Tensions rise in the Israel-Hamas conflict

On October 9, three days into the conflict initiated by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which launched an unprovoked attack on Israel, Israel announced its intent to launch a comprehensive offensive by deploying ground forces into the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is based. In retaliation, Hamas threatened to execute Israeli civilian hostages every time Israel carried out a strike. This underscores Hamas's use of human shields, which could result in significant civilian casualties.

On Monday, media outlets, including AFP, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a televised speech that Hamas is akin to the terrorist group IS and warned of severe consequences for their actions, stating that the war would “change the Middle East.” According to Axios News, Netanyahu explained to U.S. President Joe Biden that Israel, in the absence of negotiation opportunities, had no choice but to initiate a ground operation in Gaza. Subsequent reports indicated that Israel was preparing to target Hamas leadership through assassination operations.

As of Monday, over 900 casualties and 2,600 injuries occurred in Israel, including 150 hostages taken by Hamas during the ambush on Saturday, with their survival uncertain. Israel's retaliatory airstrikes resulted in approximately 687 deaths and 3,700 injuries in Gaza.

Hamas threatens to execute hostages in retaliation. Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida declared it would execute an Israeli hostage anytime Israeli armed forces target civilians in Gaza without prior warning.

As tensions escalate with extreme retaliations, Western nations face incoordination in their responses. NATO's 'Big 5' (U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Italy) affirmed support for Israel on Monday, while the European Union suspended support for Palestine only to retract the statement due to some dissenting member states. The United Nations criticized Hamas for attacking Israel but expressed concern about Israel's Gaza blockade, leading to a failure of the Security Council statement favoring either side.


pep@donga.com