Activist remains in southern Israel as war continues
An activist in southern Israel on Thursday said she knows at least five people who have died during her country’s war with Hamas militants. “It’s just horror and shock,” former Be’er Sheva Pride House Chair Ariella Menaker told the Washington Blade during an emotional WhatsApp interview. “They were fucking civilians.” Beersheba, which is the largest city in southern Israel, is located roughly 25 miles southeast of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, which the U.S. and Israel have designated a terrorist organization, on Oct. 6 launched a surprise attack against communities in southern Israel from Gaza.
More than 1,300 Israelis have been killed since the war began. This figure includes at least 260 people who Hamas militants murdered at an all-night music festival in Re’im, a kibbutz that is near the border between Israel and Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces on its website also says more than 3,200 Israelis have been injured and Hamas militants kidnapped at least 150 others.
