1300 Dead in Israel-Palestine Conflict... "Shows Shift to a Multipolar System"

As the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas enters its third day, the death toll is approaching 1,300. As clashes continue between the two sides, the human casualties are increasing. In particular, this armed conflict is being analyzed as a symbolic event signifying the weakening of U.S. influence in the international community and the transition to a multipolar system.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 9th (local time), Israeli authorities estimate that at least 700 people have died since Hamas's surprise attack in the early morning of the 7th. More than 240 bodies were found around the music festival venue in the Re'im kibbutz in southern Israel.

Casualties are also mounting in the Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, due to Israel's retaliatory attacks. The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that 560 people have died and 2,900 have been injured in Gaza. The official death toll on both sides thus reaches about 1,300 within three days.

Fighting continues on this day as well. Major foreign media reported that explosions were heard and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem, Israel, due to Hamas rocket attacks. Hamas has declared that it will execute one Israeli civilian hostage each time Israel attacks civilian homes in Gaza without prior warning. Earlier, local media reported that Hamas took more than 100 hostages, including participants of an Israeli festival. There are also forecasts that Israel will soon deploy ground forces into the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip.

United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres strongly condemned Hamas's attacks in a statement on the day, saying, "Nothing can justify acts of terror, murder, and kidnapping against civilians." He also expressed concern over Israel's full blockade of Gaza, which could cause civilian casualties.

Concerns are mounting that this situation could escalate into a proxy war between the United States, which supports Israel, and Iran, which is identified as backing Hamas. Some analysts suggest that Hamas's attack may be a signal that the world has entered a new phase of turmoil.

The New York Times (NYT), in an article titled "The Global Context of the Hamas-Israel War," stated that some countries and political groups are willing to take greater risks despite fears of terrible consequences, citing the transition to a new order such as a 'multipolar system' as the background. It analyzes that the influence of the United States in the international community is no longer what it used to be, and leaders who believe their regional influence surpasses that of the U.S. are being confirmed.

However, the outlet also noted, "The United States remains the most powerful country, equipped with allies and the ability to build peace," and suggested that Hamas may have launched the attack to weaken the normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This armed conflict is expected to further complicate U.S. diplomatic policy plans, which aimed to mediate relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia while containing Iran and China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.