It was early in the morning on October 7 and sirens were going off over large parts of Israel. Everyone, including immigrants like me, knew the drill: Go to the nearest shelter with any family members staying with you. With minor exceptions, the sirens ensure that a missile could soon end up near you, that is, if it escapes interception by the famous Iron Dome system. The prospect of an impending attack is undoubtedly frightening, but the comprehensive system of sirens, the Iron Dome and shelters (I have one in my apartment) ensure that rocket fire from the Gaza Strip often does not cause loss of life within Israeli borders . .
Unfortunately, depending on where you live in Israel, such situations can arise several times a year. All in all, sirens generally do not cause an excessive feeling of alarm.
However, this attack was so much more gruesome than just rocket projectiles.
I work at the Weizmann Institute of Science and live nearby, in the city of Rehovot, over 50 km from the Gaza border. This distance measure works roughly for all major universities in Israel. With that kind of separation, the sirens will give you plenty of time to reach shelter. Close to the border, this time difference is much smaller, and rockets from Gaza are more likely to cause more damage there. It is this area, close to Gaza, that was the site of violence before the October 7 attacks, and this time rockets were merely covering fire for an extremely brutal armed terrorist attack on several border communities.
It is relevant that this attack took place on a Saturday, which was Shabbat in Israel, and also the day of the Simchat Torah festival. The terrorists inflicted absolute carnage on a dance music party; there are blood-curdling images and videos on social media of the massacre, but also of the larger massacre in other areas.
The day also marked the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, and the intensity of the current offensive was unprecedented since then, especially in the extent of the intrusion and damage inflicted on Israeli territory.
Much of our immediate reaction to these horrific events was stunned horror. As I write this, the number of deaths in Israel has passed 800. You fear these statistics because the numbers are only increasing.
Right at the start of the barrage on Saturday morning, a rocket landed on a main street less than a kilometer from where I live, seriously damaging at least three parked cars. There was no loss of life.
Locally, around the institute and in the city there is pain and fear.
Food and other supplies are available for the time being. Israel has regained control of its territory and launched a powerful offensive. Although the general expectation is that further invasion is unlikely, especially inland, people remain fearful and on a state of heightened alert. We will certainly have to wait and see, at least for a week, now that a near balance has been established between the warring parties. In fact, there is currently great concern, especially among the international community, about the potential of a war front opening up along the northern border. There have already been skirmishes there with Hezbollah. On the other hand, people do have confidence in Israel’s reputation as a security giant in the region, although some of that confidence may need to be re-earned after the enormous shock of the Hamas attack.
It will likely be a lengthy operation by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. During this difficult period, there has been a lot of engagement and support within the Indian community, including embassy officials who have reached out to us via social media. There has been strong communication and the universities have also provided a sharp and adequate response, which has allowed us to better understand the situation and deal with it better. At the same time, for many Indian students this is the first time they have lived abroad. Dozens may have arrived in Israel only very recently, as for many universities in Israel this is around the time the new academic year begins.
It is easy to imagine that the circumstances, colored by unpredictability and danger, cause much anxiety and fear among students. Their families in India must be very worried and worried.
A large number of Indian students are considering traveling back home, although I think a majority believe that internal stability will be achieved relatively quickly. In addition to Israel’s defense architecture, the geopolitical outlook has been activated, and one can hope that the situation will return to normal soon.
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