Israeli soldiers deployed in Sderot, Israel. Photo: AP/PTI
LIVE | Israel-Hamas war: Death toll nears 1,200; Israel to cut off electricity, food, fuel to Gaza
More than 40 hours after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still battling with militants holed up in several locations.
Hamas militants continued to spread terror in civilian areas of southern Israel on Monday (October 9) even as the Israeli military took retaliatory measures to crush their fighters following the Palestinian outfit’s surprise attack on Saturday.
More than a thousand have been killed on both sides. While over 700 people have been killed in Israel— a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — Palestine’s health officials pegged the number of dead in Gaza at 493.
More than 40 hours after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still battling with militants holed up in several locations.
Israel said it brought in special forces to try to wrest control of four Israeli sites from Hamas fighters, including two kibbutzim that militants entered earlier in their attacks.
Footage released by Israeli police from one area showed forces kneeling in tall grass as they exchanged fire with Hamas militants across an open field.
Meanwhile, Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group claimed to have taken captive more than 130 people from inside Israel and brought them into Gaza, saying they would be traded for the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The captives are known to include soldiers and civilians, including women, children and elderly — mostly Israelis but also some other nationalities.
As per a BBC report, rescuers have found more than 250 bodies at Supernova music festival site, one of the first targets in the recent onslaught by Hamas. Meanwhile, the overall death toll has crossed over 1,000.
"This is our 9/11," an Israel Army spokesperson said, according to reports. "Hamas wanted an annihilation of our state. They went for civilians, grandmothers, and babies," the official was qouted saying.
The Federals' coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict
Explained: Why is Hamas fighting Israel? Who is Hezbollah that joined attack?
Explained: What's Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system which intercepted Hamas rockets?
Opinion: Israel’s real problem is not its legislation, laws or institutions
Live Updates
- 9 Oct 2023 10:18 AM IST
10 Nepali nationals killed in Hamas attacks in Israel
10 Nepali nationals killed in Hamas attacks in Israel
Ten Nepali nationals have been killed and four others injured in Israel after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a wave of rocket attacks in the country's southern region, Nepal's foreign ministry said on Monday.
Out of the 17 Nepali nationals working on a farm at Kibbutz Alumim, two safely escaped, four were injured and one is still missing, Nepal’s foreign ministry said in a statement. "We have received the information of the sad demise of ten Nepali nationals from the site, where the Hamas had launched an attack,” Nepal's embassy in Jerusalem said in a statement.
“We are trying to identify those killed in the incident. Efforts are being made to search for one missing Nepalese national. The bodies will be brought back to Nepal soon after the identification is completed.” the embassy said.
The Nepal government has also requested the Israeli government that necessary arrangements be provided to the injured people, who are undergoing treatment. The ministry said it was collaborating with the Israeli government and the embassy in Tel Aviv to bring back those nationals who want to return home.
- 9 Oct 2023 9:48 AM IST
Not involved in attack: Iran issues statement
Iran has clarified that it was not involved in the attack on southern Israel carried out by Hamas militants.
“We emphatically stand in unflinching support of Palestine; however, we are not involved in Palestine’s response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Sunday.
The statement comes in response to Hamas’ claim that it carried out the assault on Israel with help from Iran.
- 9 Oct 2023 9:13 AM IST
Indian-Americans rally behind Israel
Noted Indian Americans, including two Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, have rallied behind Israel following unprecedented attacks on it by the Hamas militant group that has left hundreds dead.
“Hamas and the backers who support them, the Iranian regime, were chanting 'Death to Israel, death to America.' That's what we have to remember. We are united with Israel because Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the Iranian backers hate us," Republican presidential candidate Haley told NBC News on Sunday (October 8).
Another Indian American Republican candidate Ramaswamy said the key lesson for America to learn from the attack on Israel was that it cannot be complacent about defending its own borders.
"If it can happen there, it can happen here. Our own border is near-completely porous right now. The Southern Border is a disaster and I visited the Northern Border yesterday which is wide open for invasion. Hamas picked a moment when Israel is deeply divided over domestic politics, as we are now here at home,” he said.
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the United States “unequivocally” stands with the people of Israel against this "gruesome" terror attack and strongly supports its right to defend itself.
“Sunday's war crimes carried out by Hamas against Israeli women and children were inhuman and appalling,” said Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna.
“My heart breaks for the victims, and I stand in solidarity with the people of Israel at this dark moment,” he said.
Strongly condemning the terrorist attack by Hamas, Indian American Congressman Dr Ami Bera said that it is more important than ever that the United States stands with Israel and its right to defend its sovereignty.
Mukesh Aghi, president and CEO of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) posted on social media platform X on Sunday (October 8): “I stand with Israel” with the flag of India in the backdrop.
Bharat Barai, Indian Indian-American community leader, said Hamas and Hezbollah are the most barbaric terrorist organisations in the world.
The terrorist attacks by Hamas on the people of Israel are absolutely "horrific", said community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria.
“These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself,” Bhutoria said.
- 9 Oct 2023 8:23 AM IST
260 bodies found from music fest venue
The outdoor Tribe of Nova music festival was meant to be an all-night dance party in a rural area near the Gaza-Israel border, where thousands of young people would celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. But it became a site of deadly chaos when Hamas militants attacked the festival in the desert area early Saturday, killing an estimated 260 people.
Terrified revelers tried to run and hide from the gunfire, according to an Israeli rescue organization, news outlets and accounts on social media. The Israeli rescue service Zaka said paramedics have removed about 260 bodies from the music festival, with the figure expected to rise as teams continue working to clear the area.
Festival organisers said in a statement on social media they were assisting security forces to help locate missing people who attended the event. The attack on the music festival was part of the larger assault on Israel by Hamas fighters who blew through a fortified border fence in an unprecedented surprise attack that began Saturday.
Video posted to social media from the music festival showed a young woman being abducted by men on a motorbike as she cried for help. Another man nearby was led away with his hands behind his back. A separate video showed dozens of panicked festival-goers running through a field, trying to get into their cars, as gunshots rung out.
- 9 Oct 2023 7:51 AM IST
5 things to know as Israel declares war
Here are some key takeaways from the conflict:
WHAT DOES THE WAR DECLARATION MEAN?
Israel has previously carried out major military campaigns in Lebanon and Gaza that it portrayed as wars, but without a formal declaration. The declaration gives the green light for Israel to take “significant military steps” against Hamas. But a major question was whether Israel would launch a ground assault into Gaza, a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties.
Israel hit more than 800 targets in Gaza by Sunday, its military said. That included airstrikes that leveled much of the town of Beit Hanoun in the enclave's northeast corner. Hamas had been using the town as a staging ground for attacks, Israeli Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters. There was no immediate word on casualties, and most of the community's population of tens of thousands likely fled before the bombardment.
The leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in Saturday's attack, said it was holding more than 30 Israelis among dozens of captives in Gaza. He said they would not be released until all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are freed.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM THE US AND OTHER NATIONS?
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel. The deployment — which also includes a host of ships and warplanes — underscores the concern that the United States has in trying to keep the conflict from growing. Preliminary reports indicated at least four US citizens were killed in the attacks, and seven more were missing, a US official said.
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting about the situation and took no immediate action on a US demand that its 15 members condemn the Hamas attack. Russia's UN ambassador told The Associated Press that long-stalled negotiations between the two sides need to resume. China's ambassador said it was important to come back to a two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine live side-by-side. But US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said the ongoing violence needed to be dealt with first.
Germany's development minister said her country would review its aid for Palestinian areas. In Iran — a longtime supporter of Hamas and other militant groups — senior officials praised the incursion. President Ebrahim Raisi spoke by phone with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday.
Egypt spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, but an Egyptian official said Israel was not open to a truce “at this stage.” A policeman in Egypt opened fire Sunday on Israeli tourists in the city of Alexandria, killing at least two Israelis and one Egyptian, authorities said. The US embassy in Cairo urged Americans in the country to take precautions as the attack could be related to c lashes between Israel and Palestinian militants.
IS ANYTHING BEING DONE TO PROTECT CIVILIANS?
The number of displaced Gazans staying at schools converted into shelters jumped by tens of thousands, to some 123,000, the UN said. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said a school sheltering more than 225 people took a direct hit but there were no casualties amid heavy shelling and airstrikes in different parts of the crowded territory of 2 million people.
An Associated Press video Sunday showed a large crater in the middle of the school. “Schools and other civilian infrastructure, including those sheltering displaced families, must never come under attack,” UNRWA said in a statement.
Cease-fires have stopped major fighting in past rounds of conflict but have always proven shaky. Each agreement in the past has offered a period of calm, but the deeper, underlying issues are rarely addressed, setting the stage for the next round of airstrikes and rockets.
WHAT PROMPTED THE ATTACK?
Hamas officials cited long-simmering tensions including a dispute over the sensitive Al-Aqsa Mosque sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Competing claims over the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, have spilled into violence before, including a bloody 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021.
In recent years, Israeli religious nationalists — such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister — have increased their visits to the compound. Last week, during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli activists visited the site, prompting condemnation from Hamas and accusations that Jews were praying there in violation of the status quo agreement.
Hamas also has cited the expansion of Jewish settlements on lands Palestinians claim for a future state and Ben-Gvir's efforts to toughen restrictions on Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Tensions escalated with recent violent Palestinian protests. In negotiations with Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations, Hamas has pushed for Israeli concessions that could loosen the 17-year blockade on the enclave and help halt a worsening financial crisis.
WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING RECENTLY IN A DIVIDED ISRAEL?
The eruption of violence comes at a difficult time for Israel, which is facing the biggest protests in its history over Netanyahu's proposal to weaken the Supreme Court while he is on trial for corruption. The protest movement accuses Netanyahu of making a power grab. That has bitterly divided society and unleashed turmoil within the military, which hundreds of reservists threatening to stop volunteering to report for duty in protest.
Reservists are the backbone of the army, and protests within the ranks have raised concerns about cohesion, operational readiness and power of deterrence as it confronts threats on multiple fronts. Netanyahu called up “an extensive mobilization of reserve forces” Saturday.
- 9 Oct 2023 7:31 AM IST
Several US nationals killed in Hamas attack
The US has said that several of its citizens have been killed in the surprise attack on Israel by Palestinian terror group Hamas.
The country, however, is yet to specify the exact number of nationals killed.
“We can confirm the deaths of several US citizens,” AFP quoted a spokesperson for the US National Security Council as saying.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected,” the spokesperson said.
Pledging Washington’s “unwavering” support to Israel, President Joe Biden on Sunday had ordered the deployment of US ships and warplanes in Israel.
- 9 Oct 2023 6:57 AM IST
More than 123,000 Palestanians displaced: UN
The UN in a statement on Sunday said that over 123,000 Palestanians have been displaced in retaliatory attacks by Israel and as of 09.00 local time (18.00 GMT) over 74,000 have sought refuge in schools.
The death toll in Palestine is above 400 while more than 2,000 have been injured.
- 9 Oct 2023 6:40 AM IST
American Airlines pilot union calls for stopping flights to Israel, citing declaration of war
The pilots' union for American Airlines has directed its members to refuse to fly to Israel, citing the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza.
Union President Ed Sicher said in an email to members that the company's pilots should not fly to Israel until they "can be reasonably assured of the region's safety and security.” The email cites the most recent advisory from the US State Department, which warns that the current situation in Israel “continues to be unpredictable,” and that mortar and rocket fire can take place any time without warning, putting aircraft in danger.
“It is not prudent or appropriate to knowingly put our flight crews and passengers in harm's way by maintaining flights into a war zone,” Sicher said.
Israel formally declared war Sunday as it bombarded the Gaza strip with airstrikes in retaliation for a major surprise attack by Hamas. The declaration came a day after an unprecedented incursion by Hamas fighters, who blew through a fortified border fence and gunned down civilians and soldiers in Israeli communities along the Gaza frontier during a major Jewish holiday.
- 9 Oct 2023 6:19 AM IST
Israel, Palestinian supporters hold rallies
Supporters of Israel and backers of the Palestinian cause held competing rallies in several American cities.In New York City, a skirmish broke out between opposing demonstrators near the United Nations compound after a large group of Palestinian supporters rallied in Times Square. Palestinian Americans protested outside the Israeli consulates in Atlanta and Chicago. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a Jewish community gathering to support Israel at a synagogue in San Francisco.The demonstrations and involvement of American political leaders show the far-reaching ramifications of a conflict that's already prompted the U.S. to order naval forces deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean, ready to assist Israel. Here's what reaction around the country has looked like: In New York City, police ringed the United Nations compound as scores of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered a block away, chanting and waving flags. Metal barricades kept them on sidewalks as officers worked to separate them from an opposing group across the street, some waving Israeli flags.As some pro-Palestinian demonstrators were leaving, men yelling and carrying Israeli flags crossed the barricades. A short skirmish broke out in the crowd, with one man ripping away an Israeli flag and throwing it to the sidewalk, where people stomped on it. Police quickly separated the two sides.In Times Square, social media posts earlier showed Palestinian supporters rallied with police barricades separating the crowd from a pro-Israel group. The pro-Palestinians eventually marched away chanting “free, free Palestine, long live Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as tourists and onlookers snapped photos.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, condemned the planned pro-Palestinian rally in a statement on Saturday night, calling it “abhorrent and morally repugnant.” Other political leaders in New York have issued similar statements. - 9 Oct 2023 6:16 AM IST
UN holds emergency session
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting behind closed doors late Sunday with the United States demanding all 15 members strongly condemn “these heinous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas,” but it took no immediate action. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said afterward that “a good number of countries” did condemn the Hamas attack but not all council members. He told reporters they could probably figure out one of them.
