Palestinian Hamas carried out an attack in Israel this Saturday. Rockets were fired from Gaza. There are hundreds of dead on both sides. For those who live near the enclave, it is stupefying.
In the evening of Saturday October 7, alerts were still ringing in Ashkelon, just 10 kilometers from the Gaza Strip and the Israeli anti-aircraft defense was hard at work destroying the rockets sent from the enclave. After the massive Hamas attack in Israel earlier today, residents in areas near the Gaza Strip are stunned and angry.
>> Attack on Israel: what we know about the unprecedented offensive led by Hamas and the IDF response
The human toll is heavy on both sides, with “at least 300 dead” Israeli side according to the charge d’affaires at the Israeli embassy in France, with massive bombings of the enclave, infiltrated Islamist fighters and Israeli hostages held in Gaza. “You see everything that happened? They captured a lot of people. Where were the police? What was the army doing? Nothing! They remained silent”deplores Toar, who has always lived a few kilometers from Gaza.
“We were abandoned”
Her anger is directed against the government, incapable according to her of seeing an attack of this magnitude coming: “For this country, we are no better than flies. How is it possible to come here, kidnap people and take them to Gaza? All of this is intentional. We have been abandoned to our sad fate. They did it under the noses of the Israeli army and officials. People died. It’s hard to accept the idea of having been abandoned.”she continues.
They were abandoned by those in power and attacked by an enemy, undoubtedly underestimated. “It’s a big attack. It’s like the Yom Kippur War in 1973. We have to crush them”estimates Ilan, 52, who lives in a moshav, an agricultural community about fifteen kilometers from Gaza.
“Now there is no more peace, no more negotiations, no more nothing. We attack, and then we talk.”
Ilan, who lives 15 kilometers from Gazaat franceinfo
“They kidnapped families, soldiers, women, police officers, young children. Let them return them to us and then we will talk. After this day, the Israel I know will never be the same. If I ‘was Bibi, I would no longer negotiate… I would wage war and kill all the leaders”assures this man.
“Bibi” is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He promised in the evening, Saturday October 7, that the army would use all its power to destroy Hamas.
The reaction of Israelis in the south of the country after the Hamas attack: report by Thibault Lefèvre