Editor's Pick: Israel ‘at war’ as Hamas attack leaves 200 dead

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday, killing at least 200 people and claiming it had taken dozens of hostages in a surprise assault combining gunmen crossing into Israel and a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza. More than 1,000 people have been wounded. Israel said the Iran-backed group had declared war as its Army confirmed fighting with militants in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza, and PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate. “Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known,” he said. “We are in a war and we will win it.” The Israeli military said it had responded with air strikes into Gaza, where witnesses reported multiple dead amid heavy explosions. At least 198 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed and at least 1,610 wounded in Israel’s retaliation, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera that the group was holding a big number of Israeli captives. He said Hamas had enough captives to make Israel free all Palestinians in its jails. Hamas said the attack was driven by what it said were Israel’s escalated attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem and against Palestinians in Israeli prisons. “This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif said. The attack marked an unprecedented infiltration into Israel by an unknown number of Hamas gunmen crossing from the Gaza Strip, and the heaviest blow for Israel in the conflict with Palestinians since the suicide bombings of the Second Intifada some two decades ago. Reminiscent of the 1973 Yom Kippur holiday attack by Egyptian and Syrian troops, the attacks took Israel by surprise, raising questions about intelligence failure. While it is too early to draw conclusions about the possible impact of the attack on Israel’s continuing occupation of the Palestinian territories, one question demanding urgent attention is why Hamas launched such a massive incursion into Israel knowing that the response would be disproportionate, notes an analysis in today’s edition of The Hindu. Meanwhile, India has expressed solidarity with Israel. The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv on Saturday urged nationals to maintain security protocol and “stay close to safety shelters”. The U.S. also “unequivocally” condemned the attacks by “Hamas terrorists” and promised to ensure the key U.S. ally has the means to defend itself. President Joe Biden described the assault as “a terrible tragedy on a human level” and said he had spoken to the Israeli PM to convey his support. The Hindu Explains How was mRNA research used to fight COVID? Attophysics — new tools to fathom the world of electrons The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Which team did the Indian men’s hockey team beat to clinch gold at the Asian Games? Pakistan China Bangladesh Japan To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 08 October 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow] Open in browser [Mail icon] More newsletters Israel ‘at war’ as Hamas attack leaves 200 dead Palestinian [Islamist group Hamas]( launched the biggest [attack on Israel in years on Saturday, killing at least 200 people]( claiming it had taken dozens of hostages in a surprise assault combining gunmen crossing into Israel and a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza. More than 1,000 people have been wounded. Israel said the Iran-backed group had [declared war as its Army confirmed fighting with militants]( in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza, and PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate. “Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known,” he said. “We are in a war and we will win it.” The Israeli military said it had responded with air strikes into Gaza, where witnesses reported multiple dead amid heavy explosions. At least 198 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed and at least 1,610 wounded in Israel’s retaliation, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera that the group was holding a big number of Israeli captives. He said Hamas had enough captives to make Israel free all Palestinians in its jails. Hamas said the attack was driven by what it said were Israel’s escalated attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem and against Palestinians in Israeli prisons. “This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif said. The attack marked an unprecedented infiltration into Israel by an unknown number of Hamas gunmen crossing from the Gaza Strip, and the heaviest blow for Israel in the conflict with Palestinians since the suicide bombings of the Second Intifada some two decades ago. Reminiscent of the 1973 Yom Kippur holiday attack by Egyptian and Syrian troops, the attacks took Israel by surprise, raising questions about intelligence failure. While it is too early to draw conclusions about the possible impact of the attack on Israel’s continuing occupation of the Palestinian territories, one question demanding urgent attention is [why Hamas launched such a massive incursion into Israel]( that the response would be disproportionate, notes an analysis in today’s edition of The Hindu. Meanwhile, [India has expressed solidarity with Israel]( . The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv on Saturday urged nationals to maintain security protocol and “stay close to safety shelters”. The U.S. also “unequivocally” condemned the attacks by “Hamas terrorists” and promised to ensure the key U.S. ally has the means to defend itself. [President Joe Biden described the assault as “a terrible tragedy on a human level”]( and said he had spoken to the Israeli PM to convey his support. 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