New Delhi: Though the reasons cited by Hamas for its sudden attack on Israel from Gaza are as old as the vexed Palestinian issue itself, the timing suggests that there is a larger geopolitical angle to it. The attack was launched by the Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, early on Saturday, which also happened to be the sacred Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
In the brazen attack, at least 250 people were killed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that “we are at war”. In retaliatory attacks by Israel, at least 230 people were killed in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Hamas has also taken an unknown number of Israeli soldiers and citizens hostage.
“Israel is currently fighting to repel coordinated, large and multi-pronged Palestinian terror attacks,” Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said in a statement issued soon after the attack. “These attacks, which were launched early this morning by Hamas on our civilians sleeping peacefully in their beds in cities and villages of south and central Israel, are war crimes. The cowardly actions of Hamas targeting and killing men, women, children and elderly, injuring hundreds of civilians and firing indiscriminately over 2,000 missiles and rockets at our cities, came during the sacred Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing his shock over the attack, posted on X, “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.” All major Western powers have condemned the attack by Hamas and called for restraint from both sides."
“The issues mentioned by Hamas for the offensive against Israel that is unprecedented in scale and execution, are as old as the overall Palestinian issue itself such as restrictions on access to Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, (Jewish) settlements in the occupied West Bank and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails,” R Dayakar, former Indian Ambassador to Iraq and Jordan, who also served in the West Asia desk of the Ministry of External Affairs, told ETV Bharat.
The Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem is sacred both for Jews and Muslims. Jews call the site Temple Mount. Last month, Israeli forces imposed tight security measures ejecting worshippers from Al Aqsa Mosque and intensifying their presence around it, denying access to any Palestinian below the age of 50 to clear the way for Israeli settlers on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
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In recent times, Israeli religious nationalists such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have increased their visits to the Al Aqsa compound. Last week, during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, hundreds of ultra-orthodox Jews and Israeli activists visited the mosque drawing condemnation from Hamas and accusations that Jews praying there is in violation of the status quo agreement.
The Al Aqsa mosque has been a contentious issue since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The administrative body is responsible for the whole Al Aqsa mosque compound is known as “the Jerusalem Waqf”, an organ of the Jordanian government. The Jerusalem Waqf is responsible for administrative matters in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. Religious authority on the site, on the other hand, is the responsibility of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, appointed by the government of the State of Palestine.
Meanwhile, Saleh al-Arouri, deputy chief of Hamas’s political bureau, said “We have managed to kill and capture many Israeli soldiers”. “Our detainees in (Israeli) prisons, their freedom is looming large. What we have in our hands will release all our prisoners. The longer fighting continues, the higher the number of prisoners will become,” al-Arouri was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.
There are nearly 5,200 Palestinians in Israeli jails, including 33 women and 170 minors, according to figures provided by Addameer, a prisoners’ rights NGO. However, the exchange of prisoners is a long and contentious issue. In 2006, Hamas-linked militants captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit during a cross-border raid. They held Shalit captive for five years till he was exchanged for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The attack from Gaza also comes close on the heels of the killing of four Palestinians and the rise in attacks by Israeli settlers. Observers say that Israeli settlers in the West Bank have become emboldened after the far-right coalition government came to power in Israel. "There seems to be a geopolitical angle for the timing of the offensive given the recent moves at normalisation of relations with Israel by some long-time Arab adversaries,” Dayakar said. “Israel has vowed unprecedented retaliation against Hamas. The devastating retaliation and collateral loss of life of men, women and children and suffering will arouse public opinion and emotions among Arab masses.”
In recent times, some Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and Egypt have tried to establish contact and communication with Israel. A disproportionate retaliation by Israel will put the governments of all these countries under pressure. Egypt has warned of “grave consequences” from an escalation in tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.
Some observers have also linked the sudden Hamas attack to the US mediation efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has called for an “immediate cessation of violence” between Israel and the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed armed Lebanese Group Hezbollah said that it was “in direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance”. According to a Reuters report, Hezbollah launched guided rockets and artillery fire at the disputed Shebaa Farms on Sunday “in solidarity” with the Palestinian people. Israel retaliated by firing barrages of artillery into southern Lebanon. If Hezbollah enters the fray, things will become difficult for Israel as it will have a war on two fronts. All eyes will now be on the UN Security Council, which has convened a meeting on Monday over the latest conflict.
