Hamas Launches Large Attack on Israel, Netanyahu Declares Country 'At War'
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel on Saturday, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza, and infiltrating Israel’s border by air, land, and sea.
The Details: The attack caught Israel off-guard as the country is celebrating a major holiday. Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif said 5,000 rockets had been launched and called on Palestinians everywhere to take arms. Israel struck military targets in Gaza in response to the attacks. As of Sunday morning local time, over 300 Israelis and 256 Palestinians are reported dead.
For Context: Israel and Hamas have a long history of conflict, including an 11-day war in 2021 that left over 200 people dead. In January 2023, Israel and fighters in Gaza clashed over an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in Gaza. In September, the Biden administration pushed for stabler relations between Middle Eastern countries, with particular focus on Saudi Arabia and Israeli relations. This week, media reports said Israel “quietly” armed Azerbaijan in its recent military victory over the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Key Quotes: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared mass army mobilization in a televised address, saying, “We are at war. Not an ‘operation,’ not a ‘round,’ but at war.” Hamas commander Deif called the attack "the greatest battle to end the last occupation on Earth."
How The Media Covered It: American media across the spectrum covered the events similarly.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Hamas kills 40 in unprecedented, wide-ranging incursion into Israel. Netanyahu says ‘we are at war’
The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday.
Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds wounded,...
From the Center
Videos Show Streets on Fire in Israel, Netanyahu Declares 'We Are at War'
Gunmen from the Palestinian Hamas group appeared to have infiltrated Israel in an attack which also included intense rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
Video shows the aftermath of the strikes and warning sirens across the south and center of the country, including in Jerusalem.
Social-media footage appeared to show clashes in the streets and gunmen in Jeeps roaming the countryside. Palestinian media reported that fighters had taken some Israelis captive, and Hamas media circulated video footage apparently showing a destroyed Israeli tank.
From the Right
Rocket barrages strike southern Israel in operation claimed by Hamas, Netanyahu says Israel is 'at war'
Militants infiltrated areas of southern Israel as rocket barrages launched from the Gaza Strip struck the region on Saturday in an attack the Islamist movement Hamas is taking responsibility for.
A senior Hamas military commander, Mohammad Deif, announced the start of the operation in which he called on Palestinians everywhere to attack the Israelis.
"This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth," he said in a broadcast on Hamas media, saying that 5,000 rockets had been launched.
In a video message early Saturday...
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May 8th, 2024
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