The military wing of Hamas, known as the “Al-Qassam Brigades,” has announced the launch of rockets towards Tel Aviv. In a statement, the Al-Qassam Brigades claimed that the rocket barrage was in response to the shelling of innocent civilians. This comes after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported an air raid siren in the city of Sderot in the southern part of the country.
On October 7th, Hamas forces launched thousands of rockets into Israel, initiating what they called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.” Thousands of militants infiltrated Israeli territory, seizing dozens of military vehicles and over a hundred hostages. In light of these events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war in the country.
The Israeli Defense Forces’ counter-operation, named “Operation Iron Swords,” aims to eliminate Hamas. The Israeli Air Force has targeted hundreds of Hamas facilities in the Gaza Strip, while the Israeli National Security Council has decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the region. On October 13th, Israel informed the United Nations that 1.1 million Palestinians must evacuate to the south of Gaza within 24 hours in preparation for a ground operation.
A political analyst previously described Israel’s response to the Hamas attack as disproportionate.
