Jump to content

Background to the Israel–Hamas war

Add links
Extended-protected article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The background to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war focusing on key events from 1967 to 2023, including occupation, the rise of Hamas, multiple military confrontations, economic hardships in Gaza, and the lead-up to the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

A bar chart from 2008 to before October 2023. 6,407 Palestinians have been killed during this time frame, while a smaller 308 Israelis have been killed.
Israeli and Palestinian deaths preceding the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, of which most were civilians.[1][2]

In 1967, following the Six-Day War fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan), Israel occupied the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip which had formerly been occupied by Egypt.[3] A process of Arab-Israeli normalization began in the 1970s, with the fourth and final war between Arab states and Israel ending in 1973 and an Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty signed in 1979.[4] In 1987, the First Intifada, a popular uprising by the Palestinians against the Israeli occupation, began.[5] Following the failure of the subsequent peace talks at the Camp David Summits in 2000,[6] violence once again escalated during the Second Intifada, which ended with the Sharm El Sheikh Summit and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 and subsequent blockade.[7][8] The Israeli closures, together with repeated conflicts, resulted in high levels of poverty, unemployment, and low economic development.[9]

Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative election and a subsequent battle in the Gaza Strip between it and Fatah, which led to Hamas taking over governance of Gaza in 2007, and further escalating tensions with Israel.[10][11] Israel, along with Egypt, imposed a blockade that significantly damaged Gaza's economy, citing security concerns as the justification.[12] International rights groups have characterized the blockade as a form of collective punishment,[13][14] while Israel defended it as necessary to prevent weapons and dual-use goods from entering the territory.[15][16] The Palestinian Authority has not held national elections since 2006.[12][17]

Since 2007, Israel has been involved in numerous military confrontations with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.[12][11][18] There have been four previous major hostilities, including two full-scale wars, between Israel and Hamas: in 2008–2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021.[19][20] Hamas's tactics included tunnel warfare and firing rockets into Israeli territory, whereas Israel generally conducted airstrikes in Gaza.[18] Israel also conducted ground invasions of Gaza in the 2008–2009 and 2014 wars.[21] In 2018–2019, there were weekly organized protests near the Gaza-Israel border involving thousands of Gazan participants. The protests were met with violence by Israel, with hundreds killed and thousands injured by sniper fire.[22][23] Surveys in 2023 of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank before the war indicated that a majority supported the use of "armed struggle", the creation of "militant groups", and an intifada ("uprising") against the Israeli occupation.[24][25] The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported roughly 6,400 Palestinians and 300 Israelis were killed in the wider Israeli–Palestinian conflict from 2008 through September 2023 before the start of this war.[26][1][2]

Due to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, UNRWA reported that 81% of people were living below the poverty level in 2023, with 63% being food insecure and dependent on international assistance.[2][27] According to an analysis in The Independent, the Gaza blockade created hopelessness among Palestinians, which was exploited by Hamas, convincing young Palestinian men that violence was their only solution.[28]

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by a number of Western states and regional blocs, including the US, the UK, Japan, Australia and the EU.[29][30][3][31] China and Russia do not regard Hamas as a terrorist organization,[32][33][34] and a 2018 motion to condemn Hamas for "acts of terror" at the UN failed to pass.[35]

In February–March 2021, Fatah and Hamas reached agreement to jointly conduct elections for a new Palestinian legislative assembly, in accordance with the Oslo Accords, and for Hamas to enter the PLO. Hamas committed to upholding international law, transferring control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority and to allowing it to negotiate with Israel to establish a Palestinian state along the 1967 ceasefire lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. According to Menachem Klein, Israeli Arabist and political scientist at Bar-Ilan University, Mahmoud Abbas subsequently cancelled the elections under pressure from Israel and the United States.[36] Soon after the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis exploded, the Al-Qassam Brigades started planning the 7 October 2023 operation.[36][37]

Hamas motives

Further information: Hamas government in the Gaza Strip
See also: Fatah–Hamas conflict

Hamas officials stated while announcing the attack that it was a response to the Israeli occupation, blockade of the Gaza Strip, Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians, whom Hamas sought to release by taking Israeli hostages.[38][39][40]

Mohammad Deif, the head of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades (their militant wing),[41] said on 7 October that the Hamas attack was in response to what he called the "desecration" of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Israel killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians in 2023.[42]

In his speech, he mentioned that "every day the occupation attacks our towns and homes in the West Bank, spreading corruption by infiltrating houses, arresting, and killing hundreds in this year alone, and the Israeli occupation continues to impose its criminal siege of the Gaza Strip. In the midst of these continuous crimes against our Palestinian people and their rights, in the midst of showing utmost disregard for international laws and resolutions, and in the midst of US and Western support and international silence, we have decided to put an end to all of that and announce a military operation "Al-Aqsa Flood" against the Israeli occupation so that it can no longer revel without punishment".[43][44][45][46]

A speculated additional motive of Hamas was to prevent a diplomatic normalization between Israel and Arab countries that was gaining momentum with the Abraham Accords.[47] But the only aspect of international relations that Hamas or their allies have emphasised is Western and United States support for the occupation.[46][48][49] Deif also highlighted other conflicts in the region which he saw as related to the Palestinian struggle.[49][50]

Al-Qassam Brigades' calls for support

In his 7 October speech,[49] Mohammed Deif, "Chief of Staff" of the Qassam Brigades,[51] called on Palestinians and members of "Islamic resistance" groups throughout the region to "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls."[49][42][52]

Deif instructed the Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Israel to take the opportunity to overthrow the occupation.[49][53] He then called on people in "all parts of the Arab and Islamic homeland" from Morocco to Indonesia, to "start now, not tomorrow, your daily advance towards Palestine, and do not let borders, regimes or restrictions deprive you of the honour". Deif went on to quote the Quran: "And kill them wherever you confront them, and expel them from where they expelled you."[49][54] In the same speech Deif directed, "Do not kill the elderly and children, and remove this filth from your land and from your holy things."[55][56][57]

Long term goals of Hamas

The long-term goals of Hamas are disputed. Hamas has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel, notably in its 1988 charter.[58][a] Bruce Hoffman has argued that Hamas' 1988 charter lays out aims that are antisemitic and "genocidal" in nature.[59] In 2017, Hamas replaced its old charter with a new one that removed antisemitic language and stated that its struggle was with Zionists, not Jews.[60][61] The new charter indicates that Hamas will accept the peace agreements only provisionally, without relinquishing a claim to the entirety of Palestine nor recognizing Israel.[62][59]

The attack was also seen[who?] as a resolution of internal tensions within Hamas as to whether the group's main goal is governing the Gaza Strip or fighting against Israel.[63] Internal strife in Israeli society caused by protests against the judicial reform encouraged Hamas to go ahead with its attack.[64][65]

On 21 January 2024, Hamas released an 18-page English-language document reiterating its previously stated rationales and framing the attack in a wider context as a struggle against colonialism, describing its actions as "a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people".[66][67] It said that "maybe some faults happened" during the attacks "due to the rapid collapse of the Israeli security and military system, and the chaos caused along the border areas with Gaza" and that "[if] there was any case of targeting civilians it happened accidentally".[68][66] The timing of the release raised questions; sources in Gaza, including those aligned with Hamas, told Haaretz that the document was designed to contend with criticism of the heavy price Gazans have paid for the attacks on Israel.[69][70]

Attempts to persuade Iran and Hezbollah to join

Internal documents revealed that Hamas, led by Yahya Sinwar, attempted to persuade Iran and Hezbollah to join the October 7 attacks.[71][72] The group postponed the assault, codenamed "the big project," from its original 2022 date in hopes of securing broader regional involvement. While Iran and Hezbollah expressed support, they were not fully prepared, leading Hamas to proceed without them.[71][72]

Israeli policy

See also: Israeli support for Hamas and Israel and apartheid

The Netanyahu government has been criticized within Israel for having championed a policy of empowering the Hamas government in Gaza by, for instance, granting work permits to Gazan residents, facilitating the transfer of funds to Hamas and maintaining relative calm.[73][74][75] By the conclusion of Netanyahu's fifth government in 2021, the issuance of work permits to Gazans reached approximately 2,000–3,000. Later, under the Bennett-Lapid government, this number significantly increased to 10,000,[73] and since Netanyahu's return to power in 2023 the number rose again to 20,000.[73] These workers were accused of spying on Israel and being complicit in the October 7 attack.[76][77][78] After the attack, the Israeli war cabinet granted additional 8,000 work permits to West Bank residents, despite concerns about their vetting and potential security risks.[76]

In addition to granting workers permits, millions of dollars from Qatar have been transported into Gaza, escorted by Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, intended for Gaza's power plant, infrastructure projects and monthly stipends for impoverished Palestinian families, while Israeli officials were aware that Hamas might divert the funds to acquire weapons and rockets.[79][74]

These strategies towards Hamas have been criticized as having backfired in light of the attacks on 7 October 2023.[75] Critics cautioned that such policies may have strengthened Hamas's power in Gaza while weakening Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, thus sabotaging a two-state solution.[80][75] This criticism has been echoed by several Israeli officials, including former prime minister Ehud Barak and former head of the Shin Bet internal security service Yuval Diskin.[80] The Palestinian Authority and Saudi Arabia were also critical of Netanyahu's government allowing Qatar to deliver suitcases of money to Hamas[80] in exchange for maintaining the ceasefire.[73] Haaretz and The Nation have described Netanyahu's strategy towards the Palestinian issue as that of "divide-and-conquer".[81][82] Netanyahu himself has criticized opinions on his responsibility for the 7 October attacks, stating "Did people ask Franklin Roosevelt, after Pearl Harbor, that question? Did people ask George Bush after the surprise attack of November [sic] 11?" referring to the 11 September 2001 terror attacks.[83]

Numerous commentators have identified the broader context of Israeli occupation as a cause of the war.[84][85][86][87][88] The Associated Press wrote that Palestinians are "in despair over a never-ending occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza".[89] Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International,[90] B'Tselem[91] and Human Rights Watch[92] have likened the Israeli occupation to apartheid, although supporters of Israel dispute this characterization.[93][94]

2023 Israeli–Palestinian escalation

See also: 2023 Neve Yaakov shooting, 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes, 2023 Israel–Lebanon shellings, May 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes, and July 2023 Jenin incursion

In 2023, before the October 7 assault, 32 Israelis and two foreign nationals were killed in Palestinian attacks. At least 247 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces.[95] Increases in settler attacks had displaced hundreds of Palestinians, and there were clashes around the Al-Aqsa Mosque which sits on the Temple Mount, a contested holy site in Jerusalem.[96] In August 2023, 1,264 Palestinians were held in administrative detention in Israel without charge or trial,[97][98] which Israel said was necessary to contain dangerous militants.[97]

Tensions between Israel and Hamas rose in September 2023, and the Washington Post described the two "on the brink of war".[99] Israel found explosives hidden in a shipment of jeans and halted all exports from Gaza.[99] In response, Hamas put its forces on high alert, and conducted military exercises with other groups, including openly practicing storming Israeli settlements.[99] Hamas also allowed Palestinians to resume protests at the Gaza–Israel barrier.[99] On 13 September, five Palestinians were killed at the border. According to the Washington Post, the Palestinians were attempting to detonate an explosive device.[99] Al-Jazeera reported that a Palestinian Explosives Engineering Unit was working to deactivate the device.[100] On 29 September, Qatar, the UN, and Egypt mediated an agreement between Israel and Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip to reopen closed crossing points and deescalate tensions.[101][102]

Simon Tisdall argues that an uptick in Israeli–Palestinian violence in the West Bank in the first half of 2023 had portended war,[103] and stated that Netanyahu's "refusal to contemplate any type of peace process" added "fuel to the smouldering fire" in the context of "the relentless expansion of illegal Israeli settlements".[103] Prior to the attack, Saudi Arabia warned Israel of an "explosion" as a result of the continued occupation,[104] Egypt had warned of a catastrophe unless there was political progress,[105] and similar warnings were given by Palestinian Authority officials.[105] Two months before the attacks, King Abdullah II of Jordan commented that Palestinians have "no civil rights; no freedom of mobility".[105]

Israeli intelligence failure

Israeli intelligence officials initially stated that they had no warnings or indications of the 7 October attack by Hamas, despite Israel exercising extensive monitoring over Gaza.[106] However, in the weeks and days preceding 7 October, the US intelligence community produced at least two assessments based partly on Israeli intelligence warning the Biden administration of an increased risk for Hamas-initiated violence.[107] Egypt said it warned Israel days before the attack, "an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big".[108] Israel denied receiving such a warning,[109] but the Egyptian statement was corroborated by Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Foreign Relations Committee, who said warnings were made three days before the attack.[110]

According to a New York Times report, Israeli officials obtained an approximately 40-page document detailing the Hamas battle plan for its 7 October attack more than a year prior to the actual event. The document described operational plans and targets, including the size and location of Israeli forces, and raised questions in Israel as to how Hamas was able to learn these details. The plans included a large scale rocket assault prior to invasion, drones to knock out surveillance cameras and gun turrets that Israel deployed along the border, and gunmen invading Israel with paragliders. The Times report's authors wrote, "Hamas followed the blueprint with shocking precision". They also claimed the document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders who largely dismissed the plan as being beyond Hamas's capabilities, though it was unclear if political leaders were informed. In July 2023, a veteran analyst with the Israeli signals intelligence unit warned other intelligence experts that Hamas was conducting exercises for an assault. A colonel within the IDF's Gaza Division concluded that no real threat was imminent.[111]

The Financial Times and Politico reported that alerts from the signals unit were ignored partly because they originated from lower-ranking female soldiers. Furthermore, these warnings contradicted the Israeli government's belief that it had effectively contained Hamas by blockading Gaza, bombing its military capabilities, and permitting Qatar to channel hundreds of millions of dollars in aid money to Gaza. The upper echelons of Israel's political and military leadership subscribed to the narrative that Hamas had moderated and was seeking to avoid a full-scale war.[112][113]

In June 2024 it was reported that a document titled "Detailed End-to-End Raid Training" was given to the Israeli public broadcaster Kan. The document was compiled within the IDF's Gaza Division less than three weeks before 7 October, warning that Hamas was training for a large-scale hostage-taking operation. Estimates within the document suggested Hamas aimed to seize 200–250 hostages.[114][115]

Israel–Saudi normalization talks

Main article: Israel–Saudi Arabia relations

At the time of the attack, Israel and Saudi Arabia were conducting negotiations to normalize relations. Amid the negotiations, in early August, Israeli PM Netanyahu rejected a Palestinian state.[116][117][118] Neverthelees Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman said normalization was "for the first time real".[119] This was an apparent reversal of Saudi policy, articulated in the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, when Saudi Arabia had offered Israel normalization with the whole Arab world if Israel allows the creation of a Palestinian state.[120][121][122][123] Israeli[123] and other officials involved in the negotiations confirmed that the Saudis were considering normalization with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.[124] Many Palestinians worried that Israeli-Saudi normalization would cost them their last significant leverage for Palestinian statehood.[125] Most in the US foreign policy establishment believed Palestinian statehood "no longer matters in the Middle East".[126]

On October 21, US President Joe Biden said the aim of the 7 October attacks was to disrupt the normalization talks.[127] According to Menachem Klein, Israeli normalization with other Middle Eastern states, including Saudi Arabia, threatened to leave the Palestinians "isolated and weak".[128] On 7 February 2024, Saudi Arabia stated that diplomatic relations with Israel requires an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.[129] On October 4, three days before the Hamas attack, US diplomat Dennis Ross said Palestinian statehood "is not an option" in the Israeli-Saudi talks.[130] In October 2024, a year after the attacks, Israeli military claimed to have Hamas documents that said it wanted to disrupt Saudi-Israeli talks.[71]

Notes

  1. ^ Sources that say Hamas calls for Israel's destruction cite the 1988 Hamas charter, while sources that say Hamas has accepted the 1967 borders cite the 2017 Hamas charter, 2005 Palestinian Cairo Declaration and 2006 Palestinian Prisoners' Document.

References

  1. ^ a b "Data on casualties". United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – occupied Palestinian territory (OCHAoPt). Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Alfonseca, Kiara (11 October 2023). "Palestinian civilians suffer in Israel-Gaza crossfire as death toll rises". ABC News. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b El Deeb, Sarah (9 October 2023). "What is Hamas? The group that rules the Gaza Strip has fought several rounds of war with Israel". AP News. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Israeli-Egyptian Peace: Forty Years After the 1973 War and Holding". www.washingtoninstitute.org. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  5. ^ "Intifada". Encyclopedia Britannica. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Timeline: How the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process Fell Apart in the Three Decades After the 1993 Oslo Accord". Frontline. PBS. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Frequently asked questions on ICRC's work in Israel and the occupied territories". International Committee of the Red Cross. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Gaza Strip explained: Who controls it and what to know". NBC News. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  9. ^ 'Gaza Strip: Interim Damage Assessment,' World Bank/European Union/United Nations 29 March 2024.p.5
  10. ^ Perry, Tom; McDowall, Angus (7 October 2023). Harvey, Jan (ed.). "Timeline of conflict between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza". Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b Kane, Alex; Cohen, Mari; Shamir, Jonathan; Scher, Isaac (10 October 2023). "The Hamas Attacks and Israeli Response: An Explainer". Jewish Currents. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Meakem, Allison (10 October 2023). "The Geopolitics of Palestine, Explained". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  13. ^ * Nebehay, Stephanie (13 September 2011). Graff, Peter (ed.). "U.N. experts say Israel's blockade of Gaza illegal". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 June 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2023. A panel of five independent U.N. rights experts [said] the blockade had subjected Gazans to collective punishment in 'flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law.' * "Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories". Amnesty International Report 2022/23: The State of the World's Human Rights. London: Amnesty International. 2023. pp. 206–211. ISBN 978-0-86210-502-0. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023. This compounded the impact of a 15-year ongoing Israeli blockade that amounts to illegal collective punishment * "Deprived and Endangered: Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip". Human Rights Watch. 13 January 2009. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2023. The blockade is a form of collective punishment in violation of international law. * "Hamas hardliner Yahya Sinwar elected as Gaza leader". BBC News. 13 February 2017. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023. Israel and Egypt maintain a blockade around Gaza aimed at preventing attacks by militants there, though the measure has been condemned by rights groups as a form of collective punishment.
  14. ^ Ackerman, Seth (4 January 2024). "There was an Iron Wall in Gaza". Jacobin. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024. The unemployment rate soared to "probably the highest in the world", four-fifths of the population were forced to rely on humanitarian assistance, three-quarters became dependent on food aid, more than half faced "acute food insecurity", one in ten children were stunted by malnutrition, and over 96 percent of potable water became unsafe for human consumption.
  15. ^ Abdulrahim, Raja (7 October 2023). "Gaza Has Suffered Under 16-Year Blockade". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  16. ^ Benhorin, Yitzhak (20 June 2010). "Cabinet: All non-military items can enter Gaza freely". Ynet. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  17. ^ Kingsley, Patrick (15 July 2022). "A New Palestinian Leader Rises in the West Bank. He's Very Unpopular". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  18. ^ a b Beauchamp, Zack (7 October 2023). "Why did Hamas invade Israel?". Vox. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  19. ^ "These six charts show the scale of human loss in the Israel-Gaza war". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  20. ^ Tan, Joanna (12 November 2023). "Charts show a stark difference in the human cost of Israeli-Palestinian conflicts over the years". CNBC. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  21. ^ Narea, Nicole (19 October 2023). "A timeline of Israel and Palestine's complicated history". vox.com. Vox. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Two Years On: People Injured and Traumatized During the "Great March of Return" are Still Struggling". un.org. United Nations. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  23. ^ Fayyad, Huthifa. "Gaza's Great March of Return protests explained". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  24. ^ Muaddi, Qassam (19 June 2023). "Most Palestinians 'back armed resistance' as Israeli occupation intensifies". The New Arab. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  25. ^ Baniya, Sudesh (16 November 2023). "Two-state solution losing grounds in Israel and Palestine even before terror attacks, surveys show". Euronews. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Where We Work. Gaza Strip". United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  27. ^ "The Gaza Strip: The humanitarian impact of 15 years of blockade". UNICEF. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  28. ^ Hall, Richard. "The US has ignored the hopelessness of the Israel-Palestine conflict for too long". Voices. The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  29. ^ Bigg, Matthew. "What We Know About the War Between Israel and Hamas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Who are the Hamas leaders behind the attacks on Israel?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  31. ^ Messier, Ashlyn (12 October 2023). "Israel, Australia, Japan, UK, US, others have officially designated Hamas a terrorist organization". Fox News. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  32. ^ Whittaker, David J., ed. (2012) [2001]. The Terrorism Reader. Routledge. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-415-68731-7. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  33. ^ Dixon, Hugo (30 October 2023). "Israel war tests US appeal to global swing states". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  34. ^ Waldo, Cleary; Epstein, Gabriel; Hilbush, Sydney (11 October 2023). "International Reactions to the Hamas Attack on Israel". PolicyWatch 3793. The Washington Institute. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  35. ^ "UN rejects US motion to condemn Hamas". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  36. ^ a b Klein, Menachem (28 November 2023). "Israeli arrogance thwarted a Palestinian political path. October 7 revealed the cost". +972 magazine. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023.
  37. ^ "Hamas Says Its Attack on Israel Was Planned for Two Years". The Wall Street Journal. 14 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  38. ^ "Fears of a ground invasion of Gaza grow as Israel vows 'mighty vengeance'". Al Jazeera. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  39. ^ McKernan, Bethan; Michaelson, Ruth; Graham-Harrison, Emma; Kierszenbaum, Quique; Balousha, Hazem; Taha, Sufian; Sherwood, Harriet; Beaumont, Peter (14 October 2023). "Seven days of terror that shook the world and changed the Middle East". The Observer. Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  40. ^ Pacchiani, Luca (7 October 2023). "Hamas deputy chief anticipates hostages will be swapped for Palestinian prisoners". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  41. ^ "Haniyeh outlines context and objectives of Hamas Operation Al-Aqsa Flood". MEMO. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  42. ^ a b Pacchiani, Gianluca (7 October 2023). "Hamas commander says attacks are in defense of Al-Aqsa, claims 5,000 missiles fired". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  43. ^ "Statement by Al-Qassam Brigades Chief of Staff Mohammed Deif". Ezzedeen AL-Qassam Brigades (English). EQB Information Office. Retrieved 12 April 2024. As the Israeli occupation maintains its siege of the Gaza Strip and continues its crimes against our Palestinian people showing utmost disregard for international laws and resolutions amid US and Western support and international silence, we have decided to put an end to all of that and announce a military operation "Al-Aqsa Flood" against the Israeli occupation.
  44. ^ Nakhoul, Samia; Bassam, Laila (11 October 2023). "How a secretive Hamas commander masterminded the attack on Israel". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023. He also said Hamas had in the past asked Israel for a humanitarian deal to release Palestinian prisoners, but this was rejected. "In light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and resolutions, and in light of American and western support and international silence, we've decided to put an end to all this," he said.
  45. ^ "'The Guest': the Palestinian mastermind behind deadly Israel incursion". Financial Times. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  46. ^ a b Srivastava, Mehul (8 October 2023). "'The Guest': the Palestinian mastermind behind deadly Israel incursion". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 21 June 2024. In light of the continuing crimes against our people, in light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and resolutions, and in light of American and Western support, we've decided to put an end to all this," said the speaker, filmed shrouded in shadows, "so that the enemy understands that he can no longer revel without being held to account.
  47. ^ "Why did Hamas attack Israel, and why now?". CBS News. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  48. ^ "Statement by Al-Qassam Brigades Chief of Staff Mohammed Deif". Ezzedeen AL-Qassam Brigades (English). EQB Information Office. Retrieved 12 April 2024. As the Israeli occupation maintains its siege of the Gaza Strip and continues its crimes against our Palestinian people showing utmost disregard for international laws and resolutions amid US and Western support and international silence, we have decided to put an end to all of that and announce a military operation "Al-Aqsa Flood" against the Israeli occupation.
  49. ^ a b c d e f "خطاب "طوفان الأقصى"". مؤسسة الدراسات الفلسطينية (Institute for Palestine Studies) (in Arabic). Institute for Palestine Studies. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  50. ^ "We announce the start of the al-Aqsa Flood". Fondazione Internazionale Oasis. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024. The almost daily bombardment of Syria and Iraq is over; time is up for those who gamble on the division of the Umma and the dispersal of its forces into internal conflicts. The time has come for all Arab and Islamic forces to join together to clear out this occupation from our sacred sites and from our land.
  51. ^ "Statement by Al-Qassam Brigades Chief of Staff Mohammed Deif". Ezzedeen AL-Qassam Brigades (English). EQB Information Office. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  52. ^ McKernan, Bethan (7 October 2023). "Hamas launches surprise attack on Israel as Palestinian gunmen reported in south". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  53. ^ "We announce the start of the al-Aqsa Flood". Fondazione Internazionale Oasis. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  54. ^ "We announce the start of the al-Aqsa Flood". Fondazione Internazionale Oasis. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024. To the people of Jordan and Lebanon, of Egypt, Algeria and Morocco, of Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia, and all parts of the Arab and Islamic homeland, start now, not tomorrow, your daily advance towards Palestine, and do not let borders, regimes or restrictions deprive you of the honour... Today, history opens its clearest, most noble and brightest pages. Who will record their name, their family name and the name of their city in the pages of light and glory?
  55. ^ "We announce the start of the al-Aqsa Flood". Fondazione Internazionale Oasis. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024. Do not kill the elderly and children...
  56. ^ "خطاب "طوفان الأقصى"". (Institute for Palestine Studies) (in Arabic). Institute for Palestine Studies. Retrieved 14 April 2024. Quote in Arabic: {واقتلوهم حيث ثقفتموهم، وأخرجوهم من حيث أخرجوكم}. لا تقتلوا الشيوخ والأطفال، وأزيلوا هذا الدنس عن أرضكم ومقدساتكم., lit. '{And kill them where you raised them, and take them out from where they took you out}. Do not kill the elders and the children, and remove this desecration from your land and your sanctuaries.'
  57. ^ "Hamas Operation statement: Starts Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (abridged and dubbed in English)". Al Jazeera English – YouTube channel. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  58. ^ Sources that say Hamas has called for Israel's destruction:
    * May, Tiffany (8 October 2023). "A Quick Look at Hamas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
    * "Two-state solution: Israeli-Palestinian history". Encyclopædia Britannica. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
    * Edwards, Christian (16 November 2023). "Have war crimes been committed in Israel and Gaza and what laws govern the conflict?". CNN. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  59. ^ a b Hoffman, Bruce (10 October 2023). "Understanding Hamas's Genocidal Ideology". The Atlantic. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  60. ^ Hamed, Qossay (2023). Hamas in Power: The Question of Transformation. IGI Global. p. 161.
  61. ^ Spitka, Timea (2023). National and International Civilian Protection Strategies in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Springer International Publishing. pp. 88–89.
  62. ^ "Doctrine of Hamas". Wilson Center. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023.
  63. ^ "Behind Hamas's Bloody Gambit to Create a 'Permanent' State of War". The New York Times. 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  64. ^ "In rare apology, Israeli minister says she 'sinned' for her role in reforms that tore country apart". Associated Press. 31 December 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  65. ^ "Hamas carried out years-long campaign to fool Israel before attack, source says". Times of Israel. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  66. ^ a b "Hamas says October 7 attacks 'necessary step' but admits to 'faults'". Le Monde.fr. 21 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  67. ^ Hamas Media Office (21 January 2024). "Our Narrative ... Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" (PDF). lbcgroup.tv. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  68. ^ "Hamas says its October 7 assault on Israel was a 'normal response' to Israeli 'conspiracies'". The Times of Israel. 21 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  69. ^ Khoury, Jack. "Hamas Releases Memo Explaining Why It Waged War on Israel; Gazans Question Timing, Cite Criticism of Hamas". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  70. ^ Silkoff, Shira. "Against all evidence, Hamas says it morally, religiously opposes harming women, kids". timesofisrael.com. Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  71. ^ a b c Bergman, Ronen; Ragson, Adam; Kingsley, Patrick (12 October 2024). "Secret Documents Show Hamas Tried to Persuade Iran to Join Its Oct. 7 Attack". New York Times.
  72. ^ a b Crisp, James (2024-10-12). "Hamas wanted Iran to join in Oct 7 attack, secret minutes reveal". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  73. ^ a b c d "For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it's blown up in our faces". The Times of Israel. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  74. ^ a b "Israel's Big New Shift in Hamas Policy". Foreign Policy. 15 June 2021. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  75. ^ a b c "How Years of Israeli Failures on Hamas Led to a Devastating Attack". The New York Times. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  76. ^ a b Pipes, Daniel (17 November 2023). "Appeasement not victory: Israel has quickly reverted to its bad policies". The Washington Times. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  77. ^ "How Hamas duped Israel as it planned devastating attack". Reuters. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  78. ^ "What went wrong? Questions emerge over Israel's intelligence prowess after Hamas attack". AP News. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  79. ^ Schneider, Tal (8 October 2023). "For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it's blown up in our faces". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  80. ^ a b c "How Netanyahu's Hamas policy came back to haunt him — and Israel". CBC News. 28 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  81. ^ Heer, Jeet (11 December 2023). "Why Netanyahu Bolstered Hamas". thenation.com. The Nation. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  82. ^ Raz, Adam (20 October 2023). "A Brief History of the Netanyahu-Hamas Alliance". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  83. ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie (12 November 2023). "Netanyahu on responsibility for Oct. 7: Did people ask the same about Pearl Harbor, 9/11?". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  84. ^ Matar, Haggai (7 October 2023). "Gaza's shock attack has terrified Israelis. It should also unveil the context". +972 Magazine. +972 Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  85. ^ Sforza, Lauren (9 October 2023). "Tlaib, Bush criticized by Democrats over statements calling for end to Israel support". The Hill. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  86. ^ "John Mearsheimer: Israel is choosing 'apartheid' or 'ethnic cleansing'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  87. ^ Schenker, Hillel (12 October 2023). "The Catastrophe of October 7. Why Did It Happen?". The Nation. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  88. ^ Barghouti, Mariam. "On October 7, Gaza broke out of prison". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  89. ^ Federman, Josef; Adwan, Issam (7 October 2023). "Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation". AP News. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  90. ^ Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity (PDF) (Report). Amnesty International. January 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  91. ^ "A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid". B'Tselem. 12 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2023. A regime that uses laws, practices and organized violence to cement the supremacy of one group over another is an apartheid regime. Israeli apartheid, which promotes the supremacy of Jews over Palestinians, was not born in one day or of a single speech. It is a process that has gradually grown more institutionalized and explicit, with mechanisms introduced over time in law and practice to promote Jewish supremacy. These accumulated measures, their pervasiveness in legislation and political practice, and the public and judicial support they receive – all form the basis for our conclusion that the bar for labeling the Israeli regime as apartheid has been met.
  92. ^ Holmes, Oliver (27 April 2021). "Israel is committing the crime of apartheid, rights group says". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  93. ^ "Israël : l'Assemblée nationale rejette une résolution communiste dénonçant un "régime d'apartheid"" [Israel: National Assembly rejects communist resolution denouncing 'apartheid regime']. Le Figaro (in French). 4 May 2023. Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  94. ^ Hutzler, Alexandra; Peller, Lauren. "House passes resolution saying Israel isn't a 'racist or apartheid state'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  95. ^ "Israel retaliation kills 230 Palestinians after Hamas operation". Al Jazeera. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  96. ^ "Israel declares war, goes after Hamas fighters and bombards Gaza". AP News. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  97. ^ a b Frankel, Julia (1 August 2023). "Israel holds over 1,200 detainees without charge. That's the most in 3 decades, a rights group says". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  98. ^ Shefaz, Hagar (3 August 2023). "A Quarter of Palestinians Jailed in Israel Are Imprisoned Without Charges or Trial". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  99. ^ a b c d e Murphy, Brian; Taylor, Adam; Westfall, Sammy; Pietsch, Bryan; Hendrix, Steve (9 October 2023). "What's behind the violence in Israel and Gaza? Here's what to know". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  100. ^ "Explosion kills five at Gaza rally marking 2005 Israel pullout". Al Jazeera. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  101. ^ "Qatar mediates opening of Gaza-Israel crossing as protests end". Al Jazeera. 29 September 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  102. ^ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (28 September 2023). "Israel reopens Gaza crossings, lets Palestinians back to work after two weeks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  103. ^ a b Tisdall, Simon (9 October 2023). "In the midst of war, Benjamin Netanyahu is a liability who can only make things worse. He must go". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  104. ^ Wong, Edward; Nereim, Vivian (7 October 2023). "The war could upend Biden's diplomacy on Saudi-Israel normalization". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  105. ^ a b c "The lesson from the Hamas attack: The U.S. should recognize a Palestinian state". Opinion. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  106. ^ "Hamas Attack Raises Questions Over an Israeli Intelligence Failure". The New York Times. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  107. ^ "US intelligence warned of the potential for violence days before Hamas attack". CNN. Washington. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  108. ^ "Egypt intelligence official says Israel ignored repeated warnings of 'something big'". The Times of Israel. Associated Press. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  109. ^ Lis, Jonathan (13 October 2023). "'Utterly Fake': Israel's National Security Adviser Denies Receiving Egyptian Warning of Hamas Attack". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  110. ^ "Senior US lawmaker says Egypt warned Israel 3 days before onslaught". The Times of Israel. Agence France-Presse. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  111. ^ Bergman, Ronen; Goldman, Adam (1 December 2023). "Israel Knew Hamas's Attack Plan Over a Year Ago". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  112. ^ Srivastava, Mehul (23 November 2023). "Israeli intelligence 'dismissed' detailed warning of Hamas raid". The Financial Times. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  113. ^ Dettmer, Jamie (21 November 2023). "Our warnings on Hamas were ignored, Israel's women border troops say". Politico. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  114. ^ Fink, Rachel (June 18, 2024). "Report: New Evidence Reveals IDF Had Detailed Prior Knowledge of Hamas Plan to Raid Israel". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  115. ^ "3 weeks before Oct. 7, IDF Gaza Division warned of Hamas plan to attack, take 250 hostages". The Times of Israel. 17 June 2024. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  116. ^ Kaye, Dalia Dassa (17 August 2023). "The Case Against an Israeli-Saudi Deal". Foreign Affairs. In an early August interview with Bloomberg, Netanyahu...called the Palestinian issue no more than a "checkbox" and reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state.
  117. ^ "Israel-Saudi peace can end all hope for Palestinian statehood - opinion". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 10 August 2023. To which [Palestinian state] Bibi emphatically says, "No, never." Many in Israel and elsewhere are confident that the Saudis aren't really serious about Palestinian statehood and are unwilling to sacrifice their own interests for it.
  118. ^ "Netanyahu: Normalisation with Saudi not linked to creation of Palestinian state". Middle East Monitor. August 8, 2023.
  119. ^ Kingsley, Patrick; Kershner, Isabel (7 October 2023). "Israel-Gaza Conflict: Gaza and Israel on War Footing After Militants Launch Surprise Assaults". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  120. ^ Ackerman, Spencer (10 October 2023). "A Mideast Deal Signed in Blood". The Nation. It is not lost on anyone, least of all the Palestinians, that in 2002, then–Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz conditioned recognition for Israel on Palestinian statehood. Now–Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has removed that condition.
  121. ^ Lawati, Abbas Al (11 October 2023). "Mideast and US leaders tried to sweep the Palestinian issue under the rug. That may not work anymore". CNN. CNN News. [MBS] effectively abandoning a two-decade-old Saudi pledge to only make peace with Israel after it fully withdraws from land it occupies.
  122. ^ Haq, Sana Noor (22 September 2023). "Netanyahu says Israel nears normalization deal with Saudi Arabia but refuses to outline concessions to Palestinians". CNN. [bin Salman] stopped short of calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, which has been Riyadh's official stance for two decades.
  123. ^ a b Magid, Jacob (26 September 2023). "Saudis putting aside Arab Peace Initiative amid Israel normalization talks – officials".
  124. ^ Nakhoul, Samia (September 29, 2023). "Exclusive: US-Saudi defence pact tied to Israel deal, Palestinian demands put aside". Reuters.
  125. ^ Shehada, Muhammad (14 August 2023). "For the Palestinians, Israeli-Saudi normalization would be disastrous". Haaretz.
  126. ^ Klawans, Justin (11 October 2023). "How the Israel-Hamas war could derail peace with Saudi Arabia". The Week.
  127. ^ "Hamas attack aimed to disrupt Saudi-Israel normalization, Biden says". Reuters. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  128. ^ Klein, Menachem (28 November 2023). "Israeli arrogance thwarted a Palestinian political path. October 7 revealed the cost". +972 magazine. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023.
  129. ^ "Saudi Arabia: no Israel ties without recognition of Palestinian state". Reuters. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  130. ^ "Peace With Saudi Arabia Is Transformative But Requires Choices". The Washington Institute. Riyadh understands that immediate Palestinian statehood is not an option
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Background_to_the_Israel–Hamas_war&oldid=1253447675"