For 365 days, the people of Israel and Gaza have been trapped in an unrelenting cycle of violence, restlessness, and grief. This year has marked one of the bloodiest chapters in the region’s modern history, with every day steeped in pain, crisis, and killings. As the death toll rises and the war spreads, it’s clear that the conflict, driven by deep political, religious, and strategic divides, is far from over. At the heart of this turmoil is a critical question: How did this year of violence unfold, and why have efforts to bring it to an end failed?
Let’s go back to how it all started
The killing spree began with Hamas’s sudden offensive on October 7th, a day that changed the course of the conflict. Breaking through Israel’s borders, Hamas fighters unleashed an attack that left around 1,200 people dead, most of them civilians. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described it as one of the darkest days in the nation’s history, drawing comparisons to the Holocaust in its brutality. Israel’s response was swift and severe, targeting Gaza with relentless airstrikes, which have so far claimed nearly 42,000 lives, according to reports from the Hamas-run health ministry. As homes turned to rubble and families were torn apart, the international community watched in horror, but no solution was in sight.
Examining the Root Causes
The killings of the past year did not emerge in isolation. They are the latest chapter in a conflict that stretches back over a century, fueled by competing claims to land, identity, and justice. The political failure to address the Palestinian desire for self-determination has created a breeding ground for extremism, with Hamas’ attack reflecting not only military ambitions but also decades of frustration and hopelessness. Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been firm in its stance, insisting that Palestinian independence under the current conditions would pose an existential threat. His hardline policies, which many argue ignore the root causes of Palestinian discontent, have exacerbated tensions both within Israel and in the international arena. Netanyahu’s refusal to entertain diplomatic solutions has drawn widespread criticism, especially in the West, where leaders hoped for a breakthrough in the peace process. Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s attempt to broker a deal with Saudi Arabia, trading recognition of Israel for Palestinian statehood, collapsed under the weight of Israeli resistance and internal political divisions.
The Impact on Everyday Lives
For those living through the violence, the past year has been defined by fear, uncertainty, and loss. In Gaza, everyday life has been upended. Families have been displaced, schools destroyed, and basic services like electricity and clean water have become scarce. Many Gazans live in constant fear of the next airstrike, knowing that safety is fleeting. In Israel, the attacks have left civilians traumatized. Survivors of the Hamas offensive speak of an unimaginable horror, while communities along the Gaza border, once hopeful for peace, now live under constant threat. The killings have fostered deep mistrust on both sides, with any hope of reconciliation seeming like a distant dream. BBC reports that some residents of what was once a pretty place of flowering frangipani, a close knit community of 400 people, have found strength to return to the scenes of carnage to hold vigils for their loved ones. “I cannot imagine what these kids went through as their parents were bleeding to death and they were suffocating,” reflects Ranae Butler, as we stand in front of the blackened shell of her brother Yonatan’s home. He, his wife Tamara, three young children, and their grandmother Carol were all murdered that day. Carol’s partner Julien Cohen managed to hold on to his shelter’s door to keep Hamas fighters out. “I asked my doctor how an old man like me could do that and he told me we find force in these moments.“
“Our hope and prayer had been that we could find peace with our neighbours in Gaza,” he remarks sadly. “But you cannot sit down to talk with people whose reason for being is to take you away and kill you.”
A quarter of the Nir Oz community, 117 people, many of them peace activists, were killed or kidnapped. Until everyone is accounted for, all 251 hostages seized that day, 7 October remains an open wound - here and across Israel.
What leaders are saying a year after
In commemoration of this day, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited a
memorial in Jerusalem for victims of the Hamas attacks on 7 October. He reiterated his commitment to bring the hostages home and paid tribute to soldiers killed in the ongoing war with Hamas. Netanyahu said, "On this day, on this place, and in many other places in our land, we remember our fallen, our hostages — whom we are obliged to bring home — and our heroes who fell for the defence of the homeland and the country."
After lighting candles at the memorial, he adds: "We went through a terrible massacre a year ago, and we stood up as a people, like lions".
Describing the past year, US President Joe Biden says "far too many civilians have suffered far too much during this year of conflict”. Biden also added that he will "not stop working to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza".
Also, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin noted that tomorrow marks one year since Hamas perpetrated the worst terrorist attack against Israel in its history, and he reiterated unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, a ceasefire in Gaza, and a diplomatic resolution that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.
As we examine the killings over the past twelve months, one question remains: what does the future hold? The violence shows no signs of abating, and the political will to broker a lasting peace seems weaker than ever. Leaders on both sides face immense pressure, but without meaningful concessions and a commitment to address the underlying causes of the conflict, the cycle of death and destruction will likely continue. For now, both Israelis and Palestinians continue to mourn their dead, and the world is left to ponder whether the next twelve months will bring peace—or even greater bloodshed.
Reference
CNN
BBC
Comments