Hamas decided to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War by launching another war.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “we are at war, and we will win it” early Saturday as the country’s air force began striking targets in Gaza in response to a surprise Hamas attack on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, involving more than 3,000 rockets and groups of terrorists descending on Israeli territory by land, sea, and even paraglider.
At least 40 Israelis have been killed in the fighting and at least 740 injured, the Israeli military said, and videos posted on social media appear to show Hamas taking civilian hostages. A militant group in Gaza, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, also claims to be holding a group of Israeli soldiers hostage.
As rockets rained down on central and southern Israel, the televisions began broadcasting footage of armed groups of Hamas terrorists pouring into towns across the country in pickup trucks, the Times of Israel reported. In response, the IDF deployed forces to the south, where troops began engaging with the Hamas invaders.
The Israeli Air Force also scrambled dozens of jets to strike four command centers and 17 military compounds in the Gaza strip, the air force announced on X. At least 198 Palestinians have been killed and 1,610 have been wounded in the retaliatory attacks, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The biggest difference between the real Yom Kippur War and Hamas’ farce is the size of of the opposition. In 1973, Israel was attacked by the armies of Egypt and Syria supported by forces from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, Iraq, Libya, Kuwait, Tunisia, and Morocco, plus some random units from Cuba and North Korea, a coalition that theoretically could wipe Israel off the map. By contrast, Hamas is a terrorist organization that controls some 141 miles of square territory and survives on handouts from the UN, EU, Iran and Syria.
Israel has the most modern and technologically advanced army in the Middle East, and arguably the second most technologically advanced in the world. Their air force is entirely American-made, including F-35s.
The news that Hamas is using technicals is both interesting and obvious, as they’re a very cost-effective option. They’re not ideal for urban combat or stand-up fights, but if they can get out of the built-up area around Gaza and out into the flatter, more open terrain to the south they can do some damage as hit and run forces, at least until the Israeli Air Force can track them down. I assume Hamas has drones, because it’s 2023 and everyone has drones, plus their patron Iran makes some.
Enjoy some random combat footage, including what looks like a knocked-out Merkava tank.
We all know what the outcome of this conflict will be: Hamas will kill some Israeli civilians and a few IDF soldiers, and Israel will pound the snot out of Hamas and it’s command and control infrastructure, after which it will take Hamas a decade or so of payments from its sugar daddies to build up enough to do it all over again.
Hamas is a pustule that occasionally needs to be lanced, but little more.
Update: Yep, drones. IDF needs to go back to the makers of Trophy and ask why it didn’t stop a slow-moving, top-drop munition.
Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, drone, F-35, Foreign Policy, Gaza, Hamas, IDF, Israel, Israel-Hamas War, Jihad, Merkava, Middle East, Military, tanks, technicals, Trophy active defense, video, Yom Kippur War
Iran is wasting no time in spending the Billions that Joe Biden gifted them. Afterall there are factions in their government that wants the return of the Hidden Iman and they believe that only through the test of the holy fire will He return.
It is no coincidence that Iran unleashed their proxy Hamas just as soon as the Biden regime irrevocably handed over $ 6 billion “to be used for humanitarian purposes”.
I think the long-term impact of this is understated and important. The brutality, this attack is intentional, to force an overwhelming Israeli response.
The inevitable, unavoidable response from Israel will make the Palestinians victims and split the forming consensus on regularizing relations with Israel. This will undercut much of the progress made with the Abraham accords and prevent the further stabilization of the Middle East, political isolation of Iran and the Palestinians, and recognition of Israel for a couple of decades.
In other words, exactly what Iran and the Palestinians want.
re: 10x25mm
Killing Jews is humanitarian purpose in so far as Biden’s concern.
It is for hopeless for Hamas to contest with the IDF. One-on-one, no regional power can crush Israel.
What then explains this surprise attack?
It seems intended as the trigger for a wider conflict involving Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. Hezbollah recently fought Israel to a standstill in Lebanon, Syria has Russian backing and Iran is flush with cash after President Bribem relaxed sanctions against the Mad Mullahs.
Iran may be expecting a preemptive attack against their nuclear facilities by Israel and engineered this incursion by Hamas as a means of forestalling their being incinerated by an air strike.
pustules can go septic. i expect LP is correct and the Israelis will give Hamas another chance.
Pustules sometimes must be excised for the patient to recover and lead a healthy life. I think that might be the case here. Hamas in Gaza, and even Palestinians in Gaza may just be a memory soon. I’d look for forced relocations of those smart enough not to fight.
And the Hamas leadership in Quatar and their paymasters in Iran shouldn’t feel too comfortable either. The Israelis have proven over the years to have a long and determined reach.
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