President Donald Trump has his “last warning” to Hamas, demanding the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. This statement comes nearly two years after the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.
According to the , 48 men and women, including two Americans, remain captive in Gaza. Their ages range from 20 to 85, with reports from the suggesting that 20 of them are believed to be still alive.
Civilian casualties plague the war in Gaza
The conflict has resulted in significant civilian casualties. The recently passed a resolution labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, reports over 65,000 Palestinians, including Hamas militants, have been killed. cites Israeli military data indicating a civilian death rate of 83% in the Gaza war, though these figures.
On the Israeli side, Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 251 individuals, according to the .
What’s the end goal?
Israel has accepted his terms for a peace deal, but Hamas has not. Israel’s military strategy in Gaza focuses on destroying Hamas’s ability to govern and launch attacks, as well as securing the return of hostages, according to . However, warn that Israel may maintain some control over Gaza to prevent Hamas from rebuilding, raising questions about the long-term plan.
The concept of a two-state solution has been discussed for years and remains a proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though Israeli officials have shot down the idea, according to the Regardless, envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, with agreed borders, security guarantees, and plans for Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. However, decades of stalled talks and the current division of Palestinian leadership between Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank complicate the realization of this solution, according to analysis from the