2023-10-07 15:31:03
Israel is in a state of war this Saturday, after the launch of a surprise offensive by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which fired thousands of rockets and infiltrated fighters into Israeli soil.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is “at war” following Hamas’ surprise attacks on Saturday. “The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” the president promised in a video message, in which he acknowledged that Hamas, which rules the enclave, launched “a criminal surprise attack.”
The escalation of violence began with a hail of rockets launched from various points in the Gaza Strip starting at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. The armed wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for these attacks and claimed that thousands of projectiles were fired.
The Israeli Army responded with airstrikes targeting Hamas targets in Gaza and also confronted militants infiltrated from Gaza into Israeli territory, in an operation that involved land, sea and air.
The Israeli armed forces reported the activation of sirens in the south of the country, while the police asked the population to stay near bomb shelters. The sirens were also activated in Jerusalem, according to AFP journalists.
The armed wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket attack and claimed that more than 5,000 rockets were launched.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the group “initiated a massive missile launch from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory” and that the militants managed to enter “different locations” in Israeli territory. It is still not understood how they managed to penetrate one of the most fortified borders in the world.
So far, at least 40 Israeli citizens are reported dead due to the attacks, and more than 500 people have been injured, according to Israel’s emergency services. On the other hand, the Palestinian authorities have recorded 161 fatalities in Gaza.
The Israeli military reports that numerous warplanes have bombed 17 Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip.
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