Diplomatic hits and misses of 2023

Israel-Hamas conflict

More than two months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, violence in the Middle East has no end in sight. The conflict, triggered by Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, is the deadliest in decades as it has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians and about 1,300 people in Israel.

A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, initially lasting four days and gradually extended to a week, concluded on Dec 1. Israel subsequently restarted its attack and resumed the conflict that has resulted in extensive damage to Gaza and Hamas.

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a humanitarian organization backed by the UN, issued a report on Dec 21, warning that Gaza's entire 2.3 million population is at risk of famine due to the shortage of food caused by the Israeli siege.

International pressure is mounting for a new truce that could ramp up aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.