Marking the anniversary of the Hamas assault, Israel engages in conflicts on various fronts.
The initial day of the Hamas assault on Israel, marking its first anniversary, commences with a moment of silence, subsequently followed by alarming sirens and a barrage of rockets launched from Gaza. Security forces remain vigilant in this critical period. Israel retaliates by striking targets within Gaza and Lebanon during the night.
Vengeful sirens blast once more in the Israel-Gaza borderline. During the early hours, four projectiles were launched from southern Gaza, with three projectiles successfully intercepted by the military, while one projectile landed on unoccupied territory. In response, Israel's aircraft carried out attacks on Hamas' launch sites and network of tunnels in Gaza for the purpose of deterrence, as announced by the military.
Despite persistent pleas for a ceasefire, Israel initiated a new ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on Sunday. Armored units advanced into the Jabalia area in northeastern Gaza during the night, as stated by the military. Israeli airstrikes also targeted the Shuhada Al-Aksa Hospital grounds, which Israeli officials claim to be a Hamas command center, causing eleven injuries among displaced individuals residing in tent encampments. The Israeli army reportedly targeted a former school and mosque in the region earlier, allegedly hosting command centers. None of these circumstances could be independently corroborated, as Israel and Egypt strictly regulate journalistic access to Gaza conflicts.
Israel and Lebanon clash overnight
Israel's military recurrently targeted Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon throughout the night. Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, claimed that the Hezbollah militia sustained significant damage in these ongoing confrontations. "We will not yield," the army chief reiterated. "We are incapacitating our enemies' abilities and ensuring that they will not be restored, to ensure that October 7th never recurs."
In an Israeli strike on the Lebanese village of Kayfun, situated in the mountains, at least six individuals lost their lives, according to official reports. Thirteen more individuals sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, the pro-Iranian Shia militia launched rocket salvos, including at Haifa's northern Israeli port city, as announced by the military. Damage was observed in a street. Additional rockets reportedly either failed to detonate or landed harmlessly. Hezbollah claimed to have targeted a military support point near Haifa, resulting in an injury in the Tiberias city in the north. None of these claims could be independently confirmed.
Commemorative events throughout the anniversary of the Hamas assault
Israel commemorated the Hamas attack one year ago with a minute of silence at Kibbutz Reim at precisely 06:29 AM. Relatives of the nearly 400 people who perished at the Nova music festival in Tel Aviv gathered to mourn on Sunday. "My life is still trapped on October 7th," lamented the mother of a murdered young woman in the media. "The world moves on, but time stands still for me."
An Israeli relative of a person reportedly abducted during the Nova Festival and presumed to be in captivity within the Gaza Strip, urged the government to swiftly negotiate the release of the hostages. Family members of the hostages planned a demonstration to take place outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence, scheduled for a national address on television.
Throughout the nation, additional events are scheduled for the anniversary day. Israeli forces remain on high alert during the preparations, on guard for potential attacks coordinated to coincide with the anniversary.
On October 7, 2021, thousands of armed Hamas personnel and extremists from the Gaza Strip breached the Israeli barrier to the coastal region, resulting in over 1,200 fatalities and roughly 250 captives brought to Gaza. Since then, the Hamas-controlled health authority reported that approximately 42,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed throughout the subsequent conflict. These statistics fail to distinguish between combatants and civilians, rendering their accuracy uncertain.
UN Humanitarian Relief: Depicting a year in the Middle East as relentless catastrophe
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) depicted the recent twelve months in the Middle East as "unrelenting catastrophe". Joyce Msuya, the interim UN humanitarian coordinator, asserted, "No figures or phrases can fully encapsulate the magnitude of the physical, emotional, and social devastation that has transpired." Her office condemned the Hamas attack. Israel's subsequent military aggression in Gaza triggered a cataclysm, with schools accommodating displaced families and hospitals repeatedly attacked, as depicted by the relief office. People were enduring extreme deprivation, without sufficient sustenance or medical care, it stated. Over 300 humanitarian workers had been reportedly killed in Gaza, according to the relief office.
Despite the ongoing tensions between Israel and its neighboring countries, the European Union called for an immediate ceasefire in the region. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution, stating, "The European Union stands firmly with the people of Israel and Palestine, urging all parties to return to the negotiating table."
In light of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the European Union also pledged its continued support for UN humanitarian efforts in the region. Borrell declared, "The European Union will continue to provide funding and resources to aid organizations working to alleviate the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire."
