Fighters Capture Israeli Soldiers as Gazans Expect Prolonged Conflict
The attack, named "Operation Al-Aqsa Storm", was launched by Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, in response to the Israeli violations of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the increased aggression of the Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The al-Qassam Brigades said on its social media accounts that it had taken several Israeli soldiers as prisoners of war and shared videos of them being taken alive into Gaza.
The operation came after thousands of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
It also followed a surge of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, which the UN said had occurred at a rate of three incidents per day for the first eight months of this year.
‘Prisoners of war’
Hamas spokesperson Khaled Qadomi said that the group’s military operation is in response to all the atrocities the Palestinians have faced over the decades.
“We want the international community to stop atrocities in Gaza, against Palestinian people, our holy sites like Al-Aqsa. All these things are the reason behind starting this battle,” he was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.
Asked whether Hamas had taken Israeli soldiers and civilians hostage, Qadomi replied: “They are not hostages. They are prisoners of war.”
He added that the Israeli settlers are also occupiers and according to international law, they are invaders. “So the situation today is a war against invaders,” he said.
Emergency health services quoted by local media say at least 22 Israelis have been killed so far. The Israeli health ministry says 545 people have been hospitalised.
Palestinians’ right to defense
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was "at war" and ordered the Israeli army to launch airstrikes and artillery fire on the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian fighters continued to fire rockets and engage in gun battles with the Israeli forces near the border fence.
The Israeli health ministry said 22 Israelis had been killed and 545 had been hospitalized so far. The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said it had issued a call for blood donations at hospitals and appealed for urgent medical supplies amid reports of high casualties.
The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian people had the right to defend themselves against the "terror of settlers and occupation troops" and instructed his officials to protect them, according to WAFA news agency.
Gaza residents prepare for long conflict
Residents of Gaza City have started to queue outside bakeries and shops to stock up on food and essentials, as they expect the conflict to last for a long time. Hundreds of people have also fled their homes near the border with Israel to seek safer places.
The Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah said it was following the situation in Gaza and was "in direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance".
Hamas spokesperson and former deputy foreign minister Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that the Palestinian operation was also a message to Arab countries that had normalized relations with Israel, urging them to cut ties with the "enemy state" that does not believe in peace or coexistence.
Source: Agencies
