What we know about Israel’s war with Hamas
Thousands of people — Israelis, Palestinians and foreigners — have been killed since Hamas militants attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip nearly a week ago. Most were civilians, with horror stories emerging about the militants’ rampage and the devastating military retaliation it provoked. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas and looks poised to send ground troops into the enclave, as calls mount for a humanitarian corridor to be opened and offers to broker peace come in. This is what we know about the war so far: How did it start? Hundreds of Hamas gunmen attacked Israel from Gaza at dawn on Saturday, on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. The Iran-backed Islamists said they fired around 5,000 rockets into Israel, 50 years and one day after the start of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The offensive, dubbed “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, saw them breach security fences surrounding the heavily fortified enclave using explosives and bulldozers. They then streamed into Israel on motorbikes, pickup trucks, motorised gliders and speed boats, targeting nearby communities in the south. At a music festival near Kibbutz Reim, close to Gaza, hundreds of young Israelis and foreigners were gunned down at close range. READ: DFA confirms third Filipino fatality in Israel-Hamas conflict Those who managed to escape were shot at in the desert scrub or as they tried to flee in their cars. Some hid under bloodied bodies until the military arrived hours later. Israel said about 270 were killed in total. More than 100 civilians, including children, were killed at the Kfar Aza kibbutz, according to Israeli forces. Many died when their homes were set on fire, they added. But Hamas disputed the account, calling it a “fake and false Israeli narrative”. How has Israel reacted? Israel declared war on Hamas on Sunday and has since fired thousands of munitions at Gaza targets, flattening entire neighbourhoods and sending frightened residents fleeing for safety. On Friday, the army said it had conducted “localised raids” inside the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours “to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry”. “During these operations, there was also an effort to locate missing persons,” it added. The Israeli military called on residents of the northern Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, to evacuate their homes and head south “for their safety”. Thousands heeded the call, packing their belongings into suitcases and bags, and leaving on foot
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