This is an unprecedented attack by Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza the likes of which has not been seen since the group came to power in the Strip.
SETH J. FRANTZMAN OCTOBER 7, 2023 09:15
Updated: OCTOBER 7, 2023 11:08
Terrorists in Gaza launched a massive surprise attack on Israel on the morning of October 7. Sirens sounded throughout southern Israel and rocket fire could be seen as far as Jerusalem.
This is an unprecedented attack by Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza the likes of which has not been seen since the group came to power in the Strip. This is because it combines rocket fire and attacks along the border of Gaza.
The attack began after six in the morning with rocket fire. The IDF said that the “Hamas terrorist organization had begun a massive shooting of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, and terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in a number of different locations.”
The IDF also said that “civilians in the southern and central areas are required to stay next to shelters, and in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, inside shelters. The Chief of the General staff is currently conducting a situational assessment and approves plans for the continuation of the IDF activity.”
Israel has said that “the Hamas terrorist organization is the sovereign in the Gaza Strip and is responsible for this attack. It will face the consequences and responsibility for these events.”
The Minister of Defense approved the draft of reserve soldiers in accordance with the IDF’s requirements.
Israel is in a state of war
How did we get here? In the past conflicts with Gaza often went through stages, with a slow build up of tensions. For instance back in 2008 before Operation Cast Lead there was increasing rocket fire from Gaza.
In many operations it was Israel that dictated the tempo of the conflict, launching strikes in Gaza in 2012 or 2019, with Operations Pillar of Cloud and Black Belt. In 2014 the conflict also began with tensions in the West Bank after the kidnapping and murder of three Israelis. The ten day conflict in 2021 also began with tensions in Jerusalem.
The attacks this morning were unprecedented in their size and their extent. Hamas has tried infiltrations before, but the Gaza border fence and security have generally prevented those attempts.
Hamas has also tried to use rioters as cover for threats. However, even though Hamas had instigated some riots over the last month, there was no evidence that this was a slow drumbeat towards a wider war.
In fact overall the Iranian-backed proxies such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah had been relatively quiet in their over threats and activity in recent days. This was a lull before the storm.
Today the storm has broken. While it remains to be seen how this attack will continue to unfold and what Israel’s overall response will be, it is clear that Hamas and terror groups in Gaza have sought to dictate the tempo of the conflict, attempting to wrest that decision from Israel.
In a sense this could be seen as an attempt by the terrorists to replay the Yom Kippur War, which included a surprise attack on Israel fifty years ago. Unlike the attack in 1973 the terrorists do not have warplanes or a conventional force and Israel is in a much stronger position.
However, Iran backs the terrorists in Gaza and it is possible that the attack could be a curtain raiser for other moves by Iran and its network of terrorist proxies in the region.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-762048.