On October 6, 1973, a coalition of Arab nations launched shock assaults on Israeli-occupied territories, marking the begin of the Yom Kippur War—a momentous battle that unfolded on the holiest day in Judaism. Israel thrust onto the defensive and responded with an offensive in opposition to the Arab coalition, and the battleground prolonged to the Golan Heights, Sinai, and different areas beneath Israeli management since the Six-Day War in 1967. As geopolitical tensions peaked, then-US President Richard Nixon issued a world nuclear alert.
Amid the intensifying conflict, Arab members of The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) suspended oil deliveries to Western nations supporting Israel, sparking a worldwide vitality disaster. Two weeks and almost 20,000 deaths later, Israel emerged victorious, with extra land beneath its occupation than earlier than the conflict’s outset.
Fast Forward to October 6, 2023
Exactly 50 years later, on October 6, 2023, over 5,000 rockets rained down on Israel as Gaza-based Hamas initiated ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.’ Hamas known as upon “resistance fighters in the West Bank” and in “Arab and Islamic nations” to affix the battle in opposition to Israel, alleging the “illegal occupation” of Palestinian land.
This latest outbreak of violence was attributed by Hamas officers to long-standing tensions between Israel and Palestinians, significantly the dispute over the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound—a web site revered by each Muslims and Jews. This dispute has a historical past of violence, together with the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2021.
What’s significantly vital is that Hamas selected to launch this offensive on a day of deep significance, not simply in Judaism but additionally as the fiftieth anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. As Israeli media commemorated the Yom Kippur War in latest days, many Israelis noticed unsettling parallels between the present battle and the occasions of many years in the past.
While Israelis have been making ready to rejoice Simchat Torah, one of Judaism’s holiest days, Hamas took them without warning with a barrage of missiles and a sensational land-sea-air infiltration of Israeli territory, leading to a whole bunch of casualties.
In response to the assaults, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a ‘state of conflict’ and launched an offensive in opposition to Hamas, with a specific focus on the delicate Gaza Strip. Hamas has known as upon fighters in the West Bank and throughout the Arab and Islamic world to affix their battle.
In the wake of these occasions, tensions stay excessive between Israelis and Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. The echoes of historical past reverberate as the area grapples with one more chapter in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian battle.
Credit: Why Hamas Chose October 6 To Launch Mega Offensive On Israel – NDTV
