Occupied Jerusalem/Gaza: As many as 300 Israelis have been killed and over 1,500 others have been injured in the Operation al-Aqsa Storm or Operation al-Aqsa Flood launched by Hamas militants deep in the night Saturday October 07, 2023.
Ofir Libstein, the Mayor of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council is also among those died in Hamas attack.
Retaliating Hamas attacks and infiltration through sea, land and air, Israeli forces resorted to brazen bombardments over Gaza killing at least 256 Palestinians.
An Indonesian Hospital and 11-storey tower and other residential buildings were fully or party damaged in the Israeli bombardment.
Meanwhile, Hamas have fired a barrage of 150 rockets in response to the Israeli air strike on the Palestine Tower, an 11-storey building in the centre of Gaza City.
Earlier, Hamas militants had fired more than 5000 rockets into Israel to begin what they called the beginning of “Operation al Aqsa Storm”.
Simultaneously, hundreds of militants in uniform infiltrated in Israeli towns near Gaza. Videos and images posted on social media showed, the Hamas militants used bulldozers to demolish the smart walls and fencing and entered the border areas occupied by the Israeli Defence Forces.
At least three towns are under the control of Hamas from where the militants have also been captured as “prions of wars”.
Gun battles are ongoing in and around the towns of Kfar Aza, Sderot, Sufa, Nahal Oz, Magen, Be’eri, Ashkelon and the Re’im military base, the Times of Israel reported.
[Meanwhile, Palestinian Rapper MC Abdul's 2021 "Shouting At The Wall" has resurfaced and being widely shared on different social media platforms.]
Israel has confirmed that its soldiers and citizens have been “abducted” by the Hamas militants but refused to reveal their exact number.
But, according to news channel N12, as many as 50 Israelis have been captured by Hamas gunmen in Beeri Kibbutz near the Gaza border. Among them are also few high ranking Israeli military generals.
Israeli broadcaster Reshet 13 TV News also reported that Hamas militants were holding Israelis hostage in the town of Ofakim - another Israeli city near the border with Gaza, according to BBC.
Hamas meanwhile also said that "the Israeli captives have been placed in secured places and in tunnels".
Videos shared on social media showed some of the Israeli soldiers captured by the militants are taken to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Ofer Cassif, a member of the Hadash Party and the Israeli Knesset, while the killing of civilians on both sides was condemnable said it was Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, and the actions of the Netanyahu-led government, that was responsible for the deaths of Israelis and Palestinians.
“It [deaths] is unbearable. But what we are saying is the only way to prevent such crimes on both sides is to end the occupation,” he said according to Al Jazeera. “As long as the occupation goes, such terrible crimes will continue … and this government wants that,” he said.
“It [deaths] is unbearable. But what we are saying is the only way to prevent such crimes on both sides is to end the occupation,” he said according to Al Jazeera.
“As long as the occupation goes, such terrible crimes will continue … and this government wants that,” he said.
Cassif also criticised the US government, saying that if it had pressed Israel to move towards a peaceful political solution and to end the occupation, events such as today’s would not have happened.
In a related development, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz has ordered the state-run electricity company to halt supply to Gaza.
“I have signed an order instructing [Israel] Electric Company to stop the electricity supply to Gaza,” he said in a statement.
The United States, United Kingdom and their allies have condemned Hamas for what they called “unprovoked attacks on Israel”.
General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), Mustafa Barghouti, however said the latest attacks were forthcoming, and are direct response of the repeated provocations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and settlers.
“This initiative by the resistance that we saw today is a response to Israeli settlers’ terror that has taken place all over the West Bank with the protection of the Israeli army”, he said. “It is a response to the fact that the Israeli army and the settler terrorists killed 248 Palestinians including 40 children”, he said. “It is a response to the attacks on Aqsa Mosque and the process of Judiasation of not only Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque but whole of the West Bank”, he added.
“This initiative by the resistance that we saw today is a response to Israeli settlers’ terror that has taken place all over the West Bank with the protection of the Israeli army”, he said.
“It is a response to the fact that the Israeli army and the settler terrorists killed 248 Palestinians including 40 children”, he said.
“It is a response to the attacks on Aqsa Mosque and the process of Judiasation of not only Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque but whole of the West Bank”, he added.
“It is a reaction to what Netanyahu did when he raised a map in the United Nations of Israel including the whole of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights and the international community kept silent about it”, he said.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
