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TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel has plunged into a state of conflict as Palestinian militants launched a significant and unexpected assault from the besieged Gaza Strip on both civilian and military targets in Israel early on Saturday. The toll on both sides has been devastating, with hundreds of casualties reported, and an unknown number of Israelis being held captive.
As a new day dawns in Gaza and Israel, it brings with it the grim prospect of more violence. Despite numerous pleas from various countries, including the United States and Israel's neighboring Arab nations, urging restraint and a halt to the escalating conflict, leaders on both sides are adamant that they are now engaged in a full-scale war, one that shows no signs of ending soon.
On the initial day of hostilities, Israel suffered a staggering loss, with at least 250 fatalities and over 1,000 individuals wounded. Meanwhile, Gaza saw over 230 Palestinians lose their lives, with nearly 2,000 others sustaining injuries, according to Gaza's health officials. The violence has encompassed everything from close-quarter ground battles to airstrikes and rocket attacks. The questions that loom large now encompass how tranquility can be restored, what course of action Israel might pursue in response to what it views as an invasion, and whether this open warfare might disrupt U.S. efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
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During a late-night television address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that Israel would aggressively target every place where Hamas is concealed, reducing these locations to rubble. Israel's military is in the process of mobilizing reservist soldiers, fortifying positions, and launching airstrikes on Gaza targets.
Hamas, the Islamist militant organization, gained control of Gaza in 2007.
Netanyahu urged individuals residing in areas under Hamas control in the Gaza Strip to vacate immediately, emphasizing that Israel would hold accountable anyone who threatens their safety.
However, for the approximately 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza, departing from areas associated with Hamas is a complex challenge. The Gaza Strip has been under a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt for over 16 years, severely limiting the movement of people and goods into and out of the region.
On Saturday night, Israeli airstrikes struck central Gaza City, resulting in the destruction of a 14-story building that housed Hamas offices and apartments, as reported by The Associated Press. The airstrike was preceded by a warning from Israel, and there were no reported casualties.
Early Saturday, in a video statement in front of Israel's military headquarters, Netanyahu declared, "We are in a state of war" and pledged to exact a "significant toll from the adversary."
According to Netanyahu's office, his security cabinet convened and made the decision to cut off the supply of electricity and gas from Israel to Gaza, as well as to halt the import and export of goods through Israel's border crossing.
In Gaza City, morgues and hospitals were overwhelmed with families seeking information about their loved ones. The streets were shrouded in darkness on Saturday night.
Yousef Hammash, a local humanitarian worker affiliated with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Gaza, spoke with NPR from Jabalia Refugee Camp. He expressed deep uncertainty about their ability to continue humanitarian efforts the following day, saying, "We are now completely unprepared and unsure about how we can proceed with a new contingency plan," as the sounds of bombardments reverberated in the background of his phone call.
Hamas initiated an unparalleled assault.
image source npr.orgAt 6:30 a.m. local time, Palestinian militants launched a sophisticated offensive against Israel, employing paragliders for infiltration, executing an amphibious operation in the Mediterranean Sea, and launching attacks on land, as disclosed by Israeli military spokesman Richard Hecht during a press briefing.
The militants breached a border fence, using both explosives and heavy machinery, as depicted in videos from the scene.
Concurrently, Palestinian militants in Gaza unleashed a barrage of rockets toward Israel, totaling more than 3,000 rockets over the course of the day, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Air raid sirens blared, and explosive sounds reverberated in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and across central and southern Israel.
Top Hamas militant commander Mohammed Deif issued a call for a regional conflict. In a statement, he cited Saturday's assaults as a reaction to what he deemed the Israeli "desecration" of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, alluding to the presence of Jewish religious ultranationalists who visited the holy site, also revered in Judaism as the Temple Mount, during a Jewish holiday the previous week.
Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen engaged in hours-long clashes in at least five southern Israeli communities near Gaza, including the town of Sderot and the kibbutz communities of Nahal Oz, Beeri, Magen, and Kfar Aza, as well as two Israeli military camps in the vicinity, as reported by Hecht.
As of 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, Hecht reported that the military was still in active engagement with militants in 22 different locations, some of which involved the holding of Israeli hostages. However, he did not disclose the number of hostages taken.
In a tragic incident, the head of a southern Israeli regional council was fatally shot by Palestinian militants in Kfar Aza, as confirmed by a council spokeswoman to Israel's public broadcaster. Additionally, there were reports of one woman being killed due to rocket fire in southern Israel.
According to Israeli media accounts, groups of Gaza militants drove into Israel using trucks and reached civilian communities within Israel. Eyewitnesses informed Israel's public broadcaster that Palestinian militants were seen near Israeli residences, firing shots even at an outdoor nature festival, causing Israelis to seek refuge in fields and hide in bushes. In response to the security situation, Israeli police issued orders for residents of southern Israel to remain in their homes.
Biden asserts that the United States maintains unwavering support for Israel.
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President Biden confirmed that he had a conversation with Netanyahu on Saturday morning, expressing the readiness of the United States to provide any necessary support to Israel.
In a statement, Biden unequivocally stated, "Terrorism is never justifiable," and he emphasized Israel's legitimate right to defend itself and its citizens.
The president asserted that his administration's commitment to the security of Israel is resolute and unwavering.
Prominent U.S. officials are actively engaged in discussions with their Israeli counterparts and regional allies, spanning from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Austin affirmed the Pentagon's ongoing consultations with Israel to ensure it receives the necessary support.
The specific nature of any additional support remains uncertain, as per U.S. officials who spoke with NPR. The United States currently provides significant annual assistance to Israel and played a pivotal role in the development of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued an appeal to all parties, urging them to abstain from violence and retaliatory actions, underlining that "Terrorism and violence do not lead to solutions."
The recent outbreak of violence could potentially jeopardize the U.S.-brokered diplomatic negotiations aimed at normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. On Saturday, a senior official from the Biden administration informed reporters that it is currently too early to assess the impact of these developments on the ongoing talks.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, in its response, stated on Saturday that it has consistently cautioned about the dangerous situation that could arise in the absence of a peace process and the continued Israeli occupation. The kingdom appealed for restraint from both sides involved in the conflict.
Conflict breaks out following weeks of skirmishes.
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The violence that occurred on Saturday unfolded during the Jewish Sabbath and the Simchat Torah holiday, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the commencement of the significant 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israel was taken by surprise in an attack by Arab nations.
This recent surge in violence follows weeks of tense confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli forces along the Gaza-Israel border, as well as lethal Israeli military operations and clashes with Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Over the past fifteen years, Israel and Gaza militants have engaged in multiple wars.
In recent weeks, there have been reports of Egyptian mediators attempting to broker an agreement aimed at averting further violence between Gaza and Israel. This agreement seeks to provide financial stability to Hamas' government employees in Gaza and increase the number of Palestinian laborers allowed to work in Israel.
Israel has also experienced domestic unrest, including disagreements surrounding the efforts of the far-right Israeli government to diminish the influence of Israel's judiciary.
However, on Saturday, organizers of a large weekly protest decided to cancel their demonstration. A protest group consisting of reservist soldiers, who have led a significant movement of reservists refusing to participate in military trainings, called upon reservists to fulfill their duty if called up.
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