The attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel shocked the country. The full extent of the atrocities is becoming increasingly visible. Meanwhile, the army continued its massive airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
Even days after the unprecedented attack by terrorists from the Islamist Hamas on Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip, new atrocities are becoming known.
According to official information, gunmen murdered a large number of residents, including children, in their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, just two kilometers from the border fence. Horrible images could be seen on television. Israeli soldiers recovered bodies from the houses, some of which had burned down. They loaded black body bags onto trucks. There were corpses of Hamas terrorists lying in the area and it was only until Tuesday morning that they could be defeated.
The army has not yet provided any information on the number of victims, but said it was shocked. “What happened at Kibbutz Kfar Aza is a massacre in which women, small children and the elderly were brutally slaughtered in the style of IS,” a spokesman said. The terrorist militia IS was also notorious for beheading its victims in Syria. US President Joe Biden also compared Hamas to IS. Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, the USA and Israel. The United Nations, on the other hand, speaks of “armed groups” and refers to international humanitarian law.
Air strikes continue in the Gaza Strip before the ground offensive
The Israeli army continued its massive airstrikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip overnight ahead of the widely expected ground offensive. Dozens of fighter jets attacked more than 200 targets in the Al-Furqan area, the army said this morning. In addition, the Islamic University was bombed as a terrorist target. The army emphasized that the university was an “important operational and military center of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
Hundreds of thousands are on the run in the sealed-off Gaza Strip
According to the UN emergency relief office OCHA, around 264,000 people have so far fled within the densely populated Gaza Strip, which is sealed off by Israel and Egypt. As the aid organization announced in Geneva on Wednesday night, the displaced people were staying in school buildings, with relatives or neighbors. However, there were also voices that there were hardly any safe areas in the area, which is only 40 kilometers long and between six and twelve kilometers wide.
OCHA reported Israeli airstrikes also on several residential buildings in the Gaza Strip. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing, more than 1,500 housing units have been destroyed or severely damaged since the airstrikes began on Saturday. In addition, according to OCHA, five infrastructure facilities that provide water and sanitation for half a million people in the Gaza Strip were damaged. More than two million people live in the Palestinian area, which is slightly larger than Munich.
Preparations for Israeli ground offensive are underway
The Israeli army massed troops on the border with the Gaza Strip, from where Hamas began its attacks over the weekend. 300,000 reservists were mobilized. Apparently a large-scale military operation is planned.
More fighting in the south
Israel’s army is reportedly continuing to fight terrorists in the south of the country. Israeli soldiers killed three militants near Kibbutz Zikim, Israeli media reported.
The army said it had encountered several Hamas members in the region in recent days. In one case in Kibbutz Beeri, the terrorists wore Israeli army uniforms and opened fire on the soldiers. They fired tank grenades at the militants and killed them.
In another kibbutz, soldiers “neutralized” a terrorist in a bomb shelter and rescued a young civilian. It was initially unclear whether the Palestinian militant had taken him hostage.
The number of deaths is rising in Israel
At least 1,200 deaths were counted in Israel by Wednesday. This was announced by Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus. The “overwhelming majority” of the fatalities are civilians. Around 3,000 people were injured.
The number of deaths is also rising in the Gaza Strip
According to the Ministry of Health there, at least 1,100 people have died in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing counterstrikes by the Israeli Air Force. According to new information on Wednesday, at least 5,300 more people were injured.
UN worker killed in Gaza Strip
Nine United Nations employees have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to the UN. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) confirmed to the German Press Agency on Wednesday: “Nine UNRWA employees were killed and three teachers were injured.” In addition, 30 UNRWA students have died so far. Eight others were injured.
The only power plant in Gaza stops production
The only power plant in the Gaza Strip was shut down due to a lack of fuel, according to the Palestinian Electricity Company, the company announced on Wednesday.
Germans also among the victims
On Saturday, Hamas caused the worst massacre of civilians since the founding of Israel. According to the army, around 150 people were also kidnapped in the Gaza Strip, including at least five Germans. A German was killed, as ZDF reported on Tuesday. The information about the five kidnapped German citizens, which also came from the broadcaster, was confirmed to the German Press Agency from parliamentary sources.
Israel is threatened with a second front in the north
Israel was attacked not only from the Gaza Strip, but also to the north from Lebanon and Syria. The Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is allied with Iran like Hamas, said on Wednesday that it had fired several rockets at Israel. According to reports from southern Lebanon, the Israeli military responded with artillery fire. There are concerns that a second front could emerge there.
Pistorius offers German support to Israel
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has offered his Israeli colleague Joav Galant support from Germany. The federal government also made this offer to the Israeli military attaché, said the SPD politician in Berlin. “Both have said so far that they don’t need support of a military or technical nature. It’s about political support,” said Pistorius. This is beyond question.
Rabbis’ conference: “The blackest day since the Nazi Holocaust”
The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) is horrified by the Hamas attack and calls for support for Israel. “Simchat Torah 2023 will go down in Jewish history as the blackest day since the Nazi Holocaust,” said Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt on Wednesday in Munich. “Jews around the world are united in prayer and support for our brothers and sisters in Israel.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
