By: Benjamin  He

In the Gaza Strip and the surrounding territories, the Israel-Hamas War rages. Since October 2023 for an endless 9 months, the war has raged. Around 38,000 have already died, and according to MSNBC News, there’s a chance the conflict could claim over 186,000 lives.

Recently, a change has happened. The citizens of Israel have called for a cease-fire, the goal of which new elections, and the release of hostages. Protestors completely blocked traffic at many major intersections and highways.

The defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said that “This is a delicate hour. We must strike an agreement to secure the release of the hostages.”

Recently, slight progress has been made by negotiations between the two sides. However, not all Israelis think the cease-fire is necessarily equal to a time of peace. Many fear that torpedoes would end the efforts, whether by the Hamas or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who might prioritize the survival of his government. This is because the leaders of two ultranationalist parties have already threatened to bring down the government if a deal is made before Hamas is fully destroyed, something many, experts and citizens alike, believe impossible.

Shikma Bressler, a protest leader, says of the prime minister that, “He needs war so there won’t be elections.”

Many Israelis are angered at the prime minister for not taking any responsibility for the Israel intelligence and policy failures that eventually led up to the assault on October 7th. Many buildings have been destroyed, children have been crippled, and Israel has been transformed into a complete warzone. On October 7th alone, 1,200 people were killed, and many, 250, in fact, were taken as hostages in Gaza. Of the 120 remaining, it is speculated that a third of them are dead.

The northern border of Israel remained a battleground on Sunday as the Lebanese Hezbollah organization fired more rockets and sent drones and anti-tank missiles further across the border. The injuries received were of a private US citizen and an Israeli soldier received light injuries. Another citizen received heavy injuries on Sunday when the organization’s attacks reached further into the country than predicted.

Despite many current efforts being made currently made, some progress has been made, but not enough to speculate that a cease-fire may be imminent.

Image Credit by Mohammed Abubakr