This is a war that began on October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel killing over 1,100 civilians. Immediately after this attack occurred it was condemned and deemed a terrorist attack. It did not take long after this attack for Israel retaliate. Since this initial attack by Hamas this war has escalated and involved many other countries. As allies of Israel the United States has gotten involved by sending aid and supplies to Israel. Although a ceasefire is currently in the works with the US helping negotiate the terms is doesn’t mean this war has ended. To determine an end to this war we must know exactly what each side wants and what they are willing to achieve those ends. However, before we can understand what exactly each side wants we must first determine why this war started. This war has also caused conflict in our country as well with people having different feelings about who is at fault and what a victory would actually mean.

The History of the Conflict

To understand what caused this conflict and how it escalated to the point we are at today I had to look back to World War 1. It was hard for me to determine who I agreed with and whose side I was on until I completely understood how the conflict began. Every time the United States gets involved in a conflict there are always going to be people who have different opinions on how the situation is handled and the involvement of the United States. This conflict is no different.

Before World War 1 the area of Israel, then known as Palestine, was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. The people of the Ottoman empire living in Palestine at the time were a majority of Arab people and a minority of Jewish people. Although both the Arabs and the Jewish people had claims to the Palestinian area it was the events that occurred during World War 1 that would eventually lead to the conflict we have today.

The Jewish people had claims to the land dating back to biblical times. The book of Exodus in the old testament of the bible claims that Palestine was promised to the Jewish people by God, it was there promised land. This promise is still used today by the Jewish population claiming they have a divine right to the land of Palestine. 400 years before World War 1 however, the land of Palestine was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and would remain that way until the first World War.

During World War 1 Britain defeated the Ottoman Empire and would retain control of the Middle East, including Palestine. However, the confusion begins during this time with Britain making many conflicting promises on what would happen to Palestine after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. During this time the leader of Mecca and the Arab people, Hussein ibn Ali, was promised by British officials that the land of Palestine would be an independent Arab state. Because of this agreement by the British Empire the Arab people were under the impression that Palastine would be a place where the Arab people would have there own independent state.

This was not the only deal the British empire made, and each of their deals were in conflict with each other. After the deal was made to the Arab people Britain then entered into an agreement known as the Sykes-picot agreement in 1916. This agreement was between Britain and France where they would split control of the Middle East among themselves, which included Palestine. After this agreement, in 1917, Britain then entered into another conflicting agreement known as the Balfour Declaration. This declaration was an agreement made between the British empire and the Jewish people stating that the Palastine would be given to the Jewish people as their national home. This declaration didn’t involve the Arab people nor did it say anything about the agreement between the Arab people and the British Empire for an independent Arab state in Palestine.

These conflicting agreements are where the confusion began on who exactly would control Palestine and who was entitled to that land. This is where the conflict and confusion began and future events would only make the situation worse. As World War 2 started to begin and Jewish people were being persecuted they began to flee to Palestine, increasing the Jewish population in the area. The Jewish people fleeing to Palestine were not welcome by the Arab nation and would only increase the violence between the two groups. These events eventually led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war as well as the Jewish state of Israel being established.

Israel Becomes Independent Jewish State

In 1948, after the second world war had ended, the Jewish people had declared its own independent Jewish state known as Israel within Palestine. Up to this point the British Empire still had a military presence that occupied Palestine. The same time Israel became a Jewish state within Palestine British forces also evacuated all of their forces from the region. The Arab people were not happy with this move feeling their legitimacy and right to live in Palestine was being taken away. The British Empire decided to withdraw themselves from the conflict all together and leave decisions concerning the region to the United Nations.

The UN decision was to split the land between the Arabs and the Jewish nation, which would eventually be the Arabs controlling the West Bank and the Gaza strip with the rest of the Palestinian region being controlled by the Jewish people becoming known as Israel. The Arab nation was not happy with this decision and since the Arab population was larger than the Jewish people at the time the Arab people felt they were treated unfairly and that the Jewish people controlled too much of the territory. They also felt that much of this territory were prime locations that were ideal for farming and exporting. This decision did not help matters and the conflict between the two nations would only escalate.

By the year 1967 Israel had become a nation on the world stage. They were becoming a developed nation which included building up its own military. The UN had called for both the Arab and Jewish people to be able to live in peace together in the region but it was becoming clear that was not going to happen. The Israel nation wanted the Arab people to recognize Israel as a legitimate state and it was something they were not willing to do. By this year the conflict between the two regions had once again began to escalate, and with Israel now becoming its own military power it didn’t look like peace between the two nations was possible.

During this time the Arab people of Palestine were still not a major military force and began to ask for its Arab neighbors to help them through the conflict and to help regain the land they feel was stolen from them. With Israel now having a powerful military force the conflict began to spread to its neighboring Arab nations, such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. The conflict only began to spread and intensify eventually leading to these neighboring nations to pull out of the conflict as war with Israel was becoming more than the nations could handle.

Once the Arab people of Palestine began to realize they were on there own Israel then started to want a nation where all the Palestinian people would be expelled from the region. They wanted a completely Jewish nation known as Israel and were willing to do use force if necessary to make this happen. The Arab people of Palestine began to be forced out of there homes and forced from the region of Palestine. Many massacres would take place during this period forcing the Arab people out. Their population went from the majority to the minority. This feeling of wanting all the Arab people out of the region is a sentiment that continues to this day.

Rise of Hamas

In 2006 the Palestinian people would vote Hamas into power who would eventually seize control of the Gaza strip by force in 2007. Years of conflict between the Arab and Jewish people in the region gave rise to the Arab people voting Hamas into power. This move was not a welcoming one by Israel and only made the conflict worse which would lead to the current war between Israel and Hamas that we are seeing today.

Once Hamas was elected into power and forcibly seized control of the Gaza strip they began to expand their social network within the communities as well as increasing their military presence. They began to become a group that was organized who had the support of the Arab people living in Palestine. Israel saw this as an act of aggression and demanded the Palestinian people remove Hamas from power. This had the opposite effect however and only increased the support of Hamas.

Israel responded to this by cutting off Gaza from many of the necessities it needed to survive. Israel had control of many of the imports and exports from the Gaza strip and they began to use the control it had to try and force Hamas out of power. They made it harder for the Arab people living in the Gaza strip and told the people that as long as Hamas was in power things would only get worse. This eventually led to the Hamas attack carried out on Israel on October 7, 2023. This attack was declared as an act of war seeing Hamas as a terrorist organization from many different nations.

Once this attack was carried about Hamas Israel responded with using military force of their own. Hamas had taken control of many hostages, some even US citizens, and were holding these hostages until certain demands were made. Israel instead used this action to increase its military force against Hamas and the people living in the Gaza strip. Many nations felt that a two state solution was the only answer to end this war but Israel seemed to have a different option in mind. It seems like they want the same thing they have wanted since declaring their own nation, the Arab people expelled from the region. The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stated that he will not rest until Hamas is completely defeated.

My Feelings About This War

Recently President Trump has tried and brokered a cease fire between Hamas and Israel. This, however, is not the first attempt at a cease fire between these two. As with the other cease fires that were attempted this one seems to be heading in the same direction. This was has brought division between people all over the world forcing people to take sides. My political views do not impact my opinion on what I feel is right and wrong once I look at all the facts. Looking at the history of how this conflict began it seems to be that has been one sided.

Since the Hamas attack in October of 2023 Israel has continued to use any force necessary to expel Hamas. It also seems to me that they are using this as an excuse to claim that a 2 state solution will never work and that the Arab people living in Palestine need to be relocated. Gaza has endured many attacks since the Hamas attack and has forced many civilians to be killed or forced to leave their home. Calling Hamas a terrorist organization has given the Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu a reason as well as the support to force the Arab people out of Gaza and to attack wherever they feel Hamas may be located. This war against Hamas has even led to the bombings of civilian locations, such as hospitals.

At this point in the war, even with the cease fire being called for, a two state solution does not seem possible. From what I see Israel will not be happy until the Arab people are completely gone from the region and Israel has complete control of the nation. The problem I have with this war is that it is hard to blame just one side. Civilians were killed and attacked both from Hamas and Israel. It doesn’t seem like neither side is willing to negotiate and they both feel that they are entitled to that land and both people want their land back.

Where my opinion differs from most is looking at the history of how this conflict began and the atrocities that have occurred since it began. It also seems to be that Britain holds a large responsibility for allowing this conflict to begin and is now doing very little to help resolve it. Both sides are seeking aid from different nations and both feel that their cause is right. Both these people have suffered immeasurable atrocities done to them and have been prosecuted beyond anything I can imagine. However, this war seems to be that they are now doing the same things they have suffered to each other.

It is hard for me to support Israel in this conflict after learning everything I have about this conflict and how it began. Land has changed hands between different nations many different times since the beginning of civilization. There is no difference between the middle east and Palestine. It is hard for me to grasp Israel using the claim that that land is there God given right and therefore they have the right to force the Arab people out of that land. I understand how the Arab people feel, they were promised that land and thought they were going to make an independent home for themselves. Because Israel has become a military and developing nation it now seems they have the support from many different world powers.

It feels like to me that the Jewish people are doing the same thing the Arab people they had done to them. I understand how both people feel and can imagine what it must be like to not have a place to call home and to have to constantly worry about being persecuted. But that doesn’t make it ok to do it to other people just people you feel entitled to that land.

I don’t know what a satisfactory outcome would be to this war. From what I know about the history of this conflict I don’t think a two state solution would ever work. This is a conflict that has been in making for over a century and was not created on its own. I do know that I don’t agree with the way Israel has handled the matter and think Hamas was created by a people who have finally had enough with how they were being treated. This conflict has now spread into different nations and is becoming a world event and a world problem and every solution that has been presented doesn’t seem to work. I do think that before we can make a decision on how to handle this war and what actions need to be taken we need to look at the history of this conflict and who is responsible. We tend to jump into action and make decisions without knowing all the facts and I think this is an example of us doing just that. I do think there is an answer to this problem but we must first understand what the problem is first and then we can begin to discuss a solution.