israel mostly hit targets it had damaged before and struck Palestinian rocket-launching units. Hamas intensified its rocket and mortar attacks against mostly civilian targets in southern Israel, reaching the major cities of Beersheba and Ashdod for the first time during the conflict. Israeli politicians ultimately decided against striking deeper within Gaza amid concerns of higher casualties on both sides and rising international criticism. The conflict ended on 18 January, when the IDF first declared a unilateral ceasefire, followed by Hamas' announcing a one-week ceasefire twelve hours later. The IDF completed its withdrawal on 21 January.In September 2009, a UN special mission, headed by the South African Justice Richard Goldstone, produced a report accusing both Palestinian militants and the Israeli army of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, and recommended bringing those responsible to justice. In 2011, Goldstone wrote that he does not believe that Israel intentionally targeted civilians in Gaza as a matter of explicit policy. The other authors of the report, Hina Jilani, Christine Chinkin, and Desmond Travers, stated that no new evidence had been gathered that disputed the report's findings. The United Nations Human Rights Council ordered Israel to conduct various repairs of the damages. On 21 September 2012, the United Nations Human Rights Council concluded that 75% of civilian homes destroyed in the attack were not rebuilt.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Palestinian, Egyptian, and Qatari leaders in Saudi Arabia to address hostage releases and a Gaza cease-fire. Discussions will include increased humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza. Additionally, foreign ministers from Britain, Germany, and France, along with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, will participate in the World Economic Forum meeting. Concerns in Israel have risen over possible International Criminal Court arrest warrants for officials like Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, with Israel and the U.S. rejecting the ICC's jurisdiction.
On 7 October 2023, as part of the Hamas-led attack on Israel at the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups abducted 253 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and elderly people. In addition to hostages with only Israeli citizenship, almost half of the hostages are foreign nationals or have multiple citizenships. The precise ratio of soldiers and civilians among the captives is unknown. The captives are likely being held in different locations in the Gaza Strip.As of February 14, 2024, 112 hostages were returned alive to Israel, with 105 being released in a prisoner exchange deal, 4 were released by Hamas unilaterally and 3 hostages were rescued by the IDF. 11 bodies of hostages were repatriated to Israel, with 3 of the hostages killed by friendly fire from the IDF and the bodies of 8 hostages repatriated through military operations. 32 hostages were reportedly killed in Hamas captivity according to Israel. According to unconfirmed Israeli intelligence, at least 20 additional hostages may be deceased, with their bodies being held captive in Gaza. As of February 14, 2024, 134 hostages remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip, with 130 hostages abducted on October 7, 2023 and four hostages having been captured earlier.Hamas has offered to release all hostages in exchange for Israel releasing all Palestinian prisoners. By October 2023, Israel held 5,200 Palestinians (including 170 juveniles) in its prisons. Hamas stated its objective was to secure their release. Several countries have been involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Qatar taking the lead.On 22 November 2023, Israel and Hamas agreed to the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners and a four-day cease-fire in exchange for Hamas's release of approximately 50 of the hostages. The exchange involved hostages from the categories of women and children. As of 30 November 2023, the last day of the ceasefire, 105 civilian hostages had been released, which included 81 people from Israel, 23 Thais and one Filipino. On 12 February 2024, two Argentinian-Israeli civilians were rescued in Operation Golden Hand. As of January 2024, according to Israeli information, Hamas holds 108 hostages alive and 24 bodies.
This video can not be played Moran Yanai was taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October and spent 54 days in captivity. She was released in a ceasefire deal last November, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel jails. Ms Yanai spoke to the BBC's Lucy Williamson about the violence she suffered and the first time she felt safe enough to cry. 'Nobody will take my voice anymore' - hostage on her days as captive. Video, 00:03:27 'Nobody will take my voice anymore' - hostage on her days as captive Up Next.
As of 29 February 2024, over 30,000 people (29,782 Palestinian and 1,410 Israeli) have been killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 88 journalists (83 Palestinian, 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese) and over 136 UNRWA aid workers.On 7 October 2023, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 764 civilians, were killed, and 248 persons taken hostage during the initial attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. Since then, over 29,782 Palestinians (the majority of whom were women and minors) in the Gaza Strip have been killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between combatant and civilian casualties in its reports. The IDF estimated 12,000 Hamas combatants were killed as of 19 February 2024. A further 382 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank by Israel military and settlers. Casualties have also occurred in other parts of Israel, as well as in southern Lebanon, and Syria.
Misinformation in the Israel–Hamas war refers to the dissemination of false, misleading or unsubstantiated information during the Israel-Hamas war. Much of the content has been viral in nature, with tens of millions of posts in circulation on social media. A variety of sources, including government officials, media outlets, and social media influencers across different countries, have contributed to the spread of these inaccuracies.
The Arab–Israeli conflict is the phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between various Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century. The roots of the Arab–Israeli conflict have been attributed to the support by Arab League member countries for the Palestinians, a fellow League member, in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict; this in turn has been attributed to the simultaneous rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism towards the end of the 19th century, though the two national movements had not clashed until the 1920s.Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict arose from the conflicting claims by these movements to the land that formed the British Mandatory Palestine, which was regarded by the Jewish people as their ancestral homeland, while at the same time it was regarded by the Pan-Arab movement as historically and currently belonging to the Arab Palestinians, and in the Pan-Islamic context, as Muslim lands. The sectarian conflict within the British Mandate territory between Palestinian Jews and Arabs escalated into a full-scale Palestinian civil war in 1947. Taking the side of the Palestinian Arabs, especially following the Israeli Declaration of Independence, the neighbouring Arab countries invaded the by-then former Mandate territory in May 1948, commencing the First Arab–Israeli War. Large-scale hostilities mostly ended with ceasefire agreements after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Peace agreements were signed between Israel and Egypt in 1979, resulting in Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and the abolition of the military governance system in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in favor of Israeli Civil Administration and consequent unilateral annexation of the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.The nature of the conflict has shifted over the years from the large-scale, regional Arab–Israeli conflict to a more local Israeli–Palestinian conflict, which peaked during the 1982 Lebanon War when Israel intervened in the Lebanese Civil War to oust the Palestinian Liberation Organization from Lebanon. With the decline of the 1987–1993 First Intifada, the interim Oslo Accords led to the creation of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994, within the context of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. The same year, Israel and Jordan reached a peace accord. In 2002, the Arab League offered recognition of Israel by Arab countries as part of the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in the Arab Peace Initiative. The initiative, which has been reconfirmed since, calls for normalizing relations between the Arab League and Israel, in exchange for a full withdrawal by Israel from the occupied territories (including East Jerusalem) and a "just settlement" of the Palestinian refugee problem based on UN Resolution 194. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a ceasefire had been largely maintained between Israel and Syria, while limited warfare continued in Lebanon against Iranian proxy militias. Despite the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, the interim peace accords with the Palestinian Authority and the generally existing ceasefire, until the mid-2010s the Arab League and Israel had remained at odds with each other over many issues. Among Arab belligerents in the conflict, Iraq and Syria are the only states who have reached no formal peace accord or treaty with Israel, with both supporting Iran.The Syrian civil war reshuffled the situation near Israel's northern border, putting the Syrian Arab Republic, Hezbollah and the Syrian opposition at odds with each other and complicating their relations with Israel, upon the emerging warfare with Iran. The conflict between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza, is also attributed to the Iran–Israel proxy conflict. By 2017, Israel and several Arab Sunni states led by Saudi Arabia formed a semi-official coalition to confront Iran. This move and the Israeli normalization with Gulf states was marked by some as the fading of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Negotiations between Israeli officials and a high-level Egyptian delegation over Israel's planned offensive in Gaza's Rafah have been described as "very good," with progress towards a ceasefire deal with Hamas. Israel warns against delays in a hostage deal with Hamas and has deployed reserve soldiers to Gaza. Egypt aims to prevent a conflict in Rafah through a rescue initiative, including exchanges of prisoners and a sustainable ceasefire. Israel plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah before a ground attack to eliminate Hamas battalions. Talks focus on reaching an agreement to avert the assault on Rafah, with concerns about potential border crossings by Palestinians.
The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge (Hebrew: מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן, romanized: Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan, lit. 'Operation Strong Cliff'), and Battle of the Withered Grain (Arabic: معركة العصف المائكول, romanized: Mʿa-rakkat Al-ʿasf Al-Ma’kool) was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory that has been governed by Hamas since 2007. Following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank by Hamas-affiliated Palestinian militants, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated Operation Brother's Keeper, in which some 350 Palestinians, including nearly all of the active Hamas militants in the West Bank, were arrested. Hamas subsequently fired a greater number of rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, triggering a seven-week-long conflict between the two sides. It was one of the deadliest outbreaks of open conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in decades. The combination of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes resulted in over two thousand deaths, the vast majority of which were Gazan Palestinians. This includes a total of six Israeli civilians who were killed as a result of the conflict.The Israeli military operation aimed to stop rocket fire into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Conversely, Hamas' attacks aimed to bring international pressure onto Israel with the strategic goal of forcing the latter to lift the Israeli–Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip; among its other goals were to end Israel's military offensive, obtain a third party to monitor and guarantee compliance with a ceasefire, release Palestinian political prisoners and overcome its isolation. According to the BBC, Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in retaliation to the rocket attacks by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other Palestinian militant groups.On 7 July, after seven Hamas militants died in a tunnel explosion in Khan Yunis that was caused either by an Israeli airstrike (per Hamas, Nathan Thrall, BBC, and a senior IDF official) or an accidental explosion of their own munitions (per the IDF), Hamas assumed responsibility for rockets fired into Israel, and subsequently launched 40 more rockets towards Israel. The Israeli aerial operation officially began the following day, and on 17 July, it was expanded to include a full-scale ground invasion of the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of destroying Gaza's tunnel system; the Israeli ground invasion ended on 5 August. On 26 August, an open-ended ceasefire was announced. By this time, the IDF reported that Hamas, PIJ, and other Palestinian militant groups had fired 4,564 rockets and mortars into Israel, with over 735 projectiles having been intercepted mid-flight and shot down by Israel's Iron Dome. Most Gazan mortar and rocket fire was inaccurate, and consequently hit open land; more than 280 projectiles had landed within the Gaza Strip, and 224 had struck residential areas. Palestinian rocketry also killed 13 Palestinian civilians in Gaza, 11 of them children. The IDF attacked 5,263 targets in the Gaza Strip; at least 34 known tunnels were destroyed and two-thirds of Hamas's 10,000-rocket arsenal was either used up or destroyed.Between 2,125 and 2,310 Gazans were killed during the conflict while between 10,626 and 10,895 were wounded (including 3,374 children, of whom over 1,000 were left permanently disabled). Gazan civilian casualty estimates range between 70 percent by the Gaza Health Ministry, 65 percent by the United Nations' (UN) Protection Cluster by OCHA (based in part on Gaza Health Ministry reports), and 36 percent by Israeli officials. The UN estimated that more than 7,000 homes for 10,000 families were razed, together with an additional 89,000 homes damaged, of which roughly 10,000 were severely affected by the bombing. Rebuilding costs were calculated to run from US$4–6 billion over the course of 20 years. 67 Israeli soldiers, 5 Israeli civilians (including one child) and one Thai civilian were killed while 469 Israeli soldiers and 261 Israeli civilians were injured. On the Israeli side, the economic impact of the operation is estimated to have had an impact of NIS 8.5 billion (approximately US$2.5 billion) and a GDP loss of 0.4 percent.
On 7 October 2023, the paramilitary wings of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, PRC, PFLP and DFLP launched a series of coordinated armed incursions into the Gaza envelope of neighboring Israel, the first invasion of Israeli home territory since the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. The attacks, on a Saturday, initiated the Israel–Hamas war, almost exactly 50 years after Operation Badr and the greater Yom Kippur War of 6 October 1973. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups named the attacks Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (or Deluge; Arabic: عملية طوفان الأقصى, romanized: ʿamaliyyat ṭūfān al-ʾAqṣā, usually romanised as "Tufan Al-Aqsa" or "Toofan Al-Aqsa"), while in Israel they are referred to as Black Saturday (Hebrew: השבת השחורה) or the Simchat Torah Massacre (הטבח בשמחת תורה), and internationally as the 7 October attack.The attacks began in the early morning with a rocket barrage of at least 3,000 rockets launched against Israel and vehicle-transported and powered paraglider incursions into Israel. Hamas fighters breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and massacring civilians in neighboring Israeli communities, including in Be'eri, Kfar Aza, and Nir Oz, and at the Nova music festival. The attacks resulted in 1,139 deaths—695 Israeli civilians (including 36 children), 71 foreign nationals, and 373 members of the security forces. Approximately 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip, including 30 children, with the stated goal to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. Numerous accounts of rape and sexual assault by Hamas fighters have been reported, which Hamas has denied.Hamas said its attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, rising Israeli settler violence, and recent escalations.At least 44 countries denounced the attack as terrorism, while some Arab and Muslim countries blamed Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories as the root cause of the attack. The day was labeled the bloodiest in Israel's history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust.
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