[Editors’ Note:
Corrections have been made to this article surrounding terminology used when describing the Israeli Defense Forces’ bombings of Palestinian civilians, including in Gaza, as well as the removal of a UO Fraternity and Sorority Life organization that was previously mentioned in the report. The organization was not involved with the publication of the article. The Emerald also mistakenly quoted Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national chapter as opposed to the UO chapter.
The Emerald is working to cover updates on the conflict as it relates to the University of Oregon and to clarify language used in previous reports. This is a sensitive topic and it deserves to be covered delicately. We are keeping the updated article on our website for transparency and as a reminder to hold ourselves accountable moving forward.
We intended our initial article to be a breaking news report on the vigil on Oct. 9 held at UO by Oregon Hillel, as well as a gathering of initial reactions to the attack in Israel.
In doing so, we made several mistakes. We rushed out an article that relied heavily on social media statements and failed to bring in an array of student voices and perspectives. Instead, we covered more background on statements made by government officials unaffiliated with the Oregon Hillel vigil, as well as an overly brief background on a conflict with a long history behind it. We should have interviewed a wider variety of voices before the publishing of this article.
As an independent student media organization, our job is not to take political stances on specific issues, but instead to report the facts as they happen — fairly and accurately. Part of that means providing a thorough look at all sides of an issue. We regret that we failed to do this, and we are working to provide a more comprehensive perspective from all points of view.
The Emerald regrets these errors.]
In the early hours of Oct. 7, the Islamist militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.
Early reporting states that around 900 Israelis were killed in the attacks, with another 2,500 wounded and more than 100 kidnapped. Palestinian authorities have stated that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by IDF bombs. The State Department believes that “at least 11 American citizens were among those killed,” with an unconfirmed number of American citizens still unaccounted for, according to a statement.
Israel has mounted counterattacks.
“Citizens of Israel, we are at war,” Netanyahu said. “I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered – first of all – to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists.”
Since the attacks, Israel has escalated airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. Innocent Palestinians, Israelis, children, and innocent civilians have been – and will be – killed.
The Upsilon Omega chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the only Jewish fraternity on campus, released a statement posted on Instagram that the fraternity “unequivocally condemn[s] the recent Hamas terrorist attacks.”
Oregon Hillel also organized a vigil on Monday, Oct. 9. Students and the community around Eugene and Springfield came together to light candles and share prayers for those impacted by the violence.
Congresswoman Val Hoyle said, “the news of terrorist attacks on Israel and Israeli civilians is devastating. I strongly condemn these attacks by Hamas and support Israel’s right to defend and protect its citizens,” Hoyle said.
The modern conflict between Palestine and Israel is over 75 years old, though the roots of the conflict date back much further.
President Joe Biden called the actions of Hamas “horrific” and condemned the attacks. “Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” Biden said. The White House vowed to keep a close eye on the situation while also staying in constant communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known,” Netanyahu said.
On Oct. 12, Israel notified the United Nations to evacuate 1.1 million civilians, primarily Palestinians, from northern Gaza in the ensuing 24 hours. The UN cautioned against this, stating that the 24-hour timeframe was insufficient to evacuate civilians from the area and could lead to mass casualties.
The warning has sparked fears of a ground invasion of Gaza, which would cause numerous deaths across the region.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
