New Delhi: Support for Israel poured in from around the world as it launched a large-scale counter-offensive — ‘Swords of Iron’ operation — Saturday in response to the attack by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the Gaza Strip.
According to initial reports, a coordinated aerial and ground attack by Hamas left one dead and many injured in southern Israel, Saturday.
“Israel is currently fighting to repel coordinated, large and multi-pronged Palestinian terror attacks. These attacks, which were launched early this morning by Hamas on our civilians, sleeping peacefully in their beds, in cities and villages of the south and central Israel are war crimes,” Naor Gilon, Israel’s Ambassador to India, said in a statement.
The statement added, “The cowardly actions of Hamas, targeting and killing women, children and elderly, injuring hundreds of civilians and firing indiscriminately over 2,000 missiles and rockets at our cities, came during the sacred Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Israel will repel this combined assault of rocket fire and ground infiltration of Hamas terrorists and will take any and all actions to protect our citizens.”
Gilon also wrote on X: “The situation is not simple but Israel will prevail.”
#Israel is under a combined attack from Gaza during the Jewish holiday.
Both by rockets and ground infiltration of Hamas terrorists.
The situation is not simple but Israel will prevail.
— Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) October 7, 2023
Hamas has claimed that it launched more than 5,000 rockets at Israel in an early-morning attack, calling it “Operation al-Aqsa Flood”. Hamas, or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement), is a militant outfit led by Sunni-Islamic fundamentalists.
Also read: What is Hamas, how it rose to power & its role in Israel-Palestine conflict
Israel has ‘absolute right to defend itself’
Michael Herzog, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States shared a map of Israel on X, showing areas with red alert and stating that “nearly the entire country is under fire”.
“The attack cannot and will not go unanswered,” he wrote.
Israel is under attack.
Several hours ago, Hamas – a U.S. and E.U. designated terror organization – launched an unprovoked, massive terror attack on Israeli civilian populated areas, including mass firing of rockets and infiltrations into Israeli towns from the Gaza Strip.… pic.twitter.com/IsHZRlmRlm
— Ambassador Michael Herzog (@AmbHerzog) October 7, 2023
Maya Kadosh, former deputy chief of Israel’s mission in New Delhi wrote on X that all of her “young family members” were called back to their bases and are now gearing up to “protect their families and homes”.
The Israel mission in India too expressed its solidarity with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
The US was one of the first to condemn the attack, with Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, Stephanie Hallett, taking to X to say the United States “stands with Israel”. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, too condemned the attack.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to say that he was “deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel”.
Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2023
Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said he was “shocked” at the attack against Israeli citizens by “Hamas terrorists”, adding that Israel has an “absolute right to defend itself”. This sentiment was shared by Ralph King, the Australian Ambassador to Israel, who too said Israel “has the right to defend itself against such aggression”.
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, expressed his solidarity with Israel and wished Israelis “the swiftest possible handling of the situation and the fulfillment of their ambitions to live in peace and security”.
Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said in a post on X that “violence and terror only perpetuates suffering and hinders the path to dialogue”.
Belgium strongly condemns the massive rocket attacks against Israeli civilians. Violence and terror only perpetuates suffering and hinders the path to dialogue. Our thoughts are with all those affected. We are monitoring the situation closely.
— Hadja Lahbib (@hadjalahbib) October 7, 2023
Numerous other countries including France, Germany, Latvia, Sweden, Poland, Austria, Lithuania, Switzerland, Belgium among others have also condemned the attack by Hamas.
Meanwhile, India issued an advisory Saturday, asking its nationals in Israel to “remain vigilant and observe security protocols as advised by the local authorities”.
(With Inputs from Pia Krishnankutty)
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