Explosive Gaza Assault Shakes Israel to Its Core! Unprecedented Chaos Unleashed!
The Explosive Conflict, Mysterious Hostages, and Global Fallout – Gaza and Hamas at the Center of It All!
A massive surprise assault carried out by Gaza militants against Israel on Saturday resulted in the loss of hundreds of Israeli lives. This led to a fierce series of retaliatory Israeli airstrikes and an official declaration of war on Sunday.
In a video statement shortly after Hamas, the militant group in control of Gaza, launched a coordinated and unprecedented attack involving rocket barrages and armed incursions into Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “Citizens of Israel, we are now in a state of war – not just an operation or a round, but an actual war.”
The current death toll stands at over a thousand, with more than 700 Israelis falling victim to the Hamas offensive and over 400 Palestinians losing their lives due to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
The fate of approximately 100 hostages, including Israeli soldiers claimed to have been captured by Hamas, remains uncertain.
This is the latest information available at this time.
What transpired?
At approximately 6:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, while many Israelis were likely still asleep, sirens sounded across the Tel Aviv area as rockets streaked across the Israeli skies.
Militants from Gaza then infiltrated Israel through various means, including by land, sea, and air, with some employing paragliders, according to the IDF.
The IDF reported that approximately 2,200 rockets were launched at Israel, while Hamas claimed the number was as high as 5,000. To provide some context, during the 50-day conflict between the two sides in 2014, about 4,000 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.
Hamas’ military commander, Muhammad Al-Deif, dubbed the operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” and cited it as a response to attacks on women, the desecration of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and the ongoing blockade of Gaza.
Hamas asserted that it had taken Israeli soldiers captive and shared videos purportedly showing these captured soldiers on its social media channels. CNN verified and geolocated videos that suggested at least one Israeli soldier had been taken prisoner by the group. On Sunday, the IDF released the names of 44 soldiers it claimed were killed in the attack.
Hamas issued a statement on the same day, declaring that its fighters were still present in southern Israeli cities and that the group was supporting them by launching rocket attacks on the cities of Ofakim, Sderot, Yad Mordechai, Kfar Aza, Be’eri, Yated, and Kissufim.
How has Israel reacted?
In response to the assault, Israel initiated “Operation Swords of Iron,” launching strikes against various targets within the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that Israel’s response to the Hamas incursion would exact a significant cost from the group.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued urgent advisories to Gaza’s civilian population, urging them to vacate their residential areas promptly for their own safety, as Israeli military operations continued to focus on Hamas targets.
Within Gaza, the sound of Israeli warplanes filled the skies, followed by powerful explosions and billowing columns of black smoke.
In the span of 24 hours, at least 313 individuals, including a minimum of 20 children, lost their lives, as reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza on Sunday. Additionally, nearly 1,990 people sustained injuries.
On Sunday, the IDF disclosed that it had targeted 426 sites in Gaza, including ten towers purportedly utilized by Hamas.
Further to the north, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group claimed responsibility for striking three Israeli locations in an area known as Shebaa Farms, employing missiles and artillery. This region is regarded by Lebanon as being under Israeli occupation, and in response, Israel launched artillery fire.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, clashes broke out on Saturday when Israeli soldiers blocked West Bank cities, resulting in the deaths of seven Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
How did the conflict escalate to this point?
The longstanding tensions between Israel and the Palestinians date back to well before the establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948. Over the decades, this protracted conflict has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and inflicted numerous injuries on both sides.
The violence has notably escalated this year, with the highest recorded casualties among Palestinians, including both militants and civilians, in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces in nearly two decades. Similarly, the number of Israelis and foreigners, primarily civilians, killed in Palestinian attacks has reached levels not seen in years.
Israel and Hamas have a history of armed confrontations, dating back to as early as the 1987 First Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, against Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Israel initially seized Gaza from Egypt during the 1967 war and later withdrew from the territory in 2005. However, in 2007, following a brief civil conflict with Fatah, a rival Palestinian faction forming the core of the Palestinian Authority, Hamas assumed control of Gaza.
Following Hamas’ takeover of Gaza, both Israel and Egypt imposed a stringent blockade on the territory, which continues to this day. Israel also maintains an air and naval blockade on Gaza.
Before the operation on Saturday, the most recent conflict between Hamas and Israel occurred in 2021, lasting for 11 days and resulting in the deaths of at least 250 individuals in Gaza and 13 in Israel.
Significantly, Saturday’s assault took place on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 war when Israel’s Arab neighbors launched a surprise attack on Israel during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, on October 6, 1973.
Who is Hamas?
Hamas is an Islamist organization that formed in 1987, originating from the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group established in Egypt in the late 1920s.
The name “Hamas” is an acronym for “Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia” in Arabic, which translates to Islamic Resistance Movement. Similar to many Palestinian factions and political parties, Hamas asserts that Israel is an occupying force and maintains that its mission is to free Palestinian territories. It regards Israel as an illegitimate state.
Hamas’ steadfast refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of Israel has been a key factor in its rejection of peace negotiations in the past. Notably, in 1993, the group opposed the Oslo Accords, a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Hamas positions itself as an alternative to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has recognized Israel and has been involved in several unsuccessful peace initiatives with Israel. The current leader of the PA is Mahmoud Abbas, and its headquarters are situated in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Over the years, Hamas has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on Israel and has been officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and Israel. Israel accuses its longstanding adversary, Iran, of providing support to Hamas.
What is the significance of al-Aqsa?
The al-Aqsa compound holds immense religious significance for both Islam and Judaism, and it has long been a source of tension in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This sacred site is known to Muslims as Al Haram Al Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Hamas cited the defense of the holy site as a motivating factor behind its “Al-Aqsa Storm” attack on Saturday.
According to a status quo arrangement established more than a century ago, only Muslims are permitted to pray within the compound. Non-Muslim visitors can access certain areas of the complex during specific times.
However, many within the Muslim world have expressed concerns that the exclusive right to worship at this site is gradually eroding. They fear that both the al-Aqsa compound and the nearby sites are under threat due to the influence of a growing far-right Jewish movement and Israel’s far-right government.
The al-Aqsa compound has frequently been the site of clashes between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli security forces, with police conducting several raids on the complex in the past year.
This compound is situated in East Jerusalem, a territory that the Palestinians seek as the capital of their future state. Most of the international community views East Jerusalem as occupied territory, as Israel captured it from Jordan during the six-day war in 1967. However, Israel asserts its sovereignty over both East and West Jerusalem, designating the entire city as its united and “eternal capital.”
What are the responses of key regional actors?
Western nations have strongly condemned the Hamas attack and expressed their support for Israel. Meanwhile, Arab states, including those that have previously recognized Israel, have called for calm.
United States President Joe Biden, in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, unequivocally condemned the “appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza” and assured that the United States is ready to provide all appropriate forms of support to Israel.
Saudi Arabia, which is engaged in discussions with the US regarding potential normalization of relations with Israel, closely monitored the “unprecedented” situation and urged “both sides to immediately stop the escalation,” as stated by the Saudi foreign ministry.
Israel’s adversaries, on the other hand, welcomed the attack. Major General Rahim Safavi, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, congratulated the Palestinian fighters and pledged support until the liberation of Palestine and holy Jerusalem, as reported by Iran’s state-run ISNA news agency.
Hezbollah expressed support for the attacks and disclosed its contact with Palestinian militant groups “both within and beyond their borders,” according to its Al Manar channel.
What comes next?
The IDF is currently focused on gaining control of the Gaza Strip. According to Hecht, an IDF spokesperson, their immediate objective is to stabilize control within Gaza, aiming to control the entire enclave and eliminate all terrorists within their territory. They also intend to evacuate specific communities in Gaza as part of their operations.
Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, has expanded the declaration of a “special security situation” to encompass the entirety of Israel’s territory. This designation allows the IDF to issue security instructions to civilians and to close public areas as necessary for security reasons. Previously, a “special security situation” had been declared within an 80-kilometer (48-mile) radius of the Gaza Strip.
Hecht further mentioned that the IDF plans to present several potential courses of action to the Israeli cabinet, which is convening on Sunday. It is expected that the government will make a decision either on Sunday or Monday.
Saleh al-Arouri, a senior member of Hamas, indicated readiness for various scenarios, including the possibility of a war and an escalation on all fronts. He stated that Hamas is prepared for the worst-case scenario, including a ground invasion, which, in his view, would be an opportunity for them to determine the conclusion of this conflict.
By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed
