HOUSTON – KPRC 2 spoke with U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield, current director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, about his insights on the conflict in Israel.
Satterfield also explained how the conflict developed over the years and what sparked the attack. Watch the full video below for the full interview.
On Saturday, during a major Jewish holiday, Hamas terrorists stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and kidnapping in an unprecedented surprise attack.
The conflict has already killed hundreds on both sides. The Israeli military said more than 900 people had died in Israel since Saturday’s raid. According to authorities there, 765 people were killed in Gaza and the West Bank.
WHAT CAUSED THE ATTACK?
Hamas officials cited long-simmering tensions, including a dispute over the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque, sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Competing claims to the site known to Jews as the Temple Mount have led to violence before, including a bloody 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021.
In recent years, Israeli religious nationalists – such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – have increased their visits to the site. Last week, during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli activists visited the site, prompting condemnation from Hamas and accusations that Jews were praying there in violation of the status quo agreement.
Hamas also cited the expansion of Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians claim for a future state, as well as Ben-Gvir’s efforts to tighten restrictions on Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Tensions escalated with recent violent Palestinian protests. In negotiations with Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations, Hamas has pushed for Israeli concessions that could ease the 17-year blockade on the enclave and help halt a deepening financial crisis.
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