On the second day of the war between Israel and Hamas, it is already clear that the danger has not passed. The situation is explosive and may deteriorate further.
(Also read: US sends ammunition to Israel and reinforces its regional presence against Hamas)
In Israel, although it is known that the numbers are not definitive, it was confirmed that there are at least 700 dead and more than 2,200 injured, of which more than 300 are in serious condition. On the Palestinian side, there are 413 dead – among them 78 children and 41 women – as well as 2,300 injured.
The great challenge is the missing, the civilians and soldiers kidnapped in Gaza. Apparently There are at least 100 Israelis in the hands of Hamas, including women, young people, children, babies and the elderly who were surprised in their homes.
Israel continues to face armed men who also opened fire last night, which makes it clear that they have not yet been able to expel all the infiltrators of the Islamist movement.
(Read also: Two young people of Colombian origin, missing after conflict between Israel and Hamas)
Israel launched a harsh counteroffensive in Gaza, where civilians were previously evacuated. According to Army spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, Israel attacked 800 targets in Gaza, and in the afternoon it concentrated on the destruction of 120 targets in the Bet Hanun neighborhood.
“In three rounds and with more than 50 warplanes with dozens of tons of explosives, we eliminated absolutely all Hamas operational targets in that area,” he said.
During these events, a Navy special forces unit captured the deputy commander of the southern division of Hamas’ naval force, Muhammad Abu Ghali.
Dozens of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed by the fighting.
Recovered corpses
At least 260 bodies have been recovered by Israeli emergency services from the desert area near the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of young people were celebrating an electronic music festival early Saturday. There, Hamas men burst in shooting.
A spokesperson for Zaka, a group of volunteers that is responsible for recovering human remains after attacks and other disasters, confirmed that hundreds of parents have been desperately waiting since Saturday for news of their children missing in this massacre and many went to the police station in the city of Lod, near Ben Gurion airport – which would be another Hamas target – to seek information from the young people.
(Also read: Video: moments of panic among attendees at a music festival in Gaza; there are 260 dead)
“I came to rescue my daughter, she is kidnapped in Gaza. I saw a tiktok where she appears surrounded by terrorists“, an Israeli father told Efe.
While many people are looking for their relatives, others have begun to enlist to provide support in the defense of the country.
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Vehicles burning in flames after bombings launched from the Gaza Strip.
Political reconfiguration
In view of the formation of a Israeli national emergency cabinet to handle the situation of violence unleashed by Hamas attacks, some consider it necessary now, given that citizens suffer a crisis of distrust in the authorities, who did not understand what Hamas was preparing.
The opposition and former Minister of Defense, Beni Gantz, declared that it is “time for leadership unity” and urged to fight the war responsibly. Former Army Chief Gadi Eizenkot thinks the same. It is considered that if they enter the government, they can contribute considerably to the current situation due to their experience.
We were surprised that the army was not waiting for us
Israelis continue to wonder how such a surprise from Hamas was possible. Part of the technical explanation is already there: Hamas managed to destroy a special advanced warning system from the air, with drones, which opened the way.
With private vehicles, trucks and motorcycles, they broke the border fence and crossed into Israel. To the cries of “Ala hu Akbar”, that is, “God is great”, several hundred militiamen crossed to the Israeli side.
From the interrogation of one of those captured in Israel, it emerged that Hamas prepared for this attack for a year. “We were surprised that the army was not waiting for us,” said the detainee.
International reaction
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Israel’s response in Gaza.
The United States supported its ally Israel and sent aircraft carriers to the areawhich is interpreted as a categorical gesture of support.
Such a step would be key in case Israel were attacked from several fronts at the same time. A glimpse of this was the action carried out from Lebanon by the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which fired at Israeli military posts in the Har Dov area. Israel responded with artillery.
There is another concern and that is Iran’s support. From Tehran, the ayatollah regime – which finances and supports Hamas– expresses total adherence to the militiamen’s line. A poster about ‘the great war against Israel’ hangs in the center of Iran.
JANA BERIS
JERUSALEM
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