Jeruselum:A year has passed since the beginning of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, which led to widespread death, destruction and a major humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
The relentless conflict has killed over 42,000 people, including women, children, medical staff, humanitarian workers, and journalists in Gaza. It also transformed the dynamics of the Israel-Palestine conflict forever.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas opened a multipronged front against Israel, attacking it with a barrage of missiles in the south, leaving at least 1,205 dead, including those killed in captivity. The attack also destroyed the civil and military infrastructure in the country.
Dubbed "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," the action was unusual and unprecedented, which caught Israel completely off guard.
Here's the recall of events of that fateful day.
Israel Caught Off Guard
At 6:29 am on October 7, the Israeli army detected rockets coming from Gaza towards the Israel border. Within a few seconds, thousands of missiles hit the southern part of Israel.
Amid the panic and military alert, Palestine's militant group Hamas, which governed Gaza. claimed responsibility for the attack. It had claimed to have launched around 5,000 projectiles in the first assault, which reportedly overpowered Israel's all-weather Dome missile defence system. This was followed by a ground attack by over 1,200 Hamas fighters across the border areas. They allegedly used bombs and heavy machines to breach the fence between Gaza and Israel.
Coordinated Attacks And Slow Army Response
Hamas militants attacked nearly 50 locations, including kibbutzim, army installations, and cultural events. At least 370 people were killed at the Nova music festival following the Hamas attack. According to residents, they had to run for life as they had to seek help in the absence of the military response.
The surprise element and slow response from the Israeli army reportedly gave Hamas fighters an upper hand. They stormed six military bases, including Erez and Nahal Oz, but faced no major resistance as the military reinforcements arrived after five hours. And it was at 4:15 pm when the evacuation operation began.