How the war between Israel and Hamas is impacting local communities

Published November 1, 2023 at 4:01 AM EDT

6 people sit on gray upholstered chairs in front of blown-up pictures of their missing loved ones — Relatives of U.S. citizens that are missing since Saturday's surprise attack by Hamas militants near the Gaza border, attend a news conference on Oct. 10, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Seated from left: Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui Dekel-Chen (35) from Nahal Oz; Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, 19, a soldier in the armored corps; Ayala Neta, daughter, and Nahal Neta, son of Adrienne Neta, 66, a nurse living in Kibbitz Be'eri; Rachel Goldberg, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and Jonathan Polin, Hersh's father. Hersh was last seen when Hamas militants loaded him into the back of a pickup truck with other hostages abducted from a trance music festival in the western Negev Desert on Oct. 7. His mother, Rachel Goldberg, expects to see him again.

Editor's note: A warning to listeners that this segment contains language some may find inflammatory and/or offensive.

The horrific Oct. 7 attack carried out by Hamas killed at least 1,400 people in Israel and led to the abduction of about 230 hostages. Now Israel is expanding its ground offensive into Gaza, where officials there say the death toll has passed 8,000.

The loss of innocent civilian life in Israel and Gaza has devastated local Jewish and Muslim communities. On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss the impact the war between Israel and Hamas is having locally.

Guests:

Rabbi Ari Jun, director, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Amina Barhumi, executive director, Council on American Islamic Relations
Laura Neack, Ph.D., professor, Miami University Department of Political Science

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