Israel Hamas War: Over 1,000 Killed In Deadliest Attack
Israel declared war on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas rocket attack on the same day as the Jewish festival Simchat Torah. Watch our video for all the details.
ISH News had released videos about the Israel and Palestine fights earlier. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX-bph5Oic8
But now on 7th October 2023, Israel declared that the country is at war. Here’s Why - 7th October 2023 was an auspicious day in Israel. It was their festival called Simchat Torah during which the Jews read the holy text Torah. On the same day, Hamas, a terrorist group in the Gaza Strip launched 5000 rockets on Israel. With this attack, Israel declared a state of war. Civilians were asked to take shelter from bombings. Israel's iron dome defense system stopped most of the rockets. However, many of the rockets fell on the ground. Thousands have been injured and hundreds of people have been taken hostage. Videos are going viral on social media where a woman from the Israeli military was captured, stripped naked and paraded in the city and then killed. This attack reminds us of the attack that was done 50 years ago when Egyptian and Syrian forces launched an assault on 6th October 1973 during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur in an effort to retrieve territory Israel had taken away. Israel won with the help of the USA.
Actually, this conflict has been going on for the last 75 years. What is it?
Palestine people believe that since 1946 Israel has taken up almost all of their land. This is why many terror organizations are attacking Israel. Towards the south of Israel is the Gaza Strip which has the Mediterranean Sea on one side and has borders with Israel and Egypt. Since 2007 Gaza Strip has been controlled by the terrorist group Hamas. This group has been declared terrorist by many countries like USA, UK, European Union have declared it a terrorist group. Their objective is to take over the Palestine part including Israel. Which means to control the whole of Israel and remove Israel from the world map. For 30 years they have been violently attacking Israel. Official data shows that they have attacked the country 87 times. Now, Mohammed Deif, the leader of HAMAS declared this as Al Aqsa Storm. He is asking all Palestinians to stand against Israel. Hamas attacked Israel with rockets, by land soldiers by sea, etc. They fired rockets and sent a wave of fighters who gunned down civilians and took hundreds of hostages.
What is Al Aqsa Storm?
You know that Jerusalem (see map), is one of the holiest places for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Palestinians say that the Israelis do a lot of violence around the Al Aqsa mosque and kill a lot of Palestinians. However, Israel says that the people whom they killed were militants. Palestinians say that whenever they go to the mosque, stones are thrown at them. But Israel says that these have been counter-attacks after the militants attacked them. Israel says that people throw stones at their people and then hide in the mosque. However, Palestinians say that Israelis drag people out of the mosque and beat them or kill them. This situation has always been complicated and there is never clarity on who started the violence.
Now the question is how do the Hamas group get so many weapons? Who is supporting them?
The USA keeps giving Palestine financial aid on humanitarian grounds. Maybe that money is not really being used for the benefit of the people and is being misused by the militant group. Israel-Gaza violence is escalating by the day with rockets piercing the skies into each other's territories and shootouts between security forces and the Hamas group. Over 1,100 have been killed on both sides since Hamas launched its attack on Saturday. For weeks, excited music-lovers had looked forward to the Supernova festival, held in Israel. Just hours later, their social media pages are now flooded with desperate people trying to find loved ones, after Palestinian militants stormed the festival and opened fire as part of a huge surprise attack on Israel. More than 250 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the festival site. Many Israeli soldiers and civilians are being held hostages across the Gaza border. Israel Defence Forces has described the Hamas attack as their "9/11" moment and the worst massacre of innocent citizens in Israel's history. Israel said, “These animal-like terrorists broke into homes, gathered entire families into rooms and shot them point blank, as if they were stomping on insects. Grandparents and the elderly, among them Holocaust survivors who endured the Nazis, were violently dragged from their homes, this time by Hamas and taken into Gaza." Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to avenge what he said was a "black day" for Israel. The army is about to use all its force to destroy Hamas. We'll strike them to the bitter end and avenge with force this black day they brought on Israel and its people," he said. He warned Palestinians living near Hamas sites in Gaza to leave as he vowed to turn its hideouts into "rubble".
A rocket rained down on a hotel in Israel's Ashkelon as NDTV journalists were about to check-in. Air raid sirens blared and the crew ran for shelter leaving their luggage behind, as live visuals showed rockets piercing the sky. Israel citizens are saying that the situation is even worse than that shown on TV. There are videos of even the Israeli Deaf being stuck in the war. Israel’s first Deaf MP’s video is also going viral on social media. The USA said several Americans were killed in the surprise land-sea-air attack on Israel and ordered the deployment of US warships and fighter jets to Israel, signaling their unwavering support for Israel. Lebanon's Hezbollah (militant group) said it fired large numbers of missiles at Israeli positions in solidarity with the attack launched by Hamas. Canada witnessed celebratory rallies especially by the Khalistanis after the Hamas militant group launched an attack on Israel. A video showed people on trucks and cars shouting slogans and carrying the Palestine flag. More such videos and images of celebrations in other countries like Sweden, Germany, and Turkey are also doing the rounds on social media.
In Uttar Pradesh, hundreds of students at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) demonstrated on campus in support of Palestine. These Muslim students besides chanting Allah-u-Akbar slogans, were holding posters saying ‘We Stand with Palestine’ and AMU stands with Palestine, Free Palestine, this land is Palestine, not Israel’.”
In fact, police in the UK have stepped up vigil and tightened security at Jewish religious places after celebratory incidents were reported in London. Oil prices have soared in the Middle East after the Hamas attack on Israel. Major airlines from around the world have canceled flights to Israel. Bollywood Actress Nushrratt Bharuccha was in Israel to attend the HAIFA film awards and was stuck. The news of Nusrat Bharucha’s situation in Israel had caused concern among her fans and well-wishers. However, with the assistance of the embassy, Nushrat has now safely reached India through a connecting flight via Abu Dhabi. She was seen crying at the airport on her return.
Does this attack impact India in any way?
A lot of Indian students and Indian citizens, Indian Jews are stuck in Israel. The government has yet to make a decision on evacuation. India - Middle East - Europe Corridor was signed at the G20 Summit. This route passed through the Mediterranean Sea. If there is a conflict going on, the project might face problems. India will have to wait and watch. However, now India, like France, Germany, Italy, and others have condemned these attacks and supported Israel's right to defend itself.
