LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The surprise attacks on the south side of Israel by about 1,000 Hamas terrorists on Saturday has so far resulted in the deaths of at least 700 Israelis and the wounding of more than 2,200, according to the Jerusalem Post. In addition, The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday that 313 people were killed. Worrying many in the United States after learning about the horrific events over the weekend is also the possibility that some of those killed and kidnapped could be Americans.

On Fox News on Sunday, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog had told the network that there were “dozens” of Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to the press over the weekend and said he was working to verify reports about Americans being among the dead and those who were also taken hostage. The U.S. Embassy in Israel is warning Americans in Israel to be cautious and have announced a security alert saying, “The situation in Israel continues to be unpredictable. Individuals should follow local government advice to increase their security awareness and remain safe. Mortar and rocket fire may take place without warning.”

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The Hamas attacks are being made under the banner of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” which was reported in July as an operation to hold Israel accountable for aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian prisoners. The mosque is hundreds of miles away from the Gaza Strip but it is a Muslim holy site and a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition to the tensions from this, Hamas also said in their statement that the recent attacks against Israel were motivated by the blockade of Gaza and Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as well as general opposition to the Jewish State’s existence. The Al Jazeera Media Network said there was nothing “surprising” about the operation and that it was “provoked by Israeli aggression and occupation” in an “act of resistance.”

The attacks have included armed Palestinians from the Gaza Strip infiltrating Israeli settlements along the border in a well coordinated attack against Israel, Hamas launched about 5,000 rockets and sent their fighters inside of Israel by land, sea and air. In addition to launching rockets from the Gaza Strip, the Hamas fighters are reported to have taken to the streets and gone house to house in order to kill and kidnap Israeli soldiers and civilians as they raged against their enemies.

“We are in a war,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend. In addition to Netanyahu’s statement, Israeli envoy Gilad Erdan spoke to reporters at the United Nations ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Sunday, saying it was time to “obliterate” Hamas’ military infrastructure and called what they did “war crimes.” Erdan also told Fox News, “Babies, women, the elderly were dragged outside of their homes, were taken hostage. Civilians were shot and most were massacred in cold blood walking on the streets. This is something that, I mean, is truly unprecedented.”

The Free Press, a media news company, has an article that calls the attacks “Israel’s 9/11” just like Erdan said over the weekend. The writer and political consultant, Noah Pollak, describes the horror that descended upon Israel by saying the following: “When Hamas invaded Israel this morning, terrorists streamed across the border in pickup trucks, by motorcycle, on foot, and even on paragliders. Once inside Israel, they abducted and murdered Israelis. They shot people in cars and at bus stops, they rounded up women and children into rooms like Einsatzgruppen – yes, the comparison is appropriate – and machine-gunned them. They went house to house to find and murder civilians hiding in their closets, and they dragged the bloody, dead bodies of Israelis back into Gaza where they are now being paraded, beaten, and mutilated in front of exultant crowds.”

Pollak went on to say that the terrorists went house to house, maiming, murdering and mutilating in assaults that he compared to “scenes reminiscent of ISIS in Syria.” He also describes his group chats with friends in Israel who are enraged with their leaders as much as those who are attacking them, questioning how Israeli authorities could have failed them so completely.

With many pointing a finger at Iran, the writer is also pointing the finger at the Biden administration and their role in “setting the table for this disaster” in their efforts to reenter the Iran nuclear deal and the Biden administration unfreezing $6 billion in frozen assets as well as doing a prisoner swap. Tehran is a well-known key backer of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and also the Lebanese terror group, Hezbollah – so it’s not a big leap for anyone to believe that Iran was involved in these attacks. And in fact, Hamas itself is saying that Iran supported their recent attacks against Israel.

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Pollak says in his article, “Since the (Biden) administration came into office, it has been pouring money into Gaza aid projects knowing well that Iran’s client terrorist group, Hamas, is fully in control of the territory and would benefit from the help.” The Biden administration actually knew, according to leaked documents, that the money would benefit Hamas – but they went ahead with their plans anyway.

Nevertheless, on Sunday, President Joe Biden condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel, calling them an “appalling assault” against Israel by the Hamas terrorists. He also said that “Israel has a right to defend itself and its people” and added, “My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.” What kind of support that America will be offering to Israel is unclear – and made more difficult, most likely, by not having a Speaker of the House in place.

Back in Michigan, Democratic Governor Whitmer is getting heat for her comments on the attacks. Instead of offering support to Israel by name or calling out the Hamas terrorists, she sent out an X on social media saying, “I have been in touch with communities impacted by what’s happening in the region. It is abhorrent. My heart is with all those impacted. We need peace in this region.” Several hours later, she said in a statement, “The images that continue to come out of Israel on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War are devastating. The loss of lives in Israel – children and families – is absolutely heartbreaking and appalling. There is no justification for violence against Israel. My support is steadfast.”

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), a frequent critic of Israel, finally broke her silence on the attacks on Sunday, releasing a statement that said, “I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day. I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity. The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance. The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation and apartheid makes no one safer. No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence. We cannot ignore the humanity in each other. As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”

Other Michigan leaders have also made statements regarding the attacks, mostly supporting Israel including Rep. Bill Huizenga who said on social media, “These attacks on Israel and the kidnapping of Israeli civilians are a coordinated effort around the 50th Anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. We must stand with Israel and help Israel stand strong against Hamas and their backers like Iran.”

Democratic Senator Gary Peters said on X, “I am horrified by the vicious, coordinated terrorist attacks by Hamas on innocent Israeli citizens. I condemn this terrorism — cruelly timed on Simchat Torah & during the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War — in the strongest terms. We must continue to stand with Israel.”

These attacks come at a time when Saudi Arabia, the United States and Israel are trying negotiate a peace deal. With Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah against the normalization of relations, these attacks couldn’t come at a more precarious time for a Middle East peace deal to be made – but also at a time when many are saying that they are very much needed.

When asked if the peace talks were what caused the attacks, Secretary of Blinken said, “It’s entirely possible that one of the motivations for this attack was to try to derail these efforts to advance normalization, something that is very hard. There are a lot of really challenging issues to work through. We’re in the process of trying to do that.”