Hamas terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory on Saturday, killing hundreds of men and women, and kidnapping soldiers and civilians, including children. Israelis on Saturday were observing the religious holiday of Sukkot.
As of Sunday evening, approximately 700 Israelis were killed and 2,000 wounded. The Palestinian Health Ministry published Palestinian casualties from Israeli attacks and airstrikes with 370 dead and 2,200 injured.
There are reports that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are holding approximately 130 Israeli hostages. These reports are still unconfirmed.
Around 1,000 terrorists managed to break through the security fence surrounding Gaza as well as fly into Israel using paragliders. Terrorists also attacked Israel with boats from the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, terrorists fired thousands of rockets across Israel, with many intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The terrorists managed to attack an all-night trance music rave party that took place near the Gaza border, killing and injuring hundreds. At least some of the partygoers were captured on film being taken hostage.
This is the first time Hamas has managed to infiltrate Israel on such a large scale and this is also the first time in 50 years Israel appears to have been caught flat-footed.
Fifty years ago, Israel was caught by surprise at the start of what became known as the Yom Kippur War on October 6, 1973 when it was attacked by Egypt and Syria. It took the Israeli army many hours to regain the upper hand and ultimately win the war.
Now, Israel is fighting to regain the upper hand, but analysts are skeptical Israel will manage to do so quickly.
There are still pockets of terrorists hiding and fighting within Israeli territory in border towns around Gaza and then there is the issue of the hostages.
With so many Israeli citizens now being held in Gaza, it will be difficult for Israel to attack wherever it wants as it will likely want to take caution and avoid hitting the hostages.
Social media networks have been filled with ghastly images and videos, showing Hamas terrorists with captured Israeli girls, old women, and children.
“What happened today is unprecedented in Israel, and I will see to it that it does not happen again,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Hebrew in a televised address on Sunday. “The entire government is behind this decision. The IDF will immediately use all its strength to destroy Hamas’s capabilities.”
Western countries including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany have expressed support for Israel. Hundreds of Germans stood in support of Israel at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Sunday. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, put out a statement slamming Hamas for kidnapping civilians.
The question now is what happens next.
Israeli forces are amassing at the Gaza border after Israel’s Ministry of Defense called up thousands of reservists. It appears the IDF is preparing for an incursion into Gaza in an effort to destroy Hamas capabilities and return the Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu is particularly familiar with this dilemma as it was his brother Yoni who led the famed raid at Entebbe, Uganda in 1976 that saw the rescue of 102 hostages after terrorists hijacked an Air France plane.
Yoni was killed in the raid – the only military casualty that night. Three hostages were killed as well.
Several Israeli experts and many anguished civilians are calling for the total annihilation of Hamas and the destruction of its capabilities to attack Israel further.
International human rights groups have called for a deescalation and for all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law.