Israel Unleashes Strikes on Gaza, as War With Hamas Rages
15:00 GMT, 9 October 2023
On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas pulled off a surprise attack on Israel, unleashing thousands of missiles, and catching the IDF off guard, while calling for the liberation of "Palestinian lands." In response, Israel launched operation Swords of Iron aimed at rooting out Hamas fighters.
SputnikMilitary experts from around the globe have concurred that the recent escalation turned out to be a major failure by Israeli intelligence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier announced that his nation is de-facto at war and vowed a harsh response to Hamas that will “change the Middle East.”
Israel's military began conducting airstrikes on Gaza infrastructure. The number of causalities has surged, while the town of Gaza itself was severely damaged.
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Fire and smoke billow following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.
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A Palestinian child walks with a bicycle by the rubble of a building after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.
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Israeli aviation strikes Gaza's National Bank.
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Debris littering Gaza after an Israeli air strike.
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A Palestinian civil defense crew looks through a house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
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Smoke billows from the Gaza Strip as the IDF hits residential buildings.
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Debris from what was a residential building in the Gaza Strip.
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IDF targets building in the Gaza Strip.
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As a result, the number of casualties among Palestinian civilians is growing exponentially.
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Clouds of smoke rise over the Gaza Strip after an Israeli strike.
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Palestinians inspect the rubble of a building after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike.
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Missile explosion in Gaza illuminates the night.