A misconception I've come across from time to time is that October 7th was a one-day attack, followed by the IDF response. One way, then the other way.
Actually, the attack started on October 7th. The ground massacre was just one part of the attack, and it took days to contain. The other, lesser mentioned part, is the barriage of rockets โ thousands of them, designed to kill and maim โ aimed at civilian population centres. For months, life as we knew it stopped. Schools closed. Sirens, constantly. Living in public shelters and safe rooms.
I think this is very hard for people to comprehend if you haven't experienced it. The impact of that, on kids, on everyone. Combined with the truly shocking images from the massacre. The sheer, unrestrained, barbarism of people who many people had optimisticly believed we were heading towards an eventual peace with.
I think this partly explains the strong solidarity with Ukrainians here. They know the horror of war first hand.