What is the IDF?

Israel Defense Forces - or IDF - represents all of Israel's military forces.

"The purpose of the IDF is to preserve the State of Israel, to protect its independence, and to foil attempts by its enemies to disrupt the normal life within it," says the IDF's website. The IDF consists of ground forces, much like the U.S. Army, and includes the air force, and navy.

Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists attacked Israel with barrages of rockets, killing at least 600 people and wounding at least 1500, on the morning of October 7. Thousands of rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip in a surprise ambush and Palestinians everywhere were called to attack Israelis by a senior Hamas military commander, Mohammad Deif. The IDF claimed to have blocked many rockets with the Iron Dome, Israel's missile defense system.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a video posted on the IDF website on October 8, 2023, "Anyone who took part in these attacks will pay a heavy price."

Israel formally declared war on the aforementioned day. The IDF struck back against Hamas targets resulting in the death of at least 198 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

"There are tens of thousands of soldiers in the area surrounding Gaza and we will continue to deploy more until we neutralize every single terrorist that is in Israeli territory," Hagari said.

"The attack was in the ground, and the air, and also through the sea," said IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht in a video posted to IDF's X account, formerly known as Twitter. "They didn't go for military targets. They went for civilians. They went for grandmothers, children, babies.

"In the video, Hecht detailed the surprise attack on the people of Israel. He contended civilians have gone missing, military personnel have been killed and that there have already been stories of heroism by Israelis.

"The style of attack is barbaric," Hecht said. "In a way this is our 9/11."