Again, Israel declares war on Hamas after surprise Gaza attack
Israel has formally declared war on Hamas and imposed a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip, as the conflict with the Palestinian militant group enters its third day.
The Israeli cabinet made a series of operational decisions on Saturday night, aimed at destroying the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, in a way that would prevent them from threatening and harming the citizens of Israel for many years to come, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu vowed “mighty vengeance” on Hamas following its unprecedented assault on Israel that appeared to catch the entire Israeli military and intelligence apparatus off guard in one of the country’s worst security failures.
On Saturday morning, Hamas launched a surprise land, sea and air attack from Gaza, breaking through the Gaza-Israel barrier and infiltrating into nearby settlements in Israel and military installations. Hamas called it Operation al-Aqsa Storm. It is the first direct conflict within Israel’s boundaries since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Hamas launched thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel, making direct hits on multiple locations inside the country including Tel Aviv, while armed terror groups entered Israel and took hostages. Some observers have referred to these events as the beginning of a third Palestinian intifada.
Israel responded by launching airstrikes on what it said were Hamas targets in Gaza, while its forces clashed on the ground with Hamas fighters in villages, army bases and border crossings. Israeli warplanes continued to pound Gaza on Sunday morning with the Israel Defense Forces saying it had struck 426 targets in Gaza, including 10 towers used by Hamas.
The Palestinian invasion represented a boiling point in the breakdown of relations between the strip and Israel. This followed months of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, including ones in Jenin and at Al-Aqsa mosque, that killed almost 250 Palestinians and 32 Israelis; Hamas cited these events and attacks by Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as justification for the offensive.
The death toll from the conflict has risen sharply, with both sides reporting hundreds of casualties. In Gaza, at least 232 Palestinians have died and more than 1,600 are wounded, the Palestinian health ministry said. In Israel, at least 300 Israelis have been killed, an Israeli official told CNN and more than 1,500 have been injured, Israeli media reported. More than 100 Israelis have been abducted by Hamas militants, according to Israeli media.
The international community has expressed alarm over the escalating violence and called for an immediate ceasefire. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the crisis but failed to agree on a joint statement. The United States said it was working with Egypt and other regional partners to de-escalate the situation and restore calm.
The conflict has also sparked tensions in neighbouring Lebanon, where artillery shelling and gunfire were heard at Lebanon’s southern border with Israel on Sunday. Israel’s army radio gave the location as being near Adamit, across from the Lebanese border towns of Aalma El Chaeb and Zahajra. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is allied with Hamas, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was in response to Israel’s aggression against Gaza.
