Israel-Gaza: One month on – 3 November 2023
THE conflict between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls the Palestinian region of Gaza, continues.
This week, armoured Israeli vehicles approached Gaza City, the main city in Gaza. Israel’s army then rescued a soldier who had been taken prisoner by Hamas (which the UK and US class as a terrorist organisation). Around 240 hostages were taken when Hamas invaded Israel and killed 1,400 people in a deadly attack on 7 October. As we went to press, Hamas was still holding most of the hostages.
Israel has responded by hitting Gaza with rockets, which has destroyed homes and killed thousands. The United Nations said “hundreds and hundreds” of people are stuck in local hospitals. Doctors at the Al-Quds hospital in Gaza City said Israel had told them to leave the area, but that they can’t because some patients are too poorly to move.
More than 100 aid trucks have delivered medicine, food and water into Gaza to help civilians. But, the UN and global charities such as Oxfam have called for a ceasefire (a pause in the fighting) to allow more aid in to help people.
Both sides of the wall
There are two areas of Palestinian land that are walled off from Israel – Gaza is one, and the West Bank is the other.
First News’ partner television programme, FYI, met two young people last year in the West Bank – one Palestinian and one Israeli – to talk about the historic problems, before the latest conflict broke out. Both their families were taking part in a project run by the Parents Circle Families Forum (PCFF), which brings together Palestinian and Israeli families to get a better understanding of each other. The charity believes that a better world is possible.
Right now, PCFF says: “It is a time of great sorrow, knowing that countless families [are suffering] the tragic loss of their loved ones.” It says it’s working for a future “where the people of this region can live without fear, where children can grow up in safety, and where the seeds of hope can flourish.”
In the film, Israeli girl Talia says: “Everyone loses from this conflict. We lose soldiers. They lose people. We lose people. But I don’t think everyone’s on board with meeting the other side. But I think it’s really the only way. I think Israel does have the right to defend itself but it is not making its way towards peace. What’s best for my country is peace.”
Her Palestinian friend, Ibraheem, says: “Everyone living the way we are is angry. If we are going to change the situation, first of all we need to understand that the others are human, just like us. So, we should talk to them and listen to their opinions, know what’s the problem, know what’s the cause of the hatred. War makes people lose their hopes.”
Asked whether friendships like theirs will eventually bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Talia said: “I think this is the beginning of everything. Understanding that we are humans before we are enemies, or ‘the other side’. And I think this is the true core of peace.”
Ibraheem says: “It’s really hard to say now because it hasn’t been lots of time since we started to understand each other. We really hope.”
Watch the film with Ibraheem and Talia, and read our coverage of the conflict so far, at first.news/IsraelGaza.
Published Friday 3 November 2023
Picture credit: Getty
