A group known as the Hamas, Palestinians who control the Gaza Strip, surprised Nixa families by attacking Israel on Oct. 7. This conflict has resulted in an estimated death count of about 5,000 people, including Hamas and Israel citizens. 

Some information available online offers bias and misleading information on this war between Israel and Hamas.

“You have to want to know the news to be informed on it,” said Nixa High School History teacher Evan Palmer. “You have to be careful and get your information from a variety of sources.”

Providing necessary resources for people is vital during war.

“We need to worry about the people themselves,” Palmer said. “We need to get them food and medical supplies. There are a lot of people [Americans including people in Nixa] who support [civilians in the Middle East] by donating food and supplies.”

Some Americans worry about political affairs in the Middle East, while others worry for the health and well-being of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

“We need to equally support innocent civilians. We need to provide an equal amount of medical aid,” freshman Adam Robinson said.

America is a diverse country with many people who have families in Israel.

“Everyone from the region will be affected by this, especially people [Americans] who have family there,” Robinson said. “If you have family over there, you’re going to worry for them.”

Many wars can affect world relations that affect trade and land. This could be bad news if supplies like oil are not getting sent to Nixa from the Middle East.

“If [the Middle East conflict] it spills over into other countries then it may affect trade between multiple countries including America,” Palmer said.

Nixa students may not be directly affected by the fight between Hamas and Israel, but they could be impacted locally at the gas station.  When oil prices soar due to the tensions and stress in the Middle East, students will start to see a rise in gas prices.