Jazz wrote about the attack on Israel by Hamas and Israel subsequent declaration of war this morning. Since then a lot has happened including, as Ed pointed out here, the usual knee-jerk anti-Israel response from some in the media.
I guess the best place to start is with this follow-up warning from Benjamin Netanyahu telling Gazans to “get out now” because the full force of the IDF is about to come down on all who remain.
“We will win this war, but the price will be unbearably heavy,” he says.
“Hamas wants to murder us all,” Netanyahu says, “murdering children and mothers in their homes, in their beds.
“It is an enemy that kidnaps elderly people, children, young girls,” an enemy “that massacres and slaughters our civilians, our children, who simply wanted to enjoy the festival.”
“What happened today has never been seen before in Israel and I will ensure it never happens again. The entire government supports this decision. The IDF will immediately use all its power to destroy Hamas’s capabilities,” he says. “We will fight them to the bitter end and avenge this black day they plotted for Israel and its people.”
Someone posted this video of a long line of tanks on flatbed carriers apparently moving toward Gaza.
A very long line of Israeli tanks is heading south.
The start of a ground invasion of Gaza is just a matter of time pic.twitter.com/Mj1DfDS2Vz
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 7, 2023
Also this one showing the tremendous number of rockets being fired into Israel.
⚡️Video of the rockets being launched towards occupied territory from Gaza pic.twitter.com/UuGFJO3aJU
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) October 7, 2023
Earlier, Hamas overran a police station in Sderot reportedly killing 20 Israelis.
⚡️ Hamas terrorists executed 20 Israeli police officers in a captured police station in Sderot – Israeli media
Now special forces are working in the city and clearing it of terrorists. pic.twitter.com/HohHzQMVEh
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 7, 2023
An estimate 200 people have been killed in Israel so far. Most of them don’t appear to be soldiers or even police, just civilians.
Bloodied bodies in the streets, gunmen raiding door-to-door and news of captives taken to Gaza left Israelis terrified and in shock after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack that was unprecedented in audacity and scale.
A resident reported seeing multiple bodies and bullet-scarred vehicles in the southern Israeli town of Sderot where groups of Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli troops 12 hours after the attack was launched.
“I went out, I saw loads of bodies of terrorists, civilians, cars shot up. A sea of bodies, inside Sderot along the road, other places, loads of bodies,” said Shlomi from Sderot.
They were just driving through the streets shooting at people.
Just surreal! Footage of Palestinian Hamas terrorists who infiltrated into Israel from Gaza, firing at residents in Sderot from an SUV. pic.twitter.com/ffUO5XwG1I
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) October 7, 2023
There are lots of really graphic images and videos circulating which I’m not going to post here. This is one of the least graphic but gives you an idea what is happening. These people were waiting at a bus stop.
In the Israeli city of Sderot, peaceful civilians are being shot.
As a reminder, we previously reported that Hamas entered Sderot.
More details: https://t.co/LPkzyd6oGo #Israel pic.twitter.com/tdREsThx0a
— Voice of Europe 🌍 (@V_of_Europe) October 7, 2023
There are several more images and videos like that one. Over 1,000 Israelis have been injured.
One of our volunteers in the field near the Gaza border, (Shalom Avitan) was handed a baby whose parents are missing. Shalom’s task now is to take care of this baby until the parents or family members can be found. Just one of the many heartbreaking stories. #IsraelUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/JWNgDyTXrx
— United Hatzalah (@UnitedHatzalah) October 7, 2023
In addition to just shooting people in the streets and in their own homes, Hamas also kidnapped a bunch of Israelis, some soldiers and some just people off the streets.
When all you bastards at @hrw @amnesty and the UN said All forms of resistance are justified.
This is what you called for I call on the IDF to reduce Gaza to dust no more no less. pic.twitter.com/ci0cLoxox3— ElBluemountain #reinstate @sharkdiveruk (@EBluemountain1) October 7, 2023
Horrifying: An Israeli family, including a grandmother, mother, and two daughters, has been kidnapped and taken to Gaza.
Your prayers for Israel are desperately needed. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/jJ2q1GMrsH
— Inbar Cohen (@InbarCohen13) October 7, 2023
Bodies of the dead are being driven through the streets of Gaza:
Al-Qassam brigades soldiers going around Gaza in celebration 🥹❤️🔥❤️🔥🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/3ETfQY6VbN
— Her name is Palestine 🇵🇸😇 (@ayshaaaa_48) October 7, 2023
Hamas’ attack is being celebrated in places around the world, including London:
Acton, half an hour ago.
Popped into a cafe for some baklava with the kids and our Ukrainian friends.
People have been brutally murdered, kidnapped and there are people in London dancing.
Just had a reassuring call with the police, if anyone is scared, please call them. https://t.co/fYjXn4zEDF pic.twitter.com/dQjcAsRyDS
— Rachel Riley MBE 💙 (@RachelRileyRR) October 7, 2023
There are fireworks in Tehran:
Celebration of joy in Tehran 🇮🇷#طوفان_الأقصى #Israel #Gaza pic.twitter.com/dXLZgIkli8
— Salma🎀 (@Salma4everPTI) October 7, 2023
They are celebrating tonight but I don’t think that’s going to last very long. Israel is clearly preparing for a major ground attack. They’ve already taken down one building in Gaza.
Filistin tower has been leveled.
West of #Gaza city pic.twitter.com/4VJI19DeuA— Aleph א (@no_itsmyturn) October 7, 2023
Meanwhile our own State Dept. is an embarrassment, warning Israel not to retaliate.
Team Biden made a Day 1 decision to pour millions of dollars into Hamas areas. Internal emails show them saying it would boost Hamas terrorism, but they did it anyway.
Then Hamas launched an invasion of Israel.
Team Biden’s immediate response was to tell Israel to roll with it. pic.twitter.com/PopoiBo3oM
— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) October 7, 2023
They deleted that shortly after it was posted. I guess someone had enough sense to be embarrassed. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a reliable critic of Israel has condemned the attack by Hamas.
I condemn the horrific acts we are seeing unfold today in Israel against children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed people who are being slaughtered and taken hostage by Hamas. Such senseless violence will only repeat the back and forth cycle we’ve seen, which we cannot allow…
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 7, 2023
Rep. Rashida Tlaib has not issued a statement thus far.
Read the full article here