GAZA: Deadliest and unexpected clashes erupted in the history of Palestine-Israel decades long conflict soon after Palestinian Forces stormed into Israeli land killing over 1000 and scores in injured.

At least 400 Palestinians have so far been killed in retaliatory air strikes by Israel in Gaza, according to Palestine’s Health Ministry, taking death toll touched 1,000.  Hamas gunmen carried out deadly rampage in Israeli towns, one of the biggest incursion into Israel in decades could undermine US-backed efforts to forge regional security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for statehood and ambitions of group’s main backer, Iran.

Hamas fighters began their attack at dawn with huge barrage of rockets into southern Israel, giving cover to an unprecedented, multi-pronged infiltration of fighters into Israel from Gaza, narrow strip that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians.  Ministry added that nearly more than 2,000 have been wounded in escalation of conflict between Israel and Palestine.

On Sunday, conflict spread with Israeli military reporting that mortar bombs were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. Israeli forces responded with artillery strikes into Lebanon.  Hamas fighters killed at least 500 Israelis in clashes throughout Saturday and into Sunday and escaped back into Gaza with dozens of hostages. More than 400 Gazans were martyred when Israel responded with one of its most devastating days of retaliatory strikes.

"The enemy is still on the ground," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists as a second night fell after the attack, adding Israel was reinforcing its military strength near the Gaza Strip.  Gun battles raged as the Israeli army sought to secure desert regions near the coastal enclave, rescue Israeli hostages and evacuate all areas near Gaza.

"We'll reach each and every community until we kill every terrorist in Israel," vowed Hagari, a day after hundreds of Hamas fighters launched their shock offensive and surged into Israel using vehicles, boats and even motorised paragliders. “We will take mighty vengeance for this wicked day,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. An Israeli military spokesperson said operations were going on in eight areas around Gaza on Sunday.

Palestinian health officials said 20 children were among over 400 civilians martyred. Nearly 1,800 people were wounded, they said. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said assault that began in Gaza would spread to West Bank and Jerusalem. Gazans have lived under an Israeli blockade for 16 years.

In speech, Haniyeh highlighted threats to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Masjid, continuation of an Israeli blockade on Gaza and Israeli normalisation with countries the region. “How many times have we warned you that Palestinian people have been living in refugee camps for 75 years and you refuse to recognise rights of our people?”

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 09 2023

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