When Israel launched its war on Gaza, following the October 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas — which killed at least 1,200 people — it declared two objectives: the destruction of Hamas and the release of the 251 hostages taken by the Palestinian militant group. Twenty-two months later, both goals remain largely unmet. Hamas is far from being destroyed. Of the hostages, 148 were released and 56 bodies returned during two short ceasefires — in November 2023, and between January and March 2025. Israeli troops rescued eight hostages, while around 50 remain in captivity.
On the other side, Israel’s war has devastated Gaza, a 365 sq. km territory, home to 2.3 million people, sandwiched between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. At least 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began — that is 2.8% of Gaza’s entire population. Of the dead, more than 18,000 are children. Thousands more remain missing. More than 1,60,000 people, over 7% of Gaza’s population, have been wounded. These figures make Gaza one of the deadliest battlefields in the 21st century. Nearly the entire population of Gaza has been displaced, most of it multiple times. Since March, when the second ceasefire collapsed, Israel has tightened its blockade of the enclave, triggering a mass starvation crisis. On August 22, 2025, a UN body officially declared a famine in Gaza.
According to the UN, at least 1,300 Palestinians were shot dead at aid centres while seeking food since May. Dozens of children have died from starvation and malnutrition. The scale of death, starvation and displacement has intensified accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has rejected these charges, insisting that Israel is fighting Hamas. Efforts to reach a ceasefire have stalled, as there is no consensus on the “day after” in Gaza. Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal, while Mr. Netanyahu insists on “total victory”. As the war grinds on, the suffering in Gaza deepens, with no end in sight.
