When the world's at stake,
go beyond the headlines.

A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it.***On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, pushing past the borders of Gaza into Israeli territory, killing over 1,300 and taking 199 people hostage. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and has, over the past 10 days, carried out airstrikes on Gaza that have killed over 2,750 people, blockaded the Palestinian territory, and ordered residents of North Gaza to move south. Meanwhile, the conflict is threatening to exacerbate wider regional tensions: Hizballah in Lebanon, backed by Iran, has carried out strikes along the Israeli border, and Iran has threatened to intervene if Israel carries out a planned ground offensive in Gaza. We asked three experts why this war has broken out and how it could develop.Read more below. Jonathan Lincoln Interim Director, Center for Jewish Civilization School of Foreign Service, Georgetown UniversityIsrael’s cataclysmic security failure alongside Hamas’ execution of its most sophisticated and horrific terrorist attack ever have initiated a new era in the conflict and in the region more generally. Since 2007, Hamas has ruled over Gaza and leveraged violence against Israel along with extended periods of calm to extract significant benefits including increased assistance, electricity, permits for Gazans to work in Israel, and open trade with Egypt. Despite severe Israeli restrictions and a persistent humanitarian crisis, Hamas’ use of tax revenues alongside cash payments from Qatar (facilitated by Israel) and others helped the movement consolidate and focus on building what we now know is/was a well-trained military force. Even if Israel had been better prepared and Hamas a fraction as successful, Israeli