“Israel intensifies Gaza bombing”… “Hostages taken by Hamas”… “Israel declares war on Hamas”… Have you been reading the news headlines?
There are a lot of students who don’t know too much about what’s going on in the Middle East. “I do know Hamas attacked Israel, are killing… and holding hostages,” says an MBA freshman. But there is definitely more to the story.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,400 people and injuring 5,400, according to the Washington Post. They have also taken hostages. Right after the attack, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared war on Hamas.
What is Hamas? They are recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and first took power in the Gaza Strip by winning elections in 2006 against “the main Palestinian party that still controls the Palestinian Authority,” says the Washington Post. Hamas got rid of the Palestinian Authority and took control, eliminating future elections in 2007.
Hamas and Israel have had a history of violence, though such current violence hasn’t been seen before. Their violence is due to the fact that Hamas wants to take over Israel and does not acknowledge the right of Israel to exist.
Israel has responded with violence in the past as well, but now its goal is to completely get rid of Hamas. It has responded to Hamas attacks by sending troops to Gaza.
“It also blocked supply lines of basic necessities to the Gaza population, including fuel and water,” says CNN. People living in Gaza have been told to evacuate, but some have either refused, have no place to go, or just can’t leave. While the Gazan borders have been shut, 4,385 people have died, according to CNN.
Israel has also taken an estimated 4,500 Palestinians from the West Bank and held them in prisons. This could be another reason for the Hamas attack, claims BBC.
“I feel sad for the Palestinian people, who don’t have a choice in how things are being handled, but this is one of the worst things that we’ve seen happen in Israel in a long time,” says Ms. Karni, the AP stats and F.S.T. teacher here at Millikan. She has family living in Israel, luckily she hasn’t lost anyone, but her cousins have lost their loved ones.
While this war can be confusing, with different reasons and attacks, it is also very stressful and disheartening. All this violence can leave youths and adults everywhere feeling powerless or discouraged, but there are many ways to ease the ache in your heart.
You can visit the Millikan Wellness Center, talk to a trusted adult or friend, or take a break from watching the news.
It’s important to know that not all Palestinians or those living in Gaza are a part of Hamas. There are a lot of innocent deaths on both sides of the border, deaths from Israel’s bombs, and deaths from Hamas’ rockets.
Biden has also visited Israel and tried to “get aid into Gaza as well as passage out for Americans wanting to leave,” says NPR.
What’s really important to realize is that there is violence coming from both sides and hurting innocent people in Israel and Gaza.
Anna Amaya • Dec 6, 2023 at 10:36 am
This article does an excellent job of informing average students here at Millikan about the conflict taking place in the Middle East. With many news media and different information being published, students might have misinformation about how and why people are losing their lives in the Middle East today. Bhree Walker does an amazing job in including multiple perspectives and sources in her article in order to inform the readers on multiple perspectives. Bhree did this by asking multiple people on campus from a teacher to a freshman student. Both had very different perspectives on the topic and even the teacher had a personal connection to the issue. This allowed for a diverse set of information to be included and shared.
Although the article did include many different statistics and demographics on the issue, there could also have been more sources or opinions on the topic outside of the school. Sources like news media covering the topic that are reliable and websites that could further the understanding of Israel and Hamas’ history would also be helpful. With more resources, the students at Millikan could always become better aware of the global conflicts happening today.
Cody Ekblad • Nov 30, 2023 at 1:11 pm
On November 14, 2023, Bhree Walker wrote an article titled “The War Between Isreal and Hamas.” This was has been going on for a while and has been whitnessed by every citizen around the world. This is because of how innocent and nice Israel are compared to how violent, dangerous, and evil the terrorist organization Hamas are. This makes the war almost unfair due the circumstances of Israel and their lack of resources and help. Hamas plans to take over Israel and not look back so they have no regrets and will kill anything in their way. They are a group of murderers looking for vengeance and revenge in a country of peace and safety. This war has been extremely stressful and confusing for the outside world having to watch from afar. One of the main events that caught the hearts of the outside world was the saddening fact that Palestinian people, don’t have a choice in how things are being handled, but this is one of the worst things that we’ve seen happen in Israel in a long time. Therefore, this is a very sad time for our country the witness the sad events in the streets of Palenstine.
Aila Kubota • Nov 30, 2023 at 11:20 am
This is a very well-written, easily comprehensible, and very insightful article that breaks down what is going on in the war between Israel and Hamas that some people do not know. Right from the start of the article, I was already engrossed just by reading the first sentence due to it containing an excellent and very attention-grabbing hook that resulted in the readers and I becoming more interested in reading the rest of the article. This article is very useful and informative during this specific time because it addresses not only what is going on in the war, but also how it came to be, and also brings up the topic that many people are not as knowledgeable as they would like to be. In addressing that many people are not as aware, Walker provides a vast variety of eye-opening information and statistics that provides a better understanding for the readers as to how life-threatening and impactful this war is. Another thing that I found enjoyable was that Walker provided information about the war through very trustworthy sources such as CNN and the Washington Post. The use of credible sources allows for Walker’s article to include trustworthy and accurate information, leading there to be no bias. On the topic of bias, I also really enjoyed how Walker’s article did not lean towards one side, causing a bias, and only provided the facts and statistics about the Israel and Hamas war to the reader. One thing that I suggest to further better this article would be to include more resources the readers can turn to if they feel too overwhelmed with all of the hatred and violence going on in the world and to also include more resources to encourage the readers to further expand their knowledge about this war. To conclude, this is a very informative and easily comprehensible article that provides a breakdown of what is going on in the war between Israel and Hamas.
Coden Kitajima • Nov 30, 2023 at 10:59 am
Bhree Walker wrote an article titled “The War Between Isreal and Hamas”. An article briefly covering the reasons behind the Middle-Eastern Wars, a topic that while well known, no one really knows about. I must say that Walker does an excellent job overviewing the conflicted by explaining the basics. She clearly outlines what Hamas is, what Palestine is and explains the conflict between them in a digestable way. The use of varied news sources was a smart decision that represents a good, well balanced approach to journalism by getting as many perspectives as possible to eliminate biases. There is also sufficient information about the effect this war has taken in palestine citizens with tidbits of data stating the unfortanute mortalities and injuries. Walker also presents an interview to a teacher here at Millikan who has family inhabiting Palestine which brings a good sense of relatibility and humanity to the article. The topics covered in this article are no laughing matter. They are extremely serious world issues far beyond the scope of this school and considering the extent to which this article goes to explain this issue, Walker was clearly passionate about it. After reading this article I was left with more questions. “What is the origin of the Hamas?”, “How will the conflict be resolved?”, “Are other nations going to get involved in conflict?”. The immense curiosity after reading it is a sign of an engaging and well done article. Overall, I wish Walker the best of luck in her writing and hope she continues to update us on this topic.
Eileen Vuong • Nov 30, 2023 at 10:56 am
This article is a very well-written informative piece. Walker provides readers with the current events concerning both Israel and Hamas and its impacts of these current events then delivers quotes from both a student and teacher, providing an opinion and comment on the situation. As it concerns politics, Walker did a great job of informing this political conflict in an unbiased and neutral standpoint. This allows readers to get an informative grasp on a current ongoing political situation without multiple extremist depictions of one side or the other. Most new outlets and channels portray one side of an event, however, with Walker’s article, she was able to describe the situation and entail opinions and comments in a neutral stance.
Walker does not only tell what’s going on, but she also acknowledges that this current event is a heavy topic. Especially because millions of families in the Middle East are affected by this ongoing situation, it’s significant to be aware of the vast impact on civilians and outsiders who absorb this conflict. She brings attention to Millikan’s Wellness Center, providing a concern for those who struggle to take in these heavy events. She ends with an important reminder that all innocent civilians are affected by this conflict which disrupts their quality of life and potentially their human rights as well. Articles presented on Corydon like Walker’s are significant to publish as these struggles around the world should not be ignored or omitted.
Anna Truong • Nov 30, 2023 at 10:55 am
On November 14, 2023, Bhree Walker wrote an article titled “The War Between Israel and Hamas”. The article that Walker wrote gave concise and brief detailed information about the conflict going on between Israel and Hamas. The article gives the reader background information on each of the sides in this conflict. One thing that Walker did well was bring in an interviewee Ms. Karni and the MBA freshman to see what Millikan students and staff are thinking regarding this conflict. Bringing Ms. Karni to this article was a good choice as she has family in Israel, which makes the audience sympathize with her and the article. Another thing that Walker did well was use outside sources such as Washington Post, CNN, and BBC. Using these trusted sources for Walker’s information lets us be able to trust and understand what is going on more clearly. Though Walker did many things well, one thing that Walker could improve on is that there could be more details about the conflict. The article has many details, but in my opinion there aren’t enough. Some details that Walker could add are details about the innocent civilians of each of the sides. All in all, Walker wrote a wonderfully crafted article about the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Mario Olivares • Nov 30, 2023 at 9:35 am
On November 14, 2023, an article titled “The War Between Israel and Hamas” written by Bhree Walker was published. This article was very well written, as it explained what is going on in a short and concise manner, making it easy to understand and keeping the reader’s attention throughout the article. The Article does a great job of giving the reader some background knowledge and helping them understand that this war did not just spark last month. The writer also does a great job of acknowledging that neither side is completely right and not being overly biased, as both sides are “hurting innocent people in Israel and Gaza”.This post shows where it got its information by quoting credible, well-known sources such as The Washington Post, CNN, and BBC. The article does a wonderful job of connecting the war to Millikan, the interview of Ms.Karni, a Millikan math teacher who has family in Israel shows that even though the war is happening thousands of miles away, some people here at Millikan are being deeply affected by this war. The article does a great job of consoling the people who have loved ones in Israel by promoting the wellness center where they can get help and guidance.
This article covers all of my main concerns and things I would want from an article like this, if I were to suggest something it would be to perhaps make the article longer and elaborate more on every topic as it does not share too many details. All in all, I think the article serves its purpose, which I believe is to give the readers a short and concise version of what is going on on the other side of the world
Camila Cortez • Nov 30, 2023 at 9:22 am
On November 14, 2023, Bhree Walker wrote an article titled “The War Between Israel and Hamas”. Walker did an amazing job providing different perspectives of the problem at hand. I like how she provided and mentioned different reliable sources to justify her writing. Many students don’t look at the news, so an article like this is a great way to educate those who don’t watch the news often. Although she did an amazing job of providing information, I think she could’ve added more background information about Gaza. One thing she did that caught my eye was reaching out to a fellow Millikan teacher, who has family over in Israel. This provided an important perspective of how a person in Israel, is experiencing this tragedy. Although there are many great qualities to the text, I think there should’ve been a mention of other websites students can visit if they want to learn more about this war.
Overall, this was a greatly written article providing information about the Israel and Hamas war. It is a simple yet informative writing piece.
Jonah McMurray • Nov 30, 2023 at 9:19 am
Bhree makes excellent points about both sides of a very real and very intense world issue. In a time of polarization in social media and the news, Walker provides insight to students looking for an unbiased perspective. This issue is relevant to many Millikan students, either having ties to the groups being effected or wanting to take a stand against violence.
This article is a well written and honest report of a current world issue. Articles like this are important, because they allow students to voice their opinions and inform other of real world problems. Using real sources and accounts from teachers, Walker forms a article that should be used as a model for other articles addressing political issues. Making sure to provide information from both sides of the struggle, Walker shows her argumentative strength.
Jonathan D Kelly • Nov 30, 2023 at 9:19 am
This article has been very helpful in allowing me to see what is actually going on in the war and how it started. Like many, I knew that there was indeed a war going on, but I didn’t know exactly why Israel and Hamas were fighting. Actually, this is the first that I’ve heard of Hamas, as many other news sources and records on social media just say Palestine. It is also interesting to read about what each side is doing to each other, and how innocent people are affected by the war.
It is also interesting to note how Biden has decided to respond to this war and that from the quote it seems that he wants to put American troops into Gaza to help Israel. And even more interesting is the fact that he only specifically states wanting to help Americans get out of Gaza, and not anyone who wants to leave during the war. This makes me even more concerned for the innocent people of Palestine.
Vickie Lam • Nov 30, 2023 at 9:17 am
Firstly, I want to thank the news editor for composing and researching for some details on the situation. I personally don’t understand deeply about the war happening and this informational article was extremely helpful. The article is well composed, explaining bits of pieces and putting consideration that some people might not understand some words such as the Hamas. Along with this, I also think it would be a great idea to go a little further into details as to why both sides are so violent towards one another. We understand they hate each other but not specifically why? Were there any conflicts in the past? The article also said the situation is confusing, and smoothly transitioned into talking about the Wellness Center at Millikan. This is a really good promotion and it’s also a reminder for people to take care of their mental health. Overall, the info written in the article was easy to read and helpful, especially for those who don’t understand the basics of the situation yet.
Luke Gossage • Nov 30, 2023 at 9:09 am
Walker had interviewed some students about their knowledge upon the topic and discussed both sides of the war in good detail. She had claimed that one of the interviewed students had mentioned they are aware of the situation but have no information about it. Another interviewee, a teacher, Ms Karni stated that tragedy is involved on both sides and although she has relations with Israel she feels bad for the palestinians. Walker did a good job mentioning the outsider perspective in the article as we are the ones hearing about it and she ensures us that it is a hard time for everyone in general but there are places of safety to go to when you feel in trouble such as the Millikan wellness center or just simply stop watching the news. It was great to hear at the end the author mentioning that there is harm and killing on both sides of the war as many might rush to the conclusion that one side is the soul victim while that is not true. If the article were to be rewritten I would recommend including an interview under the side of Palestine to even out the bias between the information gathered. It is good to know people from both sides during an argument.
Kylie Montiel • Nov 29, 2023 at 1:07 pm
Walker did a good job of taking different views and perspectives into account when writing about the conflicts between Israel and Hamas, specifically by asking people on campus about their thoughts on this war. She also did a good job of catching different perspectives by using different sources such as CNN, West Bank, and BBC. These sources allow for less bias to be present in this article as her sources are diverse. Furthermore, I also appreciated her acknowledgement of the struggles of both sides as some people would be very radical and one-sided. The different statistics she provided allowed for the students reading to gain a better understanding of the damage that has been done to both groups, while also providing them with information to form their own opinions. Walker’s inclusion of available help in Millikan’s Wellness Center also allows the students reading to feel as though they have access to help and that they are not alone in the pain of this issue.
While the article provided students with information and statistics to analyze the deaths and captures in this conflict, I think it would also be helpful to have included other sources that students can visit in order to encourage further research. This allows students to grow in their own opinions and gives them the freedom to collect their own information, a practice that could prove to be helpful beyond highschool.
Frida Santiesteban • Nov 29, 2023 at 1:06 pm
I really enjoyed this new information on a serious topic. Some people may know of
the war going on in Israel and some may not. So this is a great addition to the Millikan Corydon.
There are not many places where students can access this type of information so articles like
these are key to help educate students.
Adding on, all the facts and background information is a great addition to the article.
Bhree did a good job on discussing what this issue is and how dangerous a war like this can be.
One key thing that she’s added that I really appreciated was how she discussed that not all
Palestines are part of Hamas so that people don’t just jump to conclusions and blame all the
issues on them. Along with this Bhree reached out to a fellow teacher who has some family
members over there which shows us how people in our everyday lives are being affected by such
a great issue. It is so sad to see that people’s families have been so affected and have no other
choice but to stay in hopes that this war will soon come to an end. As there was so much great
information in this article I feel like one more thing should have been added. A place where
people can help, it could even be something little as sharing this information or maybe even
donations that people can make to help out. It starts with us, we need to see if in any way we can
help out.
Overall, your article is such a great use of spreading information to those around us who
lack the resources. Students can truly benefit from this article and all the examples you used.
Some students can now better understand what problems are going on in the world. Thank you
for taking the time to truly go into depth about this subject and informing others about what is
happening. I personally learned so much about this topic that I had no idea about.
Sincerely,
Frida Santiesteban
Francesca A. • Nov 29, 2023 at 11:07 am
I appreciate that this topic was covered and I think it’s important to have background knowledge on this situation. Walker did well in explaining the very basics of the problem in Israel, though I would’ve liked it to be more descriptive. Though it does outline the main problems and people/groups involved in this war, I’d suggest adding more background such as where exactly Gaza is and which territory it’s a part of. I believe it’s very vital to share knowledge such as this and appreciate that this war is shared in a way that is simple to understand for someone who doesn’t know much about it. If anything, I’d like there to be more of the “why.” “Why does Hamas want to take over Israel?” “Why don’t they acknowledge Israel?” “What is truly the root to this problem?” Also, “Why was Hamas created?”
After reading this, I feel that I have more knowledge on this topic and it helps to understand this from an unbiased perspective. I appreciate the addition of who Hamas is and that they’ve had a history of violence with Israel. All of this information truly helps in understanding this war and this is something I’d definitely like to learn more about.
Anthony Lopez • Nov 29, 2023 at 10:58 am
In the article, Walker talks about the war going on between Israel and Hamas and how it has been impacting the countries and the world around us. The author starts off very well by giving background information on the event that they are talking about. I believe this is a very good article as Walker has used multiple and very trusted sites such as The Washington Post, CNN, and BBC. Walker has given very good information as they have given various numbers to give the reader an idea of what they are talking about. For example, “Israel Has also taken an estimated 4,500 Palestinians from the West Bank and held them in prisons.” This helps me, as a reader, understand the severity of the situation as 4,500 people is a very large amount and they are being taken as prisoners. I believe that this is a very well composed article, and I wish them the best of luck.
Ezekiel Zaldivar • Nov 29, 2023 at 10:58 am
This article is well-written and effectively informs someone who has little background knowledge about the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. This conflict is extremely controversial and the author did a good job of keeping bias out of the article by just presenting facts about what has already happened. Additionally, it was a good idea to include quotes from people around Millikan to show what some other people’s thoughts are on the subject.
I think it was a good idea to include methods of dealing with the stress or sadness from the war such as the Wellness Center or talking to a trusted adult or friend. I agree that turning off the news would be a good method because the news only shows you the bad that is happening in the world and I believe it is important to sometimes take a break from just seeing the bad.
Jonathan Gonzales-Heyer • Nov 29, 2023 at 10:51 am
I was really impressed by the well-backed research done for this article, and how it manages to synthesize a rather complicated issue into an understandable summary. I think it was relatively objective, and didn’t provide too much of an opinion, which is a good thing. One suggestion that I would have for The Corydon as a whole is to write more of these style of articles. I could see articles updating us about the Gaza conflict, the Syrian Civil War, the Russian special operations in Ukraine, and other conflicts, like the threat of war in the South China Sea being very interesting reads, and could provide some information about the world to us younger people, who may not watch the news or read news articles often. I loved that such an important topic was discussed however, and it would be great to get more articles like this one. Overall, between the dedication to research done for this article, and the possibility of more on the way, I’m very glad that I read this article.
Alex • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:44 am
On November 29, 2023, Bhree Walker wrote an article titled “The War Between Israel and Hamas”. I thought this was a great article and was very informative. This is good because people who don’t know much about this topic are able to learn good information from this article. I liked how you encouraged people to take a break from watching the news and take time to themselves. The quotation from the Washington post was good and added an extra sense of security that the information was reliable. I was concerned at first that the article would be a heavy read like other articles I have read but was pleasantly surprised how it was written. I liked how it wasn’t too graphic or dense and really just got the information through about what was happening and why it was happening. This was a great read if you didn’t know or didn’t understand what was currently happening between Israel and Hamas.
Kylie M. • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:43 am
The article was very insightful, giving information about the war between Israel and Hamas. Though there is media attention on this event, the article allows students to better understand what is happening, since many news articles only focus on what is currently happening. Rather than the lead up, which is given in this article. One thing I really liked about this article was that it was neutral, not giving opinions such as who is in the wrong or siding with one group. One suggestion I would make to this article is including more background information, as well as previous events that could have affected this war. Such as why Hamas believes Israel doesn’t have the right to exist. Though there is some background information, more would really help the reader really understand the reason behind the conflict. Overall this article is very informational and very necessary to have. It expands the knowledge of the current events happening in the world, though it is not in the United States it is still very prevalent.
Michael Bravo • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:43 am
On November 14, 2023, Bhree Walker wrote an article titled “The War Between Israel and Hamas”. The first thing that I noticed was how eye-catching the first sentence was. I was immediately captivated by the surprising tone that it set. The only thing I would really fix with that first sentence is that the headlines she picked are somewhat repetitive. Putting “Israel Intensifies Gaza Bombing before”, “Israel declares war on Hamas’ ‘ sounds slightly convoluted.
I like how much information is presented to us immediately after those opening sentences. The background information is given to us in a very clear and organized manner. One thing that I suggest doing is to incorporate the sentence “ they have also taken hostages” better. It feels a little shoehorned and out of place. A possible fix would be simply to add a little more detail to that sentence.
I think it is very nice how she actually talked to and recorded the words of different people from around the school, like how she asked the AP stats teacher what she thought about the whole situation. I think she could have possibly asked maybe one or two more people, but I do think it’s fine as it is.
Overall I think this is a very well written article with only a few minor suggestions.
Natalia W Bonilla • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:28 am
I believe that this article did a great job at addressing a very complex and controversial topic. This Thanksgiving, I heard heated discussions about this very topic; all of those who debated the topic had a bit of a black-and-white view on the conflict. I appreciate the author’s gray scale approach: the struggles and perspectives of both groups of people are equally represented and discussed. I also liked the overall lack of bias, which is incredibly important when informing people about such serious, life affecting topics.
However, I think that the article could have touched more upon the root cause of the conflict.
During the early 1900s the Zionist movement, one that advocated for a homeland/physical nation for Jewsih people, gained extreme traction after the anti-semetic horrors of World War II. Due to this movement “U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized David Ben-Gurion’s (head of the Jewish Agency) establishment of the State of Israel” (U.S. Department of state website. This turned the former British territory of Palestine into the territories we know now, current day Palestine and Israel. However, in order to make these new borders were heavily controversial, and a war was fought over its legitimacy (The 1947–49 Palestine war). As a result of the war, the state of Israel was fully recognized and 80 percent of the native Arabs who lived in the now Israeli territory for generations upon generations were expelled. This war resulted in resentment and conflicts between the two countries.
By knowing the background, this conflict goes from a war over land to a war about two groups of people who just want a place to call home.
Justin Marchese • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:09 am
This article stresses the fact there is death ever-present in our world, especially in the Middle East. I find it amazing that someone has taken the time to inform the students at Millikan that are uninformed about this topic because it is most definitely needed in order for them to understand this entire conflict. Walker’s stressful tone regarding the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine exemplifies how worrisome this issue is and almost simultaneously attempts to fabricate hope for the future. I also like how Walker addressed the Millikan Wellness Center in this article. I found it very considerate and it lets the students here, especially those with family in Israel and Palestine, know that they have a safe space to confide in others during this tough time. In addition to that, Walker’s words evoke emotion in the reader, which I think is phenomenal. She brings a call to action to her work and it makes not only me, but others feel the need to help. The article did an amazing job at providing the facts about this global crisis, but I also feel as if there is more to the story that we just don’t know yet or we don’t have enough information about. People may still be confused about what really is happening.
Overall, I think this is great work and it is very educational. I think that the students here need to know what’s happening around the world, especially during this dark time in the Middle East.