In the Gaza Strip on October 7th, a music concert by Nova in the desert was disrupted by a raid carried out by Hamas. Israel reported that 250 Israeli attendees of the music festival lost their lives, with numerous individuals being taken hostage by Hamas due to air and ground assaults.
In response to these events, Israel launched a substantial aerial offensive on Gaza, along with advancing ground offensives towards the region. Furthermore, essential resources such as water and food supplies, as well as electricity, provided by Israel to Gaza, were cut off. The Israeli Defense Ministry also issued an ultimatum, urging over 1 million residents in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to relocate to the southern part within 24 hours.
Between these two confrontations, the human toll has been devastating, leading to numerous casualties, widespread destruction of infrastructure, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people who are now homeless.
Within Israel, there are conversations among Israeli citizens concerning these pressing matters. Additionally, Burmese individuals residing in Israel have been confronted with unique challenges as the conflict unfolds. Mizzima reporter Shwe Owqi engaged in a conversation with Jacob Benjamin, a Burmese national living in Tel Aviv, Israel, to shed light on the difficulties faced by Burmese individuals who have come to Israel amidst this ongoing conflict.