Israel declares ’state of war’ after 5,000 Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza
Mangalore Today News Network
Jerusalem, Oct 07, 2023: Six people, including a mayor, were killed after Palestinian armed group Hamas carried out an unprecedented infiltration into Israel, launching more than 5,000 rockets early on Saturday, news agency AFP reported. The incident prompted Israel to declare a ’state of war’ following numerous infiltrations and rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.
Israel also urged its people to remain indoors and launched a counteroffensive ‘Operation Iron Swords’ against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which the group controls.
Israeli media reported Hama fighters infiltrating Israel either by land in seized Israeli army vehicles or by air with the help of parachutes. Fighting was reported in several parts of southern Israel. Amid the fighting, airports in central and southern Israel ceased commercial operations, except for Tel Aviv airport, where a high alert was sounded.
The Israeli military confirmed earlier that “a number of terrorists have infiltrated into Israeli territory”, news agency AP reported. Israel designated Hamas a terrorist group.
Amateur videos posted on social media showed what appeared to be uniformed gunmen inside the Israeli border town of Sderot. The sound of gunfire could be heard in the videos, whose authenticity could not immediately be verified.
Sounds of outgoing rockets whooshing through the air could be heard in Gaza and sirens could be heard as far away as Tel Aviv, some 70 kilometres to the north, during the early morning barrage that lasted more than 30 minutes.
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue agency said a 70-year-old woman was critically injured when a rocket hit a building in southern Israel. Elsewhere, a 20-year-old man was moderately injured by rocket shrapnel, it said.
According to Times of Israel, six people were killed amid the fighting. Among those, Ofir Libstein, the mayor of Sha’ar Hanegev region, died while fighting with Hamas. He was killed when he went to defend a town during a "terrorist attack", the mayor’s office said.
HAMAS SAYS ’NEW MILITARY OPERATION’ AGAINST ISRAEL
In a rare public statement, Mohammed Deif, the elusive leader of Hamas’ military wing, said it has launched a new military operation against Israel.
Mohammed Deif said that 5,000 rockets had been fired into Israel early Saturday to begin “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm”. “We’ve decided to say enough is enough,” Deif said as he urged all Palestinians to confront Israel.
The rocket launches came after weeks of heightened tensions along Israel’s volatile border with Gaza, and heavy fighting in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
ISRAELI BLOCKADE OVER GAZA
Israel has maintained a blockade over Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. The bitter enemies have fought four wars since then.
There have also been numerous rounds of smaller fighting between Israel and Hamas and other smaller militant groups based in Gaza.
The blockade, which restricts the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza, has devastated the territory’s economy. Israel says the blockade is needed to keep militant groups from building up their arsenals. The Palestinians say the closure amounted to collective punishment.
The latest Palestinian rocket fire came during a period of heavy fighting in the West Bank, where nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military raids this year. Israel says the raids are aimed at militants, but stone-throwing protesters and people uninvolved in the violence have also been killed. Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets have killed over 30 people.
The tensions have also spread to Gaza, where Hamas-linked activists held violent demonstrations along the Israeli border in recent weeks. Those demonstrations were halted in late September after international mediation.
Courtesy: India Today