On Oct. 7, Hamas, a group based in Palestine, made an attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel and 242 hostages were taken back into Gaza. Since that first attack, Israel has continuously struck Gaza and have sent troops and tanks into the area. There have been more than 9,000 Palestinians killed and more than 22,000 Palestinians injured in Gaza.
Not only have people been killed, but there are more than 250,000 Israelis displaced, as well as 1.4 million Palestinians displaced in Gaza. Among the roughly 242 hostages, civilians and soldiers being held in Gaza, the Israeli military says 20 are children and around 10 people are over age 60.
As of this week, five hostages have been released or rescued. On Oct. 20, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan were the first American-Israeli hostages to be freed. On Oct. 24, two elderly Israeli women, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifschitz, were released. At press time, the last hostage released was Israeli soldier Pte Ori Megidish, who had been held since Oct. 7 and rescued by Israel’s military on Oct. 29.
On Nov. 1, the Rafah crossing, the only crossing point between Gaza and Egypt, opened. This border had been closed since the war started on Oct. 7. Since it reopened, 81 wounded Palestinians and 345 foreign passport holders have left Gaza and crossed into Egypt. Some reports said that of the people leaving, about 200 hold United Kingdom passports.
Israel has also allowed about 260 aid trucks carrying food, water and medicine to cross the border. The United States is also trying to evacuate around 400 Americans with their families.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a news conference, “calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas. That will not happen.”
The Israeli military is on their way to Gaza City as the troops advance through three main routes: the northeast, from the northwest along the Mediterranean coast and from the south after reaching the territory’s main north-south highway.
More deaths are expected as Israel approaches Gaza City because of the residential neighborhoods that will be passed through on the way.
President Joseph Biden has asked Congress to approve a $14.3 billion military aid package to the country. On Nov. 1 at a campaign reception in Minnesota, Biden was asked about his stance on the war and he said, “I think we need a pause.” When asked to clarify what this pause means, he said, “A pause means give time to get the prisoners out. Give time.”
“This is incredibly complicated for the Israelis. I can thoroughly understand the emotions on the Palestinian side of the argument and the Jewish side of the argument,” Biden said.
A White House official later said Biden was not making a new policy announcement by mentioning a pause in fighting but that he believed a pause may be necessary to help the hostages.
This is after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said “humanitarian pauses must be considered,” so that aid such as water, food, medicine and other humanitarian assistance could enter Gaza. More than 3,700 Palestinian children have been killed, 2.3 million displaced from their homes and vital resources are running low.
The war continues on as the Israeli military will soon approach Gaza City where many people may get caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hamas.