According to reports from medical sources in Gaza, a minimum of 198 Palestinians lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes. These airstrikes were initiated as a response to a prior Hamas offensive against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of at least 40 individuals and 750 wounded in Hamas attacks. The organisation governing the besieged enclave indicated that their extensive, unanticipated operation was launched due to the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and an escalation in settler-related violence.
Hamas has claimed responsibility for firing thousands of rockets and for the capture of “a substantial number” of Israelis following the infiltration of its fighters into Israel from the Gaza Strip. This operation was prompted by a series of provocative visits by thousands of settlers to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. It also follows a notable increase in incidents of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians over the past year, with an average rate of three incidents per day during the initial eight months of 2023, as reported by the United Nations.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, describes the situation as a state of war, while Palestinian officials assert that the only path to achieving security, stability, and peace in the region is by ending the Israeli occupation of their territory.
The United States has pledged to assist Israel in obtaining the necessary resources for its defence, while the United Kingdom, European Union, and Ukraine have condemned the attacks by Hamas on Israel.
According to Ali Hosseini Khamenei, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Iran provided support for the Palestinian offensive. Meanwhile, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has announced its direct communication with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance.