Israel–Hamas war

October 2023 Gaza−Israel conflict
Part of the Arab–Israeli conflict
Gaza Strip   Israeli territory with Palestinian militants' presence See here for a more comprehensive map.
Date 7 October 2023 – present (7 months and 1 week) Location Israel, Palestine, southern Lebanon Status Ongoing Palestinian militants break through the Gaza–Israel barrier and invade Israel's Southern District Israeli military carries out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip
Belligerents
Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine File:Lion's Den Emblem.png Lions' Den Hezbollah al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Iran (alleged)	Israel Armament support: United States
Commanders and leaders
Ismail Haniyeh Yahya Sinwar Mohammed Deif Abu Obaida Ziyad al-Nakhalah Hassan Nasrallah	Benjamin Netanyahu Isaac Herzog Yoav Gallant Herzi Halevi Kobi Shabtai
Units involved
Al-Qassam Brigades Al-Quds Brigades Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades National Resistance Brigades	Israel Defense Forces Israel Police Shin Bet
Casualties and losses
Per Palestine: 424 killed 2,392 wounded 74,000 displaced	Per Israel: 700+ killed 2,156 wounded 100+ captured

On 7 October 2023, Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas launched a large-scale invasion and offensive against Israel from the Gaza Strip, breaking through the Gaza–Israel barrier and forcing entry into Gaza border crossings, nearby Israeli cities, adjacent military installations, and civilian settlements. Hamas called it Operation al-Aqsa Storm. News media outlets referred to it as Israel's 9/11, in reference to the September 11 attacks in the United States. It is the first direct conflict within Israel's boundaries since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Hostilities were initiated in the early morning with a rocket barrage against Israel and vehicle-transported incursions into Israeli territory, with several attacks on surrounding Israeli civilian communities and Israeli military bases. Some observers have referred to these events as the beginning of a third Palestinian intifada. For the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel formally declared war.

The Palestinian attacks followed months of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, including ones in Jenin and at Al-Aqsa mosque, that killed almost 250 Palestinians and 30 Israelis; Hamas cited these events in the justification for the offensive. Mohammed Deif, the commander of its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, called on Palestinians and Arab Israelis to "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls". In an emergency meeting in the West Bank shortly after the attacks began, Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority expressed support for the Gazan infiltration, stating that Palestinians had the right to defend themselves against the Israeli occupation. In Israel, all major opposition parties have advocated for the formation of a national unity government to combat the Palestinian offensive.

At least 2,200 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip as Hamas militants broke through the border and entered Israel, killing at least 700 Israelis and prompting Israel's government to declare a state of emergency. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel "is at war" in a national address following the beginning of the attacks. Palestinian militants who infiltrated Israel made their way into several kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip as well as the Israeli city of Sderot. The Palestinian Ministry of Health led by Hamas in Gaza reported Israel had killed at least 400 Palestinians in gunfights and by airstrikes, including civilians, 78 children and 41 women; while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated it killed more than 400 of what it called "terrorists". Both Palestinian and Israeli media sources reported that Israeli soldiers and civilians, including children, had been taken hostage by Palestinian militants; several of these hostages have reportedly since been taken to the Gaza Strip. Numerous cases of violence and massacres against Israeli civilians have also been reported since the beginning of the Hamas offensive. Israel retaliated by shelling civilian targets in Gaza including a hospital and ambulance, killing almost 200.

A Hamas spokesman announced Iran supported the Palestinian offensive and claimed the attack came in response to attacks by Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Nations of the Western world as well as its allies condemned Hamas for the violence and described the tactics used as terrorism, while some Muslim countries blamed the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the denial of Palestinian self-determination as the root cause of the escalation. Others called for de-escalation.

Background

See also: Gaza–Israel conflict, July 2023 Jenin incursion, and 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes

The Gaza Strip and Israel have been in conflict since the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and Hamas gaining control of the Gaza Strip after elections in 2006 and a civil war with Fatah in 2007. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since 2007, leading Human Rights Watch to call the strip an "open-air prison". Furthermore, Gaza is closed off from the rest of the world, and access to resources including food, water, and electricity is almost entirely controlled by Israel. The blockade has caused significant economic hardship upon the Palestinians, and was cited by Hamas as one of the reasons for its offensive.

In 2023, there were several violent flare-ups in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Prior to the attack, including combatants and civilians on both sides, at least 247 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, while 32 Israelis and two foreign nationals had been killed in Palestinian attacks. 2023 also witnessed the rise of Israel's far-right government, which has ramped up settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank; an increase in Israeli settler attacks there, which has displaced hundreds of Palestinians; and tensions flaring around a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, said in a recorded message on the first day of the attack, that it was in response to "desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque", and Israel killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians this year. He called on Palestinians and Arab Israelis to "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls". He also added that the operation was launched so "the enemy will understand that the time of their rampaging without accountability has ended." He continued:

In light of the continuing crimes against our people, in light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and resolutions, and in light of American and western support, we’ve decided to put an end to all this, so that the enemy understands that he can no longer revel without being held to account.

The attack took place during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and Shabbat, and a day after the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War, which also began with a surprise attack. The attack followed three weeks of violence at the Israel–Gaza separation fence. Hamas and Israel had recently negotiated a truce, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United Nations, on 29 September.

The Palestinian militant groups dubbed their assault Operation al-Aqsa Flood (or Deluge) (Arabic: عملية طوفان الأقصى, romanized: ʿamaliyyat ṭūfān al-ʾAqṣā), while Israel announced the beginning of a counteroffensive effort called Operation Iron Swords (Hebrew: מבצע חרבות ברזל, romanized: Mivtsa harvot barzel). Several news agencies and observers have described the ongoing conflict as the Third Intifada, following the prior Palestinian uprisings of the First and Second Intifada.

Israel and Saudi Arabia are conducting negotiations to normalize relations, with Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman recently stating that normalization was "for the first time, real". Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had "repeatedly warned that Israel's ongoing occupation of Gaza would propel further violence."

A spokesperson for Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated that they do not consider Israeli citizens to be civilians: "We are not killing civilians. This is a military society. They are the ones who elect their governments."

Palestinian prisoners

Main article: Palestinian prisoners in Israel

Since 1967, Israel has arrested around 1 million Palestinians; 40% of Palestinian males have been in an Israeli jail at some point in their life. Currently there are nearly 5,200 Palestinian prisoners, including 170 children. Israel has also detained 1,200 Palestinians without charge or trial. The length of detention for these detainees is a year on average. Israel keeps allegations against these prisoners secret, citing security reasons.

Hamas justified its abductions by pointing to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and claimed it was fighting to secure their freedom via prisoner swaps. In 2006, Hamas captured Gilad Shalit, forcing Israel to release 1,000 Palestinians as part of a prisoner swap.

Palestinian offensive

Rocket barrages

See also: Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel

Aftermath of a rocket attack in Rishon LeZion

At around 06:30 local time (IDT, UTC+3) on 7 October 2023, Hamas announced the start of what it called "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", stating that it had fired over 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel within a span of 20 minutes. Israeli media reported that at least 2,200 projectiles had been launched from Gaza. At least five people were killed by the rocket attacks. Explosions were reported in areas surrounding the Strip and in cities in the Sharon Plain including Gedera, Herzliyya, Tel Aviv, and Ashkelon. Air raid sirens were also activated in Beer Sheva, Jerusalem, Rehovot, Rishon Lezion, and Palmachim Airbase. Hamas issued a call to arms, with senior military commander Mohammad Deif calling on "Muslims everywhere to launch an attack". Palestinian militants also opened fire on Israeli boats off the Gaza Strip, while clashes broke out between Palestinians and the IDF in the eastern section of the Gaza perimeter fence. In the evening Hamas launched another barrage of about 150 rockets towards Israel, with explosions being reported in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion. It was followed by another rocket barrage on the morning of 8 October, with one rocket hitting a hospital in Ashkelon. It also fired 100 rockets at Sderot.

File:Palestinian rocket being fired at Israel's occupied territories, October 2023.jpg

A Palestinian rocket

Militant incursions into Israel

See also: Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim, Battle of Re'im, Battle of Sderot, and Re'im music festival massacre

Simultaneously, around 1,000 Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza using trucks, pickup trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats and paragliders. Images and videos appeared to show heavily armed and masked militants dressed in black fatigue riding pickup trucks and opening fire in Sderot, killing several Israeli civilians and soldiers. Other videos appeared to show Israelis taken prisoner and a burning Israeli tank, as well as militants driving Israeli military vehicles. On that morning, a massacre unfolded at an outdoor music festival near Re'im, potentially resulting in hundreds dead, with many still missing and in hiding. Witnesses recounted militants on motorcycles opening fire on fleeing participants, who were already dispersing due to rocket fire that had wounded some attendees; some were also taken hostage. Infiltrators were also spotted at Nir Oz, Be'eri, and Netiv HaAsara, where they reportedly took hostages and set fire to homes, as well as in kibbutzim around the Gaza Strip. Fighting was reported at Re'im military base. Hostages were also reported to have been taken in Ofakim, while homes in Sderot were set on fire. An amphibious landing occurred in Zikim.

Several Palestinian groups voiced their support for the operation. The National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the secular-socialist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) confirmed their participation in the operation through their military spokesman Abu Khaled. On 7 October they claimed to have lost three fighters in combat with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and on 8 October that they are engaged with Israeli forces in Kfar Azza, Be'eri, and Kissufim. The PFLP, another Palestinian socialist militant group, and the Lions' Den group voiced their support for the operation and declared maximum alertness and general mobilization amongst their troops, and the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (armed wing of the PFLP) published videos of it storming Israeli watchtowers.

An Israeli military spokesman stated that the militants from Gaza had entered Israel through at least seven locations and invaded four small rural Israeli communities, the border city of Sderot, and two military bases from both land and sea. Israeli media reported that seven communities came under Hamas control, including Nahal Oz, Kfar Aza, Magen, and Sufa Beheri. The police station of Sderot was reported to have come under Hamas control, as was the Erez crossing, enabling the militants to enter Israel from Gaza. Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said that there were 21 active high-confrontation locations in southern Israel.

Israeli response

7 October

The attack, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, appeared to have been a complete surprise to the Israelis.

The Iron Dome air defense system was activated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted security assessments at Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters in Tel Aviv. Gallant later approved the mobilisation of tens of thousands of army reservists and declared a state of emergency for areas within 80 kilometres (50 mi) of the Gaza border. He also said that Hamas "made a grave mistake" in launching its attack and pledged that "Israel will win". The IDF declared a "state of readiness for war". It also said that reservists were to be deployed not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank and along the borders with Lebanon and Syria. Residents in areas around the Gaza Strip were asked to stay inside, while civilians in southern and central Israel were "required to stay next to shelters". Roads around the Gaza Strip were closed by the IDF. The streets of Tel Aviv were also locked down.

Following the assault, Israel declared a heightened state of preparedness for potential conflict. The IDF declared a state of readiness for war, and Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an emergency gathering of security authorities. The IDF additionally reported their initiation of targeted actions in the Gaza Strip under what it called "Operation Iron Swords". Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai announced that a "state of war" existed, following what he called "a massive attack from the Gaza Strip". He also announced the closure of the entire southern region of Israel to "civilian movement" as well as the deployment of the Yamam counterterrorism unit to the area. The IDF's chief spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said four divisions were deployed to the area, augmenting 31 preexisting battalions.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the country was facing "a very difficult moment", and offered strength and encouragement to the IDF, other security forces, rescue services and residents who were under attack. In a televised broadcast, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: "We are at war." He also said that the IDF would reinforce its border deployments to deter others from 'making the mistake of joining this war'. In a later address, he threatened to "turn Gaza into a deserted island", and urged its residents to "leave now."

Airports in southern and central Israel were closed to commercial and private use, while Ben Gurion Airport and Eilat Airport remained operational. Lufthansa, Emirates, Ryanair, Aegean Airlines, Air France, Transavia, and several US airliners cancelled flights to and from Israel.

Overnight on 7–8 October, Israel's Security Cabinet voted to undertake a series of actions to bring about the "destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad", according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office. The Israel Electric Corporation, which supplies up to 80% of the Gaza Strip's electricity, cut off power to the area. As a result, Gaza's power supply was reduced from 120 MW to only 20 MW, forcing it to rely on power plants paid for by the Palestinian Authority.

Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim

Main article: Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim

In Be'eri, Hamas militants took up to 50 people hostage. During a stand-off between militants and IDF forces, videos emerged from Be'eri showing the hostages being led, by Hamas militants, barefoot across a street in town. Approximately 18 hours after the stand-off began, the IDF announced that they had freed the hostages in Be'eri. In the town of Urim, a suburb of Ofakim, two Israelis were rescued by the IDF. During the rescue, four Hamas militants were killed and three Israeli soldiers were injured.

Airstrikes in the Gaza Strip

The IDF said it attacked targets in Gaza using fighter jets, reportedly hitting 17 Hamas military compounds and four operational command centres. Among the locations struck was the 11-story Palestine Tower in downtown Gaza City that housed Hamas radio stations on the rooftop. Israel also struck two hospitals, killing an ambulance driver and a nurse.

File:Palestinians who survived an Israeli missile strike, 2023.jpg

Palestinians near the site of an airstrike

8 October

The Security Cabinet formally placed the country under a state of war for the first time since 1973 Yom Kippur War. Israel struck up to 426 targets in the Gaza Strip, including housing blocks, tunnels, the Al-Amin Muhammad Mosque, homes of Hamas officials, and the Watan Tower, which served as a hub for internet providers in the area. An Israeli military spokesperson claimed that two hostage situations had been "resolved". The IDF also said it had secured 22 locations from Palestinian forces but were still trying to clear eight other locations including Sderot and Kfar Aza. In one community, it rescued nearly 50 hostages. Several Palestinian gunmen riding in a stolen car were killed by Israeli forces near Ashkelon following a shootout on a main road. Israeli forces also retook Sderot police station, killing ten militants. At the same time, more Palestinian fighters were reported to have entered Magen.

Evacuations of residents living near the Gaza Strip were ordered, and Netanyahu appointed former brigadier general Gal Hirsch as the government's point man on missing and kidnapped citizens.

Outside Gaza

See also: October 2023 Hezbollah strike and 2023 Alexandria shooting

Between 7 and 8 October, 11 Palestinian youths, including a 13-year-old, were killed in confrontations with Israeli forces throughout the occupied West Bank. On the morning of 8 October, Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at the Shebaa Farms region; in response the IDF fired artillery shells and a drone into southern Lebanon. Two Lebanese children were reportedly injured by broken glass. On the same day, an Egyptian policeman attacked Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guides in Alexandria, Egypt, killing two Israelis and one Egyptian, and wounding a third Israeli. The gunman was detained by the Egyptian police. Video footage confirmed that a small unit belonging to the Palestinian militias had arrived at the Jewish settlement of Psagot near occupied East Jerusalem. According to the statement, the unit, made up of several fighters from Gaza, is clashing with Israeli soldiers at the Qalandia checkpoint.

Casualties

Israel

At least 700 Israelis were killed and over 2,200 wounded, with 360 of them in critical condition. At least one civilian death was reported in Kfar Aviv, while three people were reportedly injured in Ashkelon and Yavne. Nine people were fatally shot at a bus shelter in Sderot. At least four people were reported killed in Kuseife. The head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Libstein, was also killed in an exchange of fire with the militants.

The police commander of Rahat, Jayar Davidov, was killed. The IDF confirmed that 44 of its soldiers had been killed. Among the confirmed IDF dead was Colonel Yonatan Steinberg, the commander of the Nahal Brigade, who was killed near Kerem Shalom. At least 68 casualties were reported in Ashkelon, while 280 others were reported in Beer Sheva, 60 of which were in a serious condition. Dozens of bodies were reportedly discovered at the site of a nature party in Re'im, after the Battle of Re'im. Colonel Roi Levy was killed in the battle. An emergency responder at the scene said that there were at least 200 bodies in the area he was in.

At least 100 Israelis were taken prisoner by Hamas and transported to the Gaza Strip. On 8 October, Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to be holding at least 30 captives. At least four people were reportedly taken from Kfar Azza. A photograph was released appearing to show Israeli major general Nimrod Aloni being held by Palestinians, Hamas also claimed to have captured him; a Persian language post by the IDF on X (formerly known as Twitter) quoted a post about his capture from Tasnim News Agency and wrote "Tasnim: Distributors of fake news of IRGC" without either denying or confirming the capture of Aloni. Videos from Gaza appeared to show captured people, with Gazan residents cheering trucks carrying dead bodies. An MDA ambulance was also reportedly taken by the militants to Gaza.

Palestine

Following Israel's airstrikes in response, the Palestinian Ministry of Health led by the Hamas government in Gaza reported an unspecified number of injuries among "many citizens". It later said that 313 Palestinians, including 20 children, had been killed and about 2,000 others had been injured. Yousef Abu al-Rish, the top Palestinian health official in Gaza, stated that most casualties were from firefights inside Israel. Reporters for the Associated Press in the Gaza Strip saw funerals being held for 15 victims and eight other bodies in hospitals. At least one person was reported to have been killed in an airstrike on the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza. Four Palestinians were killed and five others were wounded in clashes with the IDF along Gaza's perimeter fence. Five Palestinian militants were reported to have been killed in Sderot. Medecins Sans Frontieres said a nurse and an ambulance driver were killed in Israeli strikes on two hospitals. Palestinian media reported that several casualties occurred after an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at an ambulance in front of the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. A paramedic was reported to be in critical condition. Ten civilians were reportedly killed in a strike on a residential building in the Shabora on a residence near Khan Younis.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East reported on 8 October that more than 20,000 Palestinians had left areas of the Gaza Strip bordering Israel, taking refuge inside the territory and in U.N. schools.

Foreign nationals

In Israel

The Nepali ambassador to Israel, Kanta Rijal, said at least seven of its nationals in the country were injured in the attack, and that they along with ten others were held captive by Hamas at an agricultural farm in Alumim. Israeli media also reported that migrant workers from Thailand and the Philippines were also taken captive by Palestinian militants. The Thai government later confirmed that two of its nationals were killed during the Palestinian attack, while eight others were injured and 11 were captured by the militants.

A German-Israeli woman was reportedly captured or killed while attending an outdoor music festival near the border with Gaza; a video of Palestinians parading her unconscious naked body in a car was circulated on the internet. Another British attendee of the music festival was reported missing. Two Ukrainians, a Cambodian student, a Chilean woman, and a French woman were confirmed to have been killed by Hamas.

In Palestine

Doctors Without Borders stated that Israel attacked an Indonesian-run hospital in the Gaza Strip, killing one nurse, one ambulance driver and injuring several others. Indonesian NGO Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) confirmed that one of its personnel had been killed and the IDF had targeted its hospital. The Indonesian Foreign Ministry, however, confirmed that the fatality was not an Indonesian national, but a Palestinian.

Reactions

Israel

The protest group Kaplan Force announced the cancellation of it demonstration against the judicial reform planned on 7 October in Tel Aviv. The group expressed support for the IDF, stating that they were standing by "the IDF and the security forces carrying out their duties during this difficult time and hope for the restoration of calm and security". Forum 555 and Brothers in Arms, a protest group of reservist soldiers that organized boycotts of the military draft in protest against the judicial reform, called on reservists to serve if they were called up.

Magen David Adom appealed for blood donations and announced plans for a special blood donation drive in Tel Aviv on 7 October. Israel's Education Ministry announced the closure of all schools in the country on 7 October. This was later extended until 10 October. The Haifa International Film Festival was cancelled. Bruno Mars canceled his scheduled concert in Tel Aviv on 7 October due to the attacks and left Israel.

An investigation was launched as to the failure of Israeli authorities to prevent the attack from occurring.

Ofer Cassif, a member of the Knesset, told Al Jazeera that his left-wing Hadash party had repeatedly warned that the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories would lead to events like this, where innocent civilians on both sides pay the price. He called the Israeli government "fascist", and accused it carrying out pogroms and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian population.

Proposed emergency unity government

Among opposition parties, Yesh Atid leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman and Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli issued a joint statement expressing full backing for the IDF and unity with the government, saying: "In times like these, there is no opposition and coalition in Israel."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed that Yesh Atid and National Unity enter an emergency unity government with his Likud-led coalition, after Lapid urged Netanyahu put "aside our differences and form an emergency, narrow, professional government." Lapid said that Israel could not effectively manage the war with "the extreme and dysfunctional composition of the current cabinet" and called upon Netanyahu to eject the far-right Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit parties as a condition for Yesh Atid to join an emergency unity government.

Palestine

The Palestinian Education Ministry said schools in the Gaza Strip were closed until further notice. The Palestinian Health Ministry appealed for blood donations.

At an emergency meeting with officials of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Palestinians had the right to defend themselves against the "terror of settlers and occupation troops". In the West Bank, celebrations occurred in Ramallah. Neighborhood watches were established in 50 locations amid fears of reprisals by Israeli settlers, while a general strike was called for 8 October. Seven Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces on 7 October, while 126 others were injured.

Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera that its forces had taken enough Israeli hostages to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel in an exchange. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida said it was holding captured Israeli soldiers in "safe places" and tunnels.

International

Main article: International reactions to the October 2023 Gaza–Israel conflict

Pro-Palestinian protest in Istanbul

Pro-Israeli protest in Berlin

International leaders, including from Argentina, India, most European countries and the United States condemned the attacks by Hamas, expressed solidarity with Israel, and said Israel has a right to defend itself from armed attacks and describing Hamas's tactics as terrorism. Some Arab League countries such as Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and non-Arab countries like Iran and Pakistan expressed support for the Palestinians, blaming the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories for the escalation of violence. A number of other countries called for de-escalation and a ceasefire. Demonstrations took place in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Bahrain, and Iran in solidarity with the Palestinian groups.

Argentina, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Uruguay said that they would increase security in Jewish-associated sites in response to the attack.

On 8 October, Brazil was the first country to announce a rescue operation of nationals using an air force transport aircraft. Poland announced that it would deploy two C-130 transport planes to evacuate 200 of its nationals from Ben-Gurion airport.

On 8 October, an Egyptian official told the Associated Press that Israel sought Egyptian assistance to ensure the safety of hostages held by Palestinian militants, and that Egypt's intelligence chief contacted Hamas and Islamic Jihad to seek information.

Analysis

According to Daniel Byman and Alexander Palmer, the attacks showcased the decline of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the rise of Hamas as the main power center in Palestinian politics. They predicted the PLO's further decline if the status quo held.

According to Israeli analyst Seth Frantzman, the attack signified a notable escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. It stood out for its substantial scale and reach, encompassing both rocket fire and border attacks in Gaza. This event marked a significant departure from prior conflicts, which typically followed a phased progression with a gradual escalation of tensions. It has been compared to the 1973 Yom Kippur war, the 2001 September 11 attacks, the 2003 Ramadan Offensive, and the 1968 Tet Offensive. Like the Vietnamese Tet Offensive, Hamas' offensive came on the morning of a holiday, seemed to be "everywhere at once", and demonstrated capabilities not thought possible in a guerrilla force.

Israeli intelligence failure

Political journalist Peter Beaumont described the attack as "an intelligence failure for the ages" on the part of the Israeli government. Similarly, the Jewish News Syndicate deemed it a "failure of imagination". A BBC report tackled the intelligence failure question, claiming that while Israel had the most extensive and well-funded intelligence agency in the region, and a network of informants and agents inside militant groups, it had failed to foresee the escalation. It added that "it must have taken extraordinary levels of operational security by Hamas." US officials expressed shock at how Israeli intelligence was unaware of any preparations by Hamas. Amir Avivi, former deputy commander of the Gaza Division of Israel's military, told the Financial Times, which reported that the attacks shook faith in the country's intelligence services, that "this is a failure that is no smaller than the Yom Kippur War."

Sources in Hamas and Israel's military establishment told Reuters that the attack was the culmination of a years-long campaign by Hamas to deceive Israel into thinking that the group was primarily interested in economic and governance issues instead of fighting.

Effect on Israeli–Saudi Arabian normalization

In an analysis by The Times of Israel, the newspaper wrote that "Hamas has violently shifted the world's eyes back to the Palestinians and dealt a severe blow to the momentum for securing a landmark US-brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia." The New York Times reported that the prospects of Israeli and Saudi normalization appeared dimmer, citing Saudi Arabia's statement that the country had repeatedly warned "of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights and the repetition of systemic provocations against its sanctities."

Andreas Kluth, a former writer for The Economist, wrote in his Bloomberg News column that Hamas "torched Biden's deal to remake the Middle East", arguing that the deal that was being discussed between Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States would have left Palestinians in the cold, so the group decided to "blow the whole thing up." He added that, viewed from Gaza, things were only going to get worse, considering that Netanyahu's coalition partners opposed a two-state solution for the conflict, and that they would prefer to annex the entirety of the West Bank, even at the expense of turning Israel into an apartheid state.

Speculation arose that Iran was trying to sabotage relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Possible spread

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, speculated the war would spread to Jerusalem and the West Bank. Hashim Safi Al Din, Head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, echoed these sentiments.

Northeastern University professor Max Abrahms stated that the conflict could escalate into a war between Israel and Iran.

See also

• Timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2023
• Timeline of the October 2023 Gaza–Israel conflict
• May 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
• Gaza War (2008–2009)
• 2006 Gaza–Israel conflict
• 2014 Gaza War
• First Intifada
• Second Intifada
• Yom Kippur War

External links

• Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | OCHA Flash Update #1 as of 18:00, 7 October 2023
• OCHA Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #2