Stories

Israelis scarred by October 7 struggle to see Gaza as anything other than threat

News18•06-10-2026, 12:30

•Three years after the October 7 attacks, many Israelis near the Gaza border still view the Palestinian territory strictly as a threat rather than humanizing its residents.
•Trauma remains widespread across Israeli society, with memorials dotting highways and personal triggers preventing survivors from moving past the horrors of the attack.
•While global condemnation mounts over the devastation and massive civilian death toll in Gaza, empathy within Israel is largely absent amid raw memories.
•Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces intense domestic scrutiny regarding security failures and political corruption, yet his military strategy in Gaza maintains broad support.
•Public discussion in Israel rarely addresses the plight of everyday Palestinians in Gaza, where much of the population lives among ruins and in crowded tent camps.

The Israeli military currently controls over 60 percent of the Gaza territory, squeezing everyday residents into an ever-smaller space.

The Hamas-led militants carried out the attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.

Israel's momentous and angry election is scheduled for October 27, marking the first vote since the outbreak of the war.