The Capitals: Jerusalem vows to change ground reality in Palestine 'for next 50 years'

The contested peace between Israel and Palestine came to a fierce end over the weekend as Islamic Jihad and HAMAS — the latter is the most dominant Islamist militant group in control of Palestine since 2007 — launched the most ferocious attack on the Jewish state in over 50 years. 

The phrase 50 years has become the defining expression of the Israeli sentiment as the country's defence forces battle to clear the Israeli territories from the Palestinian militants. It's the worst attack on Israel in the last fifty years. And, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant deployed it as a phrase of retaliation in his address to the nation on Saturday (October 7).

"We will change reality on the ground in Gaza for the next 50 years. What was before, will be no more. We will operate at full force," Gallant said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Saturday that the country was "embarking on a long and difficult war" and that all the places where Hamas is based in Gaza or operates from will be turned "into rubble".

The conflict has raised fears of spillover in the other capitals that surround Israel.

After Iran-backed Hezbollah expressed "solidarity" with Hamas and targeted Israeli military positions in the Shebaa Farms area, Israeli tanks were seen moving north where the country shares its border with Lebanon, prompting fear of spillover of conflict in the wider West Asian region. 

In Jordan's capital Amman, located a little over 100 km east of Jerusalem, hundreds came out in support of the Palestinian offensive as they hailed the militant group's violent uprising against the Jewish state. 

In Iraq's capital Baghdad, located 1,000 km east of Jerusalem, a motorcade of cars flying Palestinian flags marched through the capital.  

Pro-Palestine demonstrations were witnessed in Kuwait City, Lebanon's capital Beirut and the Yemeni capital Sana'a as well.

But the most prominent show of support came from Tehran where thousands of Iranians gathered at Palestine Square in Tehran and set off fireworks in support of Palestine.

The choice before Israel is simply to ensure its self-preservation in a hostile neighbourhood where support for militancy to achieve territorial goals has dominated the geopolitical discourse since the modern Jewish-dominated state's inception. 

At the same time, up to 100 Israeli hostages, and an unspecified number of various foreign nationals, including women and children, have been taken into Hamas-administered Gaza by the Islamist militants, complicating any Israeli military operation to free them.

Videos on HAMAS-affiliated Telegram channels seen by WION showed militants in small boats attempting to enter Israel by sea.

Militants also infiltrated Jewish communities near the border with Gaza, killing and seizing civilians and soldiers.

Israeli officials confirmed that nearly 1,000 Israeli civilians and members of the military were killed while another 1,800 were wounded. Dozens of foreign nationals, among them, individuals from France, the United States and Nepal were taken hostages. Seven French citizens are missing after the Hamas attack, with one confirmed dead. 

Several Germans, who are also Israeli nationals, were among those kidnapped by Hamas militants, German ministerial sources told AFP. 

WION can confirm that at least 10 Nepalese students have died during the ongoing conflict in Israel.

The latest Hamas attack has abruptly altered the picture of diplomacy as a means to achieve lasting peace among the West Asian capitals where the dawn of Abraham Accords had raised the hopes for an era of stability in the region.

That's all for the capitals this week. See you next weekend.

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