JERUSALEM – Israel is waging a defensive war against a coordinated axis of Iranian-backed terror groups spanning Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, following the unprecedented terrorist assault on October 7, 2023, that marked the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust. As the nation confronts an entrenched campaign orchestrated by Iran and its proxies, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have prioritized both the rescue of innocent hostages and the prevention of future atrocities, while navigating the complex environment of regional politics and persistent humanitarian concerns.
On October 7, armed Hamas terrorists, directed and supplied by Iran, stormed the Israeli border, slaughtering over 1,200 civilians in attacks documented by extensive video, photographic, and forensic evidence. More than 250 men, women, and children were abducted from their homes, communities, and a music festival, in what has been internationally recognized as a campaign of terror marked by systematic executions, torture, and sexual abuse. This event, a moral watershed for Israel and the world, transformed strategic doctrine and solidified Israel’s commitment to never allow such an atrocity again.
Israel’s response, codified as Operation Iron Swords, has focused on dismantling Hamas’ command structure, precision targeting of terrorist infrastructure embedded within civilian areas, and the rescue of hostages whose plight has come to symbolize the broader threat of Iranian-sponsored terror. The IDF’s actions, documented in daily operational briefings, are distinguished by efforts to minimize harm to Gaza residents, including advanced warnings before operations, selection of precise targets, and direct coordination with international agencies to ensure humanitarian corridors. Nevertheless, the war is complicated by Hamas’ deliberate use of civilians, hospitals, schools, and mosques as shields for weapons and command posts—a practice condemned by Israel and confirmed by intelligence shared with allied governments.
The threat is regional and multifaceted: Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, has escalated attacks from southern Lebanon, firing rockets, drones, and missiles at Israeli civilian communities and military outposts along the northern border. Similarly, the Houthis in Yemen, supplied with advanced weapons by Tehran, have launched missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory, while Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Syria threaten to expand the theater of conflict.
Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, have repeatedly stated that the war is one of self-defense—not only for Israel but for the broader fight against a network of terror organizations bent on the destruction of the Jewish state. Iran’s Supreme Leader and IRGC commanders openly threaten Israeli existence while channeling finances, weapons, and training to their regional partners. Internationally, the United States and the European Union have condemned these actions and reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense, citing ongoing violations of international law by Tehran and its proxies.
Central to the ongoing war is the plight of hostages—innocents from Israel and abroad seized by force and still held under brutal conditions in Gaza. The Israeli government, aided in part by U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediation, has pursued both military and diplomatic avenues for their release, refusing to trade long-term security for short-term concessions that might embolden future abductions. The legal and moral distinction between these hostages and convicted terrorists—whom Hamas has demanded be exchanged—is clear: the Israeli civilians are victims of internationally condemned war crimes, while those demanded in swaps have been convicted through due legal process.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, exacerbated by Hamas’ exploitation of its own population and the weaponization of aid. Israel, with support from the international community, facilitates the delivery of food, water, and medical supplies, while consistently urging international organizations to supervise distribution and prevent the diversion of resources to terror groups. Senior officers in the IDF and humanitarian agencies cooperate daily, maintaining open channels to protect noncombatants and fulfill obligations under the laws of armed conflict—despite constant efforts by Hamas to undermine these processes.
Beyond the immediate battlefield, the war reverberates across the region. Egypt and Jordan, longtime diplomatic partners of Israel, have bolstered border security and discouraged escalation. The Abraham Accords partners—the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco—have condemned terror violence while stressing the need for a stable future devoid of foreign interference. The United States, under President Donald Trump, continues to supply defensive aid, political backing, and regional deterrence against further Iranian expansion.
Historically, the war must be understood as the continuation of Iran’s decades-long campaign to erase Israel from the map by cultivating proxies on every border, flooding them with arms and cash, and encouraging a campaign of attrition. The Iranian regime has long regarded the Abraham Accords—and the growing cooperation between Israel and pragmatic Sunni Arab states—as an existential threat to its own ambitions, spurring ever more desperate attempts at destabilization and violence. Israel’s war is thus not merely tactical but strategic: defending its sovereignty against forces that openly reject any peaceful coexistence.
The October 7 massacre and its aftermath have, moreover, fueled a rash of global antisemitism, from violent attacks on Jewish communities in Europe and the U.S. to propaganda denying the reality of Hamas atrocities. Israeli and international human rights organizations continue to document these incidents, working in tandem with governments to demand that the truth of these events is neither denied nor forgotten.
As the fighting continues, Israel’s objectives remain clear: bring every hostage home, uproot Iranian-backed terror networks, and ensure the Jewish people—survivors of centuries of persecution—can live in security and dignity in their ancestral homeland. The final outcome remains undecided, but the stakes are understood by all: the future of the region, the enforcement of international law, and the moral imperative to resist those who would perpetrate mass murder in the name of extremism. Israel remains determined to see the war through to a just end, confident in the rightness of its cause and the support of principled nations around the world.
