 | This article covers a current event. The information presented may become rapidly obsolete as new developments take place. |
Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa (Arabic: Tufan Al-Aqsa, طوفان الأقصى) is a major, unprecedented incursion into occupied Palestine conducted by the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza starting on 7 October, 2023.
Timeline of events
On Saturday morning, 7 October 2023, the joint Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza (Hamas, PFLP, Islamic Jihad) started firing rockets at settlements outside of Gaza. The Iron Dome, Israel's anti-missile defense system, failed to intercept more rockets than usual. Rocket fire continued to support the operation the entire day, with the resistance reporting that they fired more than 5000 rockets by noon alone.
At the same time, resistance units penetrated through the border fence surrounding the Gaza strip. Methods to get through the fence included the use of paragliders. In a video, a hole can be seen cut in the fence with motorcycle units being conveyed through.
Afterwards, the resistance units moved into several settlements surrounding the Gaza strip, including Asqalan (Ashkelon), Erez and Sderot. Up to 15 settlements have reportedly been taken over.
The units quickly moved to neutralize the IDF presence in these towns, including rapid incursions into barracks, where most occupation soldiers were taken out before they even realized what was happening.
Videos on social media show Palestinian fighters walking freely through the streets of liberated towns,[1] indicating they were successfully taken over and all occupation driven out in some way.
In response, the occupier has called on the reservists and declared a state of war, but did not name the recipient of that declaration.[2] The occupier also ordered air strikes over Gaza in retaliation, which is considered a war crime as it is collective punishment.[3] Under international law, Israel is considered an occupier and may not attack into Gaza but only defend against operations.
Clashes continued between the resistance and the occupation army for the rest of the day and into the night, but the bulk of the operation (as extrapolated from videos released by the resistance) happened in the early morning.
On the morning of 8 October 2023, it was reported that Hezbollah in Lebanon had attacked military positions and settlements in the north of occupied Palestine, notably striking at a radar station in support of the Palestinian resistance. Clashes followed on both sides of the border during the day. In response, the occupier diverted troops to the border with Lebanon in preparation for an incursion from Hezbollah.
On the night of the same day, Israel requested US help as they were completely overwhelmed by the operation. In response, the United States diverted one of their plane carriers towards towards Palestine.[4]
By 9 October, it was reported by various sources that the resistance was able to move so far east that they were only 10 kilometers away from the West Bank. However, these reports are not yet entirely confirmed and it is important to note that in guerrilla operations such as this one, territory is often exchanged as the point is not to hold on to it but traverse it as needed.
Aftermath
This event is still ongoing.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan News said that the operation came as a complete surprise to the IDF.
Other media reported that over 35 prisoners of war had been captured by the resistance. Videos shared on social media show them being taken back to Gaza. That number was later brought up to over 50, with Hamas saying they are detaining even more prisoners than is reported.
At the same time, settlers were filmed scrambling to leave.[5][6] According to Mango Press, An estimated 1 million settlers are preparing to leave the country, with many still waiting at airports into the night of 7 October.[7]
Gaza resistance groups also indicated they had seized military equipment, including vehicles, from the barracks.
With IDF presence removed from the fence keeping Gaza locked in, Palestinians started destroying sections of it with bulldozers.[8]
The provisional death toll from the occupier's side, as reported by its own media, currently amounts to over 1000.[9]
Prisoners are mainly IDF soldiers of varying grades and include Brigadier-General Nimrod Aloni, who was the architect of the bombing campaigns against Gaza.
The provisional death toll for Palestine currently amounts to 687 martyrs in and from Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health, most of them being killed by indiscriminate Israeli bombing.
Media response
Within hours of the beginning of the Operation, Imperialist media in conjunction with Zionists launched a massive atrocity propaganda initiative to attribute a number of fabricated crimes against the Resistance fighters.
It was alleged that Hamas, the foremost member group of the Resistance, fired unprovoked into a crowd holding a rave party a mere two miles away (3.2km) from Gaza. But, recordings have emerged showing that Israeli police force and other armed personal were shooting at Hamas from within the crowd. [10]
At the same time, Imperialist propagandists blamed the Palestinians for the oppression they suffered, furthermore alleging that Hamas had engaged in mass rape[11] before the lack of evidence forced some media outlets into retracting parts of their claim.[12] A specific claim of rape and murder concerned a German-Israeli national by the name of Shani Louk, who was present at the rave and was allegedly seen in a video being transported in the back of a pickup truck. It was later revealed by her own mother that she was still alive and being treated at a hospital in Gaza.[13]
An even more grievous example of the atrocity propaganda on display was the claim that Hamas had indiscriminately and bloodily murdered anyone in their path, with some outlets such as The West Australian going as far as claiming that IDF soldiers had seen "beheaded mothers and babies [by Hamas]"[14] -- only to be contradicted by an official statement from the IDF itself.[15]
It should be noted that for the entirety of its history, the Palestinian resistance has never been proven to have committed sexual assault and carried out beheadings or even wanton executions against civilian populations or even IDF soldiers.
References
- ↑ @Marxozoic (2023-10-07). "This is unprecedented in Palestinian history. Palestinian Resistance fighters stroll through the Israeli settlement of Sderot." Twitter.
- ↑ News Desk (2023-10-07). "We are at war: Netanyahu" The Cradle. Archived from the original.
- ↑ "Collective punishments". International Committee of the Red Cross.
- ↑ Tara Copp (2023-10-08). "The U.S. Will Send a Carrier Strike Group in Support of Israel" Time.
- ↑ @Mango_Press_ (2023-10-07). "Settlers run! #Palestine" Twitter.
- ↑ @ME_Observer_ (2023-10-07). "Foreign squatters flee to the airport" Twitter.
- ↑ "Telegram post" (2023-10-07). Mango Press.
- ↑ @prolewiki (2023-10-07). "Gaza is taking down the fence." Twitter.
- ↑ “Translated from French: "... 1008 settlers and occupation soldiers eliminated ..."”
"Telegram post" (2023-10-09). Gaza News+. - ↑ @AnkushP61449364 (Oct 10, 2023). [https://twitter.com/ankushp61449364/status/1711676102220124467?s=46 "Hamas attached on concert Real footage"] Twitter.
- ↑ “If Gaza is a prison, it’s in part because it is run by a prison gang in the form of Hamas, which brutalizes and exploits Palestinian inmates. Also, if the moment inmates escape from a prison they go on a murder, kidnapping and rape spree, many reasonable people might assume the prison exists for good reason. But again, however brutal you might think Israel’s Gaza policy might be, the murderers still chose to murder, the rapists chose to rape. If you deny them that agency, you’re the one calling them unthinking animals.”
Jonah Goldberg. "Column: Who’s to blame for the Hamas attack on Israel? That debate is already going off the rails" Los Angeles Times. - ↑ “For the record:
6:12 p.m. Oct. 9, 2023
An earlier version of this column mentioned rape in the attacks, but such reports have not been substantiated.”
Jonah Goldberg (10-9-2023). "Column: Who’s to blame for the Hamas attack on Israel? That debate is already going off the rails" Los Angeles Times. - ↑ Giulia Carbonaro (10-10-23). "Shani Louk Is Still Alive, Mother Reveals" Newsweek.
- ↑ “The sight of the beheaded mothers and babies so affected Israeli soldiers that they could be seen crying.”
Troy de Ruyter (10-10-23). "Israel war live coverage: Mums, babies beheaded; first Aussie victim Galit Carbone confirmed; Gaza under fire" The West Australian. Archived from the original. - ↑ “When Anadolu contacted the Israeli army spokesperson unit over the phone and asked about the allegations, she said "We have seen the news, but we do not have any details or confirmation about that."”
Turgut Alp Boyraz (10-10-23). "Israeli army says it does not have 'confirmation' about allegations that ‘Hamas beheaded babies’" Anadolu Ajansi. Archived from the original on 10-11-23.