Netanyahu warns Israel faces ‘long and difficult’ war
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Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that Israel would have to confront a protracted and challenging battle, as its aircrafts attacked sites in the Gaza Strip throughout the night following an exceptional and complicated attack from Hamas militants that rattled the nation.
Over 200 individuals from Israel lost their lives on Saturday, with over 1,200 others sustaining injuries as hundreds of Hamas combatants utilized paragliders, motorbikes, and boats to invade the country from Gaza. This was an unexpected offensive that resulted in the highest number of fatalities Israel has seen in numerous years.
According to Israeli authorities, Hamas has launched multiple assaults on numerous communities located in the south of Israel. Moreover, they have captured a notable quantity of Israeli residents as hostages and have transported them to Gaza.
Reports out of Gaza have indicated that Israeli airstrikes in retaliation for recent attacks from Hamas have resulted in the loss of 232 lives and injuries to 1,697 individuals. Gaza has faced blockades from both Israel and Egypt since 2007 when Hamas seized control.
Talking to the press after a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet wrapped up prematurely on Sunday, the Israeli head of government declared that the Israeli military had taken down the majority of the enemy soldiers who unlawfully entered their land. He also revealed that they had now moved on to the “aggressive phase”.
He stated that the task would persist without any restrictions or breaks until the purposes are fulfilled.
On Sunday morning, after the attack had already been going on for a day, the Israeli military was still engaged in fighting with the militants. According to an official, the fighting was ongoing in a total of eight locations throughout Israel, one of which was a military base in Zikim.
Israel's military has reported that they have responded to mortar fire directed towards them by striking areas in Lebanon. This action is concerning, as it may escalate the conflict to a larger-scale regional problem.
Israel's military spokesperson, Richard Hecht, stated that they are investigating the occurrence. However, he clarified that it was not a complete attack carried out from Lebanon. He also warned Hizbollah, the potent militant group supported by Iran, which dominates southern Lebanon, against getting involved in the conflict. He added that he does not think they will take part, but if they do, they are prepared to take action.
The unexpected assault on Saturday occurred during the Jewish celebration of Simchat Torah and surprisingly caught the Israeli military off-guard. This presents a significant test for the far-right government of Netanyahu, who took office last year with a team of hardliners in influential positions vowing to enhance security measures.
Authorities in Israel have reported that Gaza-based combatants launched over 3,500 rockets towards their country in their initial attack on Saturday. However, it has been noted that the majority of casualties were a result of hand-to-hand fighting and extra-judicial killings committed by Hamas militants.
While the conflict was being calmed down by international actions, the United Nations Security Council had plans to hold a meeting on Sunday.
The leader of the United Nations, António Guterres, strongly criticized Hamas' attack and called on all nations to use diplomacy to prevent further conflict. The UN peacekeeping troops have been sent to the border between Israel and Lebanon in order to keep the situation peaceful and prevent it from escalating.
