How Hamas staged lightning assault no one thought possible
The picture has been provided by Getty Images.
Authored by Sean Seddon and Daniele Palumbo
A lot of Israelis might have been sleeping when it started.
On Saturday, the Jewish people observed the Sabbath, which is a day of worship and rest, and it is also considered a significant holy day. As a result, families arranged to spend time together at home or in a synagogue, and friends made plans to see each other.
As the sun began to rise, a sudden barrage of rockets marked the beginning of a highly organized and massive assault.
Israel has been strengthening the border between itself and Gaza, a small Palestinian territory, for many years. However, in just a few hours, it became clear that the barrier was not as strong as previously believed.
BBC News reviewed videos filmed by both militants and civilians on the ground to uncover how Hamas orchestrated their most advanced attack yet from Gaza.
Attack Begins As Rockets Launch
The rockets started firing at approximately 06:30 in the morning according to the local time.
The militant group, who are Islamic fundamentalists and govern Gaza, are often found employing this strategy. They are recognized as a terrorist group in various parts of the globe, including the UK.
The basic rockets usually face difficulties in avoiding Israel's highly developed Iron Dome missile protection system. However, a large number of rockets were launched within a short period to overpower it.
The measurement implies that preparation and gathering of resources have been ongoing for many months. Hamas claims to have launched 5,000 rockets in the initial attack (however, Israel disputes this and maintains it was only half that amount).
The alarm sirens for air raids started ringing in places as distant as Tel Aviv, which is 60km (38 miles) from Gaza. There were also smoke plumes observed above cities that had been targeted directly, as well as in western Jerusalem.
While the rockets kept soaring into the air, combatants were assembling at their designated location to breach the strongly fortified Gaza barrier.
Even though Israel withdrew their military personnel and inhabitants from Gaza back in 2005, they still have authority over the airspace, boundary lines and coastline.
In addition to routine military patrols around the surroundings - where there's a wall made of concrete on certain parts and a fence on others, there's also a system of surveillance cameras and sensors to avoid unauthorized entries.
However, in just a matter of hours, the barrier was violated repeatedly.
"How Did Hamas Succeed?"
Several members of Hamas attempted to go past the barrier by using different methods, like flying over it with paragliders (though this has not been confirmed, there are videos showing at least seven paragliders floating over Israel) or by using boats.
The military of Israel has reported that they successfully blocked two separate attempts made by Hamas to enter Israel by means of landing boats on the shoreline.
However, what distinguishes this assault is the numerous synchronized and targeted attacks on crossing points.
Around 5:50 in the morning, a Telegram account linked to Hamas's armed division shared the initial photos shot at Kerem Shalom, which happens to be Gaza's southernmost checkpoint.
The video that was broadcasted depicted militants taking control of a checkpoint and two Israeli soldiers laying on the ground with blood on their bodies.
A different picture displayed a minimum of five motorcycles with two militants on each, carrying rifles. They went through an opening that was cut out of the wire fence part of the barricade.
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It was reported that the militants were able to breach the barrier at Kerem Shalom by overpowering the guards and slicing through the fence.
In an area with less security, a bulldozer was observed tearing down a long piece of fencing that had barbed wire at the top.
Numerous individuals who seemed to be without weapons had congregated in that area, and a few of them started sprinting through the opening.
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in the West Bank. The barrier, which is a contentious issue between Israelis and Palestinians, is seen as a symbol of Israeli occupation by some Palestinians. The bulldozer's actions have been condemned by both Palestinian and Israeli leaders, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calling it a "war crime". The Israeli military has stated that the bulldozer was removing an illegal structure that had been built too close to the barrier. The incident highlights the ongoing tension between Israelis and Palestinians in the disputed region.
In Erez, which is located at the northernmost part of the Gaza crossings and approximately 43.4km (27 miles) away from Kerem Shalom, there was a large gathering of Hamas at another crossing.
A video was uploaded to a propaganda platform belonging to the group. In the footage, a concrete barrier is shown exploding, indicating the start of an attack. A militant is seen directing a troop of fighters towards the detonation area.
There were eight individuals who wore bullet-resistant clothing and held rifles. They ran towards an intensely secure checkpoint and shot at Israeli military personnel.
Armed rebels strike Israel/Gaza frontier in promotional videos.
Afterward in the video footage, it is evident that the militants were well-organized and had proper training as they searched through each room within the compound. The camera captured the harsh image of the fallen Israeli soldiers scattered on the ground.
There are seven entry points in Gaza that are officially recognized. Of these, six are under the control of Israel, while the remaining one, which leads into Egypt, is monitored by Cairo.
However, in just a few hours, Hamas managed to breach Israeli borders at various points along the barrier.
Israeli Territory Hit Hard By Attacks
Hamas militants left Gaza and scattered in various directions. According to Israeli officials, they attacked 27 different places, apparently instructed to execute anyone they came across.
Hamas managed to reach as far as the town of Ofakim, which is situated 22.5km (14 miles) to the east of Gaza. The map provided herein illustrates the various locations they managed to access.
In Sderot, individuals engaged in armed struggle were observed perched on the rear of a vehicle being driven through the locality, located about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) towards the eastern region of Gaza.
Approximately twelve armed militants were observed dispersing throughout the deserted roads of Ashkelon, which is situated north of the Erez crossing that was recently invaded.
The military instructed civilians to stay indoors as comparable situations occurred throughout the southern region of Israel.
During a musical event close to Re'im, attackers shot without control towards a vast crowd of adolescents who had assembled in the arid terrain.
Someone who saw the event told the BBC that the extremists were moving around in a van that had weapons in it. They spent approximately three hours scouring the vicinity to find additional Israelis to attack.
View: A day filled with aggression and anxiety.
Captured Soldiers And Civilians
We have received confirmation that individuals attending the festival and other areas were seized and transferred to Gaza as captives. The Israeli government has reported that a total of 100 hostages, both military and civilian, were taken.
A video recorded in the locality of Be'ri and confirmed by the BBC presents approximately four non-combatants being taken away against their will by armed extremists.
Numerous recordings have been shared on the internet displaying Israeli citizens, a portion of whom are severely harmed, being marched through the densely populated roads of Gaza.
There were additional barbaric demonstrations that were not confirmed to be true, and they were too unpleasant to reveal. These comprised an incident where someone driving a vehicle was pulled out and had their throat slit, and the remains of both innocent individuals and military personnel were violated.
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Numerous videos circulating on social media claim to demonstrate an act of hostage-taking. The apparent abduction in Be'ri has been verified by the BBC.
Apart from aiming at Israeli neighborhoods, Hamas also assaulted two military establishments, such as a facility located at Zikim and the other just at Re'im.
Video captured from the vicinity of Re'im exhibits the consequences of the conflict, with various vehicles left in ruins and spotted sporadically across the route to the headquarters. The number of casualties resulting from the brawl remains uncertain.
Images of deceased Israeli soldiers have been circulated by Hamas on their social media platforms several times. These images have not been authenticated by BBC News.
In a matter of hours after the rocket attack started, a vast number of Israelis lost their lives. The occurrence was unexpected and unprecedented.
Assistance swiftly made its way to the distressed area in the south, but for a period, Hamas wielded authority over certain territories beyond Gaza.
Israel has been left stunned due to the sudden attack that took place with immense speed and severity. Inquiries about the reason it could occur will keep surfacing for years to come.
In the late morning hours, Israel's leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced: "We have entered a state of warfare."
