Today is October 7, marking one year since the attack by Hamas in Israel. And it does so with an unprecedented escalation throughout practically all of the Middle East, with Iran and Israel as the main contenders. This morning, new attacks occurred, Israel carried out a "precise attack" against what it denounced as an Islamist group's operations center inside the 'Shuhada al-Alqsa' hospital in the Gaza Strip and also bombed southern Beirut, while Hezbollah launched an attack with a "swarm of drones" and several missiles against Haifa, the largest city in northern Israel, injuring at least ten people.
In addition, the Israeli Army stated that this Monday it intercepted "two suspicious aerial devices" launched from the east towards areas south of Tel Aviv, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the attack by the Islamist group Hamas in Israel.
Israel commemorates this Monday the first anniversary of the massacre by Hamas on October 7, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 kidnapped - nearly a hundred still held - with a series of events, amidst escalating tensions in the region and stalled negotiations for a truce in Gaza, as well as new Israeli attacks on territories in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.
Scholz reiterates his support for Israel
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed on Monday his country's support for Israel and its fight against Hamas militants, on the first anniversary of the lightning attack against the Middle Eastern country in which about 1,200 people died, Reuters reports.
"We share with you the horror, the pain, the uncertainty, and the sadness. We stand by your side," he said. "Terrorists of Hamas must be fought." Scholz also drew attention to the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, stating that "people need hope and perspectives if they want to renounce terrorism."
Pro-Palestinian protests in several cities in Japan
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations were organized on Monday in Tokyo and other cities in Japan to protest against Israeli military operations in Gaza and demand a ceasefire, on the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks that led to the current escalation of violence in the Middle East, Efe reports.
In Tokyo, dozens of people gathered in front of the Israeli Embassy with slogans such as "Stop the killing in Gaza," "Stop the genocide in Gaza," or "Freedom for Palestine." A large police presence deployed around the diplomatic representation prevented the protesters from approaching the building.
The protest was called by several civil and student organizations against military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, similar gatherings were organized by different platforms between Monday and the previous day in other Japanese cities such as Osaka, Hokkaido, Hiroshima, or Naha.