In a dramatic escalation, heralding the potential advent of a significant military confrontation, Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, commanded by Mohammad Deif, inaugurated the operation named ‘Al-Aqsa Storm’ against Israel. Deif, via a recorded audio message, expressed, “A conscious decision has been made to cease the ongoing Israeli violations, and the inaugural strike of ‘Al-Aqsa Storm’ has unleashed over 5,000 rockets targeting the adversary, Israel.”
This audacious move by Hamas flares up the embers of the Israel-Gaza predicament, with the Israeli army, according to its statement, countering swiftly, having detected the permeation of several “terrorists” into Israel following a barrage of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. Israeli civilians in the regions adjacent to the Gaza Strip have been advised to remain within their residences. Journalists on the ground substantiate that 100 Hamas militants penetrated four settlements in the Gaza envelope, wherein skirmishes between Palestinian fighters and local protection groups have erupted.
The resonance of sirens filled the air in Jerusalem, signaling alarm post a downpour of rockets from the besieged Gaza Strip upon Israel on a tense Saturday, as per correspondents of the French Press Agency. Eyewitnesses, reporting to the Arab World News Agency, delineated that armed confrontations have broken out between militants and Israeli forces along the border with the Gaza Strip. Israel’s army, now on high alert for war, insists that Hamas will bear the consequences of this aggressive assault on Israel, announcing subsequent operations against Hamas targets in Gaza.
Israeli portal “Ynet” reports the closure of airports in central and south Israel to commercial flights following the rocket attacks from Gaza, with Ben Gurion Airport remaining operational in adherence to “security instructions and guidelines.” The Israeli ambulance service recounts a tragic toll: one woman deceased and 15 others wounded in the rocket attacks from Gaza. Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency announces the suspension of all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip amidst palpable tension and rapid field developments, including the halting of studies in universities, schools, and kindergartens in the sector.
Witnesses confide to “Reuters” that earlier in the day, warning sirens sounded for several minutes in southern and central Israel, heralding rocket attacks, as the relentless launch of rockets could be heard within the Gaza Strip. Residents of Gaza report hearing the sounds of armed clashes along the separation fence with Israel near the southern town of Khan Yunis and observing significant movements of fighters. While the Israeli ambulance service has dispatched teams to regions in southern Israel near Gaza and advised residents to stay put, details about potential injuries or loss of life are still forthcoming.
In the looming hours, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene with senior security officials, signaling the intensity and potential escalation of this newfound conflict, thereby opening yet another chapter in the precarious narrative of Israel and Hamas relations, with international eyes attentively watching.
