Gaza Border has Regained its Authority, Declares Israel
Date: October 10, 2023
THE SOIL – On Tuesday, Israel announced that it had regained authority over the Gaza border, launching a relentless series of airstrikes on the territory. These airstrikes were the most intense in the 75-year history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This action was taken despite a warning from Hamas, stating that they would execute a hostage for every residential structure targeted.
After a horrific episode in which armed assailants caused havoc in the towns and left the streets littered with dead bodies, Israel has vowed to pursue harsh retaliation. Israel has never had a more serious attack than this one. As a result, it has started to mobilise tens of thousands of reserve soldiers, and it has also put in place a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is home to 2.3 million people.
Israeli media reported that the casualty count resulting from the Hamas assaults had surged to 900 individuals, with the majority being civilians who tragically lost their lives either within their residences, on the streets, or while attending a social gathering. This tragedy surpasses the magnitude of any previous extremist attacks, excluding the events of 9/11. Additionally, a number of Israeli citizens were taken captive in Gaza, and some were even paraded through the streets as part of this distressing situation.
No Place is Safe in Gaza
Approximately 700 residents of Gaza have lost their lives as a result of Israeli airstrikes, as reported by officials in Gaza. Furthermore, extensive areas within Gaza have been completely razed to the ground.
The United Nations reported that approximately 180,000 residents of Gaza found themselves without homes, with many seeking refuge on the streets or taking shelter in schools. The morning sky was filled with plumes of smoke and flames, and frequent bombings of the roadways frequently hindered the ability of emergency responders to access the sites of the airstrikes.
In the morgue of Khan Younis hospital in Gaza, lifeless bodies were carefully arranged on stretchers, each one marked with the deceased’s name inscribed upon their torsos. Medical personnel urgently appealed to families to expedite the retrieval of their loved ones, as the facility had reached its capacity for the deceased.
A significant number of injuries occurred in a previously city-owned structure that was hit while serving as a refuge for families forced to leave their homes during an emergency.
Ala Abu Tair, 35, who had fled Abassan Al-Kabira close to the border and sought refuge there with his family, said: “There is an extraordinary number of martyrs; people are still under the rubble; some friends are either martyrs or wounded. No place is safe in Gaza, as you see they hit everywhere.”
Israel may consider launching a ground operation into the Gaza Strip
While conducting their fieldwork, three Gaza-based journalists tragically lost their lives when an Israeli missile struck a building. In the past weekend alone, a total of six journalists have lost their lives in Gaza, bringing the overall count to six fatalities.
At a certain point, the Israeli military suggested to the Gaza civilian population that they should consider making their way to Egypt, but shortly after, they issued a swift clarification, confirming that the border crossing was shut and there existed no exit route.
In Israel, an official tally of the casualties from Saturday’s tragic attacks is yet to be fully compiled. In the southern community of Be’eri, where over a hundred fatalities have been accounted for, dedicated volunteers clad in yellow vests and wearing protective face coverings somberly transported the deceased from residences using stretchers.
Israel may consider launching a ground operation into the Gaza Strip, an area it withdrew from in 2005 and has maintained a blockade on since Hamas assumed control in 2007. The comprehensive blockade declared on Monday is set to prevent essential supplies, including food and fuel, from reaching the territory.
Israel was utterly taken by surprise during Saturday’s assault, and it required over 48 hours to effectively secure the state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar high-tech defensive wall, originally designed to be impenetrable.
Concerns about the possibility of a secondary conflict in the region
Israeli officials must now make a crucial choice: whether to limit their response in order to protect the hostages. On Monday, Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida delivered a stark warning, vowing to execute an Israeli captive for each Israeli airstrike on a residential dwelling without prior notice, with the intention of broadcasting these gruesome acts.
The recent assaults on Saturday disrupted the carefully laid out strategies of Middle East diplomats during a pivotal moment. At this critical juncture, Israel was on the cusp of finalizing an accord to establish normalized relations with Saudi Arabia, the wealthiest Arab nation.
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Western nations have provided steadfast support to Israel, while cities in Arab regions have witnessed public protests expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Iran, which is known to have ties with Hamas, celebrated the recent hostilities but refrained from acknowledging any direct involvement in the events.
On Tuesday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed gratitude towards those responsible for orchestrating the recent attacks. However, he firmly asserted that attributing these actions to Iran would be an erroneous assumption. According to him, these attacks have inflicted an irreversible blow to Israel’s military and intelligence capabilities.
On Monday, a violent clash occurred along Israel’s northern border, sparking concerns about the possibility of a secondary conflict in the region. This situation has the potential to involve Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, Iran’s key ally in the area, even though Hezbollah has denied any involvement in an intrusion into Israeli territory.