‘We are at war’: Hamas surprise attack against Israel leaves hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation
Backed by a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into close by Israeli cities, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented shock assault throughout a significant Jewish vacation Saturday. A surprised Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with its prime minister saying the nation is now at warfare with Hamas and vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”
In an assault of startling breadth, Hamas gunmen rolled into as many as 22 places outdoors the Gaza Strip, together with cities and different communities so far as 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Gaza border. In some locations they gunned down civilians and troopers as Israel’s army scrambled to muster a response.
Gunbattles continued effectively after dusk, and militants held hostages in standoffs in two cities. Militants occupied a police station in a 3rd city, the place Israeli forces struggled till Sunday morning to lastly reclaim the constructing.
Israeli media, citing rescue service officers, mentioned no less than 250 folks have been killed and 1,500 wounded, making it the deadliest assault in Israel in a long time. At least 232 folks within the Gaza Strip have been killed and 1,700 wounded in Israeli strikes, the Palestinian Health Ministry mentioned. Hamas fighters took an unknown variety of civilians and troopers captive into Gaza.
The battle threatened to escalate with Israel’s vows of retaliation. Previous conflicts between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers introduced widespread dying and destruction in Gaza and days of rocket fireplace on Israeli cities. The state of affairs is doubtlessly extra unstable now, with Israel’s far-right authorities stung by the safety breach and with Palestinians in despair over a unending occupation within the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza.
In a televised tackle Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who earlier declared Israel to be at warfare, mentioned the army will use all of its energy to destroy Hamas’ capabilities. But he warned, “This warfare will take time. It shall be tough.”
“All the locations that Hamas hides in, operates from, we are going to flip them into ruins,” he added. “Get out of there now,” he instructed Gaza residents, who don’t have any solution to depart the tiny, overcrowded Mediterranean territory of two.3 million folks.
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza intensified after dusk, flattening residential buildings in big explosions, together with a 14-story tower that held dozens of flats in addition to Hamas places of work in central Gaza City. Israeli forces fired a warning simply earlier than.
Around 3 a.m., a loudspeaker atop a mosque in Gaza City blared a stark warning to residents of close by residence buildings: Evacuate instantly. Just minutes later, an Israeli airstrike decreased one close by five-story constructing to ashes.
After one Israeli strike, a Hamas rocket barrage hit 4 cities, together with Tel Aviv and a close-by suburb. Throughout the day, Hamas fired greater than 3,500 rockets, the Israeli army mentioned.
The energy, sophistication and timing of the Saturday morning assault shocked Israelis. Hamas fighters used explosives to interrupt by means of the border fence enclosing Gaza, then crossed with bikes, pickup vehicles, paragliders and pace boats on the coast.
In some cities, civilians’ our bodies lay the place that they had encountered advancing gunmen. At least 9 folks gunned down at a bus shelter within the city of Sderot have been laid out on stretchers on the road, their luggage nonetheless on the curb close by. One lady, screaming, embraced the physique of a member of the family sprawled beneath a sheet subsequent to a toppled bike.
In beginner video, tons of of terrified younger individuals who had been dancing at a rave fled for his or her lives after Hamas militants entered the realm and commenced firing at them. Israeli media mentioned dozens of individuals have been killed.
Among the lifeless was Col. Jonathan Steinberg, a senior officer who commanded the Israeli army’s Nahal Brigade, a outstanding infantry unit.
The shadowy chief of Hamas’ army wing, Mohammed Deif, mentioned the assault was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids inside West Bank cities over the previous 12 months, violence at Al Aqsa — the disputed Jerusalem holy web site sacred to Jews because the Temple Mount — rising assaults by settlers on Palestinians and the expansion of settlements.
“Enough is enough,” Deif, who doesn’t seem in public, mentioned within the recorded message. He mentioned the assault was solely the beginning of what he known as “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” and known as on Palestinians from east Jerusalem to northern Israel to affix the struggle.
The Hamas incursion on Simchat Torah, a usually joyous day when Jews full the annual cycle of studying the Torah scroll, revived painful reminiscences of the 1973 Mideast warfare virtually 50 years to the day, by which Egypt and Syria launched a shock assault on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, aiming to take again Israeli-occupied territories.
Comparisons to one of the vital traumatic moments in Israeli historical past sharpened criticism of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who had campaigned on extra aggressive motion towards threats from Gaza. Political commentators lambasted the federal government and army over its failure to anticipate what gave the impression to be a Hamas assault unseen in its degree of planning and coordination.
Asked by reporters how Hamas had managed to catch the military off guard, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, replied, “That’s a good question.”
The abduction of Israeli civilians and troopers additionally raised a very thorny concern for Israel, which has a historical past of constructing closely lopsided exchanges to deliver captive Israelis dwelling. Israel is holding 1000’s of Palestinians in its prisons. Hecht confirmed that “substantial” variety of Israelis have been kidnapped Saturday.
Associated Press photographs confirmed an aged Israeli lady being introduced into Gaza on a golf cart by Hamas gunmen and one other lady squeezed between two fighters on a motorbike. AP journalists noticed 4 folks taken from the kibbutz of Kfar Azza, together with two ladies.
In Gaza, a black jeep pulled to a cease and, when the rear door opened, a younger Israeli lady stumbled out, bleeding from the top and along with her fingers tied behind her again. A person waving a gun within the air grabbed her by the hair and pushed her into the automobile’s again seat. Israeli TV reported that staff from Thailand and the Philippines have been additionally among the many captives.
Netanyahu vowed that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price.” A significant query now was whether or not Israel will launch a floor assault into Gaza, a transfer that previously has introduced intensified casualties.
Israel’s army was bringing 4 divisions of troops in addition to tanks to the Gaza border, becoming a member of 31 battalions already within the space, the spokesman Hagari mentioned. And the Israeli army later launched an Arabic-language video warning Gazans to depart their houses in focused areas of the dense coastal enclave.
In Gaza, a lot of the inhabitants was thrown into darkness after dusk as electrical provides from Israel — which provides virtually all of the territories’ energy — have been lower off. Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned in an announcement that Israel would cease supplying electrical energy, gasoline and items to Gaza.
Hamas mentioned it had deliberate for a doubtlessly lengthy struggle. “We are prepared for all options, including all-out war,” the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, instructed Al-Jazeera TV. “We are ready to do whatever is necessary for the dignity and freedom of our people.”
U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned from the White House that he had spoken with Netanyahu to say the United States “stands with the folks of Israel within the face of those terrorist assaults. Israel has the precise to defend itself and its folks, full cease.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in a submit on X, previously Twitter, that Canada strongly condemns the “terrorist attacks against Israel” and totally helps the nation’s proper to defend itself.
Canada strongly condemns the present terrorist assaults towards Israel. These acts of violence are fully unacceptable. We stand with Israel and totally assist its proper to defend itself. Our ideas are with everybody affected by this. Civilian life have to be protected.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 7, 2023
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre additionally launched an announcement denouncing what he known as “the invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists” and “the sadistic violence” carried out towards civilians, pledging Canadian solidarity with the victims.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly posted on X that Canada stands with Israel and its proper to defend itself towards terror beneath worldwide legislation.
Saudi Arabia, which has been in talks with the U.S. about normalizing relations with Israel, known as on each side to train restraint. The kingdom mentioned it had repeatedly warned concerning the hazard of “the situation exploding as a result of the continued occupation (and) the Palestinian people being deprived of their legitimate rights.”
Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group congratulated Hamas, praising the assault as a response to “Israeli crimes.” The group mentioned its command in Lebanon was in touch with Hamas concerning the operation.
The assault comes at a time of historic division inside Israel over Netanyahu’s proposal to overtake the judiciary. Mass protests over the plan have despatched tons of of 1000’s of Israeli demonstrators into the streets and prompted tons of of army reservists to keep away from volunteer responsibility — turmoil that has raised fears over the army’s battlefield readiness.
It additionally comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, with the peace course of successfully lifeless for years. Over the previous 12 months, Israel’s far-right authorities has ramped up settlement building within the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler violence has displaced tons of of Palestinians there and tensions have flared round a flashpoint Jerusalem holy web site.
Palestinians demonstrated in cities and cities across the West Bank on Saturday evening. Palestinian well being officers mentioned Israeli fireplace killed 5 there, however gave few particulars.
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