The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has now stretched past 100 days, with both sides vowing to continue fighting despite increasing international pressure for a ceasefire.
Netanyahu Doubles Down on Pledge to Destroy Hamas
As Israel marked the grim milestone, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his pledge to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed.
“No one will stop us from acting to restore calm for Israel’s citizens and ensure their security for generations to come,” Netanyahu said in a televised address Sunday. “We will plow ahead until our mission is completed – to land devastating blows on Hamas and the other terrorist organizations and rebuild our deterrence.” [1]
The comments come despite increasing calls from the United States and other allies for Israel to scale back its military operations. The White House issued a rare public rebuke of Netanyahu over the weekend, with a spokesperson saying “the time is right” for Israel to wind down the war. [2]
Scenes of Devastation Across Gaza
The war has taken a devastating toll across the Gaza Strip, leaving large areas in rubble and displacing tens of thousands of residents.
Key figures from 100 days of war:
- 90,000+: Palestinians killed, injured or missing [3]
- 250,000+: People displaced from their homes
- 50%: Of Gaza’s population now relies on humanitarian aid
- 80%: Have little to no access to clean water
Aid groups have warned that hunger, cold and disease now threaten more lives as infrastructure across Gaza lies in ruins.
“We struggle for water, electricity, food. We live day by day,” said Marwan Al-Ghoul, a producer with CBS News living in Gaza City. “There is no safe place.” [4]
Israel maintains its operations have precisely targeted Hamas and other militant groups operating in Gaza, while trying to avoid civilian casualties.
Protests Across the Globe
As the crisis dragged into its fourth month, thousands took to the streets over the weekend in cities around the world to protest the ongoing bloodshed and call for a ceasefire.
Major demonstrations unfolded from Washington D.C. to Tel Aviv, highlighting the war’s far-reaching impact and how it has galvanized support on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide globally.
“The devastation in Gaza is mounting by the day, and the crisis has had a polarizing effect far beyond the region,” said Samantha Power, head of USAID, which is managing humanitarian relief efforts. “An entire generation of young Palestinians and Israelis risk growing up knowing only conflict.” [5]
In one of the largest U.S. demonstrations so far, organizers estimated 50,000 marched through downtown Washington D.C. on Saturday pleading for American intervention to stop the fighting. [6]
No Clear End in Sight
Even after 15 weeks of intense combat, experts see no clear end in sight to the devastating war. The hostilities have fallen into a grim pattern, oscillating between periods of heightened violence and uneasy ceasefires – all of which have eventually collapsed.
Israel insists any truce must include measures that definitively prevent Hamas from rearming itself. But the militant group has held firm to its own set of demands, including lifting restrictions on access to Gaza and releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
With both sides doubling down, most observers do not expect the current crisis to be resolved soon. Many worry it may take an outright Israeli reoccupation of Gaza to significantly degrade Hamas’s military capabilities. [7]
“It’s easy to imagine this could go on not just for a few more weeks, but a few more months at least,” said former U.S. diplomat Aaron David Miller.
Some even suggest Netanyahu may see a prolonged conflict as advantageous ahead of Israeli elections set for later this year. [8]
While the recent 100 day mark brought renewed attention to the crisis, Gaza residents emphasize their suffering has become normalized after years of intermittent conflict and economic isolation.
“The world is paying attention because the war is hitting the 100-day mark. But for us in Gaza, hardship and conflict has become a way of life,” said Dr. Sami Musa, who runs a small medical clinic in Gaza City. “My hope is someday my children may know peace.”
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