That evening, air raid signals were heard in Tel Aviv for the first time, warning residents about the looming threat of missile attacks. A report from the Israel Defense Forces indicates that sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and central Israel, signaling a level of danger previously unseen in that region. On the following day, October 17, air raid sirens continued to ring out in the major city of Beersheba in southern Israel, underscoring the scale of the escalated threat and the immediacy of the warning system in place for communities across the country.
On October 7, Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israel and announced the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In the aftermath, thousands of militants moved into Israeli territory, seizing dozens of military assets and more than a hundred hostages. In response to these events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the nation was at war. The IDF launched an intervention known as Iron Swords, with broad objectives that included dismantling Hamas and ending its capability to carry out such attacks. The Israeli Air Force targeted Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, focusing on strategic sites believed to be integral to militant operations.
Israel’s National Security Council subsequently decided to cut off certain essential supplies to the Gaza Strip, including water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel, with the aim of pressuring Hamas and disrupting its operational capacity. The Israeli government advised the United Nations that up to 1.1 million Palestinians would need to evacuate to southern Gaza, with a specific warning issued 24 hours before a broader ground operation could commence. This move was presented as a precaution to reduce civilian exposure while enabling military actions in the affected areas.
Earlier in the conflict, the IDF reported that tanks had begun moving into action in response to the bombardment of Metula, a town near the Lebanese border. This development occurred alongside the use of anti-tank missiles in the border region, signaling a broader, multi-front military posture intended to press back militant incursions and restore security to border communities. Across these events, the sequence of attacks, evacuations, and counteroffensive operations delineates a challenging chapter in the ongoing confrontation, with officials emphasizing the need to protect civilian populations while pursuing strategic aims against armed groups.