Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war in the country following the unprecedented and massive attack launched by the Islamist group Hamas from the Gaza Strip, which included the firing of more than 5,000 rockets “in a 20-minute first strike” and even a ground incursion by Palestinian militants into Israeli territory, in an action that Hamas dubbed as “Operation Al-Aqsa Blood“. “We have decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation, the time (for Israel) to devastate without being held accountable is over,” announced the group, which called on other “resistance fighters” in the West Bank and Arab countries to join the fight.
“Citizens of Israel: we are at war. This is not an operation or an assault, but a war. I have ordered a broad mobilisation of reserves and return fire on a scale the enemy has never known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” the Israeli prime minister said in a statement, accusing Hamas of launching a “murderous surprise attack” on Israel and its people that has killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 500. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had responded with several strikes on the Gaza Strip, and that thousands of reservists have been mobilised.
According to media reports, the Hamas ground incursion reportedly took place at Kibbutz Beeri, and the militants also took hostages at Netiv HaAsara: these are two Israeli settlements close to Gaza, some 50 km northwest of Beersheba, a city that has suffered from Hamas rocket attacks, as well as Tel Aviv and many other towns. Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, acknowledged in a statement that Israel is going through “a very difficult time”. “I send all my encouragement and strength to all the people of Israel who are under attack,” he said. President Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, a country that has relations with Hamas but also with Israel, has called on both sides for restraint to avoid further escalation of the conflict.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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