The Israel military issued a warning that Hamas militants, who infiltrated southern communities and reportedly caused the deaths of around 250 people, remain actively engaged in fighting within Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed the Israeli populace that they are entering into a “long and challenging war.”
In a shocking turn of events, hundreds of gunmen infiltrated southern Israel, targeting both soldiers and civilians while taking what the army described as a “significant number” of hostages back into Gaza. In response, Israel initiated air strikes.
These air strikes have continued into Sunday morning, with the Israeli Air Force concentrating on hitting “operational infrastructure” in Gaza. Additionally, Israel conducted artillery strikes in Lebanon in response to “shooting carried out a few minutes ago into Israeli territory,” according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Palestinian health officials report that more than 200 people have been killed since Palestinian militants crossed the Israeli border from Gaza on Saturday morning.
In anticipation of prolonged conflict, Gazans received text messages from Israeli authorities overnight, instructing them to leave their homes and seek refuge in city centers or shelters.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, in an overnight message, declared that a “murderous attack by Hamas” had compelled them into the war and forecasted that the initial phase would conclude in the coming hours once they had eliminated most of the militants on Israeli soil. He also pledged to restore security for Israeli citizens.
Cut off
The Israeli government also announced its intention to cut off electricity, fuel, and goods supplies to Gaza.
The nightmare scenario for Israel, involving armed Palestinian militants operating in the south of the country, began on Saturday, coinciding with the Jewish Sabbath and the festival of Simchat Torah. Gunmen breached the Gaza perimeter fence, infiltrating Israel using motorcycles, paragliders, and sea routes. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the militants numbered in the high hundreds, launching over 3,000 rockets across Israel throughout the day.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus of the IDF described the attackers as going “door to door, house to house,” executing Israeli civilians in their homes and subsequently abducting Israeli civilians and military personnel, including women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.
Disturbing videos emerged, revealing Israeli civilians fleeing for their lives from a desert festival and capturing scenes of women being forcibly taken away in vehicles.
Israelis called news channels, describing how they were hiding in their homes and expressing fear for their lives. The town of Netiv HaAsara reported that Hamas militants shot dead 15 residents.
Southern communities
Gradually, the Israeli military began to regain control over most of the southern communities. Reports indicated that troops had liberated hostages in the town of Ofakim, killing the attackers holding them.
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed America’s “rock-solid and unwavering” support for Israel, which was facing an “attack orchestrated by a terrorist organization.”
Several more Israeli people were captured by Hamas military wing, including senior military officers, than initially reported.
By the end of Saturday, officials reported that Gaza had witnessed over 1,500 people wounded, and an additional 1,500 people sustained injuries in Israel. The army issued a warning that it would respond to Hamas’s unprecedented level of violence with an unprecedented response, mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists for a potential ground operation in Gaza.
Israeli strikes
On Saturday, Israel strikes demolished the 11-story Palestine Tower in downtown Gaza City, which housed Hamas radio stations on the rooftop. The Israeli air force asserted that it had targeted “military infrastructure in two multi-storey buildings used by senior Hamas terrorist operatives for carrying out terrorist activity” and indicated that they had warned the occupants to evacuate before launching the attack.
Violence also erupted in multiple locations in the West Bank on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six Palestinians during confrontations with Israeli forces.
Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif urged Palestinians worldwide to join the group’s operation, emphasizing the need to hold the enemy accountable for its actions.
Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s leader-in-exile, asserted that Palestinian factions intended to expand the violence to the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas spokesman, disclosed to the BBC that the group had received direct support from Iran for the attack.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a political rival of Hamas, maintained that the Palestinian people had the right to defend themselves against the “terror of settlers and occupation troops.”
The Israel Hamas attacks have garnered strong international condemnation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his shock at reports of attackers targeting and abducting civilians from their homes, while the UK’s Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, condemned Hamas’s “horrific attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Saudi Arabia called for an immediate halt to the escalation, highlighting the dangers stemming from “continued occupation” and “the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights,” which they had repeatedly warned against.