2023-10-07 18:39:26
Dozens of armed men from the Palestinian group Hamas infiltrated southern Israel from the Gaza Strip in a surprise attack carried out this Saturday (7/10).
Videos shared on social media show suspected Palestinian militants shooting at passers-by in the streets of the Israeli city of Sderot.
Thousands of rockets were also fired from Gaza.
Shortly after the attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video on social media saying that the country “is at war.”
“I summoned the heads of the security system, and first of all I instructed them to clear the settlements of terrorists who have infiltrated — this operation is happening now,” he declared.
Israel’s Defense Minister said that Hamas “made a serious mistake and launched a war” against the country itself.
“The troops [israelenses] they are fighting the enemy everywhere,” Yoav Gallant added. “The State of Israel will win this war.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had gone into war readiness and that dozens of fighter jets were carrying out airstrikes against Hamas facilities in Gaza.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says his people have the right to defend themselves against the “terror of settlers and occupying troops”, according to the Reuters news agency.
Israel’s emergency services estimate that at least 70 people died after the attacks. The country’s Ministry of Health estimates that at least 740 individuals are injured.
The Israeli counterattack in Gaza left at least 198 Palestinians dead and a thousand injured, according to local authorities.
There are reports that Israelis (civilians and military) have been captured and are being held hostage by the Palestinians.
In the last few hours, world leaders have spoken out about what happened and condemned the acts of violence (read more below).
Journalist Jeremy Bowen, International editor at BBC News, called the attack “surprising and unprecedented”.
“For Israelis and Palestinians, this is a completely unexpected and highly worrying morning,” he wrote.
Rocket fire from Gaza — which is governed by Hamas — began shortly after dawn this Saturday, at the end of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
As sirens sounded in Israel, the IDF announced that “terrorists” had infiltrated Israeli territory “in several different locations.”
Defense forces asked civilians living in the region to stay close to shelters.
Images posted online appear to show a group of heavily armed Palestinian militants, dressed in black uniforms, driving a pickup truck through the town of Sderot.
In another video, the same individuals appeared to exchange fire with Israeli forces in the streets of the city, which is just a mile from Gaza.
It is believed that some Israeli hostages were taken by the Palestinians to some of the small towns near the Gaza Strip. Others were sent to Gaza.
The deputy head of Hamas’s political office, Saleh al-Arouri, said that “high-ranking officers” of the Israeli Army had been captured
He told Al Jazeera that “what is in our hands will free all the prisoners” in Israel — an apparent reference to Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
“There are many Palestinians dead and many Israelis dead, as well as prisoners, and the battle is still raging,” al-Arouri said.
The spokesman also declared that Hamas is ready to face an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza, which he described as “the best scenario for us to resolve the conflict against the enemy.”
None of these allegations can be independently verified by the BBC at this time, and Israeli authorities have not commented on any of the various reports of hostage taking.
There are unconfirmed reports in Palestinian media that several Israelis have been captured by militants. Images also circulate of Palestinians in Gaza driving Israeli military vehicles.
Meanwhile, missile fire continued to occur throughout Saturday.
‘Unprecedented’ event
For Jeremy Bowen, International Editor at BBC News, the latest developments in Israel are unprecedented in the more than 15 years since Hamas gained control over the Gaza Strip.
“The attack comes after months of violence and growing tension between Israelis and Palestinians, although most of the conflict is concentrated in the West Bank, which is the territory occupied by Israel since 1967, stretching between Jerusalem and the Jordanian border.” , he writes.
“The current situation will evolve rapidly and is likely to worsen. A big question is what is happening now — not just on the outskirts of Gaza — but also in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where there has been deepening violence for months.”
“For Israelis and Palestinians, this is a completely unexpected and highly worrying morning,” concludes Bowen.
Frank Gardner, security correspondent for BBC News, assesses that “the events of the last few hours reveal a colossal intelligence failure by Israel”.
“The country has one of the most extensive and sophisticated intelligence networks in the Middle East. Israel maintains informants on militant groups not only in the Palestinian territories, but also in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere.”
“Hamas managed to plan and launch this carefully coordinated attack against Israel, apparently in complete secrecy,” Gardner writes.
“Israel will retaliate with massive force, as expected. But Israelis will now wonder why the country’s spies didn’t foresee and warn about this attack.”
Reactions around the world
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, denounced reports of civilians being taken hostage. He classified the act as a violation of international law and demanded their release.
Borrell posted on social media: “The news of civilians being held hostage at home or in Gaza is terrible. It goes against International Law. The hostages must be released immediately.”
“This horrific violence must stop immediately. Terrorism and violence solve nothing.”
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, declared that he was “shocked by the attacks carried out by Hamas against Israeli citizens”.
French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the attacks, and expressed “full solidarity with the victims, families and loved ones”.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that “the violence and missiles against innocent civilians must stop now”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attack as “terrorism in its most despicable form”.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin released a statement regarding attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants.
“I am closely monitoring developments in Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself remains unwavering, and I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this abhorrent attack on civilians,” he said.
“In the coming days, the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.”
Representatives of Russian Foreign Affairs have asked those involved for “moderation”.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, supported the Palestinian attack on Israel.
“We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,” Rahim Safavi said, according to the ISNA news agency.
“We will support the fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,” he said.
In Brazil, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a note in which it “condemns the series of bombings and ground attacks carried out today in Israel from the Gaza Strip”.
“By reiterating that there is no justification for resorting to violence, especially against civilians, the Brazilian Government urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalating the situation.”
The ministry points out that, to date, there is no news of victims among the Brazilian community in Israel and Palestine.
“Brazil regrets that in 2023, the year of the 30th anniversary of the Oslo Peace Accords, there will be a serious and growing deterioration in the security situation between Israel and Palestine. As President of the United Nations Security Council, Brazil will call an emergency meeting of the body.”
“The Brazilian government reiterates its commitment to the two-state solution, with Palestine and Israel living together in peace and security, within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. It also reaffirms that the mere management of the conflict does not constitute a viable alternative for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and the resumption of peace negotiations is urgent”, concludes the text.
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