Israel under fire amid massive air and ground attack by Hamas
The Islamist militant group Hamas unleashed a sudden attack on Israel early Saturday morning. This event marked one of the most significant escalations in recent times between Israel and the militant group. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel stated that his country is currently in a state of war.
The unexpected attack involved an intense series of rocket launches coming from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. Additionally, there were multiple armed individuals who carried out an aggressive attack against Israel's southern region from Gaza.
According to a statement made by Netanyahu to the people of Israel, we are currently fighting a war. However, he is confident that we will emerge victorious.
Earlier, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who is the chief of staff for the Israel Defense Forces, announced that they are now prepared for a state of war.
According to the Associated Press, Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, cautioned that Hamas had committed a serious blunder after a security cabinet gathering at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
The emergency service of Israel reported that an individual has passed away and 15 others have sustained injuries due to the intense attack that happened in various towns and cities in the southern and central parts of the country during the early hours of Saturday.
It looks like more people may have been hurt or killed during an assault on Sderot, a town in southern Israel that's right next to Gaza. People have been sharing pictures and videos on social media that seem to show some innocent people getting shot by Palestinian gunmen wearing uniforms. They were shooting at regular people and cars driving on the street. It's a very serious situation.
The military stated that Hamas, the group that orchestrated this assault, will face the consequences and be accountable for what has occurred.
With multiple reports claiming that Hamas fighters have infiltrated the area, the Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, recently authorized the activation of army reservists. Israel's defense forces greatly depend on part-time soldiers, with approximately 465,000 eligible individuals. The number of activated reservists will vary based on the unfolding situation, according to Gallant.
Before the attacks commenced, Mohammed Deif, the unofficial head of Hamas based in Gaza, released a pre-recorded statement announcing the initiation of "Operation Al-Aqsa Storm". This operation is named after the significant mosque located on the Temple Mount in East Jerusalem.
"He's had it," he declared, urging Palestinians to arm themselves against Israel.
According to POLITICO, Seth Franzman, a political expert in Jerusalem, stated that he and his family were awakened by sirens and rockets being fired around 8 o'clock in the morning. He also mentioned that they could see the blasts from their balcony. Since Israel's air defense system was not always perfect, his family had moved to the shelter for safety, as there was still a chance that intercepted objects could fall out of the sky.
According to Franzman, who is also an editor for The Jerusalem Post, this is a considerable sudden attack that is quite unexpected. This is because there was no usual exchange of hostility between Israel and Hamas prior to the escalation. This is a completely new development.
The European Union denounced the assaults. Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, released a statement to express her strong condemnation towards the aggressive actions done by Hamas terrorists towards Israel. She regarded it as the most abhorrent form of terrorism.
"She stated that Israel has a legitimate right to protect itself from such dreadful assaults."
Josep Borrell, the highest-ranking diplomat in the European bloc, has made a strong statement against the ongoing violence and terrorism. He maintains that these unwarranted actions lead to no positive outcomes. In light of the present situation, the EU stands in solidarity with Israel.
