Fears of a large floor invasion of Gaza are rising as Israel plots its response to the worst assault it has suffered in many years and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to show the besieged Palestinian enclave right into a “desert island.”
The pledge got here after gunmen from Hamas, which guidelines Gaza, rampaged by way of Israeli cities and killed at the very least 250 folks on Saturday as they retreated with troopers and civilian hostages within the deadliest day of violence for Israel for the reason that Yom Kippur Warfare 50 years in the past.
The Israeli military responded with devastating retaliatory assaults on Gaza, killing greater than 230 Palestinians within the blockaded strip.
Israeli forces have been nonetheless bombarding Gaza and battling Hamas gunmen in elements of southern Israel within the early hours of Sunday. A military spokesman stated the state of affairs within the nation was not totally underneath management.
Hamas stated its unprecedented offensive by land, air and sea was in response to the desecration of the Al Aqsa Mosque and Israeli atrocities towards Palestinians in current many years. Mohammed Deif, a Hamas army commander, stated the time has come “when the enemy understands… they can not proceed with out penalties.”
Hamas leaders stated the assault that began in Gaza would unfold to the occupied West Financial institution and Jerusalem.
Netanyahu, who has declared a “state of battle” and referred to as up army reservists, vowed to battle Hamas to the bitter finish. He informed Palestinians in Gaza, who’re underneath Israel’s land, air and sea blockade, to go away the realm instantly.
“We are going to take sturdy revenge for this black day,” the Israeli chief stated in a televised tackle. “We are going to take revenge for all of the younger individuals who misplaced their lives. We are going to goal all Hamas positions. We are going to flip Gaza right into a abandoned island. To the residents of Gaza, I say. You need to depart now. We are going to goal each nook of the strip.”
‘Kill and Seize’
Gaza’s two million residents spent the evening in darkness and uncertainty as Israel lower energy to the realm and continued its bombardment of the densely populated enclave. Palestinian fighters fired rockets from Gaza in the direction of Israel, lots of which have been intercepted within the air.
Gaza’s lifeless and wounded have been taken to crumbling and overcrowded hospitals, the place there have been severe shortages of medical provides and tools. The Well being Ministry stated 232 folks had been killed and at the very least 1,700 injured.
Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, informed Al Jazeera that Hamas was holding a lot of Israeli prisoners, together with senior army officers. He stated Hamas had sufficient prisoners for Israel to free all of the Palestinians in its prisons.
“We managed to kill and seize many Israeli troopers,” he stated.
Whereas world leaders referred to as for restraint, many observers predicted {that a} main floor assault on Gaza is probably going within the works.
“There can be a second act and that can be an invasion of Gaza, and I believe greater than in 2014 when Israel referred to as up 80,000 reserves,” stated Yonah Jeremy Bob, a army analyst for the Jerusalem Submit.
“Inside a day or two, Israel could have an enormous pressure that may overwhelm Hamas forces in Gaza,” Bob informed Al Jazeera.
Danny Danon, a member of Israel’s Knesset, or parliament, stated a backlash towards Hamas is coming.
“The folks in Gaza should take note of that they should pay a value. In contrast to Hamas, we’ve got no intention of wounding civilians, but when we hunt Hamas, we can be sturdy, environment friendly and we are going to do no matter it takes to hunt them down,” Danon informed Al Jazeera.
“We is not going to stand idly by after greater than 200 Israeli civilians have been slaughtered right this moment on our Jewish vacation.”
In the meantime, residents in southern Israel had nonetheless not been allowed to go away the shelters the place they’d been hiding from the attackers for the reason that early hours. Within the city of Sderot, Israeli forces tried to demolish a police station captured by Palestinian fighters earlier within the day.
“It seems that the Israeli Protection Forces are attempting to demolish that constructing to keep away from any booby traps. It’s not but clear whether or not there are nonetheless gunmen inside,” stated Willem Marx of Al Jazeera, reporting from West Jerusalem.
“We heard right this moment from the Israeli army that each one choices stay on the desk after we have been requested whether or not this might finish in a floor invasion of Gaza. “We all know that giant numbers of reservists, 1000’s of them, have been referred to as up and that giant numbers of heavy weapons, together with tanks, have been seen on roads south in the direction of Gaza,” he added.
‘The world is watching’
US President Joe Biden denounced the “unconscionable” assault by Hamas fighters and vowed to make sure Israel has “what it must defend itself.” He informed Netanyahu that the US “stands with the folks of Israel.”
“Israel has the proper to defend itself and its folks, interval. There may be by no means any justification for terrorist assaults and my administration’s help for Israeli safety is rock-solid and unwavering,” Biden stated.
Biden additionally warned Israel’s enemies that “now will not be the time for any get together hostile to Israel to take advantage of these assaults to realize benefit. The world is watching.”
Egypt is holding talks with Saudi Arabia and Jordan in an try to defuse Palestinian-Israeli tensions, the Egyptian International Ministry stated.
There have been demonstrations in help of Hamas throughout the Center East, with Israeli and American flags being burned and demonstrators waving Palestinian flags in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
In Iran, Israel’s regional nemesis, parliamentarians opened their periods on Saturday by chanting “Loss of life to Israel” and “Israel can be damned, Palestine would be the conqueror.”
Iranian International Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated: “At this time’s operation has created a brand new web page within the area of resistance and armed operations towards the occupiers.”
Lots of additionally took to the streets in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon to have a good time the Hamas operation.
Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the web site The Digital Intifada, stated 80 years of Israeli repression and “massacres” in Palestine have been the rationale behind Saturday’s violence.
“The Palestinian individuals are combating for his or her liberation in a simply method. An indigenous folks combating for its existence will battle again with nice motivation towards many years of residing underneath the boot of this colonial regime, whose brutality is underlined by the response of Israel’s leaders,” he informed Al Jazeera.
