The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched strikes to eliminate Hamas and free the hostages. While many of the hostages have since been released, some have been killed. An estimated 97 remain with Hamas at present.
The Israeli onslaught has led to widespread destruction in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces say Hamas militants use civilian infrastructure like hospitals as hiding grounds and civilians as human shields. Hamas has denied the allegations.
Israel’s military response has resulted in nearly 42,000 deaths in Gaza, and the displacement of almost the entire population of 2.3 million, based on figures from Gaza’s health ministry.
Many young children have been orphaned in the conflict. The number of orphans in Gaza now ranges between 17,000 and 18,000, many of whom are unaccompanied by any family members, as per the United Nations.
Families who could afford to escape Gaza mostly headed for Egypt. However, many displaced families are still in Gaza. Since much of the infrastructure has been destroyed, they live in tents and often have to move ahead of fresh strikes.
In November, Israel and Hamas had a truce for about a week to exchange 105 hostages and around 240 Palestinian detainees in Israel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New York, United States, last month, and expressed deep concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza. PM Modi reiterated India's support for the restoration of peace and stability in the region.
A woman holds a ‘ceasefire now’ sign at a demonstration in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. People around the world have been calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Mediators from Qatar, the US, and Egypt initiated a diplomatic push to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas regarding a ceasefire plan. However, Israel and Hamas haven’t been able to reach an agreement.
The war in Gaza has drawn in Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. Israel has sharply escalated a campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah in recent weeks, with Iran carrying out two missile campaigns targeting Israel this year.