By Kelechi Okoronkwo
It is now exactly six months after the paramilitary arm of the Hamas and allied groups led a coordinated attack on Israel’s conclave of the Gaza strip. The attack happened in the wee hours of October 7th, 2023, by 6:30 am Local Time, when most of the Israeli civilians were either asleep or at rest. And given the fact that there had been relative calm on the Gaza strip since about 50 years after Operation Badr and the greater Yom Kippur War of October 6th, 1973, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) protecting the civilians in Gaza were also at ease. Hamas took time to plan the attack. For instance, they converted tunnels initially built for smuggling purposes to militia use and readied it for the attack. There were snippets of military intelligence about Hamas readiness for attack. But Israel seemed not to have taken them seriously. Then the fateful day came. There was no immediate overt provocation. The IDF was not expecting any fracas. Then suddenly, the attack happened. Israel said the attack was the deadliest in its entire history, because, in other wars, the IDF readied itself. But on the October 7th, 2023 attack, the force was not ready.
Reports say the early morning attack started with a rocket barrage of at least 3,000 rockets launched against Israel. Armoured Vehicles transported the Hamas and military equipment into Israel’s side. The highly planned and sophisticated Hamas military fighters breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacked military bases and massacred civilians in Israel’s closest communities, including in Be’eri, Kfar Aza, and Nir Oz, and at the Nova music festival.
Reports also state that the October 7th attack resulted in 1,139 deaths—695 Israeli civilians (including 36 children), 71 foreign nationals, and 373 members of the security forces. Approximately 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip, including 30 children, with the stated goal to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners.
Mohammad Deif, the head of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded message on 7 October that the attack was in response to what he called the “desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Israel killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians in 2023. He called on Palestinians and Arab Israelis to “expel the occupiers and demolish the walls”. Deif also called on “Muslims everywhere to launch an attack” against Israel and urged supporters to “kill them (the enemy) wherever you may find them”. He continued, “in light of the continuing crimes against our people, in light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and resolutions, and in light of American and western [sic] support, we’ve decided to put an end to all this, so that the enemy understands that he can no longer revel without being held to account.”
There have been numerous other accounts of rape and sexual assault on Israeli civilians by Hamas fighters. A United Nations team this March concluded its investigation of alleged rape and sexual abuse of civilians by Hamas during the attack. The report insists that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, was committed during the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October.
While Hamas have dismissed such allegations, the UN report insists there was “convincing information” that hostages had been subjected to sexual violence. The Pramila Patten—UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict—led investigation was detailed that sexual molestation happened in at least three locations – the Nova music festival site and its surroundings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re’im, it added.
Israel has been responding violently to the October 7th attack and sexual abuse of Israeli hostages by launching a military campaign in Gaza. The IDF launched Operation Swords of Iron in Gaza and only declared a state of emergency for areas within 80 kilometers (50 mi) of the Gaza border. The IDF Chief of General Staff, Herzi Halev noted that Hamas “made a grave mistake” in launching its attack and pledged that “Israel will win”. The IDF declared a “state of readiness for war”. At the last count, 30,500 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. And Israel does not seem to be backing down
The situation in Gaza has generated a global debate with the world polarising along historical, political and religious blocks. While at least 44 countries have denounced the attack as terrorism, Arab and Muslim countries have blamed Israel for continued occupation of the Palestinian clove of Gaza. Muslim communities and their allies accuse Israel of mindless killings and starvation of ‘innocent’ Palestinians in the Gaza strip.
There are concerns that the situation in Gaza may snowball into a bigger global crisis if not properly managed. There are calls from various world leaders asking Israel to sheath its sword, that enough is enough. Few days ago, more than 100 persons (Palestinians) were reportedly killed and about 750 of them wounded after Israeli forces fired at Palestinians trying to get flour for their families as famine stalks the Gaza Strip.
Israeli fighters had prevented all forms of aid from getting into Gaza, a decision which fuelled hunger and starvation in the strip. Then last month, Israeli and Hamas reached a truce which allowed aid to go in. Last week, people had congregated at al-Rashid Street, where aid trucks carrying flour were believed to be on the way. As people queued to get food aid, Israeli forces reportedly fired on the scene. Al Jazeera said its verified footage showed the bodies of dozens of killed and wounded Palestinians being carried onto trucks as no ambulances could reach the area.
“We went to get flour. The Israeli army shot at us. There are many martyrs on the ground and until this moment we are withdrawing them. There is no first aid,” said one witness to Al Jazeera.
“The numbers will rise. Hospitals are no longer able to accommodate the huge number of patients because they lack fuel, let alone medicine. Hospitals have also run out of blood.”, another witness said.
There were reports of how Israeli forces targeted a hospital in Gaza where wounded Palestinians were receiving treatment; and a number of women and children were killed. Six months down the line, Israel has not soft-pedalled on bombarding Gaza in retaliation.
Across the globe, there are concerns about Israel’s continued onslaught on Hamas in Gaza. No matter which way the United States presidential election goes this November, it is most likely that neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump will openly strongly oppose Israel’s stance on Hamas. This will take the end of Israel’s retaliation even farther. A lot of people believe that enough is enough, while others still believe that Israel’s retaliation is in order. To Israel, however, enough is not enough until Hamas openly confesses that it made a grave mistake launching that attack on October 7th, 2023.
Kelechi Okoronkwo, a Journalist, Writer and Public Relations executive sent this piece from Abuja