The operation called “Al-Aaksa storm” began around 6.30 local time (5.30 in Poland) from launching several thousand rockets towards southern Israel.
About 6,000 Fighters and civilians from the Gaza Strip broke through the border in over 30 places, using explosives, bulldozers, boats and paragliders. Israeli services were completely surprised.
The commander of Hamas's military wing, the Al-Kasama brigade, Mohammed Deif, gave a speech that warmed up to fight at dawn, in which he reminded, among others At the 16-year blockade of the Gaza Zone by Israel, violence supported by the army of Israeli settlers on the west shore and the silence of the international community. Hamas probably was preparing for the invasion for years.
Hamas's bestial attack
One of the first goals was the Electronic Music Festival in the Negwi desert, about 5 km from the Gaza Strip surrounded by the fence. 378 people were killed and 44 were abducted. During the attack on the festival, most documented cases of rape and other acts of sexual violence occurred.
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In Sderot, Hamasowcy took the police station, killing about 30 people. Hardly armed and masked fighters, dressed in black uniforms, moved around the city with pick-ups and shot random people. Also on the streets of other Israeli cities in the south of the country, the bodies of dead civilians and Hamas fighters were seen.
During the day, armed terrorists invaded over 20 housing estates and towns on the territory of Israel, located at a distance of up to 24 km from the border. In some places they traveled on the streets for hours, shooting at civilians and soldiers, while the Israeli army was gathering forces to carry out a counterattack.
Civil population massacre
Within a few hours, a few kibbutists and settlements were temporarily under the control of Hamas. A civilians were made in Beeri, in which 101 inhabitants were killed, in Kfar Azie – 56 people, in Nir Ozie – 47. Hamas brutally murdered whole families and set fire to the houses. The attackers also killed 17 Thai and Nepalese employees at the Alumim kibbutz.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic jihad were kidnapped by 251 people – soldiers and civilians, including children – announcing their use as a tender card.
Israel's answer
The Israeli army reacted only after a few hours. Over 10,000 were taken over weapons of the attackers. About 1 thousand died 600 members of Hamas, about 200 were arrested. According to the documents found at the killed Hamas, he acted in a coordinated way and planned a long occupation of Israeli towns.
In total, 1 thousand died in Israel. 175 people, including 379 soldiers, 725 civilians and 71 foreigners. Among the victims there were about 70 Arabs who were citizens of Israel, mainly living in the Negouin desert. 36 children and 25 people over 80 were also killed. Over 3.4 thousand people were injured.
Of the 251 hostages 47, they are still kept in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli authorities, 20 of them are still alive.
Binjamin Netanyahu announced “severe revenge”
The Prime Minister of Israel Binjamin Netanyahu stated on October 7 that the country was in the war with Hamas, and announced “severe revenge”. The supply of electricity, fuel and goods to the Gaza Strip was suspended. The army began to mobilize reservists.
In the evening, intensive retaliation raids began. Destroyed, among others 14-story tower block in the city center of Gaza. At least 232 people were killed, and 1 thousand 700 were injured.
Contrary to the calls of the opposition and civic environments, Netanyahu is opposed to the creation of the government's independent investigation commission, which would comprehensively examine the behavior of state bodies before the attack and in its period.
Israel was not ready
In February, the Israeli army published the initial results of the internal investigation. According to the document, the army was not prepared for an attack, for years it underestimated the threat from Hamas, and the reaction to the invasion was chaotic and slow. In the same report of the Szin Bet Safety Agency, it was stated that the service did not effectively warn about the upcoming attack despite the signals about the threat.
The governments of many countries of the world, UN bodies, human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and the prosecutor's office of the International Criminal Court recognized Hamas' attack as a war crime or a crime against humanity.
