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MONDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Hamas invasion death toll rises to 1,100 , Gaza Pounded by IDF

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(By David Rosenberg, World Israel News) The death toll from Gaza’s surprise invasion of southern Israel rose topped 900 Monday night, while the number of wounded rose to  2,616.

The IDF announced Monday night that it has completed the evacuation of border towns near the Gaza frontier, and has completely cleared out all terrorists from the town of Be’eri, one of the communities hardest hit by the invasion.

Israeli warplanes continue to pound terrorist positions across the Gaza Strip, where the number of casualties now stands at 576, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, released a statement Monday night, threatening to execute all of the roughly 100 Israelis held captive in Gaza if the air campaign is not immediately halted.

“All of the captives will be killed one by one if the Israeli aggression against the homes of Palestinian civilians in Gaza continues.”

“From this hour, any targeting of our people in the safety of their homes, without warning, will be met with the execution of civilian hostages, which will be broadcast with video and audio.”

Meanwhile, tensions are rising on Israel’s northern border, following mortar attacks from Lebanon and a terrorist infiltration by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization.

 

Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran which has been implicated in helping Hamas carry out the October 7th invasion, castigated Israel for its retaliatory air campaign against Hamas, warning of a possible outbreak of full hostilities.

While the IDF managed to eliminate four terrorists, six soldiers were wounded during the clashes, including one listed in serious condition.

Israeli artillery shelled terrorist positions along the border in southern Lebanon following the infiltration.

.Live Updates:

Monday: 8:50 p.m. Dozens of IAF aircraft have attacked in the last few hours and continue to attack many targets throughout the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza.

The IDF spokesman said that “the Rimal neighborhood is used as a terror nest for Hamas and many activities against Israel are carried out from there.”

Monday: 8:48 p.m. The IDF announced that “we have the details of most of the kidnapped Israelis. As of this time, the IDF has notified the families of 30 of those who were kidnapped. The professionals responsible for informing the families will continue to do so. “

Monday: 5:23 p.m. A rocket has reportedly landed in the Bethlehem area.

Monday: 5:20 p.m. A rocket attack was launched at the communities of Erez, Yad Mordechai, Karmia, and Netiv Ha’Asara in southern Israel.

Monday: 5:18 p.m. Multiple people were injured in falls while running for shelter during the latest rocket attack on Jerusalem and central Israel. The injuries occurred in Beitar Illit and the Jerusalem corridor.

Monday: 5:00 p.m. A massive barrage of rockets was fired at central Israel, including at the capital, Jerusalem.

Monday: 4:43 p.m. Gaza terrorists launched more rockets at southern Israel.

Monday 4:00 p.m. A large-scale rocket attack was launched against multiple communities southern Israel.

Monday: 3:58 p.m. The IDF reported that retaliatory strikes were underway against Hamas targets in Gaza.

 

Monday: 3:36 p.m. Hamas terrorists have reportedly taken over a factory in southern Israel.

Monday: 3:30 p.m. Terrorists from Gaza launch more rockets at communities in southern Israel.

Monday: 3:06 p.m. A massive rocket barrage was launched at numerous communities in southern Israel.

Monday, 2:48 p.m.: A diplomatic source has denied the Reuters report claiming that talks regarding a possible prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas “are moving in a positive direction.”  “There are no negotiations,” the source said.

.

Monday, 2:31 p.m.: Qatar is brokering negotiations between Hamas and Israel regarding a prisoner swap between, Reuters reported, quoting sources. The swap would include the release of women and children kidnapped by Hamas on Saturday, in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian Arab women and children held in Israeli prisons.

Monday, 2:20 p.m.: Israel’s Health Ministry has reported that 2,506 injured Israelis have been evacuated to hospitals since the start of the fighting. Currently, 578 victims are hospitalized, among them 157 who are severely injured, 259 who are moderately injured, and 161 who are lightly injured.

Monday, 1:57 p.m.: Energy Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) has instructed the Mekorot company to immediately disconnect the water supply to the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.

Katz acted to receive the necessary permits to disconnect the supply of water from Israel to Gaza, and upon receipt of the approval, ordered the disconnection to immediately take place. Electricity and fuel supplies were cut off on Saturday. Katz has emphasized that his decision will remain unchanged until the war has ended, saying, “What was, will no longer be.”

Monday 1:50 p.m.: Additional sirens sound in Rishon Lezion and Holon

 Monday 1:20 p.m.: Al Jazeera is reporting that at least 50 people were killed in an Israeli strike on the Jabalya “refugee” camp.

Monday, 12:44 p.m.: Direct hits have been reported in Ashdod and Ashkelon. In Ashdod, at least one woman suffered serious injuries from a rocket. A direct hit has been reported on a home in Sderot, though no one was reported injured. There are also reports that homes near the Gaza border have been booby-trapped with explosives.

Monday, 12:32 p.m.: Sirens sound in Rishon Lezion, Holon, Yavne, Sderot, Bnei Darom, Ashdod, Palmahim, and other areas in central and southern Israel.

Monday, 12:25 p.m.: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is holding a situational assessment at the Southern Command, alongside its commander, Major-General Yaron Finkelman.

“I have ordered an immediate closure of the Gaza Strip,” Gallant said. “There will be no electricity, no food, no gas – everything is closed. We are fighting animal-like people, and we will act accordingly.”

Monday: 12:00 p.m.: Heavy missile bombardment on locations in central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

MDA responded: “In response to the recent alarms sounded throughout Israel, Magen David Adom teams have been dispatched to reported impacted sites. As of now, there are no known casualties. Further updates will be provided as necessary.”

Monday 11:56 a.m.: IDF forces have thwarted a terrorist who is in the Kfar Aza area. Shootouts between terrorists and Israeli forces are ongoing.

Monday, 11:48 a.m.: There is a suspicion that aerial vehicles have infiltrated the Gaza border area. Parallel to this, a gunfight with terrorists is taking place in Kfar Aza.

Monday, 11:24 a.m.: An IDF spokesman told journalists: “We are in complete control in the towns. It could be that there are still terrorists in the area.” He added: “We have moved to offense; hundreds of Hamas terrorists have been killed in the border region.”

Monday 10:10 a.m.: A terrorist was stopped by IDF soldiers attempting to infiltrate the Zikim military base near the Gaza border. No Israelis were hurt.

Monday 9:24 a.m.: The Paratroopers Brigade is working to cleanse Sderot of terrorists.

Monday, 9:09 a.m.: There is a concern of a potential hostage situation in Sderot. There are also clashes with terrorists at a junction near Sderot; residents of the city are requested to remain in their homes.

Monday, 8:16 a.m.: The Health Ministry has reported that 2,382 people have been injured since the start of the war, and 22 of them are currently in critical condition.

Monday, 7:00 a.m.: According to the IDF, there are currently six active points of engagement between IDF soldiers and terrorists in the Gaza periphery.

Monday, 6:32 a.m.: Additional sirens sounded in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The IDF is investigating.

Monday, 6:20 a.m.: Sirens sounded in the Gaza envelope region as rocket fire resumed.

Monday, 5:58 a.m.: Bursts of gunfire were heard in Sderot as a result of a battle between three terrorists and security forces at the Gevim intersection.

Monday, 5:00 a.m.: Gunfire was heard near Sderot, and security forces were dispatched to the area.

Monday,3:38 a.m.: The IDF targeted a structure that housed Hamas terrorists and other Hamas structures.

Sunday, 11:52 p.m.: The Ministry of Health has updated that 2315 injured Israelis were taken to the hospital, among them: 23 were in critical condition, 340 were in serious condition, 449 were moderately hurt, 1233 were light, 56 were in a state of panic, and 202 had yet to be evaluated.

Sunday 11:45 p.m.: In the past hour, an Israeli missile ship struck three missile launch sites in the Gaza Strip.

Sunday 11:39 p.m.: Missile sirens sound in central Israel towns of Rishon Lezion and Nes Tsiona.

Sunday 11:30 p.m.: Approximately an hour ago, an Israeli military aircraft stopped a terrorist who attempted to cross the border fence from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.

 

PDATE By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israel marked a grim milestone Sunday morning, as the death toll from the massive invasion by Hamas and other Gaza terrorist groups into the country’s south surpassed 600, with fighting continuing in at least six border communities.

The number of wounded now stands at 2,048, with roughly 100 Israeli civilians and soldiers taken into captivity in Gaza.

Military experts have assessed that Israel will face an actual “existential threat” if Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, joins the attack, along with other Iranian militias and Palestinian terrorists from Judea and Samaria.

 Hamas had claimed that it abducted 163, with Islamic Jihad also claiming to have taken several Israelis to the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli embassy in the U.S. said Sunday that there are believed to be 100 Israeli captives in Gaza.

Thousands of rockets have been launched towards southern and central Israel since the invasion began at around 6:40 a.m. Saturday, with Hamas claiming 6,000 projectiles have been fired, while the IDF has confirmed some 3,500 rockets detected.

Immediately after the rocket barrages began, terrorists flying make-shift ultra-light aircraft crossed over into Israeli territory while additional terrorist cells infiltrated through the security fence and by sea.

In total, roughly 1,000 terrorists invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip, overrunning the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip and the Re’im army base south of central Gaza.

The IDF forces stationed along the border and in the Re’im base were killed or captured.

 Once Israeli forces on the border were wiped out, terrorists inside Gaza breached the border fence using explosives and a bulldozer, allowing additional terrorists to flood into Israel.

Driving Toyota pickup trucks, terrorists seized control of six Israeli border towns, and took control over parts of additional communities in the Gaza envelope region. A total of 22 localities were totally or partially taken over by the terrorist invasion force during the height of the onslaught.

 Terrorists rampaged through homes, took hostages and in some cases massacred residents.

Footage posted by the terrorists to social media also showed a number of Israeli civilians taken hostage both from the nature festival which had drawn thousands of Israeli partygoers, and from the overrun towns.

Calls for help by locals went unanswered, as local police found themselves overwhelmed and the army slow in responding.

During the invasion, terrorists seized control of a police department in Sderot, slaughtering at least twenty police officers.

The terrorists were killed when the building was demolished by Israeli security forces overnight.

After lengthy gun battles, some 50 hostages were freed in the town of Be’eri, and additional hostages rescued from a home in Ofakim.

Rocket fire continued through the day and into the night, pausing only for an hour-and-a-half before resuming just before dawn Sunday.

Numerous direct hits were reported from the rocket attacks, which included heavier, more sophisticated projectiles than the Qassem rockets typically used by Hamas in the past.

Israel retaliated with airstrikes targeting terrorist positions across the Gaza Strip Saturday afternoon and during the night, killing some 313 Gazans and injuring 1,990, Hamas claimed.

Prime Minister Netanyahu convened the Security Cabinet overnight to draw up plans for the “destruction of the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The cabinet voted to halt fuel shipments to and the supply of electricity for Gaza.

“We are embarking on a long and difficult war that was forced on us by a murderous Hamas attack,” said Netanyahu.

“The first stage is ending at this time by the destruction of the vast majority of the enemy forces that infiltrated our territory. At the same time, we have begun the offensive phase, which will continue with neither limitations nor respite until the objectives are achieved.

“We will restore security to the citizens of Israel and we will win.”

(JNS) Israel’s Security Cabinet early on Sunday morning made a series of decisions marking the start of the offensive phase of “Operation Swords of Iron,” ordering the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for the “destruction of the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad.”

“We are embarking on a long and difficult war that was forced on us by a murderous Hamas attack,” said Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

UPDATES(Timeline in Israel Time)

Sunday 11:10: Senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzuk told al-Ghad that his organization is holding more than 100 Israeli captives, including senior officers. This would appear to be in addition to the 30 captives the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to have taken.

Sunday 11:00: CNN is reporting that at least three US citizens were murdered in the attack by Hamas on Saturday.

Sunday 10:47: Israel’s Flotilla 13 navy commandos have captured the commander of the southern division of Hamas’ naval force, Mohammad Abu Ghali. The suspect is being interrogated by the defense echelon.

Sunday 10:30: IDF says dozens of fighter jets struck 150 targets in Shuja’iyya.

Shuja’iyya is used as a “terror nest” for the Hamas terrorist organization. Many attacks against Israel originated in it, including during the recent invasion.

In parallel, terror infrastructure in the residence of Farah Hamed, a senior operative belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization, was targeted. The site was located adjacent to a mosque and three schools, which demonstrates that the Hamas terrorist organization takes advantage of holy sites and civilians to advance terror operations

Sunday 10:00: The ZAKA organization has discovered 260 bodies at the site where terrorists attacked partygoers at a music festival near the Gaza Border.

Sunday 9:32: Kan News reported that IDF soldiers from the Golani Bragaide stopped terrorists while traveling near Urim in the Gaza envelope. The soldiers detained the terrorists.

Sunday 9:25: 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has been lit up with the Israeli flag in support of the Jewish state.

Sunday 9:20: The Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza claimed that it is holding 30 Israeli captives.

Sunday 8:40: Kan News reporter Amichai Stein reported that the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which carries approximately 75 fighter jets, is en route to Israel’s shores, together with its accompanying fleet.

Sunday 8:00: Heavy missile barrage into southern Israel

Sunday 7:36: The death toll has been updated to 700, 2,156 injured, and dozens are in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

Sunday 7:14: The IDF has released the names of additional casualties.

Sergeant Roi Weiser, 21 years old, from Efrat, a soldier in the 13th Golani Battalion

Sergeant Adir Gauri, 20 years old, from Jerusalem, a soldier in the elite Sayeret Matkal special operations unit

Corporal Ariel Eliyahu, 19 years old, from Mitzpe Yericho, a soldier in Battalion 77, Brigade 7

Sergeant Guy Simchai, 20 years old, from Gadera, a soldier in the paratrooper brigade

Corporal Shira Shohet, 19 years old, from Modi’in Maccabim Re’ut, a spotter in the 414 intelligence battalion

Sergeant Aharon Paresh, 36 years old, from Ofakim, a soldier in the Southern Command

Lt. Shilo Cohen, 24 years old, from Sderot, a soldier in the elite Shaldag airborne commando unit

Major Amir Skori, 31 years old, from Jerusalem, a soldier in Sayeret Matkal

Sergeant Major Ido Rosenthal, 45 years old, from Ben Shemen, a soldier in Shaldag

Major Ariel Ben Moshe, 27 years old, from Kiryat Bialik, a company commander in Sayeret Matkal

Corporal Danit Cohen, 19 years old, from Sderot, a soldier in the Southern District Headquarters

Sergeant Or Mizrahi, 21 years old, from Petach Tikva, a soldier in the Nahal reconnaissance unit

Sunday 7:05: Residents in Kibbutz Miflasim and in the town of Sderot are being ordered not to leave their homes until further notice.

Sunday 6:30: The Israeli Airforce struck the homes of Hamas leaders in Gaza: Yahya Sinwar, Mahmoud a-Zahar, Nizar Awdallah, Fathi Hamid, Issam a-Da’lis. Kamel Abu Awan, and Abu Ma’uiz Sarj.

Sunday 5:20: After nearly an hour and a half of relative quiet, terrorists in Gaza have fired another barrage of missiles into the Gaza periphery.

Sunday 4:35: IDF is striking Hamas terror targets in Gaza.

Sunday 4:25: Security forces have regained control of the Sderot police station, which was captured by terrorists early Saturday morning. 10 terrorists were eliminated at the police station. Authorities in Sderot fear that there are more terrorists at large in the city.

Sunday 4:20: Forces eliminated an additional terrorist who was holed up in a home in Ofakim, the couple that was held hostage was taken to Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva.

Sunday 3:50 AM: The Taliban terror organization, which controls Afghanistan, has reportedly asked its neighbors for passage so it could join Hamas in its attack on Israel.

Belarusian news agency NEXTA tweeted: “Russia’s allies, the Taliban terrorist organization, supported Hamas: ‘If the Muslim countries neighboring Israel grant us the right of passage, we will conquer Jerusalem.'”

Sunday 3:21 AM: Speaking to Al Jazeera, Hamas spokesman Ibrahim Hamad said that the attack on Israel is “absolutely a message” to Muslim countries seeking normalization with Israel. He urged them to absolve themselves of this “great shame.”

Sunday 3:09 AM: MDA EMTs and paramedics are tending to a woman in her 50s who was severely injured from a rocket strike in Ashkelon, five others were lightly injured.

Sunday 3:00 AM: Reports of a confrontation between security forces and terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri.

Sunday 2:40 AM: The hostage situation at the home in Ofakim has ended. Yamam forces (police special forces) eliminated the terrorists, and the couple that was held hostage were rescued unharmed.

Sunday 2:35 AM: Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon sustained a direct missile hit

Sunday 2:30 AM: All areas under the jurisdiction of the IDF Gaza Division have been declared closed military zones. The IDF has clarified that entry of civilians into the area is strictly forbidden.

Sunday 2:25 AM: Security forces are breaching a sieged house in Ofakim.

Another heavy missile barrage on southern Israel.

Police are now saying there are five terrorists holding the police station in the town of Sderot.

Sunday 2:23 AM: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, during the call, the two discussed “developments in the unprecedented situation in Gaza and its surroundings and the necessity to work to immediately stop the escalation, stressing the kingdom’s rejection of targeting civilians in any way and the need for all parties to respect international humanitarian laws.”

The Saudi Foreign Ministry added that the Minister stressed the need for “joint efforts to calm the situation and to avoid further violence.”

Sunday 2:15: Another heavy missile barrage on southern Israel

Sunday 2:10 AM: Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan remarked on the attack: “Today is Israel’s 9/11 moment. Life for us will never be the same after today’s vicious terror attacks by Hamas terrorists. 250 murdered Israelis is the equivalent of over 8,000 Americans. When we say never again, never again is now. May God bless the State of Israel.”

Sunday 2:00 AM: According to Israeli estimates, there are approximately 100 Israelis being held captive in Gaza, among them civilians, soldiers, and officers.

Sunday 1:54 AM: The IDF Spokesperson’s Arabic language desk has sent a message to the residents of the Gaza Strip stating: “For your security, you must leave your homes at once.”

Sunday 1:00 AM: It was reported that the hostages held in the Kibbutz Be’eri cafeteria were freed. At the same time, it was reported that four hostages were being held in Ofakim. It is not clear if these are the same hostages previously reported.

Sunday 12:30 AM: Hamas has claimed that it has a much larger number of Israeli captives than what Israel believed.

A spokesperson for Hamas’ military arm said, “The number of Israeli captives is several times higher than what Netanyahu believes. They have been spread through all of the roads in Gaza, and they will go through what the population in the Strip is going through.”

Saturday 10:30 PM: US President Joe Biden spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah following his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Saturday 10:00 PM: Bulldozers began demolishing the police station in Sderot, while a terrorist was holding out inside. Later, the terrorist escaped the police station.

Saturday 9:00 PM: sirens sounded in Rishon Lezion, Beit Dagan, Holon, Ganot, and Mishmar Hashiva.

Saturday 8:00 PM: Air raid sirens were activated in Ness Ziona, Rehovot, Herzliya, and various other communities. Less than ten minutes later, a second barrage was fired toward Ramat Gan, Kfar Chabad, Yavne, Rishon Lezion, Tel Aviv, and other areas. Magen David Adom reported hits and injuries in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, during the call, the two discussed “developments in the unprecedented situation in Gaza and its surroundings and the necessity to work to immediately stop the escalation, stressing the kingdom’s rejection of targeting civilians in any way and the need for all parties to respect international humanitarian laws.”

The Saudi Foreign Ministry added that the Minister stressed the need for “joint efforts to calm the situation and to avoid further violence.”

Sunday 2:15: Another heavy missile barrage on southern Israel

Sunday 2:10 AM: Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan remarked on the attack: “Today is Israel’s 9/11 moment. Life for us will never be the same after today’s vicious terror attacks by Hamas terrorists. 250 murdered Israelis is the equivalent of over 8,000 Americans. When we say never again, never again is now. May God bless the State of Israel.”

Sunday 2:00 AM: According to Israeli estimates, there are approximately 100 Israelis being held captive in Gaza, among them civilians, soldiers, and officers.

Sunday 1:54 AM: The IDF Spokesperson’s Arabic language desk has sent a message to the residents of the Gaza Strip stating: “For your security, you must leave your homes at once.”

Sunday 1:00 AM: It was reported that the hostages held in the Kibbutz Be’eri cafeteria were freed. At the same time, it was reported that four hostages were being held in Ofakim. It is not clear if these are the same hostages previously reported.

Sunday 12:30 AM: Hamas has claimed that it has a much larger number of Israeli captives than what Israel believed.

A spokesperson for Hamas’ military arm said, “The number of Israeli captives is several times higher than what Netanyahu believes. They have been spread through all of the roads in Gaza, and they will go through what the population in the Strip is going through.”

Saturday 10:30 PM: US President Joe Biden spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah following his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Saturday 10:00 PM: Bulldozers began demolishing the police station in Sderot, while a terrorist was holding out inside. Later, the terrorist escaped the police station.

Saturday 9:00 PM: sirens sounded in Rishon Lezion, Beit Dagan, Holon, Ganot, and Mishmar Hashiva.

Saturday 8:00 PM: Air raid sirens were activated in Ness Ziona, Rehovot, Herzliya, and various other communities. Less than ten minutes later, a second barrage was fired toward Ramat Gan, Kfar Chabad, Yavne, Rishon Lezion, Tel Aviv, and other areas. Magen David Adom reported hits and injuries in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion.

Earlier Saturday

The United States Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a Muslim umbrella organization in the US, issues a statement reiterating its support for Palestinians, and does not mention or condemn in any way the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians.

The statement condemns “the recent unprovoked and continuous attacks by Israel on Palestinian towns, cities, and refugee camps” as well as “the inhumane siege imposed on the nearly 2 million inhabitants of Gaza,” which the organization says is “an implied declaration of open war on the Palestinians which oblige them to be in constant self-defense.”

The organization calls on the US government “to exert pressure on the occupation regime to immediately cease these atrocities” and criticizes any Arab and Muslim nations that have normalized relations with Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has spoken with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and is urging him to take steps toward calming the situation.

According to the US State Department, Blinken calls “on all leadership in the region to condemn” the Hamas attacks on Israel, and also urges the PA to “enhance steps to restore calm and stability in the West Bank.”

An Israeli rescue service says the attack by Hamas in southern Israel has left at least 300 people dead.

Rescue Service Zaka says an additional 1,100 people were wounded in the attack Saturday that took Israel by surprise.

Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday on Saturday.

Israeli police evacuate a family in Ashkelon after it was hit by rockets fired from the Gaza strip.Tsafrir Abayov / AP

It was the deadliest attack against Israel in decades.

At least 198 people in the Gaza Strip were killed and at least 1,610 wounded amid Israel’s retaliation.

Israeli opposition leader proposes unity government

Israel’s opposition leader says he has proposed forming an emergency government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a statement, Yair Lapid said he had met Saturday with Netanyahu and suggested the prime minister replace his far-right coalition with a broad unity government of centrist parties.

Rockets are launched by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, in Gaza, October 7, 2023. (AP/Hatem Moussa)

He said Netanyahu knows he “can’t manage a war” with his current partners. “Israel needs to bed led by a professional, experienced and responsible government,” he said.

He said such a coalition would send a message to Israel’s enemies that the country is united against its enemies.

Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday.

Israel said it is now at war with Hamas and launched airstrikes in Gaza.

(AP/ TJV Edited for anti-Iarael bias) — Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday, killing dozens and stunning the country. Israel said it is now at war with Hamas and launched airstrikes in Gaza, vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”

Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities hours after the incursion began. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 70 people were killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years. An unknown number of Israeli soldiers and civilians were also seized and taken into Gaza, an enormously sensitive issue for Israel.

At least 198 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israel’s retaliation and at least 1,610 wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said.

The strength, sophistication and timing of the attack shocked Israelis. Hamas fighters used explosives to break through the border fence enclosing the long-blockaded Mediterranean territory, then crossed with motorcycles, pickup trucks, paragliders and speed boats on the coast.

Bodies of dead Israeli civilians and Hamas militants were seen on streets of Israeli towns. Associated Press photos showed an abducted elderly Israeli woman surrounded by gunmen being brought back into Gaza on a golf cart and another woman squeezed between two fighters on a motorcycle. Images on social media appeared to show fighters parading what seemed to be captured Israeli military vehicles through Gaza streets and a dead Israeli soldier being dragged and trampled by crowd of Palestinians.

The assault threatened to spiral into a greater conflict, mirroring previous conflicts between Israel and the Hamas militants ruling Gaza that brought widespread death and destruction in Gaza and days of rocket fire on Israeli towns.

“We are at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address, declaring a mass army mobilization. “Not an ‘operation,’ not a ‘round,’ but at war.”

“The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” he added, promising that Israel would “return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.”

The shadowy leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, said the assault was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids inside West Bank cities over the past year, violence at Al Aqsa — the disputed Jerusalem holy site sacred to Jews as the Temple Mount — increasing attacks by settlers on Palestinians and growth of settlements.

“Enough is enough,” Deif, who does not appear in public, said in the recorded message. He said the morning attack was only the start of what he called “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” and called on Palestinians from east Jerusalem to northern Israel to join the fight. “Today the people are regaining their revolution.”

A rocket from the Gaza Strip struck a street in Ashkelon, Israel, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

At a meeting of top security officials Saturday, Netanyahu said the first priority was to “cleanse” southern Israel of infiltrators, followed by a greater retaliation in Gaza.

The serious incursion on Simchat Torah, a normally joyous day when Jews complete the annual cycle of reading the Torah scroll, revived painful memories of the 1973 Mideast war practically 50 years to the day, in which Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, aiming to take back Israeli-occupied territories.

In response, the IDF declared a war situation, titling it “Operation Iron Swords.”

“Over the past hour, massive rocket fire into Israel from Gaza has begun, and terrorists have entered Israeli territory in several areas. Residents of the south and center should stay close to protected areas, and in the Gaza Strip, within a protected zone,” it said in an early statement.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “we are at war” and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instructed a national civil emergency be implemented by the end of the night, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said “the Hamas [terrorist organization] has made a grave mistake.”

At the same time, the IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi assessed the situation and approved plans for the expansion of military activities. “Hamas is the ruler of the Gaza Strip, which is behind this attack, and it will bear the consequences and responsibility for events,” the army head stated.

Comparisons to one of the most traumatic moments in Israeli history sharpened criticism of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who had campaigned on more aggressive action against threats from Gaza. Political commentators lambasted the government over its failure to anticipate what appeared to be a Hamas attack unseen in its level of planning and coordination.

Asked by reporters how Hamas had managed to catch the army off guard, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli army spokesman, replied, “That’s a good question.”

The Israeli military struck targets in Gaza in response for some 2,500 rockets that sent air raid sirens wailing constantly as far north as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. It said its forces were engaged in gunfights with Hamas militants who had infiltrated Israel in at least seven locations.

Cars burn after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a parking lot and a residential building in Ashkelon, southern Israel. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

The abduction of Israeli civilians and soldiers raised a particularly thorny issue for Israel. Their number was not immediately known. Videos released by Hamas appeared to show at least three Israelis captured alive, and AP photos showed at least three civilians brought in Gaza, including the two women. Israeli television showed images of a young man stripped down to his pants being led on foot in a chokehold and reported that elderly women with dementia as well as workers from Thailand and the Philippines were among the captives.

The Israeli military confirmed that a number of Israelis had been taken captive. A top Hamas official, Saleh Arouri, told Al-Jazeera TV that his group is holding “a large number” of Israeli prisoners including senior officers adding that they will be used in a prisoner exchange to free Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. Neither side said how many. Israel has a history of making heavily lopsided exchanges in order to bring captive Israelis home.

The infiltration of fighters into southern Israel marked a major escalation by Hamas, forcing Israelis in the region to hunker down in safe rooms.

In the town of Sderot, the bodies of at least six people gunned down at a bus shelter were laid out on stretchers on the street. The bags they had been carrying sat at the curb and unmatched shoes were scattered on the sidewalk. Elsewhere, an Israeli woman knelt in the street and embraced a dead family member whose body was stretched out next to a pink motorcycle that lay on its side. The rider’s hand with a glove and a foot in a racing boot extended out from under the sheet.

In the kibbutz of Nahal Oz, just 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Gaza Strip, terrified residents who were huddled indoors said they could hear constant gunfire echoing off the buildings as firefights continued.

“With rockets we somehow feel safer, knowing that we have the Iron Dome (missile defense system) and our safe rooms. But knowing that terrorists are walking around communities is a different kind of fear,” said Mirjam Reijnen, a 42-year-old volunteer firefighter and mother of three in Nahal Oz.

In a televised address, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hamas had made “a grave mistake” and promised that “the state of Israel will win this war.”

Western nations condemned the incursion and reiterated their support for Israel, while others called for restraint on both sides.

“The U.S. unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians,” said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council. “We stand firmly with the government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks.”

Watson said Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, has spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi.

Saudi Arabia, which has been in talks with the U.S. about normalizing relations with Israel, released a statement calling on both sides to exercise restraint. The kingdom said it had repeatedly warned about “the dangers of the situation exploding as a result of the continued occupation (and) the Palestinian people being deprived of their legitimate rights.”

The attack comes at a time of historic division within Israel over Netanyahu’s proposal to overhaul the judiciary. Mass protests over the plan have sent hundreds of thousands of  left wing Israeli demonstrators into the streets and prompted hundreds of military reservists to avoid volunteer duty — turmoil that has raised fears over the military’s battlefield readiness and raised concerns about its deterrence over its enemies.

It also comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, who have felt increasing despair with the peace process effectively dead for years .

Saturday’s wide-ranging assault threatened to undermine Netanyahu’s reputation as a security expert who would do anything to protect Israel. It also raised questions about the cohesion of a security apparatus crucial to the stability of a country locked in low-intensity conflicts on multiple fronts and facing threats from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.

Hezbollah congratulated Hamas on Friday, praising the attack as a response to “Israeli crimes” and saying the militants had “divine backing.” The group said its command in Lebanon was in contact with Hamas about the operation.

Israel has maintained a blockade over Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. The bitter enemies have fought four wars since then.

 

Nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military raids in the West Bank, which has seen heavy fighting. Israel says the raids are aimed at militants. Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets have killed over 30 people.

The tensions have also spread to Gaza, where Hamas-linked activists held violent demonstrations along the Israeli border in recent weeks. Those demonstrations were halted in late September after international mediation.

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