October 7: Two Years On and It’s Only Worse

Two years have passed since October 7, 2023, a day of horrific attacks in Gaza. We want to be clear: Handmade Palestine does not condone the violence committed by Hamas on that day. Yet while the world rightly condemned that act, the broader reality of decades of occupation, displacement, and systemic violence against Palestinians continues largely unchallenged. Today, genocide experts and human rights organizations have confirmed what has long been evident: the ongoing policies and actions in the region amount to genocide and a complete apartheid system, with devastating consequences for generations of Palestinians.

As of October 2025, over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 168,000 injured in Gaza alone (OCHA). These numbers do not include thousands still missing or buried under rubble, as entire neighborhoods have been flattened. Gaza, home to over 2 million people in just 365 square kilometers — roughly the size of Greater London — has seen devastation on an almost unimaginable scale. Children face alarmingly more rates of death, injury and amputation; hospitals, schools, and essential infrastructure lie in ruins. Reproductive health facilities, including IVF centers, have been deliberately destroyed, compounding the trauma. 

This is not new. It is part of a long history of oppression and displacement stretching back to 1948, the Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homes. Since then, Palestinians have endured repeated military operations, settlement expansion, home demolitions, and systematic restrictions on movement — all largely tolerated by the international community.

The humanitarian crisis extends beyond the physical destruction. Thousands of Palestinian children under 16 are currently imprisoned by Israeli authorities without trial, sometimes for something as minor as throwing stones. Many are held in military detention centers, unable to see their parents, and subjected to conditions documented as abusive, including intimidation, solitary confinement, and physical mistreatment. How can a world tolerate children as young as 10, 12, or 14 being treated in this way?

In the West Bank, over 3,000 Palestinians have been displaced since October 2023 due to settler attacks and restricted access (OCHA). 

At Handmade Palestine, we stand in solidarity with all Palestinians enduring occupation and violence. We are committed to raising awareness, preserving culture, and supporting local artisans.

We encourage our community to learn, share, and act — support initiatives that protect lives, preserve heritage, and demand justice. Awareness and solidarity are acts of hope, and hope is something worth fighting for.