Israel is facing a humanitarian crisis as dozens of its citizens, including civilians and soldiers, have been kidnapped by Hamas militants in a surprise attack that has sparked a new round of violence in the region.
The attack, which began on Saturday morning, involved hundreds of Hamas fighters infiltrating Israel through tunnels and launching raids on several locations, including military bases, border towns, and a desert rave. The militants used guns, grenades, and explosives to kill and capture Israelis, while also firing rockets and mortars at other targets.
Israel’s Government Press Office said on Sunday that over 100 people had been taken hostage by Hamas. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group allied with Hamas, claimed to be holding more than 30 Israeli hostages in Gaza. The group’s leader, Ziad Nakhalah, said they would not release them until Israel freed all Palestinian prisoners.
Among the hostages are Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American who was born in California and works as a medic and a waiter; Chaim Peri, a 79-year-old retired engineer who was dragged out of his home by terrorists; and Daniel Darlington, a 35-year-old British-Israeli who was visiting a friend and had planned to travel to India in December.
Their families are desperately searching for any information about their fate, as Israel has not confirmed the identities or conditions of the hostages. Some families have provided DNA samples to a makeshift center in Tel Aviv to help with the identification process.
Maj. Gen. (res.) Israel Ziv, the former head of the Operations Directorate in the IDF and former commander of the Gaza Division, said the attack was unprecedented and had crossed a “point of no return” for Hamas.
“It’s big numbers,” Ziv said at a press briefing. “Very high numbers.”
He said Israel would have to strike a balance between rescuing the hostages and retaliating against Hamas, which he said had violated all the rules of war and exposed itself to a harsh response.
“This is not only an attack on Israel, this is an attack on humanity,” Ziv said. “This is an attack on the values of the civilized world.”
Israel’s Attacks
Israel has launched airstrikes and ground operations to repel the Hamas invasion and destroy the tunnels. The IDF said it had killed more than 200 militants and destroyed dozens of rocket launchers and weapons caches. However, it also admitted that it was “taking more time” than expected to fend off the attack, as Hamas fighters continued to resist and fire rockets.
The death toll from the three-day conflict has risen to over 1,100, according to health officials on both sides. Most of the casualties are Palestinians, many of them civilians who have been caught in the crossfire or targeted by Israeli strikes. Israel has also reported dozens of deaths among its civilians and soldiers.
The international community has expressed alarm and urged both sides to de-escalate the situation and respect international humanitarian law. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday and called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
The US, which is Israel’s closest ally, has also condemned the Hamas attack and offered its support for Israel’s right to self-defense. However, it has also called for restraint and urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday and expressed his concern about the situation. He also offered to send Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region to help mediate a solution.
Netanyahu thanked Biden for his support and said Israel was determined to defend itself and rescue its citizens. He also vowed to hold Hamas accountable for its actions.
“Hamas has committed a grave mistake,” Netanyahu said. “They will pay a heavy price for their aggression.”
