SPECIAL DOCUMENT | Two Years After Hamas's Attack on Israel: Between an Endless War and the Hope for Peace

Almost two years have passed since the deadly attack carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023. On that day, the Hamas group, which controlled the Gaza Strip, launched a large-scale coordinated terrorist attack that included a massive rocket barrage and the infiltration by air, sea, and land of thousands of assailants, who breached an unprepared Israeli defense. As a result of the offensive, more than 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians, in addition to the capture of 250 hostages. The attack not only received political support from allied groups but also prompted a subsequent military response from Hezbollah, Houthi rebels, as well as sympathy from Iraqi militias and terrorist groups in the West Bank. The assault, of unprecedented brutality, destabilized regional security, triggered a massive military response from Israel, and became the catalyst for a new phase of the conflict in the Middle East, reconfiguring the geopolitical and strategic balance of the region. As the second anniversary of the massacre approaches, a new peace alternative emerges, likely with the best chances of success, driven by the President of the United States. While there is a logical hope of at least achieving a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and prisoners, as well as the distribution of humanitarian aid to the abandoned and suffering population of the Gaza Strip, caution in expectations is necessary.

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