After an Israeli airstrike killed Hamas’ military leader Ahmad Jabari on Wednesday, the region has experienced nearly a week of violence, namely attacks between Israel and Palestinian territory Gaza, a conflict that hits close to home for some University students.
According to Al Jazeera, Israel followed the airstrike with “widespread attacks on the Gaza Strip, and Hamas retaliated.”
“I’m absolutely worried about the situation. It has the potential to escalate into a problem that will affect the global community,” said political science senior Russell Conner.
Conner lived in Palestine with a local family this summer and keeps in touch with his Palestinian family through Facebook and Skype.
“I’m definitely worried for my Palestinian family’s safety,” Conner said. “They’ve been through something like this before, but I’m worried for the innocent civilians on both sides, including my friends.”
According to CNN, Hamas is a militant organization whose goal is an Islamic fundamentalist Palestinian state. Hamas operates in the West Bank and Gaza.
The U.S., Israel, the European Union and the U.K. consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
Hamas has a popular social welfare program that constitutes 90 percent of its work, which has secured the group’s popularity with Gaza residents, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict largely stems from the creation of the Israeli state, which took land from within Palestinian borders. Multiple subsequent territorial disputes including Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, namely the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, intensified the two states’ relations, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian land and control of resources like water are among major influences that further divide the two peoples.
Conner’s Palestinian family lives in Beit Jala, a suburb of Bethlehem, which is located in occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank.
Although Conner’s family is unharmed, they said the situation is extremely tense.
“Although Israel has invaded Gaza, there are tanks on the ground in the West Bank right now too,” Conner said. “These are things I’m hearing from my friends that are not being reported in the news.”
Conner’s Palestinian brother Mohammad Al-hroub is a 19-year-old Jerusalem University student, studying geography and the environment.
“Right now we are OK, but later we don’t know,” Al-hroub said in a Facebook message. “Tanks are currently sweeping Beit Jala. The rockets are close.”
Conner’s Palestinian mother said all school and university classes were cancelled Saturday, which is usually a school day in their culture.
“It’s not awful right now, but it has the potential to bring the entire world in,” Conner said. “I can’t believe I was there just this summer.”
ISDS junior Sammy Qasem has family living in the Palestinian town of Bal’a in the West Bank.
Qasem has not spoken to his family and does not know if they are safe.
“What’s going on is terrible,” Qasem said. “I think people need to be more aware of what’s happening.”
