“We are starting a long and difficult war that was forced on us by a murderous attack by Hamas,” said Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Following major attacks by Palestinian militants, Israel’s air force continued to attack targets in the Gaza Strip on Sunday night. Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides so far. The objective is to destroy the military and governance capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad so that they will no longer be able to threaten the citizens of Israel for many years to come, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced.
However, northern Israel was also attacked by Lebanon, according to the military. The Israeli army then shelled Lebanese territory, the military said. It was said on Sunday that a region of Lebanon was being shelled from where the shooting took place. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) artillery would fire on the area in Lebanon from where shots were recently fired into Israeli territory, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Sunday on Platform X (formerly Twitter). The Israeli armed forces are prepared for all scenarios and will continue to protect the security of Israel’s residents.
The Hezbollah militia in Lebanon maintains good relations with the Palestinian militant Hamas. Pro-Iranian Hezbollah congratulated Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, on Saturday for its major attack. There were fears that Hezbollah could also attack Israel. Both Hamas and Hezbollah deny Israel’s right to exist.
At a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet on Sunday morning, it was decided, among other things, to stop the import of electricity, fuel and goods into the Gaza Strip.
“We are starting a long and difficult war”
“We are beginning a long and difficult war, forced on us by a murderous attack by Hamas,” Netanyahu said after the security cabinet meeting. “We will turn all the places where Hamas is organized and hides into islands of rubble,” he said in an earlier speech.
He called on residents of the Gaza Strip to “flee from there now, because we will act everywhere and with all our strength”. Israel will take revenge. “This war will take time,” said the Israeli prime minister. “There are still challenging days ahead.”
The Israeli army is evacuating Israeli cities in the border area due to the war with Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, and other extremist organizations. Thousands of people were expected to be moved to other locations in Israel, Israeli army spokesman Richard Hecht said on Sunday. The army has declared the area around the coastal strip as a restricted area.
There are still eight spots in the south of the country where possible attackers are being searched, Hecht said. The Gaza Strip barrier has been breached in 29 locations and is now fully under control. Potential new attackers are attacked at these points from the air.
Backed by a hail of thousands of rockets, Hamas fighters from the blockaded Gaza Strip entered nearby Israeli towns on Saturday. They killed several people and kidnapped an unknown number of soldiers and civilians, including, according to media reports, children, to the Gaza Strip. The federal government is checking whether German citizens are affected.
Several Israeli cities, including the coastal metropolis Tel Aviv, have been targeted by heavy rocket attacks. Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad told the BBC that the group received direct support from Iran for the attack. Iran pledged to “support Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem”. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, US and Israel.
Hundreds of deaths
According to media reports, at least 300 people have died in Israel so far. Around 1,900 people were injured. The attacks came as a complete surprise to Israel on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (Joy of Torah). The Israeli military then began counterattacks in the Gaza Strip. On the Palestinian side, at least 256 people died and almost 1,800 were injured, the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health reported. Israeli forces also killed several suspected Hamas members at a police station in the city of Sderot, which borders the Gaza Strip.
According to media reports, Israeli soldiers also managed to free hostages who were being held in a house in Ofakim, on the border with the Gaza Strip. They stormed the building and killed ten terrorists, news website Ynet and broadcaster i24NEWS reported. Three Israeli soldiers were injured.
The first phase now ends with the “destruction of the majority of enemy forces that invaded our territory”, he stated after the Israeli Security Cabinet meeting. At the same time, an offensive phase began, which will continue until the objectives are achieved. “We will restore the security of Israel’s citizens and we will win,” he said.
Meanwhile, violence continues in the West Bank. Six Palestinians were killed in clashes with the Israeli army in several places on Saturday, including a 13-year-old boy, the Health Ministry in Ramallah said. According to Palestinian reports, another man was shot dead by Israeli soldiers after an attempted knife attack.
Meanwhile, in Israel, at night, there was talk about forming an emergency government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered two opposition leaders, Jair Lapid and Benny Gantz, to join an emergency government, a spokesman for Netanyahu’s Likud party said. Lapid had already signaled his willingness to do so. However, according to media reports, a meeting between Lapid and Gantz would have failed to reach an agreement.
Following Hamas’ attack on Israel, China called for an end to violence. China is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of tensions, Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday. All parties involved must “exercise restraint, immediately cease fire, protect civilians and ensure that the situation does not deteriorate further.”
China also recalled its fundamental position in relation to the conflict. The only way to find a solution is to implement a “two-state solution” and establish an independent Palestinian state. China wants to work with the international community to allow peace talks to resume as soon as possible. (APA/Portal)