Hamas and Israel: The story behind the Conflict
What Happened between Hamas and Israel?
Saturday, 7th October 2023, Around 6:30 pm local time, the Palestinian Militant group Hamas fired 2,200 rockets (According to CNN) at Tel Aviv, Israel. According to Hamas, the number of rocket-missiles fired were 5,000.
The militants of Palestine entered Israel by Air, Sea and land. These militants attacked the communities near the Gaza Strip and took people hostage, leading to hundreds of deaths in Israel. Precisely, as per CNN, more than 700 hundred Israelis are dead, and more than 400 Palestinian residents are also dead in response to the Israel Airstrike in Palestine.
The Hamas says it captured 100 hostages, including Israeli soldiers.
Hamas named the operation “Al-Aqsa Storm“, and they mentioned that the attack was in response to an attack on women, the ongoing siege of Gaza, and the declaration of Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
What is The response of Israel?
In response, Israel declared war against Palestine on Sunday, 8th October. The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the Israeli Citizens: “Citizens of Israel, we are at war, Not in operation, Not in rounds, At war” (CNN)
Israel launched the operation “Operation Swords of Iron” in response to the attack. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) advised civilians of Gaza to leave their residential places as they would target Hamas.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that over 24 hours, more than 1,990 people were injured, and 313 were killed, including at least 20 children.
On 8th October 8, 2023, IDF (Israel Defense Force) Said it attacked 426 targets in Gaza, of which Hamas is using ten towers.
7 Palestinians are killed by the Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, which is Israel-Occupied.
Israel cut off the electricity and every other supply to Palestine. In a video, it can be seen that the Israeli destroyed a mosque in Khan Younis. IDF targets the Gaza Strip and residential buildings from its air strike in Gaza.
But why Palestine and Israel are fighting? What is the reason behind this attack, and what the world has to say about it?
What is Hamas?
Hamas came into being in 1987 and is an Islamist Organization; it emerged from a Sunni Islamist Group in Egypt that was founded in the 1920s in the Muslim Brotherhood.
The party does not accept Israel as a state and insists they occupy the Palestinian land with power and illegal operations. Thus, for this reason, the Organization fights many wars with Israel to keep them from doing injustice to the Palestinian people.
What is the Gaza Strip?
A 25-mile (41km) long and 10 km wide area between the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, and Israel. More than 2.2 people live there. It is one of the biggest density of human population areas.
The Air space of Gaza is being under control by Israel. It also controls its shore, which is why every import or export is done with the permission of Israel. The Gaza border is under control as they control who can enter or exit the city.
How Surprising Was the Attack?
As per the Information gathered by the community of Essay Writers UAE, the attack was without any kind of warning, and it is the most surprising and powerful attack from Hamas to Israel. And Israel hasn’t faced this kind of attack in hundreds of years.
The attack was so sudden that the Israeli agencies didn’t have time to react. And even the intelligence didn’t have any information about it.
The militants of Palestine enter Israel by paragliding. These militants were successfully able to enter the grounds of Israel.
The Reason Behind the Conflict:
Although the reason behind the attack is unclear, the tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians have been going on for several weeks as the IDF killed many Palestinian villagers. The IDF raided multiple Palestinian cities, and the Palestinians at the West Bank responded by killing the Israeli soldiers.
In the past week, Some Jews prayed at the compound of the Third Holiest place for Muslims, Al-Aqsa mosque, also known as Haram-Al-Sharif, which is the third holiest place after Mecca and Medina (The Guardian).
Jews are not allowed to pray at the compound of the Al-Aqsa mosque. This could be why Hamas reacted to this surprise attack and named the operation “Al Aqsa Storm.”
The Tension between Israel and Palestine has been going on for hundreds of years as both claim the land as their territory. And Because of the religious importance of the Al-Aqsa mosque to both religions. Both are trying to get control of the whole area.
What is the situation right now?
Due to the response of Israel and their Air Striking operation, more than 100k people are displaced in Gaza. The people are taking shelter inside the schools. The IDF destroyed over 150 housing units, while 1200 were damaged badly.
The militant commander of Hamas, Mohammad Deif, has called the Arabs and Palestinians to join the operation. And Israel has an eye on one of the strongest Lebanese Militant Groups, Hezbollah. Although Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel, no causality has been recorded. While Israel is planning for a ground operation in Gaza (BBC).
What the World Has to Say About the Conflict?
The different part of the world has shown concerns regarding the situation between Israel and Palestine. China and Japan want to stop this type of exercise. Some Countries like Brazil, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and France condemn the act and state in favour of Israel. At the same time, some countries want to stop any kind of harm to civilians on both sides.
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