Current affairs

In ten points: What's happening with the Israel - Palestine conflict and how India reacted to the grim strikes?

By alagu, 07 October, 2023
Israel, India, Narendra Modi

The skirmish between Israel and Palestine has taken a new and more frightening course as both the belligerent neighbours are launching intense strikes at each other since the morning hours of Saturday - October 7, sparking a global attention, warning, and call to end the violence. With the Palestine-backed Hamas militant group starting what is termed as a surprise assault, the Israeli forces are now hitting back with multiple strikes. 

Israel and Hamas said they were at war and the events suggest that the tensions are getting escalated with the people living in both sides of the aisle bracing up for the violence. Amidst the growing fear of soaring death toll, it has been reported that at least 40 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds are injured. The country reported severe damages to the properties and a surging exodus from the people who leave the cities to escape the latest episode of the conflict. 

According to The New York Times, the Palestine-backed Hamas militants launched an early morning assault on southern Israel, invading several Israeli towns and firing thousands of rockets on the Israeli cities. The scale of attack was in an intense fashion that around 5,000 rockets were fired on the Israeli soil in twenty minutes. It has been reported that over 7,000 rockets have been fired and Israelis woke up to the shelling of rockets on their communities. 

The Israel government and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prepared for a counter and retaliated with massive airstrikes. Israeli air force targeted the cities in Gaza and hundreds of people were died. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that 198 Palestinians have been killed and 1,610 Palestinians have been wounded on Saturday. Yousef Abu al-Rish, the top Palestinian health official in Gaza said that most of the casualties resulted from firefights inside Israel. 

In ten points: Looking at the conflict and how India has reacted

  • Israel and Palestine have a tensed border for decades and for the people of Gaza, the current strike at Israel is a surprise and a moment of revival. Several Gazans celebrated on the streets that their militants have infiltrated Israel and launched attacks against it. For them, it became a response to Israel for its 16-year blockade in Gaza. 
  • The New York Times reported that the Palestinian territory of Gaza has been under a suffocating Israeli blockade since Hamas seized control of the coastal strip in 2007. More than two million Palestianians live in Gaza and the blockade curbs the import of goods, including electronic and computer equipment that could be used to make weapons and prevents most people from leaving the territory. Due to blockade, Gazans suffer huge unemployment and lack of proper health system and infrastructure. 
  • For them, the attack on Israel is justifiable and the current skirmish has come months after both the territories exchanged missile attacks. In the wake of surprise assualt, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in a televised statement, that operations were underway to clear the militants from infiltrated towns and that he had issued a call-up of reservists. "We are at war, not at operation or rounds, but at war", he told the Israeli people. 
  • The Israel Defense Forces has said it is declaring 'a state of readiness for war'. The defense minister has approved a call-up for military reservists. The Israeli military has begun to carry out retaliatory airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, warning that Hamas militant group will pay a very heavy price. Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement, "Hamas has made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the state of Israel. IDF troops are fighting against the enemy at every location and the state of Israel will win this war." 
  • The local Palestinian officials have confirmed that Israel has started hitting back with an 'Operation Swords of Iron' and that the Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed hundreds of people and injured close to 1,000 people. However, it has been reported that in the wake of intense airstrike from Israel, the death toll in the Gaza Strip will increase. 
  • In the midst of growing tensions, the global countries and institutions are reacting to the 'war' and urging to mitigate the skirmish. The International Committee of the Red Cross has called on all parties involved in the conflict to respect their legal obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure that civilians and healthcare workers are protected. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East has said, "I vehemently condemn this morning's multi-front assault against Israeli towns and cities near the Gaza Strip, and barrage of rockets reaching across central Israel by Hamas militants. This is a dangerous precipice and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink." 
  • Several countries including the United States, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, and India have reacted to the violence. While the United States has condemned the Hamas militant group and assured its support to Israel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media and wrote, "Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour." 
  • The Indian Embassy in Israel has issued an advisory urging the Indian nationals living amidst airstrikes to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. 
  • In its statement, the Embassy said, "In view of the current situation in Israel, all Indian nationals in Israel are requested to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters. For additional information, please see Israeli Home Front command website or their prepardness brochure." It has been reported that several airline operators including Air India and Lufthansa have suspended their operations in Israel. 
  • While there have been several reasons behind the assault from Hamas, the militant group has officially said that the surprise assault on Saturday on Israel was an operation to defend the Aqsa Mosque. The military wing of Hamas, Al Qassam Brigades, described Saturday's surprise assault on Israel as an operation in defense of the Asqa Mosque, invoking a dispute around a site that is sacred to both Muslims and Jews and that is among the most deeply contested in the holy land. 

The Asqa mosque is considered as the holiest in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam. While Muslims consider the site as the Noble Sanctuary as according to them, the Prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to the mosque in one night to pray and then ascended to heaven, the Jews call the site the Temple Mount, because it was the location of two ancient temples, which were destroyed. Israeli security forces maintain a presence on the site and for Saturday's assault, Hamas cited Jewish prayer at the compound and called it as aggression. It is pertinent to note that the raids carried out by the Israeli police at the Asqa mosque compound in May 2021 had sparked a war between Israel and Hamas that lasted for eleven days. 

 

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