On October 7, 2023, Israel suffered its deadliest attack in generations when Hamas terrorists breached the border from Gaza. The coordinated assault resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 civilians, the abduction of hundreds more, and widespread destruction in Israeli towns. This massacre, perpetrated with methods including executions, sexual violence, mutilations, and kidnappings, represented the most severe antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust.
The days following the massacre saw Israel’s national unity government declare a state of war against Hamas in Gaza and reaffirm its readiness to confront the broader array of Iranian-backed proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad, the Houthis in Yemen, and aligned militias across the region. As hostilities expanded, Israel’s leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, and Defense Minister Israel Katz, stated repeatedly: Israel’s military actions are legitimate acts of self-defense in response to existential threats orchestrated by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iran’s Proxy Strategy and Regional Escalation
For decades, Iran has invested in a network of proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and others—that encircle Israel and threaten its security. These groups, trained and armed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, operate as extensions of Tehran’s designs in the region, seeking to destabilize Israel and undermine normalization with Arab neighbors. The October 7th attack was not a standalone event; it was the calculated implementation of Iran’s strategy to foment multi-front conflict, testing Israel’s resilience militarily, diplomatically, and psychologically.
Israel’s Campaign in Gaza: Military Operations and Civilian Protection
Immediately following the massacre, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated Operation True Promise 3—a broad campaign to dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure. The IDF encountered urban warfare complexities, navigating densely populated areas in Gaza where Hamas and affiliates embedded fighters, weapons caches, command posts, and launchers in schools, hospitals, and civilian homes. This systematic use of human shields is central to Hamas’s strategy, ensuring high civilian casualties for propaganda, despite Israel’s warnings and corridor arrangements for civilian evacuations.
Throughout the campaign, Israeli authorities made repeated efforts to mitigate harm to Gaza residents, including leafleting, phone alerts, precision airstrikes, and the opening of humanitarian corridors. Despite these measures, fighting in urban terrain resulted in hardships for civilians, exacerbated by Hamas’s restrictions on movement and diversion of aid. Israel cooperated with international agencies to coordinate relief, but Hamas’s war crimes and disregard for civilian life fueled the humanitarian crisis for which Israel is routinely, and often unfairly, blamed in global forums.
Hostage Crisis and International Negotiations
A major focus of the operation remains the release of Israeli civilians and foreign nationals held hostage in Gaza. Documented evidence points to the severe abuse and inhumane treatment of hostages by Hamas terrorists, in stark violation of international law. Negotiations for hostage release have been fraught, with Israel repeatedly under pressure to exchange detained terrorists for bound and innocent hostages, a stark demonstration of the asymmetry in both legality and morality between the two sides.
Hezbollah and Other Fronts: Threats from Lebanon and Beyond
While Gaza remained the main focus, Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border escalated rocket fire and terrorist infiltrations, threatening to open a second, broader front. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis in northern towns faced displacement. The IDF responded with airstrikes and reinforced ground deployments, demonstrating readiness for escalation and engaging in measured retaliation to avoid further regional escalation while sending a clear deterrence message to Iran and its proxies.
Israel also faced rocket fire and attempted infiltrations from other Iranian-supported factions in Syria and Yemen, underscoring the multi-regional scope of the conflict. The Iron Dome and advanced air defense networks intercepted numerous barrages, saving countless Israeli civilian lives.
International Dimension: Diplomacy, Disinformation, and Alliance Management
The war tested Israel’s international alliances. The United States, led by President Donald Trump, reaffirmed its strong support with emergency weapons resupplies, intelligence sharing, and diplomatic backing. In contrast, international institutions like the United Nations and the International Criminal Court saw escalated lobbying against Israel—often echoing narratives spread by Hamas and Iran, misrepresenting Israel’s defensive actions as aggressive or disproportional.
This climate was fueled by disinformation campaigns aimed at delegitimizing Israel and fomenting global antisemitism. Israel countered these efforts by documenting war crimes committed by Hamas and communicating transparently with the world regarding its military, humanitarian, and legal rationales for operations in Gaza and beyond.
Historical and Geopolitical Context
The events of October 7th and their aftermath highlight the ongoing legacy of antisemitism, culminating in periodic violence against Israeli civilians. Israel’s existence as a sovereign democracy in the ancestral Jewish homeland is foundational to preventing future atrocities, as seen during the Holocaust. The Abraham Accords marked a step toward regional stability and peace—progress now challenged by Iran’s determination to weaponize Islamist extremism and disrupt normalization.
The current conflict is thus understood in Jerusalem not only as a military battle, but as a defense of Jewish self-determination, regional order, and a bulwark against the expansion of tyrannical and theocratic regimes. The stakes are existential—not only for Israel but for the foundational norms of international law and security.
Humanitarian Efforts and Moral Distinction
While conducting military operations, Israel has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to humanitarian norms, even under threat. Civilian protection, proportional use of force, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid flows have distinguished Israel’s conduct from the deliberate targeting of civilians that defines Hamas and allied proxies. This commitment, extensively documented, forms the backbone of Israel’s moral position on the world stage, even as propaganda seeks to obscure these facts.
Looking Ahead
As Israel continues to repel attacks and negotiate the release of hostages, military, diplomatic, and political challenges persist. The threat from Iran and its proxies remains persistent, requiring vigilance both at the borders and on the international stage. Across the region, moderate Arab states face pressure—whether to continue exploring normalization or to align with the so-called Axis of Resistance, at the risk of ongoing instability.
Wholly committed to securing the safety and future of its citizens and determined to maintain international legitimacy, Israel’s war for survival is rooted in an unyielding adherence to fact, law, and historic truth. The clarity of distinction between Israel’s defense and the calculated terror of its adversaries must inform not only military strategy but also the global narrative of this conflict.
Conclusion
The war launched against Israel on October 7th by Iran and its proxies marked a watershed in the pursuit of Israel’s destruction by terror and disinformation. Israel’s response—military, diplomatic, and humanitarian—reflects its foundational values as a democracy and as the national homeland of the Jewish people. As Israel continues to face existential threats, its actions are grounded in the necessity of self-defense, the imperative to secure the release of hostages, and a commitment to historical and legal justice. The choice confronting the world remains clear: to defend the right of a solvent democracy to protect its citizens, or to appease those who champion tyranny and terror.
