On October 7, a massive missile strike was launched against Israel. The Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for the attack. Hamas announced its Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Jerusalem launched the counter-terrorism Operation Iron Swords.
Within a week, the Israeli army was put on alert. The IDF began retaliating with large-scale missile strikes that continued for a week. According to the latest data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 2,300 people have died in the Gaza Strip.
On October 14, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to the military the next stage of the operation in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said that “Israeli Army battalions are deployed throughout the country and are increasing combat readiness for the next phases of the war, with an emphasis on significant ground operations.”
However, the start of the offensive was delayed. On the morning of October 15, Israel opened a humanitarian corridor in the Gaza Strip for three hours to allow civilians to move to the south of the enclave. Near the border of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has assembled a huge strike force.
Preparations for the operation in the Gaza Strip took place against the background of reports of the movement of US Navy ships to the Middle East. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin earlier said that the US military had also strengthened its fighter squadrons in the region. The American aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, as part of a strike group, arrived in the eastern Mediterranean on October 11. The second American aircraft carrier Dwight Eisenhower set sail for the Mediterranean on Saturday, October 14.
Shelling of Israeli cities also continues from the Gaza Strip. The day before, strikes were carried out on Tel Aviv and its suburbs. On the afternoon of October 15, Sderot came under fire again. One person was killed when the town of Shtula was shelled from the Lebanese side. The Hezbollah group, which began attacking Israeli territory, claimed responsibility for the attack on the settlement. In response, the IDF attacks Hezbollah military targets in Lebanon. In addition, a four-kilometer area south of the northern border with Lebanon was isolated. Last night, the Israeli Air Force also damaged the airport in Syrian Aleppo.
As you know, the Israel Defense Forces gave residents of the northern Gaza Strip a day on October 13 to evacuate to the south of the country. The UN emphasized that the migration of 1.1 million people would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. On October 15, Israel announced the opening of the corridor for civilians, but for three hours, until 13:00. It is not yet clear where civilians from the northern Gaza Strip who need to evacuate will go. The Sada El-Balad portal reported on October 14 that dozens of foreigners of various nationalities were gathering at the Egyptian Rafah checkpoint. There was also information that Israel and Egypt agreed to open Rafah, but there is no data yet on whether people are being allowed across the border.
