On Saturday, Oct. 7, the day of Sabbath for Jewish people everywhere, the state of Israel declared war. Thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded on foot and through the air over the Gaza Border into Israel, murdering over 900 innocent civilians and kidnapping more than 150.
Horrific videos are being posted by Hamas all over social media showing them dragging deceased Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers through the streets, undressing women while sitting on their bodies, murdering parents in front of their children, and more. After gaining access to the base closest to Gaza, Hamas murdered soldiers and took their uniforms, which they then in turn wore in order to con civilians into opening the doors to their homes.
Around 4,400 rockets were fired from Hamas aiming at main population centers in Israel, which include Tel Aviv, Ofakim, Sderot, Yad Mordechai, Kfar Aza, Be’eri, Yated, and Kissufim. During this, soldiers are being conscripted by the dozens, having to say goodbye to their families at a moment’s notice as they make their way through heavy training.
The Outlook reached out to an IDF soldier, Maxim Abramov, who provided information on the current situation in Israel. He stated, “Hamas breached the borders and captured IDF cities and bases…They kidnapped soldiers, murdered them in their rooms and especially targeted female soldiers and civilians. All of my friends from the army are now clearing the cities of the terrorists.” After being asked if he was safe, he replied, “I am already released from the army but am fighting to return to my post so that I can fight these terrorists and wipe them from the earth. The terrorists have opened the gates of hell on themselves. They have murdered and kidnapped many soldiers and civilians, including children and the elderly, and they are going to pay a very heavy price for that.”
In the United States, people in the Jewish community were forced to break the laws of the Sabbath by calling their family currently in Israel in order to make sure they were alive and safe. Unfortunately, no one is safe. The streets are destroyed, buildings are burning, and communication systems are overwhelmed.
Israeli soldiers are still battling to take control over the territories in the South. The terrorists, on an apparent suicide mission, are shooting Israelis on sight. Their main goal is to conquer the disputed territories in this unprecedented attack, with collateral damage not under consideration.
One question arises from this equation: Where did Hamas obtain the financial backing in order to proceed with this attack? On Sept. 11, 2023, President Biden released six billion dollars to Iran, a state which according to the U.S. “is a sponsor of terrorism globally.”
Seemingly, Iran is trying to prevent the peace treaty between Saudi Arabia and Israel, a move that threatens the anti-Israel status quo in the Middle East. This attack was also initiated exactly 50 years to the day since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a historically symbolic event in Israel.
The U.S. responded to the events in Israel with a deterrence strategy. In a statement made by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Sunday, the U.S. “has deployed the U.S.S Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group” and “has taken steps to augment U.S. jet squadrons in the region.” The threat of possible U.S. intervention should hopefully be enough to deter Iran and Hamas from further action.
Note from the editor: This is a developing story and quantitative details may not be absolute totals at the time of publishing. Post last updated on Oct. 12 to include more accurate information.
