▲ Large numbers of Israeli troops are gathering in Gaza, Palestine (Source: The JoongAng)

On October 7, the militant group Hamas launched hundreds of rockets into Israel and launched indiscriminate attacks. Upon hearing the news, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant formally declared war, saying, "The armed group, Hamas, made a grave mistake in waging a war against Israel this morning." The Israeli government, which declared a special state of emergency, warned of retaliatory strikes against the militant group Hamas. Currently, the confrontation between Hamas and Israel is reaching an extreme level. The war between Hamas and Israel, which lasted more than 15 days, led to heavy casualties. Arab news media outlet, Al Jazeera, reported on October 17 that Israeli forces had attacked hospitals in Gaza. The Israeli offensive killed 500 Gaza residents, according to the Health Ministry. The protracted war has left civilians on both sides terrified.

Hamas, the leading Palestinian militant group, is well known as a terrorist organization. Hamas, an Arabic acronym, which stands for the Islamic Resistance Movement, is a paramilitary group of Sunni Islamism, founded by the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas, created by Ahmed Yashin in 1987, was primarily aimed at forming an Islamic state in place of Israel by the country's destruction, when it was founded. Hamas, which ultimately won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, has carried out independent rule in Gaza since 2007, with other factions coldly driven out. The latest armed Hamas- Israeli war is the largest since the fourth Middle East war in 1973. Since Israel was founded in 1948, conflicts in the Middle East have intensified. The conflict in the Middle East stems from decades of conflict regarding the Palestinian issue, the intervention of great powers in oil resources, the Kurdish conundrum, and the conflict between Shiites and Sunnis in Islam. As a result, the first Middle East War broke out to prevent the founding of Israel, which served as the main cause of the Middle East War. Since then, Israel, which has fought a total of four wars, has gradually gained more territory, winning most of its territorial wars. Sadly, Israel has been under constant attack from terrorist groups in the Islamic world since 1970. Thus, Israel's unstable situation continues.

The armed Hamas- Israeli war has become a controversial topic. On October 20, President Biden delivered a speech at the White House. "Israel must have everything it needs to protect itself," President Biden said. "Israel's budget will be unprecedented in security, which will strengthen the Israeli military's quality." Reuters says U.S. President Biden will send $14 billion to Israel. Western countries are now showing increased support for Israel. However, it is said that there is also considerable caution against terrorist groups. Italy, which shares the Mediterranean Sea with the Middle East, said it decided to restore its border with Slovenia from October 21, saying, "Since Israel was attacked by Hamas, there has been growing concern that violence could occur in the region." The European Union emphasized the 'Unity of Israel and Hamas,' after the Middle Eastern trip. Meanwhile, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited China and met with Xi Jinping as the conflict between Hamas and Israel intensified. Xi Jinping, China's President, said in a statement with the Egyptian Prime Minister, "It is an urgent priority to cease fire as soon as possible, so that the conflict does not escalate and get out of control, or cause a serious humanitarian crisis." It also supported Palestinian independence and proposed a, Two- state Solution, as a solution. China is said to play a significant role in diplomacy in the Middle East.

The war between Hamas and Israel has led to a difficult diplomatic war around the world, including neighboring countries in the Middle East. For now, Hamas and Israel have been engaged in a worsening conflict. We hope Hamas and Israel will end the war as soon as possible. In addition, it is hoped that the two countries will smoothly resolve the conflicts that have been ailing them, to become united through mutual respect and understanding, and establish a decisive relationship.

By Park ChaeHyun, cub-reporter  parkch2582@naver.com

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