ABOUT ISRAEL HAMAS WAR RAGES WITH IRAN

The conflict between Israel and Hamas, while complex and multifaceted, has not primarily involved Iran in terms of direct military engagement. However, Iran has been a significant player in the broader geopolitics of the region, providing support to various groups, including Hamas, which operates in the Gaza Strip. Iran has supplied Hamas with weapons, funding, and ideological backing, viewing the group as a strategic ally in its broader regional ambitions.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has its roots in a long history of tensions and disputes over territory, governance, and national identity. Hamas, a militant Palestinian Islamist group, has been engaged in armed resistance against Israel, seeking to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Israel, on the other hand, sees Hamas as a terrorist organization that poses a threat to its security and existence due to its rocket attacks, tunnel networks, and other hostile activities targeting Israeli civilians and infrastructure.

While Iran's direct involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict has been limited, its support for Hamas has exacerbated tensions in the region and contributed to the perpetuation of the conflict. Iran's backing of Hamas aligns with its broader strategic goals of countering Israel's influence in the region, supporting Palestinian resistance against what it perceives as Israeli occupation, and projecting power in the Middle East.

Moreover, Iran's geopolitical rivalry with Israel extends beyond its support for Hamas. Iran and Israel have been engaged in a broader proxy conflict across the Middle East, with Iran backing various militant groups and proxies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria. This rivalry is fueled by ideological differences, geopolitical competition, and historical grievances, further complicating efforts to resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict and achieve lasting peace in the region.

In recent years, there have been concerns about the potential for escalation and broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and other actors. Tensions between Iran and Israel have been heightened by Iran's nuclear program, its support for militant groups, and regional proxy conflicts. Any direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel could have far-reaching consequences for the region, leading to increased instability, humanitarian crises, and the further displacement of civilians.

In conclusion, while the Israel-Hamas conflict has primarily been a localized dispute between Israel and the Palestinian territories, Iran's support for Hamas has contributed to its intensity and complexity. Iran's involvement reflects broader geopolitical rivalries and power struggles in the Middle East, posing challenges to efforts aimed at resolving the conflict and achieving lasting peace in the region. Any escalation involving Iran could have significant repercussions, underscoring the need for diplomatic efforts to address underlying grievances and promote dialogue and reconciliation among all parties involved. On the East Coast as the Israel Hamas War rages on we know half a year into this war. More than 130 hostages still remain in Hamas captivity. The fighting continues along with a looming humanitarian crisis. Joining us live this morning to further break down this on-going conflict the senior lecturer in Homeland security and criminal justice at the University of New Haven Mr. Ken Gray thank you so much for joining us this Sunday morning Mr. Ken. Good morning, Janet glad to be with you again. Glad to have you here today marks 6 months of this on-going conflict looking back on October. 7th to where we are today catching us up, Mr. Ken. Um, are we closer to this War ending or do we have a long way to go? Well, the Israelis are trying to uh eradicate.

Hamas there is still around 10,000 Hamas members somewhere there uh in the Gaza Strip many of which may be down. Uh close to Rafa at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, so as far as achieving that goal of uh ridding the Gaza Strip of Hamas members the Israelis still have a way to go to do that at the same time the humanitarian crisis here has reached a Breaking Point. There are uh, Palestinians women and children, who are starving due to the lack of Aid coming into the Gaza Strip under normal conditions before October 7th the Gaza Strip was supported solely by means of humanitarian Aid they don't have farmlands. They don't have the ability to sustain themselves this has disrupted the flow of humanitarian. Aid into the area and after the catastrophe, last, uh week of uh, uh humanitarian Aid workers for the world Central Kitchen being killed as their Convoy came under Fire by uh an air strike by the IDF. Uh, that this has even more restricted the humanitarian Aid getting in there. So you have War continued on you have this looming humanitarian crisis and on top of all that you now have the Israelis, uh striking against Iran, uh generals, at a uh, Embassy in Damascus Syria killing 4 top, Uh generals and other members, uh, which uh, Iran has promised to uh get revenge for that to strike it back at Israel or the United States in response to that. So a lot of moving pieces lot absolutely you did mention that humanitarian crisis. I popped up a shot in this box on the screen, uh, to our left showing that rafah border crossing where many people go to get that Aid um now with what happened with the world Central Kitchen and those 8 workers dying are we seeing less and less Aid because I can tell you I haven't seen any 8 trucks on this speed. Uh, since we came in this morning, Yeah that the flow of trucks across the border has been greatly reduced its 2-fold problem. What is the attack on the uh, the world Central Kitchen? employees there? They aid workers. Who were in that Convoy that came under Fire that's part of it, but the other part of it is the fact that the normal Palestinian Security forces that would accompany the aid trucks into the Gaza Strip to keep them from being raided before they get to the distribution point. Those had come under Fire by the IDF and they stopped doing that Duty and therefore trucks going into this area. We're going in unaccompanied by any type of force consequently they reduce the flow of vade because of that they did not feel safe going into the Gaza Strip. That now the plan to uh bring food in by water the world Central Kitchen turned their ship around that had humanitarian Aid and sent it back to Cyprus. After their Aid workers were killed in that conflict. So uh the flow of goods into the Gaza Strip instead of increasing as has been talked about instead has been decreasing to a trickle now the Israelis did start to open up a northern gate into the Gaza City, uh that Northern gate is normally put foot for foot traffic. they are trying to open up to allow trucks to go through there. There is a port that is 25 miles north of there that uh would be able to take food Aid. Uh, buys ship and send it into the northern part of the Gaza City, but uh that that has not happened yet. So the ability to get humanitarian Aid in the air still is greatly reduced the Hamas itself had called for the world to stop doing the airdrops. They felt that they were unsafe and that they were degrading and that demeaning and that they did not want to have Aid to be are dropped in that it was a meaningless amount of food coming in by that route. Wow well, that's really Counterproductive of them considering they've been stealing bait that was on the ground you wouldn't think they would have any um, problem with how the 8 is dropped since many of them were taking it from those displaced Palestinians that needed it. Wow. Well Mr King right now I want to transition to this on-going hostage situation. We know since the very beginning on October. 7th when this war broke out Israeli military officials and the Israeli government saying this is not a war against the Palestinian people this is a war against Hamas to bring those. Hostages home and when you think about the different ages of the hostages even the different Health concerns of some of the people and knowing it's been half a year. They've been in Hamas captivity. Um, they weren't able to grab their medicine with them when they were captured many of them just taken at a moment's notice I paint this picture for us, Mr. Ken being in captivity for 6 months Maybe they had parents that were um, you know on their way out. um, you know, who were on the verge of death themselves actually read an article where this woman said, um, she's close to dying in her dying wish was to have her daughter back in her arms before she died yet today.