On October 6, 1973, the Egyptian and Syrian armies surprised Israel when they attacked across the Suez Canal and the Golan Heights on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement —the holiest day in Judaism. Israelis were busy and distracted and were caught napping.
Half a century later, last Saturday on October 7, Israel and the world woke up to a massive rocket assault by Hamas across the Gaza border into Israeli towns and small settlements neighbouring the Gaza border. It was another religious day, the day of Simchat Torah —the last day of the public reading of the Torah and also the Shabath — the weekly holiday when the Jewish people avoid work and generally take rest. This time too Israel was surprised.
Between 1000-2000 Hamas 'terrorists' infiltrated into Israel, cutting through the high-tech border fence along the border with Gaza, undermining Israel’s much vaunted security perimeter around Gaza. Others infiltrated using powered gliders and drones were used for surveillance.
Hamas called the operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” and said that the assault was a response to what it described as Israeli attacks on women, the desecration of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the ongoing siege of Gaza. The Hamas’ infiltrators launched terrorist attacks on border towns and settlements, slaughtering civilians, including women and children, beheading many.
Over 260 young Israelis and foreigners attending a music festival near the border were slaughtered and captured around 150 hostages and taken into Gaza. Military installations were also attacked and senior defence officers were among the hostages.
The Israeli death toll has so far crossed 1200 and a couple of thousand injured. These numbers include foreigners. The hostages captured by Hamas will act as a deterrent for Israel in its military operations in Gaza. Reports have emerged that Israel did have some intelligence but it was processed too late to take any pre-emptive action. Whether this is damage control or an excuse only time will tell. Hamas’ coordinated and well-planned attack was in the making for at least 2 years.
Israel has responded with justifiable fury and attacked Gaza relentlessly, using bombers and missiles, causing over 2000 Palestinian deaths and several thousand injured. It has mobilised the Israeli Defence Forces
The IDFs are poised for a ground offensive. Israel has officially declared that its objective is to wipe out Hamas. Israel’s military operation has been named “Operation Swords of Iron”. Israel has advised civilians to leave Gaza and cut off electricity, water, fuel and food supplies and established a cordon sanitaire around Gaza. Israel has officially declared war and PM Benjamin Netanyahu is putting together a War Cabinet with opposition leaders, two of whom are former IDF Chiefs.
The Hamas terrorist assault was unprecedented. Israel has never faced such an attack before during five earlier conflicts with Hamas. It took the IDF two days to regain control of the towns and settlements under attack by the Hamas, which continued to fire rockets further into Israel targeting cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Israel’s famed Iron Dome anti-missile system was unable to interdict the initial barrage of rockets but when activated it did manage to destroy thousands of rockets. The scale of casualties has crossed the numbers not seen since the Holocaust.
The History
Israel had occupied Gaza during the 1967 war and vacated it in 2005, after reaching an understanding with the Palestine Authority (PA). Following the 2006 election under the PA, Hamas gained control of Gaza. The Palestinian movement split between the PA, dominated by the Al-Fatah faction—the successor to the PLO and led by President Mahmoud Abbas — and Hamas, the Islamic militant faction. The PA, which set up after the Oslo Accords, recognised as the legal representative of the Palestinian people, is based at Ramallah.
However, Hamas is still not recognised by any country. The PA favours reconciliation with Israel, leading to a comprehensive peace deal that would include the eventual recognition of Israel and the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestine, with defined borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
What is Hamas
Hamas is the English acronym for the Arabic name of this organisation — Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or the Islamic Resistance Movement. Hamas was founded in 1987, as a sub-group of the Egyptian Islamic Brotherhood, during the first Intifada or Uprising against Israeli occupation of Palestine. It maintains an armed wing, called the “Ezzadeen al-Qassam Brigades”, which is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks inside Israel.
Hamas’ Charter enshrines its objectives of liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation and to establish an Islamic state wiping out Israel from the map — an objective that it shares with Iran. Like ISIS, Hamas too believes in establishing a global Islamic Caliphate. Later, under international pressure when it was declared as a terrorist organisation, Hamas toned down its demands.
Moderating its stance in July 2009, the Hamas’ political bureau chief, Khaled Mashal, announced that Hamas would be willing to cooperate and work for a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, provided a Palestinian state is established based on the 1967 borders, right of return for Palestinian refugees to the new Palestinian state and recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital.
International response to Hamas attack
International reaction to Hamas’ attack on Israel has ranged from outright support for Israel to strident support for Hamas from Iran. Most Muslim countries have come out in support of Palestine, without condemning Hamas. China and Russia have called for a ceasefire and talks. Turkey and Qatar, longtime supporters of Hamas, have offered mediation.
India’s first response was fully supportive of Israel and the second statement reiterated India’s support for the internationally accepted two-state solution within secure borders. The US, Israel’s strongest ally, has sent a carrier force to the eastern Mediterranean, Special Forces and munitions to help Israel and to deter any external powers from intervening. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has visited Israel to demonstrate support, followed by a visit to Qatar, where he would, most likely, be discussing the hostage issue. Qatar has funded Hamas and the Islamic Brotherhood and is seen to have considerable influence over the organisation. Qatar was also host to the Taliban for the US-Taliban talks which led to the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.
Abraham Accords
There has been much speculation about the timing of the Hamas assault. The historic “Abraham Accords”, signed in September 2020 led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, breaking a logjam of 41 years and causing a geopolitical earthquake. Sudan and Morocco also followed.
The Palestinian issue had led to Arab-Israeli wars in 1948, 1967 and 1973, till the Peace Treaty between Israel and two Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, who first broke ranks with other Arab states on dealing with Israel. Though supportive of Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia did not follow suit. It is no secret that the USA has been applying pressure on Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel.
Under the Abraham Accords, Israel agreed to put on hold any annexation plan. Israel’s stop-and-go policy on building Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories was, however, not halted. PM Netanyahu’s current government has ultra-right wing ministers who want to take over the whole of the West Bank and send all remaining Palestinians to other Arab countries for settlement. Clashes between Jewish settlers and Palestinian in the West Bank have increased manifold and maximum casualties have occurred in 2023. Palestinians and Muslims have been angered by the ultra-right wing Jews entering the Al Aqsa Mosque to pray.
The statements coming out of Tehran indicate Iran’s firm opposition to the Abraham Accords. Iran has called on all Muslim countries to shun any ties with Israel. Iran has supported both Hamas and Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, since its inception with funds, training and weapons. Hezbollah has also launched sporadic rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon.
Though Iran’s role in the Hamas attack has been suspected, no evidence has yet surfaced. Iran has warned against normalisation of Israel-Saudi ties which are likely to be based on an alliance arrangement between Saudi Arabia and the US and the Saudis establishing a civilian nuclear programme and establishment of a Palestinian State. Iran’s nuclear programme has led to sanctions and insecurity among the Gulf Arab countries. Diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia will convey a signal to all other Muslim countries to follow suit.
New geopolitical trends
These geopolitical trends may have forced Hamas to attack Israel, knowing fully well that Israel’s response will be catastrophic for Gaza. Bitterness and hate, added to desperation about downgrading of the Palestinian cause among Arab countries, may be a factor for Hamas’ assault. Hamas has nothing to lose and does not care for civilian casualties. Hamas may also be banking on growing international concern on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and pressure on Israel to stop its attacks. Once that happens, then international attention will focus on settling the Palestinian issue again. When that happens, Hamas would have achieved its objective but at a huge cost in civilian lives.
— The author, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, is former Deputy Ambassador of India to Israel, and Ex. Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. Chakravarty is currently Founder Director of DeepStrat, a Delhi-based think tank. The views expressed are personal.
(Edited by : C H Unnikrishnan)
First Published: Oct 14, 2023 10:58 AM IST
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