Hamas attack on Israel. Main

In the early morning of October 7, a large-scale attack by the Hamas group on Israeli territory began. On this day, the country celebrates the holiday of Simchat Torah according to the Jewish calendar, and the day before, according to the European calendar, was the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War (October War), when Israel also unexpectedly suffered a massive attack from Egypt and Syria. Vedomosti has collected everything that is known about what is happening in the country.

Around 9:30 Moscow time, the head of the military wing of Hamas, Mohammed al-Deif, officially announced the start of a “military operation” against Israel called “Al-Aqsa Flood”, as a pretext accusing the Israeli side of occupation and repeated incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque (located in Jerusalem). According to him, more than 5,000 unguided rockets and shells have already been fired at Israeli positions.

The IDF announced the start of the retaliatory military operation “Iron Swords” at about 10:40 Moscow time. Air and artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip began in the morning. Approximately 200 IDF personnel were reported injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated about the beginning of the war. “We are at war, and we will win it. I ordered a massive mobilization of reservists and a return fire of a magnitude the enemy had never seen before. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” the politician said.

According to the IDF, the south and center of the country, including Tel Aviv, came under fire. Israeli airports in these areas have been closed since morning. “In response to rocket attacks on Israel launched by Hamas from Gaza, the IDF is currently striking Hamas targets in Gaza,” the IDF explained. According to reports from Haaretz, Al Jazeera, the Times of Israel and other media, air and artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip began early in the morning. Approximately 200 IDF personnel were reported injured.

At the same time, Hamas fighters infiltrated several Israeli cities and took hostages, according to media reports. In the city of Sderot, a detachment of armed Palestinians entered the city police station, and there was a shootout. Hamas also infiltrated the city of Netivot. Haaretz reports dozens of Hamas “militants” infiltrating Israel and the taking of an unspecified number of hostages in these two cities (citing sources). The Islamic Jihad group (recognized as terrorist in Russia and banned in Russia) also took part in the fighting on the side of Hamas.

20 minutes before the announcement of the start of a retaliatory military operation against Hamas, at about 10:20 Moscow time, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, after an operational meeting, said that “Hamas made a serious mistake this morning and started a war against the State of Israel,” noting that the army “ fighting at all points” of enemy penetration, and promised that his country would “win this war” (quoted by Haaretz). As of 10:37 Moscow time, four people were reported dead from rocket attacks in Israel, and 120 people were injured.

Sources from the Lebanese channel Al Mayadeen, which is close to Hezbollah confirm Hamas capture of 35 Israeli soldier hostages in the Gaza Strip.

A little later, the head of the Hamas Politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, issued a statement in which he called what was happening “a battle of honor, resistance and defense on the path of the Prophet and Al-Aqsa.” “At these historical moments, war occurs. Heroism, the name of which is Al-Aqsa, the holy places and our prisoners, the central and fundamental reason for which is the criminal Zionist aggression that took place against the mosque,” ​​Haniyeh said.

The Israeli government is set to convene a cabinet meeting at 17:00 local time. The Israeli opposition has stopped nationwide protests against judicial reform and declared support for the government amid the outbreak of war. “Israel is in a state of emergency. We will support the government in any decisive military response,” the office of former prime minister and opposition leader Yair Lapid said in a statement.

The US Office of Palestine Affairs condemned the Hamas attacks and said “terror and violence solve nothing.” Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog noted at about 10:20 Moscow time that Hamas is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and said that “we expect the free world to unequivocally condemn it and support Israel’s right to self-defense.”