Special Report: Israel and Hamas 🤍
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The Ten News: Season 4, Episode 13
⚠️ Ten News Special Report: 🗞️The Hamas militant group attacked Israel over the weekend and Israel has declared war. 🇮🇱 Where is Israel? Who is Hamas? Where is Gaza? Pamela and Ryan have things covered in a Definition Breakdown. 🏜️ The Middle East is home to many wonders. Listen in for 5 Fascinating Facts about the region. 🤍 War is scary, hear what Pamela and Ryan do when they are scared. 📖 And on the trivia throne: What feature of the Middle East has made the Guinness Book of World Records?
Resources
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/09/middleeast/israel-hamas-gaza-war-explained-mime-intl/index.html
https://www.littledayout.com/middle-east-countries-fun-facts-for-kids/
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/hall-of-fame/burj-khalifa-tallest-building-in-the-world
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TRANSCRIPT:
TRACY DISCLAIMER: Hey Ten’ers, Tracy here with a quick message for you. Today’s episode deals with a tough subject, war. This may be too much for some of you and we recommend grabbing your grown-up to listen with you. And grown-ups, we have some help for you too. Check out our show notes for tips and resources for talking about this with your kiddos. And lastly, it's ok to not listen to this episode. It won’t make you any less of a Ten’er, we’ll still be here for you next week with a fun music episode. Thank you and stay well.
PAM: Hey Ryan, did you change up the schedule for today?
RYAN: Yeah, Pam. As soon as the news broke about the war in Israel, I knew we had to do a special report. So we pulled together some info for our Ten’ers.
PAM: Got it, let’s jump right into it and explain what is going on.
RYAN: I’m Ryan Willard.
PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland. It’s Thursday, October 12th.
RYAN: This is a Ten News Special Report.
PAM: It's been a sad and scary week in the Middle East and for people around the world. On Saturday, October 7th, Hamas, a terrorist group in Gaza, attacked Israel by surprise. Hamas soldiers broke through a security fence, and using paragliders and trucks, entered Israel while also sending missiles into the country. Since then, Israel has declared Hamas’ actions an “act of war” and massive fighting has broken out. Hundreds of soldiers and civilians have lost their lives. So who is Hamas? What is Gaza? And how is the United States involved? Let’s get into it with this Definition Breakdown.
First up, what is Israel?
RYAN: Israel is a country in the Middle East. It is a bit smaller than New Jersey and was founded in 1948 as a homeland for Jewish people. The area has been fought over for decades and some do not recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Where is Gaza?
PAM: Gaza, which is sometimes called the Gaza strip is a small area of land that borders on the Mediterranean Sea, Israel, and Egypt. It’s 25 miles long and has about 2.3 Million people, that’s a lot of people in a small spot. It is currently under a blockade by Egypt and Israel, meaning those countries control what stuff, like food and things people need, can get to the people in Gaza. To explain Gaza, we have to go all the way back to 1967, when Israel fought a war against its neighbors Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The war was known as the “six-day war” because, well, it only lasted six days. In that war, Israel captured two territories. Gaza and the West Bank.Israel has controlled Gaza since that time. And then in 2005, as part of an agreement to resolve the conflict over the land, Israel removed any Israeli citizens and military from Gaza. Hamas took over power in 2007 and has been acting as the government of Gaza. Egypt and Israel put a blockade in place to stop the militant group. The West Bank is another area in constant turmoil. It borders Israel and Jordan and was part of Jordan until it was occupied by Israel after the 1967 war. There have been violent battles between Israelis that have moved there and the Palestinians who live there.
Who is Hamas?
RYAN: Hamas is the acting government of Gaza, but important to note, not the West Bank. The group has been designated as a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and many European countries, due to its violent actions against people in the region.
Why was this attack so shocking to the Israeli people?
PAM: Many Israelis are comparing this to 9/11 for the U.S. The attack caught the Israeli military by surprise and was clearly planned and well coordinated. Almost exactly 50 years ago, something similar happened. Back in 1973, Egypt and Syria pulled off a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the most holy day for the Jewish people. It's important to note that Israel has declared war on Hamas, not the Palestinian people.
Why are they fighting?
RYAN: Israel and Hamas have been fighting for decades over who controls the land and how they can live together. Both sides believe that they have the right to the land. While not totally clear what led to this big attack, a few reasons have been brought up by experts who study the politics in the region. The first is that there have been many conflicts this year between Israel and Palenstinians in the West Bank that have led to a number of deaths among the Palestinian people. Second, there are almost 4,500 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. The attackers have taken a large amount of hostages, potentially with a plan to trade them in exchange for freeing prisoners. And lastly, Israel and Saudi Arabia are on the verge of a historic peace agreement, where Saudi Arabia would have recognized Israel’s right to exist. That would have a big impact on the power in the Arab world. It is thought that Iran, who reportedly helped plan the assault, wanted to break up the talks and stop the peace deal.
What happens next?
PAM: This is a day by day situation as Israel ramps up its response to the attack. The United States has sent an aircraft carrier to the region to support Israel and to keep Iran from getting involved.
RYAN: This is a rapidly changing situation and we’ll keep you updated as best as we can.
RYAN: We at the Ten News don't condone war or violence of any kind. Our hearts are with the Palestinian and Israeli people, and everyone who is affected by this war. If you have questions about the situation or family in the region, we want to hear from you! Leave us a voice message at 877-TEN-NEWS or send us a note at hello@thetennews.com.
PAM: Hey Ryan, aside from butterflies, what are you afraid of?
RYAN: Bedbugs. Straight up. Like the ones in France right now. Also, clowns. Oooof, they both freak me out.
PAM: I’m afraid of spiders. And when I get scared, I find it really helpful to talk with my mom. She’s a good listener and helps me feel safe. Especially in a time like this. News reports and images of war can be really scary. Talking to a trusted adult and sharing your thoughts and asking questions can be really helpful. It's also good to remember that just like when the Russians invaded Ukraine, social media can be full of false images and misinformation. Always check the source of where information is coming from! And our show notes include resources to learn more about the situation and organizations that are helping those affected.
RYAN: I also like to turn off the news and get outside in nature if I can, but can we go call your mom together?
PAM: Of course Ryan. Let’s go.
PAM: The Middle East is a very complicated and ancient place. The region is called the cradle of civilization since it’s believed that human civilization started there. But that’s not the only interesting thing about this area. Here are Five Fascinating Facts about the Middle East.
PAM: Number 1: The most common languages in the area are Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Berber, and Kurdish.
RYAN: Number 2: The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth, its 420 meters below sea level! The salt content of the water is so high, you can easily float in the water.
PAM: Number 3: Egypt is home to the great pyramid of Giza, one of the 7 wonders of the world! It took 27 years to build.
RYAN: Number 4: Many of the world’s religions started in the Middle East, including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
PAM: Number 5: For the readers out there, Lebanon is the home of one of the oldest libraries! It’s in the city of Bybos, a city that was founded 7,000 years ago. I hope no one owes any library fees from the city’s early days.
RYAN: Those are Five Fascinating Facts about the Middle East, I wonder if I can use them in the Trivia Room…
RYAN: I don’t think Owen will mind if I take a break and chill out on the trivia throne.
OWEN: Hello, Ryan….
RYAN: Ahhhh! Owen! I didn’t know that you were here today.
OWEN: I built a slide from my bedroom to the Trivia room. So, I’m always here.
RYAN: Oh man, I want one of those…
OWEN: And since you are here, you need to give today’s trivia a try.
RYAN: If I get it right, can I try your slide?
OWEN: Sure! The Middle East is full of wonders both old and new. What feature has made the Guinness Book of World records? Is it:
The longest highway
The tallest building
OR 3. The most camels
RYAN: Oh man, I was hoping the Five Fascinating Facts would help me…Well I’ve never seen a camel in person, so it’s gotta be C, the most camels.
OWEN: Ten’ers did you guess it? the answer is <drumroll> B! The world’s tallest building. The Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates is the tallest building in the world. It’s 828 meters, or 2,716 feet, 6 inches high. More than 12,000 people worked on building it! I think my mom will sit this one out. She's squeamish when it comes to heights.
RYAN: Can I still try your slide?
OWEN: Maybe next time, Ry.
RYAN: Wow, it’s been a week.
PAM: It certainly has. How you doing, Ry?
RYAN: I’m okay. I know we’re adults, but can we like, have recess and go outside and play kickball or something?
PAM: Absolutely, heads up!
PAM: Nice catch, Ry.
RYAN: Should we give Ten Ten News Snaps to one of our listeners first?
PAM: Let’s do it. But before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!
PAM: A Ten’er named Dot User left us this review on Apple Podcasts and well, they left 107 emojis and then said, “It’s good”
RYAN: Thank you Dot User for your emojis and that kind review. And thanks for listening to the Ten News. Ten Things You Need to Know drops every Tuesday and our in-depth reports drop every Thursday. And if you want some bonus content, you could join the Ten’ers Club on our website or on Apple Podcasts.
PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.
RYAN: The Ten News creative team is calling Pam’s mom and includes Tracey Crooks, Logan DeYoung, Corinne Catibayan, Carson Potter, and Chad Chenail. Big thanks to our OG Ten’er, Owen, for contributing to this episode.
PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan.
RYAN: I’m Ryan Willard
PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland; thanks for listening to The Ten News.
