The joy and anticipation surrounding the Supernova festival in southern Israel, timed to celebrate the Jewish festival of Sukkot, tragically morphed into a scene of horror and despair as Palestinian-linked Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on the revellers.
Sukkot festival attack: Hamas claims hundreds of hostages abducted
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The festivity, which promised a grand family reunion, soon turned into a frantic search for loved ones post the abrupt assault.
Early reports indicate that over 260 bodies have been recovered from the festival site according to Zaka, a rescue agency. The first hint of the looming threat was a siren warning of rockets at dawn, which was immediately followed by a hail of bullets as the militants stormed the festival grounds.
According to a witness, Ortel, around fifty attackers arrived in vans, donned military uniforms, and indiscriminately opened fire on the crowd, causing a mass scramble for safety.
In a more sinister turn of events, it was reported that dozens were abducted by Hamas fighters during the weekend, now believed to be held across various locations in Gaza.
This mass abduction has significantly complicated Israel’s retaliatory strategy against Hamas following this deadly onslaught.
Israel’s forces are meticulously working to ascertain the exact number of hostages spirited away into Gaza, a densely populated coastal enclave.
The situation is deemed highly complex as confirmed by Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hecht, the Israeli military’s international spokesperson, while the Israeli army initiated airstrikes on Gaza in retaliation.
Further muddying the waters are claims from Hamas’ armed wing, Al Qassam Brigades, warning that Israeli retaliatory attacks could jeopardize the safety of the hostages.
Hamas’ political bureau chief deputy, Mousa Abu Marzouk, in an interview, hinted that the number of hostages could be over a hundred, including high-ranking Israeli army officers, although these claims are yet to be verified.
Another Palestinian armed faction, Islamic Jihad, also professed to holding at least 30 hostages in Gaza, adding to the grim situation.