The war between Israel and Hamas is on the minds of many Northwood students, but the “Blue Bubble” of our remote campus and busy schedules leave many students wondering where they can go for accurate information on the conflict. Here’s a collection of resources to get you started:
From The New York Times:
On Oct. 7, hundreds of Hamas fighters from Gaza rampaged through border towns in a surprise attack that killed at least 1,300 Israelis. Hamas terrorists killed men, women and children, at home, strolling on the street or dancing at an outdoor festival, and they took more than 150 hostages. Now the region is bracing for further conflict.
In response to the shocking incursion, one of the broadest into Israeli territory in 50 years, Israel has been pummeling the Gaza Strip with airstrikes that have wiped out entire neighborhoods and brought the medical system to the brink of collapse. The Palestinian Health Ministry has said that as of Oct. 13 at least 1,700 Palestinians have been killed.
Israel has mobilized 360,000 reservists and troops are now massing at the border, leading to speculation that Israel will soon launch a ground offensive. And in a region with a long history of conflict, Israel has also reported shelling along its borders with Lebanon and Syria, exacerbating fears of a wider conflict.
Social media is generally NOT the place to go for information, but we think this Instagram post from Solutions Not Sides is an exception.
To understand what happened on Oct. 7, you might start by exploring one or more of the following resources provided by The New York Times. Please note that some contain graphic images of violence.
- A one-minute video on the attack and Israel’s initial retaliation
- Photos from both Israel and Gaza (scroll to the bottom to see images from Saturday)
- A map of where Hamas rockets struck Israel and Hamas assailants infiltrated Israel towns
- A map of the Middle East (zoom in to see where Israel and Gaza are)
- A timeline of the attacks in Israel and Gaza
- The “Daily” episode “War in Israel” (listen until 3:45 for a firsthand account from a survivor)
- You can also read this explainer “What We Know About the Hamas Attack and Israel’s Response” or listen to the rest of the “Daily” episode to get a basic understanding of how the fighting began. The article “Hamas Leaves Trail of Terror in Israel” provides a fuller picture, but please note that it contains very graphic imagery.
The Time’s collection “Teaching About the Israel-Hamas War” includes abundant resources from their reporting and elsewhere that can help students and teachers understand the conflict.