Israel-Hamas Conflict: Israel Attack on Gaza Claims 450 Children Dead, What Happened So Far?
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Palestinian officials say 1,417 people have been killed so far in Israeli bombings, including 447 children.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health, 6,268 people have been injured so far in Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, the death toll from Hamas attacks in Israel has risen to 1,300.
Correspondent from Gaza City, Rushdie Abu Aluf, went this morning to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where 2000 people have taken refuge.
The hospital is now running low on fuel and the number of injured is high.
It is to be noted that the war that started last Saturday after the brutal attacks by Hamas extremists on the people of Israel around the Gaza Strip continued with the same intensity on Thursday.
So far, 1,300 people are known to have died in Hamas attacks. While 150 have been taken hostage.
1,200 people have been killed so far in Israel’s retaliation. Also 3.38 lakh people have been displaced so far.
Along with the action on the Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, Israel is now reported to have launched a front against Syria.
Israel has targeted the airports of the Syrian capital Damascus and the city of Aleppo.
As part of its crackdown, Israel cut off food, water and electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, American Secretary of State Anthony Blink, who visited Israel, held a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said that America is always there to help Israel.
He raised the issue of ‘death of children’.
Israel’s army chief spoke about the investigation into the Hamas attack in his statement.
‘We couldn’t handle the attacks’
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“The IDF is responsible for the security of the country and its citizens, and we could not handle what happened on Saturday in the areas connected to the Gaza Strip,” Israel’s army chief Hareli Halevi said in an interview with the media.
“We will collect information, we will investigate but now is the time of war,” he said.
When asked about the people taken hostage by Hamas, he said that every possible effort will be made to bring them back.
Israel’s Energy Minister Israel Katz said the siege of Gaza will not end until the Israeli hostages are released, and water and electricity supplies are restored.
Why didn’t Israel launch a ground campaign in Gaza?
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It is worth noting that no political decision has been made so far regarding Israel’s ground campaign in Gaza.
There is a heavy presence of Israeli troops in the area near the Israel-Gaza border. But this morning, an Israeli army colonel said during a press briefing that no political decision could be made yet to proceed with the ground campaign.
The army is planning to deal with the emergency anyway, as there is a threat of attack from Lebanon itself.
A war cabinet was formed in Israel on Wednesday. The fate of the hostages is being considered.
A right-wing minister said, “Now is the time to take a hard line.”
This statement is seen as supporting the attitude of many so that they do not become a (hostage) factor. Also many say that Israel should make every possible effort to free the hostages.
Israel-Hamas conflict
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The World Health Organization has called for the creation of humanitarian corridors in view of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
It is worth noting that many people are trying to get out of Gaza after the continuous attacks, but Israel has blockaded Gaza. The supply of food-water supplies and electricity has also been stopped there.
Meanwhile, the head of Hamas’ political wing, Ismail Haniya, said, “We have told everyone who contacted us for information about enemy prisoners that the file will not be opened until the fighting ends.”
Hamas’s offensive against southern Israel, which began Saturday morning, is also having devastating consequences in the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip. There are more than two million people living in uncertainty.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on Monday, “We are imposing a total blockade on Gaza. Electricity, food, water, gas will be cut off.”
“We are fighting beasts and so we will act accordingly.” Gallant said.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned after Saturday’s attack that “Israel will put up strong resistance against Hamas.”
‘Attack likened to 9/11 attack on America’
Two senior members of the Israeli army have compared the attack on Palestine to the 9/11 attack on America.
“This is our 9/11, they caught us in our sleep,” said army spokesman Major Nir Dinar.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricks likened the Hamas attack to the 9/11 attacks on America.
He said, “This is the attack of 9/11 as well as Pearl Harbor. This attack is a combination of both events.”
“This is the darkest day in Israeli history. This is the first time such a large number of Israeli civilians have been killed by enemy attacks in a single day.”
According to the United Nations report, more than 1 lakh 23 thousand people have been displaced due to this war.
Why is there tension between Israel and Palestine?
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- After the end of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East after World War I, the area came under British occupation.
- People from Jewish and Arab communities mostly live here. After tensions between the two rose, the British rulers talked of creating a ‘separate land’ for the Jews here in Palestine.
- Jews consider this area to be the land of their ancestors. The Arab community also claims it. As a result, tension between the two began to rise.
- In 1947, the United Nations decided to divide Palestine into two parts. One part of the Jews and the other of the Arab community.
- Jewish leaders announced the creation of the nation of Israel on 14 May 1948 amid Arab protests and the British left.
- It was immediately followed by the first Israeli-Arab war, which left seven and a half million Palestinians homeless.
- After this war, the entire region was divided into 3 parts – Israel, the West Bank (west bank of the Jordan River) and the Gaza Strip.
- The Palestinian population lives in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. About 25 miles long and 6 miles wide, the Gaza Strip has a population of 2.2 million people. In terms of population, this is the most densely populated area in the world.
- The conflict between Israel and Palestine is still ongoing. Israel’s goal is to be recognized as a Jewish nation on the world stage. While Palestine is opposing this.
