The commander of the armed wing of Hamas confirmed this Saturday the start of the “Al-Aqsa Storm” operation, with the launch of more than five thousand rockets towards Israel from Gaza, calling for the uprising of all Arabs in Israeli territory.
The launch of Operation Al Aqsa Storm began “with the launch of more than five thousand rockets towards the heart of Tel Aviv,” said the commander of the Al Qasam Brigades, Mohamed Deif, in a rare public statement, released by the Maan agency, Palestinian news station.
The commander regretted that Hamas’ requests for “humanitarian exchanges” have been rejected and that “violations in the West Bank continue every day.”
Likewise, and in part of his statement collected by ‘The Times of Israel’, the Hamas commander takes the opportunity to ask Israeli Arabs “to take up arms against Israel,” in a statement addressed to a community devastated by months of extreme violence. among their clans, while regretting the passivity of the Israeli Government in containing this bloodshed.
“Today, the people are recovering the revolution and reactivating the March of Return,” says Al-Daif before urging “the Arabs in Jerusalem and within Israel, the Negev and Galilee to set fire to the land under the feet of the occupiers.” . .
Militants of the group infiltrated this Saturday into the Israeli city of Sderot, where combat broke out with Israeli troops, as well as on the border with Gaza, where militants kidnapped dozens of dead and wounded Israeli soldiers, as confirmed by the Brigades.
According to the militia, its members freed Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison in Ashkelon (Ashkelon) and, in videos posted on social networks, they are also seen on the streets of Gaza with an Israeli military vehicle and the body of a soldier.
The Islamic group Islamic Jihad, also with a strong presence and armed wing inside Gaza, reported that it joined the Hamas attack: “We are part of this battle and our fighters fight alongside their Hamas brothers, shoulder to shoulder, until victory. “he declared.
According to Israeli media, the multiple attacks from Gaza took Israel’s intelligence services by surprise.
However, in response, the Israeli military launched an attack on multiple Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, with no information yet available on its exact extent.
In addition to the state of war declared by the Army, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the mobilization of reservists and announced “a special security situation” inside Israel, “in a radius of zero to 80 kilometers from the Strip.” Gaza,” allowing the Army to “provide security briefings to civilians and close relevant locations.
While the sirens continue to sound continuously in various parts of Israel – including Jerusalem – the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Security Cabinet will meet this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. local time (10:00 GMT) to review the situation after a first meeting at 09.30. (06:30 GMT).
So far, the escalation has left three dead, one in Israel and two in Gaza, according to official sources, although these are provisional figures.
In an Israeli city near Gaza, “a woman in her 60s died from a direct hit (from a rocket),” reported the Israeli emergency service, which also reported 15 wounded, two in serious condition, six in moderate condition. and seven with minor injuries.
In Gaza, “two Palestinians were killed this morning and many others were injured, some seriously, in Israeli shelling east of the Bureij refugee camp,” in the center of the enclave, following an exchange of fire between Gaza militias and Israeli forces, he said. the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
“Awaiting a fierce Israeli retaliation, all kinds of activities, including schools and universities, as well as businesses in the Gaza Strip, stopped and people stayed home,” he added.
However, Saleh al Arouri, a senior Hamas official, also called on Palestinians in the West Bank “to take up this fight,” which he described as “a large-scale operation aimed at defending the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.” release the Palestinian prisoners.”
Source: TSF
