Times of Israel. Police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Oct. 7, 2023 (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Dear MEPIN Readers,
This morning, I woke to the sound of warning sirens and explosions in Yerucham, a lovely, quiet town in southern Israel. On this Jewish Sabbath coinciding with the holiday of Simchat Torah, a time of joy and peace, in a coordinated attack, Palestinian terrorists kidnapped mothers and children, attacked two IDF bases, took over the Sderot police state on the Gaza border, captured an unknown number of border communities while holding its civilian’s hostage, and sent somewhere between 2500-5000 missiles striking areas not only in the south but Tel Aviv, Ashkelon and near Jerusalem. Hundreds are in hospitals, an unknown number were killed, and many of the details are not being shared at this time.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel is at war; this is not an operation. The questions to ask on day one are:
- Why didn’t Israeli intelligence anticipate this attack so it could prepare the communities to defend themselves?
- Does Netanyahu’s statement of war mean the aim is to destroy Hamas once and for all? Then what?
- How long will the international media stand with Israel once Palestinian civilians are?
killed, many placed in harm’s way to manipulate naïve Westerners? - Is this sophisticated attack really about stopping the Saudi-Israeli normalization process, which would change the Middle East for the better and make the Palestinians less relevant?
- Will Israeli Arabs, citizens of Israel, take up arms as Hamas has called for?
- What about the West Bank with Iranian-funded and controlled terrorist units in control in Jenin, Nablus, and other areas of Judea and Samaria (West Bank)?
- Could the only silver lining of this brazen attack be repairing Israeli unity and realizing that the distraction of judicial reform took the focus of the Israeli leadership away from the dangerous security situation?
- And perhaps most importantly, will Hezbollah join the fight in the north?
The only sure answer is that in the next few hours and days, more will be asked.