THE FACTS

Education is at the core of our mission. That’s why we have created this resource page, filled with important facts to help you understand and differentiate the TRUTH from the lies that are out there, concerning Israel.

Whether you are new to the issue or want to go deeper, there is something here for everyone!

BIBLICAL TRUTH

GOD'S COVENANT WITH ISRAEL:

It all began with Abraham and the promise God made to him and his descendants:

Genesis 17:7 "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you."
Genesis 17:19 "Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."
Deuteronomy 4:31 "For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which He confirmed to them by oath."

This means that the covenant God made with Abraham was not only everlasting (which means will last FOREVER), but it was also confirmed by an OATH that God made with Himself, because there is no one greater than the God of the universe! This then makes the promise unbreakable, unshakable and undeniable!

GOD HAS NOT REJECTED ISRAEL:

Some have been taught to believe that God has rejected Israel, since Israel was rebellious toward God, however that is simply not true! God did NOT reject or abandon His people:

Romans 11:1-2a "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom He foreknew."
Romans 11:29 "for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable."

GOD GAVE THE LAND TO ISRAEL FOREVER:

God's covenant promise to Abraham included inheriting the land of Israel as an everlasting possession!

Genesis 17:8 "And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
Psalm 105:8-11 "8 He remembers His covenant forever, the promise He made, for a thousand generations, 9 the covenant He made with Abraham, the oath He swore to Isaac. 10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”

THE LAND OF ISRAEL IS GOD’S TO GIVE:

We need to ultimately remember that the land of Israel doesn't belong to any one person or any group of people, but to God alone! And because He is the ultimate owner, He is entitled to give it or lend it to whomever He chooses:

Leviticus 25:23 “‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you reside in My land as foreigners and strangers."

HISTORICAL TRUTH

ISRAEL IS UNIQUE:

The nation of Israel began with the amazing call of Avram. This is what theologians call divine election. God simply chose to start a new nation from this man Avram:

Genesis 12:1-2 "The Lord had said to Avram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing."
Exodus 4:22 "Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,"

ISRAEL WAS RE-GATHERED TWICE BACK:

Abram’s descendants were driven off the land and south into Egypt by a great famine. At first they prospered there, but as generations passed they came to be viewed as a threat and were enslaved. After God delivered them from bondage and, through Moses, led them in an exodus from Egypt, they wandered in the desert for 40 years. Eventually Joshua led them across the Jordan River into Canaan, the Promised Land. This was about 1400 B.C.

In 586 B.C, the Babylonians came and brought the Jewish people captive into Babylon. This was part of a prophecy foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 25:11 that the Jews would “serve the king of Babylon seventy years”:

Jeremiah 25:11 "And this whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years."

Just as God had promised, after 70 years the people miraculously returned to Jerusalem. After being held in captivity for 70 years, there were three waves of return back to Israel, accompanied by these leaders: Abel, Ezra, Nehemiah.

WHY did the Jewish people have to return? Because they had to be in the land of Israel, in order for the Messiah to come!

In 70 AD, because of the sin of our people, the Romans came and destroyed the nation and the city of Jerusalem. Our Jewish people were scattered the longest, in this second time around; for almost 1900 years! Waves of persecution plagued our people throughout these years, during which the Crusades, the Inquisition, and numerous pogroms killed untold thousands. Yet through it all, the Jewish people never lost hope that one day they would return to the Promised Land.

And on May 14, 1948, miracle of miracles, we were regathered back to the land again and the history of Israel began with a new chapter. Standing in front of a portrait of Theodore Herzl, Ben-Gurion read Israel’s Declaration of Independence that had been approved by the People’s Council. The ceremony was broadcast live to the nation on Voice of Israel radio. After all the members present had signed the document, Ben-Gurion declared, “The State of Israel is established!”

Why the second time? Because the Jewish people have to be in the land of Israel, for when the Messiah returns!

The fact that the Jewish people were twice scattered because of their sins, and then twice re-gathered back to their land is an amazing historical confirmation of Israel's uniqueness and the eternal Covenant God made with His people!

ISRAEL'S POSITION AMONG THE NATIONS:

Israel is first among nations as a firstborn son in a family. This is why Rabbi Shaul (Apostle Paul) indicated that the Gospel was to be directed "to the Jew first":

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."

It's important to note that this pattern also applies to God's judgements:

Romans 2:9 "There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;"

In addition to all of this, God also established a reciprocal relationship between Israel and the nations:

Genesis 12:3 "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

This is the only nation where God went in, took them out of Egypt with 10 plagues, then parted the Red Sea, which provided the way for them to leave Egypt! A cloud led them by day and a pillar of fire by night, manna was provided for this nation for 40 years in the desert. No other nation has such a history! You can read about it in Exodus chapters 12 & 13.

It's important to understand that both of the Covenant of Abraham and the New Covenant (New Testament) are both operational today. And Rabbi Shaul (Apostle Paul), confirmed this in the New Testament:

Romans 11:28-29 "28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable."

MORAL TRUTH

ISRAEL ENTRUSTED WITH THE WORD OF GOD:

God entrusted the nation of Israel with the privilege of bringing forth the Word of God. That Bible app in your phone or the physical written copy of the Bible on your lap, comes through the nation of Israel!

Romans 3:1-4 "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar."

Not only that, but the Living Word made flesh came through the nation of Israel! The Messiah of Israel was born among the Jewish people as a Jew descended of Abraham and David into the world!

John 4:22 "You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews."

As a result of the Messiah being born through the Jewish people, according to the Scriptures, salvation would come to the world! Furthermore, the Jewish disciples helped establish the very foundations of the church today:

Ephesians 2:20 "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) Himself as the Chief Cornerstone."

ISRAEL'S UNIQUE SPIRITUAL DESTINY:

God's plan for the nation of Israel is not yet complete. There's a great purpose and destiny assigned to the Jewish people.

There's a prophetic word hanging over the nation:

Romans 11:26 "and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob."

And furthermore, when this great awakening of the Jewish people takes place, Rabbi Shaul (Apostle Paul) explains that this will trigger a tremendous revival in the world:

Romans 11:15 "For if (Israel's) rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

As mentioned earlier, the very return of the Messiah is dependent upon the Jewish people:

Matthew 23:37-39 "37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Israel will welcome back the Messiah to the earth! That is the uniqueness of Israel!

ISRAEL THROUGH THE EYES OF SCRIPTURES:

Here's why there's so much opposition against Israel:

Exodus 17:16 "And he said, “Because the LORD has sworn, the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”"

What we see today is a battle between the God of Israel and Amalek. Really now the god of Islam. This is what the war is really all about! This is why we need to be rooted deeply in Biblical Truth, so that we are able to see things clearly, through the lens of the Bible. Then, we need to be rooted in accurate Historical Truth. There is gross distortion of history being foisted in the world news

and social media every where these days.

Lastly, but certainly not least, we need to be established in Moral Truth founded upon the Word of God, which is our moral compass and where our North American western civilization based our moral standards upon!

WHO IS HAMAS?

Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organization designated as a terrorist group by several countries and international organizations. Here's a brief overview of the organization:

Hamas, which stands for "Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya" or "Islamic Resistance Movement" with the acronym Hamas translating to "zeal" in Arabic, was founded in 1987 during the First Intifada (Palestinian terror uprising) against Israeli rule in the Palestinian territories. It emerged as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, which also to varying degrees spawned Al-Qaeda, ISIS and Islamic Jihad.
Hamas has a political wing, which manages the group's social and political activities, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The military wing has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and kidnappings. It was responsible for the brutal attacks on October 7th.
Hamas gained popularity in the Palestinian territories during the 1980s and 1990s, positioning itself as an alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections, leading to tensions with the Fatah party, culminating in the 2007 conflict. After several days of fighting, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip.
Many international entities, including governments, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs, have criticized Hamas for its antisemitic rhetoric and actions.
The designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization by several countries is partly a result of its violent actions influenced by antisemitic beliefs. International human rights organizations have documented and criticized instances of antisemitism in Palestinian educational materials and media.
The role of antisemitism in Hamas' ideology and actions cannot be overlooked. Recognizing and understanding this facet is essential for anyone seeking a comprehensive view of the conflict and its broader issues.
Since 2001, more than 20,000 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. Thanks to the Iron Dome and Israeli warning systems, these rockets have not caused the high rate of casualties Hamas intended.
The rockets have caused extensive property damage in southern Israel, and the constant fear produced by Red Alert sirens has created nearly an entire generation of Israeli children living with PTSD in that region.
On October 7th the rocket barrages acted as a decoy for its infiltration of Israeli territory. The trauma from the rockets has been amplified with the October 7th massacres as Hamas terrorists murdered Israelis, sheltering in safe rooms to avoid the missiles fired from Gaza. On October 7th alone, over 3,00 rockets were fired at Israel, surpassing the November 2018 escalation by Hamas in which they fired over 400 missiles at Israeli territory in the space of 25 hours.
The word HAMAS is also found in the Bible, however, in Hebrew, the word "hamas" actually means evil, violence, wickedness, death and destruction. The first mention of the Hebrew word, “hamas” appears in the story of Noah, and also found in several other places throughout Scriptures:

Genesis 6:9-12: "9This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence [Hamas]. 12And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways."
Psalm 140:1: "For the director of music. A psalm of David. Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers; protect me from the violent [hamas],"
Ezekiel 7:11: "Violence [Hamas] has risen up into a rod of wickedness; None of them shall remain, None of their multitude, None of them; Nor shall there be wailing for them.
Ezekiel 7:23: "‘Prepare chains! For the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence [hamas]."
Psalm 74:20: "Have respect unto the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence [hamas]."
Isaiah 60:18: "No longer will violence [hamas] be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise."

WHO IS HEZBOLLAH?

Hezbollah (the party of allah) is a Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim terror organization that exerts significant influence in Lebanon through its extensive military force, political arm, and social services. Hezbollah operates effectively as "a state within a state" in Lebanon. The organization is completely banned in the United States, Canada, Israel, and the Gulf Cooperation Council States, while in much of the EU, the military wing is banned while the "political wing" is not; this distinction completely ignores the fact that all branches of Hezbollah are intertwined. Here's a brief overview of the organization:

In 1975, a brutal civil war broke out in Lebanon, fueled by a multitude of internal issues that included the presence of armed Palestinian militias coupled with discontentment and mistrust among the various sectarian groups within Lebanon. In addition to the internal turmoil, Israel launched an operation to expel Palestinian guerrilla fighters who used the region as their base to attack Israeli civilians.
Seeing an opportunity to export its revolution and influence in the Arab world, Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) provided funds and training to the budding militia. Iran would send over 1,500 Revolutionary guards to Lebanon who would set up base in the Bekaa Valley to train, organize, and finance the group that took on the name Hezbollah.
Hezbollah's identity as a Shia resistance movement is enshrined in a 1985 manifesto that also vowed to expel Western powers from Lebanon, called for the destruction of the Jewish state, and pledged allegiance to Iran's supreme leader. However, it moved away from this rhetoric to gain mainstream political acceptance in Lebanon.
The group receives heavy support from Iran, which provides Hezbollah with often sophisticated arms and significant sums of money. Hezbollah is Iran's primary and preeminent proxy terrorist organization in the world.
When the Lebanese civil war ended in the early 1990s, Hezbollah rapidly pivoted its focus. Led by Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992, the terror group became active in the Lebanese political system, began entrenching itself into the circles of power in the country and took its war of terror against Israel and the Jewish people global.
Throughout the 1990s, Hezbollah's fingerprints were on terror attacks in London, Panama, and Saudi Arabia, and the bombing of the Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that killed 85 people. Additionally, Hezbollah was engaging in attacks on Israeli soldiers and launching rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
In December 2018, the IDF announced it had discovered terror tunnels under the Lebanese-Israeli border dug by Hezbollah into northern Israel as part of a plot by the terror group to send Hezbollah commandos to storm Israel and occupy parts of the Galilee.
After Hamas launched its brutal assault on Israel from Gaza on October 7th, 2023, the very next day, October 8th, 2023, Hezbollah began launching anti-tank missiles and various other missiles at Israeli targets over the border, EVERY SINGLE DAY, UNTIL TODAY! The threat from Hezbollah in the North has led to the displacement of thousands of Israeli civilians who have been evacuated from the border region due to the danger posed by the terror group. Many of these Israeli civilians, at the time of this writing, remain internally displaced with no timeframe for their return home.
With direct supply routes established due to Iranian entrenchment in Syria, Hezbollah now possesses a sophisticated and large missile arsenal, with one commentator noting: "Hezbollah is the world's most heavily armed non-state actor."
Globally, the terrorist army is Iran's most potent proxy, able to launch sophisticated terror attacks far from its base in Lebanon. Domestically, Hezbollah is holding the Lebanese people hostage, turning the state into a vassal of Iran to the extreme detriment of the Lebanese people.
In response to Iran-backed Hezbollah attacks, the IDF has launched surgical strikes against crucial Hezbollah leaders. While Hezbollah indiscriminately looks to murder and maim anyone in Israel, illustrated by its targeting of Jewish, Arab, and Druze villages, the IDF has gone to great lengths to only act against Hezbollah, and NOT the Lebanese people.

This is a guide that has been compiled and put together in Categories where you can easily navigate through by clicking on one of the sub-headings below, and it'll take you to that section.

It's important note that in order to fully understand this war, we need to see it from a BIBLICALLY SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE.

This is what the war is really all about! It's a war between GOOD and EVIL! This means that in order for us to grasp things clearly, we must peer through the lens of the BIBLE so we can truly grasp the implications involved in this war.

Therefore, all FACTS published on this website, and in particular, on this page are based on 3 MAIN CATEGORIES:

1) Biblical Truth: God's Covenant with Israel

2) Historical Truth: Being rooted in accurate history

3) Moral Truth: Founded upon the Word of God, where our Western Nations and, most importantly, the Nation of Israel were founded upon!

TRUTH is very important my friends, very important! There is gross distortion of history being foisted in world news and social media every where these days. This is why we need to be firmly established in these important principles, which are foundational for us in these unprecedented times!

CATEGORIES:

CONTEXT OF THE WAR

FACTS & CONTEXT ABOUT THE WAR LAUNCHED BY HAMAS:

As of November 23, 2024:

On October 7th, with funding and support from Iran’s regime, Hamas and other Islamist extremist terror groups that control Gaza launched a war by brutally massacring, torturing, raping, and kidnapping civilians in Israel. After reviewing the evidence, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, “I know a lot about ISIS, and [the Hamas massacre] is worse than what I saw with ISIS.”
Over 1,200 people in Israel have been murdered and over 14,900 wounded by terrorists invading Israel and firing over 19,000 rockets across the country. The vast majority of Israeli casualties are civilians. They include women, children, the elderly, paramedics, firefighters, and security forces.
If the U.S. lost the same percentage of its population as Israel did since October 7th, it would have meant terrorists would have murdered over 44,000 Americans.
While Hamas’ primary target were Israeli Jews, Hamas also murdered 9 Bedouin Israelis, including six children, when Hamas rockets fell on their houses in Rahat. There are also reportedly people from 42 other countries around the world who were either murdered or kidnapped during the Hamas massacre.
22 towns in the south of Israel were infiltrated, with terrorists setting homes on fire, forcing families to come out and be kidnapped or murdered. 364 civilians were massacred at a music festival. 250+ Israelis and people from other countries, including the elderly, disabled, women, and children, were kidnapped and held hostage in Gaza on October 7th. Since then, 121 hostages were released, but over 101 hostages still remain in Hamas captivity of which 26+ are bodies of the deceased. Nearly 120,000 Israelis in southern Israel are still displaced from their homes.
As a result of this terrorist onslaught, Israel is at war. Israel’s army, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), first had to fight off all the terrorists who invaded on October 7th, and then launched extensive airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza. On October 29th, Israeli ground forces began military operations in northern Gaza.

After the October 7th massacre, Iran’s regime quickly announced its support of Hamas and called for Israel’s destruction.

On October 8, 2023 (one day after Hamas attacked Israel, the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah also launched over 2,000 rockets and anti-tank missiles from Lebanon, targeting at civilian and military sites in northern Israel. These attacks have killed dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers, and displaced 80,000 Israelis from their homes in 40 cities and towns. Israel has responded with targeted strikes and artillery fire of its own, but these clashes have not yet escalated to a full blown war.

The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen also attacked Israel and the international shipping canal in the Red Sea. Iran’s regime itself has threatened to expand the war against Israel, resulting in the U.S. stationing aircraft carriers in the region.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 69,000 wounded in the October 7th War. These figures do not differentiate between armed terrorists and civilians, including minors recruited by Hamas to fight as child soldiers. They also do not reveal how many civilians have been killed by the estimated 1,200 Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets that have fallen short, and landed in Gaza, on its own people.

The IDF says it has killed more than 17,000 terrorists in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7, 2023.

The real numbers will likely remain unclear for some time, due to misinformation spread by Hamas and other factors.
The goal of Hamas is not to oppose any specific Israeli policy or action. Hamas is an internationally recognized terrorist group driven by Islamist extremism and genocidal racism against Jews. It seeks to destroy Israel and replace it with a brutal regime of religious supremacy (see quotes from Hamas below).
Hamas tried to justify this war by falsely claiming that Israelis were threatening Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. This is untrue, as senior Hamas official publicly admitted that they planned the October 7th massacre for two years.
Hamas launched this war for a variety of reasons: to stop Israel from making peace with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states; internal Palestinian politics where Hamas is positioning itself to be the unquestionable leader of the Palestinians after Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who was 88, died; and underestimating the resolve of the Israeli people (as Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Hamza put it: Israel is an “illusion made of dust and capable of being defeated and broken”).
Hamas was named the third richest terror group in the world by Forbes Magazine. It is heavily funded by Iran’s regime, which often makes genocidal threats to destroy Israel. It also receives support from Turkey and Qatar, and is reportedly using major banks in South Africa to raise funds. It uses all of this international support to brutally oppress Palestinians in Gaza and fuel its endless war against Israel, instead of making peace and building a better future for its people.
In 2005, Israel unilaterally and unconditionally withdrew all its citizens and military forces from Gaza in the hope of making peace with the Palestinian people. The Palestinian Authority (PA) began to govern the territory.
In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections, while Mahmoud Abbas of the rival Fatah party remained the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA). In 2007, Hamas violently took over Gaza from the PA and has ruled it ever since. Once this terror group took over Gaza, Israel and Egypt — with international support — put a land and sea blockade in place to prevent Hamas from smuggling arms from Iran and other sources.
Until the October 7th massacre by Hamas, Israel delivered thousands of tons of food, water, medicine, aid, fuel, and other materials to the people of Gaza every single week. This included providing 50% of Gaza’s electricity for free, according to the Begin-Sadat Center. However, Palestinian civilians living there still suffered tremendous hardships, mainly due to hostilities between Hamas and Israel.
In response to Hamas launching an all-out war and kidnapping civilians, Israel initially stopped its deliveries of fuel and water to Gaza and said they would resume only when all Israeli hostages were released. On October 15th, Israel began supplying water to southern Gaza, after encouraging civilians from northern Gaza to temporarily evacuate to the south.
Israeli deliveries of water represent a very small portion of Gaza's total water supply, according to EcoPeace Middle East. However, Gaza’s water infrastructure has been severely harmed by Hamas mismanagement, their endless war against Israel, and their terrorists digging up water pipes and using them to build rockets.
The Egyptian government initially stated that its border crossings with Gaza remained open for deliveries of humanitarian aid to civilians, and numerous countries have sent this aid. However, delivery trucks were not allowed to enter Gaza until negotiations were completed between Israel, Egypt, the U.S., and others.
On October 18th, 2023 Israel announced it will not prevent food, water, or medicine from being delivered to civilians via Egypt, “as long as these supplies do not reach Hamas.” Since October 21st, 2023 over 10,000 trucks carrying 186,540 tons of food, water, medicine, and shelter equipment have been delivered to civilians in Gaza. Since December 15th, 2023 Israel has also been helping deliver aid to Gaza’s civilians via Israeli territory.
The New York Times reported that Hamas is hoarding hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel and other supplies for its terrorist campaign, instead of using it for urgent civilian needs in Gaza. Israel approved the first delivery of fuel to Gaza since the war began on November 15th, 2023.

Hamas has dragged Israel into a long and horrific war. Israel has a right and duty to defend its people against genocidal terrorist groups and has said its goal is to destroy the “military and governmental capabilities of Hamas.”
This war is a tragedy that has already caused horrific suffering on both sides because Hamas is murdering Israelis and at the same time using innocent Palestinians as human shields. Hamas and other terrorists have militarized civilian areas in Gaza. Their leaders and militants hide, store weapons, and fire rockets at Israel from homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques. These are war crimes against Israelis and Palestinians alike.
The IDF code of ethics requires Israeli soldiers to do everything they can to protect innocent life. Numerous legal and military experts have documented how the IDF does not intentionally target civilians as a matter of policy and goes beyond what the law requires by warning civilians before striking military targets. Nevertheless, it has proven impossible to stop terrorists in Gaza from attacking innocent Israelis without harming innocent Palestinians in the process. This is mainly because Hamas and its allies intentionally put civilians directly in harm’s way, and even actively encourage them to ignore Israeli warnings.
The IDF has been widely criticized for conducting military operations near or inside Al-Shifa and other hospitals in Gaza. In response, Israel has released a steady stream of evidence that terrorists are using these hospitals for military purposes and to hold hostages. It has also helped evacuate premature babies and other patients to safer areas and provided other aid.
On October 20th, 2023, Hamas released four hostages — an Israeli American mother and daughter and two elderly Israelis. On October 30th, 2023, a fifth hostage was rescued during the IDF ground operation in Gaza.
Between November 24th and November 30th, 2023, as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by the U.S., Qatar, and other governments, 81 Israeli women and children were released from Hamas captivity, along with one Russian-Israeli man was let go at Putin’s request. Also released were 23 people from Thailand and one from the Philippines. In return, over 230 Palestinian prisoners convicted or accused of terrorist offenses were released by Israel. In total, 121 hostages have returned thus far to Israel, including the foreign nationals and 11 bodies.
On December 1st, 2023, the fighting resumed after Hamas violated terms of the temporary ceasefire deal with Israel, launched a rocket at Israel, and took credit for the brutal murder of three civilians in Jerusalem the previous day.
The U.S., Canada, UK, EU, India, Australia, Iranian opposition leaders, and others have said they stand with Israel after October 7th, 2023. At least 84 countries have reportedly expressed their support for Israel and its people.
The U.S. has called on the world to pressure Hamas to release all the hostages who remain in Gaza (101 people) and surrender, in order to end this horrific war as soon as possible.
Israel is a very small country with a population of only 9 million. Everyone knows someone who lost a family member during this war. The whole country is grieving, even as they fight this multi-front war, being attacked from seven different arenas: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria (West Bank), Iraq, Yemen and Iran.

The people of Israel are resilient and will overcome the Hamas massacre. While we hope this war ends as soon as possible, we call on the international community to fully support Israelis in their fight against genocidal terrorism.