The launch by Hamas of an assault on the Jewish state, occurring nearly 50 years to the day after Yom Kippur War, is a reminder that the battle that began well before 1948 — recall the Hebron riots of 1929 — has never stopped. Israel, riven internally and on the verge of a diplomatic breakthrough with Saudi Arabia that appeared set to reshape the region, is back in a familiar place. Fighting for her survival. This is being called “Israel’s 9/11.”   

In years to come the joyous holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah — both of which were to be celebrated in Israel the day Hamas attacked — will likely be marked with not only the customary dancing, but also memorials and mourning. As of Saturday morning, more than 2,000 rockets had been fired into the Jewish state. There are reports of dozens killed and kidnapped. Images, not all verified, convey the sense of the enemy’s barbarity.  

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s declaration that “we are at war” came after an aerial bombardment accompanied by a complex land invasion, with multiple communities and army bases in southern Israel coming under attack. One reporter for Channel 12 news in the southern town of Sderot says that there are “bodies on the ground” and describes “terribly grave pictures, scenes that are hard to describe.”

The Palestinian Arabs are calling this “Operation Al Aqsa Storm,” in reference to the site of Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem. Air raid sirens are being heard in the Holy City, and there are reports of explosions at Tel Aviv. The head of Hamas’s military wing, Mohammed Deif, tells the Palestinian Arabs that “this is your day to make the enemy understand that his time has ended. Everyone who has a gun should take it out. The time has come.”   

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, says that “we will win this war.” There is no other option, and all options should be on the table. Yet, as in Yom Kippur 1973, Israel was caught by surprise. The ease with which dozens of Hamas terrorists managed to enter Israel’s territory shocked Israelis. Nine hours into the war, Hamas fighters roam freely in southern Israeli towns and kibbutzim, where citizens are locked in shelter as terrorists rampage.

In one of the important strategic developments, Iran has declared its support for the attack on Israel by Hamas, which is, itself, an Iranian proxy, as is Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli security officials will no doubt be paying attention to Hezbollah, which is much better armed and trained than Hamas and could enter the war with an attack from the north. Terrorist cells in the West Bank could also join their Gaza-based brethren. 

One dramatic moment of the early hours of the war  — Israel is calling it “Operation Swords of Iron” — was a declaration by protesters who have been agitating against the government on judicial reform. Some protesters had been refusing to show up for military service. Today protests were canceled. The group Brothers and Sisters in Arms called on “all those who are needed to report and play their part to safeguard” Israel.

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This editorial has been updated from the bulldog edition.