Three Years After Oct. 7, War Continues to Shape Global Debate

Three years after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the ongoing war continues to shape public debate and international relations.

For Context: Roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 were taken captive by Hamas during the attack on southern Israel. Since the war began, at least 74,000 people, including roughly 21,000 children, in Gaza have died. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by global leaders of war crimes in the strip, meanwhile shifting international views of Israel have also caused divides among political leaders and civilians alike.

'The Horrors of Oct. 7': In an opinion for The Telegraph (Center bias), Allison Pearson reflected on her conversations with Oct. 7 survivors about the brutality they experienced from Hamas. She paralleled it with demonstrations from pro-Palestine supporters. She called the attack a "genocide" and described instances of infants and children being shot and killed and women being sexually assaulted and beheaded. Pearson wrote, "It is shameful that, on the third anniversary of the heinous massacre, yet again the pro-Pals are granted permission for a party – sorry, protest – in London that can only result in stirring up more anti-Semitism." She also criticized UK leaders for appealing to Muslim voters ahead of elections and described instances where some Muslim men were charged with terror plots against Jews in the UK.

Warnings Ahead of Time: A report from Haaretz (Lean Left) alleged that Netanyahu was notified before Oct. 7 that Hamas was considering a major attack. According to the report, the Israeli military also obtained a Hamas battle plan for Oct. 7 in 2022, but dismissed it as unrealistic. Reuters (Center) reported that some in Israel were protesting "what they view as a lack of accountability for the security failure" ahead of Israel's election day where Netanyahu seeks a seventh term. NPR (Lean Left) wrote that the security failure and Netanyahu's refusal to take responsibility for it have "become a lightning rod in Israel."

Views of Israel Today: Newsweek (Center) described shifting international relations and negative perceptions of Israel due to the war. It reported that young Americans now viewed Palestinians more favorably than Israelis, "to the extent that, for some, support is seen as an ideological purity test." The outlet asserted, "Hamas lost the war it appeared to think it was starting. But it may have won something else, something its leadership has always dreamed of: a lasting change in how Israel is judged, particularly by those who will one day lead its closest ally."

Reshaping the Middle East: A Wall Street Journal opinion (Lean Right) piece called the ongoing war a "war of redemption." He described Netanyahu's response in the days following Oct. 7, calling him "our greatest wartime leader." The author wrote, "Three years later…Hamas has been decimated in Gaza, Palestinian terror infrastructure has been uprooted in Judea and Samaria, Hezbollah is on its knees, and Yemen's Houthis have been hit like never before. Bashar al-Assad's army in Syria is gone and, most important, the weakened Iranian regime will never assert the same power." Associated Press (Lean Left) wrote the Oct. 7 set "a cascade of events" into motion, including multiple wars, Israel seizing territory in Syria and Lebanon and the US joining Israel in attacking Iran.

Gaza Today: Al Jazeera (Lean Left) described the anniversary as "three years…since Israel launched its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza." The Guardian (Left) shared new photos from Google Maps showing buildings in Gaza before and after Israel's ongoing attacks. It quoted a UN Development Programme special representative in Gaza saying the estimated total of rubble was 61 million tonnes. The Associated Press said the anniversary "brings another day of fear and misery" to Palestinians who live "among the ruins" of the destruction and as "more than half the territory remains in the hands of the Israeli military." It also reported that Israeli strikes continue almost daily despite a ceasefire deal in place.

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