On Friday, Israeli newspapers were filled with reports about the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War. In 1973, the country was nearly defeated in a coordinated raid by its Arab neighbors. Never again, people thought.
Israelis were therefore particularly shocked when they were woken up by rockets and gunfire in the streets on Saturday morning.Hamas militants from Gaza have launched a smaller but equally coordinated raid.It comes from land and air and the sea.
fighting It started around 6:30 that morning, when Hamas started firing rockets. But unlike many previous conflicts, this one was also a ground attack.
Gunfights and air strikes
While rockets were still being fired, Hamas blasted holes in the security fence between Israel and Gaza. This allowed hundreds of armed militants to cross the border and quickly spread into southern Israel.
The forces were small by military standards but quickly overwhelmed local border and police forces. Militants seized a military base, seized a police station and attacked dozens of communities.
The result was bloody.As of Sunday, Israel reported more than 700 dead, 2,200 injured, mostly civilians. Another 100 people were taken back to Gaza as hostages. Some of the victims were reportedly citizens of other countries, including Germany, Thailand, Canada and the United States.
The Israeli military appears to have been largely absent from these initial battles. But within hours its air force began bombing Gaza and carried out Operation Iron Sword.One day after clashes began, Palestinians reported 370 people died and thousands injured from air strikes.
The bloody ground attack shocked Israel. But there are surprises overhead.
massive rocket
Militants in Gaza have fired rockets into Israel every year since 2005. Research rocket defense and missile combat The intensity of Hamas’ attacks over the years has been alarming. On Saturday morning alone, Israel counted more than 2,200 rocket attacks; by the end of the day, the total number exceeded 2,500.
This is almost four times the previous single-day record of 670 rockets.This is the number of people fired on the most stressful day Wall Keepers 2021 Operation.
Barrage is not limited to border areas. It extends throughout southern and central Israel, including the suburbs of Tel Aviv. A hospital and several other buildings were hit.About a dozen people died, including Several Bedouin villages There is no defense.
Casualties were relatively low, partly due to the rockets’ poor accuracy: most landed in open fields.and iron dome interception system Usually shoots down most of the rest.Failing this, many families and communities will dugout A place where civilians can take shelter.
Because the Iron Dome systems are so effective, destroying them would be valuable to Hamas.but Rockets are too inaccurate Hitting such a small target.
However, if the militants roaming southern Israel on Saturday discovered a system deployed there, they could easily destroy it. For example, there was often a system stationed near Sderot, one of the towns under attack.
There is another way to destroy small, high-value targets: attack them with drones.
Israeli and Ukrainian drones
This appears to be the first conflict in which Hamas has successfully used armed drones. Some are quadcopters that an operator can fly via remote control. They can accurately deliver explosives to small targets – such as the Iron Dome system.Online videos show them attacking people, watchtowers and a tank.
Ukraine has effectively used similar quadcopters to attack Russian military targets. They sometimes threw explosives directly into the open hatches of armored vehicles.
Other Gaza drones resemble toy airplanes. They can fly great distances and explode wherever they land.
The drones resemble those used by Russia to attack Ukrainian cities. Both the Gaza and Russian drones are similar to Iranian-made drones. This may not be a coincidence. Iran The country is understood to have supported Gaza militants in the past. It also admitted selling some drones to Russia.
There is another interesting connection between the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. Israel has provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but not weapons.Most notably, it rejects Ukraine has repeatedly requested the construction of an Iron Dome system.
Hamas has also sent dozens of militants across the border On a powered hang glider. Their lightweight structure apparently allows them to avoid radar detection.
Conflict expands?
On Sunday, Israeli forces gradually regained control of much of the territory, while the air force continued to bombard Gaza. Meanwhile, rocket launches from Gaza slowed to a trickle.
However, another rocket threat emerged.Lebanese Hezbollah militants Fire multiple missiles or artillery shells at Israeli military posts The Golan Heights are located on Israel’s northern border. It appeared to be a warning: If Israel retaliates against Gaza, Hezbollah could fire thousands of rockets and missiles into northern Israel.
But not surprisingly, the Israeli government appears intent on retaliating. It formally declared war and called up its reserve forces. A major invasion of Gaza appears imminent.
So while civilians in Israel and Gaza are already mourning hundreds of deaths, more bloodshed is likely to come.
Michael J.Armstrong is an associate professor of operations research, Brock University.
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