On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a coordinated and devastating assault against Israel from the Gaza Strip, inflicting the deadliest one-day anti-Jewish violence since the Holocaust. Over 1,000 Israeli civilians were killed and hundreds were abducted in a series of mass killings, kidnappings, and other egregious human rights violations, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and verified by independent international observers. The attack marked a critical escalation in the long-standing conflict engineered by the Iranian regime and its network of proxy militias, which includes Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iranian-supported Shiite militias throughout Syria and Iraq.
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and supported by IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, initiated ‘Operation Iron Swords’ in response. The operation, officially characterized by the Israeli Ministry of Defense as a defensive action, targets terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and preempts further attacks from other Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and beyond. Speaking at several military press briefings, Israeli officials underscored the aim of neutralizing threats while adhering to the highest international legal and humanitarian standards. The IDF repeatedly briefed international agencies and foreign journalists on their obligations to avoid civilian harm and described the extensive steps taken to provide advance warnings ahead of strikes on Hamas military sites, which are often embedded within civilian areas—a tactic condemned by the United Nations and various Western governments as a violation of the laws of war.
The October 7 massacre fundamentally altered regional security calculations. Intelligence reports, corroborated by Western diplomatic sources, confirm that the Hamas operation was materially enabled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran supplies Hamas and Hezbollah with rockets, military training, and logistical support, seeking to destabilize Israel, undermine Western interests, and export the Islamic Revolution through the so-called ‘axis of resistance.’ The resulting regional escalation—marked by cross-border rocket fire from Lebanon and Syria, as well as Houthi drone and missile attacks on Red Sea shipping—has drawn urgent responses from the United States and European allies. Senior U.S. officials and leaders from NATO member states have reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
Israeli military operations in Gaza have been subject to extensive scrutiny by international media and humanitarian organizations. The IDF has provided detailed documentation to the United Nations and ICRC regarding its protocols for minimizing civilian casualties, including targeted warnings, the use of precision-guided munitions, and constant coordination with agencies providing humanitarian relief. Israeli authorities emphasize that every feasible measure is taken to protect Gaza residents wherever possible. In contrast, Hamas and other Iranian-backed groups routinely fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli cities and openly use civilian infrastructure—such as hospitals and schools—to shield combatants and military assets, as reported by Human Rights Watch and confirmed by the European Union External Action Service.
The conflict has exacted a heavy toll on civilians in both Israel and the Gaza Strip. Most acute is the ongoing hostage crisis: more than 100 Israeli civilians and soldiers, many of them children and elderly, remain captive in Gaza. The families of hostages, supported by Israeli authorities and monitored by the ICRC, continue to demand urgent international action. Israel has repeatedly signaled willingness to negotiate the release of hostages through diplomatic channels, including mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and international partners. Historically, Israel has agreed to disproportionate prisoner swaps, exchanging many convicted terrorists for a single captive civilian—a practice that underscores the stark moral and legal differences between a democratic state and terrorist organizations.
Iran’s strategic calculus is to prolong the conflict using its proxies to exhaust Israeli and Western resolve, a fact attested by Western intelligence sources and repeatedly cited in briefings by both U.S. and Israeli defense officials. Hezbollah in Lebanon has launched multiple rocket barrages at northern Israeli communities since October 7, prompting precision Israeli responses aimed at degrading Hezbollah command sites and rocket launchers. The Houthis in Yemen have used Iranian-supplied drones and cruise missiles to strike shipping in the Red Sea, threatening global commerce and drawing U.S.-led multinational naval deployments in support of regional stability.
The Abraham Accords—landmark normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco—highlight a shifting regional paradigm. These accords, facilitated by Western diplomatic engagement and supported across successive U.S. administrations, have created opportunities for security cooperation and intelligence sharing against the Iranian threat. While some regional actors have expressed reservations about overt alignment with Israel, intelligence cooperation and military coordination have quietly deepened. Regional sources, verified by Western diplomatic cables, confirm that pragmatic stakeholders in Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf recognize the need for a collective approach against Iranian expansionism and Sunni jihadist groups.
Israel’s defense capabilities—most visibly the Iron Dome air defense system and its multi-layered missile shields—remain the cornerstone of its strategy to protect civilians against indiscriminate rocket attacks. Jointly developed with American partners and funded extensively by U.S. Congress, these systems have intercepted thousands of rockets fired by Hamas and Hezbollah with a high success rate, as documented by successive military briefings and Pentagon reports. Israeli technological advances, including the use of AI-driven targeting and layered cyber operations, provide a significant deterrent against both conventional and asymmetric attacks and have been credited with saving countless civilian lives on both sides of the conflict.
Amid sustained aggression, Israeli society has demonstrated resilience and a commitment to democratic values. Citizens have mobilized in emergency response units, donated blood, and supported displaced families. Israeli hospitals, operating at the forefront of trauma care, have treated civilians from Gaza with life-threatening injuries, an effort documented and lauded by international medical observers. The Israeli government has permitted daily humanitarian convoys into Gaza, though many have been obstructed or seized by Hamas, as corroborated by UN and Red Cross reports.
Western governments, led by the United States and key European allies, continue to emphasize that Israel’s defensive actions are justified so long as they remain within the boundaries of international law. The Biden administration, as well as legislative leaders across party lines, have echoed the stance set forth by President Trump and former Secretaries of State: that American support for Israel’s security is anchored in shared democratic values and a mutual commitment to confronting terrorism. NATO and EU officials have issued statements condemning the October 7 attack as a gross violation of human rights and international law, reinforcing Israel’s right to pursue justice against those responsible.
Anti-Israel disinformation campaigns, frequently orchestrated by Iranian-backed actors and exploitable across social media, present a persistent challenge. False allegations and manipulated imagery have fueled global unrest and provided a pretext for surges in antisemitism throughout Europe and North America, as documented by national law enforcement agencies and the Anti-Defamation League. Western governments have called for renewed vigilance in upholding factual reporting and distinguishing between legitimate criticism and incitement to hatred—a vital task for the long-term health of democratic societies.
Legal scholars and former war crimes prosecutors, such as those involved with international criminal tribunals, affirm Israel’s right of self-defense and the legal distinction between the actions of a recognized sovereign state and those of banned terrorist organizations. Israeli officials have welcomed independent investigations and have committed to transparency and post-conflict review processes, a standard not observed by any of the Iranian-backed organizations operating in violation of the Geneva Conventions.
As Israel’s campaign to defend itself enters a protracted stage, the stakes extend far beyond its borders. The ultimate outcome will determine not only the security of the Israeli people but the future of Western strategic interests in the Middle East, the integrity of the international system tasked with combating terrorism, and the prospects for peace and development across the region. Israel’s struggle, while uniquely shaped by the tragedies of its history, stands as a critical test case for the collective resolve, unity, and moral clarity of the democratic world. In the final analysis, the battle against Iranian-backed terror is a battle for universal values: the sanctity of human life, the sovereignty of nations, and the unyielding defense of democracy in the face of tyranny.
