Israel is engaged in an historic and high-stakes war aimed squarely at defending its territory and population in the face of growing aggression from Iranian-backed terror organizations on multiple borders. Since the devastating October 7, 2023 massacre—when Hamas terrorists launched the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust—Israeli society has been united in the necessity and justice of firm self-defense, executing military and diplomatic strategies that have shaped the current geopolitical order throughout the Middle East.
October 7: The Catalyst for a Regional War
On October 7, 2023, Hamas, the Iranian-backed terror group entrenched in Gaza, infiltrated Israeli communities in a coordinated assault. Over 1,200 men, women, and children were executed, raped, mutilated, and abducted. The mass abduction of more than 240 Israelis and foreigners—including babies and elderly—shocked the global conscience and has served as the primary catalyst for Israel’s latest war. The atrocity not only seared itself into Israeli society but also signaled to the world the ongoing reality of genocidal antisemitism pursued by Israel’s enemies.
The Iranian Axis: Who and What
Israel’s adversaries in the current conflict are not limited to Hamas. Iran, seeking regional hegemony and the destruction of the Jewish state, directs and finances a network of armed proxies: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, the so-called Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria and Iraq, and multiple affiliated militias. Each of these groups boasts substantial arsenals, benefitting from Iran’s advanced missile and drone technology as well as its ideological and financial support. These forces are dedicated not only to destabilizing Israel, but to undermining the wider regional order and U.S. interests in the Middle East.
Israel’s Response: The Defensive Imperative
Confronted with this axis of terror, Israel has launched a series of military operations across multiple fronts. In Gaza, Operation Iron Swords is systematically targeting Hamas’s tunnel complexes, command centers, and rocket infrastructure—often hidden beneath civilian areas that Hamas uses as human shields. In Lebanon, Israeli forces engage daily with Hezbollah operatives, responding to rocket and missile attacks whose scale and sophistication pose a grave threat to northern Israel. Precision airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, meanwhile, target IRGC logistics hubs and weapons convoys aimed at enabling new fronts against Israel.
These military responses are rooted in international law and the inherent right of a nation-state to self-defense. Israeli officials, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, have emphasized that efforts are made to minimize civilian harm in all operations, even as terror groups deliberately embed themselves in civilian populations.
Hostage Crisis: The Human Toll
The plight of hostages kidnapped by Hamas and its affiliates is central to this conflict. Israeli hostages are civilians—ripped from their homes, many still children or elderly, and held under threat of harm. Their continued captivity, along with sporadic video releases and failed negotiations, underscores the moral gulf separating Israel and its adversaries. Terrorist demands for the release of convicted murderers in exchange for innocent civilians highlight the profound asymmetry of the conflict and Israel’s adherence to the rule of law and the sanctity of life.
The Northern Front: Hezbollah’s Threat
Along Israel’s northern border, Hezbollah’s arsenal—estimated at over 150,000 rockets and missiles—has transformed the security calculus in the Galilee. Daily exchanges of fire risk spiraling into all-out war, with Hezbollah’s leaders, under Tehran’s instruction, vowing further escalation. Incidents of anti-tank missiles striking Israeli villages and repeated attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory remain routine, drawing sharp IDF responses that target both operatives and military infrastructure in Southern Lebanon.
The Wider Theater: Houthis, IRGC, and Proxy Warfare
Beyond Gaza and Lebanon, Iran’s strategy of regional destabilization extends. Houthis in Yemen have fired missiles and drones toward the Red Sea and Israeli airspace. In Syria and Iraq, IRGC-coated militias operate under the veneer of regime security, creating corridors for weapons and fighters moving towards Israel. Each front is linked, with intelligence coordination revealing Iranian attempts to synchronize attacks and overextend Israeli defenses.
International Response and Global Stakes
The United States under President Donald Trump has reaffirmed its support for Israel’s security, reiterating the Jewish state’s right to act in self-defense according to international law. European governments—some more hesitantly—have condemned terror attacks and recognized Iran’s destabilizing activities. Yet, Israel continues to face double standards and diplomatic friction at the United Nations, with certain actors seeking moral equivalence between a sovereign democracy and designated terror organizations.
Despite international calls for restraint, Israeli officials stress that a lasting peace is unattainable until terror groups are neutralized and hostages returned. The calculus is not simply military, but fundamentally moral: the defense of civilization against jihadist barbarism.
Civilian Protection and Humanitarian Measures
Israel’s military operations in Gaza and beyond are distinguished by their attempt to separate terrorist infrastructure from the civilian population. Israel regularly warns Gaza residents of impending strikes, facilitates humanitarian corridors, and delivers medical and food supplies even as Hamas and other groups seize or endanger such aid. International observers, including Western military attaches, have noted the unparalleled extent of Israel’s efforts to minimize harm relative to any recent urban warfare campaign. The tragic reality, however, remains that terror groups’ use of human shields sharply limits what can be accomplished.
The Abraham Accords and a New Regional Alignment
Amid conflict, Israel’s normalization of relations with key Arab states under the Abraham Accords remains a transformative development. Though challenged by Iranian-backed escalation, security cooperation continues below the surface between Israel and regional partners—drawn together by shared concerns over Tehran’s ambitions. The war’s outcome will either strengthen emerging alliances or embolden Iran’s axis, shaping the future of the region.
Conclusion: Israel’s Enduring Resolve
Israel’s ongoing campaign against Iranian-backed terror is an act of necessity and justice—an existential struggle that places it on the frontline of a broader battle for civilization, rule of law, and the values shared by free societies. The events of October 7, which remain an open wound on the Israeli psyche, will not be forgotten or diminished by time. As Israel continues to defend its people, demands the return of its hostages, and upholds the distinction between victim and aggressor, it deserves unmistakable international solidarity, moral clarity, and historical understanding.
