2023-10-07 05:02:05
Warning sirens wailed in various cities across the country, the army said. Rocket alarms were also heard in Tel Aviv. Israel is currently celebrating the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah).
The massive attack from the Gaza Strip came as a surprise. However, the situation, particularly in the occupied West Bank, had recently worsened once more. Four Palestinians have been killed there since Thursday in their own attacks or in confrontations with the army.
The security situation in Israel and the West Bank has long been tense. Since the beginning of the year, 27 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed in attacks. During the same period, more than 200 Palestinians died in Israeli military operations, confrontations or following their own attacks.
Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. The Palestinians claim these areas for an independent state of Palestine with the Arab-dominated eastern part of Jerusalem as its capital.
Violent protests in the Gaza Strip
There have been several violent protests at the Gaza border in the past month. Explosive devices were also thrown at soldiers and several Palestinians were injured by gunfire. In light of the incidents, the Israeli air force repeatedly attacked posts of the militant Palestinian organization Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip.
According to the UN, more than two million people live in very poor conditions in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, USA and Israel, violently seized sole power in 2007. Israel then tightened a blockade of the coastal area, which Egypt supported.
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