Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC 20240703 : vimarsana.com

To stay inside. Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif announced the start of the operation in a broadcast on hamas media, calling on palestinians everywhere to fight. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding an Emergency Meeting and the military says it is striking targets in gaza in response. There are palestinian reports of Israeli Soldiers being captured. In a statement in the past hour, israels defence minister yoav gallant has said. Also in the past few minutes, an Israeli Military spokesman has said thousands of Army Reservists are to be called up. Our reporter Rushdi Abu Alouf gave me the latest from gaza. This is extremely significant. In all of the years that hamas has been in control of gaza, they have never launched a Surprise Attack on different locations, Israeli Security Officials Saying an hour or so ago there were 21 separate incidents going on. Theres a lot of video circulating, not yet verified, by the bbc showing bodies of Israeli Soldiers, some of whom were clearly surprised, in their bunks, even, by the attackers. No one was expecting hamas to do anything like this. Tension has been rising very strongly between palestinians and israelis, theres been a lot of violence in the west bank which is the territory that goes from jerusalem towards thejordan river. Which has been occupied by israel since 1967. That has been the focus now for months and months and theres been a lot of killing and violence there. But nothing in comparison out of gaza so i think now the israelis are using very strong language, they say they are in a state of war, they have been attacked, they have called up the service and are having an Emergency Meeting of the Security Cabinet and i think it is highly likely that once the israelis make their plans, that they will probably mount an incursion into gaza, this thing is likely to escalate. The incursion into gaza, this thing is likely to escalate. Incursion into gaza, this thing is likely to escalate. The big question for the us likely to escalate. The big question for the us will likely to escalate. The big question for the us will be likely to escalate. The big question for the us will be a likely to escalate. The big question for the us will be a fight likely to escalate. The big question for the us will be a fight now . For the us will be a fight now . Because this seems to be a coordinated attack that would have taken a lead of planning. Why do you think hamas is doing this today . They have called it Something Like operationjerusalem flood, theres been Tension Injerusalem during the recentjewish holiday, nothing on the scale that we have seen before where they were palestinians being pushed out by force out of the mosque there, the al aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in the world for muslims and it is also forjews, the site of the Ancientjewish Temple and therefore venerated by them. It is the single most contested piece of ground in the entire middle east and there have been some incidents there, jews have been some incidents there, jews have been praying on the temple mount which is something which, doesnt sound much, considered to be highly inflammatory and i think it comes as a culmination of the scoring months of tension between palestinians and israelis injerusalem, in the west bank, and now hamas have decided to move. Theres also a symbolic anniversary and in the middle east, anniversaries are quite a big deal. If the 50th Anniversary at the moment of a Surprise Attack in 1973 syria and he chipped which resulted in a middle east war lasting almost a month for well, it was a close run thing, it is really so i have spoken to today or calling this Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu � s yom kippur surprise, when israel was taken by surprise 50 years ago and could well be that the hamas planners thought lets try and do Something Like that again. That was our international Something Like that again. That was our International Editor Something Like that again. That was our International Editorjeremy our International Editorjeremy bowen. Let me bring you these pictures from gaza showing hamas militants celebrating and posing for pictures on what is said to be an israeli army tank. Palestinian media are reporting that a number of israelis have been taken captive by fighters. The footage also shows what appears to be an Israeli Military vehicle captured by the militants. Our reporter Rushdi Abu Alouf gave me the latest from gaza. We are getting reports of israeli strikes in response to the thousands of rockets fired by the hamas militants since six 30 am in the morning. A surprise for israel but all the people of gaza. They have lived through this kind of situation before but its the first time, i was talking to people in the street, just down here at near the office, they will have mixed feelings and some of them said they were happy hamas revenged what is this really aggression against the Palestinian People injerusalem and everywhere but some people are not hiding their worry that israel will respond and we have seen in this situation times before, worse and battles between what is a very difficult situation. Now we are talking about a hamas attack, hamas radio saying more than 6000 rockets were fired, we are also seeing and getting reports about hamas Fighters Infiltrating into israel from the border and hamas Haveissued Israel from the border and hamas have issued a statement on some pictures of them in control of one of the israeli outposts and they have said they have captured it, captured soldiers inside it and they are now in control and this is a very significant escalation. The escalation is mounting. And now we hear the israeli fighters are flying overhead in gaza and hitting some reports of casualties in hospital. The point you mentioned are palestinian fighters saying they have captured some israelis. I know theres very Little Information coming through at the moment but what do you know about possible casualties or people who have taken hostage . We casualties or people who have taken hosta. E . ~. Casualties or people who have taken hostaue . ~. ,. ,. ,. , hostage . We have seen a lot of unverified hostage . We have seen a lot of Unverified Footage hostage . We have seen a lot of Unverified Footage by hostage . We have seen a lot of Unverified Footage by people i hostage . We have seen a lot of| Unverified Footage by people but there are images circulating on social media, people posting on facebook, pictures of dead soldiers, dragged from the border into gaza and we have seen footage of Israeli Military vehicles, militants from hamas, driving in the middle of the city and in gaza so people were celebrating this kind of action but also at the same time, we are seeing queues at the bakeries and the supermarkets. People are trying to stop and buy as much as they could because they believe israel will respond and very soon for this and people have taken down buildings and more like this before so people are worried about the israeli response but at the same time some of them are celebrating for it hamas has done so far. Are celebrating for it hamas has done so far done so far. Already the Israeli Government done so far. Already the Israeli Government is done so far. Already the Israeli Government is saying done so far. Already the Israeli Government is saying hamas. Done so far. Already the israeli i government is saying hamas has done so far. Already the Israeli Government is saying hamas has made a great mistake. The expectation is that there will be a strong response from the Israeli Government to these attacks but why do you think hamas has decided to carry out what looks like an audacious attack . Weill. Like an audacious attack . Well, behind the like an audacious attack . Well, behind the closed like an audacious attack . Well, behind the closed role, like an audacious attack . Well, behind the closed role, i like an audacious attack . Well, behind the closed role, i thinkl behind the closed role, i think hamas was talking many times to some of the people in gaza and they were meeting and they were preparing for what they used to coat the big battle but by far, it is really a surprise, for me, covering the conflict for the past 25 years, i believe this is a surprise but it is well organised by hamas, they have been preparing for a for a very long time, they started by Firing Thousands of rockets and Ground Troops were cut through the fence, they went in and that couldnt be just a reaction to the recent israeli attack. That must have been well prepared for a very long time. That was our bbc correspondent with the latest. And weve just had this statement from the British Foreign secretary james cleverly. Both france and germany say they condemn terrorist attacks against israel. Im joined now by dr dahlia scheindlin, political analyst and expert on israel palestine. Talk to you, just to start by giving Immediate Reaction to this unprecedented attack on israel by hamas. Mi; unprecedented attack on israel by hamas. G. , ~. ,. , hamas. My reaction like that of eve one hamas. My reaction like that of Everyone Else hamas. My reaction like that of Everyone Else is hamas. My reaction like that of Everyone Else is it hamas. My reaction like that of Everyone Else is it is hamas. My reaction like that of Everyone Else is it is a hamas. My reaction like that of| Everyone Else is it is a complete surprise but not a complete surprise. What is not at all a surprise. What is not at all a surprise is that there was an escalation, i would say over the last number of months, all of us have been expecting some sort of an escalation with gaza and hamas because we know from the past there have been five or six operations depending on if you count the smaller or bigger ones and nothing in the political conditions that would have prevented them have changed so we are in an ongoing active Military Conflict and occupation. Gaza has been under siege for 16 years, there is no political process, the Palestinian Leadership has been very undermined and there is a deterioration of the legitimacy of the Palestinian Leadership leaving hamas to conclude that the only way forward is through militancy. There is no surprise on that level but it is a complete surprise as your reporter said, that the scale of operation which is very elaborate and notjust the time it will take to plan less, which i can only imagine what had been at least six months if not more in the planning, but that it would happen under the noses of israeli intelligence, this was not as far as we know and we are still waiting for information, everybody seems to have been taken by surprise by the very elaborate multifaceted Multipronged Planning that they were able to do. Yet mention historic frustrations about the political situation between israel and palestine. But the cost of this is going to be serious for people in gaza because we are already seeing air strikes from the Israeli Government in previous times, we have seen Ground Incursions by Israeli Forces into gaza. How did hamas make this calculation because it is an audacious attack but the people in gaza will pay the price . I audacious attack but the people in gaza will pay the price . Gaza will pay the price . I cannot ut gaza will pay the price . I cannot put myself gaza will pay the price . I cannot put myself in gaza will pay the price . I cannot put myself in the gaza will pay the price . I cannot put myself in the months gaza will pay the price . I cannot put myself in the months of gaza will pay the price . I cannot put myself in the months of the | put myself in the months of the leaders of hamas, i can say youre absolutely right, there will be a devastating and vast scale of response from israel, anything from massive air strikes targeted assassinations, to a Ground Operation may be things that we cannot even predict at this point but i will also say there was an enormous price to be paid and that is being paid by the Civilian Population. Everybody in every town in israel and city is in shelters, and experiencing rocket fire, rocket fire directly on tel aviv and the question of which side has more casualties, the body count that we will all inevitably be doing is part of it but the fact is the entire Civilian Population in israel right now is under attack which is unacceptable under any circumstances and yes, the reverberations will be simply gives israel the excuse for a punishing attack and of course the civilians of gaza were paid the price for this. For this. Civilians of gaza were paid the price forthis. Forthis. Foryears to come. What we see after every war in gaza is that israel undertakes usually other campaigns that flattened neighbourhoods, damage infrastructure and destroy all the reconstruction from the previous operation. It is a demonic balance leading to more violence on civilians in gaza habit was to go but i have no doubt this will reverberate in the west bank. Keep in mind we do not know if this will spread to otherfriends, in mind we do not know if this will spread to other friends, whether to the north, we have lots of anticipation of Military Escalation on the northern border but there could be reverberations in the west bank and the israeli reaction will certainly be very punishing i would say for gaza and probably for palestinians everywhere. As at the same time israelis are now under very devastating attack and it bodes very devastating attack and it bodes very badly. Yet very devastating attack and it bodes ve badl. , very devastating attack and it bodes ve badl. , very badly. Yet mention possible escalations very badly. Yet mention possible escalations in very badly. Yet mention possible escalations in this very badly. Yet mention possible escalations in this conflict, very badly. Yet mention possible escalations in this conflict, we i escalations in this conflict, we have heard from islamichhad, another important Militant Group in gaza saying it willjoin this attack. His brother has said it has close contact with the leaders of what a course the Palestinian Resistance but how concerning these comments from islamichhad and his brother, can we see further escalation on the ground . It is extremely escalation on the ground . It 3 extremely concerning the Israeli Security establishment has been running all year of escalations on the response and so i think the moment this began early this morning, the first question was whether other factions during this fight . It would be very easy to rally individual palestinians and we have seen a series of attacks on civilians over the last year but the question of whether these militant factions willjoin and if they do, that would be a very serious escalation, turning this into a multi front war. I guess we have to see if you use the word war at this point, the israeli Prime Minister announcing a disable, not an operation, but an actual war on hamas and has made that clear so if this turns into a multi front war, of course it is very deeply concerning. It should be very deeply concerning. It should be very deeply concerning for the other parties because there civilians will suffer from israeli actions. Talk because there civilians will suffer from israeli actions. Because there civilians will suffer from israeli actions. Talk to, thank ou so from israeli actions. Talk to, thank you so much from israeli actions. Talk to, thank you so much for from israeli actions. Talk to, thank you so much forjoining from israeli actions. Talk to, thank you so much forjoining us from israeli actions. Talk to, thank you so much forjoining us this you so much forjoining us this morning. Doctor. The United Nations says its sending investigators to the small village in Ukraines Kharkiv region that suffered the deadliest