israel-palestine war

On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale offensive against Israel from the Gaza Strip, breaking through the Gaza–Israel barrier and forcing entry into Gaza border crossings, nearby Israeli cities, adjacent military installations, and civilian settlements. It is the first direct conflict within Israel's de jure territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Hostilities were initiated in the early morning with a rocket barrage against Israel and vehicle-transported incursions into Israeli territory, with a number of attacks having been carried out on Israeli civilian communities and the Israeli military. Some observers have referred to these events as the beginning of a third Palestinian intifada.Organizations that have taken part in the Palestinian assault include Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Mohammed Deif, commander of Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades said that the attack was in response to "desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque", and Israel killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians this year. He called on Palestinians and Arab Israelis to "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls". In an emergency meeting in the West Bank shortly after the attacks began, Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority expressed support for the Gazan infiltration, stating that Palestinians had the right to defend themselves against the Israeli occupation. In Israel, all major opposition parties have advocated for the formation of a national unity government to combat the Palestinian offensive.At least 2,200 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip as Hamas militants broke through the border and entered Israel, killing at least 300 Israelis and prompting Israel's government to declare a state of emergency; Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel "is at war" in a national address following the beginning of the attacks. Palestinian militants who infiltrated Israel made their way into several kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip as well as the Israeli city of Sderot. The Palestinian Ministry of Health led by Hamas in Gaza reported Israel had killed at least 300 Palestinians in gunfights and by airstrikes, including civilians and 20 children, while the IDF stated it killed more than 400 terrorists. Both Palestinian and Israeli media sources reported that Israeli civilians and soldiers, including children, had been taken hostage by Palestinian militants; several of these hostages have reportedly since been taken to the Gaza Strip. Numerous cases of violence and massacres against Israeli civilians have also been reported since the beginning of the Hamas offensive.Most nations, including western countries, Argentina, Brazil, and India condemned Hamas for the violence and described the tactics used as terrorism, while some Arab and Muslim countries blamed the Israeli occupation and the denial of Palestinian statehood as the root cause of the escalation. Others called for de-escalation.

View More On Wikipedia.org