On October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” targeting the Israeli military positions surrounding Gaza, and the Israeli towns adjacent to the Strip. In the words of Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military wing the Qassam Brigades, the Al-Aqsa Flood operation was aimed at eliminating the Israeli army’s Gaza Division. In Deif’s words, it was also meant to mark the beginning of the battle for “the Great Liberation” — to restore all occupied Palestinian territories that were settled in 1948.
Since then, Israel has claimed to have killed Deif, and a number of Hamas leaders. It has regained control of the areas surrounding the Gaza Strip, and waged a ferocious war on Gaza in a military operation called “Swords of Iron,” killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. All the while, it has imposed an even more stringent blockade on the Gaza Strip, denying the small Palestinian territory access to water, food, and electricity. ….more
