On Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian militant groups launched a large-scale invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip. 

The militant group known as Hamas launched over 3,000 missiles into Israel. They then rushed in by automobile, by boat and by light aircraft. The militant groups opened fire upon innocent citizens, killing and injuring thousands. They entered shelters and massacred helpless people. Hundreds were kidnapped, and are now being held as hostages. 

The Middle East has devolved into utter chaos, with an Egyptian police officer shooting and killing Israeli tourists, the Taliban vowing to invade Israel if allowed passage, the US sending a carrier strike group to the region and Iran allegedly being a supporting force behind the Palestinian attack.

There will be no winners in this war. Israel has and will continue to lose innocent lives due to Hamas brutality (and in the coming fight to eliminate them). Palestinian citizens will also be killed en masse due to the actions of Hamas. Both sides are vocal in their hate for one another, with Hamas broadcasting executions of hostages on social media, and Israel calling Palestinians “human animals”, and cutting off all electricity, food, and water from entering Gaza.

LD students feel as though this war is unnecessary violence. “It sounds like there is a lack of an effort toward peace and instead a consistent trend toward choosing violence,” Says junior Daphne Linn. 

It is saddening that this war has to happen. It is saddening that after the long time of our existence as a society, war is still such a prevalent aspect in the world. It can be easy to look to a future where war is a thing of the past, and we could deserve to call our planet a “utopia”. However, what we need to do is look to the present, and look inwards on the problems plaguing our world today. Then comes the momentous task of finding solutions.