Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Fighting between Israeli forces and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas intensified on Sunday hours after the militants launched a surprise attack on Israel in which about 600 people were killed in the deadliest day of violence in Israel for 50 years prompting the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn they were “embarking on long and difficult war” and called for a mass mobilisation of army reserves.
The conflict’s bloodiest escalation in decades saw Hamas carry out a massive rocket barrage and ground, air and sea offensive, that reports said had killed 600 Israelis and wounded 1,000. Gaza officials said intense Israeli air strikes on the coastal enclave had brought the Palestinian death count to at least 400, with nearly 1,700 wounded.
The biggest incursion into Israel in decades could undermine U.S-backed efforts to forge regional security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the ambitions of the group’s main backer, Iran.
The attack comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, with the peace process effectively dead for years. Over the past year, Israel’s far-right government has ramped up settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler violence has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there and tensions have flared around a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah said it fired “large numbers of artillery shells and guided missiles” at Israeli positions in a contested border area. It said the assault was “in solidarity” with the attack launched by Hamas.
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to avenge what he said was a “black day” for Israel. “The IDF (army) is about to use all its force to destroy Hamas’s capabilities. We’ll strike them to the bitter end and avenge with force this black day they brought on Israel and its people,” he said.
He warned Palestinians living near Hamas sites in Gaza to leave as he vowed to turn its hideouts into “rubble” following its surprise attack. “I’m telling the people of Gaza: get out of there now, because we’re about to act everywhere with all our force,” he said.
Israeli officials said about 100 soldiers and civilians have been kidnapped by Hamas. “Terrorists rampaged and broke into homes, massacring civilians. Hundreds had invaded the country, hundreds are still fighting troops inside Israel,” army spokesman Richard Hecht said.
Hamas fighters fired thousands of rockets and breached Gaza’s security barrier, attacking nearby Israeli towns and military posts. They also opened fire on residents and passers-by. The group labelled its attack “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” and called on “resistance fighters in the West Bank” as well as in “Arab and Islamic nations” to join the battle. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the group was on the “verge of a great victory.”
Hamas released images of several Israelis taken captive. Bodies were strewn on the streets of the Israeli town of Sderot near Gaza and inside cars, the windscreens shattered by hails of bullets.
In response to the deadly attacks, the Israel defence forces also declared a “readiness for war.” The forces launched “Operation Swords of Iron,” striking a number of targets in the Gaza Strip. “We have seen the face of evil. Hamas launched a criminal attack, without distinguishing between women, children and the elderly. It will realise very quickly that it made a grave mistake. We will change the face of reality in the Gaza Strip,” Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said in a video statement.
As the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting, the US President Joe Biden voiced “rock solid and unwavering” support for Israel and warned “against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation.”
There have been no untoward incidents involving Indians living and working in Israel so far amid escalating tensions in the region, even as the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv received requests from its citizens, including tourists, stranded in the country to facilitate their safe exit. There are about 18,000 Indian nationals living and working in Israel and so far there have been no untoward incidents reported involving them, informed sources said. There are also some businessmen visiting Israel who have gotten caught up in the escalation and are looking to be evacuated.
The Indian embassy in Israel has asked its citizens to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. “Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters,” it said in an advisory.
Air India said it has cancelled its flights to and from Tel Aviv till October 14. “Our flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended till 14th October, 2023, for the safety of our passengers and crew,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement. The airline will extend all possible support to passengers who have confirmed bookings on any flight during this period, the spokesperson added. The full service carrier operates five weekly flights to Tel Aviv from the national capital. The service is on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Security has been stepped up around synagogues and Jewish schools in France in light of this weekend’s attacks on Israel by Hamas, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said. “We have stepped up security at places of worship and at the schools,” Ms Borne said. “There is no specific threat at this stage, but we will remain extremely vigilant,” she added.
Pope Francis on Sunday called for “an end to the attacks” in Israel, explaining that “terrorism and war do not lead to a solution.” “I follow with apprehension and pain what is happening in Israel… I express my solidarity with the families of the victims,” he said in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square. “May the attacks and the weapons cease, I beg you,” he said.
Hamas was founded in 1987 by Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi as an arm of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas stands for Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya, meaning Islamic Resistance Movement. ‘Hamas’ means zeal.
In 1988, a Hamas Charter spelt out that its goal was to liberate Palestine and to establish an Islamic State in the area that spans Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In later years, the group has said it would accept a truce if Israel retreats to pre-1967 borders, pays reparations and allows Palestinian refugees to return. It has also said it would end its links with the Muslim Brotherhood. Israel, however, has trashed Hamas’ claims and accused it of trying to “fool the world.”
Hamas has a cultural wing, Dawah, and a military arm, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas enjoys the backing of Iran and is part of a bloc comprising Iran, Syria and Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon. All the members of the bloc oppose the US policy in the region. According to reports, Iran’s foreign ministry has said Hamas’ attacks yesterday were proof of “Palestinian people’s confidence in the face of the occupiers.” Hamas has supporters across Palestine territories and in other countries of the Middle East. In the region, Iran, Syria and Yemen have backed Hamas on the attacks, describing them as “proud” and “heroic.” Qatar has held Israel solely responsible for the situation. Arab League and Jordan, too, have flagged Israel’s policies and its link to the current conflict. Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia have called for restraint.
Globally, Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US, European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan. In 2018, a resolution moved by US to condemn Hamas’ activities was voted down in the UN General Assembly.
Hamas’ emergence in the Palestinian political scene brought it in direct confrontation with Fatah, founded and led by Yasser Arafat. Founded as a paramilitary organisation, Fatah, in the 1990s, later gave up armed resistance and backed the UN Security Council resolution to build a Palestinian State as per the 1967 borders alongside an Israeli State. Arafat’s death in 2004 created a vacuum amid which Hamas emerged stronger. In 2007, the group seized control in Gaza after a civil war with Fatah. Since then, Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip, while Fatah holds power in the West Bank. While Hamas identifies itself as Islamist, Fatah advocates secularism. The two sides are also different in their approach towards Israel. Hamas does not recognise Israel. While Hamas calls for armed resistance, Fatah has pushed for negotiations to find a way out. The two forces have consistently been locked in a turf war over the past couple of decades. Multiple agreements to resolve the conflict have collapsed. The latest fallout of this conflict was Hamas boycotting the 2021-22 Palestinian local elections. Fatah is currently led by Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the State of Palestine.