14-10-2023 (JERUSALEM) Israeli infantry troops conducted their first incursions into the Gaza Strip on Friday since Hamas fighters initiated a rampage through southern Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that a retaliatory campaign had just begun, vowing to annihilate Hamas.
Israel’s determination to respond came after Hamas militants surged out of Gaza, infiltrating towns and villages in a week-long assault that resulted in the deaths of 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and the capture of numerous hostages.
In response, Israel has imposed a complete siege on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and launched unprecedented airstrikes. According to Gaza authorities, the death toll has reached 1,900.
On Friday, Israel issued an evacuation warning, giving over a million residents in the northern part of Gaza 24 hours to flee to the south to avoid an imminent onslaught. Hamas, however, urged residents to stay and promised to fight until the end.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed that ground troops, supported by tanks, had launched raids to target Palestinian rocket crews and gather information about the hostages’ whereabouts. This marks the first official confirmation of Israeli ground presence in Gaza since the crisis began.
“We are striking our enemies with unprecedented might,” stated Netanyahu in a televised statement that unusually occurred after the start of the Jewish Sabbath. “I emphasize that this is only the beginning.”
While several thousand Gaza residents heeded the evacuation order and fled the northern part of the strip, the exact number couldn’t be determined. Many others chose to stay, expressing a preference for death over displacement.
“Mohammad, 20, standing amidst the remains of a building destroyed in an earlier Israeli airstrike near Gaza’s center, declared, ‘Death is better than leaving.'”
Mosques broadcasted messages urging residents to hold on to their homes and land, emphasizing the defiance against Israeli forces.
In a tragic incident, Gaza authorities reported that 70 people were killed and 200 wounded when Israeli strikes targeted vehicles carrying individuals attempting to escape from the north to the south of the strip. Reuters could not independently verify this incident. The United Nations and other organizations warned of a humanitarian disaster if such a large number of people were forced to flee and called for the lifting of the siege to allow aid to enter.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
PM Netanyahu: “I’m very happy to see you today. I’m very appreciative of the strong stance of the President, you, Secretary Blinken, the American people and the American government. pic.twitter.com/7Gv8hYSVGo
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 13, 2023
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the situation in Gaza had reached a “dangerous new low” and urged immediate humanitarian access to provide fuel, food, and water to those in need. He emphasized the importance of upholding rules even in times of war.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric earlier noted that complying with Israel’s evacuation order would have “devastating humanitarian consequences” for Gazans, prompting Israel to rebuke the UN and call for condemnation of Hamas while supporting Israel’s right to self-defense.
“The noose around the civilian population in Gaza is tightening. How are 1.1 million people supposed to move across a densely populated war zone in less than 24 hours?” wrote UN aid chief Martin Griffiths on social media.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby acknowledged the challenges posed by such a massive evacuation but refrained from second-guessing Israel’s decision. He stated, “We understand what they’re trying to do and why they’re trying to do this – to try to isolate the civilian population from Hamas, which is their real target.”
Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority and a rival of Hamas, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan and warned that the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza would resemble the events of 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from what is now Israel. The majority of Gazans are descendants of those refugees.
Gaza, already one of the most densely populated areas on Earth, currently has no escape route. Israel has imposed a complete blockade, and Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, has thus far resisted calls to open its borders to fleeing residents.
While Hamas released a video on Friday showing its fighters holding babies and toddlers in one of the villages they seized, Israel claims that entire families were massacred.
“We are fighting for our home. We are fighting for our future,” declared Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant during a meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who arrived in Israel following a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “The path will be long, but ultimately I promise you, we will win.”
Austin confirmed that military aid was being provided to Israel but emphasized the need for resolve rather than revenge.
Meanwhile, Blinken traveled to Jordan, where he met with King Abdullah and Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007. Blinken later visited Qatar, a US ally with influence over Islamist groups.
In the West Bank, protests in support of Gaza turned violent, resulting in gun battles between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces. Palestinian officials reported 11 fatalities.
There are also concerns thathostilities may spread to new fronts, including Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Clashes in this region have already been the deadliest since 2006.
Tragically, on Friday, Reuters news videographer Issam Abdallah was killed while working in southern Lebanon. Reuters is seeking more information and cooperating with local authorities.
Earlier reports stated that Israeli shelling had struck a Lebanese army observation post at the border. The Israeli military claimed it had responded to a suspected armed infiltration, which turned out to be a false alarm. Lebanese state media reported that shells landed near Alma Al-Shaab and Dhayra, areas that have witnessed repeated clashes in the past week.
Israel’s UN envoy expressed a commitment to investigating the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s death. “We always strive to prevent civilian casualties. It goes without saying that we would never intentionally harm or kill a journalist who is fulfilling their duties,” stated Gilad Erdan.
