On the morning of October 7, militants of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas carried out multiple attacks on Jewish settlements, cities, and military installations of the State of Israel. In the first hours of the attack, several thousand rockets (mostly using improvised or factory-made multiple-launch rocket systems) were fired at Israel. Immediately, information began to flow about the cruelty of Hamas militants, who kidnapped Israeli civilians, mocked the bodies of military personnel, and used torture and beatings on those captured.
As of the morning of October 8, The Health Ministry of Israel updated the number of wounded and hospitalized from the Hamas assault to 1,864: 19 in critical condition, 326 seriously wounded, and 359 in mild condition; 821 people lightly wounded and 20 being treated for traumatic stress. An additional 223 people are under medical supervision.
Regarding the data on casualties from the attacking side: Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says 256 Palestinians have been killed and another 1,788 have been wounded in the Gaza Strip.
Almost immediately, Israel began mobilizing reservists. Military and police units began to liberate captured settlements where Palestinian militants had infiltrated. Israel has launched a massive military ground operation to wipe out the militants who have dealt the worst blow since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
International situation
Most countries in the world condemned the brutal attack on Israel. The US President expressed full and unconditional support for Israel and declared the right to self-defense. Most top-tier American politicians have expressed their full support and solidarity for Israel. The EU and individual EU countries have also supported Israel and strengthened the protection of sites associated with Jewish cultural and religious heritage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on Israel and noted that the world cannot give terrorism a chance.
“The world must be united and in solidarity so that terror never and anywhere tries to conquer or break life. Israel’s right to defense cannot be questioned,” — the President of Ukraine noted.
Data on the death of Ukrainian civilians and the fate of two more Ukrainian citizens are also being checked.
At the same time, the countries of the Muslim world were not unambiguous in their reactions: officials from Iran and Syria expressed support for the bloody actions of terrorists. A number of countries, including Iraq Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, blamed Israel itself for the escalation of the conflict. The Saudi statement called for an “immediate end to the escalation between the two sides.”
The radical Islamist movement Taliban (Afghanistan) is also allegedly ready to take part in the “conquest of Jerusalem.” But to do this, Islamist terrorists need to gain the support of Iran, Iraq, and Jordan so that they allow armed formations from Afghanistan to pass through their territory.
What’s next?
On the morning of October 8, Israel came under attack from the north, from Lebanon. The mortar attack was carried out by militants of the Shiite group Hezbollah, which also advocates the destruction of the state of Israel. In response, Israel launched a strike on territory controlled by Hezbollah.
It is obvious that Israel’s military power is significantly superior to Palestinian terrorist groups. However, it turned out that even the trained Israeli army turned out to be vulnerable, as evidenced by the loss of military equipment, the death of soldiers and officers, and the seizure of a number of military facilities by the Palestinians. Currently, Israel continues to carry out targeted strikes on targets that terrorists use for military purposes.
Regardless of the outcome and timing of the military operation, Israel has already paid a huge price in the form of thousands of casualties. During the hostilities, the Israeli government received support from opposition political forces. But after the end of the “hot phase” of the war, serious conclusions will obviously follow and a change in political and military elites is expected.
The situation is changing rapidly. Trust trusted sources of information. Therefore, updates are possible in this article.
Stanislav Kinka
