On October 7, 2023, 1200 Israelis were killed by Hamas, in an unprecedented act of violence that has sparked an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. A year since Israel's full-scale invasion of Gaza, tensions in the region have escalated enormously. The legitimacy of Israeli actions is now being debated as the ICC prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC has issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister. Likewise, French President Emmanual Macron has said in official statements: “The priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza." Beyond deep political polarization, there has also been a rise in terrorist attacks within Israel. This stems from protests regarding Israel's military actions in Gaza and the lack of progress towards a ceasefire deal. As Israeli hostages continue to be held in Hamas captivity, there has been increased pressure on Netanyahu's shoulders to achieve their safe return.

A recurring pattern of terrorist attacks has been evident in Israel since the beginning of the war, with two major incidents occurring this month. On October 1, 2024, in Tel Aviv, a lone gunman in a train carriage opened fire, killing eight. As a witness recounts: "There were many gunshots. We dropped to the floor, and people were crying. I saw someone bleeding on the ground.” Only six days later, in Beersheba, a town in southern Israel a gunman opened fire again. There is no clear motivation behind this shooting, although it is almost certain to be a result of rising tensions in the Middle East. This killed 19-year-old Shira Chaya Suslik, a sergeant from the Israeli border police force. Another 10 people were injured with varying degrees of severity. The terrorist attacks in Israel are not a new phenomenon as political tension has been present since its creation in 1948. However, events like these have been used by hardliners to justify more aggressive Israeli action in the neighboring territories, such as the invasion of Lebanon which began on the 1st of October, 2024. A dilemma is now brewing, as the civilian Israeli population is increasingly starting to be seen as targets of the conflict. This is prompting wider concern about Israel prolonging the conflict, as in late September a protest was held in Tel Aviv voicing the slogan "ACCEPT the deal, end the war, out of Gaza!”

The attacks have deeply impacted Israeli social stability, as the horrors and implications of this conflict are becoming ever clearer to Israeli citizens. Netanyahu is faced with the huge task of not only securing the safety of his own people, but also maintaining relations with allies like the European Union and the United States. If Israel loses the support of its Western allies, it would limit its goal of destroying Hamas and Hezbollah given their dependence on American backing.

By: Giacomo Violetti