Status: 07.10.2023, 11:15 a.m.
CommentsShare
In the sky over Gaza City, rockets can be seen flying towards Israel. © Mohammed Talatene/dpa
Israel sees itself in the next Middle East war. Palestinian militants fired more than 2000,<> projectiles. Even with gliders, fighters are said to have penetrated into Israel.
Tel Aviv/Gaza - The Islamist Hamas has massively attacked Israel from the air, on the ground and from the sea. "Citizens of Israel, we are at war," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said from military headquarters on Saturday. Officially, the country was put in a state of war readiness. In response to the 2220,<> rocket attack, Israeli warplanes bombed the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean Sea, an army spokesman confirmed.
Hamas spoke of a "military operation" against Israel. It has decided to put an end to what he called Israeli crimes, military chief Mohammed Deif said in a message.
"Hamas made a grave mistake this morning and started a war against the State of Israel," Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant countered. Israeli soldiers fought "in all the places where it was invaded."
"Israel will win this war"
He called on citizens to follow the instructions of the authorities, saying, "Israel will win this war." The Israeli army called its defense operation "Iron Swords." Readiness for war allows the army, for example, to mobilize reservists.
As a result of the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, one woman was killed and 15 people injured in Israel, according to initial findings. Warning sirens wailed in various cities in Israel, the army said. Rocket alarms were also heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The military called on residents of the southern and central parts of the country to stay in protected areas. Israel is currently celebrating the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to hold security consultations with representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the army later in the day.
The Palestinian militants entered Israel by land, sea and air, said army spokesman Richard Hecht. There are currently fights with Israeli soldiers in various locations around the Gaza Strip. These included two military bases, the Eres crossing into the Gaza Strip and several villages. There are casualties on the Israeli side, but no figures can be given yet. Israeli media reported hostage-taking, but there was initially no official confirmation of this.
0
Read also
Russia's 60-year-old tank is becoming a problem for Ukraine
READ
Ukraine rejoices over heavy blow to Russia's tank fleet
READ
Current poll ahead of Bayern election is encouraging for Söder - others face debacle
READ
Leopard 1A5: The tank from the moth box carries confidence to the front
READ
Successful drone strikes: Russia destroys Ukraine's MiG-29 fighter jets
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My Area
A rocket is fired. © Mohammed Talatene/dpa
Exactly how the Palestinian militants were able to penetrate into Israel despite strict border controls was initially unclear. Hecht said that gliders, among others, were used. He could not name the number of attackers. "It wasn't one or two."
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel condemned the attack.
The attacks from the Gaza Strip, which had apparently been prepared for some time, came as a surprise to Israel. In the occupied West Bank, however, the situation had recently come to a head again. Since Thursday, four Palestinians have been killed there in their own attacks or confrontations with the army.
The security situation in Israel and the West Bank has been tense for a long time. Since the beginning of the year, 27 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed in attacks. During the same period, more than 200 Palestinians were killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or after their own attacks.
Israel had conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. The Palestinians claim these territories for an independent state of Palestine with the predominantly Arab eastern part of Jerusalem as its capital.
There have been several violent protests on the Gaza border over the past month. IEDs were thrown at soldiers, and several Palestinians were wounded by gunfire. In response to the incidents, the Israeli Air Force repeatedly attacked posts of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.
Israeli firefighters extinguish a fire after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a house in southern Israel. © Tsafrir Abayov/AP
According to the UN, more than two million people in the Gaza Strip live in very poor conditions. Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, the US and Israel, seized sole power by force in 2007. In response, Israel tightened a blockade of the coastal area, which is supported by Egypt. Dpa