'Force like never before.' Israel has declared war with Hamas. Here's what you need to know.

Israel has officially declared war on Hamas, vowing to use force “like never before”. 

The declaration, by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes more than 48 hours after an unprecedented and deadly attack by Islamic Militant Group, Hamas, which reportedly killed more than 900 people, including at least 260 Israeli civilians who were attending a music festival near the Gaza border. 

Thousands more were wounded and dozens taken hostage, including women and children, many of whom appeared injured in video footage, and paraded around by militants prior to their capture. 

Hours after Netanyahu’s announcement, a Hamas spokesperson said the militant group would kill civilian hostages and broadcast their executions if Israel targeted people in Gaza without warning.

Israeli airstrikes have reportedly hit more than 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza, with the region’s health ministry revealing a death toll of more than 687 people, including at least 100 children. 

Amid explosions and air sirens ringing over Israel as incoming missiles were brought down, Netanyahu said the destruction of Hamas strongholds were “just the beginning”, as the country attempts to rescue hostages and regain control. 

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli retaliation had killed five medical staff and injured 10 others, as a spokesperson for the Israel Defence Force said Hamas was responsible for any civilian casualties. 

What is Hamas?

Officially considered a terrorist group by the Australian and US governments due its use of ideology-based violence, Hamas is the official governing body of the Gaza Strip, having won legislative elections in 2006. 

The Islamist militant group is one of the two major Palestinian political factions, the other being the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, Palestine's larger territory. 

Unlike Fatah, which has renounced political violence, Hamas does not recognise Israel, and until 2017, explicitly called for its destruction. Backed by Iran, Hamas continues advocate and fight for an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the establishment of an Islamic state, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. 

While the recent cross-border assault is considered the most serious in decades, since its election, Hamas has frequently attacked Israel in pursuit of its goal, including the use of explosives and rockets, suicide bombings and civilian kidnappings. Hamas’ ongoing attacks and Israel’s powerful military responses have resulted in thousands of deaths since the conflict began. 

Because it is considered a terrorist organisation by several countries, Hamas does not receive any funding provided by the United States and the European Union to the Palestine Liberation Organisation in the West Bank, however it receives material and financial support from Iran.

What is the Gaza Strip?

The Gaza Strip is one of two Palestinian territories that make up the State of Palestine, the other being The West Bank. The territories are separated from each other by Israeli territory. 

While the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, Gaza is governed by Hamas and is dependent on Israel for water, electricity, and other utilities. 

At just 41 kilometres long and between six and 12 kilometres wide, Gaza is home to more than 2.3 million people. The densely populated city has a controversial and politically fuelled history. 

After the second world war, the United Nations agreed to divide what was then known as Mandatory Palestine, into a Jewish state (Israel) and an Arab state (Palestine), to provide a safe place for persecuted Jewish people fleeing Europe. 

The decision, and Israel’s subsequent declaration of independence, sparked the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, with conflict continuing until Gaza was captured by Israel in 1967. Israel directly occupied the strip until 2005, when, under Ariel Sharon’s Prime Ministership, it withdrew, leading to the election of Hamas in 2006, after the militant group overthrew its political rival, Fatah. 

What sparked the recent conflict?

While the scale of timing of Hamas’ most recent attack was unprecedented, tensions between the regions have been high for decades, escalating in recent months. 

Part of Israel’s retaliation to ongoing attacks has been a controversial blockade of the Gaza Strip that restricts imports and civilian movement, essentially rendering Gazans dependent on Israel. Many blame the blockades for Gaza’s poor infrastructure and living conditions. 

The leader of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Deif, reportedly suggested the recent attack was a response to the 16-year blockade, as well as months of increasing conflict inside the West Bank, as well as at the sacred Palestinian site, Al-Alqsa Mosque. 

The Hamas strikes took place one day after the 50th anniversary of the surprise attack by Egypt and Syria in 1973 that triggered what became know as the Yom Kippur War, named after the Jewish holy on which the attack took place. 

What happens now?

“Extraordinary in its strategy, scale, and secrecy” according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm by Hamas leaders, the ripple effect of the deadliest attack on Israeli soil in decades will be profound. 

Netanyahu has declared a “long and difficult” war, which will undoubtedly leave thousands dead, injured or displaced. 

According to CFR, there is speculation among analysts that Israel may attempt a full-scale invasion, which would result in even more casualties on both sides. Retaliation attacks by Hazbollah, a Lebanese militant group also backed by Iran, could also be triggered. 

The escalating conflict, and Israel’s strong military response, is likely to worsen the already dire economic situation for the people of Gaza, the territory Hamas governs. 

Political tension across the world is set to escalate, with anti-Israel rallies taking place globally, including confronting scenes here in Australia, as pro-Palestinian protestors marched from the CBD to the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday night, chanting anti-semitic slogans. The opera house had been lit up with the colours of the Israeli flag in solidarity with the Jewish victims of the attack, however, Jewish Australians were advised not to attend. 

Feature image: Getty