In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we wanted to bring back Jon Pevehouse, Professor and Chair of the Political Science department, to talk about the war that has erupted in the Middle East. An unprecedented surprise attack in southern Israel by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has led to an increasingly deadly conflict with no resolution in sight. Hamas launched its coordinated attack on southern Israel on October 7, firing rockets, invading Israeli towns and army bases, killing at least 1,400 people, many of them civilians, and taking Israelis hostage. Israel has retaliated with airstrikes in Gaza that have also killed thousands of people, including civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war on Hamas and united the Israel government that is gearing up for a potential ground invasion. We appreciated Prof. Pevehouse helping us understand the history and politics of the situation.