War day in Israel at a glance
Netanyahu wants unity government – Hamas threatens to murder hostages
October 9, 2023, 10:27 p.m
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After the major attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas, Prime Minister Netanyahu is calling on the opposition to form an emergency government. Meanwhile, around half a million Israelis are preparing to fight in the Gaza Strip. However, there are concerns about over 100 Israeli hostages who were taken there. The day of the war in Israel at a glance.
In view of the war with the radical Islamic Hamas movement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the opposition to jointly form a “government of national unity”. He called on the opposition leaders to “immediately form an emergency government of national unity without any preconditions,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech that evening.
The head of government had previously vowed “revenge”. “We will change the Middle East,” he said, according to a statement from representatives of Israeli towns in the south of the country. “What Hamas will experience will be harsh and terrible. We are only at the beginning.” The army’s task is to weaken Hamas so that it can no longer threaten Israelis and rule the Gaza Strip, an army spokesman said.
At least 900 dead in Israel
Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA, the EU and Israel, carried out the worst massacre of civilians since the founding of Israel in a major attack on the border area on Saturday. According to official figures, more than 4,500 rockets have now been fired at Israel. According to media reports, the number of deaths in Israel has risen to 900.
According to the government press office, around 2,600 people were injured. In a completely destroyed kibbutz near the Gaza Strip with around 1,000 inhabitants, more than 100 bodies were recovered on Monday, the first day of the search, as the media reported, citing rescue workers. More deaths are feared.
Israel bombs the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon
The Israeli army responded with massive bombings of the Gaza Strip. According to the local Ministry of Health, at least 687 people were killed and more than 3,800 injured in the Israeli air strikes. There were also fighting on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, increasing concerns that the conflict could spread. Israeli attack helicopters attacked targets in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said soldiers had previously shot several gunmen who had advanced into Israel.
The Israeli army also mobilized 300,000 reservists. It is the largest mobilization in Israeli history in such a short period of time, an army spokesman said. The order points to a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, a densely populated coastal strip on the Mediterranean. Netanyahu had previously called on civilians to leave Gaza. US government officials expect the Israeli government to launch a ground attack on the Gaza Strip in the next 24 to 48 hours. This is reported by the Washington Post, citing sources from the US government.
Hamas wants to kill hostages in air strikes
The fate of around 150 abducted Israeli hostages is of great concern. Among them are citizens of several Western countries, including a German. Many reportedly have dual citizenship. Hamas threatened to execute a civilian hostage for every attack carried out by Israel, a spokesman said. The organization had previously called for a prisoner exchange and demanded the release of 36 imprisoned Palestinian women in Israel in exchange for the handover of elderly kidnapped Israeli women.
Israel’s army says it took hundreds of Hamas members prisoner. Hundreds of terrorists were also killed in the Gaza Strip and also at the border fence, said military spokesman Daniel Hagari, according to Israeli media. Terrorists from the Gaza Strip are currently no longer entering Israel. Israel had to completely seal off the strip, which is only 40 kilometers long and six to twelve kilometers wide and is only slightly larger than Munich. Defense Minister Joav Galant said: “There will be no electricity, no food and no fuel.”
Germany suspends development aid
13,000 UN employees are currently still waiting in the Gaza Strip. “They are clearly unable to leave,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. “They are focused on doing everything they can within their mandate to help the population.” They are employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) – most of them are Palestinians, around 300 are international employees.
Humanitarian aid deliveries from various organizations have been prepared from Egypt, a Palestinian spokesman said at the Egyptian Rafah border crossing in the south of the Gaza Strip. Germany and other states such as Australia announced that they were initially suspending development aid for the Palestinian population in view of Hamas’ terror. The German programs would be reviewed comprehensively and with an open outcome, said a spokeswoman for the Development Ministry in Berlin.
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