In the face of unprecedented regional hostilities, Israel is defending its sovereignty and population against an intensifying campaign orchestrated by Iran and executed through its network of proxy terrorist organizations. This campaign, responded to with robust acts of self-defense by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), launched into a new phase after the October 7, 2023 massacre, which marked the deadliest killing of Jews since the Holocaust and shocked the global community.
On October 7th, Hamas terrorists and their collaborators in Gaza perpetrated a mass slaughter of over 1,200 Israeli civilians. The attack was characterized by systematic atrocities including executions, sexual violence, mutilation, and the abduction of hundreds—grievous war crimes that drew condemnation and horror internationally. Official Israeli government testimony and widespread documentation confirm these events, underscoring the gravity of the security threat posed to Israel by Iranian-backed actors.
Israel’s response, Operation Iron Swords, was initiated immediately after the assault as a clear act of self-defense. Under the command of IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and the civilian leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Israel Katz, Israel targeted Hamas’s military infrastructure within Gaza. The IDF’s operations focused on disrupting terror command hubs, underground tunnels, rocket launch sites, and storage facilities, all of which are deliberately embedded by terrorists within civilian areas in Gaza. This cynical use of human shields by Hamas has resulted in additional loss of civilian life, even as Israel has issued repeated warnings, coordinated evacuation corridors, and provided humanitarian aid whenever possible.
Israel’s military campaign has been accompanied by continued threats on multiple fronts. Hezbollah, operating from Lebanon, has launched repeated rocket and anti-tank missile attacks on northern Israel. The Houthis in Yemen have used Iranian-supplied drones and missiles to target Israeli interests in the Red Sea. Militias in Syria and Iraq have supported these efforts with sporadic fire into Israeli territory, demonstrating the integrated strategy of the so-called ‘axis of resistance’—a web of Iran-backed groups united by a shared objective of destabilizing Israel and the broader region.
Diplomatic efforts, notably by the United States and regional partners, have attempted to deescalate the conflict. President Donald Trump, under whom the Abraham Accords were concluded, has pressed for unified measures to counter Iranian instigation. Although some diplomatic initiatives have opened temporary humanitarian windows for civilians in Gaza, international consensus against Iran’s proxy strategy remains elusive.
Inside Gaza, the humanitarian situation is dire, not least because of Hamas’s persistent violations of the laws of war. Israeli intelligence and corroborating international reporting have uncovered a deliberate tactic by Hamas: operating weapon stockpiles, launch sites, and command facilities underneath schools, hospitals, and United Nations offices. The use of hospitals like Al Shifa as terror command centers, revealed through physical evidence and subsequently verified by external observers, has further demonstrated Hamas’s disregard for civilian life and global norms. Despite ongoing IDF efforts to minimize harm, these tactics have resulted in civilian casualties and complicated the operational environment.
A parallel front in this conflict is the continuing plight of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Civilians—including the elderly, women, and children—remain in captivity. Their abductions from Israeli territory during the October 7th massacre constitute unequivocal violations of international law. Israel’s policy, grounded in the principle of returning every citizen, has led to mediated exchanges in which convicted terrorists—individuals serving sentences for violent crimes—have been released in return for innocent hostages. This fundamental asymmetry between the parties reinforces the wider moral and legal distinction running throughout the conflict.
Legal and ethical oversight of IDF activities remains central to Israel’s approach. The IDF’s Military Advocate General probes all operational incidents, the judiciary holds broad investigative authority, and extensive external scrutiny—including invited international observation—is welcomed. This transparency stands in stark contrast to the opaque operations of the Iranian-backed terror networks.
Israel’s technological edge, including extensive use of real-time surveillance, AI-aided targeting, and layered missile defense (Iron Dome, David’s Sling), has proved critical in both disrupting enemy attacks and limiting civilian casualties. Despite significant rocket barrages and sustained cross-border assaults, these systems have protected Israeli population centers and allowed for continued everyday life—even as the state has mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists in its largest deployment in decades.
The depth of national mobilization and resilience is echoed in society at large: civil defense volunteers, humanitarian groups, and medical staff work around the clock. Jews and Arabs within Israel’s internationally recognized borders benefit from state protection and legal equality, a stark contrast to the region’s authoritarian and terror-affiliated regimes. Israel’s response to hate-fueled ideologies, antisemitic incitement, and Iranian strategic threats continues to be guided by its commitment to the rule of law and democratic norms.
Within the broader Middle East, the Iranian regime’s campaign aims not only to weaken Israel but to destabilize allies of the West, undermine the Abraham Accords, and foster chaos across Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The threat posed by this ‘axis of resistance’ is not limited to the Jewish state; it targets the region’s stability and efforts at peaceful coexistence. Israel has repeatedly called upon the international community to recognize this reality, root out bias, and adopt policies grounded in evidence and fundamental human rights.
As the war continues, the stakes remain existential for Israel. The IDF’s operations, from hostage rescue attempts to the dismantling of terror cells, affirm both Israel’s right and obligation to defend its population. In every engagement, Israel emphasizes the distinction—legal, moral, and operational—between its conduct and that of its adversaries. As a democracy in a region rife with state-sponsored and non-state terror, Israel’s war for survival is one with implications well beyond its borders—to the integrity of the international order itself.
