The outbreak of the Gaza war led to an increased dislike of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government from Israeli citizens due to a perceived failure of leadership on the issue, with increased calls for Netanyahu's resignation.
Global attention on Hamas had implications for countries like Turkey and Qatar, which have strong ties with Hamas, and the United States was actively working with Qatar to secure the release of hostages.
Hamas's actions had a significant impact on diplomatic efforts, potentially derailing a US-brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The New York Times noted that the prospects of Israeli and Saudi normalization seemed less likely due to concerns about the situation's escalation and Palestinian rights. Additionally, there were speculations that Iran might have been trying to disrupt relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. On 14 October, Saudi Arabia suspended talks on the possible normalization of relations with Israel.
Various leaders and experts speculated about the potential for the conflict to expand, and even lead to a war between Israel and Iran, with Iranian officials expressing a willingness to intervene if Israel continues military operations or launches a ground invasion against Gaza, further indicating the possibility of region-wide escalation of the conflict.
Ukraine expressed concerns that Russia might exploit the Gaza war to diminish international support for Ukraine, while Russia portrayed it as a Western policy failure. Russian president Vladimir Putin characterized the conflict as an example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East and suggested it would affect Western support for Ukraine, potentially impacting Russia's relations with Israel.
The United States launched new sanctions to try and cut off Iranian network funding Hamas.
Since the beginning of the war, Islamophobic incidents have been on the rise in the West, anti-Palestinian racism has surged and antisemitic attacks have sharply increased worldwide.
Background
The initial attacks by Hamas in the Gaza war marked a notable escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, standing out for the scale and reach of both rocket fire and incursions within Israel from the Gaza border. This was a significant departure from prior conflicts, which typically followed a phased progression with a gradual escalation of tensions. It has been compared to the 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, the 1968 Tet Offensive, 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 2001 September 11 attacks, and the 2003 Ramadan Offensive. Like the Tet Offensive, Hamas's attack came on the morning of a holiday, seemed to be "everywhere at once", and demonstrated capabilities not thought possible by a guerrilla force.
Domestic
Palestinian factions
According to Daniel Byman and Alexander Palmer, the attack showcased the decline of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the rise of Hamas as a power center in Palestinian politics. They predicted the PLO's further decline if the status quo held. Laith Alajlouni wrote that the immediate effect of the Hamas offensive was to unite Hamas and PLO. However, it may soon lead to conflict between them, possibly leading the PLO to lose control of the security situation in the West Bank, if more militant groups there begin to launch independent attacks.
With global attention on Hamas, Emile Hokayem wrote that Turkey and Qatar, which have privileged relations with Hamas, may be accused of overly indulging Hamas and being tarnished by association. However, on 13 October, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister and foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani that the US was "working intensively" with the Gulf state to secure the hostages and expressed his gratitude "for the urgency that Qatar is bringing to this effort."
By January 2024, the Palestinian Authority faced a severe political and economic crisis, after the Israeli government ended transferring tax revenue to the West Bank. Israel usually collects Palestinian taxes and then gives it to the PA.
Popularity of Hamas
Before the war, Hamas was deeply unpopular in Gaza, with 52 percent of Palestinians stating they had no trust at all in the organization. Hamas was even more unpopular in the West Bank, with only around twelve percent support. According to a survey of 668 respondents carried out by Palestinian research firm AWRAD in the beginning of November 2023, 47 percent of Gazans strongly supported the 7 October attack. The overwhelming majority of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank said they would never forget or forgive Israel's behavior in Gaza during the war. Another survey released on 13 December found that 57% of respondents in the Gaza Strip and 82% in the West Bank believed Hamas was correct in launching the 7 October attack, while only 10% said they believed Hamas committed war crimes during the conflict. The survey also found that nearly 60% of respondents in the Palestinian territories agreed with the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority, while 88% supported the resignation of President Mahmoud Abbas. In response to a critical social media video, Hamas issued a public statement warning against the publication of "any pictures, videos or materials that are offensive to the image of the steadfastness and unity of our people in Gaza".
In early November, hundreds of people at a UN shelter in Gaza city shouted insults against Hamas and cried out that they wanted the war to end, in reaction to Hamas rocket launches at Israel. A spokesman for a Hamas ministry was interrupted during a televised speech by a man with a wounded hand shouting: "May God hold you to account, Hamas!" On Al Jazeera, an elderly woman complained that "aid does not reach the nation and the entire people; Everything goes to their houses; they take it, they will even shoot me and do whatever they want to me."
The Wall Street Journal reported on 21 December that since 7 October, "quiet criticism has begun spreading" against Hamas, with Gazans "blaming the militants for having provoked Israel's wrath and for their inability to shield the population from a devastating war and a humanitarian crisis that deepens by the day". The Journal said that such opposition was unlikely to break out into the open, but that the "simmering opposition raises questions about the group's long-term hold over the strip".
Domestic evacuation
More than three-quarters of the entire population in Gaza have been compelled to evacuate their residences under precarious and hazardous circumstances. Approximately half a million of those displaced individuals do not have a place of residence to go back to. Numerous individuals are currently residing in temporary shelters, vehicles, or even outdoors, frantically searching for any available cardboard to shield themselves from the weather.
Infrastructure
A December 2023 World Bank report estimated that 60% of information and communications technology infrastructure, over 60% of health and education facilities, and 70% of commerce-related infrastructure in Gaza had been damaged or completely destroyed. A December 2025 report by the Gaza Ministry of Transport and Communications estimated that 96% of fishing boats, 85% of registered vehicles, and 85% of the road network in Gaza had been destroyed.
Societal breakdown
During the Gaza war, societal and institutional breakdown occurred across the Gaza Strip caused by continual military assaults by the Israeli Defense Forces on Palestinian law enforcement institutions as well as by widespread starvation, famine, and lack of essential supplies created by the conflict and blockade of the Gaza Strip.
On 19 June 2024, The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported the expansion and escalation of "anarchy" throughout the Gaza Strip as a result of the humanitarian crisis caused by the war, leading to documented "rampant looting, unlawful killings and shootings" of "local police and humanitarian workers". The head of the agency's Gaza and West Bank Ajith Sunghay stated that the significant increase in lawlessness was a result of "Israel's dismantling of local capacity to maintain public order and safety in Gaza". The agency further reported on multiple instances of "mob justice, extortion of money, family disputes, random shootings, fighting for space and resources", and "youths armed with sticks manning barricades". Several instances of raids on humanitarian aid convoys from desperate citizens or looters further complicated aid delivery and exacerbated existing widespread starvation and lack of basic needs.
Disease outbreak
On 16 October, doctors warned of an impending disease outbreak because of hospital overcrowding and also due to unburied bodies. According to World Health Organization, there were solely "24 hours of water, electricity and fuel left" before "a real catastrophe." On 18 October, the United States vetoed a UN resolution urging humanitarian aid to Gaza. The WHO mentioned the condition in Gaza to be "spiralling out of control."
The situation of humanitarian in Palestine (Gaza) is considered a "crisis" and a "catastrophe." As a result of Israel's siege, the mentioned city faces shortages of the items such as medication, food, fuel, water, and medical-related supplies. UN Humanitarian Aid chief Martin Griffiths said, "the noose around the civilian population in Gaza is tightening." On 13 October, UNRWA commissioner Philippe Lazzarini said, "The scale and speed of the unfolding humanitarian crisis is bone-chilling."
Across Gaza, hospitals and clinics have been damaged/destroyed due to the Gaza war. Insecurity Insight recorded 345 incidents of violence against healthcare during the first seven weeks of the conflict. ongoing border closures will prevent patients from traveling to Israel, the West Bank or East Jerusalem for treatment. On top of this, a lack of fuel for water desalination has left 95% of Gaza's population without access to safe water, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera.
The situation in Gaza is worsening, leading to the spread of diseases due to the lack of clean water and insufficient sewage facilities. According to the United Nations, the people in Gaza are facing a shortage of water and hygiene materials, which is negatively impacting their overall well-being and physical health. Additionally, the accumulation of solid waste in public areas, hospitals, IDP shelters, and other locations is a major concern as it poses significant risks to public health. The uncollected waste, amounting to tens of thousands of tons, is exacerbating these risks.
Water crisis
The water supply system has suffered extensive damage or become inoperable, resulting in severe consequences for the hygiene and sanitation of the population. Deprived of clean water, individuals are compelled to rely on polluted water sources, thereby facilitating the transmission of waterborne illnesses like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid.
Risk in relief
The conflict has disrupted the operations of Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulances and paramedics, affecting their ability to deliver essential medical aid and emergency care. Red Crescent personnel (including paramedics, ambulance drivers, and first responders) often have to put their own lives at risk to aid survivors of Israeli air strikes. The obstacles they face have intensified due to significant infrastructure damage.
Famine
The Gaza war has led to imminent famine conditions in the Gaza Strip, resulting from Israeli airstrikes and the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel, which includes restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Airstrikes have destroyed food infrastructure, such as bakeries, mills, and food stores, and there is a widespread scarcity of essential supplies due to the blockade of aid. This has caused starvation for more than half a million Gazans and is part of a broader humanitarian crisis in the Strip. It is the "highest number of people facing catastrophic hunger" ever recorded on the IPC scale, and is widely expected to be the most intense man-made famine since the Second World War.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has recently classified the current situation in Palestine (Gaza) as the highest level of food insecurity ever recorded. With 53% of the population, equivalent to 1.17 million individuals, facing emergency levels, the region is experiencing alarming rates of malnutrition and loss of lives; Due to the prevailing security conditions, providing a substantial humanitarian response has become exceedingly challenging. It is crucially important to establish a consistent and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza to address the urgent needs of its population.
Effects on sport
By December 2023, at least 85 Palestinian athletes, 55 of them footballers, have been killed in Israeli attacks, of whom 18 were young children and 37 teenagers. In addition, the Palestinian Football Association counts 24 managers and technical staff who have been killed. Hani Al-Masry, a former footballer and CEO of the Palestinian National Olympic Team, was among the victims. Israeli forces killed 23-year-old football player Ahmed Daraghmeh in the West Bank. The famous Arabic football website Kooora introduced him as the best scorer of this team with 6 goals in the most recent season. Israel also killed Hani al-Masdar, the coach of the Palestinian Olympic soccer team, who was known as Abu Abad in Palestine.