Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday declared war against Palestinian militants after they led a deadly, multi-front attack in his country that left at least 100 people dead.
Netanyahu said in a televised address he was mobilizing his forces for an extensive assault in Gaza after an attack from the Palestinian militant group Hamas “launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens.”
“We are at war — not in an operation or at rounds, but in a war,” the Israeli leader said. “The enemy will pay an unprecedented price. … We are at war and we will win it.”
Hamas, the militant and political group that rules Gaza, sent forces into Israel and launched a barrage of rocket strikes in a surprise offensive, wounding hundreds of people in addition to the 100 killed.
Palestinian militants infiltrated the country and videos showed wide-scale attacks, including burning rubble and armored vehicles rolling through. Fighting is still reportedly ongoing.
“Israelis across the country—on Shabbat and the holiday of Simchat Torah—woke up to sirens sounding and Hamas firing rockets at them from Gaza this morning,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote on X.
The IDF confirmed it was launching an operation called “Swords of Iron” to clear out militant groups in Gaza and had already begun strikes against Hamas.
The surprise attack from Hamas led to immediate condemnation from world leaders around the country.
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JUST IN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares war against Palestinian militants after border attack https://t.co/Z1iSUVfHhl pic.twitter.com/DfMiiRreWz
— The Hill (@thehill) October 7, 2023
The Pentagon says it will support Israel after leader declares war.
"Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself …," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.https://t.co/zfMx5cD5BP pic.twitter.com/F38Wc64a9r
— The Hill (@thehill) October 7, 2023
World leaders condemned an attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas after being met with shock that later prompted widespread support for the country. https://t.co/9yk8kHpNHQ pic.twitter.com/3qS6Y351VX
— The Hill (@thehill) October 7, 2023
The governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran appeared to back Palestinian militant group Hamas in its escalating conflict with Israel. https://t.co/jFiAWOXTkZ pic.twitter.com/qhH1pDG7kq
— The Hill (@thehill) October 7, 2023
Hamas might call it war, but the footage Hamas is putting out shows that it is nothing like war. It’s a medieval tribal raid with indiscriminate killing, hostage taking, then running away.
Hamas is also providing self-incriminating evidence of war crimes.— Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) October 7, 2023
Let me reiterate: while hundreds of rockets all over Israel is a big story, the REAL story is dozens of armed militants infiltrating into south Israel roaming streets and shooting. This is a massive event. My thoughts with fellow Israelis hiding from shooters in their buildings pic.twitter.com/io6iE7cWYm
— avi scharf (@avischarf) October 7, 2023
Remarkable how similarly, and how similarly inaccurate, all the major newspapers are describing what just happened in Israel on their front pages.
All are talking, vaguely, about “militants” who are “launching attacks”; not about the apparent murder and kidnapping of civilians. pic.twitter.com/8woAht7F8P
— Yascha Mounk (@Yascha_Mounk) October 7, 2023
Horrific and heartbreaking scenes from Israel.
Dead people being stripped and paraded about like trophies on trucks, elderly women being driven into Gaza as hostages and the 5,000 rockets raining upon innocent civilians in Israel.
UNACCEPTABLE!!!
As a Muslim, I strongly… pic.twitter.com/rcd7cu23Fk
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) October 7, 2023
Dear world: If you say nothing when half of Israel comes under massive rocket bombardment from Gaza, but only speak up when we inevitably defend ourselves, better you just keep quiet. pic.twitter.com/UcUlfsnduh
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) October 7, 2023
Official meeting of Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister with chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh.
Moscow, 12th September 2022. pic.twitter.com/XUBOpuIayv
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 7, 2023
My theory: Because you don’t care about the slaughter in Ukraine and are too dumb to understand that just because you don’t look for videos from Ukraine that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. https://t.co/ovq8R1V0NL
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) October 7, 2023
Lest you wonder who is behind these attacks on Israel, today the Iranian state run media broadcasted all the MPs in Iran rising from their seats to chant “Death to Israel” and “Palestine is victorious, Israel will be destroyed”. pic.twitter.com/ILMldAuMe8
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) October 7, 2023
Blaming Israel for being attacked by terrorists because they had the audacity to ::checks notes:: work for normalizing relations with the Saudis. Disgusting. I would say do better, Andrea Mitchell, but we know she won't. https://t.co/G5QHMeaQVj
— Megan Bush (@MeganLBush) October 7, 2023
Make no mistake – these events will send shockwaves through geopolitics.
A destabilised Middle East – and Balkans – favours Moscow.
Iran backs Hamas, and Russia backs Iran. The war in Ukraine continues to spill out everywhere.
Unpunished evil grows.https://t.co/5uDcMOgS8x
— Francis Dearnley (@FrancisDearnley) October 7, 2023
brandenburg gate, berlin right now
quite a statement from the german government pic.twitter.com/gcowENJMMT
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) October 7, 2023
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