This is a terrible day. After waking up to air sirens under a barrage of hundreds of rockets fired on Israeli cities, the unprecedented assault by Palestinian militants from Hamas into Israeli towns bordering the strip became apparent.
At least 700 Israelis have been killed and thousands wounded, with over 100 kidnapped into Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli army has already begun its own offensive on the blockaded strip, with troops mobilizing along the fence and air strikes. The absolute dread of people who are seeing armed militants in their streets and homes, or the sight of fighter jets and approaching tanks, is unimaginable. Attacks on civilians are war crimes. We should know because we have suffered a lot. And I can’t imagine Israel will forget fast.
While we have been covering the attack closely here at GazaPRESS, I cannot help but wonder about the future.
Hamas attack has been disproportionate, violent, jarring. We have seen a lot in Gaza, but they are not used to this. Israel woke up with blood, tears, and fear. The massive assault unleashed by Iran-backed Hamas combined a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel and hundreds of heavily armed gunmen attacking the country’s south from Gaza. It came a day after Israel marked the 50th anniversary of the surprise invasion on Yom Kippur in 1973 and it is still ongoing.
Israeli soldiers today continued fighting to repel Hamas militants and also exchanged fire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is worrying people that it might result in a much wider regional conflict.
However, the major question I feel like asking is whether Israel will launch a ground assault into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces were bringing four divisions of troops as well as tanks to the Gaza border, joining 31 battalions already in the area, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari declared. This comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “mighty vengeance” against Hamas. Israel’s security cabinet officially declared war and Israeli forces began positioning tanks and artillery in the border region with the Gaza Strip. And now, while Gaza is already burning, with over 800 dead to count and destruction everywhere, we cannot really breathe.
Will we in Gaza see tomorrow? What Hamas did means the end of us, after years of siege and pain and loss… was this the real last call?
Revenge is a scary thing, and waiting for what Israel’s response will be has made the time feel still. Hamas attack was huge, even if the rightful consequence of our faith for the past 15 years.We as Palestinians know what it means to have no hope. They learned it today. And I feel like Israel will respond brutally and, once again, we will be the one losing at the end. Because there is no victory in Gaza. And Hamas is responsible too.
The electricity is off, and with the light, the love and hope in our heart are gone too – without return. From Gaza, waiting for what revenge looks like. Wondering if it was worth it.
