Conflict in the Middle East

During the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, on Saturday, October 7, 2023, an offensive by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas struck Israel by surprise. Thousands of rockets fired from Gaza overcame the Strip’s security barriers, and Islamist militants infiltrated Israeli territory by land, sea and air. The attack left hundreds dead and kidnapped.

In response, the State of Israel launched Operation Iron Sword against the terrorist group. Israel mobilized more than 300,000 reservists and began bombing Gaza indiscriminately, attacking civilian infrastructure (hospitals, mosques, schools, UN headquarters, and hundreds of residences). It also cut off water, electricity, food, and the only possible route for humanitarian aid through Egypt: the Rafah border crossing.

Faced with this historical moment, which may represent a turning point in the Middle East, ICIP offers a series of articles and resources from a peace perspective.