- By Nidhi Giri
- Mon, 07 Oct 2024 02:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Hamas fired a volley of rockets at Tel Aviv in Israel on Monday as mourners marked the anniversary of the October 7 attack. Hamas said it also attacked Israeli forces in different parts of Gaza. The armed wing of Hamas said it bombarded the central Israeli city with a barrage of Maqadmeh M-90 rockets, according to a statement on Telegram, reported Al Jazeera. The group said the attack was part of “the ongoing battle of attrition” and in response to the Israeli military’s “massacres against civilians and the deliberate displacement of our people”.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said aerial warning alerts were activated in the region. They added that three rockets were intercepted and a fourth fell in an open area. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
As the Gaza war marks its first anniversary today, the conflict has claimed the lives of a staggering 41,870 Palestinians and 1,205 Israelis, with fears of an escalating regional war intensifying. Initially sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023, the conflict has spread beyond Gaza, leading to over 2,000 additional casualties due to ongoing artillery exchanges. Global protests have erupted in response to this grim milestone, raising questions about the potential for diplomatic solutions in a conflict that continues to engulf the Middle East in violence and instability. Here’s how the key event unfolded shaping the conflict in a year.
October 7 Hamas Attack: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood
The latest Israel-Palestine conflict began on October 7, 2023, with a devastating attack launched by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas carried out a coordinated and unprecedented attack on southern Israel, sending shockwaves throughout the region.
The attack began at 6:29 am when the Israeli army detected thousands of rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel border communities. Hamas claimed it launched around 5,000 projectiles in what it called "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," a reference to the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, a site of immense religious significance in Islam. The rockets overwhelmed Israel’s Iron Dome defence system, marking a serious breach in Israel’s security.
Simultaneously, around 1,200 Hamas fighters crossed the heavily fortified Gaza-Israel border, using motorbikes, pickup trucks and even motorised paragliders. They breached Israel's defences with explosives and bulldozers, targeting around 50 sites, including civilian communities, military bases and a music festival. The initial shock and confusion delayed Israel’s military response, allowing Hamas to inflict heavy casualties.
By 8:30 am, the militants had stormed six military bases, as well as kibbutzim (collective farming communities) near Gaza. Residents were left to fend for themselves, cowering in safe rooms or fighting off the attackers with limited resources. Some areas didn’t receive military reinforcements until late in the day. In one of the worst-hit communities, Kibbutz Beeri, help only arrived after 1:30 pm. The scale of the attack led to the capture of over 250 Israeli hostages, including civilians and soldiers. Many of the captives were taken back into Gaza.