The threat of eternal horror On the anniversary of the massacre, the Middle East is on the brink
In response to the massacre that left 1,200 dead a year ago, Israel attacked Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Around 42,000 people have already died, most of them civilians. Houses and infrastructure have been bombed.
Image: dpa
Like almost a year ago, Israeli tanks are once again advancing into the north of the Gaza Strip. Hamas is weakened, but not defeated. A long guerrilla war is looming.
Image: dpa
From the anniversary of the massacre on October 7, Israeli President Izchak Herzog wants to visit all the places along the border with the Gaza Strip where Hamas and other extremists from the coastal strip committed murder a year ago.
Image: dpa
Israel's army continues to take action against the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Lebanon's capital Beirut is once again the target of attacks.
Image: dpa
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to address the nation on television on the anniversary of the massacre of Israelis. Critics accuse him of torpedoing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Image: dpa
In response to the massacre that left 1,200 dead a year ago, Israel attacked Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Around 42,000 people have already died, most of them civilians. Houses and infrastructure have been bombed.
Image: dpa
Like almost a year ago, Israeli tanks are once again advancing into the north of the Gaza Strip. Hamas is weakened, but not defeated. A long guerrilla war is looming.
Image: dpa
From the anniversary of the massacre on October 7, Israeli President Izchak Herzog wants to visit all the places along the border with the Gaza Strip where Hamas and other extremists from the coastal strip committed murder a year ago.
Image: dpa
Israel's army continues to take action against the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Lebanon's capital Beirut is once again the target of attacks.
Image: dpa
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to address the nation on television on the anniversary of the massacre of Israelis. Critics accuse him of torpedoing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Image: dpa
On October 7, 2023, terrorists from the Gaza Strip carried out a massacre in Israel. One year and tens of thousands of deaths later, Israel says it is waging a multi-front war.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- On the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, there is growing concern about a conflagration in the Middle East.
- According to Israel, it is waging a multi-front war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon and militias in Syria, Iraq and Yemen that are also allied with Iran.
- The greatest danger, however, is an escalation with Iran.
On the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 dead, there is growing concern about a conflagration in the Middle East. Despite all calls for a ceasefire, Israel launched a new ground offensive in the north of the Gaza Strip. The images of tanks rolling through sandy terrain resemble those from the beginning of the war last October.
According to Israel, it is waging a multi-front war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon and militias in Syria, Iraq and Yemen that are also allied with Iran. The greatest danger, however, is an escalation with Iran. Following Iran's missile attack last Tuesday, Israel announced a "significant response". The only thing that remained open was when, where and how. Iran has already threatened a "much harsher" response than last week.
It all began with a surprise attack by Hamas in the early morning of October 7 last year. It was the worst massacre of Israeli civilians in one day since the War of Independence in 1948, when thousands of Hamas gunmen and other extremists from the Gaza Strip broke through the Israeli barrier to the coastal area, which was considered impregnable.
The massacre was a severe shock for Israel
On the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah), women, men, children and the elderly were killed in Israeli villages near the Gaza Strip. Survivors reported horrific violence, rape and mutilation. Many of the victims were young participants at a festival in the Negev desert. For Israeli society, this was a major shock that still has repercussions today. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to wait until after the war to find out how the heavily armed army was taken completely by surprise.
Israel has come under international criticism for its harsh actions and the high number of casualties in its military operations in the Gaza Strip and now also in Lebanon. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 42,000 people have died in the coastal region since October 7, around a third of them children and young people. The authority does not differentiate between gunmen and civilians. The UN has classified this information as credible.
Israel has not yet achieved its war aims
According to the UN, large parts of the Gaza Strip are also in ruins. Nevertheless, Netanyahu has not achieved the stated war aims of destroying Hamas and retrieving the more than 100 hostages. Israel accuses Hamas of operating in residential areas, hospitals, school buildings and mosques and using civilians as human shields. A genocide lawsuit brought by South Africa against Israel is pending before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) once again called on all parties involved to comply with international humanitarian law. The dignity of people must be respected. "They have rights and are entitled to protection, humanitarian aid and the opportunity to build a new life in safety," said the ICRC.
Israel commemorates the victims of the terrorist attack
In Israel, numerous commemorative events are planned for the anniversary of the massacre on Monday, primarily to remember the Israeli victims and the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. Relatives and friends of the hostages called for a demonstration in front of Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem.
The head of government wanted to address the nation on television. President Isaac Herzog planned to travel on Tuesday morning on a three-day trip to the kibbutzim and other places where the massacres had taken place. "We are all still suffering, and we want to give space to the national mourning, to the tears over the terrible catastrophe that has befallen us," his office announced.
Thousands of people at rallies even before the anniversary
In Rome, an unauthorized pro-Palestine demonstration led to sometimes violent clashes between demonstrators and police officers. In London, tens of thousands of people took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday. According to the police, well over 1000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian protest march in Berlin on Saturday, while around 650 attended a pro-Israeli rally.
The Central Council of Jews in Germany sees considerable dangers for Jewish life in Germany. "The inhibition threshold for inciting and committing violence against Jews is falling," Central Council President Josef Schuster told the German Press Agency. "This is a shocking development that we cannot simply accept." Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) reiterated his full solidarity with the Jews in Germany.
Israeli army continues attacks in Lebanon
In Lebanon, the Israeli army continued its attacks against the Hezbollah militia. During the night, the air force flew "a series of targeted attacks" on a number of Hezbollah weapons depots and "terrorist infrastructure facilities" in the area of the capital Beirut, the army announced in the morning. By the morning, the state agency NNA reported around 25 attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut, while local media also reported massive attacks during the night and in the morning.
The Ministry of Health announced that more than 2,000 people have been killed and almost 10,000 others injured since the start of the new confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon a year ago. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and Hezbollah fighters. According to its own account, Hezbollah also fired at Israel with rockets and drones.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli armored units advanced into the area of Jabalia in the northeast, according to the army. Hamas had attempted to regroup in the area. It was not initially possible to independently verify any of the statements made by either side.
