Israel Declares 'War' As 100 Killed in Hamas Attack; India Issues Advisory | Key Points

Israel was caught off guard as the Hamas militant group ruling the Gaza Strip launched an unprecedented early morning attack on Saturday — firing at least 5,000 rockets and sending dozens of fighters into Israeli towns during a major Jewish holiday. As a result, Israeli Prime Minister declared “war” with Palestine and launched operation ‘Iron Swords’ in retaliation.

At least 268 people have been killed in the war-like situation, which is only escalating. Israeli authorities said 100 people have been killed on their side with the fighting still ongoing in many parts while the Palestinians said retaliatory strikes claimed 198 lives.

Israel was stunned and not fully prepared for the onslaught but got support from the US, UK, France, Ukraine, India among other countries. World leaders, including American President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, said they recognised Israel’s right to self-defence in the light of the “terrorist attacks”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, said he is “deeply shocked” by the attack on Israel while saying India stands in solidarity with the foreign country. Amid all the fierce fighting, the Indian embassy in Israel issued an advisory for citizens stuck there to “remain vigilant” while an emergency helpline has also been established for Indian nationals stuck in Palestine.

Later into the evening, Gaza once again launched another barrage of rockets that are reportedly headed towards Tel Aviv while Hamas said the battle will now be taken to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Netanyahu promised, in a televised address to the nation, that “the enemy will pay an unprecedented price” and Israel “will return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known”.

Here is all you need to know about the Israel-Gaza clash:

1. The death toll has risen to 100 with hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years. An unknown number of Israeli soldiers and civilians were also seized and taken into Gaza, an enormously sensitive issue for Israel. The Palestinian health ministry, meanwhile, said at least 198 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed and at least 1,610 wounded in Israel’s retaliation.
2. Israeli airstrikes flattened a 14-story residential tower that also holds Hamas offices in central Gaza City. A warning was fired just before, and the number of casualties is not immediately known.
3. Hamas said it is holding “dozens” of Israeli soldiers captive in the Gaza Strip. Abu Obeida, spokesman for the group’s military wing, said the soldiers, including some officers, were captured during a surprise infiltration into southern Israel. He said the captives were being held in “safe places” and militant tunnels.
4. The Indian Embassy in Israel asked all Indian nationals in the country to “remain vigilant” and “observe safety protocols” as the full-fledged war broke out. “In view of the current situation in Israel, all Indian nationals in Israel are requested to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters,” the embassy said in its advisory.
5. The Indian embassy advisory gave relevant phone numbers in case of emergency and also provided URLs for Israeli Home Front Command and Preparedness brochures. It was issued in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages. There are about 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel, primarily caregivers employed by Israeli elders, diamond traders, IT professionals and students. There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel too that were part of the main waves of immigration into Israel from India in the 50s and 60s.