. We Are At War- Netanyahu
By: Oyez Olatunde Rex (with Agency Reports)
Almost 50 years to the day after the Yom Kippur war of 1973, Israel has been jolted, by a sudden attack, a reminder, that stability in the Middle East, remains a bloody mirage.
Of certainty, the latest aggressions, are quite unlike the last series of clashes, with Palestinian forces in Gaza over the last three years.
This appears to be, and may go on to become a full-scale conflict, mounted by Hamas and its allies, with rocket barrages, and incursions into Israel proper. Already, several Israelis have been killed and captured.
“Since early on Saturday, Israel has battled to repel one of the broadest invasions of its territory in 50 years, after Palestinian militants from Gaza, launched an early-morning assault on southern Israel, infiltrating 22 Israeli towns and army bases, kidnapping Israeli civilians and soldiers, and firing thousands of rockets toward cities as far away as Jerusalem.” (NY Times).
“By early evening, the Israeli military said fighting continued in at least five places in southern Israel; multiple Israelis had been abducted and taken to Gaza, including an elderly grandmother; and at least 250 Israelis had been reported dead by officials, with more than 1,400 wounded.”. (Reuters)
Israel retaliated with huge strikes on Gaza cities, and the Gaza Health Ministry said at least 234 Palestinians had been killed in either gun battles or airstrikes.
In a Saturday night speech monitored by Rextun City Updates, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will turn all the places that Hamas hides in and operates from into rubble.”
The Prime Minister advised Palestinians living in such places in Gaza to “leave now.”
In a sure footed show of walking his talk, following the reprisal orders of Netanyahu, Residents of Gaza reported a heavy rain of Israeli airstrikes throughout the night and into the early morning.
One video appeared to show a pre-dawn blast collapsing the Watan Tower, a huge commercial complex in Gaza City.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said overnight that the first phase of the war was over and that an “offensive formation” would start.
Meanwhile, several world leaders have reacted to the surprise Hamas attack on Israel.
The Chinese foreign foreign ministry said early today that it is “deeply concerned over the current escalation of tensions and violence between Palestine and Israel.” Beijing has tried to maintain friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinian authorities, and said that “the recurrence of the conflict shows once again that the protracted standstill of the peace process cannot last.”
But the Chinese foreign ministry’s statement also suggested that Beijing has no appetite to step into mediation on its own. The international community must “find a way to bring about enduring peace,” it said. “China will continue to work relentlessly with the international community towards that end.”
President Biden on Saturday condemned the surprise assault on Israel by Palestinian militants.
The US president warned Iran and other nations hostile to Israel not to join the fighting that continued to rage along the country’s border with the Gaza Strip.
“Let me say this as clearly as I can,” Mr. Biden said during remarks that lasted just under three minutes. “This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage.” (NY TIMES)
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken also spoke Saturday with Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, and Sameh Shoukry, the foreign minister of Egypt, in separate calls on the Israel-Gaza conflict, the State Department confirmed.
In his talk with Prince Faisal, Mr. Blinken “reiterated Israel’s right to self-defense and called for coordinated efforts to achieve an immediate halt to the violent attacks by Hamas terrorists and other militants,” the department said.
Also, while allaying fears of possible Iranian complicities in the escalating conflict, a senior Biden administration official said on Saturday that the United States has no direct indication that Iran was directly involved in the attacks on Israel.
He however added that it is true that Hamas would not exist without the support, financial backing and weapons provided by Iran.
In the capital city of Iran, Tehran, the Revolutionary Guards staged a celebration bringing out a few hundred of government supporters in Palestine Square on Saturday to set off fireworks after Hamas’s attack on Israel. (Al Jazeera)
Many Iranians however took to social media to condemn Hamas’s attacks and violence in Israel.
As Israelis living abroad woke up on Saturday morning to messages from their families and news alerts on their phones, reports indicates that some started booking flights back home.
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Their country was under attack, they said. They needed to return. They needed to fight.
“It’s the thought that you have friends that will be in immediate danger, and you cannot help them,” said Yotam Avrahami, 31, one of the many Israelis who has been packing bags and preparing to join the fight.
Mr. Avrahami, who has lived in New York for four years, said he is lucky — his wife and 7-month-old daughter will stay in New York, safe from the violence. But his friends back home have already had loved ones die in the most recent attacks — and they have seen children killed, too.
“You’re trying to protect them,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Mr. Avrahami spent about $2,000 on a one-way plane ticket, he said, and he has planned to report to a base on Sunday to see where he is needed. He has also been messaging another friend who was waiting to fly home from Dubai.
“I’m not unique,” he said. “This is kind of Israelis across the board.” he told NY TIMES
But some flights into the country are being canceled, leaving Israelis abroad in limbo. Aaron Kaplowitz, the president of the United States-Israel Business Alliance, has spoken with friends across the world trying to get back, he said.
“Many of them are trying to sort out the logistics to find ways to get back to Israel, to either rejoin their reserve units or just to be around their friends and family,” he said.
Mr. Avrahami, for his part, said his wife is concerned for his safety. But, he said, “at the end of the day, she understands the necessity.”
They spent the day before his flight preparing: They went to The North Face to get supplies — comfortable clothes, a new pair of boots — to wear during what could be weeks of combat.
Avrahami, who works in investments and consulting with Deloitte, also said he had been emailing his colleagues and clients, letting them know that he would be out of the office for a while.
