New Delhi
As part of the Israeli Defence Forces’ (IDF) counteroffensive, Operation Iron Sword, in retaliation to the gruesome attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists, the Israeli military has reported that it has eliminated two Hamas commanders responsible for the deadly incursion from across the border a week ago on 7 October. The individuals targeted were Merad Abu Merad, the leader of Hamas’ aerial system, and Ali Qadi, a commander of a commando force within the organisation.
The IDF is focusing on north Gaza as it continues its war against Hamas. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson of the IDF mentioned at a press conference that “most of the Hamas commanders are located in the north.” The IDF further advised approximately 1.1 million Palestinians to move to the southern part of the enclave through the evacuation corridors, but Hamas encouraged residents to remain in their homes and oppose the Israeli military’s evacuation directives. This comes at a time when Israel is set to launch a ground offensive. The United Nations said that 423,000 Gazans had left prior to Israel’s order.
The sirens kept blaring as Hamas sent rockets in retaliation towards the southern parts of Israel, destroying homes in the towns of Sderot and Ashkelon. In a statement, Hamas also claimed to have launched an Ayyash 250 rocket from the Gaza Strip towards northern Israel, triggering concern in the upper and central Galilee regions, including Safed.
The Israeli government has cut water and electricity supplies to Gaza temporarily, resulting in Gaza running out of fuel. The clinics in Gaza are overcrowded with patients as health care workers mention a dire situation as aerial bombardments continue. The health authorities in Gaza reported over 1,900 deaths and nearly 7,700 wounded.
THE HOSTAGE CRISIS
Israel’s ground troops conducted temporary raids to battle the terrorists, search for weapons, and collect evidence about those who have been taken hostage by Hamas. The hostages are mostly from the outdoor Tribe of Nova music festival that the Hamas had attacked. It’s considered to be the most devastating civilian massacre in Israel’s history, resulting in about 260 fatalities and scores of individuals held captive. Hamas terrorists launched gunfire at approximately 3,500 young Israelis gathered for a festive night of electronic music in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and celebrating peace. Gruesome videos surfaced of indiscriminate firing on temporary toilets, unarmed civilians, and the abduction of young women into Gaza. Natalie Sanandaji, an American citizen who was at the festival spoke to this reporter mentioning the details of the incident. “We swiftly gathered our belongings and headed towards our vehicle, following the instructed route to safety. Initially not overly panicked, knowing the protection of the Iron Dome, we began driving. However, the security changed directions, indicating the escalating threat was not yet clear to them. This realisation unsettled us. As we manoeuvred, we heard gunshots, realising the danger extended beyond rockets. Following the security’s instructions, we abandoned our cars and ran on foot—a chilling moment as we heard gunfire and had to make instant life-or-death decisions about where to flee. This continued for about four hours, the uncertainty and split-second decisions defining our survival.”
Apart from the music festival, a few kibbutzim, small farming enclaves, near the Gaza border were also attacked. The Kfar Aza kibbutz faced one of the deadliest attacks, with houses ransacked and burnt, with several dead bodies. According to Tal Heinrich, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Babies and toddlers were found to have been decapitated”. Adele Raemer, a resident of a kibbutz two kilometres from the Gaza border recounted her experience with horror: “I was in my house with my 33-year-old son who was visiting. We stayed in the safe room from 6 a.m. onwards, anxiously waiting for the IDF to come and rescue us. Although each community has a team of first responders, they are not initially sufficient to handle a large-scale infiltration, such as the one we experienced. We heard terrifying messages through our internal messaging system from people desperately seeking help as the terrorists stormed inside their houses, even setting them on fire to force occupants out. We were petrified, listening to Arabic voices, gunshots, and explosions all around us. As someone who has lived in a kibbutz since 1975, I had never experienced such fear in my life.”
A former journalist, on the condition of anonymity, shared her experience of covering wars in the last decade and mentioned that “It’s a different situation to report on warfare where soldiers are the intended targets, and while any loss of life is tragic, witnessing the brutal massacre of entire families and the shooting of young children is a whole other level of horror. I haven’t witnessed anything like this before, except in my coverage of ISIS. The resemblance to what the Islamic State perpetrated is striking. Recently, my husband received distressing news that a friend and her husband were killed while protecting their ten-month-old twins, who were hidden from the terrorists in a closet for over ten harrowing hours.”
FEAR FROM THE NORTHERN BORDERS
The northern borders of Israel have also seen their fair share of tensions with security alerts amidst possible infiltrations from the north which came after a drone or a glider attack.
Later, at least three Hezbollah militants were killed as the Israeli military attacked sites in Lebanon in response to mortar fire. A large part of the 300,000 Israeli reserve soldiers is also being mobilised in the north for reinforcements. Deputy Chief of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, speaking at a rally mentioned that “Hezbollah knows its duty perfectly well and they are fully ready” and will join the fight “when the time comes for action.”
Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, founder of Alma Research and Education Center in an interview with this reporter, addressed the issue mentioning “the magnitude of rockets in Hezbollah’s possession is tenfold compared to Hamas. The Israeli military is prepared for warfare on all fronts, including Lebanon and Syria, to safeguard our nation. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists have been mobilised to provide protection, but this cannot be sustained indefinitely. If a ceasefire is declared and Hezbollah maintains its capabilities, we risk facing a similar situation to what transpired in the south.”
While there were reports of Iran’s direct involvement in the attacks provided the close connections it shares with Hamas and Hezbollah, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an interview with NBC News clarified that there was no “direct evidence” till that point of time confirming Iran’s involvement in Hamas’ recent aggressive actions against Israel. There have also been several high-level delegation visits in Israel from the US including the Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and the Secretary of State Antony Blinken who delivered a message of solidarity to Prime Minister Netanyahu. He mentioned his Jewish identity and Israel’s obligation to defend itself in a way to ensure the cross-border attack can never happen again. He further added that Israel “may be strong enough on its own to defend itself. But as long as America exists, you will never have to. We will always be there by your side.” An accord has also been reached between the United States, Israel, and Egypt, permitting US citizens to enter Egypt through the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza.
WHAT IS ISRAEL’S ENDGAME?
President Joe Biden, while having committed his unwavering support to Israel as it prepares for a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, his administration, according to a report, has expressed concerns that the Israeli government may not be sufficiently prepared for the potential repercussions of a large-scale invasion. The major fear is about Israel’s lack of a comprehensive post-invasion strategy for Gaza. While Israel looks at a comprehensive military victory in Gaza, the end game remains uncertain based on the Prime Minister and the defence forces’ statements.
Even though a ground offensive is expected, whether the Israeli forces will revert to a status quo ante, akin to the situation before the disengagement from Gaza in 2005, remains to be seen and only time will provide the answer. In a conversation, former Deputy National Security Advisor Dr Eran Lerman mentioned, “Essentially, there will likely be a push to restore or possibly reconstruct a Jewish presence in that area. However, I doubt the government will take this route initially. The primary focus will be on dismantling Hamas and then seeking a viable political alternative. I’m hopeful, though unsure, that there will be individuals in Gaza or perhaps in other regions who, witnessing the immense suffering caused by Hamas, will seek a different political and ideological path.”
Brig Gen (Res) Yosef Kuperwasser, who was the former chief of the research division in IDF Military Intelligence, in an interview with this reporter, however outlined the challenges associated with long term engagement with Gaza, outlining “As for the future, the situation in Gaza is complex. We initiated this war without a clear strategy for the day after in Gaza.
Controlling Gaza is not something we desire; we don’t want to handle daily issues like sewage, water supply, and economic problems. We are ready to help them and wish to have good neighbourly relations. However, we need to address the education system in Gaza, which propagates hatred and violence against Jews. Changing this system is a challenge. Before we can disengage, we must ensure a change in their education, promoting peace, understanding, and productivity.”
Ratnadeep Chakraborty is the co-founder of an independent media company that covers the spheres of strategic affairs called The Honest Critique. He is also the host of the podcast series, Line of Truth. Ratnadeep writes on issues related to Israel and South Asia, particularly on the Af-Pak region, and non-state militant actors.