A little over a week has passed since Hamas’ cross-border attack on southern Israel. Great shock and sadness have spread throughout Israeli and Palestinian societies. In Japan, a flurry of emotions and opinions have been expressed by those who feel for each side and who are concerned about the tragedy as a whole.
The dispatch of ground units to the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military seems inevitable. Civilian casualties will continue to rise and the destabilization of the region will deepen as the death toll increases.
The assault by Hamas was a carefully planned military action. According to an announcement on Thursday by Abu Obaida, spokesperson for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, the attack was planned since early 2022 and involved 3,000 fighters and 1,500 logistics personnel.