Israeli jets begin massive retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza
Israeli fighter jets have initiated extensive aerial bombardments on Gaza as a response to acts of terrorism that resulted in the deaths of at least 300 individuals. Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed his determination to engage in a prolonged and challenging conflict.
- Israel has launched a counterstrike against Hamas militants in the Gaza strip
- Armored columns moved north toward Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria
- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that they are beginning a challenging and extended conflict.
Following an unexpected attack that resulted in the death of at least 300 Israelis, Israel has initiated a retaliatory operation against Hamas militants in the southern Gaza strip and is using artillery to target Lebanon in the north.
On Sunday, after the most violent day in Israel in half a century, the sun rose and Israeli warplanes bombed densely populated Gaza City in response.
Heavy smoke and flames were seen rising from Gaza’s Burc Vatan shopping mall, after the Palestine Tower in the Al-Rimal neighborhood, one of the tallest buildings in the strip, was reduced to rubble.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the northern region have announced that they are conducting artillery attacks in Lebanon in response to gunfire aimed at Israeli land.
There have been sightings of columns of powerful military equipment, such as tanks and armored vehicles, moving towards the northern border of Israel with Lebanon and Syria. There are concerns that Hezbollah militants, supported by Iran, may be getting ready to initiate a new conflict.
“I cannot reword”
The collapse of Al-Watan Tower in Gaza City was a result of an Israeli airstrike.
On Saturday, individuals evaluated the damage resulting from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City. Israel retaliated against Hamas militants following a surprise assault that resulted in the deaths of numerous individuals.
Early Sunday, the Iron Dome defense system of Israel successfully intercepts rockets that were launched from the Gaza Strip, as observed from Ashkelon in southern Israel.
Since the start of Hamas’ blitz attack on Saturday morning, more than 300 Israelis have lost their lives and 1,590 have been injured. The attack involved rockets and approximately 1,000 armed militants who moved in groups, targeting both civilians and soldiers in numerous locations.
Israel’s military has confirmed that the Hamas militant group has carried out an attack in the southern region of the country, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli military stated that on Sunday morning, they were still engaged in combat with Hamas infiltrations at eight different locations.
Other significant events occurred on a day that marked Israel’s most tragic period in many years.
At the break of dawn on Saturday, Hamas militants initiated their assault by launching a massive wave of rockets towards southern Israel. This served as a distraction for an extraordinary and coordinated infiltration of fighters from Gaza into Israel.
Throughout the day, Hamas combatants engaged in clashes resulting in the deaths of numerous Israelis. They managed to retreat to Gaza, taking several hostages, including women, children, and elderly Israelis with disabilities.
On Sunday morning, a spokesperson from the Israeli military announced that two hostage situations had been successfully resolved. However, it was not disclosed whether the hostages were rescued alive.
After nightfall, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza became more intense, resulting in the destruction of residential buildings through powerful explosions. One of the structures targeted was a 14-story tower that housed numerous apartments and Hamas offices in the central area of Gaza City. Prior to the attack, Israeli forces issued a warning.
At approximately 3am, a mosque in Gaza City broadcasted a clear message through its loudspeaker, urging residents of adjacent apartment buildings to evacuate without delay. Within a short span of time, an airstrike conducted by Israel resulted in the complete destruction of a nearby five-story building.
According to the Israeli military, following an Israeli strike, a series of rocket attacks by Hamas targeted four cities, including Tel Aviv and a neighboring suburb. Throughout the day, Hamas launched over 3,500 rockets.
Netanyahu stated that the initial phase is concluding now as our territory has been cleared of the majority of enemy forces, after a Security Cabinet meeting held early in the morning.
‘Furthermore, we have initiated the offensive stage, which will persist without any restrictions or breaks until our goals are accomplished. Our aim is to reinstate security for the people of Israel and emerge victorious,’ he stated.
The office of the Prime Minister announced that the Security Cabinet has chosen to cease providing electricity, fuel, and goods to Gaza, a small area where 2.3 million Palestinians reside. Gazans have been subjected to an Israeli blockade for a duration of 16 years.
Netanyahu’s office said his security cabinet had approved steps to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant group, ‘for years’.
Hamas asserted that they launched 5,000 rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in the activation of air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Smoke and flames rise in Burc Vatan shopping mall after bombing of Israeli forces with warplanes as clashes continue between Israeli forces and Hamas armed groups
On Saturday, individuals on a rooftop observe a building in Gaza City being struck by an Israeli air attack, resulting in a ball of fire and smoke rising above it.
On Sunday, Palestinians examine a mosque that was demolished during Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza.
On Saturday, individuals are seen walking on the remains of a building that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Throughout the night, Israeli soldiers engaged in combat with Hamas militants in certain areas of southern Israel. A spokesperson from the Israeli army expressed on social media that the situation was not completely under control.
Bodies of Israeli civilians surrounded by broken glass were strewn across the streets of Sderot in southern Israel near Gaza. The bodies of a man and woman were sprawled across the front seats of a car.
On live television, Israelis who were filled with fear and confined to safe rooms shared their harrowing experiences over the phone.
The Israeli military stated that senior military officers were among the casualties in the clashes near Gaza.
Explosions in Gaza illuminated the sky with black smoke, orange flashes, and sparks, while the sound of Israeli drones filled the air.
The casualties from Gaza were transported to deteriorating and overcrowded hospitals that faced significant shortages of medical resources and equipment. The health ministry reported a death toll of 232 individuals and a minimum of 1,700 injured.
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, stated that the attack, named Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by the group, would extend to the West Bank and Jerusalem.
During a speech, Haniyeh emphasized the challenges faced by Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza, and Israel’s efforts to establish normal relations with neighboring countries.
‘How many times have we alerted you to the fact that the Palestinian population has resided in refugee camps for 75 years, yet you persist in disregarding the rights of our people?’
On Saturday, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Israeli police officers safely remove a woman and a child from an area that was struck by a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, there was an unexpected entry of Palestinians into southern Israel through the Gaza-Israel border fence in Khan Yunis, located in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sitting on the back of a terrorist’s motorcycle, student Noa Argamani (left) pleads for her life as she is abducted and her boyfriend (right) is led away by the gang of militants
The attack was condemned by Western nations, with the United States taking the lead.
President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the White House, affirming Israel’s rightful defense and delivering a direct message to Iran and other nations. He cautioned against any attempts by parties unfriendly to Israel to exploit the ongoing attacks for their benefit, emphasizing that the global community is closely observing the situation.
The United States has been attempting to establish an agreement to improve relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is considered a significant achievement for Israel in their ongoing efforts to gain recognition from Arab nations.
Palestinians are concerned that any such agreement may compromise their aspirations for a sovereign nation.
Osama Hamdan, the head of Hamas in Lebanon, informed Reuters that the recent operation on Saturday should serve as a wake-up call for Arab nations, highlighting that complying with Israeli security requirements would not lead to peace.
In various countries across the Middle East, protests took place in solidarity with Hamas. During these demonstrations, Israeli and US flags were burned, while participants proudly waved Palestinian flags. Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen were among the nations where these events occurred. Iran and its Lebanese allies, Hezbollah, expressed their admiration for the Hamas attack.
Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera the group was holding a large number of Israeli captives, including senior officials.
He claimed that Hamas possessed sufficient prisoners to compel Israel to release all Palestinians currently incarcerated.
Hamas claimed that the assault was motivated by what they referred to as increased Israeli aggression towards Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and within Israeli prisons.
The fact that Israel was taken by surprise was seen as one of the most significant intelligence failures in its history. This was unexpected for a country that prides itself on its extensive efforts to infiltrate and monitor militant groups.
