WAR IN THE HOLY LAND
Hamas-Israel War Upsets Middle East Geopolitics
The Hamas attack on Israel has upended the shaky regional geopolitics on several fronts, placing the current Ukraine-Russia war on the margins of the international radar.
The Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli retaliation on the tiny Gaza Strip has had regionwide repercussions, revealing the complex nature of Middle East geopolitics.
On Saturday, Hamas militants crossed Israel’s well-protected borders through land, air, and sea, killing and kidnapping military and civilians in an unprecedented and sophisticated attack that prompted a swift military reaction — war declaration — from the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu. “We are in a state of war,” the prime minister said, vowing an immense price for the militant group.
True to its word, the Netanyahu government launched a massive air campaign that pulverized residential buildings, mosques, and the U.N.-run schools that served as refugee shelters. In the Hamas attacks that drew international condemnation, at least 1,200 Israelis were killed, and thousands were wounded, while 150 people, including civilians, were taken to the enclave as hostages. In Israeli retaliation…
