Col Alok Mathur, SM (Veteran)
The H hour for Operation Al Aqsa flood was 0600 hours 7 October 2023 (D day) as 3000 Rockets were launched by Qassam brigades of HAMAS, towards various bordering towns of western Israel from various hideouts on Gaza strip breaching the protection of Iron Dome Air defence umbrella. Israel was in a holiday mood as 6 October was Yom Kippur day and 7 October was Sabbath day.
About 1500 HAMAS terrorists in groups of 40-50 breached the fortified Border fencing on Gaza strip at multiple points adopting assorted modes. In North Palestine HAMAS teams entered through tunnels, physically demolishing fencing by Dozers/JCBs using Bikes/SUVs to go deep and take hostages and in down south it used Motorised Para hang Gliders/Speed boats to assault a desert festival musical event killing approx 220 participants. Israel has confirmed at least 1200 killed and about 100 hostages with HAMAS in Gaza.
After the initial shock, an emergency war council meeting was held on late evening 7 October in Israel and PM Benjamin Netanyahu ordered mobilisation and retaliatory action by Israeli Defence forces (IDF). War planes bombarded the HAMAS (Militant Terror group) vital targets including headquarters, camps, anti-air batteries, rocket launch pads and tunnel networks. Palestine president, Mahmoud Abbas, has confirmed 2000 casualties, 4000 wounded and mass destruction of buildings including residential complexes. Israeli Defence Minister has ordered mobilisation of 3 Lakh troops to launch an offensive in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli Air force (IAF) fighter jets and Artillery have been carrying out selected destruction of HAMAS strong holds since last 4 days.
Israel, only Jewish nation in world. It is a multiparty republic with one legislative assembly with 120 members. The population is approximately 9 million. The total area is 21,643 sq kms. It consists of lengthy coastal plains, highlands in North, and central regions and Negev desert in the south, Running along its eastern borders is the Great Rift Valley of 251 km long River Jordan originating from Lebanon Mountains.
The region where Israel exists today was the homeland of the Jews in pre-biblical times but they were driven out from there. Later it remained a part of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. It came under Islamic caliphate in 700 ACE. The whole area was known as Palestine and remained under several Islamic dynasties. Finally, it was part of great Ottoman Empire. After World war1; it was placed under British mandate by the League of Nations.
Post World War II, there was a heavy migration of persecuted Jews from all over the world towards Palestine. However it flared up in to clashes with local Arab native clans. the United Nations planned to partition Palestine into two separate Jewish and Arab states on 29 November 1947 but the Arabs rejected the plan. Israel achieved statehood on May 14, 1948. A new nation was born but with hostile Arab neighbours. The first war on Israel was launched on 24 May 1948 .The joint Armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and local Palestine volunteers invaded Israel. The second war was launched by Israel on Egypt as it had signed a treaty with Czechoslovaks for Soviet Arms and nationalised Suez Canal in July 1956. It was called the Sinai Campaign. British and French supported Israel in this campaign. It was an all out victory. Israeli troops reached Suez canal threatened Cairo in south west and also captured the West Bank and Golan heights.
Israel fought another war with Egypt and others in 1967 as President Abdul Naseer, who acquired massive military aid from Soviets wanted to teach lesson to Jews. Arabs were annihilated again in six days of fighting .Yom kippur War was launched on 6 Oct, 1973 the holiest day of Jewish calendar, by Joint forces of Syria and Egypt to win back lost territories of last war. Jordan has warned Israel but no action was taken. After initial setback, Israel fought back and regained all lost territories by 25 October 1973. Later, to ensure tranquillity, in the Camp David accord, a bilateral peace treaty was signed on 17 September 1978 between Israel PM Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, coordinated by President Jimmy Carter at White house, Washington.
Gaza strip is approximately 363 kms long. It was handed over to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1993/94 and permitted self rule in Gaza as part of a peace agreement under UN. The population is 95% Palestinian Arabs and 5% Jew settlers. Similarly in West Bank, (5900 sq km area), also partial self rule was initiated with aim of lasting peace.
Prime minister of Israel, Aerial Sharon unilaterally decided to withdraw from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The Jewish settlers were forced to leave their homes in spite of resistance, and evacuated to main land. Gradually, all elements of IDF also were withdrawn, a goodwill step towards providing autonomy to Palestinians and run their own affairs. The whole world including the Arab fraternity welcomed the initiative. Yasser Arafat was the founder chairman of PLO from 1969 t0 2004. Ramallah was declared as capital of Palestine. Palestine legislative council was formed. Mahmoud Abbas is the current chairman and president of Palestine. PLO was responsible for several attacks on American and Israeli citizens. The worst dastardly terrorist attack was carried out by PLO supported Black September group in 1972 Munich Olympics killing Israeli Athletics team followed by 1974 school bus hijack and killing 26 Israeli students and coastal road massacre of 37 students by Al Fatah.
The present crisis is linked to HAMAS, an acronym for ”Harakat al Mukwana al Islamiya”, raised in 1987, which is a Palestinian lslamic fundamentalist organization and has a militant wing lzza din al Qassam brigades. It has social service wing also. HAMAS won legislative election in 2006 and took over control of Gaza Strip after departure of IDF. This group has overshadowed PLO and taken over the role of continuing the struggle. Their main arsenal is Qassam I and Qassam 2 Rockets for attacking in range Israeli towns.
Israel has launched number of operations to neutralise this menace since 2008. Operation Cast Lead was launched in 2008, as HAMAS was shelling continuously and attacking with missiles on towns of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Yavne and Beersheba. On 27 December 2008, Israeli Air Force F 15 Jets attacked a graduation ceremony of Qassam brigade fighters and killed 150 terrorists in Arafat city and subsequently destroyed command posts, missile sites and training camps of HAMAS. Three Israeli infantry brigades entered the Gaza strip along with two armoured brigade and cleared all booby traps and machine gun nests. HAMAS cadres were paralysed. Human bombs were shot dead. The operation was called off after 22 days after achieving objective of destroying HAMAS military capabilities and command structure. Israel suffered 10 casualties and HAMAS counted 1400 cadres dead, 4000 houses destroyed and 48 Government offices burnt.
Operation’ Pillar of Defense ‘was initiated in 2012 ,to eliminate Ahmed Jabari, Chief of Staff of HAMAS. He was the mastermind of overseas relations, fund raising and weapon procurement for militant wing and has directed a number of operations against Israeli citizens. On November 14, 2012, he was blown to pieces as his Silver KIA SUV was hit by two missiles fired from armed drone in Gaza city ,along with Raed Atar, commander of southern wing force. The next day Israeli jets bombarded long range Fajar missile sites. HAMAS also retaliated with 1500 rockets but most of them were neutralised by the iron dome umbrella. 120 Palestinians were killed. Headquarters and Training camps were destroyed. The operation was terminated on 22 November 2012.
Another operation named’ Protective edge’ was launched in 2014 again against HAMAS as three young boys were kidnapped and killed by terrorists in the West Bank. Gaza celebrated on killings and launched missiles and rockets on Israeli settlements in nearby towns. A new tunnel war was started by HAMAS. Terrorist teams used tunnels to carry out killings in Kibbutz’s and vanish back. The troops entered Gaza once again and destroyed 32 tunnels. Hand to hand fighting took place .IDF Suffered 66 killed and 1600 Palestinians including 700 terrorists were also killed. Iron dome missile shield intercepted 773 Qassam and M 75 hostile missiles and saved the civilian population. The operation Preventive Edge was terminated on September 2014 after two terrorists responsible for kidnapping were identified and killed in Hebron.
The last clash between IDF and HAMAS was in May 2021 when violence in East Jerusalem was triggered on 10th day of Ramadan (Laylat a Quadr), as Israeli Security forces prevented Palestinian Arab worshippers to move towards Israeli controlled Al Aqsa Mosque in a mob supported by HAMAS 300 Palestinians and some Israeli troops were injured in the clash. On 11 May 2021, Palestine militant group HAMAS opened up with BM 21 GRAD batteries and Rockets in Israeli towns of Ramon, Beer Sheba, Ashdod and Tel Aviv killing about 10 Israeli citizens including one lndian Nurse. IDF retaliated and HAMAS strongholds were destroyed by war planes and ground troops. The operation lasted 10 days and 100 HAMAS terrorists were killed and 600 Palestinians were injured.
The never ending story of GAZA continues even after bloody rounds of 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021 and now 2023. Israel will go full blast after HAMAS. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu who took over on 29 December 2022, has vowed, in his address to nation, that HAMAS has started the war and we (Israel) will finish it on our terms. Israel will go out full blooded to eliminate the menace forever. 1500 Hamas cadres have been located and killed so far.
84 countries, including India, have supported Israel for taking action against terrorist outfit HAMAS where as 14 Muslim countries including Iran and Pakistan have shown support to HAMAS and three nations have been neutral ie Turkey, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Israel has vowed to eliminate HAMAS from GAZA once for all.
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