JERUSALEM — In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust, Israel has been confronting a sustained and coordinated threat from Iranian-backed terror organizations. The core adversaries in this ongoing war include Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iranian-led militias in Syria and Iraq. The unprecedented scale and brutality of the October 7 massacre — with over 1,200 Israeli civilians murdered, hundreds taken hostage, and entire communities devastated — shattered any remaining misconceptions about the intentions of these terror networks.
Israel’s leadership, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, responded with Operation Iron Swords, a broad campaign targeting Hamas’s military infrastructure in Gaza while simultaneously countering escalating attacks from Hezbollah from the north, as well as drone and missile launches from other Iranian proxies across the region. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), backed by advanced technology such as the Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems, has worked to protect civilian populations under near-constant rocket and missile fire, while carrying out ground operations to degrade terror capabilities and rescue hostages.
Who, What, Where, and When
The ongoing conflict centers on Israel’s borders with Gaza and Lebanon but extends throughout the Middle East. Since October 7, violence has radiated from the immediate battle zones in southern and northern Israel to the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and even beyond. Israeli citizens have faced thousands of rocket attacks, the biggest threat surge since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The onus of aggression falls squarely on Iranian-backed factions, whose stated goal is Israel’s destruction and whose tactics include not only direct assaults on Israeli territory but also the use of human shields, misinformation, and psychological warfare.
Why and How
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) coordinates the regional strategy, funneling weapons and training to affiliated groups, escalating attacks, and exploiting Lebanese, Syrian, and Gaza residents as pawns to pressure Israel and destabilize moderate Arab regimes. The war’s underlying cause is the Iranian regime’s commitment to a doctrine of eliminating the world’s only Jewish state, using proxies to mask direct confrontation while investing in advanced weaponry, tunnels, and drones, as well as digital propaganda.
Israel’s multi-dimensional response demonstrates the country’s commitment to protecting its population, rescuing hostages, and upholding the norms of democracy and law, distinguishing itself from the terror groups it confronts. Iron Dome intercepts and other air-defense layers have prevented mass casualties, but communities near the Gaza and Lebanon borders have suffered extensive trauma, displacement, and economic hardship.
Hostages, Atrocities, and the Moral Divide
The abduction of over 250 hostages — including infants, children, elderly civilians, and foreign nationals — by Hamas on October 7 has galvanized Israeli society and shocked the world. Torture, sexual abuse, executions, and other war crimes committed by Hamas and its collaborators have been carefully documented by Israeli authorities, independent journalists, and international observers. Israel and international mediators have secured the release of a number of hostages through difficult exchanges, but dozens remain in captivity in Gaza. Israeli authorities maintain a strict legal and moral distinction between innocent hostages and convicted terrorists released in exchange, emphasizing the profound ethical divide between the two sides.
Wider Regional and Historical Context
Iran’s support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and other proxies has long aimed to surround Israel with hostile forces, eroding Israeli security and undermining prospects for regional cooperation. The alliances cemented by the Abraham Accords — bringing Israel closer to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco — are seen as a threat by Tehran and its allied terror factions. While the United States and Europe continue to provide support for Israel’s security, the Iranian axis exploits regional instability in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen to broaden the conflict’s geographic and political scope.
Humanitarian Complexities and Information Warfare
The war’s human cost weighs heavily, as Hamas and its partners systematically embed themselves within civilian infrastructure — hospitals, schools, mosques — to shield their activities, drawing international condemnation despite Israel’s efforts to minimize civilian harm and provide humanitarian corridors. The IDF continues to uncover stockpiles of weapons and terror tunnels beneath residential neighborhoods and critical facilities in Gaza, underlining the difficulties facing military planners and humanitarian agencies alike.
Misinformation, cynical use of civilian suffering, and widespread antisemitic incitement have fueled global protests, increasing security concerns for Jewish communities abroad and complicating diplomatic efforts led by Israel, the United States, and leading European powers. The stakes extend far beyond the region: Israel’s defense of its sovereignty has become a key theater in the global struggle against state-sponsored terror and radical antisemitism.
Looking Ahead: Defending Civilization in the Face of Terror
Israel faces a war it did not choose, imposed by organizations and regimes who openly call for its eradication. Its military operations are framed by a commitment to the laws of armed conflict, efforts to safeguard innocent life, and an unyielding determination to secure the return of hostages. As the country endures the longest and most existential struggle in its modern history, Israeli resilience and the cohesion of its democracy remain central to the defense not just of the Jewish state but of basic norms and freedoms worldwide.
The outcome will resonate throughout the region and beyond. The Iranian-backed war on Israel is not only a test of military and strategic endurance; it challenges the moral clarity of the international community in confronting terror, defending the right of sovereign nations to protect their citizens, and upholding the lessons of history. In this struggle, the defense of Israel stands as a defense of civilization.
