Abbas, Palestinian Leader, Says "Pal Residents Also Have Right to Self-Defense"

The armed faction Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, launched a surprise attack on Israel, while Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, stated that Palestinian residents also have the right to self-defense.

According to foreign media on the 7th (local time), Abbas attended an emergency meeting and said, "Palestinian residents have the right to protect themselves against terrorism by Jewish settlers and the Israeli occupation forces."

On the same day, Hamas launched the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' operation against Israel, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating dozens of armed militants into Israel. Hamas released videos on social media showing Israeli soldiers and others who were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip by the infiltrated militants.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

In response, the Israeli military declared the start of the 'Iron Swords' operation and has been conducting large-scale airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, using fighter jets and other forces.

Meanwhile, the daily Haaretz reported that residents in the West Bank of the Jordan River, under Abbas's jurisdiction, have also begun attacking Jewish settlements.

Earlier, according to Israeli medical authorities, at least 22 people have died in Israel so far due to Hamas's attack. The Israeli Ministry of Health reported that the number of injured from the incident reached 545, according to foreign media.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.