The militant group began its offensive - which it named “Operation Al Aqsa Storm” - on Saturday with a barrage of missiles from Gaza followed by militants crossing the border.

Hamas has launched one of its largest attacks on Israel in years.

The militant group began its offensive - which it named “Operation Al Aqsa Storm” - on Saturday with a barrage of missiles from Gaza followed by militants crossing the border.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “we are at war” and launched “Operation Swords of Iron”.

Here is what we know so far about how the attack unfolded.

Israeli officials said around 2,500 rockets were fired, though Hamas’s military commander Mohammad Deif claimed the figure was double that.

  • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This isn’t going to achieve anything beyond hurting numerous people on both (overwhelmly palestinan, though) sides.
    I don’t really see the point.

    • ???@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      This has always been one of my major issues with Hamas. The powers are disproportionate and “showoff resistence” won’t get them anywhere.

      • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Palestinians have no choice at this point it seems. Israel has been out to exterminate them for a while by bulldozing settlements and simply murdering Palestinians.

        Look at how much land they’ve already taken since 1948 and it starts to look like genocide.

        • Chocrates@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          How did Apartheid South Africa topple? I feel like that is the only path forward at this point

          • bamboo@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            International support evaporated as the Cold War ended. Supporting Apartheid under the banner of anti-communism was no longer viable, and the “terrorist” Mandela and the ANC were able to gain support.

            Until Israel loses its utility as an American military base in the Middle East, they’ll have virtually unlimited military resources. Then the people we’re currently calling terrorists will become freedom fighters and have a chance to make change.

            • Chocrates@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              That’s what I am afraid of. We put up with Israel because they are force projection for the west in the Middle East, and we get to sell tons of weapons to them. Still good ole imperialism fucking people over.

    • takeda@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It feels like a way to distract US from Ukraine. Hamas had recent visits in Moscow, also recording them war crimes is the stupidest thing they could do. It provides larger shock value, motivating western population to push their country to get involved (benefits Moscow), but also makes really hard to support them when Israel responds.

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    1 year ago

    So, the Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism, while Al Aqsa is the third holiest place in Islam. And the two occupy some of the same area.

    Under the longstanding “status quo” arrangement governing the area, which Israel says it maintains, non-Muslims can visit but only Muslims are allowed to worship in the mosque compound. [Source] (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/where-is-al-aqsa-mosque-why-is-it-so-important-islam-2023-04-05/).

    A couple weeks ago, Israeli settlers started showing up en masse to pray, starting around Yom Kippur with groups continuing to show up this week. As the Al-Monitor article notes:

    Each year, the Jewish high holiday period is marked by tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Extremist settlers often force their way into the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa despite a historic status quo under which the Jordan-run Jerusalem Islamic Waqf controls and administers the compound. Under the status quo, Jews are banned from praying inside the compound’s courtyards. However, since Israel occupied Jerusalem in 1967, it has controlled security at the site and access to the compound, and often allows groups of settlers to enter the compound and perform their rituals there under the protection of Israeli police.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Israeli officials said around 2,500 rockets were fired, though Hamas’s military commander Mohammad Deif claimed the figure was double that.

    Video filmed on Saturday morning and verified by Sky News showed two Hamas militants flying across the border into Israel.

    The footage emerged as Hamas released a video showing armed militants training to use the paragliders in preparation for the attack.

    Around 30 minutes later, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant approved the call-up of military reservists, while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIL) said its militants had joined the attack.

    “Numerous IDF soldiers, including special forces, have been dispatched to the area surrounding the Gaza Strip and are operating in a number of different locations in the division in order to protect the residents of southern Israel,” said a statement.

    “Dozens of IDF fighter jets struck a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.”


    The original article contains 528 words, the summary contains 149 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The militant group began its offensive - which it named “Operation Al Aqsa Storm” - on Saturday with a barrage of missiles from Gaza followed by militants crossing the border.

    In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “we are at war” and launched “Operation Swords of Iron”.

    This just in: men are stupid. Why do they run everything, again? Oh right - because God said. Right, right. Thanks God. That’s just quality godding right there.

    • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Genocide ain’t cool bro. Especially when the Palestinians were there first.

      • CookieJarObserver@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Its not genocide to kill terrorists, im not talking about killing the civilians there there will be no “Palestine” anymore however because that’s a terrorist region and its not belonging on a map.

        • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Get back in your cookie jar and get better at observing before you decide to contribute again.

        • Limitless_screaming@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, I just support displacing people from their homes into a small patch of land that cannot sustain them, making a new government that doesn’t recognize them as human, and putting them under the control of that government. Please point out where I supported genocide, you just cannot.

    • circuscritic@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Look boys, genocide is back in vogue. Let’s party likes it 1939.

      Wait, what? Oh, this guy is just a dumb edgelord? Shit, nevermind, pack it up. Guess we aren’t killing every single man, woman, and child in Palestine today.

      JFC.