On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory. To date, this has resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis (according to the Israeli authorities) and the hostage-taking of 150 people. On 8 October, Israel launched an air operation against Gaza that has already claimed more than 1,000 lives. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu announced a ground operation involving the mobilisation of 300,000 reservists to recover the hostages and "eradicate Hamas". These recent events put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back at the heart of the strategic stage. After nearly 75 years of conflict, the prospects for peace and a two-state solution seem more inconceivable than ever.
