On October 7th, 2023, a free and democratic country was invaded for the second time in 24 months. According to Forbes Magazine, Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Saturday morning “We are at war,” calling on “all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal—victory in the war.”
This unprecedented statement from the Israeli head of state comes after a weekend of unimaginable violence. It began at 6:35 am, when the first sirens went on in alarm to warn of the incoming rockets in central and southern Israel. This was the start of Hamas’ firing that would become thousands of rockets at Israel, striking major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. By 7:40 am, however. The extent of the upcoming violence became apparent when the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Hamas fighters had crossed from Gaza into southern Israel. The Israeli authorities ask residents of these towns, including Sderot, to hide in their homes. At 8:23 a.m. Nearly two hours after the first air raid sirens, the scale of the attacks was becoming clear. Hamas had taken hostages in southern Israel and fired wave after wave of rockets. This led Israel to declare a state of alert for war, effectively calling up as many reservists as possible.
Despite the region being defined by violence in recent years these events stand out for several major reasons. First, the scale of the rocket launches has shocked the world. Israel's “Iron Dome”, the defensive curtain of an anti-air missile system supplied by the US, has been improved by the state. Despite regular and varied rocket attacks from Hamas, going back decades, it is far easier to count the missiles that hit Israel then don’t. In this case, however, the system was completely overwhelmed. This led to apartment blocks across the country being hit, civilians being terrorized, and the military scrambling to maintain the supplies needed to keep the system up and running.
Secondly, and more shockingly, the Hamas troops crossed the border and struck deep into the country. They moved into settlements, taking hundreds of civilian hostages all while slipping past what were thought to be heavily armed checkpoints. The proficiency of the Israeli military will come under harsh scrutiny in the coming months, and they will more than likely have to face repeated inquisitions as to how this was allowed to happen. As of now, the world remains shocked and horrified by the level of violence that continues, with thousands already dead on both sides, and unfortunately, no end in sight.
Information sourced from Forbes Magazine, “Israel Vows ‘Mighty Vengeance’: Unprecedented Hamas Attack Leaves At Least 200 Dead”
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