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In response to
"Reuters: World reacts to surprise attack by Hamas on Israel"
by
mud
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USATODAY:
Posted by
mud
Oct 7 '23, 07:15
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'We are at war,' Israel's Netanyahu says as Hamas launches surprise multi-front attack
Dozens of gunmen from the Palestinian militant group Hamas infiltrate southern Israel in a major attack that coincided with a holiday and the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Israel calls up reservists and launches retaliatory strikes.
By Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We are at war, and we will win it,” after dozens of gunmen from the Palestinian militant group Hamas infiltrated southern Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday in a surprise major attack that coincided with a holiday and the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur war.
Netanyahu said in a statement it was “not an ‘operation,’ not a ‘round,’ but a "war.”
He was speaking in a video address from the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces in Tel Aviv as the country's air force began striking targets in Gaza, a Palestinian territory on the Mediterranean Sea.
Overnight and into the morning, Hamas militants launched thousands of rockets into Israel. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 22 people were killed and hundreds wounded. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported injuries among “many citizens” without giving numbers.
Air raids sounded across Israel's border with Gaza and in Jerusalem. Explosions were heard in Tel Aviv.
"We have begun a wide mobilization of reservists for all IDF units, Rear. Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the IDF, said of Israel's military operation, which it has named "Swords of Iron."
The attack appears to have caught Israel off-guard on the Jewish holiday, Simchat Torah. It has also revived memories of the 1973 war, in which Israel’s enemies launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur.
'We understand that this is something big'
Israel and Hamas have fought several wars since 2007. However, it is rare for its fighters to infiltrate Israel on this scale and this appears to be the biggest attack by Hamas on Israel in years.
Millions of Israelis are seeking safety in bombers shelters and safe rooms. There are unconfirmed reports in Israeli media that Palestinian militants may be holding Israelis captive in Ofakim, a southern town.
"We understand that this is something big,” Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli army spokesman, told reporters.
Why is Hamas attacking Israel now?
Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas’ military wing, said that the start of what he called “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” was in connection to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem that is the third holiest site in Islam.
The site, which is also located on the holiest site for Jews − who refer to it as the Temple Mount − has long been a flashpoint between Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli security services routinely raid the compound.
“Enough is enough,” Deif, said in a recorded message, as he called on Palestinians from east Jerusalem to northern Israel to join the fight. “Today the people are regaining their revolution.”
'With rockets we somehow feel safer'
In Nahal Oz, a kibbutz about 2.5 miles from Gaza, terrified residents who were huddled indoors said they could hear constant gunfire echoing off the buildings as firefights continued even hours after the initial attack.
“With rockets we somehow feel safer, knowing that we have the Iron Dome (missile defense system) and our safe rooms. But knowing that terrorists are walking around communities is a different kind of fear,” said Mirjam Reijnen, a 42-year-old volunteer firefighter and mother of three in Nahal Oz.
World reaction to Hamas attack
French President Emmanuel Macron: "I strongly condemn the current terrorist attacks against Israel. I express my full solidarity with the victims, their families and loved ones."
European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: "I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. It is terrorism in its most despicable form. Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks."
U.S. National Security spokesperson Adrienne Watson: "The United States unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians."
Contributing: Associated Press
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