LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff on Monday, October 7 in memory of the lives lost in Israel one year after Hamas militants attacked.
On this day in 2023, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 230 hostages were taken. In retaliation to the deadly attack, Israel's military has killed nearly 42,000 people in Gaza, a majority of which are women and children.
In her decree, Sanders stated that "Arkansas stands with Israel" and that the state "supports Israel as they fight to defeat the terrorists and brings the hostages home."
Around 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with the belief that less than 70 are still alive.
Since that day, the United States has provided a record $17.9 billion of military aid to Israel as conflict in the Middle East continues to rise. An additional $4.86 billion has gone into increased U.S. military operations in the region attacks.
According to reports from the Associated Press, Israel is the biggest recipient of U.S. military aid in history, having received $251.2 billion since 1959.
The U.S. continues to support Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hamas, as well as against Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, where at least 1,400 people have been killed since Israel expanded strikes across the country.
