World

Hamas-Israel War: What You Need To Know

Published

1 year ago

Oct 8, 2023.

Eko Hot Blog reports that The Palestinian militant group Hamas has initiated a remarkable assault on Israel, with its fighters infiltrating communities near the Gaza Strip, resulting in casualties and hostages. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about the key players and places involved, along with essential context to grasp this unfolding story.

What is Hamas? Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist militant group that holds control over the Gaza Strip. It is openly committed to the destruction of Israel and has engaged in multiple conflicts with Israel since assuming power in Gaza in 2007. In between these conflicts, Hamas has launched thousands of rockets at Israel and carried out lethal attacks.

Israel has responded with numerous airstrikes, while also maintaining a blockade of the Gaza Strip, jointly enforced with Egypt, since 2007, citing security concerns. Hamas is designated as a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union, the UK, and other nations. It receives backing from Iran in the form of funding, weapons, and training.

What is the Gaza Strip? The Gaza Strip is a narrow territory, approximately 41km (25 miles) long and 10km wide, situated between Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea.
It is home to around 2.3 million people and has one of the world’s highest population densities.

What is life like in the Gaza Strip? Israel maintains control over Gaza’s airspace and coastline, regulating the passage of people and goods through its border crossings. Similarly, Egypt exercises control over the movement of people at its border with Gaza.

Why are Israel and Hamas fighting? Tensions persist between Israel and Hamas, but the recent attack by Hamas militants on Israel took place without prior warning. Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Israel, while dozens of fighters breached the border, infiltrating Israeli communities and causing civilian casualties. In response, Israel carried out immediate airstrikes, targeting militant sites in Gaza.

How unprecedented is this attack? This operation by Hamas is the most ambitious launched from Gaza to date and constitutes the most significant cross-border assault Israel has faced in over a generation. Militants managed to breach the border fence separating Gaza from Israel in multiple locations. The attack occurred on the 50th anniversary of the surprise 1973 attack by Egypt and Syria, marking a momentous date in Middle East history.

Is this a major Israeli intelligence failure? Security correspondent Frank Gardner believes it is a significant intelligence failure for Israel, considering its well-funded intelligence services and extensive networks. Israel boasts intelligence assets within Palestinian militant groups and across the region. Despite sophisticated surveillance measures along the Gaza-Israel border, Hamas successfully infiltrated Israeli territory, highlighting a major lapse in Israeli intelligence.

What is Palestine, and how does it relate to these events? The West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and Israel collectively encompass what is referred to as the Palestinian territories. These territories, along with Israel, were historically known as Palestine. However, while Israel declared statehood in 1948, it is still recognized as Palestine by those who do not acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy. Palestinians use the term Palestine as an umbrella reference for the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.

What could happen next? Hamas militant commander Mohammed Deif has urged Palestinians and other Arabs to join their operation against the Israeli occupation. The question now is whether Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, or other regional areas will heed this call. Israel is gearing up for a potentially multi-front conflict, which could involve powerful groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli military has ordered a significant troop reinforcement and hinted at a possible ground operation in Gaza.

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