Rickin Sanklecha, Pune
Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Gaza on Saturday. Amidst aggravated gun battles between Hamas fighters and the Israeli forces, over 600 Israelis and upto 400 people from Gaza have lost their lives.
The death count in Gaza has been on the rise under heavy air strikes around the coastal regions. Across at least 22 locations gun battles erupted with the terrorists holding hostages and posing a threat to civilian life.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi engaged in deliberations with the militant group’s head Ismail Haniyeh on the developments in Palestine. The large-scale attack had severe impacts on residential areas with conversations of aid and support from many countries.
Palestinian Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a pledge to reduce the hideouts of Hamas across Gaza and take a staunch stance against the aggression. The UN Security Council is set to meet after the state of war and rocket attacks launched by Hamas. With the agenda of ensuring civilians remain protected amidst what is being called the deadliest attack on Israel.
Hamas leader Haniyeh has mentioned discontent about Israel occupying a narrow strip of Palestinian land in the West Bank and the desecration of the Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem as the reason behind their attack on Gaza. This siege is described by Hamas as retribution for attacks on their women. The attack coinciding with the Jewish Sabbath is seen as a deliberate attempt, as it remains a significant religious holiday.
As a result of these proceedings, civilian life was greatly tampered with and airlines cancelled 80 percent of the flights due to aerial attacks. While Israel’s aerial attack security models are one the strongest globally, the constant attacks in short bursts have made it difficult for their Iron Dome to keep up.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres deeply condemned the attack and urged every effort possible to protect the civilian population and uphold international humanitarian laws.