Here’s a summary of where things stand two years after the start of the October 7, 2023 war between Israel and Hamas — what has happened, what has (and hasn’t) been achieved, and the humanitarian/political situation. Happy to dig deeper into any of these.

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Key Facts & Casualties

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israeli territory, killing about 1,200 people in Israel.

In the aftermath, Israel responded with air strikes and a ground offensive in Gaza.

Over the two years:

More than 66,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed.

At least 169,000 have been wounded.

Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed (some sources say ~90% of homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed) and large-scale displacement.

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What Was Aimed For vs What Was Achieved

Israel entered the war with two major goals:

1. Recover all Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attack.

2. Destroy or significantly degrade Hamas’s military capacity so that it could no longer mount similar attacks or pose the same threat.

Here’s how those goals have measured up:

Goal Partial Achievements What remains unresolved

Hostage recovery Some hostages have been returned (many through negotiations); some remains of deceased returned. Many hostages are still believed to be held; Israel has not regained all.

Weakening Hamas Israel has killed many Hamas fighters, including leaders. Some operations have disrupted Hamas infrastructure. Hamas remains active in Gaza; it has not been destroyed or disbanded. Israel has not fully (or publicly) achieved removal of Hamas as a governing/military force.

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Humanitarian, Infrastructure, Political & Social Impact

Displacement & Destruction: Large portions of Gaza’s infrastructure have been destroyed. Many people in Gaza are internally displaced. Homes, schools, hospitals, roads have been damaged.

Food, health, and living conditions: Aid flows have been severely constrained in many periods. Reports of famine (or famine-like conditions) in some Gaza areas. Widespread damage has made living conditions extremely difficult.

International & Political:

Growing international pressure for ceasefire or peace negotiations.

Accusations from many nations and international organizations regarding civilian harm, potential violations of international law.

Changes in Israeli domestic politics: discussions about cost, strategy, political dividends, and criticisms of whether the war has achieved what was promised.

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What Has Not Happened (or Fully Happened)

A complete ceasefire or peace that resolves the core conflict has not been reached. Intermittent negotiations and pauses have occurred, but full resolution is elusive.

Israel has not succeeded in fully eliminating Hamas or disarming it. While many of its capabilities have been degraded, the group remains in control of parts of Gaza.

The hostages are not all recovered. Lives continue to be at risk.

Reconstruction and recovery in Gaza remain massive tasks with many challenges — funding, political complications, access, security, etc.

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Overall Assessment

Two years in, the war has caused enormous human suffering, infrastructure destruction, and displacement. Israel has had partial success towards its military and hostage recovery goals, but many remain unfulfilled. Politically, there is no clear path to a comprehensive resolution yet. International pressure is mounting, as is the toll on civilians.

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If you like, I can pull together so

me recent proposals or peace plans, and what analysts think are realistic next steps?

Free Palestine 🇵🇸😔