The map shows where Israel’s attacks took place in Gaza
The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel, with its fighters entering communities near the Gaza Strip, killing residents and taking hostages.
Here’s what you need to know about the people and places involved—and the essential context for understanding this story.
Hamas is a militant Palestinian Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip. Hamas has vowed to destroy Israel and has fought several wars with the country since taking power in Gaza in 2007.
Between those wars, it fired or allowed other groups to fire thousands of rockets at Israel and carried out other deadly attacks. Israel has also repeatedly attacked Hamas with airstrikes and, along with Egypt, has blockaded the Gaza Strip since 2007, saying it is for its security.
Hamas as a whole, or in some cases its military wing, is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as other powers. Hamas is supported by Iran, which finances it and provides weapons and training.
The Gaza Strip is a 41 km long and 10 km wide area between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It is home to around 2.3 million people and has one of the highest population densities in the world.
Israel controls the airspace over Gaza and its sea coast and limits who and what goods can enter and exit through its border crossings. Likewise, Egypt controls who crosses its border with Gaza.
According to the United Nations, about 80% of Gaza’s population relies on international aid and about a million people rely on daily food aid.
1 of 2 USE ONLY IN BBC CONTENT: Israelis leave their homes fearing attacks Photo: Getty Images via BBC USE ONLY IN BBC CONTENT: Israelis leave their homes fearing attacks Photo: Getty Images via BBC
What is Palestine and what do these events have to do with it?
The West Bank and Gaza, the socalled Palestinian territories, as well as East Jerusalem and Israel have been part of the country of Palestine since Roman times.
These were also the lands of the Jewish kingdoms in the Bible and are considered by Jews to be their ancient homeland.
Israel was declared a state in 1948, although the country is still called Palestine by those who do not recognize Israel’s right to exist. Palestinians also use the name Palestine as an umbrella term for the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
There are ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas, but the militants’ attack on Saturday came without warning.
Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel while dozens of militants crossed the border into Israeli communities, killing dozens of civilians and kidnapping others.
Israel immediately launched airstrikes, claiming they were targeting militant sites in the Gaza Strip.
2 of 2 USE ONLY IN BBC CONTENT: BBC News has reviewed footage of a Hamas bulldozer destroying part of the Gaza barrier Photo: Social Media via BBC USE ONLY IN BBC CONTENT: BBC News has footage of a Hamas Bulldozer checks destruction of part of Gaza barrier Photo: Social Media via BBC
Why is this attack unprecedented?
As our international editor Jeremy Bowen writes, this is the most ambitious operation Hamas has ever launched from Gaza and the most serious crossborder attack Israel has faced in more than a generation.
The militants crossed the fence separating Gaza from Israel in several places.
The unprecedented attack came a day after the 50th anniversary of the 1973 surprise attack by Egypt and Syria that sparked a major war in the Middle East. The significance of the date will not have gone unnoticed by the Hamas leadership.
Does this represent a major failure of Israeli intelligence?
Yes, says our security correspondent Frank Gardner. Given the combined efforts of the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, Mossad, its foreign spy service and the entire resources of the Israel Defense Forces, it is frankly surprising that no one foresaw this or responded to a warning. , if so Had occurred.
Israel undoubtedly has the most extensive and wellequipped intelligence community in the Middle East, with informants and agents within Palestinian militant groups as well as in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere.
On site, along the stretched fence that separates Gaza and Israel, there are cameras, motion sensors and regular army patrols.
The barbed wirecovered fence should have been a “smart barrier” to prevent exactly the kind of infiltration that took place in this attack. However, Hamas fighters simply broke through, cut holes in the fence or entered Israel by sea and paragliding.