The militant group began its offensive - which it named "Operation Al Aqsa Storm" - on Saturday with a barrage of missiles from Gaza followed by militants crossing the border.

The militant group began its offensive - which it named “Operation Al Aqsa Storm” - on Saturday with a barrage of missiles from Gaza followed by militants crossing the border.

Hamas has launched one of its largest attacks on Israel in years.

The militant group began its offensive - which it named “Operation Al Aqsa Storm” - on Saturday with a barrage of missiles from Gaza followed by militants crossing the border.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “we are at war” and launched “Operation Swords of Iron”.

Here is what we know so far about how the attack unfolded.

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Israeli officials said around 2,500 rockets were fired, though Hamas’s military commander Mohammad Deif claimed the figure was double that.

  • athos77
    15•1 year ago

    So, the Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism, while Al Aqsa is the third holiest place in Islam. And the two occupy some of the same area.

    Under the longstanding “status quo” arrangement governing the area, which Israel says it maintains, non-Muslims can visit but only Muslims are allowed to worship in the mosque compound. [Source] (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/where-is-al-aqsa-mosque-why-is-it-so-important-islam-2023-04-05/).

    A couple weeks ago, Israeli settlers started showing up en masse to pray, starting around Yom Kippur with groups continuing to show up this week. As the Al-Monitor article notes:

    Each year, the Jewish high holiday period is marked by tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Extremist settlers often force their way into the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa despite a historic status quo under which the Jordan-run Jerusalem Islamic Waqf controls and administers the compound. Under the status quo, Jews are banned from praying inside the compound’s courtyards. However, since Israel occupied Jerusalem in 1967, it has controlled security at the site and access to the compound, and often allows groups of settlers to enter the compound and perform their rituals there under the protection of Israeli police.