The Guardian view on the Hamas attack: a new and deadly chapter opens in the Middle East | Editorial

The devastating and unforeseen assault has profound implications for the future of Israelis, Palestinians and the region

The murderous rampage carried out by Hamas across southern Israel on Saturday was not just shocking and horrifying but seismic. It was not merely the most deadly assault in decades, with militants firing thousands of rockets and then attacking from land, sea and air. It targeted civilians, with fighters taking as many as 100 Israelis hostage, including elderly women and young children. At the time of writing, at least 600 Israelis had been killed and more than 2,000 injured.

How Hamas was able to do this is not yet known. What is certain is that the attack has already brought further disaster on Gaza. As of Sunday afternoon, Israeli retaliation had killed 370 Palestinians and wounded more than 2,000. A ground invasion looks increasingly possible. Benjamin Netanyahu, no longer Mr Security", talks of a long and difficult war" and reducing the places where Hamas hides to rubble. He ordered Palestinians to leave [those areas] now", knowing that there is nowhere to go in this tiny, densely packed territory. All this will have been in the militants' calculations; as ever, civilians pay.