On Saturday, militants from the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israeli towns, resulting in the deaths of approximately 250 Israelis and taking numerous hostages. This event marked the most violent day in Israel since the Yom Kippur war five decades ago.
Over 230 Gazans lost their lives as Israel launched one of its most intense counter-attacks. The conflict persisted throughout the night.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked, “We will take mighty vengeance for this wicked day.”
“Hamas launched a cruel and wicked war. We will win this war but the price is too heavy to bear,” he continued.
“Hamas wants to murder us all. This is an enemy that murders mothers and children in their homes. An enemy that abducts elderly, children, teenage girls.”
Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, mentioned that the initial violence in Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, would extend to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Gazans have been under an Israeli blockade for 16 years.
Haniyeh emphasized threats to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the ongoing blockade, and Israel’s increasing relations with neighboring countries, stating, “The Palestinian community has lived in refugee conditions for 75 years. Why not acknowledge our rights?”
In Sderot, near Gaza, civilian casualties were evident. A man and woman were found deceased in a vehicle. Shlomi from Sderot narrated, “I witnessed numerous casualties — both terrorists and innocent civilians.”
High-ranking military officials were among the casualties in the Gaza vicinity, as reported by the Israeli forces.
There were clashes between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants in southern Israeli regions overnight. An Israeli military representative stated on social media that the situation wasn’t completely stabilized.
The Israeli leadership confirmed that actions were in place to weaken Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s operational capacities, including restricting utilities and goods access to Gaza.
In Gaza, the night was punctuated by explosions and the sound of drones. Previously, crowds of mourners had moved through the streets, bearing the bodies of militants wrapped in Hamas’s green flags
Hospitals in Gaza, already facing shortages, received the injured and deceased. The health department recorded 232 deaths and around 1,700 injuries.
The streets remained empty except for the occasional ambulance responding to explosions. The power was cut off, blanketing Gaza in darkness.
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas representative in Lebanon, conveyed to Reuters that these events should make Arab nations reconsider their stance with Israeli security terms.
Arab states advocating for regional peace should first focus on terminating the Israeli occupation, he added. Some mistakenly believed that Israel would pave the way for U.S. defense assistance.
Pro-Hamas rallies took place across the Middle East, with symbolic gestures like burning Israeli and U.S. flags.
The assault by Hamas received commendations from Iran and its Lebanese allies, Hezbollah. Well into the night, inhabitants were still awaiting confirmation to safely return to their homes.
Hamas’s Saleh al-Arouri revealed on Al Jazeera that they had several Israeli detainees, including high-profile figures. He believes they have enough hostages to negotiate the release of all Palestinians from Israeli detention.
Hamas, which seeks to dismantle Israel, justified the attack, citing increased Israeli aggression against Palestinians in areas like the West Bank, Jerusalem, and against Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli facilities.
Though Gaza has suffered through four wars and numerous conflicts between Hamas and Israel since the militant group took over in 2007, the recent violent episodes within Israel surpass those witnessed even during the peak of the Palestinian Intifada movements from previous years.
