On Saturday, October 14, thousands of Palestinians flee north Gaza , responding to the warning of Israel to evacuate ahead of an anticipated ground offensive against Hamas. This action was a retaliation for the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, orchestrated by Hamas, resulting in the death of over 1,300 people nearly a week ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that the intense bombardment over the past week was only “the beginning” as Israel sought retribution against Hamas. In the last 24 hours, Israeli ground forces conducted “localized” raids in Gaza to eliminate terrorists and weapons and search for missing individuals.
The attack by militant fighters last Saturday, when they breached the heavily fortified border into Israel, resulted in the deaths of mostly civilians, drawing comparisons to the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
According to the health ministry, multiple missile strikes in the densely populated enclave claimed the lives of at least 1,900 Gazans, most of whom were civilians, including over 600 children.
Hamas
Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, had taken around 150 Israeli, foreign, and dual-national hostages back to Gaza during the initial attack, according to Israel. On Friday, the militant group declared that Israeli airstrikes had killed 13 of these hostages, in addition to the four deaths previously reported in bombardments.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who visited Israel on Friday, accused Hamas of using Gaza residents as human shields. Israel had cut off water, fuel, and food supplies to the region.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres characterized the situation as having reached “a dangerous new low” and stressed the need for immediate humanitarian access throughout Gaza. US President Joe Biden emphasized that addressing the humanitarian crisis was a top priority.
Tensions flared across the Middle East and beyond, with widespread protests in support of the Palestinians. Israel also faced the potential of a separate confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon. In south Lebanon, Israeli forces responded with artillery fire following a border barrier blast, resulting in the death of a Reuters video journalist and injuring several other reporters.
In the occupied West Bank, the health ministry reported at least 16 Palestinian fatalities during clashes with Israeli forces in protests in support of Gaza. Demonstrations in support of the Palestinians took place in various countries, including Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and Bahrain.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. In response, Netanyahu’s spokeswoman, Tal Heinrich, asserted, “Everything that happens in Gaza is Hamas’s responsibility.”