Israel 'At War' In Gaza After Hamas Launches Massive Surprise Hybrid Attack

Israel ‘At War’ In Gaza After Hamas Launches Massive Surprise Hybrid Attack

Time Stamp: October 7, 2023 6:19 PM
Source Node: 2314584
Gaza
A building hit in Gaza Strip. In the box, Photo of Hamas forces using motorized hang gliders to infiltrate southern Israel. (Images via @clashreport)

The IDF has launched Operation “Swords of Iron” in response to a massive attack from the Gaza Strip that involved also paragliders, unmanned aircraft and speedboats.

In the morning on Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian militant movement Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel: approximately 2,200 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory while a number of terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in southern Israel, as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

Multiple explosions were heard over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and in southern Israel, some of those probably caused by the interceptions of incoming rockets by the Israeli Iron Dome batteries. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas have taken “hostages and prisoners of war”.

At 20.04GMT, the death toll in Israel had risen to 250; according to Israel’s emergency medical service another 1,500 people were injured, with 270 more in serious condition.

The multi-dimensional assault, by sea, land and air, with paragliders, unmanned aircraft and ships, was carried out on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur war, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

In response, the IDF has launched Operation “Swords of Iron”.

The Israeli Air Force has been sharing constant updates about its air strikes in the Gaza strip on social media. A partly blurred clip shows F-16C Barak being loaded with a 2,000lb GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) bomb along with AIM-9M and Python-4 (or -5) air-to-air missiles. An F-15 is also visible.

Among the targets hit by the IAF aircraft, there are the Palestine Tower, hosting residential apartments and media offices in Gaza City, vehicles and command centers, as well as sites containing military infrastructure located in mosques: according to the service, the terrorists are using hiding in religious sites, and deliberately place its military assets in the heart of the civilian population.

The Palestinian health ministry said that 232 Palestinians had been killed and 1,697 injured.

The situation is extremely dynamic and the extent of the response by the IDF is still not clear, although a ground operation is almost certain. Netanyahu vowed to turn all Hamas hideouts in Gaza to “rubble”, telling residents of the besieged enclave to “leave now”.

US President Joe Biden said his administration’s support of Israel’s security is “rock solid and unwavering.”

Whatever, the failure of the Israeli intelligence in anticipating the attack is pretty evident, possibly pointing to a significant external support, to plan, design and execute such a huge operation. All the eyes are now on Iran.

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

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