Status: 07.10.2023, 22:23 p.m.
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Damage in Tel Aviv. © Moti Milrod/AP
Palestinian militants fire thousands of rockets at Israeli locations. The surprise attack hits Israel on a holiday. Hundreds of people are dead or wounded - and some have been abducted.
Tel Aviv/Gaza/Berlin - Israel was surprised by a large-scale military action by the Islamist Hamas on the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah). Hamas attacked massively from the Gaza Strip from the air, on the ground and from the sea.
Israeli authorities on Saturday spoke of hundreds of dead and injured and an undisclosed number of abducted Israelis. "Citizens of Israel, we are at war," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, describing the scale of the attacks.
According to Palestinian sources, hundreds were killed and wounded in the Israeli military's counterattack on the Gaza Strip. In the evening, there was another missile alert in the greater Tel Aviv area and other cities of the country.
Smoke rises from an explosion caused by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. © Hatem Moussa/AP/dpa
The surprise attack started exactly 50 years after the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The attack on Israel by hostile Arab states on the highest Jewish holiday is considered the most serious national trauma to date.
Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif said in a message that the organization had decided to put an end to what he called Israeli crimes. The EU, the US and Israel classify Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Deif has been considered a "phantom" for decades. According to media reports, Israel had repeatedly tried to kill him. During the 2014 Gaza war, the military attacked Deif's house, killing his wife and young son. Deif himself was able to escape at the time.
First balance sheets
At least 250 people have been killed in the attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel. This was reported by several Israeli media on Saturday, citing medical circles. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, at least 1452 people were injured. Several Israelis have been abducted to the Gaza Strip, an army spokesman said, including soldiers. He did not name a number of those abducted.
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Rockets are fired into Israel by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip. © Hatem Moussa/AP/dpa
In response to the massive rocket attacks, the Israeli Air Force fired at Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. At least 242 people died and nearly 1700,<> were injured, according to the ministry of health in the Gaza Strip. Israel's army accused Hamas of deliberately placing its military assets in the middle of civilian objects in Gaza.
Because of the rocket attacks, warning sirens wailed again and again in Israeli cities. Alarm was also sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The military called on residents of the southern and central parts of the country to stay in protected areas. Defense Minister Joav Galant declared a special security situation within a radius of up to 80 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.
Defense operation "Iron Swords" - Israel calls up reservists
According to the military, the country has also been officially put into war readiness, and thousands of reservists have been called up. The Israeli army called its defensive operation "Iron Swords." Netanyahu named these goals for the operation against Hamas:
- "To clear the area of the enemy troops who have invaded". Hamas will pay an "immense price."
- It is important to secure other fronts "so that no one makes the mistake of entering this war." Israel's army is mainly securing the northern border out of fear of a possible attack by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
Great international solidarity with Israel
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the governments of Italy, Spain, France and Great Britain as well as the European Union condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms. The United States clearly sided with Israel. The UN Secretary-General expressed horror at the attacks. The United Nations Security Council will meet for a special session on Sunday.
After a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, smoke is seen from an apartment building in Ashqelon. © Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
Iran, on the other hand, congratulated Hamas and spoke of a "turning point" in the armed resistance against Israel. Iraq emphasized its support for the Palestinian people.
The Foreign Ministry in Cairo said Egypt was making intensive efforts to calm the situation.
Saudi Arabia also called for an immediate end to the escalation, but warned against a "deprivation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people." The Sunni kingdom is considered an important protector of the Palestinians. At the same time, talks are currently underway between the oil state and Israel under US mediation about a possible normalization of their relations. According to experts, this could trigger momentous changes in the region.
Increased security measures in Berlin
The police strengthened the protection of Jewish and Israeli institutions in Berlin, as the German Press Agency learned from government circles. Accordingly, the risk assessments for such facilities are continuously updated and protective measures are increased where necessary. "In Berlin, the protection of Jewish and Israeli institutions has already been strengthened today."
Jewish institutions must now be given special protection, said Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser, who is also the top candidate of the Hessian SPD, at an election campaign event in Marburg. "And I personally stand up for that, too, but also the interior ministers from all federal states." In an interview with the German Press Agency on Saturday, Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor warned of attacks on facilities in Germany as well.
Representatives of the opposition and the traffic light coalition called for swift decisions on financial aid to Palestinians. At the same time, the German government and the EU are called upon to toughen their course towards Iran.
Fewer flights from Europe to Israel
Lufthansa's Swiss subsidiary Swiss suspended its flights to Israel from Saturday evening due to security concerns. Lufthansa cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv up to and including Monday. The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to Israel. Dpa